How to choose a private tour guide in Taiwan, Thailand and Japan

Short answer: choose a guide who holds the local guide licence, see the full price for your whole group before you pay, and get the cancellation rule in writing. Below we compare the three usual ways to find a private guide — finding one yourself, booking through an online travel agency (OTA), and booking with a guide company such as MyProGuide — then list what is different in Taiwan, Thailand and Japan.

Three ways to find a private guide

	Find one yourself	Book through an OTA	Book with MyProGuide
Who your guide is	You choose the person	Often not known until the day	You see the guide's profile, or message the guide before booking
Licence	You have to check it yourself	Depends on the tour operator	Guides upload their licence; we check it before they can be booked
Price	Negotiated, often cash	Fixed, shown before you pay	Shown for your group before you pay, paid online
Language	Ask and hope	Usually English	Each guide lists the languages they speak
Changing the plan	Flexible	Fixed itinerary	Private tours, or a custom itinerary on request
Cancellation	A verbal agreement	The OTA's rule for that tour	Written on every tour page before you pay

None of these is wrong. A guide recommended by a friend or your hotel can work well, and OTAs are convenient for fixed group tours — our own tours are also listed on Klook, GetYourGuide and Viator. If you want a private guide, a known person, and room to change the plan, choose a way that shows you who the guide is and lets you talk to them before you book.

1. Check the licence

Every country licenses guides differently; the rules for Taiwan, Thailand and Japan are below. Ask to see the licence card — a real guide will show it without hesitation.

MyProGuide has worked with licensed local guides since 2016. Guides upload their licence, and we check it before they can be booked.

2. Compare the price for your whole group

A private guide is priced for your group, not per seat on a bus. When you compare quotes, check:

• whether transport, entrance tickets and meals are included;
• how many hours the price covers, and what happens if you run over;
• whether the price is per person or for the group.

A cheaper quote that leaves out the car or the tickets often ends up costing more on the day.

3. Make sure the guide speaks your language well

"Speaks English" can mean many things. Before you book, read the guide's profile or send a short message and see how they reply. On MyProGuide you can message any guide before you book; contact details stay hidden until the booking is made.

4. Read the cancellation policy before you pay

Every MyProGuide tour states its cancellation policy on the tour page before you pay — for example, free cancellation up to 24, 48 or 72 hours before, depending on the tour. If you arrange a guide yourself, agree on what happens if the weather cancels the day, and write it down.

Taiwan

Licence: tour guides are licensed by the Tourism Administration after a national examination. Foreign-language guides passed it in a specific language; Chinese-language guides guide in Mandarin. For a tour in English or Japanese, ask for a foreign-language licence in that language.

Weather: typhoon season runs roughly from June to October. Agree on what happens if a typhoon cancels the day.

Reviews: on Tripadvisor, MyProGuide Taiwan is rated 4.8 out of 5 from 632 reviews (as of October 2026) — read the reviews.

• Taiwan travel tips and private tours
• Search guides in Taiwan — profiles, languages and prices

Thailand

Licence: guiding requires a licence from the Department of Tourism and is reserved for Thai nationals. A licensed guide carries a photo ID card issued by the department; someone at a temple gate or a pier offering to "show you around" without one is not a licensed guide. At the Grand Palace and the big temples, a licensed guide also knows the dress code, the opening times and the queues.

Price: ask whether the boat is included. Be careful with very cheap day tours that stop at gem shops or tailors — the low price is paid back in shopping stops.

Weather: the rainy season runs roughly from May to October, and boat trips and island days are the first to be called off.

Reviews: on Tripadvisor, MyProGuide Thailand is rated 4.9 out of 5 from 344 reviews (as of October 2026) — read the reviews.

• Thailand travel tips and private tours
• Search guides in Thailand — profiles, languages and prices

Japan

Licence: since a 2018 change in the law, anyone may guide foreign visitors for a fee; only the title National Government Licensed Guide Interpreter (全国通訳案内士) is protected. Earning it means passing a national examination in a foreign language, Japanese history, geography, general knowledge and practical guiding, then registering with the prefecture; the system is overseen by the Japan Tourism Agency. An unlicensed guide is not breaking the law, but a licensed one has proven both the language and the knowledge. Every guide we list in Japan holds this licence.

Price: ask whether you also pay the guide's own train fares and entrance tickets — this is common in Japan.

Season: cherry-blossom and autumn-leaf weeks fill up months ahead, and typhoons can stop trains in late summer. Agree on what happens if the trains stop.

Reviews: on Tripadvisor, MyProGuide Japan is rated 4.8 out of 5 from 9 reviews (as of October 2026); our Japan team is newer — read the reviews.

• Japan travel tips and private tours
• Search guides in Japan — profiles and languages