Easia Self-Guided Tour Types: A Full Spectrum of Self-Guided Possibilities

Easia Self-Guided Tours come in many shapes and sizes, from short city excursions to multi-day autonomous hiking or cycling itineraries. Join us in our second article of the ESGT series, where we dig a little deeper in the different self-guided tour types we’ve created with our expert Product teams. If you missed the first, feel free to take a look here.

1. Short ‘stand-alone’ self-guided excursions

A half- or full-day activity that focuses on exploring a single neighborhood of a city, or a smaller area of a region.

Usually this option can be operated from the traveler’s hotel as a starting point, or with optional transportation to and from the start and end points of the route.

Taking between 2-4 hours (depending on the pace of the individuals), these low-cost options fit perfectly in a free morning or afternoon of any itinerary, making them ideal choices for your travelers to independently experience a destination at their own pace and in their own time.

An example of a short ‘stand-alone’ self-guided excursion:


Hanoi – Evening Food Tour

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A tasty excursion that can be sold as a stand-alone activity (or embedded into a multi-day itinerary), for travelers looking to learn & sample some typical, authentic Vietnamese food while in Hanoi.

  • Distance: 1.5 km
  • Points of interest visited: 4 places listed with 2 restaurants, 1 desert shop and 1 place for drinks
  • Estimated tour time: 2.5 to 3hrs

2. ‘Hybrid’ or ‘Semi Self-Guided’ Itineraries

‘Hybrid’ or ‘semi self-guided’ itineraries are multi-day options that often span numerous regions or destinations, and comprise of a mix of guided and self-guided excursions or modules along the way.

A ‘hybrid’ ESGT truly offers the best of both worlds, and can easily contain excursions with a local tour guide (perhaps for the key sites in the itinerary), mixed with self-guided city explorations or modules as a complementary option, based on your and/or your clients’ preferences.

These tours offer a great way to balance benefitting from the knowledge of local expert guides, with the freedom of independent self-guided excursions.

Each hybrid option can include a variety of traveler services, including:

  • transfers
  • accommodation
  • luggage transportation
  • and more…

An example of a ‘hybrid’ self-guided itinerary:


Thailand ‘hybrid’ self-guided tour: From Bangkok to Chiang Mai

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Duration: 10D/9N
This itinerary provides an exploration of Thailand’s bustling capital Bangkok, as well as Chiang Mai city and its surroundings. The program focuses on a mix of outdoor cycling and hiking excursions, while also highlighting the culture and natural beauty of the destinations. The itinerary is composed of different elements, combining the use of pre-loaded itineraries on the travelers’ smartphones with unique guided excursions led by local experts.

Self-guided excursions:
Bangkok

  • Chinatown – self-guided city tour
  • Bangkok main cultural sites – self-guided city tour
  • The green lung of Bangkok – self-guided cycling tour
  • Night train Bangkok – Chiang Mai

Chiang Mai

  • Landmarks of Chiang Mai – self-guided city cycling tour
  • Discover Doi Suthep/Pui National Park – self-guided hike (full day)

Guided excursions:
Bangkok

  • Hidden scenes of Bangkok along the river of life

Chiang Mai

  • A respectful immersion in the Akha hilltribe culture & hiking in the lush mountains of North Thailand with an expert local guide – 2D/1N
  • An intimate meal at an organic farm

3. ‘Fully autonomous’ self-guided itineraries

Perfect solutions for the more independent and adventurous traveler. Similar to self-drive tours, travelers will transit and explore autonomously, using ESGT’s digital roadbook to discover the best a destination has to offer, entirely at their own pace.

On the digital road book app travelers will find:

  • carefully curated GPS routings
  • information on points of interest
  • a hand-picked selection of our favorite restaurants and coffee shops
  • must-visit places to experience the local culture
  • and more…

As part of the service, professional telephone support is constantly available throughout their journey offering peace of mind for them and you.

Optional (traveler) services can be easily added, e.g. transfers, accommodation, luggage transportation, massage on arrival, sunset cocktails, a surprise dinner, etc., depending on your (or your travelers’) preferences.

An example of a ‘fully autonomous’ self-guided itinerary:


Vietnam fully autonomous SGT: From North to Central Vietnam

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Duration: 13D/12N

A fully autonomous self-guided journey from the ethnically diverse north to the cultural center of Vietnam.

Hanoi:

  • Hanoi’s old town – self-guided walking tour
  • Authentic Vietnamese Cuisine – self-guided food tour
  • Discovery of Hanoi’s cultural center and its main landmarks – independent exploration

Mai Chau – Pu Luong – Ninh Binh:

  • Mai Chau – self-guided hike from Buoc Village to Mai Hich (3hrs)
  • Pu Luong – self-guided hike in Ban Don (2hrs)
  • Ninh Binh – self-guided cycling tour in Tam Coc

Halong Bay

  • 2D/1N – Halong Bay cruise

Night train from Hanoi to Hue.

Hue

  • Discovery of Hue city and its ancient imperial citadel – independent exploration
  • Explore Hue by bicycle – self-guided cycling tour to Thanh Toan & Chuon Lagoon

Hoi An

  • Discovery of Hoi An’s old cultural town – independent exploration
  • Explore Southern Hoi An – self-guided cycling tour

For most of the ‘fully autonomous’ self-guided itineraries, Easia would facilitate the transfers from one destination to another with a private vehicle. We book the hotels, and we are available to assist your travelers along their journey if any issue should arise, or if they wish to book any other services during their trip.

 

Conclusion

The three self-guided tour types above are all different and have their own advantages. Depending on your business model, as well as the individual wishes of your travelers, we will work with you and your team to ensure the right solution is offered to your travelers.

As stated in our previous article here at Easia we adore guided tours, and always will. It’s what we do, and it’s the core of travel. Our self-guided tours should be seen as complementary to guided tours and definitely not viewed as a replacement.

Aside from providing you with additional innovative options to crafting creative and interesting journeys in Southeast Asia, our self-guided tours have been created to enable you to reach new markets, without compromising on quality, safety and cost.

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    Interested in reading more about Easia Self-Guided Tours (ESGT)?
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