TourRadar Review: Is It Trustworthy, Secure, and Cost Effective to Book a Tour?

TourRadar is an online marketplace that connects travelers to organized tours with hundreds of tour operators across the globe. Founded in 2010, TourRadar has become one of the largest online platforms for multi-day tours covering everything from cultural trips, to adventure trips, to family trips, and more.

TourRadar has gained popularity among travelers in the United States who want to avoid the hassle of finding flights, reserving hotels, and activities separately. Instead, you can book a trip package that includes most of what you need. Carrying through from the convenience and ease of booking, there has been an uptick of US customers searching for TourRadar reviews USA so they can see what actual travelers think of their booking experience. 

A common question for travelers is simply: is TourRadar legit and can I trust them with my money and travel plans? The short answer is yes, TourRadar is a legitimate travel company. TourRadar has been in the travel business for over a decade and connects travelers to over 160 countries. They partner with top-rated operators like Intrepid Travel, G Adventures, and Topdeck, which builds credibility. 

TourRadar also uses secure payment methods, offers a 24/7 telephone service for immediate assistance and it partners with trusted tour operators. However, because TourRadar is a "marketplace" for travelers and someone else (a tour operator) will carry out your tour, the complaint rates and reviews customers write will vary based on who you booked with. This is why there are both great reviews for smooth travel and support and complaints about long waits or operator problems when things go wrong. This is the never ending question; is TourRadar legit?

Like any travel service, there are pros and cons to using the service. The pros include ease of comparing hundreds of tours, seeing actual customer reviews and having confidence you are booking a legitimate tour. Travelers also appreciate knowing what is included in each itinerary. Another benefit of TourRadar is filtering by budget, duration or style that is useful in selecting the right trip. 

The downside to using TourRadar is complaints about cancellations and or refunds, operator or itinerary changes and not being able to reach their operator as quickly as expected. Because it is a marketplace, TourRadar doesn't control many of the finer details of your trip. For example, if the operator cancels something last minute because of weather, or because the operator changed their plans, it will not always be the same experience as booking directly with the operator.This balance of good and bad is what makes the TourRadar pros and cons discussion the most important part of any review.

If you scroll through forums, travel blogs, or review sites, you will see that Traveler experiences vary widely. Travelers love seamless booking and communication, and highly-rated trips. Others, describe delayed refunds (when applicable), miscommunication between TourRadar and tour operators, or could reach anyone for help via phone in an emergency.  

One traveler said their family trip to Europe was "super easy and effortless" to book, and everything "went perfectly according to the iternary." One traveler said their trip was canceled on the eve of departure and said it took 35 days for a refund. Suffice to say, these experiences are the reason it is worth reading TourRadar user experiences to understand the best-case, worst-case user case scenarios, which help the individual traveler make an informed decision. 

Customer service makes or breaks a travel company, and for TourRadar, feedback is mixed. Many travelers report that agents are responsive via email/chat and that support helps resolve things but others say wait times on hold are long, and when speaking with people, that the responses are general instead of personalized conversations. 

Overall, the trend of the TourRadar customer service review suggests that support is decent for general questions, but when you are the person traveling and you have issues on the ground, many travelers say they feel like they are being transferred from TourRadar to the tour operator, and back to TourRadar-- a critical notion if you are someone that desires simple, quick answers in the midst of a stressful event.

One of the first questions that many travelers have is about the Tour Radar cancellation policy.TourRadar has a cancellation policy, but it primarily depends upon the policies of the operator that you booked through. Some operators will give you a full refund if you cancel within a certain number of days prior to the departure date, while others have stricter cancellation policies.

In practice, this means your flexibility is less dependent upon TourRadar itself, and more dependent on the operator you book with. Always read the fine print before booking. Many travelers actually recommend buying travel insurance in case your plans change unexpectedly.

Closely related to cancellations is the TourRadar refund process. According to customer feedback, refunds are possible, but the length of time depends. Some travelers have noted refunds have come in a number of days, while some travelers have claimed it has taken weeks or even months, especially for a complicated booking.

The platform being a middleman can cause some lag on refunds as they have to sort out releasing the money with the operator first. While the process does work, it's not always as prompt as people hope (which is why "TourRadar refund process" is such a common search term).

Another common question is whether or not TourRadar adds fees. For the most part, the price you see is the price from the operator, and TourRadar does not add on a large fee on top of that. However, travelers often find that some of the activities, meals, or optional excursions are not included in that price.This isn't out of the ordinary for tour companies, but it's how some travelers have ended up doing searches on TourRadar hidden fees. The trick is to read the "What's Included" and "What's Not Included" sections of each listing. This will help you avoid surprises and prepare your budget more accurately. 

How does TourRadar compare with other platforms? A common question is "TourRadar vs. Viator." TourRadar and Viator both have a good selection of tours. However, Viator has a heavier show of short activities and day trips, whereas TourRadar has a larger inventory devoted to multi-day packages. If you are looking for a trekking trip through Peru or a week-long safari in Africa, you're more likely to have more options through TourRadar. If you just want to do a one-day cooking class in Rome, it would likely be easier on Viator. 

TourRadar also competes with booking directly from G Adventures or Intrepid. The advantage to using TourRadar is the ability to compare a number of tour operators all in one place. Booking directly may lead you to have more control over the communication but depends on your level of independence in the booking process. 

Not all travel styles operate well with TourRadar. It works best for individuals who prefer a packaged experience, such as solo travelers looking for group experiences, families who prefer everything to be laid out for them, or couples who prefer to experience a variety of experiences and downtime on their trip. 

Conversely, if you are the type traveller that prefers to craft every detail of their trip independently, you are probably less likely to find value by using an aggregator. But if you want the confidence of vetted operators with many easy-to-see choices, TourRadar can save time and energy. 

So, should you use TourRadar for your next vacation? Based on the research we've conducted, TourRadar is a legitimate and a highly used platform with a huge variety of tours. It excels with convenience, transparency, and choice, but does have weaknesses around refunding and consistency in the customer service department. 

If you feel confident reading policies carefully and comfortable with finding adequate operators to work with, then it could be a safe and effective booking platform for you (especially when you compare the options). For travelers who are a bit less worried and simply want peace of mind, adding travel insurance and a few reviews of the operator is a simple way to reduce risks. 

Overall, this TourRadar review shows that while not perfect, it is not a scam. With basic protections in place, it'll be a great booking tool for special travel experiences. 

1. Is TourRadar safe to use for an international tour?

Yes. TourRadar works with established operators around the globe, but your experience with TourRadar will depend on the operator you utilize. 

2. How does payment work?

You pay securely through a TourRadar system that will then certify the operator the funds based on the policy. 

3. Can I contact the operator before I arrive?

Yes, you will usually have an opportunity to communicate with the operator once the tour is booked. 

4. Are there discounts or coupons available?

TourRadar provides promotions and some operators have discounts based on the season of the tour, always look for a valid promotion before you book. Grab your valid TourRadar coupon on ShoppingWays.