Every traveller eventually wants the same thing: a person, not a brochure. Someone who knows which street, which stall, which night. "Hire a local guide" is how most people search for that, and the phrase covers three products that cost and feel differently. Here is how to tell them apart, what each costs, and where it actually works.
The three things people mean#
| Licensed guide | Private guide with a car | Local Friend | |
|---|---|---|---|
| What you get | A route and an explanation, often inside monuments | A guide plus transport for a day | A resident's time, your plan |
| Best for | Museums, ruins, history | Distance days, families, several sights in one go | Neighbourhoods, food, nights, a second visit |
| Price | Per tour or per day; set by the guide or agency | Per day; varies with vehicle and route | Hourly, set by each person, no commission |
| Booking | Marketplaces, agencies, tourist offices | Agencies, direct | Message directly |
| Who they are | Trained, usually licensed | Trained, with a driver or driving | Someone who lives there and likes showing it |
What a local guide costs, honestly#
There is no single number, and anyone giving you one is selling something. Free walking tours run on tips. Licensed private guides are priced per half day or day and vary by country more than by anything else: modest in the Dominican Republic, Colombia and Thailand, expensive in Japan and Western Europe. Private guides with a car add the vehicle. A Local Friend on Roavi sets their own hourly rate, visible on the profile before you send a message, and Roavi takes no commission, so the comparison is between people, not packages. In every case, agree who pays for transport, entries and meals before the day. How much it costs to rent a friend explains what moves the price.
When a guide is the right call#
- Monuments with rules. Some sites only admit licensed guides, and the history is the point.
- Distance. A day that strings three places together needs a car and someone who knows the roads.
- Zero planning. A guided tour is the right answer when you want to be told where to stand.
When a Local Friend is the better answer#
- The neighbourhood, not the landmark. Where people eat, drink, shop and walk on a Tuesday.
- Nights. No tour company runs the real version of a city's night out.
- Conversation. You want to talk to someone from there, not be lectured.
- Second visits. You have seen the sights; now you want the place.
Local guide vs tour company sets out the trade-off in general, and rent a local friend: how it works and whether it's legit covers the model itself.
How to find one directly, without a tour company#
- Decide which of the three you want for each day. Most trips need two of them.
- Read the profile, not the pitch. Photos, a bio in the person's own words, languages, a verification badge, a rate. How to find a local guide without a tour company goes through the signals.
- Message two or three people with your dates and what you want to see. The reply tells you as much as the profile.
- Agree the plan and the rate in writing on the platform, including transport and meals.
- Meet somewhere public the first time, and pay as agreed.
Is there an app?#
Several, selling different things: marketplaces for licensed tours and ticketed experiences; agencies that assign you a guide; and Roavi, where residents list themselves with a photo, languages and an hourly rate, and travellers message them directly. Roavi is a website that works on any phone with nothing to install. If the whole idea feels odd, is renting a friend weird? takes the question seriously.
Where it works today, city by city#
Being honest about this matters more than anything above. A platform is only as good as the people listed where you are going. As of October 2026 Roavi's listed Local Friends are concentrated in Latin America, with Santo Domingo, Medellín and Bogotá at the top, then Bangkok, Santiago in the Dominican Republic, Buenos Aires, Cali, Mexico City, New York and Puerto Plata. Each of these has a page that explains the guide question for that city and shows the people:
- Dominican Republic: Santo Domingo, Punta Cana, Puerto Plata
- Colombia: Medellín, Bogotá, Cali
- Mexico: Mexico City
- Argentina: Buenos Aires
- Thailand: Bangkok
- Japan: Tokyo
- United States: New York, Los Angeles
Some well-known destinations have nobody listed yet, among them Cancún, Tulum, Cartagena, Lima and Cusco. Their pages say so and point to the city community board, where residents and recent visitors answer questions, which is the honest substitute until someone signs up.
The profiles above are a sample of the people listed in the cities with the most. Message a couple with your dates; that is the whole process.
Find a local for your next trip.
Browse Local FriendsFrequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to hire a local guide?
It depends on which kind. Free walking tours run on tips. Licensed private guides charge per half day or day and vary enormously by country, from modest in Latin America and Southeast Asia to expensive in Japan and Western Europe. A Local Friend on Roavi sets their own hourly rate on their profile, shown before you message, and Roavi takes no commission.Is there an app to find a local guide?
Yes, several, each selling a different thing: marketplaces for licensed tours and experiences, agencies that assign a guide, and Roavi, where residents list themselves with a rate and you message them directly. Roavi is a website that works on any phone; no download is needed.What is the difference between a tour guide and a Local Friend?
A guide sells a route and an explanation, usually licensed and priced per tour. A Local Friend sells their time: a resident who takes you where they would go themselves, for an hourly rate they set. No route, no script, no commission. Guides are better for monuments and logistics; Local Friends for neighbourhoods, food, nights and conversation.How do I hire a local guide safely?
Read the profile or reviews: photos, a bio in the person's own words, languages, a verification badge if the platform has one. Keep the conversation on the platform until you meet, meet somewhere public, agree the price and who pays for transport and meals before the day, and pay as agreed.Which cities have the most Local Friends on Roavi?
As of October 2026: Santo Domingo, Medellín and Bogotá have the most listed, followed by Bangkok, Santiago (DR), Buenos Aires, Cali, Mexico City, New York and Puerto Plata. Some well-known destinations, including Cancún, Tulum, Cartagena, Lima and Cusco, have nobody listed yet, and the city pages say so.