Best 5 Places to Buy Tours and Attraction Tickets Online

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Looking for the best places to buy tourist attraction tickets online? We have our favorite places listed to save you time and money.

It’s no secret that tickets can be quite expensive for popular attractions around the world. Whether you are looking to visit a city, or a specific attraction within it, one of the best ways to save money is by purchasing your tickets online in advance.

We will talk about the top places to buy sightseeing, tours, activities and attraction tickets online. As well as give you some insider tips for how to save the most money when you purchase tickets.

Where to Buy Sightseeing, Tours and Attraction Tickets Online

The cost of attractions can add up to a significant part of your travel budget. If you are looking at museum tickets, theme parks, day tours, or a guided tour it can quickly add up. Especially if you are traveling with family or a larger group. 

Booking ahead can save you time, money and headaches. It can help you find prices within your budget, or even get skip-the-line or VIP access to your sought after attractions.

There are a few key online companies to look at when trying to find cheaper attractions tickets. These include:

• ⭐️ TOP PICK: Viator
• Get Your Guide – popular for Europe & worldwide destinations
• Tiqets – museums, culture & hidden gems
• Klook – for Asia & Train Passes
• Expedia – for vacation packages that include attraction tickets

Who likes waiting in lines? ………….

I don’t. Especially with squirmy, whiny kids who would rather be running around than waiting “patiently” with 50 other people in a line. There is only so far bribes of smarties or a swim in the pool later will go.

The majority of online tours and ticket sellers we mention offer easy to cancel and change tickets. Often easier than going directly through the tour company.

Now you don’t have to show up for your bucket list tour only to find it is sold out. Or realize the couple beside you are talking about the great 50% off deal they got by booking ahead. 

You can now be “in the know” too! A couple of tips:

• Make sure you are comparing similar tours / tickets, with same length and similar services offered. It may be cheaper because less services are offered, or it’s not the same dates or the tour doesn’t include entrance to the attraction for example.

• Compare cancellation and change policies for the tickets. It may be worth a bit more money to have more flexible cancellation policies, especially during these times.

You want to make sure you are getting what you want/need out of your tickets, tours and attractions.

1. Viator

Viator is a well-known and trusted website that offers attractions, activities and tours all over the world. It’s our number one choice , and one we use ourselves regularly.

They have been around since 1986, but were recently bought by Trip Advisor. Viator has deals for over 345,000+ bookable activities and is partnered with major companies like Disney, Royal Caribbean Cruises and more.

They pre-vet all their tour operators for credibility and safety, so you can be more confident that you are getting a good option and deal.

The Viator site aggregates millions of reviews, so you can really get a sense of what your tour or activity is like, before buying your ticket.

⭐️ Viator is my preferred booking website as it’s easy to use, and has so many great tour options.

You can search by destination like Paris, France or by specific activity, type of activities and more.

Whether you are looking for a Taco Bike Tour in Tucson, Arizona, a skip-the-line kid-friendly tour of the Colosseum in Rome or a day of snorkeling, visiting the Tulum ruins and cave exploring in Mexico, there are so many options to choose from.

Viator Online Tours, Attractions, Tickets

Viator has an amazing reputation for their service as they offer free 24 hour customer service over email, phone and live chat. They also offer a price guarantee on selected activities- so if you find the same activity for cheaper on another website they will refund the difference!

They offer tours, activities and tickets all over the world. Like these in Rome, Italy.

Viator Pros and Cons

PROS

• Often has some of the best prices
• Large selection of tours, activities and attractions & less well known destinations
• Available in many more countries than Get Your Guide. If you can’t find tickets elsewhere, this is a good place to go.
• Website that allows you filter by activity type, destination.
• Optimized for mobile booking. Mobile tickets available for many products
• VIP tours – behind the scenes, skip the line
• Book and pay later option
• Pay in one of 8 currencies
• Have millions of reviews – so you can check out what people think ahead of time
• Customer service available 24/hr by phone, email and live chat in multiple languages
• Lowest price guarantee on selected activities (can be refunded if cheaper elsewhere)
• 24 Hour Free Cancellation Policy

CONS

• Must read overview descriptions & what’s included carefully as it’s not always clear. Example: Some Guided Tours don’t include entrance tickets, which have to be purchased separately.

⭐️ Check out more money saving tips

2. Get Your Guide

Get Your Guide is one of the more popular online booking companies for attractions tickets.

⭐️ Get Your Guide is popular with Europeans & for booking tours in Europe & worldwide. They also have a helpful app.

This company has been around since 2006 and touts over 30,000 activities on their site from 600 different tour providers from around the world.

They are resellers for local tour companies, so your money (minus the fee for the tours to be sold through GYG), goes to these local companies, and helps expand their reach.

They offer a wide range of attractions from city tours to theme park tickets, museum passes and more.

• You can search by popular destinations like Oahu, Hawaii or specific cities like New York City, USA. Explore all the options, or by different categories (tickets, outdoors, food and drink, day trips etc) price or most popular.

• Or if you have a specific attraction in mind like Versailles, or a day at the Louvre in France, you can search by a specific activity or place as well.

Get Your Guide Online Tours, Tickets, Attractions

They also offer high quality GetYourGuide Original Tours where they hire locals to provide their services for the tours.

The prices are listed up front so there are no surprises when you go to book. Additionally, if you find a cheaper ticket on another website, they will match it!

The whole point of Get Your Guide is to make booking tours, or tickets easy.

No spending hours researching online, or wasting precious time on your holiday trying to find deals, tickets, or waiting in line.

You can even book a last minute tour from your hotel with their app. If you are more of a fly by the pants, see what the day brings kinda traveler.

You can download their app here

• You can easily manage your booking through a link in your confirmation email.

• Get Your Guide usually allows you to modify or cancel your tour, ticket or activity 24 hours or more before the booking date/time.

Another great feature of Get Your Guide is their customer support. They are available 24/hr by email or phone to help you with any questions about your booking and often have staff at popular attractions that can answer more specific inquiries as well.

Since this online ticketing company works directly with the attraction companies, they are able to offer some cheap deals on attractions. Booking tours and the like is easy.

Get Your Guide offer tours, activities and tickets all over the world. Like these in Tulum, Mexico.

Get Your Guide Pros and Cons

PROS:

• Discounts for multi-ticket purchases
• Easy to navigate website. You can filter by destination, activity type, price, language, interests
• Highlights perks & ticket features like skip the line & ticket expiry 
• Customer support available 24/hr by phone or email
• Match cheap ticket deals found on other websites
• Free travel guides
• Front of line access tickets
• Most activities canceled for free up to 24 hours
• Most don’t charge booking fees except specific tickets like the Louvre
• Mobile ticketing – Sends tickets to phone so you can choose to print out or just show ticket
• Review system, so you can see what others thought.

CONS:

• Not available for all countries or cities ( limited activities in some places like Central America, but adding new tours, activities all the time)
• Need to read description to clearly understand what is included in your ticket.
• Fewer options for nature activities like guided hikes and outdoor adventures

PRO TIPS: If you don’t buy your tickets in advance, and there are long line ups at your next attraction, try buying a mobile ticket through Get Your Guide. Some let you skip the line and then you could head straight in.

If you are looking for quality, check out the tours/ activities listed as best sellers (top well reviewed options), and Get Your Guide Originals.

3. Tiqets

Tiqets specializes in mobile tickets for hidden gems, top museums and attractions, and has fewer products then the other sites.

They were founded in 2014, with a focus on mobile tickets to speed up access to your favourite museums and attractions around the globe. This can be a huge bonus if you don’t want to print out your tickets or just forget!

Culture easily accessible in your pocket. You can download their app here.

Their website has a less effective filter system, so it is easier to use if you already have an attraction in mind.

What I do like about Tiquets is when you search for a city, it goes to a landing page with the top trending activities, reasons to visit, hand-picked combinations, ways to experience the city and more.

You can also go directly to their all destinations page and explore from there.

Tiqets – Online Tickets, Tours, Sightseeing Attractions

From experiences in Greece to visiting the Sagrada Familia in Barcelona, Spain, or a ticket the the Louvre in Paris you will find deals and fun around the world.

The Tiqets blog is a fun place to explore as they offer city and destination guides, travel tips and things to do in many, many, many destinations.

Tiqets Pros and Cons

PROS:

• Mobile Tickets – sent straight to your phone so no worries about printing! Flexible date tickets
• Attractions including major tourist destinations like the Eiffel Tower or even a boat tour in Venice!
• Exclusive deals and offers
• Multiple currencies – pay in 11 different options.
• Shows hours of operation for each attraction, best time to visit
• Bonus tips from customers 
• 24/7 customer service, in many languages
• Multi-lingual website (11 different languages)
• Free cancellation options on all tickets

CONS:

• Smaller number of attractions, tours compared to other sites on this list.
• Website not as easy to navigate as some others
• Paper tickets only available at your destination
• May not always have the best prices compared to other sites on this list. Best to compare if looking for a deal.

4. Klook

Klook is one of the newer sites on this list, established in 2014, but it’s cheap tickets are often very competitive in terms of price.

⭐️ Klook is based out of Hong Kong and is particularly good for attractions across Asia.

• For instance it is one of the cheapest places to get the Japan Rail Pass.
• It still has tickets to popular destinations in Europe, United States and even some in Canada.

Klook is short for Keep Looking, and it’s focus is connecting travelers with local operators and cultural experiences at over 350+ destinations around the world. They have over 5 million reviews, so you can easily sort out the pros and cons of any tour or attraction option.

Travelers can connect with local operators who wouldn’t necessarily have the ability to connect with a global audience through Klook.

Has over 100,000 products and everything from theme park tickets, rail passes, and SIM cards to transfers and cultural experiences.

Whether you are traveling to Orlando, Florida and looking for theme park tickets or wanting some relaxation and a boat tour in Koh Samui, Thailand, Klook is a good website to check out. Especially if you are traveling through Asia.

Klook Pros and Cons

PROS:

• Offers cheap tickets globally
• Especially good for attractions across Asia
• Easy to navigate and filter by type of activity, attraction, event types and more
• Unique experiences
• Also offers deals on transportation, hotels, car rentals and more
• Majority of tickets can be used on mobile device. 
• Can collect loyalty points to use as credit on activities / tours
• Themed promotions throughout the year will save you money
• Payment in multiple (41) currencies. 
• Website available in 23 languages
• Promotes rail travel – better for the environment. (Japan Rail Pass, or the Eurail & Swiss Travel Passes)

CONS:

• No 24/hour customer service.
• Some tickets cannot be used on mobile so you may have to print them out
• Less selection of deals for theater and sport events than other sites.
• Need to read the cancellation policy (terms & conditions paragraph) carefully for each ticket / tour bought. No general cancellation policy.

Klook – Fun things to do in Chang Mai, Thailand

5. Expedia

Expedia is another well-known travel website that offers cheap deals on flights, hotels and attractions.

While they don’t always have the best prices for attraction tickets, their deals are worth checking out, and comparing with the other two.

They are usually best for buying vacation packages that include tickets to parks and attractions.

If you are already looking for accommodations and flights here, why not check out things to do.

One of the best features about Expedia if you are looking for cheap ticket deals- they often have promo codes available for specific cities!

Expedia has deals for over 120,000 cheap tours and attractions around the world.

This isn’t my go to site, as it’s not as user friendly specifically for attractions. Its is a good option to check out if you are already in there. They still offer deals on many popular places to travel like Paris, France or Los Angeles, California.

Expedia Pros and Cons

PROS:

• Good reputation
• Offers cheap deals on flights, hotels & attraction tickets for over 120,000 worldwide
• Large selection of cheap tickets
• Promo codes available for certain cities and attractions
• Payment – multiple currencies ( 13 options)

CONS:

• Does not always have cheap tickets for attractions compared to other sites on this list.
• Can’t use promo code or discount if booking with a tour operator- you must pay full price to get the deal. 

City and Regional Activity Passes

When looking for ways to save money on attractions, there are also various types of passes available to purchase online for specific cities, regions or even activities like visiting National Parks. Just google the city you are going to and if it has a pass.

These types of passes are great of you are planning on doing a lot of sightseeing in a particular area.

⭐️ City passes allow you to visit a number of popular attractions at a discount.

In order to figure out if the pass is worth it you will need to do a little planning and research.

• Passes can save you quite a lot of money, and give you extra perks like VIP access or skip the line, discounts on shopping and dining to name a few.

• The down side is you are often limited to specific attractions. So if there are others you interested in seeing, you’ll need to do a bit of research to make sure it won’t cost you more money than buying individual tickets. 

It’s helpful to figure out if you want to visit a larger number of attractions over a shorter period of time (flexible), or smaller number of attractions over a longer period of time?

Really it is more personal preference and travel style.

With young kids, realistically you aren’t going to be able to visit more than 1 or 2 a day. So that is something to consider, however the skip the line feature may be worth a little more money especially with young kids.

Typically city passes come in either flexible or fixed (pre-packaged) city passes.

Flexible City Attraction Passes

Flexible passes allow you to visit any number of attractions from a specified list, valid for a set number of days (usually anywhere from 1 to 7 days).

They can save you up to 50% or more off the price of buying individual gate tickets. Flexible passes are available around the world:

• Paris Pass – includes access to over 75 attractions in a 2, 3, 4 or 6 consecutive-day pass, plus the Paris Museum pass

The downside is you do often need to visit quite few spots each day (at least two to three depending on the length of pass) to make it cost effective. 

These types of passes are a great option for those who want to visit multiple attractions during their stay in one city but do not know what they will be interested in doing on the day.

This flexibility allows you to explore with ease and maximising your sightseeing experience. Without worrying about additional costs each time an attraction requires paid entry.

Fixed City Attraction Passes 

Fixed attraction passes allow you to visit a certain number of attractions, or a fixed list of attractions within a certain time frame. These passes have the advantage of usually having a longer time period to use than flexible passes, however fewer options are usually given. 

Go City Pass

Go City Pass also have fixed city attraction passes. It is a great option as they offer 5-7 of the top destinations in each city, with great savings on overall cost (up to 40% or 50%+ off). Then you have a certain number of days to visit your choices.

They offer City Passes for many major cities around the world in Europe, Asia, Australia and the US.

Including San Diego and Bangkok, to sunny Orlando and fun Sydney, Australia.

City and Regional Activity Passes Pros and Cons

PROS:

• One price gets you into multiple popular attractions or locations
• Saves you money on admission fees (up to 50% or more off)
• Extra perks, like VIP access, skip the line, hop-on-hop-off bus tours, transportation sometimes included

CONS:

• May be limited to specific attractions.
• Some attractions may be excluded from the pass. For example, a museum pass may not get you free entry to everything in the museum.
• Not always the best deal – do your research!
• You may have to plan your itinerary in advance to make sure you visit all of the attractions you want to.

Specific Region / Organization Passes

There may also be options to buy passes for similar attractions in a specific region.

UK

For example in the UK you can get a National Trust membership, which gives “free” access to all National Trust properties for a year. Or a Heritage Pass, which gives you access to all English Heritage properties and attractions within a 9 or 16 consecutive day pass.

• – Free entry to over 500 places including Giant’s Causeway, Cliveden, Fountain’s Abbey, Blenheim Palace, Baddesley Clinton House and Gardens and more.

• – Valid at over 100 places including Stonehenge, Dover Castle, Hadrian’s Wall, Tintagel Castle, and more.

It’s possible to buy a pass that is valid for one city only or you can get an all-inclusive pass which covers the whole country – it really depends on your travel plans and what type of attractions are available where you’re traveling. These types of passes often have huge savings, if you are visiting multiple attractions across the region.

Again, these passes often have time restrictions and are specific to a country or organization. Make sure to check what is included in the attraction list as some properties you want to visit may be excluded.

PRO TIP: Search for organizations and attractions in the destination you are visiting to see if they offer any special pass options. A good place to start looking is the local tourism bureau website.

National Parks Pass

National Parks Passes are a great option if you are planning on visiting a few national parks or monuments throughout the year, or are planning a longer road trip. Both Canada and the United States offer yearly National Park Passes, or single location passes.

United States

The America is Beautiful Pass is your ticket to more than 2,000 federal recreation sites across the United States. This pass covers entrance, standard amenity fees and day use fees for a driver and all passengers in a personal vehicle.

It is only $80 and is valid for 12 months.

Looking for some USA National Park destination ideas? Try our guides on:

• Ultimate 2 Day itinerary in Yosemite National Park
• One Day in Zion
• Acadia National Park 4 day Itinerary
• Bryce Canyon itinerary & guide
• 7 Day Road trip to Zion, Bryce & Grand Canyon

Annual /  Seasons Passes

Annual or Seasons Passes are perfect if you are planning on visiting the same attractions multiple times within the same season or year.

Perks are often offered like discounts on restaurants / shop, priority entry, free parking and more. 

Annual Seasons passes are popular with :

• Ski Resorts
• Museums 
• Theme Parks like Disney World
• Theatres
• Zoos

In order to figure out if it was worth it, you would need to look at what’s included in the annual / seasons pass, how many people will be going, and how many times / how often you will use the pass.

There you have it, an overview of a few different types of attraction and sightseeing passes that are available to tourists around the world. Whichever option you choose, it is important to do your research as some passes may be better deals than others!

Other Tips: How to Save Money on Attractions, Tickets, Tours

In today’s world, it can be difficult to save money and still enjoy all the top attractions, tours, and activities that you want. The following tips will help you get more for your money:

• Plan ahead! – Often tickets are cheaper when purchased in advance. Check the attractions website to see if they offer any direct purchase deals, then compare with the online reseller sites like Viator etc. Especially during the busy seasons.

• Shop around – Because prices can vary significantly. You might even find a better deal on the day of the event. Compare across websites like the ones we mention in this post (Get Your Guide, Viator, Tiqets etc.) to look for the best price. Get Your Guide and Viator offer lowest cost guarantee, so even if you do book through them and find a cheaper price later they will refund the difference (check their policies to make sure you understand their rules first though).

• Google “cheap attraction tickets” then the city, region, or theme park you are looking for tickets for to get a list of options. Check local city tourism websites.

• Buy Online – Buying online often gives you access to cheaper rates than booking at the attraction’s location or through a travel agent. If purchasing from an individual seller make sure there are no hidden fees and read reviews before committing. Sometimes there are even deals where you can get a cheap ticket and then upgrade on the day of visit.

• Discounts for late entry – Look to see if attraction offers discounted tickets for late entry. This works well for museums, theme parks and National Parks.

• Choose free activities with paid ones – Combining paid attractions with other free activities in the area can lower your costs. There are often fun parks, boardwalks and sites to see that cost nothing in the area.

• Check for discounts for individuals or organizations you belong to – Discounts are often offered to seniors, children, and military personnel. You can also find discounts through organizations like AAA, Costco or with your credit cards, and points or membership cards.

• Get a multi-attraction pass – As mentioned earlier a multi-attraction pass can save you money in the long run if you are planning on visiting multiple main city attractions (eg: Go City Pass)  

• Look out for special days where attractions offer cheap prices. – Check for free museum days, discount theme park days etc. These will typically also be busier, so if you don’t mind crowds, this is a good option.

• Visit during non-peak season or times – The more popular the season like Christmas & Spring Break, the higher the cost typically. Consider traveling and visiting during non-peak season.

• Check Theme Park Events Calendars – For theme parks check their event calendar, as some use dynamic pricing to encourage visitors for days that are typically lower attendance. Plan your visit on the cheaper days.

• Local Resident Discounts – Be a tourist in your own home town / state /area. Many  amusement parks, museums attractions offer local discounts. 

• Choose a hotel & ticket package – Many cities have hotels that offer discounted stays with either discounted tickets, or tickets to attraction included in the package. 

Which online ticket site is best?

That really depends on where you are going, what your budget is and how many attractions you’d like to take in.

• ⭐️ TOP PICK: Viator
• Get Your Guide – popular for Europe & worldwide destinations
• Tiqets – museums, culture & hidden gems
• Klook – for Asia & Train Passes
• Expedia – for vacation packages that include attraction tickets

Get Your Guide, and Viator are great for cheaper options, as they offer a lowest price guarantee and have a large selection of tours, tickets and experiences to choose from.

We would recommend checking each of the top sites to see what is offered. Tiqets offers some tickets with best price guarantee, and focuses on mobile ticketing. Klook is especially good for tickets across Asia.

Just make sure to confirm what activities are included before you purchase, and read their terms and conditions carefully around ticket changes, cancellations and best price guarantees. You don’t want surprises or disappointment.

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