How self-guided tours score
This guide explains the format itself. If you're deciding between companies, see our comparison of all major land tour operators. A format profile, not a company one — and this one genuinely covers two different products, scored as a range.
These scores describe the format itself. Globus Independent and Rick Steves' My Way sit at different points on several of these — see the comparison below.
Two honest notes. Group intimacy scores low across the whole format — even Rick Steves' My Way, which keeps a group, doesn't build in the shared sightseeing that creates most of the bonding on a fully guided trip. Guided-insight access scores lowest of any gauge on our whole comparison, deliberately — the entire point of this format is removing that layer, so a low score here isn't a flaw, it's the format working as designed.
What actually stays the same across self-guided tours
No guided sightseeing. That's the one constant — everything else genuinely varies by operator.
"Self-guided" gets used as if it describes one consistent product, and it doesn't. Rick Steves' Europe states this directly in its own tour conditions: My Way tours don't include guided sightseeing, admissions, or most meals, unlike its fully guided tours. That's the real, verifiable constant across this whole format — not the absence of a group, not a fully independent schedule, just the removal of included guided touring.
Beyond that one constant, the actual experience splits into genuinely different products. Some self-guided tours have no group at all: you get hotels, transport, and a route, and you're on your own from the first morning. Others keep a fixed group and shared transportation, removing only the guided sightseeing layer. Both get called "self-guided." Only one of them is actually solo.
Two real models, both called "self-guided"
| Globus Independent Tours | Rick Steves' My Way | |
|---|---|---|
| Group | None — Globus itself describes these as not group tours. | Fixed, 24 to 28 people sharing one bus. |
| Transportation | Arranged in advance; you travel on your own timeline. | A set daily bus schedule connecting each city. |
| On-the-ground support | A local host at each stop, plus some included sightseeing/orientation. | A tour manager who travels with the group and advises on logistics. |
| Guided sightseeing | Not included. | Not included — the tour manager advises but doesn't lead tours. |
Neither version is "more self-guided" than the other — they're just answering a different question. Globus Independent removes the group entirely. Rick Steves' My Way keeps the group and the transportation, and removes only the guided commentary. If group camaraderie matters to you, that difference is worth knowing before you book, not after.
Who actually runs this format
Globus and Rick Steves' Europe both sell a self-guided product alongside their escorted tours, though the two products work differently — see the comparison above before assuming either matches what the other company calls "self-guided." Several other operators on our full comparison offer a similar quieter, cheaper sibling product to their flagship group trips, generally as a smaller part of a broader catalogue built primarily around guided touring.
Who this format fits — and who should look elsewhere
You want the logistics handled — hotels, transport, a route — without paying for included guided sightseeing you might not use fully. You're comfortable navigating a city on your own once you're there. You want a genuinely lower price than a fully guided trip covering the same ground. Or you specifically want the version WITHOUT a group and know to look for that explicitly, since not every "self-guided" product delivers it.
You want the historical and cultural context a trained guide provides; that's the one thing this format deliberately removes. You're not comfortable planning your own daily sightseeing once the bus drops you off. You specifically want group camaraderie built around shared activities, not just shared transportation. Or you assumed "self-guided" meant no group at all and haven't checked which model the specific operator actually runs.
If you asked us to pick
Before booking anything marketed as self-guided, ask directly whether there's a fixed group and shared transportation, or whether you're genuinely on your own from day one — the word "self-guided" alone won't tell you. If group camaraderie is part of why you travel, Rick Steves' My Way keeps that while still saving you the cost of guided sightseeing you might skip anyway. If true independence is the goal, Globus Independent (or a similar no-group product) is the more honest match for what "self-guided" usually implies.
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Quick answers
What actually stays the same across self-guided tours?
No included guided sightseeing. That's the one constant across every version of this format, confirmed directly in Rick Steves' own tour conditions: My Way tours do not include guided sightseeing, admissions, or most meals. Everything else — whether there's a fixed group, a shared bus, or a tour manager — genuinely varies by operator.
Is Rick Steves' My Way tour actually self-guided?
Partly. My Way tours still have a fixed group of 24 to 28 people sharing a bus on a set transportation schedule, with a tour manager along for logistics and advice. What's genuinely self-guided is the sightseeing itself — there's no included guided touring, and you set your own daily pace once you arrive.
What's the difference between Rick Steves' My Way and Globus Independent tours?
Globus Independent Tours and City Stays have no group at all — Globus itself describes them as not group tours, with travelers moving independently between hotels arranged in advance. Rick Steves' My Way keeps a fixed group and shared bus transportation, removing only the guided sightseeing. They're both called self-guided, but the actual experience is meaningfully different.
Is self-guided touring cheaper than a fully guided tour?
Usually, yes, since you're not paying for a guide's included sightseeing, admissions, and most meals. Travelers comparing Rick Steves' guided and My Way versions of the same itinerary commonly report a gap of roughly $50 to $100 per day, though the exact savings depends on the operator and itinerary.
Which companies offer self-guided tours?
Globus and Rick Steves' Europe both sell a self-guided product alongside their escorted tours, though the two products work differently. Several other operators on our comparison offer a similar quieter, cheaper sibling product to their flagship group trips.