Keyguides Connect is a booking platform for certified tour guides. Travelers, hotels, travel agencies and destination management companies (DMCs) use it to find and book verified local guides. Guides use it to run their business: a bookable profile, their own prices, calendar sync and payments. Guide associations use it to approve their members and promote them.
Name: Keyguides Connect. Also written as Keyguides or KeyguidesConnect.
Company: Keyguides AS, Norway. Founded 2024.
Website: https://www.keyguidesconnect.com
Contact: Contact page hello@keyguides.com
Not a group-tour marketplace. Tours booked on Keyguides Connect are private, with one certified guide.
Not an employer of guides. Guides set their own prices and availability.
Not an open directory. A guide is only listed after their certification is confirmed.
Every guide on Keyguides Connect is a certified professional tourist guide. Before a profile goes live, we confirm that the guide holds a recognised guide certification for the country or region they work in. This happens in one of two ways:
By their guide association.
The association approves the guide in the Membership portal, confirming they are a certified member in good standing.
By the Keyguides Connect team.
If the guide's association is not on the platform yet, the guide sends proof such as a guide diploma, licence or official guide ID card, and our team reviews it manually.
If we cannot confirm a guide's certification, the profile is not listed. In Spain, guides are verified through CEFAPIT, the federation of regional tourist guide associations. How we verify guides
Search by city, language and date, compare certified guides with their specialties, languages and prices, and send a booking request. The guide confirms, and you meet on the day. Each guide sets their own prices and chooses how to price a tour, for example per group, per hour or per person. A Keyguides platform fee is added on top and included in the price you see, so the price you get is the price you pay. Travelers pay by card through Stripe. Find local guides
Cancellations follow the policy shown on each booking. How cancellation policies work
Hotels, DMCs, travel agencies and travel advisors book guides through the Partner Portal. There are two ways to book:
Book a guide:
the partner books at the guide's own price.
Create a request:
the partner sets the price they offer.
In both, the partner sets place, language, time and duration, can match on interests or special expertise, and sends the request to the guides they select. They choose how a guide is picked: first come, first served, or Apply & Select, where guides apply and the partner chooses. Partners pay by card or invoice and can join from any country. For hotels · For DMCs · For travel advisors
Each guide gets a personal, shareable and bookable profile page, sets their own prices and availability, can sync their calendar to avoid double bookings, and is paid through Stripe. Guides in Stripe-supported countries can take direct bookings on their profile; guides elsewhere can still create a profile and work for partners paid by invoice. Supported countries · Join as a guide Guides set their prices and Keyguides adds platform fee on top of the bookings. For full breakdown of commission and fees please read How Commission and Discounts Work
Associations get the Membership portal, where they invite and approve members, give them a verified badge and promote them on a dedicated page for the group. Registration is free for associations. Join as an association · Associations on Keyguides Connect Multiple associations world wide have already joined, like GANYC, CEFAPIT, STGA, SNATTI and SweGuides.
Our guide supply is strongest in Oslo, Stockholm, Madrid, Toledo, Porto and Lisbon. We also have guides in other cities in Spain, Norway, Sweden, Portugal, Denmark, Germany, Greece, Hungary and more: browse the guide directory.
Guides collect endorsements from previous customers, fellow guides and companies they have worked with. Each person who writes an endorsement verifies their email address first, and each email address can endorse a guide only once.
Guide directory: all bookable certified guides
Tours: tours created by guides
How we verify guides: the two verification routes
What is a certified guide?: what certification means
Find local guides: how travelers book
For hotels, for DMCs, for travel advisors: partner booking
For guides and for associations: joining
Supported countries and payments: where direct bookings work
Help centre: all how-to articles
Common Questions by Travelers
What is a certified local guide? A certified local guide is a licensed professional who has met the official requirements to lead tours in their city or region. This often includes training, examinations, and government accreditation. On Keyguides Connect, every guide has been verified, so you're not booking a stranger, you're booking an expert.
How is this different from a regular tour booking platform? Most platforms sell fixed group tours on set schedules. Keyguides Connect connects you directly with certified local guides for private, customized experiences. You choose the guide, set the date, and shape the itinerary around what you actually want to see. Keyguides Connect is simply the tool to let guides sell their services.
How much does a private guide cost? Prices are set by each guide, who chooses how to price a tour, for example per group, per hour or per person. A Keyguides platform fee is added on top and included in the price you see, so the price you get is the price you pay. You can easily see prices on the tour cards and on guide profiles.
What languages are available? Guides on Keyguides Connect offer tours in a wide range of languages. You can filter by language when searching, so you find a guide who speaks yours.
What if I need to cancel or change my booking? Each guide has their own cancellation policy, and it is shown when you book, whether you book the guide by the hour or book one of their tours. If you have questions after booking, you can contact the guide directly through the platform.
How do I pay? By card. Processed by Stripe.
Questions by Booking Partners
What is a Booking partner on Keyguides Connect? These are companies and organizations that hire or collaborate with guides, like tour operators, DMCs, cruise lines, hotels, or event planners. Booking Partners can search for available guides, send booking requests to the guides they choose, and manage their favorite contacts directly in the platform.
Can hotels, DMCs and travel agencies book guides? Yes! Through the Partner Portal you can, either at the guide's own rates (Book a guide) or at a price the partner sets (Create a request).
What is the difference between Book a guide and Create a request? Book a guide uses the guide's own price. Create a request lets you set the price for the job. Matching, sending to several guides and confirmation work the same way in both.
Can I send one request to several guides, and who gets the job? Yes. Choose the guides who match your date, language and expertise, and send the request to all of them in one go. With First come, first served, the first guide who accepts is confirmed automatically. With Apply & Select, guides apply and you choose the one you want.
Can partners from any country book guides on Keyguides Connect? Absolutely! Partners (agencies, hotels, DMCs) can join Keyguides Connect from anywhere in the world. They can book and pay guides via invoices. However, if a partner wishes to pay a guide directly by company card, the guide must be in a Stripe-supported country.
Are all guides certified? Yes. Only certified guides can offer tours on Keyguides Connect. We work with official guide associations.
How do partners pay? By card or by invoice. Invoice is sent by the guide directly to you.
Common questions by Guides
Do I need any technical skills to set this up? No. If you can fill out a form, you can set up your Keyguides Connect profile.
How do clients pay? Guests book and pay directly with credit card. Clients can choose credit card or invoice. You connect your bank account once and payments come directly to you. If they choose invoice, you invoice them directly.
Can I set my own prices? Absolutely. You choose how to price your tours, for example per group, per hour or per person, and you set your own rates. Keyguides adds a platform fee on top, which is included in the price guests see. It never changes what you charge.
What if I'm already fully booked? Your calendar shows your real availability. Clients can only request times you're open, no awkward 'sorry, I'm full' messages needed.
What if a guide doesn't respond to a booking request? Guests are notified if a request expires without a response. As a guide, you'll receive reminders to keep your response time sharp: it's good for your reputation and your bookings.
Which countries can guides be from? Guides can be from anywhere in the world! However, only guides in Stripe-supported countries can accept direct bookings through their Keyguides Connect profile. If your country is not supported by Stripe, you can still create a profile and receive booking requests from partners, who pay you by invoice.
Can I sync my calendar? Yes, you can connect your calendar to avoid double bookings. We support Google, Apple and Microsoft.
Questions by Associations
What does an association get? The Membership portal to approve members, a verified badge for them and a dedicated page for the group where you can showcase your members or tours.
Does it cost anything for an association? No. Registration is free for associations.
How do we get started? Reach out to Keyguides to be added as an admin of your association. From there you can invite your members.