We are committed to providing fast, efficient, and affordable software solutions that set new standards in the software development industry.
  • GuideHop: Challenging Vayable
Technology Articles > Software > Home & Hobby > GuideHop: Challenging Vayable

Have you ever traveled to a location you know nothing about? Maybe you bought one of those expensive guide books or stopped at a Visitor Information Center in the area for brochures in search of things to do in the area, only to find you just weren't offered any experiences that truly excited you. GuideHop is here to save the day, and just like Vayable, offers experiences from local people leading out-of-the-ordinary tours and experiences sure to please you.

How Does It Work?

Register with GuideHop or login with Facebook and choose your destination. A list of activities appears, along with how much the activity costs and how long it is expected to last. When a search is conducted where New York City is the destination, for example, 34 listings appear for you to “hop” through, complete with pictures of the guide and little bit about them. After all, this is a group of people just like you offering up an experience. I could list an ad for a rock climbing excursion, but I don't know anything about rock climbing. Reading the credentials of the guide puts you a little bit more in control, finding the perfect guide for your interests. You could then bypass my profile for a more professional rock climber.

If you register with the site, you are able to not only browse activities in an area, but to post your own activity as well. Do you own that lone house on the mountainside complete with its own special trail, walked only by you? Do you know all there is to know about the financial district, or even about your town's history in general? Maybe you know the best food carts in your city and wish that you could show people your interpretation of “the best.” Any of these are possible activities you can offer as a GuideHop guide.

What Kinds of Activities Are Listed?

My search of New York City, as stated before, returned 34 results. The majority of them were guided tours of different parts of the city, like the “Brooklyn and Harlem Tours by Foot and Car,” “Time Square and Battery Park Tour by Foot,” and “Walk the East Village.” Some guided tours are more specific, such as “Theater Lovers Adventure,” where you are led on a guided tour of the Broadway theater district.

There is even a tour specifically for those in NYC with a cruise ship or three-day weekend, the “See It all Tour for Cruise Passengers.” For the shopaholics, there is the “Shop 'Til You drop” tour which promises to save you valuable time spent searching for the boutiques you wish to visit, money traveling around to all of them, and hassle.

The guide offers to carry your purchases, and the price includes an all day unlimited subway pass. All of the listings include not only written descriptions, but pictures and oftentimes videos. Potential customers can read reviews written by satisfied (or otherwise) customers to further aid in deciding whether or not to book an activity.

As a guide, you are in control of it all: price, bookings, and cancellation policy. Guide Hop Deals with the payment processing to give you one last thing to worry about through the booking process. Also, just as the customer can learn about their guide through their profile, the guide can learn about the customer. This way, they are both on the same page and can maximize the enjoyment of the experience on both ends.

Isn't This Just Like Vayable?

It certainly seems that they are a lot alike when you describe the services they offer. However, Vayable seems to offer totally unique experiences unlike those I found on GuideHop. Again, I used New York City as my destination and saw experiences like “Street jam in NYC” where you could join a gentleman out on the city streets and play music with him, “NYC Vintage or Flea Market Shopping Tour,” and for the avid runner, “Discover New York While Running.”

I foresee this changing, however, as more users experience GuideHop and register as a guide. Until then, it appears if you are looking for a tour of a city tailored to a specific area, GuideHop is your best bet. If you are looking for the ultimate adventure, Vayable may be more suitable to your desires. Whichever site you choose, they are both rocking the travel world and giving people an opportunity to do some pretty amazing things.