Your City Knowledge
Is Worth Money.
Turn a weekend morning or a free afternoon into extra income. Become a local guide on Local Guide — it's the perfect side hustle for anyone who knows their city and loves sharing it. Free to start, you set your own schedule, you set your own price.
Watch: Become a Local Guide in 90 Seconds
Why travellers want locals, what big platforms charge guides, and how to list your first experience, with 0% commission.
Read the transcript
You know your city better than any guidebook. Here's why that's worth money. In 2025, people made a record 1.52 billion international trips. And they don't just want a hotel. Tours and experiences are a $271 billion market, growing faster than travel itself. Travellers are tired of crowded hotspots. 43% now plan to avoid them. What they want is a local. In one survey, 9 in 10 travellers said a local guide is the best way to explore. And you don't need a company. Most tour operators are small or solo. And only 1 in 3 tours is booked online so far, so there's room to stand out. But the big platforms typically take 20 to 30% of every booking. Local Guide takes 0% commission. Travellers pay you directly, and you keep what you charge. Describe your idea in any language, and the AI helper writes your listing. Set your own price, your own schedule, and your own group size. Travellers discover you in the app and on the web, and message you directly. Every experience earns reviews that build your reputation. Get verified for extra trust. Food lover, history buff, expat, student. If you love your city, you can host. Download Local Guide free, and list your first experience today.
Guide on Your Schedule
Host one tour on a Saturday morning. Or ten tours a month. You decide. Most part-time guides host 2–4 experiences per month around their regular life.
Real Extra Income
A 2-hour food walk at $25/person with 4 travelers = $100 in a Sunday morning. Grow your reviews and charge more over time.
Start in 10 Minutes
Download the app, set up your profile, and publish your first experience in one session. Our AI assistant helps you write a great listing fast.
How to Become a Local Guide
Five simple steps from download to your first paying traveler
Download the App
Get the free Local Guide app on iOS or Android and create your account in under two minutes.
Build Your Profile
Add your photo, bio, and the city you guide in. Travelers book guides they trust — a great profile is your foundation.
Create Your Experience
Describe your tour or activity, add photos, and set your price. Our built-in AI assistant helps you write a compelling listing.
Submit for Review
Submit your experience for review. Once our team approves it, it becomes discoverable by travelers searching in your city — in the app and on the web.
Host & Get Reviewed
Welcome your first traveler, collect a great review, and watch your profile grow. More reviews mean more bookings.
Why Local Guide is the Best Side Hustle for Local Guides
Everything you need to earn extra income from your local knowledge — without giving up your day job
You Set Your Price
Charge what your experience is worth. Most local guides earn $15–$80 per person. Scale up as your reviews grow.
Total Flexibility
Guide on your schedule. Full-time, weekends only, or occasional — you decide when and how often you host.
Global Reach
Travelers from 50+ countries use Local Guide. Your experience gets visibility beyond what local word-of-mouth can achieve. Verified guides are also shown inside travelers’ AI trip plans for your city.
AI-Powered Tools
Our built-in AI assistant helps you write your experience description, answer traveler questions, and build your listing fast.
Build Your Reputation
Verified reviews and star ratings build trust with new travelers. Your rating is your best marketing.
Direct Messaging
Chat directly with travelers before and after their experience. Build relationships that turn into repeat visits and referrals.
Free to Start
Downloading the app and listing your first experience costs nothing. Start earning before you spend a cent.
Any Experience Type
Food tours, photography walks, cultural history, nature hikes, nightlife, wellness — if you're passionate about it, create it.
Who Can Become a Local Guide?
Being a local guide is about passion and knowledge — not credentials
Locals & Residents
You grew up here or have lived here for years. You know the hidden spots, the best street food, the real history. That knowledge is gold to a traveler.
Expats & Long-Term Visitors
Living abroad gives you a unique outsider-turned-insider perspective that travelers love. You speak their language and know the city deeply.
Enthusiasts & Hobbyists
Passionate about food, photography, architecture, history, or nightlife? Your hobby can become a tour. Travelers seek authentic shared experiences.
Freelance Tour Guides
Already a certified or freelance tour guide? Expand your reach. List your tours on Local Guide to reach international travelers searching online.
See How It Works
Everything happens in the app — create, connect, chat, and earn from your phone
Create Your Experience with AI Help
Not sure how to describe your tour? Our built-in AI experience helper walks you through it — title, description, highlights, duration, pricing. Your listing can be live in under 10 minutes, even if you've never done this before.
- ✅ AI-powered listing builder
- ✅ Add photos, price, duration, languages
- ✅ Submit for review — typically approved within 24–48 hours
Travelers Discover You
Once you're live, travelers browsing in your city will find your profile and experience. They can see your photos, read your description, check reviews, and connect with you directly — all inside the app.
- ✅ Searchable by city, country and category
- ✅ Visible on localguide.app web and app
- ✅ Indexed by Google for local search
Chat & Arrange Your Experience
Travelers message you directly to ask questions, confirm availability, and arrange details. No back-and-forth emails, no middleman — just a direct conversation with your guest before they arrive. Payment is agreed and collected directly between you and the traveler.
- ✅ Built-in messaging — no WhatsApp needed
- ✅ Share tips, meeting points, prep info
- ✅ Build a relationship before day one
Earn, Get Reviewed & Grow
Host your experience, collect payment directly from your traveler, and ask them to leave a review. Each review builds your reputation — more reviews means more visibility and the ability to charge more. The more you guide, the more your side income grows.
- ✅ Star ratings build your credibility
- ✅ Reviews are public — your best marketing
- ✅ Raise your price as your reputation grows
Frequently Asked Questions
Everything you need to know about becoming a local guide
No. Google Local Guides is Google Maps' volunteer programme, where you earn points and perks for reviews and photos — it doesn't pay you. Local Guide (localguide.app) is an independent travel app, not affiliated with Google, where you host real experiences for travelers and earn money at the price you set.
Requirements vary by country and city. Many informal local experiences — like food tours, photography walks, neighbourhood introductions, and cultural meetups — do not require a formal license. We recommend checking your local regulations. Local Guide is a marketplace that connects guides and travelers directly.
You set your own price. Local guides on Local Guide charge anywhere from free (to build reputation early) to $100+ per person for premium experiences. Most guides charge $15–$50 per person for a 2–4 hour experience. Your earnings grow as your reviews and reputation increase.
Yes — downloading the app, creating your profile, and listing your first experience are completely free. You keep what you charge your travelers.
Anything you're passionate about! Food tours, street photography walks, cultural history tours, nature hikes, nightlife introductions, cooking classes, shopping guides, wellness experiences, art walks, and more. If you know your city and love sharing it, you can create an experience for it.
Once you publish, your experience appears in the Local Guide Discover tab, searchable by city, country, and category. Travelers also find experiences through localguide.app on the web and through search engines like Google. Your profile and experience appear in search results when travelers look for "local guide in [your city]."
Absolutely. Being a local guide is about passion and knowledge, not necessarily citizenship. Many of our best guides are expats, long-term residents, or passionate enthusiasts who know a city deeply and love sharing it with visitors.
A complete, well-written profile with great photos gets you discovered faster. Consider offering your first experience at a lower price to collect your first reviews — social proof is the fastest way to attract more travelers. You can also share your experience link directly with friends or on social media.
Start Your Side Hustle This Weekend
Download the free Local Guide app, set up your profile, and publish your first experience in under 10 minutes. Travelers in your city are already searching for local guides like you.
Free to download. Free to list your experience. No credit card required.