We had Lynn as our walk guide for the Niagara Underground: Power Station & Tunnel Under Falls Tour. She was fabulous! The knowledge she has is unbelievable! We learned many interesting facts about t... See more
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Took a skip the line tour of the Vatican with Laura S as our guide. She provided a wonderful tour and we learned quite a bit. We were pleased we got to spend some time in the Sistine Chapel, amazing.... See more
Very disappointing experience. We booked a Vatican tour for 7 and arrived early, only to be told at the last minute that a wheelchair could not be accommodated. This was handled in a confront... See more
This walk was fantastic! The guide, Alessandro, made the history of Venice come alive with his enthusiasm and knowledge. He made links throughout the tour between historic people, significant building... See more
Company details
Information provided by various external sources
The world’s best tours & day trips, led by fascinating local guides. Take Walks in Italy, Paris, Spain, London, & the USA.
Contact info
00186, Rome, United States
- takewalks.com
3.7
Average
57 reviews
No history of asking for reviews
This company hasn't invited their customers, so reviews may not be representative
Hasn’t replied to negative reviews
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Our family of six
Our family of six, including two children, took a tour of London with Nick. He was the best tour guide I have had. He knows so much about the area and has a very genuine personality. He gave special attention to our grandchildren and made sure they were included.
3 September 2022
Unprompted review
Reply from Walks
Dear Shirley,
Thank you so much for reviewing our London tour with Nick. We are thrilled to hear you had such an amazing time together and that he was able to engage your grandchildren by paying special attention to them:).
We hope the rest of your holiday was equally lovely and that you will "take more walks" with us in the future.
All the best,
Gaia
On holiday in Venice,went on a walking…
On holiday in Venice,went on a walking tour with our guide Nico.what a fantastic guide ge was and all the knowledge he had what a trip 5 stars for Nico and for the tour.
15 August 2022
Unprompted review
Reply from Walks
Dear Julie,
Thank you for posting such lovely comments on our walking tour and our guide Nico.
I hope your time in Venice was amazing, and that you will have the chance to join us again, perhaps in other locations, in the future.
Looking forward to walking together again!
Gaia
Great tours, great company
Takewalks went through a lot during the pandemic as did all travel agencies. However, they pulled through and actually honored my future travel credit last September. I went to Italy and could not have been more impressed with the expert guides and amazing experiences. I am grateful for the follow up that I received after posting an uncomplimentary review - they made it right and went above and beyond.
1 June 2022
Unprompted review
Reply from Walks
Dear Wendy,
Thank you for posting such honest feedback on our page.
We work very hard to ensure the success of all our tours and strive to provide only the best possible service to our guests, so we are very sorry to hear about your experience.
Our call centers are open around the clock to accommodate all time zones, so we are very surprised to hear you had so much trouble reaching us. Perhaps it was during the time we were updating our systems and call centers? That is certainly no excuse, but I believe it to be the only possible explanation.
That said, we pride ourselves in always honoring our word and putting the customer first, so we would be very grateful if you could give us the opportunity to make it up to you. Please feel free to contact us at feedback@walks.org referencing this conversation at any time and we will be more than happy to do anything in our power to make things right.
Again, we cannot apologize enough for all the inconvenience we have caused you, but look forward to make amends and change your opinion of our company.
Looking forward to hearing from you.
Sincerely,
Gaia
Did the Louvre tour with Adam…
Did the Louvre tour with Adam yesterday. What an amazing experience! Super friendly, knowledgeable and fun. Got to see the Mona Lisa up close and personal however I discovered the Louvre is more than just this one piece.
Thank you Adam!!
13 March 2022
Unprompted review
Reply from Walks
Dear Ben,
Thank you for sharing your experience with us! We are glad to hear you had such a great time at the Louvre with Adam, and found him to be knowledgeable and fun, as that is exactly how we want our guides to be!
We hope you had a wonderful time in beautiful Paris and that you will have the chance to join us again, perhaps in other locations, in the future.
All our best,
Gaia
TakeWalks still awful!
More of the same. Avoid this company like the plague. If you happen to get connected with this company via a third party site. Cancel immediately and pick different tour.
5 October 2021
Unprompted review
Reply from Walks
Dear John,
We are very sorry to read your opinion about our company. We are not accustomed to receive such harsh reviews, so your words makes us wonder what could have possibly happened to generate such a horrible opinion.
We strive to provide our guests only with the best possible services, and heavily rely on their direct feedback to do so. Please reach out to us at feedback@walks.org and give us the chance to make it up to you. We promise we will not disappoint you again.
Looking forward to hearing from you!
Sincerely,
Gaia
I will add my voice to the chorus of…
I will add my voice to the chorus of dismayed customers who requested a refund well before the date of the tour and who have been denied compensation since my first request on February 29, 2020. I have reached out to them repeatedly since that time and have not heard back. This is unprofessional and disappointing, and I urge you to avoid using their service.
21 May 2021
Unprompted review
Reply from Walks
Dear C Povernmire,
Thank you for reaching out to us. We are terribly sorry to hear you had such a bad experience with us, and cannot apologize enough about it. Unfortunately when the pandemic hit we were taken by surprise and were not at all prepared for its consequences, especially the economical ones.
We were at the peak of our business expansion, when all of a sudden we were forced to downsize considerably and let go most of our staff. It was something we were certainly not expecting. Everyone was affected by what happened, but tour operators were among the categories that suffered the most.
The last thing we wished was to disappoint our customers and did all that was in our power to keep our word, but it was just impossible for us to refund everyone, as we honestly did not have sufficient funds.
That's why we decided to issue future tour credits of a much higher value than what was originally spent as our first option. Many clients gladly accepted, and we are very grateful for their generosity and kind heart. As a matter of fact, we are still honoring them to this date as they are still a large percentage of our bookings.
They allowed us to keep going and find the necessary resources to refund all those who did not accept our offer. There were some delays of course, and it took even months for us to process them, but it really was the most we could afford at the time.
Again, we cannot apologize enough about what happened, but hope you understand the critical condition we were in. We would be very happy if you could give us a chance to make things right to you, so please contact us at feedback@walks.org. We promise we will not disappoint you again.
Sincerely,
Gaia
Not only denied refund but denied use of the credit voucher they provided
As with other reviews, this company provided a credit voucher instead of refund. That said, I tried to book a tour through their website just to be denied. They state my credit (which is based on $$$ they kept of mine) could not be used because it’s a “partner” tour. No where on my credit does it have a stipulation. The credit states “ This credit can be used for any future service across our Walks destinations and is valid for 3 years.”. I’m booking a tour they offer through their website. Horrible service. Do not use this service. AVOID!!
Update: Company replies to this review over 2 YEARS later. Yes, I did contact your customer service which informed me I couldn’t use my credit on a partner service. (I still have the emails of my contact in my sent file.) Stop trying to make excuses 2 years later. I tried through all resources to use my money and was denied.
21 January 2021
Unprompted review
Reply from Walks
Dear Mandy,
Thank you for reaching out to us. I am very sorry you encountered difficulties redeeming your credit. Did you try doing so online and experienced a glitch perhaps? I am sure there are ways to overcome the partner tour issue by contacting our call center directly or writing to feedback@walks.org. Please feel free to do so at any time, our staff will be glad to assist you.
Looking forward to hearing from you.
All the best,
Gaia
Guide did not turn up, company do not respond to emails
I booked an online walking tour of the Uffizi. I've done a few of these through Airbnb. It is a nice thing to do with my distant mother through lockdown. The walk just didn't happen. The guide did not turn up. I have emailed a couple of times but got nowhere. I strongly advise you not to pay this company money.
3 October 2020
Unprompted review
Reply from Walks
Dear Vicky Online,
Thank you for reaching out to us. We are very sorry to hear you did not find our guide on your tour date, and can only imagine the disappointment!
However, that is very strange as we always run our services unless there is an unexpected closure. Even then, we send a staff member to greet our customers and offer them all the available options. Could you have gone to the wrong spot or arrived late perhaps? Unfortunately the Uffizi tour is time sensitive as we have very strict reservations, so our guides cannot wait more than 5 minutes past tour departure.
Again, we are sorry you missed our tour, as we are certain you would have had a great time. Please feel free to contact us directly at feedbakc@walks.org with the confirmation email and any further detail you might be able to provide, and we will be glad to help you.
All our best,
Gaia
Where is my refund?!
Sigh, like others here, I am having the same refund headaches. On 12/28/19 I booked a tour out of Florence with takewalks.com for October 2020 and prepaid in full as required. Due to the pandemic I decided to cancel the tour. On 06/11/20 I completed their cancellation form and emailed it to them. They acknowledged receipt of same by email that day. Per their cancellation policy, I am entitled to a full refund. However, I have not heard a word since I canceled despite several followup emails inquiring about the status of the refund. I am now contacting my credit card company to dispute the charge.
2 September 2020
Unprompted review
Reply from Walks
Dear D Davis,
Thank you for posting on our page. We rely on our guests' s direct experiences to monitor our services, and are always grateful for their comments, especially negative ones, as they help us improve the most.
First of all, let me apologize on the company's behalf for not issuing a refund for your tour immediately, even though you were well inside our cancellation policy. That is not something we are proud of, I can assure you.
Unfortunately we were not at all prepared for a pandemic and its economical consequences. We had just expanded the business to include many new markets, when everything "crumbled". Many businesses were affected, but our category was among those who suffered the most.
We pride ourselves in always putting the customer first, but we simply did not have the necessary funds for all our guests. That unfortunately is the honest truth. That's why we decided to offer future tour credits of a much higher value than what was originally spent as our first option, and refund only when necessary.
This of course caused many delays, also because we had to cut down costs and were understaffed but eventually we did honor our word and refunded all those who did not accept the credit. We understand that was not great customer service, but it really was the most we could afford at the time.
Again, we cannot apologize enough about what happened, but hope you understand the critical condition we were in. We would be very happy if you could give us a chance to make things right to you, so please contact us at feedback@walks.org. We promise we will not disappoint you again!
Sincerely,
Gaia
Like many others have suggested
Like many others have suggested, this company refuses to honor their cancelation policy. The website clearly states they will provide a full refund for cancelations made 72 hours prior to the tour. This is simply not true. I gave appropriate notice and am being told they will only give me a voucher. Would not use this company again. I had booked other tours with other companies such as viator and received my refunds without a problem.
31 August 2020
Unprompted review
Reply from Walks
Dear Karrie,
We are terribly sorry to read how disappointed you were with us! We have always honored our policies and still have very flexible cancellations, but unfortunately our company suffered great losses during the pandemic and we were the first ones not be refunded hefty operational costs we had already sustained to offer the services(cancelled tickets and premium reservation fees are only some examples).
As a result, the only thing we could do at the time was offer tour credits for values much higher than what had been originally paid as a first option, and refund only those who did not accept. Unfortunately, given the circumstances, the refunds were not processed in a timely manner, and sometimes it took months for us to credit the money back. But we did honor our word in the end, even though there were some delays.
Again, we are terribly sorry about what happened, but beg you to understand the "emergency" we were under. We also hope that if you ever find yourself visiting any of our destinations, you will take up on our offer and give us another try.
Kindest regards,
Gaia
Honesty and integrity is out the window for Walks of Italy
First and foremost everyone needs to know that this company, specifically Walks of Italy, is impossible to deal with. You can't talk to anyone and when you write an e-mail they take their sweet old time in getting back to you and then they continue to put you off. They clearly state that they have a liberal cancellation and refund policy as long as you cancel prior to 72 hours in advance. I cancelled almost 4 months in advance, they continually put me off saying that they had plenty of time to process my cancellation request and ultimately they refused to provide a refund. This company should be on everyone's "do not call list". They are not truthful, you cannot trust anything they say, and they do not honor their commitments.
28 August 2020
Unprompted review
Reply from Walks
Dear Lawrence,
Thank you for reaching out to us.
We strive to provide only the best possible experiences to our guests and feel terrible when we are not able to do so, like in your case. I am sure that by now the issue has been solved, but I would like to apologize for the delays you experienced to receive your refund back in 2020. The pandemic really hit us bad and we were flooded with refund requests and no income, so we had to let go most of our staff. That's one of the reasons we took our "sweet time" getting back to you. From a company of over 100 employees we became less than 20 in just 2 weeks. It was not easy. Nor was it simple for us to find all the funds for our clients, as we had incurred costs as well, which in turn had not been refunded. But we did manage in the end, although many of you had to wait a long time, which we are not proud of.
Please believe us when we tell you this is not how we usually operate, and wish that if you ever get the chance, you will give us another try, as I can guarantee you will not be disappointed again.
All the best,
Gaia
Horrible Customer Service
I cancelled a tour in March and I was told I would get a refund 6-8 weeks later. I heard last week that they are no longer giving refunds and it is nearly impossible to get a hold of anyone. I wouldn't use them again
24 July 2020
Unprompted review
Reply from Walks
Dear Casey,
I apologize for what happened to you and for the delays you experienced receiving your refund. Our company suffered great losses during the pandemic and we were unable to refund all our guests in a timely manner. As a result, we tried offering future tour credits of higher value as a first option, and refund only those who did not accept. But it did take months for us to honor our word, it's true. It's not something we are proud of, but we beg you to forgive us as we had no other choice.
We wish you all our best and hope that if you ever find yourself visiting any of the locations we serve, you will give us another chance.
Sincerely,
Gaia
Terrible company
Terrible company. I had to wait 3 months for a refund for my tours that I cancelled in April. No one would answer the phone or emails. Do Not use this tour company
10 July 2020
Unprompted review
Reply from Walks
Dear Linda,
We are very sorry about what happened. Unfortunately we suffered great losses during the pandemic and had to cut most of our staff, which caused long delays.
We do hope however that now that we have overcome the emergency and are able to travel once again, you will give us another try.
Sincerely,
Gaia
Unprofessional and untrustworthy!
Although they seemed very professional at first, they did not honour their cancellation and refund policy. I cancelled more than a month before my tour for the Vatican and even though their policy clearly states that they would refund any cancellation that was made more than 72 hours before the tour, and they emailed me saying that they would process the refund, it has been one month after the tour and they haven’t refunded anything to date. Stay away from this company, it’s not trustworthy at all! Book via trusted website or you will lose your money. Very disappointed!
9 July 2020
Unprompted review
Reply from Walks
Dear Christina,
We are very sorry to read about your experience with our company. We cannot apologize enough for our delay refunding you, but please believe us when we tell you it was completely out of our control.
When Covid hit we were flooded with refund requests and just did not have enough funds for all our clients, which is why it took so long.
We are not proud of this, but we had no other choice. We do hope however that if you ever find yourself in any location we serve, you will give as another try and take one of our tours. We are certain we will not disappoint you again.
All our best,
Gaia
Walks Questionable Business Practices
In October, 2019, I booked and paid for two WalksofItaly (Walks LLC; takewalks)tours for my husband, myself, and another couple scheduled for April 19 and 20, 2020 in Rome. On March 17, 2020, I cancelled the two tours because the Government restricted travel due to Covid-19. Knowing Walks Cancellation Policy, I was confident I would receive a full refund. I even received confirmation on March 21, 2020, stating the tours had been cancelled and a refund would be issued as soon as possible to the original card on which the bookings had been made. To my surprise, almost a month later Walks reneged and did not process the refund as stated in their email or the first bullet point in the Cancellation Policy. Several emails back and forth did not resolve the missing refund. Finally, an email on May 19, containing Walks Travel Credit Vouchers arrived instead of the refund as promised. As a consequence of their business conduct and misleading statements in their cancellation policy, my friends and I have lost approximately $500.00. In contrast Viator, another company offering tours, immediately honored my request for a refund. In the future, I will book tours with Viator.
26 June 2020
Unprompted review
Reply from Walks
Dear Virginia,
We are terribly sorry to read about your disappointment with our company. We strive to provide only the best possible experiences to our guests, and feel terrible on those rare occasions when we are not able to do so.
First of all, I would like to apologize on behalf of the company for not issuing the refund immediately. Unfortunately during the pandemic we did experience long delays from this point of view, and always tried to offer tour credits for higher value when possible. In the end though, we always honored our word and refunded all those who did not accept this option.
I am sure that by now your issue has already been solved, but if that's not the case, please feel free to contact us at feedback@walks.org and we will be happy to assist you.
Sincerely,
Gaia
Notre Dame / Saint Chapelle / Prison (Paris)
This was one of the best walking tours I have been on. Avi was full of knowledge on the sites we visited, he was extremely professional and personable. Well done!
10 July 2019
Unprompted review
Reply from Walks
Dear Peggy,
Thank you for sharing your experience with us! We are very happy to read you had such a lovely time on our Notre Dame tour with Avi, and hope you will have the opportunity to join us again in the future.
Sincerely,
Gaia
Takewalks.com Venice
Susan of takewalks.com in Venice was excellent! She was very knowledgeable, entertaining and helpful. The walk made an excellent start to my holiday and I would highly recommend her. I was there on 19 March 2019. Joy
15 April 2019
Unprompted review
Reply from Walks
Dear Joy,
Thank you so much for posting such a lovely review on our Venice tour with Susan, it really means the world to us.
We hope the rest of your holiday was equally amazing and that you will have the chance to return again soon!
Kind regards,
Gaia
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