30 minutes with someone who actually lives there changes everything about how you travel. Real insider knowledge. Zero tourist traps.
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The best travel guide
is a person who
lives there.
Every city has locals who know which café has the best seats, which neighborhood is actually safe, which market doesn't rip off tourists, and which back street leads to somewhere unforgettable. That knowledge doesn't live on the internet. It lives with people. Now you can talk to them.
The best restaurants don't have websites. The best neighborhoods don't appear in "Top 10" lists. The people who know this stuff live there. Now you can talk to them.
Browse vetted locals by city and specialty — food, nightlife, hidden gems, budget travel. Read their full bio. See their rating and rate upfront.
Experts set their own hours. Pick any 30-minute slot that works for you. Instant confirmation — no back-and-forth emails.
Meet on Zoom or Google Meet. Walk away with a custom itinerary built around how you actually travel — not what a guidebook says.
Travelers from 40+ countries
$250–$600 per month · Your schedule · Your rate
You know where locals actually eat. You know which neighborhood to avoid and which one is about to become the most interesting place in the city. That knowledge has value. We connect you with travelers who will pay for it.
Travel With a Buddy started with a simple frustration — I kept getting the same recycled advice from every guidebook, travel blog, and review site. The places with the most stars were always the most crowded. The "hidden gems" were on every itinerary.
The real knowledge lives with the people who actually live there. The sommelier who knows which wine cave has been carved since 1743. The food journalist who knows the 8-seat ramen counter only regulars visit. The architect who sees Gaudí the way students do, not tourists.
We're building the platform that connects you with those people. Not tour guides. Not influencers. Real locals with real knowledge about the city they call home.
Vedang, Founder
Book a 30-minute call with a vetted local expert. Walk away knowing exactly where to eat, what to skip, and how to spend your time.
Book a 30-minute video call with someone who actually lives there.
The insider knowledge you can't Google. Starting at $25.
Browse vetted locals by city and specialty — food, nightlife, hidden gems, budget travel. Read their bios, check ratings, see their rate upfront.
Experts set their own hours. Pick any 30-minute slot that works. Instant confirmation — no back-and-forth emails.
Meet on Zoom or Google Meet. Walk away with a custom itinerary built around how you actually travel — not what a guidebook says.
Each city edit connects you with locals who know the place the way a guidebook never will.
Book a session before these slots fill up.
You already know things that no guidebook, algorithm, or travel influencer will ever surface. We pay you to share them.
Set your own rate and availability. Most advisors earn $200–$600 per month from just a few hours per week — sharing what they already know.
We vet every advisor before they go live. That selectivity is what makes travelers trust our platform — and trust you.
Booking, scheduling, and payments are all handled. You show up, share what you know, and we take care of the rest.
Travel With a Buddy started with a frustration most travelers recognize: you spend hours reading reviews written by other tourists, watching influencer itineraries filmed for likes, and following recommendations that feel designed to funnel you somewhere rather than to tell you the truth. The whole industry is built on volume — more cities, more activities, more affiliate links. Nobody is just on your side.
So we built the alternative. One conversation. Thirty minutes. A person who actually lives there — not a guide, not a content creator. Someone who has a favourite noodle shop they’ve eaten at every Friday for six years, and would tell you exactly how to find it.
We exist to make local knowledge accessible to every traveler — not just people with the right connections or enough money for a private concierge. Whether it’s your first trip abroad or your fiftieth, you deserve guidance that is specific to you, from someone who loves where they live.
1. Browse & choose. Explore vetted local experts by city and specialty. Read real bios and see what a session costs upfront.
2. Book a time. Pick a slot that works for you. You’ll get a short video or chat session focused entirely on your trip.
3. Travel smarter. Walk away with honest recommendations — neighborhoods, food, timing, mistakes to avoid — from someone who wants you to love their home as much as they do.
The best knowledge isn’t on the internet. It lives inside people — in the habits of someone who has walked the same streets for years. We are here to surface it.
Quality over volume. We would rather have fifty experts worth talking to than five thousand listings no one can distinguish.
Travelers deserve honesty. No affiliate links. No sponsored picks. Every expert is paid by you, and is answerable to you.
Locals deserve respect. Our experts are not inventory. They are professionals with deep knowledge, and we pay them accordingly.
For interviews, logos, or story ideas, reach us at — we love working with journalists who care about sustainable, human-centered travel.
Find a local who actually lives there. Book 30 minutes. Arrive knowing what no guidebook will ever tell you.
Browse 80+ cities. Filter by specialty — food, nightlife, hidden gems, or off-season timing. Read full bios and session rates. Choose someone worth knowing.
Pick a 30-minute slot. See the full price upfront — no surprises, no packages. Instant confirmation, no back-and-forth emails.
Your local meets you on Zoom at the booked time. Bring your questions. Leave with the insider knowledge that no algorithm will ever surface.
This Privacy Policy describes how Travel With a Buddy (“we,” “us”) collects, uses, and shares information when you use travelwithabuddy.com and related services.
We use your data to operate the marketplace, process bookings, communicate with you about your account and sessions, improve our product, comply with law, and protect the security and integrity of our services.
We use Google Firebase (Authentication and Cloud Firestore) to host accounts and store data. Google processes data on our behalf under its terms and privacy policies. By using the service, you acknowledge this processing.
We may use cookies and similar technologies for session persistence, preferences (such as cookie consent), and to understand aggregate site traffic. You can control cookies through your browser settings and our cookie banner.
We may use third-party providers (e.g., payment processing via Stripe when enabled, analytics, email delivery). Those providers only receive data needed to perform their services and are subject to their own policies.
Depending on where you live, you may have rights to access, correct, delete, or export your personal data. You may request deletion of your account or a copy of your data by contacting us at . We will respond within a reasonable time.
Our services are not directed at children under 13, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you believe we have collected such information, contact us and we will delete it.
Last updated: April 7, 2026.
These Terms of Service (“Terms”) govern your use of the website and services operated by Travel With a Buddy LLC, a Texas limited liability company (“Company,” “we,” “us”). By accessing or using Travel With a Buddy, you agree to these Terms.
If you do not agree, do not use the site. We may update these Terms from time to time; continued use after changes constitutes acceptance of the revised Terms.
Travel With a Buddy connects travelers with independent local advisors for paid informational sessions (e.g., video or chat). We provide a platform; advisors are independent contractors, not our employees.
You must provide accurate information and keep your login secure. You are responsible for activity under your account. You must be at least 18 years old (or the age of majority in your jurisdiction) to book paid sessions.
Advisors apply separately and must provide accurate profiles. We may approve, reject, or remove profiles at our discretion. Advisors set their own rates within platform guidelines; we may charge a service or platform fee as described at checkout.
When you book, you agree to pay the price shown. Payments may be processed by third parties (e.g., Stripe). Funds may be held until completion of the session per our refund policy. You authorize us and our payment partners to charge your payment method accordingly.
Cancellation and refund rules are set in our . Please review it before booking.
You may not use the service for unlawful, harassing, fraudulent, or abusive purposes; to circumvent payment; to solicit off-platform payments to evade fees; or to transmit malware or spam. We may suspend or terminate accounts that violate these rules.
The site, branding, and content we create are owned by the Company or our licensors. You retain rights to content you submit but grant us a license to use it to operate and promote the service.
To the fullest extent permitted by law, we are not liable for indirect, incidental, or consequential damages. Our total liability for any claim relating to the service is limited to the amount you paid us in the twelve (12) months before the claim. Advisors’ advice is informational only; we are not liable for travel decisions, health, safety, or third-party acts.
These Terms are governed by the laws of the State of Texas, USA, without regard to conflict-of-law rules. You agree to the exclusive jurisdiction of state and federal courts located in Texas for disputes arising from these Terms.
Last updated: April 7, 2026.
We want every session to feel fair and valuable. This policy explains how cancellations and refunds work for bookings made through Travel With a Buddy.
If you cancel at least 24 hours before your scheduled session start time, you are eligible for a full refund of the session fee to your original payment method (or platform credit if we offer that option at checkout).
If you cancel less than 2 hours before the session start time, we generally cannot offer a refund — the advisor has reserved that time for you. Exceptions may apply only at our discretion in cases of emergencies or technical failures on our side.
If your session was significantly below reasonable expectations (e.g., no-show without notice, or clearly not aligned with what was offered), contact us within 48 hours of the scheduled end time at with a brief description. We will review and may offer a partial or full refund or credit on a case-by-case basis.
Approved refunds are processed to the original payment method within approximately 5–10 business days, depending on your bank or card issuer. If payment was held until after your session (as shown at checkout), release or refund timing follows that same flow.
For billing disputes, email with your booking details. We aim to respond within a few business days.
Last updated: April 7, 2026.
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