Great Guides Make Great Tours

It takes a top-notch guide to turn a great-sounding itinerary into a truly life-changing experience. And we have some of the best guides around. But don't just take our word for it! Here's what recent Rick Steves tour members have to say about a few of the talented guides who will be leading our tours in 2026.


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Ioanna Papakosta

"In the many tours we have taken with Rick Steves' Europe, Ioanna was one of THE VERY BEST guides we have ever had. Her passion for sharing her country, culture, and heritage with us was superlative. Every detail was perfect from start to finish."

Athens & the Heart of Greece tour member


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Maria Aleixo

"Maria is the consummate guide, what a treasure. Always on top of everything and accommodating. Loved listening to her talk about her country and sharing the long and amazing historical facts about Portugal. She couldn't have done anything in a better way. She was perfect."

Heart of Portugal tour member


guide-francesco-gronchi

Francesco Gronchi

"Francesco is the best! He is so knowledgeable about his home land of Tuscany. He was able to share talks about wine, olives, food, history — anything and everything about Tuscany! His passion for this region shined through. And we all just had fun, too."

Best of Tuscany tour member


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Deborah Heyburn

"I can honestly say that Deborah was the best tour guide I have ever traveled with. Her extensive knowledge, articulate and clear communication skills, pleasant, warm and approachable manner, and expert management of logistics made the trip smooth, interesting, and enjoyable."

Best of England tour member


Peter Polczman

Péter Pölczman

"Peter was amazing. I loved his enthusiasm and good humor. His wealth of knowledge (history, culture, current events, natural surroundings, food, etc.) was vast. His personal stories about his family and growing up in the area were very entertaining."

Central Europe: Prague to Slovenia tour member


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Agustín Ciriza

"Agustín is one of the reasons why I rated this tour so high. It was such a pleasure to interact with him everyday and listen to the information he was sharing — whether history of the country or hotel room assignments. I could tell he really enjoys what he does."

Best of Spain tour member


Yaren Türkoğlu

"Yaren is an outstanding and charming guide. She is an expert on archaeology, which I so appreciated, and she was able to provide insight from a local's perspective as an Istanbul native. Best of all, she has such a fun personality and is a pleasure to be with. I feel very lucky to have had her as our guide."

Best of Turkey tour member


Tour guide Linda Benoit- Bealing

Linda Benoit-Bealing

"It was a real pleasure and comfort to travel with Linda. A superb leader and guide with so much knowledge and willingness to share. A real asset to the Rick Steves organization and an absolute difference-maker in the enrichment and enjoyment we experienced on this tour!"

Paris & the Heart of France tour member


Marijan Kriskovic

Marijan Krišković

"Marijan was both personable and professional. His leadership was exceptional. His historical and cultural knowledge was outstanding. I learned so much about this area. I could not have asked more from a tour guide. Marijan was simply amazing."

Best of the Adriatic tour member


headshot of tour guide andrea wolf

Andrea Wolf

"Tour Guide Extraordinaire! Andrea is a polished, knowledgeable, people person who is aware of everything that's happening. She did many extras like gingerbread tasting, Mozart balls, favors on last night, etc., each adding to our pleasure. She was always available, eagerly making this best vacation EVER!"

Best of Munich, Salzburg & Vienna tour member

 

View our 2026 tours!