We could list all the great booking software tools on the market today, but the best one for you? That depends on where you are in your journey.
Maybe you’re still juggling spreadsheets and text messages while managing walk-ins and weather delays. Or maybe you’re scaling quickly and need a system that can keep pace. Either way, the right booking software has the power to transform how your tour business runs.
So, what’s the best booking software for tours? It should be an intuitive digital tool that helps you save time, increase direct bookings and gives you complete control over your operations.
In this guide, we’ll walk you through how to find a booking software partner that does just that. We’ll tackle what to look for, what to avoid and which tools are actually worth your time in 2025.
Why tours need specialized booking software
It doesn’t matter whether you’re a solo operator running a local walking tour or you’re a tour director managing multiple wide-scale tastings at a whiskey distillery—running a tour business isn’t as easy as jotting down a guest’s name and date of visit on a piece of paper. It’s also not anything like managing a salon or scheduling 1:1 meetings.
Tours come with their own set of operational challenges, which can only be addressed with the right booking software. Common challenges tour operators face include:
- Capacity management: Many tours have limited spots and need software that can update availability in real-time to avoid overbookings.
- Weather: Outdoor tours must be rescheduled or refunded quickly when canceled due to bad weather.
- Big group bookings: Large bookings may require multiple guides, time slots or equipment—and a system that can handle all that.
- Same-day bookings: Travelers often book experiences hours (or even minutes) before the start time.
- Walk-ins vs. online: Managing in-person bookings and direct bookings from your websites and third-party sellers can get really messy without the right software in place.
- Safety waivers and guest info: Collecting required documents and guest details ahead of time can save time on the day of the tour.
- Multiple revenue streams: Selling add-ons, rentals or merchandise along with the tour itself and needing a secure payment platform to process those.
Sounds familiar? We hear it all the time. Tour operators face these exact challenges every day, and we work closely with them to tackle each one head-on, with the right tools built for the job.
Key features tour operators should look for
Here are the features that matter most, and more importantly, what they help you achieve:
- Keep guests informed every step of the way. Look for software that sends real-time booking updates via email or text, so guests know exactly when to arrive and what to expect.
- Convert more website visitors into paying guests with an efficient checkout process. It should be easy for your guests to make a booking at any hour of the day, with no redirects, no forced registrations and fewer form fields for them to get through.
- Capture more bookings on mobile. New research shows that more than 7 in 10 U.S. consumers prefer using their phones to book local travel. With a fully mobile-optimized checkout, you won’t be leaving bookings on the table when guests book on the go.
- Never miss a payment opportunity. Offer flexible payment options like deposits, split payments, gift cards and more, allowing guests to choose their preferred method.
- Understand exactly which parts of your marketing strategy are working. Track revenue back to specific ads and campaigns with advanced conversion tracking features.
- Turn past guests into brand advocates. Automated review request emails encourage guests to leave reviews on platforms like TripAdvisor and Google, which helps grow your reputation online.
- Fill last-minute spots. Quickly generate time-sensitive discounts based on activity, time of day or season—giving you complete control over pricing and occupancy.
- Keep your team on the same page. Assign guides, sync calendars and manage access across your staff with multi-user accounts and real-time updates.
How tour businesses use booking software in the real world
Booking software isn’t just about taking reservations. It’s the operational backbone of modern tour businesses.
A kayak tour operator in Florida, for instance, uses automated abandoned cart emails to bring back potential guests who clicked “book” but didn’t finish checkout. A day later, they receive a friendly reminder—and a surprising number of them return to finalize their bookings.
In California wine country, a tasting tour company uses its booking software’s dynamic scheduling tools to create different tour times and prices depending on the day of the week. Weekend slots fill up quickly, so they offer weekday discounts to attract more customers on the slower days of the week.
Meanwhile, a small walking tour business in Boston keeps its part-time guides in sync by assigning them to specific outings. Each guide gets automated emails and calendar syncs, so the owner never has to chase people down.
At the enterprise level, a theme park with multiple ticketed experiences across several cities uses booking software to centralize inventory, manage staff schedules and track marketing ROI across regions—all under a single platform. With multi-user access and custom roles, every department, from guest services to finance, has exactly what they need, without stepping on each other’s toes.
Whether you’re managing a handful of walking tours or operating across multiple locations, the right booking software keeps your business running smoothly behind the scenes.
Top picks: Best booking tools for tours in 2025
What’s the best booking software for tours? That’s the question that likely brought you here in the first place. So let’s get into it: When you first start your business, the instinct is often to do everything yourself—maybe with a calendar, a few spreadsheets and a phone line.
That might work for a while. But as your business grows, the cracks begin to show. They appear as missed calls, double bookings, late-night emails from guests with questions you’ve already answered five times… and that’s when most operators realize they need booking software.
Not just to save time, but to run smoother operations. You also get to deliver a better guest experience and unlock new revenue opportunities. Yes, a single tool can have that big of an impact—if you choose the right one. Here are some of the top options available in 2025, starting with the one built specifically for tours and attractions like yours.
Xola — Best booking software overall for tours
- Specifically created for tour and attraction operators. Optimized for direct bookings, including mobile checkouts that convert
- Built-in tools for staff scheduling, dynamic pricing and conversion tracking.
- Integrates marketing, payment processing and guest communication all in one place.
Calendly — Best for one-on-one scheduling
- A basic scheduling tool often used for 1:1 appointments
- While not built for tours, some operators who are just starting use Calendly to manually manage time slots.
- Please note that there are no integrated payment features, so you’ll need to collect payments separately.
Square Appointments — Best for solo operators with simple needs
- Best suited for solo businesses or service-based professionals
- Square lets you accept payments and manage your calendar
- Note that it lacks industry-specific features, such as assigning guides or managing capacity per departure
DIY Booking via Google Forms + WordPress — Best for testing a business idea
- A free way to collect sign-ups
- Can create a custom form and embed it on your website
- Note that this solution isn’t built to scale (there are no automation, payment tracking or guest communication features)
FAQs about booking software for tours
Q: What’s the easiest way to collect waivers?
Xola has a built-in waiver solution that allows you to digitally collect signatures after a guest makes a booking. If they don’t sign the waiver at the time of booking, Xola sends them automated follow-ups to ensure all paperwork is signed and ready by the time they arrive for their tour. Waivers are then stored securely and automatically linked to each reservation. Getting this out of the way before guests arrive makes the overall check-in experience much smoother, allowing them to start having fun as soon as they show up.
Q: Can I set different pricing for weekdays and weekends?
Yes, dynamic pricing lets you customize pricing based on the day of the week, time of day or even the season. This helps you better deal with seasonal demand. For example, you can encourage bookings during slower time slots by offering special promos.
Q: Is there a way to limit bookings by group size or age?
Absolutely. You can set restrictions for minimum and maximum group sizes, age limits and more. That means fewer awkward check-in moments, like, “wait—but there are 10 of us!” for a 7-person snorkel trip.
Q: Can I take bookings from my website and social media?
Yes. Xola integrates directly with your website, allowing you to take bookings from platforms like Instagram and Facebook, so your guests can book wherever they find you.
Q: How do I handle last-minute or walk-in bookings?
Your tour availability is constantly updated in real-time, so you can accept last-minute bookings without overbooking or disrupting your staff’s schedule.
Q: Does the software send confirmation and reminder emails?
Xola automates all guest communication, from booking confirmations to reminder emails and even post-tour review requests, so you yourself don’t have to follow up with anyone, unless you choose to.
Q: Can I assign guides to different time slots and tours?
Yes. With built-in staff management tools, you can assign guides to specific tours and keep them informed with calendars and rosters that are automatically updated and synced.
How to choose the right tour booking platform
With so many tools out there—some built for salons, others for events—it’s easy to get overwhelmed. But if you run a tour or experience-based business, the right software will speak directly to your operational needs. Here are a few things to prioritize as you narrow down your options:
- Built for tours, not generic scheduling. Choose software designed specifically for experience operators. Look for things like: group bookings, waivers and variable pricing.
- Fast, mobile-friendly checkout. More than half of bookings are happening on mobile devices, so make sure your software delivers.
- Flexible pricing tools. Look for software that lets you set seasonal or time-based pricing. This gives you more control over your profit margins amid fluctuating demand.
- Integrated payment processing. Accept all major payment types, collect deposits and offer gift cards or store credit, without having to juggle multiple systems.
- Automated customer communication. Save time by automating booking confirmations, reminders, post-tour emails and review requests.
- Smart reporting and analytics. You should be able to trace marketing campaigns directly to bookings and understand what’s working and what’s not.
- Reliable support. Whether you’re a solo guide or running a multi-location tour business, having a support team that understands your industry can make all the difference.
Want a booking system built for tours?
Looking for a booking system built specifically for the way tour businesses operate? Xola isn’t just the right booking software for tours—it’s your like-minded business partner. Our software can help you capture more direct bookings, streamline your operations, and track your growth, all under one roof. Book a free demo here.
