Viator Tried and True Experiences
If you're like us, you want your vacations to be packed with meaningful experiences — not just tourist traps.
Over the years, we’ve booked a lot of activities through Viator, from hands-on cooking classes in Italy to skip-the-line museum tours and family-friendly adventures. And while not every experience is created equal, these are the ones we can confidently recommend — because we’ve done them ourselves.
Here’s our roundup of tried and true Viator tours and activities we’d book again in a heartbeat.
(Note: These links are affiliate links, which means we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you if you book through them — thank you for supporting our travel-loving family!)
🇮🇹 Palermo, Sicily — Traditional Sicilian Cooking Class
🗓️ Booked on our 2025 Disney Fantasy Mediterranean Cruise stop in Palermo
👨🍳 This was one of our favorite days of the trip. We met a local chef, shopped the street market, made pasta and granita by hand, and learned about the food history of Sicily. The class was family-friendly and incredibly memorable.
👉 Book the Palermo Cooking Class on Viator
🎥 YouTube Video of our Experience
💡 Tip: This is a great half-day activity close to the cruise port. Best gelato of our whole trip was nearby too!
🧙♂️ Leavesden, England — Warner Bros. Studio Tour London: The Making of Harry Potter
🗓️ Visited during our London & Paris trip in 2024
⚡ As lifelong Harry Potter fans, this was a dream come true. From walking through the Great Hall (yes, the real doors from the set!) to seeing props, costumes, and full set pieces like the Hogwarts Express and Diagon Alley — it was like stepping into the books.
👉 Book the Harry Potter Studio Tour on Viator
🎥 YouTube Video of our Experience
💡 Tip: Tickets sell out fast! If the official site is booked, try a Viator package that includes round-trip transportation from central London — especially helpful if you're not renting a car.
🏛️ Rome, Italy — Colosseum Entrance Ticket with Arena Access
🗓️ Visited during our Disney Fantasy Mediterranean Cruise stop in Rome in 2025
🛡️ It’s hard to describe the feeling of standing in the Colosseum where gladiators once fought. This ticket gave us skip-the-line access and included arena floor entry, which we felt was worth it. While this option didn’t include a guided tour, we still learned a ton from the signage and the audio app. Don’t forget your headphones and maybe a battery pack for your phone!
👉 Book the Colosseum Arena Access Ticket on Viator
💡 Tip: We recommend skipping the underground (unless you’re a huge history buff) and upgrading to include arena access instead. If you have the time, book a separate guided tour to enrich the experience even more.
🌉 San Francisco, California — 2-Hour Sunset Bay Cruise
🗓️ Part of our California Coast Road Trip in 2025
🚢 This 2-hour cruise was the perfect way to end our California road trip. We sailed under both the Golden Gate and Bay Bridges, circled Alcatraz, and watched the sunset behind the city skyline.
👉 Book the San Francisco Sunset Cruise on Viator
💡 Tip: In the winter months, the “sunset cruise” becomes a twilight city lights cruise — the city lights are sparkling magic, but bring a coat!
