# Samba

> Samba is a booking and payment platform built for tour and activity operators and travel agencies. Operators use Samba to sell trips, schedule departures, collect deposits and run automated payment plans, gather participant details into clean manifests, and handle invoicing and reporting — all in one place.

Samba replaces the spreadsheets, bank transfers, and scattered group chats that most multi-day operators run on today. There is a forever-free plan to start — no monthly fee, no setup fee, no contract — and a 2% booking fee operators can pass on to travelers, plus standard payment processing.

## Core pages

- [Samba — Booking and payments for tour and activity operators](https://www.sambahq.com/): the homepage. Explains who Samba is for, the core problems it solves, and the deposit-to-departure workflow.
- [Pricing — Samba](https://www.sambahq.com/pricing): full pricing detail. One free plan with the whole product included — unlimited experiences, departures and team seats, checkout, payments, OTA channel sync and CRM. 2% per booking (direct or OTA), and the first $10,000 in bookings is free. Bring your own Stripe; payouts go direct to you. Enterprise is a conversation for serious volume: custom commission rates, full white-label, your own domain, API access, multi-currency, an SLA and dedicated onboarding. Includes a savings calculator (2% vs a typical 6%), a competitor comparison (FareHarbor, WeTravel, Rezdy) and an FAQ on how the 2% works, OTA and offline bookings, refunds and the $10,000 threshold.
- [About Samba](https://www.sambahq.com/about): the mission, what Samba believes about operator-first product design, and how the company thinks about pricing and complexity.
- [Get started with Samba](https://app.sambahq.com): sign up and start taking bookings. Free to start, with your first $10,000 in bookings free and transparent 2%-per-booking pricing after that.

## Features

The product, one page per capability — what Samba does for a multi-day operator, from selling trips to running the back office.

- [Features overview](https://www.sambahq.com/features): the product hub — one page per capability, from selling trips to running the back office, and how the pieces connect.
- [Online booking & checkout](https://www.sambahq.com/features/checkout): take bookings around the clock — traveller self-checkout, operator-built bookings, and request-to-book, all landing in one place.
- [Trip pages & website](https://www.sambahq.com/features/trip-pages): build on-brand trip pages with drag-and-drop blocks, or embed booking widgets (button, departures, calendar, trip list) on the site you already have.
- [Departures & availability](https://www.sambahq.com/features/departures): a real calendar of scheduled departures with seat limits and recurrence rules, not a single "book now" button.
- [Participants & manifests](https://www.sambahq.com/features/participants): collect passports, dietary needs, and emergency contacts automatically after booking, and hand guides a clean, printable manifest.
- [Payments & payment plans](https://www.sambahq.com/features/payments): take a deposit now and collect the balance on schedule with payment plans, automatic dunning, and payouts straight into the operator's own Stripe account.
- [Finance, invoicing & reporting](https://www.sambahq.com/features/finance): invoices, receipts, tax, refunds, credit notes, and revenue reporting — no reconciling between a booking tool and a spreadsheet.
- [Collaboration (team & workspace)](https://www.sambahq.com/features/collaboration): invite guides, office staff, and partners with role-based access, and run one brand or several from a single login.

## Solutions

How Samba fits a specific kind of trip and operator. Same product throughout; these pages differ in which parts matter most.

- [Multi-day tour operator software](https://www.sambahq.com/for/multi-day-tour-operators): the operating system for multi-day tours — deposits and payment plans, departure calendars, passports and manifests, all paid into your own Stripe account.
- [Day tour booking software](https://www.sambahq.com/for/day-tour-operators): booking software built for the pace of day tours — recurring slots, adult/child pricing, oversell-proof capacity, and distribution on GetYourGuide and Viator.
- [Food tour booking software](https://www.sambahq.com/for/food-and-wine-tours): booking software for food, wine and culinary tours — multiple tastings a day, dietary needs collected automatically, and distribution on GetYourGuide and Viator.
- [Walking tour booking software](https://www.sambahq.com/for/walking-and-city-tours): booking software for walking, city and cultural tours — daily slots on autopilot, guides assigned, fast mobile checkout, and distribution on GetYourGuide and Viator.
- [Rafting booking software](https://www.sambahq.com/for/rafting-and-kayaking): booking software for rafting, kayaking and paddle outfitters — never double-book a raft or a guide, run multiple river slots a day, and sell on GetYourGuide and Viator.
- [Boat tour booking software](https://www.sambahq.com/for/boat-and-sailing-trips): booking software for boat tours, sailing trips and charters — per-vessel capacity, private charters with request-to-book, deposits for big trips, and GetYourGuide & Viator distribution.
- [Bike tour booking software](https://www.sambahq.com/for/cycling-and-bike-tours): booking software for bike tours and cycling holidays — day rides and multi-day routes, bike fleets that can't double-book, itinerary pages with routes and elevation, payment plans for the big trips.
- [Trekking booking software](https://www.sambahq.com/for/trekking-and-hiking): booking software for trekking companies and hiking operators — departure calendars, deposits and payment plans, passports and dietary needs collected automatically, guide-ready manifests.
- [Safari booking software](https://www.sambahq.com/for/safaris-and-wildlife): booking software for safari and wildlife operators — deposits and payment plans on high-ticket trips, money straight into your own account, vehicles that never double-book, and every traveller detail before the bush.
- [Retreat booking software](https://www.sambahq.com/for/yoga-and-wellness-retreats): booking software for yoga and wellness retreats — deposits and payment plans, dietary needs collected automatically, story-led retreat pages, and private group bookings.

## Direct Bookings

Operator-side playbooks for filling trips without paying a 20-30% OTA commission. Built for $2,000+ tickets and 30-90+ day booking windows where the generic SEO / ads / review playbook breaks.

- [Direct Bookings](https://www.sambahq.com/direct-bookings): the 13-article cluster on driving direct bookings for multi-day operators.
- [Why Dynamic Pricing Breaks Above $2,000 per Trip](https://www.sambahq.com/direct-bookings/demand-pricing-multi-day): dynamic pricing works for a $100 kayak. For a $5,000 multi-day trip booked 90 days out with deposits locked, the standard model breaks. The 3-input fix.
- [Multi-Day Tour Operator Homepage Design: 20 Sites Scored](https://www.sambahq.com/direct-bookings/homepage-teardown): what separates homepages that convert a $5k stranger from the rest — editorial voice and price transparency are the universal gap across 20 scored sites.
- [SEO for Tour Operator Websites: The Complete Setup](https://www.sambahq.com/direct-bookings/seo-tour-operator-websites): the complete website setup for getting your own site found during the 6-month research window — trip pages, destination guides, AI search, GBP.
- [Google Business Profile for Multi-Day Tour Operators](https://www.sambahq.com/direct-bookings/google-business-profile-tour-operators): multi-day operators do not have a storefront. The service-area, cohort-month, international-reviewer GBP setup that works for 14-day trips.
- [The Channel-Mix Decision for Multi-Day Tour Operators](https://www.sambahq.com/direct-bookings/digital-marketing-channels): at 90-day booking lead times and $2,000+ tickets, most generic channel advice misfires. The three channels that compound over a multi-day research window.
- [Best Review Platforms for Multi-Day Tour Operators](https://www.sambahq.com/direct-bookings/reviews-channel-teardown): 20 multi-day operator review surfaces scored on 5 trust signals — review mass, platform fit, freshness, response pattern, named-guest specificity.
- [How to Ask for a Review After a 14-Day Trip](https://www.sambahq.com/direct-bookings/asking-guests-for-reviews): the generic "SMS with a review link" playbook misfires after 14 days with a guest. The multi-day review-ask sequence that works.
- [The Referral Program Decision Tree for Tour Operators](https://www.sambahq.com/direct-bookings/referral-program-decision-tree): when should a multi-day operator run past-guest discounts vs cash finder's fees vs affiliate links vs nothing? The decision tree for the four structures.
- [Post-Trip Email for Multi-Day Tours: The 6-Message Sequence](https://www.sambahq.com/direct-bookings/post-trip-email-sequence): T+0 thanks, T+2 photos, T+14 recap, T+45 next-trip tease, T+90 returning-guest offer, T+180 where-next.
- [How to Follow Up on a Multi-Day Tour Quote](https://www.sambahq.com/direct-bookings/quote-follow-up-multi-day): three of the five widely-taught sales follow-up tactics misfire for a $5,000 tour quote. What works on a 30-90 day decision cycle instead.
- [A Multi-Day Operator's 6-Month Tripadvisor Recovery](https://www.sambahq.com/direct-bookings/tripadvisor-recovery): month-by-month case study — how a 14-day operator recovered from a 2-star rating spike in 6 months.
- [Responding to a 1-Star Multi-Day Tripadvisor Review](https://www.sambahq.com/direct-bookings/responding-negative-tripadvisor): generic "respond, apologize, take offline" misfires for a 1-star review of a 14-day trip that names your guide. What works instead.
- [How to Partner with Destination Marketing Organizations](https://www.sambahq.com/direct-bookings/dmo-partnership): DMOs rarely run open "recommended operator" applications. The four intermediary paths that actually get you on a DMO list, ranked by leverage.

## OTA Listing Audit

Free, no-login audit tools that score an operator's OTA listings out of 100 against fixed criteria — title, photos, reviews, pricing, cancellation policy — and return ranked fixes. Viator is live; TripAdvisor and GetYourGuide are coming.

- [OTA listing audit hub](https://www.sambahq.com/ota-listing-audit): free listing-audit tools for Viator, TripAdvisor, and GetYourGuide suppliers
- [Viator listing audit](https://www.sambahq.com/ota-listing-audit/viator): paste a Viator product URL, get a free 100-point score with ranked fixes to win more bookings
- [GetYourGuide listing audit](https://www.sambahq.com/ota-listing-audit/getyourguide): paste a GetYourGuide activity URL, get a free 100-point score with ranked fixes to win more bookings

## OTA Supplier Guide

Operator-side reviews of the major OTAs, ranked on multi-day fit, not day-tour fit. Each spoke covers commission math, audience fit, and ranking mechanics — and an honest verdict on whether the platform fits a multi-day product shape.

- [OTA Supplier Guide](https://www.sambahq.com/ota-supplier-guide): the 12-article cluster comparing Viator, GetYourGuide, TourRadar, Booking.com, Expedia, Airbnb Experiences, TripAdvisor, and the rest. Includes a 12-row commission band + multi-day verdict comparison table.
- [How to Become a Viator Supplier (And What the Commission Actually Costs You)](https://www.sambahq.com/ota-supplier-guide/viator-supplier): Viator does not publish a commission rate. On a $180 day tour, the typical 25% standard rate costs $45 per booking, $54 with Accelerate. Covers who Viator actually fits, the signup process, who owns the traveler relationship, and the direct-booking math via Samba's flat 2% fee.
- [How to Become a GetYourGuide Supplier (and Whether It Fits Your Trip Length)](https://www.sambahq.com/ota-supplier-guide/getyourguide-supplier): 20-30% commission confirmed in writing, no paid-placement product, near-instant approval — and the wrong channel for most multi-day operators.
- [TourRadar: The One OTA Multi-Day Operators Should Seriously Consider](https://www.sambahq.com/ota-supplier-guide/tourradar-supplier): the one OTA built for multi-day trips. 3-day minimum, 50,000+ tours, 18-22% effective commission, G Adventures and Intrepid listed.
- [How to Become an Airbnb Experiences Host (And What Multi-Day Operators Should Know Before Listing)](https://www.sambahq.com/ota-supplier-guide/airbnb-experiences-supplier): Airbnb charges Experience hosts a flat 20% — the lowest published rate among major OTAs. The catch is an 18-month listing pause and a relaunch built around day-tour categories.
- [How to List Tours on Booking.com (You Can't Directly)](https://www.sambahq.com/ota-supplier-guide/booking-com-supplier): Booking.com dropped all direct operator contracts in 2020. Every tour now reaches the platform through Musement, Viator, Klook, or FareHarbor — at stacked commission.
- [How to Become an Expedia Local Expert Supplier (And Whether You Still Need To)](https://www.sambahq.com/ota-supplier-guide/expedia-supplier): Since 2019, Expedia has sourced most tour and activity supply through Viator and GetYourGuide feeds instead of direct suppliers. Direct Expedia commission runs 15-30%, individually negotiated. For multi-day operators, a direct relationship is often redundant with an existing Viator or GetYourGuide listing.
- [How to List on TripAdvisor (Multi-Day Tours Excluded)](https://www.sambahq.com/ota-supplier-guide/tripadvisor-supplier): the TripAdvisor listing is free. Every booking goes through Viator at 20-30%. And multi-day tours are explicitly excluded from TripAdvisor's product listings.
- [OTA APIs for Tour Operators: The Channel Manager Guide](https://www.sambahq.com/ota-supplier-guide/ota-apis-connectivity): your booking software's channel manager determines which OTAs you reach, what fees stack, and how deep the platform lock-in goes. The full map: 9 systems, 7 OTAs, commission stacking, and multi-day gaps.
- [10 OTAs for Tour Operators Beyond Viator and GetYourGuide](https://www.sambahq.com/ota-supplier-guide/other-otas): Klook, Tiqets, Headout, Musement, Civitatis, and 5 more — each evaluated for multi-day fit. Commission rates, multi-day fit, and which to skip.
- [OTA vs Direct Booking for Multi-Day Tour Operators: The Worked-Math Comparison](https://www.sambahq.com/ota-supplier-guide/ota-vs-direct-booking): on a $4,500 multi-day trip, OTAs take $900-1,125 per traveler. Direct booking costs $540-675 to acquire — and the customer comes back. Over three years, the math is not close.
- [OTA Commission Rates for Tours (2026 Comparison Table)](https://www.sambahq.com/ota-supplier-guide/ota-commission-rates): commission rates for 12 OTAs side-by-side. Viator 20-30%, GetYourGuide 20-30%, Airbnb 20%, Klook 15-25%, and the rest. Sourced per OTA.
- [How to List a Multi-Day Tour on OTAs: The 9-Step Operator Checklist](https://www.sambahq.com/ota-supplier-guide/how-to-list-on-otas): three of the seven major OTAs do not accept direct operator signup. Of the four that do, two have no multi-day category. The 9-step operator checklist for the rest.

## Alternatives

Operator-side comparisons of the booking and payment platforms multi-day operators evaluate against Samba. Each page ranks the field on pricing, per-booking fees, and multi-day fit — Samba leads for operators selling direct, with the honest trade-offs kept visible on every option.

- [Tour & travel booking software, compared (index)](https://www.sambahq.com/alternatives): The hub page indexing every Samba comparison — tour and activity booking software (FareHarbor, Bókun, Peek Pro, Rezdy, WeTravel and more) ranked on pricing, per-booking fees, payment plans, and OTA distribution. Start here to find the right head-to-head.
- [FareHarbor alternatives](https://www.sambahq.com/alternatives/fareharbor): FareHarbor is a no-monthly-fee booking system owned by Booking Holdings, built around high-volume day activities. The alternatives compared on payment terms and multi-day fit for $2,000+ trips with deposits and payment plans.
- [Peek Pro alternatives](https://www.sambahq.com/alternatives/peek-pro): Peek Pro is an activity booking and point-of-sale platform built for high-volume day tours. The alternatives compared for multi-day operators on fees, payouts, and the deposit-to-departure workflow.
- [Bókun alternatives](https://www.sambahq.com/alternatives/bokun): Bókun is Tripadvisor/Viator's reservation system, built around OTA distribution. The alternatives compared for operators who want direct sales without stacking a platform fee on top of OTA commission — Samba, Rezdy, FareHarbor, Regiondo, and TrekkSoft.
- [Rezdy alternatives](https://www.sambahq.com/alternatives/rezdy): Rezdy is a distribution-first booking platform centered on its OTA and agent reseller network. The alternatives compared for operators who sell direct rather than through a channel manager.
- [WeTravel alternatives](https://www.sambahq.com/alternatives/wetravel): WeTravel is the closest in shape to Samba — built for multi-day trips with payment plans. The alternatives compared on per-booking fees, payout terms, and supplier payments.
- [TrekkSoft alternatives](https://www.sambahq.com/alternatives/trekksoft): TrekkSoft is a tours-and-activities platform with broad OTA distribution and a 2–3% tiered per-booking fee, and no free plan. The alternatives compared on fees, free entry, and multi-day payment plans.
- [Checkfront alternatives](https://www.sambahq.com/alternatives/checkfront): Checkfront is a tour, activity and rental booking platform with one simple $149/mo plan and a 3% online booking fee, part of the same group as Rezdy and Regiondo. The alternatives compared for multi-day operators who want free entry, a lower per-booking fee, and built-in payment plans.
- [Regiondo alternatives](https://www.sambahq.com/alternatives/regiondo): Regiondo is a European activities and ticketing platform built around OTA distribution and its own marketplace, with layered per-booking fees it doesn't publish. The alternatives compared on fee transparency and multi-day payment plans.
- [CaptainBook alternatives](https://www.sambahq.com/alternatives/captainbook): CaptainBook is a young Greece-built tours-and-activities platform whose pitch is OTA connectivity and a 0% fee on direct bookings, with no free plan and no surfaced multi-day or payment-plan tools. The alternatives compared for operators who sell multi-day trips direct and need deposits and installment plans.
- [Resmark alternatives](https://www.sambahq.com/alternatives/resmark): Resmark Systems is a US adventure-tour platform with deep outfitter pedigree, transparent tiered pricing and a built-in waiver tool, but a $500 setup on its cheapest plan and no free tier. The alternatives compared on setup cost, platform fees, and multi-day payment plans.
- [TripWorks alternatives](https://www.sambahq.com/alternatives/tripworks): TripWorks is a free-to-start, all-in-one tours-and-activities platform funded by a 6% booking fee plus card processing, with strong OTA distribution. The alternatives compared on per-booking fees and the deposit-to-departure workflow for multi-day trips.
- [Rezgo alternatives](https://www.sambahq.com/alternatives/rezgo): Rezgo is a no-subscription booking platform that charges 4.9% per online booking, with strong OTA distribution. The alternatives compared on per-booking fees and deposit-to-departure payment plans for higher-value multi-day trips.
- [Bookeo alternatives](https://www.sambahq.com/alternatives/bookeo): Bookeo is an appointments, classes, and activities booking tool with no per-booking commission but per-plan booking caps. The alternatives compared for operators who outgrow the caps and need multi-day itineraries with deposits and installment plans.
- [Moonstride alternatives](https://www.sambahq.com/alternatives/moonstride): Moonstride is a travel-agency and DMC CRM with a back office and booking engine, priced from £495/mo plus a setup fee. The alternatives compared for operators who mainly need to take bookings and deposits online without a full ERP.
- [Xola alternatives](https://www.sambahq.com/alternatives/xola): See how Samba compares to Xola and the best Xola alternatives on free entry, per-booking fees, payment plans and OTA distribution, to pick the right booking platform for multi-day trips.
- [bookingkit alternatives](https://www.sambahq.com/alternatives/bookingkit): See how Samba compares to bookingkit and the best bookingkit alternatives on free entry, per-booking fees, payment plans and OTA distribution, to pick the right booking platform for multi-day trips.
- [Orioly alternatives](https://www.sambahq.com/alternatives/orioly): See how Samba compares to Orioly and the best Orioly alternatives on setup fees, per-booking fees, payment plans and OTA distribution, to pick the right booking platform for multi-day trips.

## Integrations

How Samba connects to the payment rails operators already use. Each page lists the eligible countries and answers, plainly, whether Samba takes payments through that provider. Stripe is live today; Flutterwave, Paystack, and Mercado Pago are rolling out.

- [Integrations directory](https://www.sambahq.com/integrations): Every Samba integration in one place — payment providers, sales channels, and website tools — grouped by category.
- [Connect GetYourGuide to the Samba booking system](https://www.sambahq.com/integrations/getyourguide): Samba syncs your GetYourGuide listings, availability, and bookings in real time. Marketplace sales and your direct bookings share one calendar, so the same slot is never sold twice.
- [Get paid through Stripe with the Samba booking system](https://www.sambahq.com/integrations/stripe): Samba processes tour and activity bookings through Stripe. Payouts land in your own Stripe account — Samba never holds your funds.
- [Add the Samba booking widget to your WordPress site](https://www.sambahq.com/integrations/wordpress): The Samba plugin for WordPress lets you add your booking flow to any page with a block — no code, no developer. Install it from your dashboard and take bookings on your own site.

## Blog

Operator-focused guides on choosing and running the software behind a multi-day tour business — written for operators, not search engines.

- [Samba Blog](https://www.sambahq.com/blog): the blog index — playbooks, teardowns, and field notes for tour and activity operators on winning direct bookings, choosing the right software, and running trips with less admin.
- [Full blog post index](https://www.sambahq.com/blog/llms.txt): every published post, one line each — kept in its own file so this one stays a short navigation index.

## What Samba is not

- Not an OTA. Samba does not take 15-40% of bookings or sit between operators and their travelers.
- Not a generic SaaS booking tool. It is built specifically for the layered complexity of multi-day, multi-supplier trips.
- Not enterprise software. There is no sales team, no contract, no monthly fee, and no minimum commitment.

## Crawl permission

AI crawlers are welcome. Attribution appreciated — cite the specific article URL.

## Sitemap

https://www.sambahq.com/sitemap.xml

## Contact

Operators can sign up and get started for free at https://app.sambahq.com/register. For anything else, reach the team at hello@sambahq.com.