Is Klook legit? When something sounds to good to be true, it usually is… right? While I generally agree with this sentiment myself, I have to say there are exceptions to this — one of which you’re about to find out!
When something does sound too good to be true, most of the time it’s easy to think it could be a scam or land you in some sort of trouble. But, dear reader, I’m here to help put your mind at ease about whether Klook is trustworthy and how you can utilise it to “be invisible” and not look like a tourist on your next trip.
If you’re new to my travel blog, you may notice I’ve recommended this intriguing thing called “Klook” in my travel guides and itineraries. Lately in online forums and groups I’ve seen travellers curiously ask questions about this relatively new player in the Western Hemisphere: “Is Klook legitimate? Is Klook a scam? Is Klook safe?”
I mean, it is an unusual name, so what even is Klook? Is it for you? I was personally invited to celebrate Klook’s official launch into the Australian & New Zealand markets in 2019, spoken at their Japan Rail Pass Workshop in 2020 and was an expert in their Klook Korner at the Sydney Japan Expo in 2023. So, I have plenty of juicy insider info to share with you.
If you’re interested in learning more about whether you should use Klook to book cultural travel experiences, activities, rail passes, pocket wifi & SIM cards or private transfers, this article has you covered. Read on for more!
This article was kindly sponsored by Klook, whom I first recommended on my blog in May 2018 before they reached out to collaborate with me a year later. As always, all research to create this article, thoughts and opinions are my own. This article contains some affiliate links. I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you if you click through and make a purchase.
Is Klook legit?
I can truthfully say yes, Klook is a legitimate company. I’ve collaborated with Klook on a number of occasions, and used them myself as a customer for several years without ever having an issue.
However I can understand why this is a common question people find themselves asking, as some ticket prices can be cheaper than through the official vendor websites.
Although in the Western Hemisphere the startup is fairly new, did you know Klook has been an established brand in Southeast Asia since 2014? Klook is now expanding quite rapidly – one of the fastest growing companies in the travel industry, in fact they surpassed 60 million bookings globally by the end of 2019. That’s a huge number to get your head around!
To add weight behind the answer to “is Klook legit”, as well as having offices in over 20 countries, the company has been featured in many reputable publications such as Forbes, CNBC, Wall Street Journal, South China Morning Post, Travel Daily News and more. That’s no easy feat.
Why is Klook cheaper?
How Klook are able to offer tickets and cultural experiences at discounted rates is a tightly guarded secret, although rumour has it that it’s because Klook has been able to achieve strong partnerships with their vendors.
I’d also hedge a guess that it has to do with the large volumes of tickets they are able to sell through their platform. This good news means those savings are passed on to travellers.
Should you use Klook to book cultural travel experiences?
In case you may not have already guessed from my blog’s name, The Invisible Tourist, I love nothing more than making the most of my travel experiences by being organised and “blending in” as best as possible when abroad. Some of the easiest ways to achieve that is through preparation and learning more about the local culture through authentic experiences.
I created this blog help you accomplish this too, whilst also spreading awareness about the importance of “being invisible” in our current age of overtourism. This is a subject I’m fiercely passionate about so I’ve explained the ways we can still travel without contributing to overtourism issuesif you’re keen to learn more.
As there are already some great resources out there for how to use Klook and personal Klook reviews, I’ve decided to instead focus on what makes this service ideal for helping you become more of an invisible touristin your future travels. With that said, let’s jump into it!
What is Klook?
Founded in Hong Kong and Short for “Keep Looking,” Klook is an online booking platform that connects travellers with local operators in 350 destinations around the world. Its focus is to enhance experiences for travellers, in turn helping them to achieve a more authentic and stress-free trip.
Targeted at FIT (Free Independent Travellers) such as myself, Klook has everything from rail passes to theme park tickets, pocket wifi to SIM cards, local cultural experiences such as wine tasting in the Hunter Valley to private transfers to help you be organised in advance and to make your trip the best it can be.
“We provide seamless booking experiences for attractions, tours, local transportation, food & beverage, and unique experiences on our website and award-winning app.” ~ Klook
What I love about Klook is their ability to bridge the gap between travellers who aren’t sure what activities or experiences are available at their destination with local operators who stand to benefit from these travellers. For instance, many people aren’t aware of all these things to do in the Hunter Valley for non drinkers so Klook can help!
With more of us travelling than ever before, it’s important that our tourist dollars (or insert other currency here) trickle back down to these operators and their local community. This is where Klook comes in! Klook has the ability to expose these local businesses to a global audience, an opportunity they may not have had before.
Is Klook legit and safe to use?
When we are handing over sensitive information such as personal and credit card details, of course we want to make sure our data is going to be encrypted and in safe hands throughout the process.
Klook is safe to use as payment transactions are encrypted using secure online encryption technology you have come to expect from trustworthy booking sites. Payment options include Mastercard, Visa, PayPal, Google Pay, Apple Pay or Alipay.
Additionally, Klook is available in 23 localised languages and 40 currencies to simplify the booking process and ensure you aren’t left with any surprise currency conversion fees!
Is Klook trustworthy?
Yes, it is okay to book in Klook. With over 5 million verified user-generated reviews, you can expect honest feedback about each activity from travellers just like you. In addition to Klook’s photography of the experiences, many users also upload their own photos in their reviews which also helps to give you a better idea of what to expect. About 65% of users leave reviews.
Additionally, Klook is trustworthy because their cancellation policies for each experience are clear and upfront in the descriptions. Refunds are also issued in particular instances, just be sure to carefully read the cancellation policy for each experience or ticket under the “Terms & Conditions” paragraph before the reviews begin.
Why use Klook?
Not only is Klook genuine, there are a number of reasons why you may wish to consider using them to book your travel experiences and transport tickets. This is especially true if you plan on visiting Asia, Oceania or Europe:
- Firstly, who doesn’t want to save money on travel experiences and local transport options?! As mentioned earlier, Klook can be the cheapest place to purchase many tickets to attractions, passes and activities.
- Klook credits, where users can accumulate points towards discounts off their future bookings.
- New Klook rewards, a two-tier program that allows users to unlock exclusive perks such as 3x the credits on bookings.
- Klook offers promo codesto receive discounts off bookings at selected destinations throughout the year.
- I personally like Klook because they are big on promoting travel by rail, which is more environmentally friendly than other transportation options (as well as convenient!). Through their platform, Klook aims to simplify complex rail systems in Asia and Europe through digitised ticketing for the Japan Rail Pass, Taiwan Rail, China Rail& Rail Europe.
- Klook make it easy to stay connected when travelling with options to pick up a local SIM card or pocket wifi at your destination. This great for using GPS to get around, something I’ve recently converted to!
- I love how they work closely with big attractions to bring us discount combo passes such as the Klook Greater Tokyo Pass and the Klook Pass Singapore.
- Klook is an authorized reseller of tickets to major attractions and transport worldwide, meaning yes, Klook is legit for Universal Studios Japan tickets, as well as Japan shinkansen tickets.
- There are 100,000+ local cultural experiences and transport passes in 350+ destinations around the globe, so chances are there will be something exciting for you at your destination, even in far-flung places like my motherland of Australia and neighbouring New Zealand.
- The Klook booking platform is far reaching and ever expanding, so it can help you discover offbeat locations and activities you may not have heard of before.
Klook review: Benefits of using Klook
So now you know what Klook is and that they are legitimate, some of the benefits of the platform are:
- Ability to book anywhere, anytime using the Klook website or smartphone app. I’ve known people to see a massive line up at an attraction only to jump onto their Klook app and purchase tickets with instant confirmation so they could skip the line entirely!
- 90% of tickets and Klook activities provide instant confirmation so you don’t have to wait around to benefit from your purchase. Perfect for when you’re on the go. Just look for the little orange lightning bolt symbol on the activity.
- Electronic ticketing for many attractions means no printing out tickets is necessary. Less paper use is better for the environment. If you’re out and about, it’s unlikely you’d have access to a printer anyway!
- Ability to accumulate loyalty credit points. As mentined earlier, you’re able to save up these credits like rewards points to use on pricier activities, meaning you pay less overall.
- Help you be a confident and organised tourist by purchasing transport passes and tickets in advance to popular activities, avoiding disappointment and the stress of trying to figure it out on arrival. This is important to help you “be invisible”!
- Klook holds many themed promotions throughout the year, allowing you to save even more money on activities.
Is Klook reliable? When to not use it
You might be wondering, what are the disadvantages of Klook? As I am being completely transparent with you, there are some instances when I would personally not use them:
- Private drivers in Japan:The driver vetting system is loosely regulated in Japan, which means many drivers are operating without the proper licence. It can be quite hit-and-miss when booking drivers through a third party. Ensure your driver always has a green number plate rather than a white one in Japan.
- Airport transfers: I’ve seen a few people mention their driver never showed up, which can mean the difference between making or missing a flight. Perhaps this has to do with the point mentioned above.
- Express train seating:In Japan, if you want to select your shinkansen (bullet train) seats, it isn’t possible through Klook as it will just assign them. You’ll need to use JR the ticket counter or use a ticket machine in person. However, if you don’t mind where you sit, Klook is fine to use for bullet trains in Japan.
- Hotels: Is Klook legit for hotels? As hotels are a new feature available on Klook, there could still be some kinks that need ironing out, and limited inventory. I’d rather use a dedicated hotel booking platform until Klook hotel offerings become more established.
How to use Klook
Want to use Klook for the first time? Simply download and install the Klook app from the Google Play or Apple App stores to your smartphone. The app is very user intuitive, simply type in your destination to explore what’s available.
If you’re a new user, create a profile and you’ll be good to go!
Where to find Klook Travel
To find Klook head over to Klook.com or follow them on their respective social media pages to stay up to date with the latest deals and promotional offers: Facebook / Instagram / Pinterest / Twitter / YouTube / TikTok
Concluding the answers to “is Klook legit?”
Now we’ve examined in more detail how many years this booking platform has been established, what they offer, benefits of using the service and its trustworthiness as well as my own personal experiences, it’s safe to confirm that yes, Klook is legit.
As a travel writer, there is nothing better than teaming up with a brand you genuinely love and can stand behind! I’m so excited for Klook’s further expansion and to discover even more activities in off-the-beaten-path destinations around the world.
Sending a huge thanks again to Klook for making this article possible. I’m so thankful we can work together to help tourists be more prepared, confident and enjoy travel to its full potential!
Have you used Klook to book travel experiences or tickets before? If not, has this article given you some things to consider? Let me know in the comments below!
So, where to from here? If you’re after ideas for what to include on your next trip itinerary, head on over to my Destinations page to see if I’ve covered where you’re going. As always, if you found this helpful please share it with your friends or save it for later reference. I’d also love if you could join me on Facebook,Pinterest,Instagram and TikTokfor more travel inspiration!
Until next time,
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Featured image and first pin image credit: Pixabay. Screenshots credit to Klook.com, the copyright holder and used with permission. This guide answering “is Klook legit” is sponsored and contains some affiliate links, at no extra cost to you. I may earn a small commission if you decide to make a purchase and if you do, thanks for your support! This helps with the costs of running my blog so I can keep my content free for you. As always, I only recommend a product or service that I love and use myself!
