When something sounds too good to be true, it usually is… Right?
While I generally agree with the above sentiment myself, I have to say there are exceptions to this, one of which you’re about to find out!
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 new player in the Western Hemisphere: “Is Klook legit? Is Klook a scam? Is Klook safe?”
When something sounds 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.
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 and New Zealand markets in September 2019, and I’ve come back with lots of juicy info to share with you.
If you’re interested in learning more about why 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 guide to answering is Klook legit will cover:
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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 issues if 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 tourist in 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?
This is a common question people find themselves asking as some ticket prices can be cheaper than through the official vendor websites. For instance, Klook is the cheapest place to purchase the Japan Rail Pass. But in short the answer is yes, Klook is legit!
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!
How they 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. The good news means those savings are passed on to travellers.
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.
Is Klook 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 41 currencies to simplify the booking process and ensure you aren’t left with any surprise currency conversion fees!
Is Klook trustworthy?
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.
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?
There are a number of reasons why you may wish to consider starting to use Klook to book your travel experiences and transport tickets, especially 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.
- 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!
- 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.
- As Klook’s booking platform is far reaching and ever expanding, it can help you discover offbeat locations and activities you may not have heard of before.
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 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. 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.
How to use Klook
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
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, 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 TikTok for more travel inspiration!
Until next time,
Like it? Pin it! 📌
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!
Hi Alyse,
I am first time user, wanted to book Osaka Amazing pass for July 2023 trip. Can I book now March 2023 ? After booking where can I collect the pass ? Please advise. Thanking you in advance.
hello! i stumbled upon klook while searching for ways to book a plaza premium lounge in taipei. they have a much better price than another app but then i read some reviews saying it’s a scam. now i’m scared to book with them. we have a 10 hours layover in taipei this december and i don’t want to be stranded waiting in the regular lounges because my klook booking is not accepted. pls tell me it’s safe to book with klook. it’s a lot of money and a huge hassle if we can’t get into the lounge.
Hi Jesse,
The Plaza Premium Lounge access is Taipei sounds like a great idea!
I understand your concern, although I’m not sure why people are saying it’s a scam. I have personally booked dozens of things through Klook and never had an issue at all.
I also know many of my readers also use Kook to book their own experiences, too.
I can see there are 8,000 previous bookings for the lounge access tickets, with positive reviews only a few days ago.
If you’d like extra clarification you could call through to the lounge and ask, and I am sure they will tell you it’s fine 🙂
Enjoy your trip and the lounge experience!
I am a big fan of Klook! They had amazing deals for Taiwan, this is where I started using them. i got my sim cards with them, and a much better deal than directly in any store! high five to Klook!!!!
Matt
So glad to hear that, Matt! Klook is just so easy to use, I love them for the reasons you say, too 😊
Informative and well-described article. I will definitely consider Klook when planning my next foreign trip. Thanks for sharing!!!
Really glad you found it helpful! Klook offer so many amazing experiences 😊
Beware
If your tickets go missing they will not replace or refund. Impossible to contact most of the time. Left our family stranded in Japan. Had to spend another $1325.00 to replace missing tickets. Unable to contact anyone in Japan . No offices to speak face to face. Stick to JR Rail website and buy direct.
I’m sorry to hear this happened to you, Suzanne. If you don’t mind me asking, how did the tickets go missing? Did you book online or through the Klook app? You can always get in touch with Klook using their online form here:
https://www.klook.com/en-AU/ask_klook/
Hi Alyse, fine saying contact them… thats impossible really !
I booked into the Plaza Premium Lounge through them, they took my money, & sent me a ticket to access the lounge…
Their website says I have no booking, the ticket with its “scan picture” doesn’t do anything at all…
I can’t find anything about my purposed booking anywhere…
Danny / Australia
I’m sorry to hear that, Danny. To my understanding, booking accomodation through Klook is a new thing, so there could be some teething problems.
Perhaps it’s best to stick to tickets and experiences for the time being until they iron out the issues.
In the meantime, there are some ways you can get in touch with customer support:
• In the “Bookings” section of the app
• By sending an email to support(at)klook.com
• Via their Help Centre
More details on these in Klook’s article here.
I hope you manage to get it sorted!
Dear Alyse, I am not sure about how we actually pay for the tickets/attractions in the Klook app. I mean I want to pay via PayPal only from my account and Klook shows all the prices in my home currency which is very convenient, however the attractions are going to be in different countries and of course all the prices are somehow converted from different currencies to my home currency. What happens when I pay e.g. USD 50 for some show in Thailand or USD 28 for a ferris wheel ride in Singapore? Is Klook going to charge me in my home currency with the price converted from Thai Baht/Sg Dollars and nothing else at all or there will be extra charges that I do not know about? For example that USD 50 for the show in Thailand seems attractive because is less expensive that I would pay in cash on the spot but if there are going to be extra charges (say USD5) for a transaction then using Klook doesn’t make sense at all. Would you please explain? Thank you
Hi Chaz, this is a fair question! All the prices you see for tickets will be charged in USD (or the currency you choose) regardless of the location of the attraction. Klook won’t charge additional fees for mainstream currencies like USD. It has already included the conversion in the price. Nor should your PayPal/credit card charge you a fee as you’re paying in your native currency of USD.
Taken from this article from Klook:
“Accepted currencies
Klook displays activity prices in a number of currencies including USD, HKD, SGD, TWD, EUR, GBP and more. You’re free to change to your preferred currency in the drop down menu. However, Klook currently only accepts transactions in USD, HKD, SGD, TWD (excluding AMEX card), MYR and KRW. For all other Southeast Asian currencies (except PHP), you will be charged in SGD. For all other displayed currencies you select (including PHP), you will be charged in USD. Klook does not charge any service fees or additional fees. If for some reason you see any extra fees, please check with your credit card issuer.”
As USD is a major currency and transactions are accepted in USD, you have no need to worry 🙂 An extra fee would only apply to people using less-used currencies that don’t appear on the transactions list above. In that case they may be charged in SGD and they may incur a fee from their credit card provider.
I hope that answers your question!
Hi,
I dont think what you said is true.
I did one booking in September 2018. Price was displayed in local that is in INR. I paid in INR using my credit card.
Surprisingly when I checked my Credit card transaction, Is was written as I was charged in Dollar so there was additional Foregin transaction chrages(3.5% + 18% Gst on that 3.5%)
It means regardless of what is displayed Or what currency we choose we are always charged by Klook in USD. So always price would be 3.5% more than what is displayed.
Kind of feel cheated here.
Hi Sukesh,
Yes, according to what I’ve quoted above, it holds true. Klook accepts transactions in USD, HKD, TWD, MYR and KRW. Unfortunately INR is not on that list. It’s a shame credit card companies charge the international transaction fees, this doesn’t come from Klook, but it is a good idea to keep that in mind.
Thanks for sharing your experience!
Great piece of content about Klook, thank you for this. Glad to see the idea of something being too good doesn’t have to be taken for a scam, for once.
Thanks for your comment, Ssemusu!
Hi Mrs. Alyse!
Just one question: Why should we use Klook instead of using for example the JRRailway pass webstite? Is the only difference the cost or are there other benefits?
You might be wondering why there have been many comments posted under my name. We have a school project to do about blogs and I chose yours because I actually used some of your travel advice when I went to Japan this summer.
Thanks again!
Jayda
Hi Jayda, no worries at all. In the article I mentioned the benefits of using Klook, for example they have rewards points you can accumulate and use for larger purchases, and Klook can also come in cheaper than official vendors, too 🙂