The first time I ever saw the name Klook was when I was traveling in Bali. I noticed a Korean tourist getting picked up outside of our hotel by a tour guide with a Klook name tag. This was many years ago, probably around the year of 2017 when I was spending a lot of time in Bali.
After seeing Klook in action, I did a quick search on the internet out of curiosity. It turns out that at that time, Klook was the new-ish marketplace for travel experiences in Asia – just like Viator or TripAdvisor, if you come from the other side of the world.
Fast forward six years later, Klook has flourished and I can pretty much rely on Klook to book any type of activity or experience when I travel. In Singapore (where I live) and Taiwan for example, you could book pretty much any attraction you can think of – from the zoo, aquarium, and even SIM cards – through Klook.
However, I know for visitors who don’t live in Asia, Klook may not be a familiar name and you might be hesitant to use them.
So, is Klook legit? I thought I’d write a little about my personal experience with Klook to ease any doubt for those of you who have not used Klook before!
✨ Get a $5 credit if you sign up to Klook through my link here. To start using Klook, simply go to the Klook website, select a destination, and start browsing!
What is Klook?
As I was saying before, Klook is a marketplace for travel experiences, just like Viator and TripAdvisor.
Through Klook, you can select any destination you want to visit and explore activities that you can book at that destination. You can also see reviews of other Klook members who have purchased that same activity before, which can help you decide if this is the right activity for you.
The idea of a marketplace for travel activities is not new. It has been done many times over. However, what stood out to me about Klook, and what convinced me to try them and eventually become their regular customer, is the vast inventory of activities and the affordable price – especially when it comes to destinations in Asia.
How do you use Klook for traveling?
Klook started as a place where you can book tours or experiences. Nowadays, almost anything and everything can be booked on Klook, including tickets, transportation, SIM Cards, hotels, and even food.
For example, in Bali, you could rent a scooter to go around town, or you can book an airport transfer that will pick you up and drop you off directly at your accommodation, or you can buy SIM cards which can be picked up at the airport or delivered to your hotel. It makes travel so much more convenient!
Get a $5 credit if you sign up to Klook through my link here. To start using Klook, simply go to the Klook website, select a destination, and start browsing!
Why should I use Klook?
Since my first encounter with Klook in 2017, I have started to use Klook exclusively whenever I travel. I find that there are many benefits to using Klook that other marketplaces simply cannot beat:
- Ease of booking – Being an established marketplace for experiences, they’ve got the booking process down to the simplest and easiest experience! I am usually only a few clicks away from booking the experience I want.
- Loyalty points (Klook Rewards) – Klook gives you loyalty points every time you book anything through their app or website through Klook Rewards, which you can use to offset the cost of your next booking. The amount is usually not much, but the more you use Klook, it could add up!
- Instant confirmation or direct entry tickets – This is my favorite feature of Klook, which lets you walk in directly into an attraction or museum by simply showing a QR code. This feature is not available for all experiences, but when it is available, it makes traveling so much fuss-free. For example, when I was in Tainan, I pretty much bought the tickets for the major attractions on the spot (literally at the entrance of the attraction) and I was able to enter right away via the QR code from the Klook app.
- Competitive pricing – I am not sure how they do it, but I find that prices in Klook are almost always cheaper than booking through other platforms or directly, especially for experiences in Asia.
Tips on using Klook successfully and safely
While there are many benefits to using Klook, it is very important to know that Klook is still a marketplace at the core of it. As such, the experience you get might vary.
Here are some of my personal tips to use Klook to your advantage!
1. Read the reviews thoroughly
For any specific items or experience in Klook, I would HIGHLY recommend checking out their reviews. This is a must-do regardless of whether you’re booking through Klook or any other platform.
Look for any negative reviews, and note down the ratio of negative vs positive reviews to get a clear view of the operator at their best and worst.
Think of it like buying items in a marketplace like Amazon – just because an item is listed on Amazon, it does not mean it’s going to be always high quality. In certain destinations, Klook might be listing the same items, services, or experiences by different vendors.
If you decide to book an experience with little or no reviews, be prepared to take the risk – the experience has not been validated by other users, and you might get a bad experience. But, it could also turn out well – you might simply have discovered a hidden gem that no one else has tried on Klook before.
In most cases, just because an activity has no reviews in Klook, it doesn’t mean they are completely new. More often than not, these experiences are offered by a company with many years of experience, it’s just that they are new to Klook. So if you are interested, you can find out who the vendor is (usually this is stated on the Klook activity page), and do a Google search on them outside of Klook. You might also see reviews that you don’t see in Klook.
2. Check the cancellation policy
Some experiences or services booked through Klook usually can be canceled, but it is extremely important to note that each item will have a different cancellation policy from another.
Usually, there will be a time limit for canceling – for example, you might not be able to get a refund if you cancel it at the last minute (within 24-48 hours) or you might only be eligible for a partial refund. But in certain experiences – usually a timed ticket like hotel booking, car rentals, a train ticket, or a show – they might not offer cancellation at all.
So, make sure you know the exact cancellation policies before booking to avoid any disappointment!
No-show Protection: You could add a “No-show refund” insurance while booking an experience to make sure you can still get some money back if something happens and you need to cancel. Find out more about Klook’s No-show insurance.
3. Make sure your booking has been confirmed
If you are booking a time-sensitive activity such as an airport transfer or a tour, make sure the organizer gets in touch with you and confirms your booking close to the date of your travel.
It’s rare, and it has not personally happened to me, but I have heard one instance from a friend when her airport transfer in Bali wasn’t confirmed and the vendor ended up being a no-show on the day. Klook refunded her, but she still had to scramble to find alternative transport which was not ideal.
To be fair, this is a risk that you are taking with every booking, even if you book directly with the vendor or through any other platform. Always be proactive and make sure your booking is confirmed!
4. Download WhatsApp for communication
Which brings me to my next point. You should download WhatsApp, which is how most people communicate in Asia, and likely how the tour operator will try to get in touch with you. Link your WhatsApp to the phone number you’ve provided when booking the tour.
Conclusion – My verdict on Klook so far
So, in conclusion – is Klook legit? Yes, in my experience, they are very much legit. I have not personally had a bad experience with any experiences I’ve booked through Klook so far. Perhaps, I have been lucky with over 80+ bookings I’ve made through Klook since 2018, ranging from tickets to airport transfers and car charters. In general, I find that Klook works really well when they have collaborated directly with the attraction as they are able to offer direct entry.
I have to note that I have yet to book hotels with Klook. It’s one of their newer offerings, and judging from the comment section of this post, people seem to encounter issues with the level of support when something goes wrong with the booking. As with other bookings, I would assess the risk by looking at all the reviews on the hotel’s Klook page.
And that’s all I know about Klook! What do you think? Will you book something on Klook for your next trip?
Get a $5 credit if you sign up to Klook through my link here. To start using Klook, simply go to the Klook website, select a destination, and start browsing!
Note: I am just a regular happy customer of Klook. I was not paid to write this review. As always, all thoughts and opinions are honest and remain my own.
Hi. Would you recommend Klook for first timers international travelers or go for independent travel agencies? Or is this ideally for seasoned international travelers? I wanna know where do I start 😅
Hey Dori, personally I’ve never been a fan of travel agencies, so I never used them. I think if you can plan your own itinerary and know where to go, it’s super easy to just book the attractions via Klook. Would be cheaper too I think!
Hi Melissa,
Could you please suggest a direct bali tour operator instead of the market place?
Appreciate your time 😊
Best regards
Rabbani
Hey Rabbani, unfortunately I don’t have direct contact for tours in Bali. I usually purchase the tours through Klook. I do have a contact for a dive operator if you’re interested in that?
The refund process is extremely time consuming and their customer service is anything but helpful. They just give bot-like answers and if you take more than 1 minute to process the answer and respond, they automatically close their chat. This is such a shame because tours that are actually booked and attended are really great. My advice is if you’re 100000% sure not to cancel for bad weather or other reasons, by all means do book with them. But if you’re not sure about booking, then AVOID AT ALL COSTS. It’s been 2 months and I am STILL waiting for my refund to be processed. They basically don’t give a damn, so it’s up to you to chase with your bank.
Hi Melissa
Have you ever tried booking plane ticket through klook? I’m considering using it for booking domestic plane ticket in Japan but still feeling a bit wary of it. Used klook several times before but never for plane ticket (mainly activities and experience only) and so far everything went well. So I’m just wondering if it is reliable to use klook for this.
Also do you have any tips for using domestic flight in Japan? Can you please share it if you have?
Thanks.
Hey Karina, no I didn’t even know you can book flights through Klook! I have only ever flown domestically once in Japan, from Tokyo to Hokkaido (Chitose). I flew with JAL and would recommend them. I found flying domestically quite easy in Japan, very straightforward process.
We rented a car via Klook at Hertz. While we complied with the policies our credit card was not accepted at Hertz. They therefore did not give us the car, but told us to get a refund from Klook, as they would not charge Klook anything. Klook refuses to reimburse anything, as the our request for a cancellation was 2 hours after the deadline.
We did not ask for this to be cancelled because we didn’t want the car, but because it did not work out to get the car. Now Klook pocketed 845 USd from us, does not have to pay anything to Hertz and tells us that they are sorry to adhere to their policies!!! At least don’t lie when you decide to get rich with our money!!!
Hey Andreas, sorry to hear that. I would definitely chase them to give you a refund. May I know which country this is happening in and why they don’t accept your credit card?
While the Klook platform is very easy to use, their customer care is extremely disappointing/disgusting and they will waste your time and your money!
Beware! Our experience with Klook’s airport transfer service at Narita Airport was nothing short of disgusting. We booked our transfer while in transit in Dubai, specifically requesting a 6 PM pickup time and even providing our flight number for added clarity. However, upon arrival, we faced a frustrating situation that ultimately left us without transportation and out of pocket.
After clearing customs and collecting our luggage, 4 sets of eyes searched for our driver, who was nowhere to be found. After frantic searching and inquiries at the information desk, my husband finally located the driver, who turned out to be unprofessional, rude, and unhelpful. He demanded additional payment, claiming he had waited for 100 minutes, despite our voucher stating the driver would wait for one hour and 40 minutes.
When we refused to pay extra, the driver abandoned us, leaving us stranded with our children and luggage.
To make matters worse, Klook’s customer service has been ABYSMAL. They dragged their feet in addressing our concerns (not getting back to us within the 2 days as promised), made us provide photographic evidence (which they totally disregarded), spent hours going back and forth on chat and refused to get a manager to call us, failed to provide a refund and ultimately refused to take responsibility for their flawed system, which completely disregarded our requested pickup time (inputting the flight number overrides the clients requested pickup time and communicates to their operator to pitch up at the time the flight lands- so stupid!).
Klook admitted to poor communication with their operator but still denied us our hard-earned money back. Save yourself the headache and avoid Klook’s unreliable and unprofessional service!
I also used the Klook platform to book Shinkansen (bullet train) tickets and while one pays more for reserved seating it does not allow one to choose seats so we had 4 tickets in 4 separate rows with my young kids sitting on their own. I waited over an hour to get through to their customer support chat and they could do absolutely nothing to help!
2 out of 2 failed Klook bookings. Deleting the platform and will NEVER USE IT AGAIN!
Hey Carnita. Sorry you had this experience! Definitely not ideal. I booked a transfer from Narita airport as well back in November, Thankfully my experience was great, the driver was waiting for us at the gate. The operator I booked with was called Chinichi through Klook.
Thank you for this article, was looking for reviews of Klook services. Question, do you know the quality of the pocket WIFI router they offer is sufficient for business usage in Taiwan? From what I have read, it does seem like there should be no problems with conference calls for audio/video across to United States? Will be visiting Taiwan for up to a month on part vacation but will also be bringing work along. Just want to be sure the wifi router will be able to offer reliable WIFI access for up to 8 hours if necessary. The location will mainly be in Taipei and from the same address location. Thanks ahead of time. -Allen
Hey Allen, I did not use wifi router but I used a SIM card for my mobile phone and the speed was very fast throughout Taiwan. I believe I was getting 4G/5G everywhere. The wifi router depends on the provider, so you should research the specific telco provider to see if they are reliable since you’re using it for work. Mine was Chunghwa Telecom. Even though most of them are unlimited data, you should see if they have maximum data usage per day or they might throttle the speed after. Not saying this is a thing in Taiwan, but I’ve seen it in other parts of Asia.
SCAMMERS!!! The absolute worst! We booked a 24sqm room in E-hotel Higashi Shinjukul through the Klook app, only to find out that they booked a 12sqm one for us instead. We could barely fit our things here! In addition, there is no customer service number you can call for help in Klook. Worse off, the E-hotel Higashi Shinjuku kept passing on the blame to Klook instead of helping us out. WORST EXPERIENCE EVER! PLEASE AVOID BOOKING ANYTHING THROUGH KLOOK. GO FOR RELIABLE APPS LIKE BOOKING.COM.
Hey Cara, I truly am sorry to hear about your experience. It seems that Klook is still working out the kinks when it comes to accommodation booking. I personally have only used them for experiences and tickets. Anyway, I hope your case can be resolved soon.
I had the same experience, I was informed to expect my refund credits within 30 days on 06Nov; is till did not see it reflected in my klook app till now despite me sending emails to klook on three other occasions to inquire about my refund. Each time klook responded very promptly that they have issues the credit voucher to my account but as of now on 25Dec 2023, I still do not see it in my klook app. Klook’s Experience Specialist was quick to ask for feedback on their customers support, however, the survey was just a super short one with only one question and a yes / no answer to it. There isn’t even a space for us to express our dismay or request for further assistance, I can’t help but wonder what kind of a customer experience survey is this.
I can’t help but wonder if my credit refund has been misappropriated; if the credit voucher has been issued as what their customers support team claimed, then where is it ?
Hey Rosalind, I’m sorry to hear about your experience! I can’t really comment further as I don’t know the details of the booking in your situation, but I hope it gets resolved soon. Please do feel free to update me the outcome, if any.
After over a month of promises of refunds for accomodation I still have not been refunded. Very difficult to contact, English bad, no customer service.
Book elsewhere.
Hi Jenine, sorry to hear that. Please let me know if the issue is eventually resolved.