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Eng
Do I need an internet connection to use the app?
Yes, you'll need to be online — mobile data or Wi-Fi both work. That way your screen always shows the latest info on tours, schedules and ticket availability, and the app doesn't hog space on your phone.
Do I have to sign up? What can I do without an account?
You don't need an account just to browse. Without one you can search for tours with all the filters, open guides' profiles and read reviews. But to buy a ticket, add a tour to favorites or message a guide, you'll need to sign up.
How do I search for a tour?
Start by picking the spot on the map where you're looking for a tour. Then type keywords into the "What are you looking for?" box. The search covers guides' names, tour titles and descriptions, and tags.
Tip: don't type the city into the search box
The city name might not appear in the tour text, so the tour wouldn't show up. It's better to set the area on the map instead.
Tip: use the filters
Especially for a narrow search. You can filter by tour type, tags, duration, group size, price, age restrictions, and date and time.
What languages are tours held in?
Any language a guide speaks. The interface language and the language a tour is held in are two different things. The interface is available in Russian and English, but the tours themselves can be in any language.
How do I change where I'm searching, and why does the app want my location?
You can change the location in your profile under "Location" — pick a point on the map or type the name of a country, city or place. You can also just drag the map and tap "Search in this area". Your recent locations are saved, so it's easy to hop between places you're interested in.
Location access is only used to suggest tours nearby right away, so you don't have to enter an address every time. Planning a trip to another city? You don't need to grant access — just set the place manually.
How do I sign up?
Via VKontakte or by email: enter your first name, last name, email and a password (at least 8 characters). You'll get an email with a confirmation link that's valid for 2 hours. If the email doesn't arrive or the link expires, you can resend it. Until your email is confirmed, some features on the site will be limited.
Can I sign up under a nickname?
Yes. You can enter your first and last name in Russian or Latin letters and change them in your profile anytime. But if you decide to become a guide, you'll need your real first and last name.
Why can't I sign up with my email?
Most likely that address is already registered. Check for typos and try logging in. If you think it's a mistake, drop us a line and we'll help sort it out.
Sometimes when you sign up or log in we ask you to confirm you're not a robot (a captcha). If you've made too many attempts in a row, wait a bit and try again.
How do I buy a tour ticket?
Tickets are bought in the mobile app. On the tour page, tap "Book from…" — the price shown is the minimum and can vary by day and time, so check the price under the specific time slot. Choose the date, time and number of tickets, then go to checkout.
How does payment work?
Payment is made by bank card on the secure payment page of Tochka Bank. You enter your card details there, and they never reach our service. The money is charged at the moment of payment.
You have about 10 minutes to pay — that's how long the payment link stays active. If you don't make it in time, the booking is canceled automatically shortly after, and you can place it again.
Can I save my card so I don't have to enter it every time?
Yes. Your profile has a "Payment cards" section where you can add a card. To verify it, 10 rubles are charged and immediately refunded. The card details themselves are kept in the bank's secure system, not with us. You can remove a saved card in the same section.
How do I gift a tour ticket?
A ticket makes a great gift! At checkout, tick "I want to gift this" and enter the recipient's first name, last name and email. They don't have to be a user of the service — an account is created automatically for that email address, and the ticket shows up there. After payment, confirmation emails go out to both you and the recipient.
Can I arrange a convenient time with the guide?
Of course. Message the guide in the chat — you can talk even before buying a ticket. If the guide agrees, they'll add the time you want to the schedule, and you just buy a ticket as usual.
How do I change the date or time of my ticket?
Plans change, we get it. You can move a ticket to another time slot for free if that slot has the same price and open spots. If the other slot's price is different, you can't move the ticket yourself — message the guide or support.
How do I cancel a ticket and get a refund?
How much you get back depends on how far ahead of the start you cancel:
— within the first 5 minutes after payment — 100% refund;
— 24 hours or more before the start — 100% refund;
— between 24 and 2 hours before — 10% is withheld (it all goes to the guide);
— between 2 hours and 1 hour before — 20% is withheld (15% to the guide, 5% to the service);
— less than 1 hour before — 50% is withheld (40% to the guide, 10% to the service).
Once the tour has started, you can no longer cancel the ticket or get a refund — the tour counts as having taken place.
What happens if the guide or the service cancels the tour?
You'll get the full ticket price back.
How do I report a guide?
First, look after your own safety and, if you can, record what's happening on camera. Then, in the app under "Tickets", tap "Report" and describe what happened. While we look into it, the ticket money isn't paid out to the guide. Our support team makes the final call.
How do I leave a review and rating?
After the tour ends, go to "Tickets" to rate the guide and the tour, write reviews and leave tips. A reminder pops up a few minutes after the tour, but you can do it later too.
A rating with no text is published right away. A written review goes through moderation — while it's being checked, you can't edit it.
How do I leave a tip?
You can leave a tip after the tour, any amount, by card — right in the app. It's optional and always up to you. Tips go to the guide; only a small payment-processing fee is withheld.
Are there discounts for children and seniors?
There isn't a separate discounted-ticket feature yet, and it's up to each guide whether to offer a discount. If you want to bring a child or ask for a discount, message the guide in the chat ahead of time and agree on it — that way the guide counts you in the total group size.
How do I change the interface language?
You switch the interface language in the app settings. Russian and English are available. The interface language has nothing to do with the language a tour is held in — tours can be in any language a guide speaks.
How do I delete my account?
You can delete your account in the app. After that the account is deactivated and you won't be able to log in anymore. If you change your mind later and want your access back, message support.
How do I reach a guide or support?
There's a built-in chat for messaging. You can talk to a guide both before and after buying a ticket. For questions to us there's a separate support chat, and in the "Kuranty" channel we post news and helpful updates.
What can I do on the website?
For travelers, the website is a showcase and a source of info about the service: you can read about the project, our manifesto and our offerings for businesses. Buying tickets and most order-related actions happen in the app. The bulk of the site is built for guides, so they can manage their tours comfortably on a big screen.
Do you have a manifesto?
We do. In short — we want people to bring home from their travels not just photos, but real stories. To make that happen, we make booking private guides simple and easy, and we believe that genuine human connection is becoming valuable again.
I've got stories to tell. How do I become a guide?
We're thrilled! Everything here is above board, with real respect for a guide's work. You apply on excurse.me — there's a step-by-step wizard in your dashboard. In the app you can only check the status of an application you've already submitted and see which documents were rejected; applying and uploading documents is only possible on the website.
You'll need your real first and last name, a taxpayer number (INN) and four document uploads. You don't need to enter a phone number in the application itself.
Why do you need the INN?
To officially register you as the recipient of payments from clients and to avoid blocks and fines. Everyone has an INN; you can look yours up on the tax service website — nalog.ru.
What legal status can I work under?
There are three options, which you choose when you apply:
— self-employed — a simple tax regime that you can combine with a regular job;
— sole proprietor (individual entrepreneur) — if you already have one or are ready to register it;
— through a partner company — you pick a ready partner company from the list, and it handles the paperwork and taxes while you receive payouts to your own account.
Each option has its own tax terms — it's worth reading up on them on the tax service website or with your local tax office.
Can a company register?
Yes. Send an inquiry to storySelling@excurse.me with details about your organization — we'll get in touch and walk you through the next steps. This works even for companies whose main line of business isn't tours.
I've submitted my application. What's next?
A member of our team reviews the application manually. Once approved, you're automatically registered with our partner bank Tochka and get a virtual account for settlements — only then does the status change to "Approved". If you don't hear back for a while, email help@excurse.me or message the admin chat.
Where do I create tours, and how do I log in to the site?
Tours are created on excurse.me — it's handy to write descriptions, pick photos and plot routes on a big screen. Log in with the same username and password as in the app.
How is the website different from the app?
Website only: submit a "become a guide" application, create a tour, and set up a recurring schedule or add slots in bulk.
App only: clients buying tickets, archiving chats, and push notifications (there are none in the browser).
Both: the chat, viewing orders, withdrawing money and editing your profile.
How do I create a tour?
On the site, click "Create tour". The process has 4 steps: 1) general description and attributes, 2) detailed description, 3) photos, 4) route. In the details, "What's included", "Important" and "Requirements" are required; the rest of the fields are optional. The tour title must be unique across the whole service.
What photos can I upload?
Up to 10 photos per tour, in JPEG or PNG format, up to 5 MB each. The first photo becomes the cover. You're responsible for the content you upload — use your own shots or photos you're allowed to use (for example, from free stock libraries).
What can't I write in the description?
No content that infringes copyright, insults people or social groups, or anything illegal. If a tour is for adults, be sure to add the 18+ age marker. We're not keen on profanity; the final decision on publishing rests with our team.
Why won't it let me create a tour with this title?
Most likely a tour with that title already exists. Titles are unique across the whole service, to highlight how one-of-a-kind each tour is. Try rewording it.
I run the same tour in different languages. What do I do?
Each tour has a single language it's held in. To run the same tour in another language, create it again, with the description in that language and a different title (identical titles aren't allowed). That way clients see the tour in their own language right away.
My tour type or language isn't in the list?
We've tried to cover most of the options. If what you need isn't there, message the admin in the chat — we collect requests and add new types and languages. For now, pick the closest available one.
How do I build a route if a stop has no address?
In a route-stop field you can enter not just an address but the name of a place — for example, "The Bronze Horseman". The system will find it and offer it as a choice. If even that isn't there, enter the coordinates in the format shown in the site's hint.
How do I submit a tour for review?
The "Submit for review" button appears once all the required fields are filled in, at least one photo is added and at least one route stop is set. We review tours to keep the content quality up and help you fix any slip-ups. Once approved, the tour shows up in search results.
Does every edit send it back for review?
No. A re-review is only needed if you changed the text or photos. Changing the schedule, slot prices or the route doesn't trigger a review again. If you hit "Edit" but didn't actually touch the text or photos, you can publish the tour right away.
What's a time slot and how do I set up a schedule?
A time slot is a specific time a tour runs, with a set number of tickets. Clients buy a ticket for a particular slot. On the site you can build a schedule two ways: recurring (set a period, days of the week and start times) and one-off slots via the calendar. Each slot gets its own price and ticket count, but no more than the tour's maximum group size.
How do I run a tour on request, or delete a slot?
If a client asks for a time that suits them, open the active tour, go to the schedule and create a slot for the date they want — you can set the price and ticket count right there. Then let the client know tickets are available. A slot with no orders can be deleted in the schedule, but a slot that already has tickets sold can't be deleted.
How do I pause a tour?
The tour profile has a "Pause" button — the tour disappears from search results and no tickets can be bought for it. Pausing doesn't cancel orders that are already paid, though: those still need to be run or canceled under the service's rules.
What happens if I cancel a tour?
Things happen, so the option is there. As soon as you know you won't be able to run the tour, cancel the orders — clients get the full ticket price back, and you can send them a message. If you cancel without a valid reason less than two hours before the start, a penalty may be deducted from your balance, so try to cancel early and explain the reason to the administration — they need it to talk to the clients.
What do I get if a client cancels their ticket?
If a client cancels shortly before the start, you get compensation on the same scale that's withheld from them: 2–24 hours before — 10% of the price, 1–2 hours before — 15%, less than an hour before — 40%. That way your time isn't wasted.
When does the money arrive and how do I withdraw it?
The money lands on your balance automatically right after the tour ends (within a minute), as long as there was no complaint about the order. The service takes a commission from each order — the amount is set out in your contract. Recent earnings become available to withdraw after about an hour.
You can withdraw money both on the site and in the app — it goes to the bank account you provided when you registered. The minimum withdrawal amount is shown in the "Balance" section, along with the full history of earnings and withdrawals.
How do I view my orders?
Both the site and the app have an orders section showing upcoming and past ones. Canceling upcoming orders is easier in the app.
What if clients behave inappropriately?
First, assess the situation and contact law enforcement if needed — we'll help with any information you need. You can turn away specific participants: in the app's orders section, select the participant, describe what happened and attach a photo or video. While we look into it, the ticket payment stays frozen, and we'll make a fair decision.
I've been blocked. What do I do?
Email unblock@excurse.me and describe the situation. If it's a mistake, we'll fix it promptly. If it's a disputed case, lay out your side of it — we'll look into it and reach a fair decision.
How do I communicate with clients?
The built-in chat lets you message clients both on the site and in the app — before they buy a ticket and after the tour. You can send one message to everyone in the same slot. Archiving chats you no longer need is only possible in the app.
How are reviews, ratings and tips calculated?
After the tour, clients rate the guide and the tour and leave reviews. Your rating is built from those ratings and reviews — it appears after the first few ratings; before that it's marked "new". Clients leave tips if they want to; they go to you, with only a small payment-processing fee withheld.
Can I edit my profile, and is there a link to my guide page?
You can edit your guide profile anytime, including writing your name in Latin letters — handy if you run tours in foreign languages. You have a personal page with your tours, schedule and profile; you can set up its link in your profile on the site and share it anywhere — on social media or in your email signature.
I'd like to get in touch
OOO "Excurse.Mi RUS"
Transportny lane 1, lit. A, unit 7-N, office 408, workspace No. 6,
St. Petersburg, 191040, Russia.
Phone: +7 (812) 426-17-81
For guides:
legal@excurse.me — legal questions
buh@excurse.me — accounting questions and for those who want to run tours as an individual
help@excurse.me — help for guides
unblock@excurse.me — if your account has been blocked
For partners:
gov@excurse.me — for regional and municipal authorities
pro@excurse.me — for tour and travel companies
culture@excurse.me — for cultural institutions
horeca@excurse.me — for anyone who wants to offer food, drink and lodging with a story
storySelling@excurse.me — for businesses that want to tell their own stories and run tours around their premises
For media:
media@excurse.me
Other and general questions:
hi@excurse.me