I love going to new cities and experiencing the different historical tours. St. Augustine is known for ghost tours, so I thought this would be a fun way experience the city. Wow, was I wrong. This truly was the worst tour I’ve ever been on, in any city, ever. Also the words walking tour needs quotation marks, because we didn’t really GO anywhere.
The “tour" started at the Old Wooden School house. Felt like a promising starting point. Maybe there’s an interesting ghost story dating back to the 18th century or at least some historical facts about colonial schools. Nope. It was never mentioned, it was just where we met. Instead, our guide walked us about 2 minutes across the street to the the Castillo de San Marcos. You know, the fort that you’ve already seen if you’ve been in St. Augustine for more than 5 minutes. We went to three different free spots at the outside of the fort and were told truly pointless, rambling stories that weren’t scary, historical, or even remotely entertaining. We did learn that his dog is named Fenway, which was truly the most interesting thing he told us.
That took up about 80 minutes of the "tour". Then on the way back, across the street was a cemetery. It looked like we were headed there but our guide noticed that there was another tour there already, so he instead just kept us across the street, told his last mundane anecdote, while I looked longingly at the other tour group or the above ground tomb – I would've preferred to be in either of those locations.
I read multiple reviews from guests that said they found their tours funny, informative, and interesting and I’m wondering if they hired the ghosts that weren’t anywhere to be seen on our tour to write those reviews.
The only thing that got me through the 90 minutes of my life that I’ll never get back was writing this review in my head.
Відповідь від хоста
Jan 2023
Our tours begin at our office location by the Oldest Wooden Schoolhouse and include the fort (spectacular at night, regardless of how many times its been visited), the city gate, and the adjacent cemeteries.
Professional courtesy dictates that we don’t infringe on an area where another guide has already began their story. There are multiple tours each night and locations are first come, first serve.
Ghost tours provide a blend of historical background, combined with the regularly occurring paranormal activity in the area. We strive to provide accurate and insightful stories, without the additional embellishment of jump scares or false details. A haunted house or movie might better provide you with the experience you’re seeking.
Thank you for taking the time to read the other reviews, noting that we pride ourselves on customer satisfaction and the quality of our tours. We boast page after page of five star reviews from satisfied customers. In addition, had you returned to our office early in the tour and stated your concerns, we would have gladly moved you to another guide to ensure your satisfaction.
We hate that you didn’t enjoy your time on the tour, but find it curious that you devoted a great deal more of your time and energy to write this review. We realize that we weren’t your cup of tea, but we wish you a happy and productive 2023.