We are a Jaipur company writing about a Jaipur problem, so read this with that in mind. But the mechanics below are not in dispute and every honest operator in this city knows them.
How it works
A shop — carpets, gems, textiles, marble inlay — pays a driver or a guide a percentage of whatever you spend. Commonly a large percentage. The shop covers it by raising its prices, so you pay the commission whether you know about it or not.
Because the commission can be worth more than the driver’s fee for the day, the economics of a cheap tour often depend on it. That is why a car and driver for a full day can be quoted at a price that would not cover the fuel: the real product is not the tour, it is delivering you to two shops.
What it costs you
- Time. Two shopping stops is ninety minutes, usually taken out of the monuments.
- Money. You are paying an inflated price and calling it a bargain.
- The day itself. The pressure to buy is the thing people remember, and it is not what they flew here for.
How to tell before you book
Ask these four questions. The answers are more revealing than any review page.
- “Does the itinerary include any shopping stops?” A straight no, in writing, is the answer you want. “Only if you want to” is fine if it is followed by “and we will not take you unless you ask”.
- “Is the driver paid a commission by any shop?” Vague answers are answers.
- “What is the car and driver rate for the day, separately from the tour?” If the full-day price is implausibly low, something else is paying for it.
- “Is the guide government-licensed for this region?” Licensed guides sit an examination and can lose the licence. It is a real constraint and it changes behaviour.
If the price does not cover the day, something else is paying for it, and that something is you.
If you do want to shop
Plenty of travellers come to Jaipur specifically for block-printed textiles, blue pottery or gemstones, and they should. The difference is direction: you choose the shop and say so, rather than being taken to one. Ask for a workshop where things are actually made, go in the morning, and be entirely comfortable walking out.
Where we stand
We do not take anyone to a shop for commission, and our drivers are not paid by shops. If you ask to see a block-printing workshop or a gem cutter we will take you to one, and we will tell you plainly that we have no financial interest in whether you buy anything.
That is not a moral position so much as a business one. Our tours are priced to cover the day, so they do not need to be subsidised by your afternoon.