We believe travel
changes everything.
Your Wished Guide was born from a simple frustration — finding a trustworthy, local guide who speaks your language shouldn't be this hard.
48+
Guides
12
Cities
2,400+
Trips
4.9★
Rating
Our Mission
Making Japan accessible to everyone.
"Every traveler deserves a guide who truly understands them."
Japan is one of the most extraordinary destinations on earth — but navigating it without local expertise means missing the best 90% of what it has to offer. That's why we built Your Wished Guide.
Our Values
Trust First
Every guide is personally verified. Identity, credentials and language skills — all confirmed before they join our platform.
Language Access
Explore Japan in a language that feels like home — Spanish, French, English, German, Portuguese and more.
Quality Always
We don't compete on quantity. Every guide is curated for excellence, passion, and professionalism.
Full Transparency
Clear pricing, real reviews, all communication and payments handled securely inside our platform.
2022
Founded
Japan
First Market
Global
Vision
Our Journey
How it all started.
2022
The Idea is Born
Our founders, frustrated after a disorganized trip to Tokyo, realized that connecting with a trustworthy local guide was nearly impossible. The idea for Your Wished Guide took shape over ramen in Shinjuku.
2023
First 10 Guides Onboarded
We launched a private beta in Tokyo with 10 carefully selected, licensed guides. Traveler feedback was overwhelming — people felt the difference immediately.
2024
Expanding to 12 Cities
We expanded across Japan — Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka, Nara, Hiroshima, Hokkaido and more. Our guide network grew to 48 verified experts serving travelers in 6+ languages.
2025
Platform Launch — Today
We launch the full Your Wished Guide platform with in-app messaging, secure payments, and real-time booking. Japan is just the beginning.
Our Team
Our Team
Brandon Ordonez
Co-Founder & CEO
Software engineer turned founder with a deep passion for travel and cultural immersion. After falling in love with Japan and exploring dozens of countries, Brandon saw firsthand how difficult it was to find trustworthy local guides. He built Your Wished Guide to bridge that gap — combining technical expertise with a genuine curiosity for what each destination has to offer.
Where We Operate
Japan — our home market.
We made a decision early on: depth over breadth. Instead of scattering thin across every country, we went all-in on Japan — 14 cities, 48+ verified guides, 8 languages. Every guide on this platform has been personally interviewed by someone on our team who has walked their streets with them.
31M international visitors came to Japan in 2024. 68% of them preferred a private local guide over a group tour. We built Your Wished Guide for exactly those travelers.
Coverage
Tokyo
Kyoto
Osaka
Yokohama
Nara
Hiroshima
Hokkaido
Sapporo
Nagoya
Fukuoka
Kobe
Okinawa
Kamakura
Kanazawa
31M
Annual visitors
68%
Prefer private guides
8
Languages supported
4.9★
Average rating
What Sets Us Apart
Built differently, on purpose.
We don't compete with global marketplaces on volume — we beat them on depth, language matching, fair fees, and human curation.
9% vs 20-30%
Viator, Airbnb Experiences and GetYourGuide take 20-30% commission. We take 9% (5% for Elite guides). More money stays with the guide actually running your tour.
Your language, fluently
Every guide is language-tested before onboarding. We filter by native fluency, not just "speaks some English". No more broken communication.
Japan experts only
We cover 14 cities in Japan — deeply. Every city has JNTO-licensed locals. No sprawling global catalog, no random tourism offices.
Personally verified
We reject 2 out of 3 guide applicants. Identity, credentials, and language all checked by a real human on our team.
2-day payouts
Guides get paid via Stripe Connect within 2 days of tour completion. No 30-day holds, no mystery fees.
In-app everything
Chat, book, pay, and coordinate your trip in one place. No scattered emails, no WhatsApp handoffs, no lost tickets.