Optional tours - legally obliged to use theirs?

What country are you visiting? Unless it is a country that strictly regulates tourists (e.g., China), I can’t see how they can prevent you from doing something independently if it is not in their T&Cs. If you didn’t take their excursion,would you just have free time? I don’t see how a company could prevent you from doing what you want during free time.

You stated the tour group has told you that you are not allowed to book your own optional tours. In my opinion I would book another tour rather than create an uncomfortable travel experience by trying to do something that they don’t want you to do.

I agree, if it’s not a country where the government requires your official guide to escort you everywhere (Iran comes to mind but I’m sure there are others) than the tour company shouldn’t specify what you can and cannot do during free time. Maybe that’s why the tour price is lower - they make up for it on the special excursion. If you still have a window to cancel then consider a different tour company, or just don’t tell them what you’re doing during your free time! Good luck!

I worked in the tour industry and agree with the previous posters. It really depends on where you are touring. Please let us know so we can advise.

Would you also mind letting us know the tour company?

I know that Gate 1 certainly allows people to book their own optional tours unless govt won’t allow. What tour company are you talking about?

About 8 years ago, my parents took a guided tour in Europe, not Rick Steves; I don't recall at all which company. My mom really wanted to go to the Hague, which was not on the tour's itinerary. So my parents skipped the day that the tour group (staying in Amsterdam) was visiting Rotterdam, and I arranged a one-day tour from an independent local tour guide that took them to the Hague (of course my parents let their tour leader that they would not be participating in the day trip to Rotterdam). It did not occur to me that any tour company would try to tell a customer that the customer was not permitted to spend a day as they pleased. To me, it was no different than if one of my parents was tired or sick, and wanted to spend the day in their hotel room, or wanted to spend the day shopping instead of with the tour group. As long as your excursion wouldn't end you up in a different location than your tour group, or course; I assume that's not the case.

I am not providing any legal advice (though I am a lawyer), but I will provide a common-sense suggestion that if you are concerned about the group tour telling you how you can spend your time, insist they they send you the exact language from your agreement that prohibits you from taking a day trip with another tour guide. And if that's the case, plan and take your excursion on your own.

Thanks everyone for taking the time to post your helpful responses. Don't want to mention company name in case of blowback for our trip (too late to cancel) but our group tour is in Egypt by a 'platinum operator' found on the handy TourRadar platform. They avoided my T&C question so I'd be surprised if they could force us to use their supplier for the optional hot air balloon ride, however I'll just take it on the chin and go with theirs to avoid unpleasantness. Lesson learnt!

I was wondering if it was related to safety, before you clarified where you are traveling. A legitimate question could be if this applies to every tour they offer or only those countries they deem "risky"?
I'm recently returned from an Intrepid Tours 2 week tour in Morocco (my first for both and I loved both) and thought their policy I'm pasting below seemed reasonable. It included to "use your own judgement":
"While your group leader or local representative will assist you with the available options in a given location, please note that any optional activities you undertake are not part of your Intrepid itinerary, and Intrepid makes no representations about the safety of the activity or the standard of the operators running them."
Some tour members opted out of a provided (included) tours/activity but I don't believe they did anything on their own instead. I do know two couples were discussing hiring a car and driver for a fancy lunch one afternoon that was "free". I believe the leader gave them a suggestion for that.
Now what would have happened liability- wise had they been in an accident or, who-knows-what. I signed a waiver for the inherent risk (camels, hikes) and I think w RS when I used their hot air balloon excursion I signed a specific waiver (but so long ago I don't remember) .
With Hurtigruten ( also loved that ship!!) I used their included excursions that were really costly. But each was totally worth it to me.
I hope yours are, too! (But stressful to have an unknown like this.)

My first thought was “This must be for safety reasons, in a place like Egypt.” While there are many places I am comfortable traveling independently, Egypt is one place I would stick with the guide.

Since you are going to Egypt, a related question. I have a trip planned to a Level 3/4 country like Egypt; how did you resolve the medical insurance issue? You confirmed your US policy would still cover or you found a travel policy that would cover Level 3/4 countries. Either way, the name of the company you found would be greatly appreciated as I am havin no luck finding insurance for my trip.

Thanks for subsequent interesting posts. Agree that for Egypt it doesn't hurt to use the tour company in this case.

Replying to Mr E's question, very sorry I can't help as we are on Australian passports - our govt advice on smartraveller is level 2 as of last month (with a mix of zones within Egypt per their coloured map). I see US level 3 advice is older (Oct 24) so maybe it will change soon? I reside in the Middle East so have local insurance. Out of interest I had a look at World Nomads insurance and there's an article for US residents in their help section called "Am I Covered if There's a Travel Warning in Place Where I'm Going?". Might be worth checking them? Good luck.

The UK travel advice for most of Egypt (certainly where most tourists go to) is also what you would call Level 1 or Level 2, last updated 7 February.
It is extremely nuanced with different levels of warning for North and South Sinai. North is what you would call Level 4, South is Level 3 except the southern coastal holiday strip and up to the Jordan border.
West of Luxor and close to the Libyan and Sudan borders is also Level 3.
Overall Egypt is divided into 6 parts by the FCO.

lisacomms44 et al, thank you.

You are not legally obligated to take their tours. (They want you to take their tours because they make extra money that way.)

That being said, in a place like Egypt, you may want to stick with the tour company's recommendations not only for safety but for financial reasons. Another tour company could rip you off.

If the company you are traveling with is legitimate, they will stand behind the the third party tour company working with them.

If you are the "local Egypt Tour Company" and are operating local tours for the bigger international tour company, you probably get a lot of business from them. Are you going to do anything that might jeopardize that relationship? Probably not. Which is why, sometimes, it's better to take an optional tour offered by a tour company rather than find one on your own.

We took a tour to Egypt in 2023. From what we experienced, every time we left the hotel the military police checked with the guide who gave them a list of travelers and counted everyone. When we entered certain areas, such as the Christian section, we were again counted.
One night we wanted to go out to see a light show at the pyramids, our guide had to come with us, we could not go alone.
Another night we wanted to eat outside of the hotel, again, the guide accompanied our small group of 6.
It really isn’t a country we would feel comfortable touring around alone.

We do a lot of group tours with Gate 1 Travel and their optional tours are not expensive.

If you don't take their tours, you will have free time to do what you want, but the problem will be the timing of when you are free from the group and when the private day tours start and end. That could be difficult to manage.

Consider getting a good guidebook and do it on your own.