Being a guest in someone else’s home ground asks something of you. We spend our time on the part most trips skip: helping you understand the how and the why of what you are seeing, so you arrive prepared rather than merely present.
Experiences run by the local guides, hosts and families whose tradition it is.
Context and preparation first — respectful participation, not spectating.
Fair pay for the people involved, and a share of every sale that goes back to their community.
This was a special experience, not just a tour. Laura and her team gave us so much of themselves. I’ll never forget this night. I can’t believe Hank you enough for creating this event.
2% of all gross sales is pledged to local projects and charities in the destinations we visit — vetted by us, in the countries you travel to. It is our own backyard to look after, so we do not pass the cost on to you.
Born from a search for meaning, guided by human connection
Every journey begins with a reason. Ours began with a family trying to find its way through a moment that changed everything.
In 2012, while founder Ian Ord was living in Thailand, his father suffered a heart attack during a family visit. His brother flew to Bangkok on an emergency passport, and the family spent nearly two months between hope and mourning. During that time, the brothers turned to sak yant, an ancestral Thai tradition of tattooing and blessing, and received matching Paed Tidt designs associated with protection from the eight directions. The experience gave them a way to honour their family and carry what was happening together.
After the family lost him, Ian shared their story on Where Sidewalks End, the travel blog he had started the year before. It reached people facing loss, recovery, displacement and major transitions. They wanted more than directions. They were seeking meaning and connection.
Ian also saw how quickly sharing access to a tradition could affect the people and places behind it. Together, those lessons became WSE’s compass: help travellers find meaningful human connection, while honouring the responsibility that comes with being welcomed.
Today, local guides, artisans, healers, families and communities shape and share WSE experiences, offering their knowledge and stories on their own terms. We prepare travellers thoughtfully, pay partners fairly, respect the cultures that welcome us and support social and environmental projects through the TRIP Foundation.
The journeys that change us begin in many ways: through challenge, curiosity, celebration, food, art or a conversation around a shared table. Wherever yours begins, we would be honoured to connect you with the people who make a destination special, and to be part of your journey, as you become part of ours.
Where Sidewalks End Connecting you with a disconnected planet.
This was a fun day. Our guide, Leo(Leonardo), was a wonderful guide. He was super knowledgeable, professional, friendly, and fun. He was the perfect blend of humor and knowledge. I learned so much and had such a good…
Amazing experience! We came back to Oaxaca after 5 years and made sure we booked another experience with Victor and his team. Everything well thought out and an incredible experience. Highly recommend this tour and any tours his…
This was an amazing tour!! I would totally recommend WSE because their tours and tour guides are local, so authentic and sincere in wanting you to understand and appreciate their culture. Hector and Juan were amazing hosts and…
Customisable multi-city trips, private departures and experiences built around what you actually want to do. Tell us what you have in mind and we will talk it through with you.
We use essential cookies to operate this website and optional cookies and similar technologies to understand how the website is used and measure our marketing. Optional technologies may store or access device information and process data such as browsing behaviour or unique IDs.
You can accept these technologies or select “Opt-out preferences” to manage or withdraw your choices. Declining certain optional technologies may affect some website features and functions.
Functional
Always active
The technical storage or access is strictly necessary for the legitimate purpose of enabling the use of a specific service explicitly requested by the subscriber or user, or for the sole purpose of carrying out the transmission of a communication over an electronic communications network.
Preferences
The technical storage or access is necessary for the legitimate purpose of storing preferences that are not requested by the subscriber or user.
Statistics
The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for statistical purposes.The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes. Without a subpoena, voluntary compliance on the part of your Internet Service Provider, or additional records from a third party, information stored or retrieved for this purpose alone cannot usually be used to identify you.
Marketing
The technical storage or access is required to create user profiles to send advertising, or to track the user on a website or across several websites for similar marketing purposes.
CollectionInk ExperiencesWhere Sidewalks End Ink Experiences have a focus on ethically visiting tattoo masters from around the world. We feel that these types…
CollectionFestivalsAt Where Sidewalks End, we are deeply passionate about world festivals, as they offer a unique window into the soul of a…
