Methodology
Star ratings on activity marketplaces cluster between 4.4 and 4.9, which makes them nearly useless for choosing. The Outty Ranking spreads that band back out into a 0-100 score by combining seven signals and measuring each one against the city the experience actually competes in. Every one of the 391,693 experiences we list is scored the same way, and the breakdown is shown openly on each activity page.
Maintained by the Outty Editorial Team. Outty applies this model identically to every listing and takes no payment for placement; see our editorial standards.
The star rating, adjusted for how much evidence sits behind it. A flawless 5.0 from three reviewers is pulled toward the city average until more travelers weigh in, so confident scores have to be earned. 3.6 stars maps to zero, 5.0 maps to one hundred.
Review volume on a log scale, benchmarked against the top one percent of listings in that same city. Being well reviewed in Rome and being well reviewed in Sedona are different bars, and this component knows the difference.
Trailing 30-day demand, again measured against the busiest listings in the city. Momentum catches operators whose quality is currently rising and quietly penalises listings coasting on an old reputation.
Price per hour against the median price per hour in that city. Half the local median scores one hundred, the median itself scores sixty. A four-hour tour at $80 beats a ninety-minute one at the same price, which is exactly the comparison booking sites usually hide.
How completely the experience is described: real photography, a substantive description, itemised highlights, clear pricing and duration. A thin listing is a worse booking decision whatever its star rating.
How far the adjusted rating sits above or below the average for its city. This is what separates a genuinely great option in town from one that is merely fine in a city where everything rates well.
Whether the operator offers a free cancellation window. Non-refundable listings can still rank well, but they have to be genuinely excellent to do it.
For each of our 775 destinations we recompute a market benchmark: the average rating, the review and demand levels of the top one percent of listings, and the median price per hour. Review evidence, momentum, value and local standing are all read against those local numbers, so a score means the same thing whether you are looking at Rome or Nashville.
Anything scoring 90 or above joins the 90+ Club. It is a deliberately hard line: only 3,316 of the 391,693 experiences we currently rank clear it. Nothing buys its way in, and operators cannot pay to change a score.
Product details, pricing and availability come from the Viator Partner API. Traveler sentiment and review counts are drawn from the aggregated review data attached to each product. Booking momentum is our own measurement of trailing 30-day demand across the Outty catalog. Scores refresh as the underlying data changes, so a ranking is a reading of right now rather than a permanent award.
Outty earns an affiliate commission when you book through a link on this site, at no extra cost to you. Commission rates do not vary enough between operators to be worth gaming, and the ranking formula has no commercial input of any kind.
See the current 90+ Club