Essxjay, I'm guessing you are female? If so, then yes I would try to hire a guide when sightseeing in the middle east. I've heard stories about Iran that suggest females sometimes serve as guides and drivers there. So if you dress up as a local and hire a female to take you around, you should blend in nice and have a good time.
As for me, I never have much of a problem expressing my needs if I don't know the local lingo. And getting lost in a strange land is actually quite fun.