Whether you’re visiting a city for the first time, or the tenth, you want to be able to explore it from a more local perspective instead of like a tourist. Here’s how you can do that.
One great resource is Spotted By the Locals, an online guide written by insiders. It’s constantly updated, so you can stay on top hidden gems like vintage clothing stores in Berlin and art-house cinemas in Paris.
You can always book a guided tour, but make sure you do it with someone who really knows what they’re talking about–not just a hired gun. Context Travel has walking tours that are actually led by trained professionals. We’re talking a tour of London by a Victorian scholar, or a tour of Istanbul’s markets led by a local culinary expert.
And don’t forget to look for tours that highlight emerging neighborhoods instead of the same old icons.
Chicago Neighborhood Tours has programs that take you through the ethnic foods of Edgewater and through the city’s green spaces that you wouldn’t normally see.
Bottom line: Even if you’re been there, done that, there are ways to explore a city from a different perspective. You just have to know where to look.
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Feature Image: Photo by Rusty Kennedy for GPTMC
