The Art of Being a Tourist in Your Own City
When was the last time you properly explored your own city?
Not on the way to work. Not rushing between meetings. Not because you had somewhere specific to be.
We mean wandering with nowhere to go, sitting in a café you've never noticed before, walking down a street you've passed a hundred times or finally visiting the gallery you've been saying you'll visit for years.
We spend so much time dreaming about travelling somewhere else that we forget there is often plenty left to discover where we already are.
This autumn, consider becoming a tourist at home.
Start somewhere you've never been
Choose a neighbourhood you don't usually visit.
You don't need an itinerary. Pick a starting point, find a café, walk around and see what catches your attention.
The point is to remove the usual shortcuts.
Take the pretty street instead of the quickest one. Go into the independent shop you've always walked past. Sit somewhere for a coffee, matcha or a tea simply because it looks inviting.
See where the afternoon takes you.
Visit somewhere you keep meaning to go
Every city has a list of places we are perpetually going to visit.
The museum. The gallery. The historic house. The theatre. The market.
Pick one.
Don't wait for visitors to give you an excuse. You don't need to know everything about it beforehand. Part of the pleasure is simply showing up with curiosity.
Have lunch somewhere new
One of the easiest ways to make an ordinary day feel like a little holiday is to take yourself somewhere for lunch.
Choose somewhere you've never tried, order something you wouldn't normally make at home and give yourself permission to sit for longer than necessary.
Bring a book if you're alone.
Or invite someone who also enjoys a slow lunch.
Either way, don't rush.
Walk without your usual destination
We are remarkably good at turning walking into transportation.
This time, make it the activity.
Choose a park, river, neighbourhood or route you've never properly explored and walk without worrying about how quickly you're getting there.
Notice the architecture. Look up. Find a new bakery. Take the scenic route.
You might be surprised by how unfamiliar a familiar city can feel when you stop moving through it on autopilot.
Book the hotel
You don't actually have to leave town to have a change of scenery.
Book one night somewhere beautiful in your own city.
Arrive early. Check in. Order room service. Take a bath. Go out for dinner. Come back and watch something in bed.
It may feel slightly indulgent, which is exactly why it works.
Sometimes what we need isn't a long journey.
It's simply to step outside our usual routine.
Go somewhere at a different time of day
A place you've seen hundreds of times can feel completely different at 7am, on a Sunday afternoon or after dark.
Visit a market first thing in the morning.
Walk through your favourite neighbourhood after dinner.
Go to the museum on a quiet weekday.
Changing the time can be enough to change your perspective. You don’t have to save your “living” time for the weekend.
Take yourself on a tourist day
Put your phone away, or at least use it only for directions.
Wear something you feel good in. Take your camera. Buy a coffee. Visit somewhere beautiful. Have lunch. Stop for something sweet.
Pretend you've arrived in your city for the first time.
Ask yourself what you'd recommend to a friend visiting for the weekend.
Then go and do those things yourself.
Home can still surprise you
Perhaps the best thing about rediscovering your city is that you don't need a flight, a suitcase or annual leave.
You simply need to look at somewhere familiar differently.
Because travelling isn't always about going somewhere new.
Sometimes it's about becoming curious about where you already are.
This autumn, take the long way home.
Explore your own city.
And let yourself be a tourist there.