Being A Tourist In Your Own City
I feel very privileged that I’ve lived half an hour from London my whole life and still remember trips into the capital as a kid with my parents, and as a teenager which mainly consisted of Camden Market. About a year ago I started to think about my relationship with the Capital and realized that the majority of what I did there was dinner and drinks with friends in the same old loved areas or running across the city to music venues to catch live shows.
Every time I go to a foreign city I explore as much as I can and usually do the walking/ bus tours, take river cruises and see every monument and attraction that I can cram into my weekend break. When it comes to my own city there are so many of the traditional tourist things which I haven’t done, for example, I’ve never seen the guard change at Buckingham Palace, I’ve never been into the Tower of London and I’ve never visited Shakespear’s Globe. If I had visited London as a tourist they’re likely to have been three things I had planned into my schedule.
Almost a year ago I set myself my first London bucket list challenge and I marked down some things I really wanted to do in the capital and every six month’s or so I review them marking off what I’ve done, and seeing what extra things I can add and it’s been working really well. It’s always nice to have an idea of things I want to do so if I happen to be heading into London I have a bit of an idea of activities and places to visit.
Not just with London but I think it’s so important to be a tourist in your own city sometimes as a lot of us are guilty of missing out on gems on our doorsteps, and travelling doesn’t always have to be about hopping on a plane and being somewhere foreign, there’s plenty of travelling you can within your own area. I’ve made it my mission to discover as much as I can of London and every city I visit in the UK and treat them the same way I would a city abroad.
Do you like being a tourist in your own city?
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30 responses to “Being A Tourist In Your Own City”
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All About Me
Rhian Westbury
Travels and Destinations
Nothing currently planned
I don’t really do being a tourist that often, however sometimes I notice something again and the beauty takes my breath away.
I agree I live in London too and there is so much to do and see and living there we barely touch the surface and miss out on so much. I need to go and discover more in my own city.
What a great idea, I totally agree it’s great to do the touristy things where you live. I went to university in Cambridge and we loved doing all of the tourist things!
It must be nice to live near London, it has so many fab places to go too! I like being a tourist where I live because it can be fun
I don’t live that far away from London either. Some of my best childhood memories was when my dad used to take my sister and I up to London. I remember liking going to Camden Market too!
My family are from London and I’m the same, been so many times and not done any of the main tourist things! This last year or so I’ve been trying to me a tourist more in my home town / county. It’s amazing the places around you that you never notice.
We live just outside London as well and love exploring it like a tourist would. My mummy remembers her childhood trips too!
This is a great way to think, being a tourist is a fab way to discover or re-discover your home city!
I am only about an hour outside of London and I love visiting new places there. I have to admit, I have never seen the changing of the guard, or been into The Globe (however hopefully doing this later in the year). There is still plenty of time to do all these things though, and I would love to do a tour bus around it too!
I was actually thinking recently how much of Glasgow I’ve never explored and how I’ve never really been a tourist in my own city. You forget that there is so much on your doorstep.
I’m lucky that I live close to London too, I love exploring the capital and being a tourist x
I love being a tourist in London too! I always love going to see Buckingham Palace and walking around all the popular tourist places. I also love visiting the attractions like the London Eye and Madam Tussauds 🙂
That’s so true – often the best attractions we overlook because they’re ‘local’. I must make an effort to visit more near where I live 🙂
I think that it’s human nature that we always look further afield for places to visit without ever appreciating just what we have on our doorstep! I lived in London for 18 months and never did any of the touristy things and I’ve lived in Sweden for years but have hardly seen any of it!
That’s actually a pretty good idea! The nearest city to me isn’t much of a city but the biggest one is Boston, which I’ve toured a few times and loved it! My hometown is Baltimore though and I’ve never toured that city as a tourist. You raise a good point though. Maybe touring your home city as a tourist and seeing it through the eyes of a tourist will help change one’s perspective.
I did a walking tour of Bournemouth last year and it amazed me how much I walked past on a daily basis and didn’t notice
I think it’s great to visit local cities as a tourist, otherwise it is easy to them them for granted!
It is a great idea to visit local cities as a tourist – like you, I travel a lot but probably haven’t really seen what my local city has to truly offer
Haha great minds think alike! I literally wrote a post about being a tourist in my own city ! Its so much fun x
I love being a tourist in my own city, each time I discover something new.
Jordanne || Thelifeofaglasgowgirl.co.uk
Me too! You never know what you might find and its even better if you explore your city on your own x
I live 10 minutes from Oxford and been wanting to explode if more. Like you most of my visits are to eat in the same places or visit my sister. But I have taken a tour bus now want to do a walking tour
It’s so true. We live near London too and there are so many places we’ve never visited. London has so much to offer a tourist.
You’re so lucky. I’d love to live a little closer to London. Although I’d miss the countryside. My closest City is Bristol and I’m guilty of taking advantage as it really is beautiful.
Ami xxx
We’ve been doing the Sam lately and exploring so many county parks and nature reserves. I never knew just how much is on your doorstep. It’s crazy
I think as long as we are open and not afraid to leave our well-known patch, we can discover so much beauty in almost any city or town around us
On point! There is much to explore in our own place. Let’s discover the beauty of our own city, town or country before setting foot to a foreign place.
Now that I am a mum, I take to London on the weekends like I have not lived here in all my 32 years lol!
definitely, an idea to take up thank you
I do similar with theatre shows
I’ve been a tourist in my nearest city : Gloucester. Having seen the docklands, some of museums and the Beatrix potter shop. I have never been inside the cathedral though and since some of Harry Potter was filmed there, it’s on my list of things to do. The other cities near me are Bristol and Bath which I’ve explored a lot of.