How to dive into other cultures in the shortest time possible

I’m about to present two awesome possibilities that can help you to spend quality time in a new place, even if you only have a few hours to dive into the local culture.

Jorge Louis Borge wrote, ”I am all the writers that I have read, all the people that I have met, all the women that I have loved; all the cities I have visited.”  

That’s a beautiful thought, right? But have you ever felt that such thrilling experiences aren’t that easy to gain at all when your time, as a tourist, is limited? No need to worry about that anymore! Read the following paragraphs and learn some effective ways that can contribute to your successful cultural immersion!

The Free Walking Tours

I will start my recommendation with the free walking tour system. Many cities offer such tours and if you’re visiting a capital, you can usually choose from more options as there are several companies. Once you find an attractive free walking tour, you only need to register by giving your e-mail address, then show up at the meeting place where you’ll get to know your tour guide and the other tourists.

During a free walking tour, you are taken to some of the most typical sights to see, listening to the funniest and weirdest local stories from past to present, enjoying a non-formal, friendly atmosphere, which yet provides you with tons of interesting information. In exchange, once the tour has finished, you can give a tip for your guide according to what you think the tour was worth for you. But you have total freedom regarding this, so you are not expected to pay anything if that’s your decision.

Sounds good? Wait until I point out some of the benefits of such a tour!

First of all, you can get to visit the maximum number of places within the shortest time possible. It’s such a relaxing and refreshing feeling that for two or three hours, you don’t need to stare at your google maps, wondering what’s worth visiting and how to get there. You can simply discover and enjoy the place and choose your favourite pieces of information that you want to remember later.

Secondly, you have a great chance to practice your language skills, both in a passive and an active way. Even if you don’t feel like joining the discussion, listening and understanding different accents can give you a nice challenge itself.

Another great aspect is that you get to know at least one local person (your tour guide) who will be happy to answer your questions, whether they refer to history, everday life or tips about what to do or where to try an authentic local meal.

Besides, you can always decide to challenge yourself a bit and leave your comfort zone commenting on a few things and you will surely find a few travel mates who will be enthusiastic to share their own impressions with you. And once the conversation has started, who knows where it leads, right?

At last but not least, even as a solo traveler, joining a free walking tour means that you can be part of a great community while you are discovering the place. Remember, collective experiences can be amazing!

Are you excited already to try a free walking tour yourself? Wait, we’re only half-way yet!

Reading the paragraph above, some of you might feel like ”Okay, this is all great but you know, I’m not that much into history or funny facts, I don’t especially want to be among other people, that’s not my cup of tea.  I just whish to have some great personal conversations with local people, that’s more precious for me than anything else”. If that’s the case, you’ve just found the perfect tool for that!

Showaround

Showaround.com is a website and application that connects tourists with local people, who are enthusiastic enough about their cities to show you around. Many of them for free, others for a certain rate that you can check on their profile, among with their introduction and mentioning what things they prefer to show you, such as art and museums, exploration and sightseeing, food and restaurants and so on.

Don’t expect an official tour! That doesn’t mean that your guide won’t be highly prepared but the main focus is on a different aspect. The greatest feature of this system is the personal contact and the chance to see the place through someone else’s eyes, experiences and stories. You can get an insight of what a local person think is the best street art to check, what parks or shops are the best to hang out, where you can find the hidden gems in town, secret stairs, lovely viewpoints, peaceful riversides and beaches far from the madding crowd. Don’t forget: having fun is the quickest way to learn and practice a new language!

You still keep wondering what’s so special about it? Then let’s sum up the main advantages of being a showaround traveler:

Showaround gives you the unique opportunity to make new international friends. If you pay attention to your guide, if you are curious and open-minded, it’s quite much likely that he or she will have the same attitude towards you, so you can build up a trustful atmosphere and share personal opinions and experiences with each other.

In addition, you will learn a lot. The most about yourself and the way you can interact with different personalities. You can test how much you can or whish to open up to a stranger, improve yourself how to find common topics and interests and how to lead the conversation so that the both of you could benefit from it.

What’s more, you can get to feel the rhythm of a local lifestyle. No need to rush, no need to adapt to anyone else than the person next to you. You have the time to smell the breeze, smile at the sun and ask your showaround mate to take a bunch of pictures of you, since you don’t like the first hundred ones that have been taken so far.

Such as with free walking tours, you have the perfect interpersonal situation to use your language skills as much as possible. Use your time wisely! There are no rules here, no expectations that you should fulfill, it’s just your guide and you, trying to create your own universe. Whatever comes out of it, can be a useful experience!

Finally, you get a bit of extra confidence as a present. First, because you have taken an active role to get an insight into the local culture and secondly, because walking around with a local have made you feel like you’re also quite familiar with the place.

Of course, it’s not summer already and you probably need to wait a bit before you can travel again.

But you know what? You can always choose the role of the showaround host as well. Your mind is full of ideas and your heart is burning for your city?

So cool! Who said you need to travel to meet other parts of the world? They can come straight to you!

The only question left is this: are you ready?

I’m sure you also have some great tips about how to dive into a local culture, so I can’t wait to read them in the comment box!