Amazing Things You Must Do on a City Break

City breaks, while not exactly new on the tourism scene, have been gaining a lot of traction and a lot of popularity, especially with the younger tourists. It's easy to understand why it's the simplest and, at the same time, the most unrestricted way of experiencing a city or a culture along with everything that it has to offer. Not to mention the fact that it is the simplest vacation that you can set up by yourself.

While these vacations are usually quite short, there are a lot of things to do on a city break and it would be a shame to miss out on the proper experience itself. That being said, here are some amazing things that you must do while on a city break

Find local lodgings

Staying at a hotel is quite a waste considering the fact that you are going there to experience the city itself, so finding local lodgings can add a lot to the overall experience.

Depending on the duration of your stay, you can actually end up saving a lot of money here, not to mention the fact that it is, all in all, easier to get in contact with the locals and observe their customs and culture. Plus let's face it, you won't be spending much time in your room anyway, you basically need a place to leave your backpack and to sleep.

There are a lot of ways in which you can go about finding these lodgings. You can check the listings and find cheap short term rental apartments if you plan on staying a week or two. Alternatively, you can check websites like Couch Surfing and see if you can find good, decent people that have a room to spare and can host you for the duration of your visit.

Find the secret tours

All the large cities in the world have a lot of history behind them. Some of it is well-known and interesting but some of it is hidden from visitors and the general public. This usually involves secret plots, disturbing events and a hidden side of that city that was never mentioned in the history books.

There are special tours, usually going by the name of “secret tours” that not only show this hidden side of the city’s history but also show you the places where these things happened. They are mostly popular with large important cities in Eastern Europe because of the communist occupation that they were under and the things that transpired behind the curtain during that period, however, there are a lot of other cities that have them as well.

As long as the city in question has been through some particularly hard and shady times in the past, there will be tours that are willing to expose them to you.  Be prepared to do some searching though because travel agencies usually don’t offer this service and so these tours are generally conducted by private tour guides, local historians or history students.

Take part in a local festival

This bit requires some great timing on your part, however, it is a great idea to try and synchronize your visit with a major local festival. You get to experience a lot of the local culture, take part in special events and have a lot of fun in the process. Not to mention the fact that there are special things like food, drinks, music, dances and even costumes that you can enjoy only in that period of time, so your overall experience will be a lot more meaningful overall.

Just make sure that you don’t get carried away, especially if it involves a lot of food; your body might not be able to handle it properly. To make sure you don’t get sick from drinking or eating too much, it’s best to keep your hydration level optimal. For this, you should consider the best hydration bladder since it’s easy to hide in your backpack and it’s right there when you need it.

The best way to time it is to know in advance what city you will be visiting and do your research to see what upcoming festivals you can take part in. Make sure that you also research what the festival is about and what you are supposed to be doing, you would not want to accidentally offend or insult the people that take part in it.

Do remember that prices usually go up around that period of time, so making reservations well in advance will often time prove to be more profitable.

Explore the city on foot

While there are a lot of neat locations to visit that are clearly marked on maps and travel guides, there are also a lot of locations that are not listed in there, as well as a lot of details and a lot of things that really make that city stand out.

There is no easy way around it, you have to grab a map of the city, plan a course and start walking. Of course, you should be equipped with the best survival backpack you can find in order to carry various must-have items. After all, you are still traveling in a foreign city, surrounded by locals.

Everywhere you go, no matter what districts you pass through, remember to keep your eyes open and look for all the details and all the elements that make up life in that particular city. Don't forget that this is also your chance to do some proper sightseeing and explore the wonderful monuments as well as everything that the city can throw at you.

Another great thing you can do here is meet local people along your way. Most people are friendly, especially towards tourists, so striking a conversation with them will not be hard. At the end of this long trek, you will have a much better understanding about life in that city, how it came to be that way as well as what it means to be a part of that city.

In conclusion

If properly prepared and executed, a city break can prove to be both fun and mentally stimulating at the same time.

While it is true that you will have to do a lot of research beforehand in order to figure out what you are looking for as well as what festivals you can time your visit with, where you will stay and what you will want to see in that location, it will all be worth it in the end.

Author Bio:

Rebecca lives in USA, but loves hiking all over the world. Her favourite is Everest Base Camp Trek in Nepal. It usually takes 16 days, but she likes to slow down, enjoy mountains, company of other adventurers and take more pictures, so it took her 28 days last time. Another of her passion is the ocean, so all short and long hikes along the ocean shore bring a lot of joy. She also writes for http://hikingmastery.com/.