I see it all the time in travel groups, on instagram reels, in the comments of blogs and articles. “How do I avoid looking like a tourist?” “Where do I meet the locals?” “How can I get off the beaten path?” “Places to eat that aren’t touristy?”
To an extent, I understand these desires. Most people don’t want to be shunted around from place to place, talking only to other visitors at only the most overrated of tourist traps while sticking out like sore thumbs from the locals going about their days.
(Some people do, if the folks wearing matching bright green, shamrock-adorned “Smith Family Vacation” tee-shirts coming off the massive tour buses around town every morning when I’m on my way to work are any indication, but that’s their business)
And sure, there’s something to be said for not immediately being identified as someone who doesn’t know the area, especially if you’re somewhere susceptible to scams or pick-pocketers.
But whenever I see someone asking for recommendations for non-touristy locales to visit on especially their first trip to Ireland (or another country), or how to blend in with the locals, I just want to say: “You are a tourist! Just be a tourist!”
When someone asks what they should do on their first-ever trip to Ireland, I don’t shy away from recommending things like the Guinness Storehouse or the Ring of Kerry. The closest things I recommend to “off the beaten path” are probably places like Glasnevin Cemetery, Newgrange, and the Aran Islands, which all still see plenty of visitors but aren’t immediately at the forefront of every tourist’s mind.
I don’t even discourage them from visiting Temple Bar (although I do tell them to go for one pint max and a bit of atmosphere, then head elsewhere for better, cheaper pints). Just like if someone is visiting New York City for the first time, I will take them to Times Square. Although I’ll hate every minute of it, it’s Times Square; you have to go and see the ridiculous array of neon lights and the even more ridiculous crowds once (and only once).
I recently spent a week in Lisbon with my parents and my husband (more on this soon). Did we visit the Castelo de São Jorge and take a day trip to Sintra? Definitely. Did we eat pastéis de nata at Pastéis de Belém and bacalhau croquettes at the Time Out Market? You betcha. Did we queue for an hour to listen to fado at A Tasca do Chico? 100%. Are these all super-touristy things to do? Yes, but we were tourists!
If you fall in love with a place and you visit it over and over, you’re not going to want to go to the same tourist hotspots. What I would recommend to someone visiting Ireland for the tenth time is not the same thing I’d recommend to someone visiting for the first. If (when) I go back to Lisbon, I won’t do the same things I did the first time.
But some of that comes naturally — as you get to know a place you discover things on your own, rather than relying on blogs and social media to guide you. Sometimes on your very first trip you stumble upon something wonderful and “off the beaten path,” but if not on vacation number one than surely on future visits.
So, as long as you’re not rude or boorish, don’t worry about “being a tourist.” Worry about enjoying your trip, enjoying yourself, and if you love it, looking forward to exploring more next time.
thebestpossibletime 