There are many ways to gain the most from a local experience while traveling but unfortunately, for reasons of excitement and possibly carelessness, they are also easy to neglect. Yes, adventure is all about the unknown and many of the greatest local experiences are unplanned but really, in order to experience the local environment in the best way possible you really need to have some sense of what you will do upon arrival.

Here are 5 ways to gain the most from the local experience while traveling:

1. Take an organized food tour

You may be wondering why we mention an organized food tour and not just an organized tour in general. Well, not only will you get to taste what the local food is all about but a food tour in any destination is usually an immersive experience which allows for a personal encounter with the people who make these traditional delights.
Whether the destination is famous for street food or not, these food tours will quite often take you away from the expensive tourist eateries and leave you in a much more unspoiled environment where you can experience some genuine local hospitality.

2. Search out local markets and shopping areas

Every travel destination has a focal point for tourism and quite often these are shopping centers or areas. While they serve a purpose, it’s likely these parts of the city or town are highly influenced by marketing and advertising as opposed to the people who live there.
For this reason, searching out the lesser and more local places to shop is always worthwhile and a way to get the most from a local experience while traveling. Fresh food markets are a good place to start and if you cannot find anything along these lines, a local tourist office is usually on hand to let you know of any area known for this type of activity.

3. Know your destination

Want to know the best way to ruin your trip? Arrive somewhere with a limited amount of time without having done any research. Honestly, it may sound obvious but so many travelers arrive in a new city or destination with little idea in terms places to see and what to do. The online world is overflowing with everything you need to know about everywhere, so with you not having to invest in an expensive guidebook, there really is no excuse not to know your destination before arrival.
That said this is also why an organized tour is such a great way to explore somewhere new as a professional guide is perfect when it comes to introducing you to an area and explaining all the most importance points of interest.

4. Travel less, Stay more

This does not apply to the money, but rather to the length of time you stay in any one destination. The one mistake many travelers make when organizing a trip is to spend too much time traveling as opposed to enjoying individual destinations.
As a rule, when organizing a travel itinerary it’s always best to pick out some of the most important attractions or experiences and leave as much time as possible in between to explore. This is not only a less stressful way to travel but it also leaves you open to spend more time getting to know a destination and searching out the local experiences which are sometimes harder to find.

5. Choose experience and speak with a travel expert

We all like to think we know it all, especially when it comes to travel but really, how can we possibly know more about a destination than an actual expert?
Travel experts not only have contacts in almost every destination but they also have all the juicy information; the best places to find all the local experiences mentioned above and a lot more besides. When you consider how limited time can be on a trip to any new destination, the advantages of having insider information from the moment you arrive is simply priceless.
In this sense, it’s always a good idea to seek out a travel expert and ask advice on a destination for which they are already familiar. Whether you wish them to organize hotel stays or a tour for when you arrive is not important, but the inside information they give you in return surely is.