How to be a tourist in your own town
And why it might be exactly what you need right now.
Backpacks are a must when you’re playing “tourist” in your own city.
You know that feeling you get when you step into a new city? Your eyes scan everything. You’re curious, wide open. Suddenly, even a bus ride feels like an adventure.
Now contrast that with how most of us move through our own hometowns: on autopilot, half-aware, and annoyed that someone is going 35 in a 50 zone.
But what if I told you that the spark you get from travelling doesn’t always require a suitcase? You can access it right where you are.
Being a tourist in your own town isn’t just a fun idea; it’s a mindset shift. It can refresh your creativity, break you out of a rut, and reconnect you to where you actually live.
I’ll share a few personal stories with you to prove the point (including one involving a haunted jail tour I nearly chickened out of), and then offer you a few gentle ways to start your own hometown adventure.
My first “tourist at home” experiment
A few years ago, I was deep in a funk. Life felt like a blur of work, errands, and laundry. I was craving something exciting, something that would make me feel good again. But travel wasn’t in the cards. My schedule (and bank account) weren’t having it.
So one Saturday morning, I challenged myself: What if I spent the day pretending I was visiting my own city for the first time?
I made a rule: I had to go somewhere I’d never been and treat it like it was the thing to do.
I ended up at a small local museum I’d passed a hundred times but never entered. Inside, I found this incredible exhibit on the region’s Acadian roots, including handwritten letters and centuries-old farming tools. But what struck me most? The volunteer docent who told me a story about her grandmother’s journey to Canada that made me tear up right next to a display of antique butter churns. (I regret nothing.)
I went home that day feeling like I’d had a life-changing experience. (A bit melodramatic, you say? Agreed.)
Why being a tourist in your own town works
If you pretend to be a tourist in your own town, I promise your experience will be different.
When you travel, your brain goes on high alert. Everything’s new. You notice more. You look at details you’d usually gloss over. Your senses are fully engaged.
When you live somewhere, your brain files most of it under “background noise.”
Being a tourist in your own town lets you shake that up, without the cost of a plane ticket or the need to arrange pet-sitting.
And let’s be honest: many of us live in places people pay to visit, and we haven’t done half the things they do.
How to reset your lens
If you want to get the most out of being a hometown tourist, try this mental reframe:
Curiosity > efficiency. Instead of heading straight from A to B, ask yourself: “What would I notice if I didn’t already know this route?”
Document like you would on vacation. Snap photos. Journal about the day. Try to describe things with fresh eyes, like you're writing a postcard home.
Talk to locals like you’re not one. Ask for recommendations, like you don’t already know the best place for fish and chips. You might discover the best fish and chips are actually somewhere else now.
The haunted jail tour
A couple of summers ago, I was looking for something weird and different to do on a Saturday night, so I signed up for a local haunted jail tour.
About ten minutes before it started, I seriously considered faking a headache. I was alone, I didn’t know anyone, and I was this close to bailing.
But I stayed. And I ended up having an oddly magical experience.
I learned bizarre facts about my own town’s history (like the guy who tried to bribe a judge with a pig). I met people who were on a cross-country road trip and had chosen my town as a stop because of this jail. And I left with a fresh appreciation for the stories that hide in plain sight.
Five ways to explore your town like a tourist
You don’t need a week off or a detailed itinerary. Just a pocket of time and a willingness to be curious.
Here are a few ideas to get you started:
1. Do the things tourists actually do
Check your city’s tourism website or TripAdvisor page. You might roll your eyes at some of it (and that’s fair), but I guarantee there’s something on that list you’ve never tried.
Example: Go to that historical monument you always ignore. Ride the ferry. Take the cheese-making workshop. (Yes, really.)
2. Take the scenic route
Literally. Drive or walk a new path. Let your destination be “somewhere interesting” instead of the grocery store. Stop wherever looks cool.
Pro tip: Bring a camera or a notebook. Looking for something worth capturing changes how you see everything.
3. Visit a local museum, gallery, or exhibit
Even small towns usually have something cultural going on, even if it’s tucked into the library basement. Challenge yourself to go alone and spend more time than feels “necessary.” Wonder often lives in the lingering.
4. Eat like you’re traveling
Pick a local restaurant that serves a cuisine you’ve never tried, or one you haven’t visited in years. Order something that sounds unfamiliar.
Optional fun: Pretend you're reviewing it for a travel blog. Give the napkins a rating. Describe the decor. Be ridiculous.
5. Give yourself a travel mission
Sometimes we need a bit of structure to spark fun. Give yourself a mini goal.
Try:
Take 5 interesting photos in the next hour.
Find a souvenir under $10.
Ask one stranger what their favorite thing in this town is.
You’ll be amazed at what opens up when you give yourself permission to play.
What you might discover
When you become a tourist in your own town, you’re not just finding new places; you’re finding new parts of yourself. You might rediscover what excites you. You might remember you’re allowed to slow down. You might even fall back in love with where you live.
Or, at the very least, you’ll have a better answer next time someone asks, “What’s there to do around here?”
Michelle Arseneault is a certified life coach and instructional designer who loves helping women understand why life feels harder than it needs to, and what to do about it.
“I believe small, thoughtful changes usually have a bigger impact than dramatic overhauls. Around here, you'll usually find me exploring the psychology behind everyday life, creating practical tools, or asking questions that help you see things from a new angle.”
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