We have all seen the photos: the same iconic square, the identical mountain vista, the crowded queue for the Louvre Museum in Paris. The same sunsets, the same squares, the same smiling selfie in front of the same monument. Tourist hotspots are popular for a reason - they’re iconic, accessible, and often truly spectacular!
While there’s absolutely a place for visiting the famous sights, the most memorable travel moments often happen away from the guidebook pages. You will find these in the narrow cobblestone lanes, the small family café with its amazing French toasts for breakfast, or a hidden, tranquil waterfall after a trek that will feed your soul. This is the art of discovering hidden gems: those places that offer authenticity, connection, and a unique sense of discovery.
For a greater sense and understanding of a city, dive deeper into lesser-known places. For a curious UK traveller, abandoning major attractions altogether will transform the simple checklist trip into a story. But the main question arises here: how to consistently find these special places? That’s why we have this simple guide on how to find hidden gems. In simple changes to your itinerary, you can see the parts of the city you are travelling to that you have never seen in travel blogs before.
The first step is personal. A hidden gem isn’t universally defined; it’s deeply individual. For one person, it might be a pristine, empty beach where they can soak in the sun. For another, it could be a tiny, family-run vinyl shop in a city backstreet or a walking path known only to locals. Cute little family-run cafes are where you will taste the most authentic flavours of a city. I personally loved a few small cafes hidden in quiet parts of Manchester and Leeds, because I wasn’t looking for where everybody was going, but a place where real home-cooked food was served.
Ask yourself: What do I truly enjoy? Is it food, history, architecture, nature, or local art? Your interests are the compass that will point you towards your own gems. A passionate foodie will find their bliss in a neighbourhood bakery miles from the centre, while a history buff might uncover a forgotten monument in a suburban park. The goal is to move from a destination-focused trip where you have to see certain famous spots to an experience-focused one. Wouldn't you rather love to see an expressive painting by a small artist in a quiet gallery that speaks to you more than any words in the world can, than stand in line for hours to see a museum you can see on YouTube?
These are just words that won’t make any difference unless you can employ some of these concrete methods before and during your travels. Here is how you can master the art of deep diving.
Diving deeper also means deeper than the first page of search results. Put down the "Top 10" list. Instead, go niche. Looking for a food rec? Don’t search for “best pizza in Rome.” Search “Roman baker who still uses his grandmother's biga.” Find blogs by people who live there, not just travel there.
Instead of following International travel influencers, check out the Instagram accounts of local bloggers and journalists based in your destination. Find blog pages of food enthusiasts in Leeds or a hiking enthusiast in the Lake District, as they will share the most uncommon and best spots they genuinely love. Their ratings hold more value than the top ten pages on the first search results on Google.
Look for high-rated, low-review-count businesses on Google Maps. Often, a café with 4.8 stars and 87 reviews is a more authentic find than one with 4.3 stars and 2,000 reviews.
Dive into the “Travel” sections of forums like Reddit or specific regional forums. Search for threads asking for “non-touristy” advice. The recommendations here are often gold dust, listed down by locals.
Grab a notepad and draw a line down the middle.
Write down the 2-3 major sights you’d genuinely regret missing. The Eiffel Tower. The Grand Canyon. That’s it!
This is your new priority list. Instead of “see the Roman Forum,” write “feel the history of ancient Rome.” Instead of “go to a Tokyo sushi bar,” write “experience Tokyo’s dedication to craft.” Vibes are compass points, not checklists.
From a stunning art deco pub in Glasgow’s Finnieston to a hidden courtyard garden in York, some of the best finds were discovered because travellers intentionally turned down a street that looked hidden and interesting, away from the main flow of pedestrian traffic. So get lost (intentionally!) by detouring to at least one interesting sight or sound per day. A unique shop front, the smell of fresh bread, an intriguing street name - let that be your guide for 15 minutes. Don’t worry about actually getting lost; you have your Google Maps to navigate back, and if not, friendly locals are more than willing to guide you.
For a more local experience, hop on public transport as an explorer’s tool. Take a local bus or tram to its terminus in a residential area. Get off and wander. You will find daily life unfolding and find amenities meant for locals, not tourists.
Asking a local for recommendations is classic advice, but the quality of the answer depends entirely on the quality of the question. For example, if you ask a local what the best place to eat is, you will most likely be guided to the nearest reliable food chain. Instead, ask them where they would go for a special dinner with their family or what their favourite café is for a quiet Saturday morning.
This principle of context is powerful when applied to casual conversations with people whose job involves navigating the area. For example, a driver providing Leeds Bradford Airport taxi services has extensive local knowledge. A question like, “If you had an afternoon off, where’s a peaceful spot you’d go to unwind?” can yield a fantastic suggestion far from the tourist trail. Similarly, a hotel concierge might share a different favourite spot when asked where they go after their shift. Viewing a local driver or service provider as a potential source of friendly, informal guidance (when appropriate and respectful of their time) can pleasantly shape the start of your trip.
The magic hour for famous sites isn't the golden hour for photos - it's the hour when the tour buses haven't arrived or have left. Visit the big attraction at opening time or late in the day, then use the rest of your time to explore its surrounding neighbourhood. The streets just three blocks behind the cathedral are often where real life happens, in the family-run trattoria or the repair shop that doubles as a social club.
For a greater sense and understanding of a city, dive deeper into lesser-known places. For a curious UK traveller, abandoning major attractions altogether will transform the simple checklist trip into a story. But the main question arises here: how to consistently find these special places? That’s why we have this simple guide on how to find hidden gems. In simple changes to your itinerary, you can see the parts of the city you are travelling to that you have never seen in travel blogs before.
Redefining What a "Gem" Means to You
The first step is personal. A hidden gem isn’t universally defined; it’s deeply individual. For one person, it might be a pristine, empty beach where they can soak in the sun. For another, it could be a tiny, family-run vinyl shop in a city backstreet or a walking path known only to locals. Cute little family-run cafes are where you will taste the most authentic flavours of a city. I personally loved a few small cafes hidden in quiet parts of Manchester and Leeds, because I wasn’t looking for where everybody was going, but a place where real home-cooked food was served.
Ask yourself: What do I truly enjoy? Is it food, history, architecture, nature, or local art? Your interests are the compass that will point you towards your own gems. A passionate foodie will find their bliss in a neighbourhood bakery miles from the centre, while a history buff might uncover a forgotten monument in a suburban park. The goal is to move from a destination-focused trip where you have to see certain famous spots to an experience-focused one. Wouldn't you rather love to see an expressive painting by a small artist in a quiet gallery that speaks to you more than any words in the world can, than stand in line for hours to see a museum you can see on YouTube?
These are just words that won’t make any difference unless you can employ some of these concrete methods before and during your travels. Here is how you can master the art of deep diving.
Do your research online BEFORE planning the trip
Diving deeper also means deeper than the first page of search results. Put down the "Top 10" list. Instead, go niche. Looking for a food rec? Don’t search for “best pizza in Rome.” Search “Roman baker who still uses his grandmother's biga.” Find blogs by people who live there, not just travel there.
Instead of following International travel influencers, check out the Instagram accounts of local bloggers and journalists based in your destination. Find blog pages of food enthusiasts in Leeds or a hiking enthusiast in the Lake District, as they will share the most uncommon and best spots they genuinely love. Their ratings hold more value than the top ten pages on the first search results on Google.
Look for high-rated, low-review-count businesses on Google Maps. Often, a café with 4.8 stars and 87 reviews is a more authentic find than one with 4.3 stars and 2,000 reviews.
Dive into the “Travel” sections of forums like Reddit or specific regional forums. Search for threads asking for “non-touristy” advice. The recommendations here are often gold dust, listed down by locals.
Redefine Your “Must-See” List
Grab a notepad and draw a line down the middle.
Column A: The Icons
Write down the 2-3 major sights you’d genuinely regret missing. The Eiffel Tower. The Grand Canyon. That’s it!
Column B: The Vibes
This is your new priority list. Instead of “see the Roman Forum,” write “feel the history of ancient Rome.” Instead of “go to a Tokyo sushi bar,” write “experience Tokyo’s dedication to craft.” Vibes are compass points, not checklists.
Detour to find local gems
From a stunning art deco pub in Glasgow’s Finnieston to a hidden courtyard garden in York, some of the best finds were discovered because travellers intentionally turned down a street that looked hidden and interesting, away from the main flow of pedestrian traffic. So get lost (intentionally!) by detouring to at least one interesting sight or sound per day. A unique shop front, the smell of fresh bread, an intriguing street name - let that be your guide for 15 minutes. Don’t worry about actually getting lost; you have your Google Maps to navigate back, and if not, friendly locals are more than willing to guide you.
For a more local experience, hop on public transport as an explorer’s tool. Take a local bus or tram to its terminus in a residential area. Get off and wander. You will find daily life unfolding and find amenities meant for locals, not tourists.
The power of asking the right questions
Asking a local for recommendations is classic advice, but the quality of the answer depends entirely on the quality of the question. For example, if you ask a local what the best place to eat is, you will most likely be guided to the nearest reliable food chain. Instead, ask them where they would go for a special dinner with their family or what their favourite café is for a quiet Saturday morning.
This principle of context is powerful when applied to casual conversations with people whose job involves navigating the area. For example, a driver providing Leeds Bradford Airport taxi services has extensive local knowledge. A question like, “If you had an afternoon off, where’s a peaceful spot you’d go to unwind?” can yield a fantastic suggestion far from the tourist trail. Similarly, a hotel concierge might share a different favourite spot when asked where they go after their shift. Viewing a local driver or service provider as a potential source of friendly, informal guidance (when appropriate and respectful of their time) can pleasantly shape the start of your trip.
When should you plan the trip?
The magic hour for famous sites isn't the golden hour for photos - it's the hour when the tour buses haven't arrived or have left. Visit the big attraction at opening time or late in the day, then use the rest of your time to explore its surrounding neighbourhood. The streets just three blocks behind the cathedral are often where real life happens, in the family-run trattoria or the repair shop that doubles as a social club.
A place can transform from a tourist hotspot to a personal haven simply by changing the time you visit. Visit popular areas very early in the morning or later in the evening. These are the golden hours when you will experience the atmosphere without the overwhelming tourist crowd. This is the time when local businesses will be open to cater to early workers or late locals.
If you want quiet weekends, the best time to visit is the off-season. This is the most powerful tool in the savvy traveller’s kit. A coastal town in November, a city break on a Tuesday - you will see a different, more relaxed pace of life and have more meaningful interactions with local business owners.
Every major attraction has a less-visited counter. Instead of the world-famous museum, seek out the smaller gallery dedicated to a niche subject. Beyond the iconic national park beauty spot, research the adjacent, less-dramatically named protected area or forest trust site. These places often offer similar beauty or cultural value with a fraction of the visitors.
To see how these principles weave together, consider a trip focused on Yorkshire, perhaps including the classic draws of the Dales and the city of York. To build discovery into the framework of the trip itself, consider the geography of your transit. For instance, the route from a major arrival point like an airport to your first base doesn't have to be purely functional.
In such cases, when you need to book a Leeds Bradford Airport taxi, it can be helpful to ask if the driver wouldn’t mind a slightly longer, scenic route or a quick stop, understanding that this would adjust the fare accordingly.
Discovering hidden gems comes with responsibility. Our goal is to appreciate, not appropriate; to visit, not invade.
Think of this as a loose recipe, not a strict rulebook. Here’s how to bake a little serendipity into your next itinerary:
Instead of just searching your main destination, pop two nearby residential neighbourhoods into Google Maps. Zoom in and wander street-view style. Then, find one actual human who lives there to follow: a local food blogger, an artist, or a community newspaper on Instagram. Their weekend plans are your sneak peek.
Your journey from the airport is the start of your discovery. Local Leeds Bradford Airport transfers can get you an expert in the region behind the wheel who will help with that. A good driver can be an invaluable source of intelligence. You might learn about the excellent farm shop café five minutes from the airport entrance, a perfect, calm spot for a post-flight coffee before the crowds.
That ride from the airport isn’t dead time. Have a genuine question or two ready. Instead of “What’s good around here?” try, “Where do you go for a great coffee when you’re not working?” or “If you had one free afternoon, what’s your favourite quiet spot?” You’d be surprised at what you learn.
When moving between two points on your map, take two minutes to see what’s along the way, not just on the way. Is there a small local park, a historic church, or a famous local bakery you could pass through? The journey becomes part of the adventure.
This approach begins with a shift in perspective: from seeing a trip as a series of destinations to viewing it as a landscape of potential experiences. It often starts with asking a thoughtful question at the right time. Whether beginning an adventure or connecting travels, the choice to occasionally step onto a less-trodden path can make a meaningful difference.
Ultimately, this approach to travel is about a fundamental shift in perspective - from seeing a trip as a series of stops to viewing it as a rich landscape brimming with potential experiences waiting for your personal choices. It’s about cultivating curiosity and the confidence to occasionally step off the well-defined path. This choice, whether it’s expressed in the route you take from the airport via LeedsAirportTaxis or in the afternoon you dedicate to wandering without a map, is what builds unique and enduring memories.
Moving beyond tourist hotspots is about engaging more deeply with the world. It’s the satisfaction of finding a pub where you’re the only outsider, the joy of having a view all to yourself, and the pride in navigating a journey you have personalised. It builds confidence, creates unforgettable memories, and fosters a more sustainable form of tourism.
I’m not saying skip the Colosseum or the Eiffel Tower. They’re iconic for a reason! The perfect trip, for me, is a 70/30 split: 70% for the legendary sights, 30% for getting deliciously lost. The Sistine Chapel will take your breath away, but the conversation you had with the bookbinder in a quiet Roman alley the next day might just fill your soul.
At the end of the day, a "hidden gem" isn't just a place. It’s a feeling. It’s the pride of discovery, the warmth of a genuine connection, and the story that doesn’t come prefabricated. It’s the reminder that the world is still wide and wonderfully detailed, waiting just one wrong turn off the beaten path.
If you want quiet weekends, the best time to visit is the off-season. This is the most powerful tool in the savvy traveller’s kit. A coastal town in November, a city break on a Tuesday - you will see a different, more relaxed pace of life and have more meaningful interactions with local business owners.
Seek out other places in the same niche
Every major attraction has a less-visited counter. Instead of the world-famous museum, seek out the smaller gallery dedicated to a niche subject. Beyond the iconic national park beauty spot, research the adjacent, less-dramatically named protected area or forest trust site. These places often offer similar beauty or cultural value with a fraction of the visitors.
Applying the Approach: Yorkshire and Beyond
To see how these principles weave together, consider a trip focused on Yorkshire, perhaps including the classic draws of the Dales and the city of York. To build discovery into the framework of the trip itself, consider the geography of your transit. For instance, the route from a major arrival point like an airport to your first base doesn't have to be purely functional.
In such cases, when you need to book a Leeds Bradford Airport taxi, it can be helpful to ask if the driver wouldn’t mind a slightly longer, scenic route or a quick stop, understanding that this would adjust the fare accordingly.
Don’t ignore the importance of leaving a positive footprint!
Discovering hidden gems comes with responsibility. Our goal is to appreciate, not appropriate; to visit, not invade.
- Spend locally: Prioritise independent shops, B&Bs, and restaurants.
- Be discreet: Keep locations broad when sharing on social media.
- Respect the environment and community: Follow the Countryside Code and take your litter with you.
A few tips on how you can dive for a deeper trip
Think of this as a loose recipe, not a strict rulebook. Here’s how to bake a little serendipity into your next itinerary:
1. Do a 30-Minute Deep Dive
Instead of just searching your main destination, pop two nearby residential neighbourhoods into Google Maps. Zoom in and wander street-view style. Then, find one actual human who lives there to follow: a local food blogger, an artist, or a community newspaper on Instagram. Their weekend plans are your sneak peek.
2. Chat Up Your Driver
Your journey from the airport is the start of your discovery. Local Leeds Bradford Airport transfers can get you an expert in the region behind the wheel who will help with that. A good driver can be an invaluable source of intelligence. You might learn about the excellent farm shop café five minutes from the airport entrance, a perfect, calm spot for a post-flight coffee before the crowds.
That ride from the airport isn’t dead time. Have a genuine question or two ready. Instead of “What’s good around here?” try, “Where do you go for a great coffee when you’re not working?” or “If you had one free afternoon, what’s your favourite quiet spot?” You’d be surprised at what you learn.
3. Choose the Scenic Route
When moving between two points on your map, take two minutes to see what’s along the way, not just on the way. Is there a small local park, a historic church, or a famous local bakery you could pass through? The journey becomes part of the adventure.
The Reward of a Deeper Approach
This approach begins with a shift in perspective: from seeing a trip as a series of destinations to viewing it as a landscape of potential experiences. It often starts with asking a thoughtful question at the right time. Whether beginning an adventure or connecting travels, the choice to occasionally step onto a less-trodden path can make a meaningful difference.
Ultimately, this approach to travel is about a fundamental shift in perspective - from seeing a trip as a series of stops to viewing it as a rich landscape brimming with potential experiences waiting for your personal choices. It’s about cultivating curiosity and the confidence to occasionally step off the well-defined path. This choice, whether it’s expressed in the route you take from the airport via LeedsAirportTaxis or in the afternoon you dedicate to wandering without a map, is what builds unique and enduring memories.
Moving beyond tourist hotspots is about engaging more deeply with the world. It’s the satisfaction of finding a pub where you’re the only outsider, the joy of having a view all to yourself, and the pride in navigating a journey you have personalised. It builds confidence, creates unforgettable memories, and fosters a more sustainable form of tourism.
The Best Itinerary is a Balanced One
I’m not saying skip the Colosseum or the Eiffel Tower. They’re iconic for a reason! The perfect trip, for me, is a 70/30 split: 70% for the legendary sights, 30% for getting deliciously lost. The Sistine Chapel will take your breath away, but the conversation you had with the bookbinder in a quiet Roman alley the next day might just fill your soul.
At the end of the day, a "hidden gem" isn't just a place. It’s a feeling. It’s the pride of discovery, the warmth of a genuine connection, and the story that doesn’t come prefabricated. It’s the reminder that the world is still wide and wonderfully detailed, waiting just one wrong turn off the beaten path.
So go on. Get a little lost. Intentionally. You may just find yourself! (Image source: Unsplash)
