Best Travel Apps to Explore a New City

The best way to ensure a great vacation is to have the right tools at your disposal. If you are the type of traveler who prefers to take trip planning into your own hands, these are the best travel apps to explore a new city.

Let’s start with a few free travel apps.

GPSMyCity

GPSMyCity is an app with free and paid subscriptions. It’s a great tool for walking tours. In their app, you’ll have access to self-guided itineraries that take you to and through the gems of a city. We prefer this option when we want to explore on our own time. Having nuggets of information from GPSMyCity provides insight along the way. The free access gives great information and maps with points of interest to equip you to explore confidently on your own.

GuruWalk

GuruWalk is a website catalog of walking tours organized by locals free of charge. These tours are donation based meaning you give based on the service you received. This is great if you want a local to show you the ropes. And oftentimes the tours are conducted in multiple languages. This is our go-to when we’re not exactly sure where to start exploring in a city and I want the local’s perspective.

Facebook Groups

Don’t sleep on Facebook! The location based groups are the ultimate secret weapon. Use the search function to identify hidden gems, things to do, and best restaurants to try from people in the know. The greatest resources of a place are the people. Get to know the best things worth seeing from people with feet on the ground. Facebook groups also tend to be a great place for finding reputable transportation, private drivers, and tour companies.

The following are paid, curated experiences covering several points of interest (food/beverage, cultural, sports, arts, history, nature and adventure)

TripAdvisor

TripAdvisor ranks as a comprehensive travel guide for people looking to plan and organize trips. It provides user-generated reviews for local attractions, best restaurants, and local accommodations. This is our go-to for checking out the reviews for honest insight. We also use it to identify the points of interest and jot them into our agenda to explore on our own.

Airbnb Experiences

If you’ve ever used Airbnb, you might know that they have a branch of experiences to book that could enhance your travel experience. They focus on providing unique and immersive travel activities hosted by local experts. It offers a diverse range of experiences, including guided tours, workshops, classes, and various other activities. The experience options cater to different interests and preferences. Not only does Airbnb provide experiences in person, they also offer online experiences to experience different cultures from the comfort of your home (and even in groups).

Get Your Guide

GetYourGuide is a well-known online platform that offers a diverse range of curated tours, activities, and experiences for travelers across various destinations worldwide. It serves as a one-stop hub for individuals seeking to explore and book unique and immersive travel activities. A lot of these experiences include guided tours, cultural excursions, outdoor adventures, and more. GetYourGuide is great for discovering hidden gems, popular attractions, and lesser-known experiences that cater to specific interests and preferences.

Viator

Viator is a prominent online platform that specializes in offering a wide array of curated tours, activities, and travel experiences across the globe. It is a comprehensive resource for travelers seeking diverse and well-organized activities, ranging from sightseeing tours and cultural excursions to adventure activities and culinary experiences. Viator collaborates with reputable local tour operators and activity providers, ensuring that travelers have access to high-quality and reliable services during their trips.

iVisa

iVisa is an online platform that simplifies applying for travel visas (& eVisas). They also assist with other travel documents for individuals planning international trips. It’s a convenient and efficient tool for a process that can be confusing and time consuming. Even if you prefer navigating visa processes on your own, the iVisa platform is great for learning what the requirements might be for entering a new country.

This post was all about exploring the best travel apps to explore a new city.