Travelling to different countries is exciting. Just the thought of travelling exhilarates me as I think about the places I will see, the things I will do, the food I might eat and the culture I will experience. But there is also a scary side to travelling abroad and that is, no matter how hard we try, we are tourists in another country. And have you wondered how to not look like a tourist? Well I have many times. This is why, when I travel, I try to not look like a tourist because I feel I am safer, and you can feel safer too so you can enjoy your holiday. From my first-hand experiences here are my top tips to help you to not look like a tourist. To be an invisible tourist or holiday maker, if there is such a thing, when you travel abroad.

Why it’s not great to look like a tourist?

In reality, you can’t enjoy all you want to see and do on a holiday abroad without looking like a tourist. No matter if you are a solo backpacker, travelling with your partner or friends or perhaps your family with kids, it’s not great to look like a stereotypical tourist. Let me explain.

• Your safety is at risk: Yep, unfortunately tourists can be targets for unsavoury types like robbers who know you will be carrying cash and other valuables on you. And they don’t care if you are hurt while they rob you.
• You become a target for scammers: Unfortunately, when you obviously look like a tourist on holiday it can make you a target for scammers. Scammers have no hesitation in approaching tourists to offer them a great deal which they will never deliver.
• Can seem disrespectful: Standing out in the crowd, being loud and wearing inappropriate clothing shows you have not bothered to learn local customs and etiquette.  This can look disrespectful to some locals.
• Different treatment: Dressing how you want and not respecting local customs can see you treated differently, usually negatively. And this can mean you will be treated differently in stores and restaurants where you can be ignored or charged more!

How Not to Look Like a Tourist

Read on for my best tips on how to avoid looking like a tourist.

1. Blend In by Dressing Appropriately

Spot the tourist!

Trying to blend in is the biggest tip on not looking like a tourist I can give you. On saying this, it is hard to blend in when you have blonde hair and fair skin in a country where the locals have black hair and dark skin! I experienced this when I first visited Japan. Being a tall blonde lady amongst shorter people with dark hair, I definitely stood out. Nevertheless there are ways to blend in.

If you truly want to blend in to a crowd the best way is to not wear clothing that draws attention to yourself. Yes, I love New York too, but I doubt I’d be wearing a bright pink t-shirt around town advertising this! Do some research on your destination as to what people wear. Also, take cues from what the locals are wearing and perhaps you will need to buy some clothing. It will help you to blend in. Some examples:

• wearing brand and designer clothing can scream ‘tourist’ in some countries. On saying that, I am often wearing my favourite The North Face jacke.
• don’t wear skimpy clothes. Like shorts or show your mid-rift as this can lead to ‘staring’. During my travels I’ve seen people spat at, particularly females because they weren’t dressed appropriately.
• do some research on what people wear in different countries. Save the Hawaiian shirt for Hawaii or a fancy dress night. In Europe, people dress smartly – well isn’t Milan, Italy one of the fashion capitals! While in Los Angeles it can be acceptable to wear track pants and branded joggers but not so in other American cities. As it is mostly hot in Australia the norm is for people to wear shorts and t-shirts. And in the UK, people dress rather conservatively, particularly when working in an office on a UK working holiday. So do your research. Ask the Internet. What do you wear so you blend in to not look like a tourist in Europe, a tourist in America, a tourist in Asia or any other country or region.

2. Cultural and Religious Dress Regulations

As well as blending in, you need to consider dress regulations for different cultures. Females particularly need to consider countries with religious sites that require females to cover up. Either by ensuring your legs are covered or your head and shoulders are covered. This is why I travel with a scarf so I can cover my head and shoulders when entering religious sites. This was the case when I visited Turkey, it was a requirement to have my head covered when entering mosques. I also wear slip on shoes as some places of worship in Asia and the Middle East require you to take your shoes off before entering. And I keep my legs covered if required also and always travel with a pair of long legged pants or a sarong.

READ MORE: Here are some quick links to some of my best packing lists.

Packing for a Working Holiday
European Summer Packing List
Packing for a Hostel Stay
Beach Holiday Packing List

3. Book Central Accommodation

You may be wondering why I have included booking central accommodation in how not to look like a tourist when you travel abroad! Well, booking accommodation close to the centre of a city means you are close to most of the main tourist attractions. This means you won’t have to travel all over town to see them using maps and apps. As mentioned, maps can show you are a tourist, or a local who is potentially lost. And not having far to get to places of interest may mean you won’t need the tourist maps. However, you cannot always stay in central accommodation. Some cities are so large like London, New York, Sydney and Tokyo that you can stay in the suburbs and use local transport to get around to see the iconic tourist sites.

To find accommodation I look for accommodation deals and these may not be central. Depending on the type of accommodation I am looking for I book a bed in a hostel through HostelWorld, a hotel room through Booking.com and a lot of the time I housesit to save on accommodation costs through Trusted Housesitters. House sitting is one of my favourite ways to blend in to life in another country.

READ MORE: 

What to look for before booking a bed in a Hostel
Booking accommodation through Booking.com
Housesit and Never Pay for Accommodation Again

4. Store Your Luggage As Soon As You Can

I know it can be hard when travelling to not be seen with your luggage at some stage however, I would store it as soon as you can. Leave it in your hostel or hotel room or utilise places such as lockers at train and bus stations. I suggest you use accommodation websites and apps to see what security services, ie. lockers are on offer at the accommodation. Then leave your belongings in a safe place so you can enjoy where you are. Ensure you know where your luggage is at all times and also ensure you have it securely locked. On saying this, once in Germany while waiting to book in to our accommodation we went to McDonalds for a bite to eat. A couple of guys came up and started talking to myself and my friend. While talking they were moving and moved us so we couldn’t see our backpacks. This is when a third person took my friend’s backpack. She lost everything but was lucky she had her essentials like passport and money in her small messenger bag that was on her body. So yep, the moral of this story is to be aware of your surroundings and store your luggage in a safe place.

5. Buy Attraction & Tour Tickets in Advance

Sometimes when you get to a tourist attraction there maybe other people lined up to buy an entrance ticket. After all, you won’t be the only tourist in town! I waited over an hour one time to get in to the Louvre in Paris! Long queues are not uncommon when visiting Europe, particularly in the summer months. And this can attract unsavoury types only interested in ripping off holiday makers with their scams. One way to avoid the long queues is to buy a ticket in advance. My favourite site for booking a ticket for attractions is GetYourGuide. They have literally hundreds of options available to discover different tourist attractions. And one of my favourite tickets to buy is the ‘jump the queue ticket’. This is because I don’t need to stand in line to buy a ticket, because I pre-purchased one I can walk to the top of the queue and get entrance to the site much quicker than waiting in line to buy one at the venue.

6. Get Rid Of The Printed Map

No need for maps – get the app instead!

Thank goodness for travel map Apps. Gone now are the days where travellers would carry a paper map with them to find out where they were going. However, I have seen some people still using them to plan their day. My kids would say ‘this is how people got around in the olden days’! Yep. True. If you still use one (like I do sometimes), study it before setting off. Keep it hidden until you actually need to use it. Looking like you know where you are going helps you to blend in. Unsavoury types can target you when they see you with a map as they can think you look like a tourist. Another option is take a local hop-on hop-off bus that yes, will be full of tourists. Taking such a bus allows you to see where different sights are. Once you have your bearings you can go back to the sights looking like you know where you are going!

7. Don’t Flash Your Cash Around

To avoid looking like a tourist, don’t flash your cash around. Cash is a magnet for robbers. Therefore, refrain from displaying massive wads of cash and other valuables like credit cards. Robbers love these. Only carry enough cash to last you for the day. Yeah I know, it is hard to know how much you will need for the day but take a bit, maybe $50 or so. And yes, some places only accept cash. Definitely keep your valuables hidden until needed. If you have booked accommodation in the centre of town like suggested, you could easily walk back to your accommodation to get more! There are a variety of ways to take your money overseas as you travel, so consider all the options.

8. Have A Good Attitude When Travelling

Having a good attitude to where you are can help you to blend in. Basically I would ensure I behave appropriately. I wouldn’t stand at a beautiful sight and say in a loud voice negative comments and compare it to home. I suggest you embrace everything and be accepting of what you are seeing and doing. You are more likely to be warmly welcomed and possibly strike up conversations with the locals which could provide you with a slice of local life and create a friendship. Still, be wary.

9. Ditch The Giant Camera & Camera Bag

Of course you want to take photos of special moments of your travels. With phones offering great cameras you may want to use your phone rather than using a camera or perhaps invest in a compact camera. I purchased the Canon IXUS 185 Digital Camera – it is a little beauty. But I don’t always take it out with me. Sometimes I forget. That’s when I reply on my phone and it takes pretty good photos. However, if you like to travel with a big camera I would try to have it out of the way until it is needed, such as in your daypack. So depending on its size, ditch the giant camera and camera bag if possible. Carrying this item is like travelling with a target on your forehead which says ‘I’m a tourist and I have an expensive camera’.

10. Dump The Selfie Stick

how not to look like a tourist with a selfie stick – ditch it!

When I first started travelling selfie sticks weren’t a thing. If I wanted a photo of myself in front of a site, like Buckingham Palace I would ask someone to take the photo for me. There were plenty of tourists around who were happy to take my photo in return for me taking one of them!  I’m showing my age now! If possible, just like your camera, keep your selfie stick hidden until needed.

11. Do As The Locals Do

You want to see all the sights of the place you are in, right? Well a hop-on hop-off tourist bus or a tour are great for doing this. And I love taking this bus, particularly in a new city. However, unsavoury types can target you at the hop-on hop-off points. Don’t be afraid to go on tours which highlight you are a tourist. Where possible travel like the locals do. Utilise local transport of buses, trains, trams and ferries. And eat where the locals eat to get a more immersed experience. And hopefully this will help you to blend in.

12. Learn The Local Lingo and Customs

It is very useful to learn some of the local lingo of the country you are visiting. It can prove very helpful particularly when you need to communicate with the locals and the locals do appreciate it. Simple things to know include how to say hello, goodbye, thank you, how much and get lost. And knowing particular customs and respecting them, such as females needing to cover their head with a scarf when entering a mosque will show you have respect for such a custom and help you to blend in so as not to look like a tourist. Because you won’t be seen as an ignorant tourist, you will be seen as a respectful tourist, and possibly a local living in the country! If not a local, an expat who is living and working abroad on a working holiday visa or perhaps a digital nomad visa.

13. It’s How You Act In Public

As you travel the world you will find that sometimes it is very hard not to stand out because of your physical appearance. But sometimes it’s how you act which can be your downfall. Therefore, know where you are going (or look like you know), only get your camera, map and selfie stick out when needed. Dress like the locals and smile and communicate effectively. Try not to get yourself in to situations such as drinking too much and then walking home along quiet and dark streets. You can do reckless and sometimes dangerous things when intoxicated in unfamiliar territory. And unfortunately, people can take advantage of you.

14. Bonus Safety Tips So You Don’t Always Look Like a Tourist

• Wear your bag, such as a messenger bag, draped diagonally over your shoulder. This helps make it less likely for someone to run past or ride past on a moped and snatch the bag off your shoulder. Or wear your daypack on your front, rather than on your back.
• Use RFID blocking tools in your luggage.
• Don’t put your wallet in your back pocket of your jeans. Once in Istanbul I was walking in a group and a group of boys began throwing a ball around our group. While we were being drawn in to the game one of my travel companions had their wallet stolen.
• Always cover the screen as you type your pin in to an ATM. And be very close to it when the money comes out as I have seen people lean over and grab the money and run off.
• I know you want to enjoy a local drink and the food, but don’t over indulge in alcohol, then walk home in dark streets as you could be targeted.
• Have travel insurance to cover your holiday. I use WorldNomads for my general holidays including skiing trips and SafetyWing to cover for longer term travel.

Are You Ready to Not Look Like a Tourist When Travelling Abroad?

I hope these tips help you to not look like a tourist on your travels, even though at times you will look like a tourist. And that your travels are safe and problem free as you try to blend in to the world around you. I’d love to hear any of your tips on how not to look like a tourist in the comments below. However, if you don’t mind looking like a tourist carry on as you are and enjoy your travels no matter what.