9 Ways to Explore Your Hometown for Free ...

One of the best ways to explore your hometown for free is to simply just go sightseeing. Just forget that you’ve been living here for years and go walking around the city, wandering through markets, snapping photos of historical buildings, and so on. If you want to sight see in your hometown, you could also look into places of worship such as ornate churches or wooden temples, as these are almost always free of charge. If they do practice entrance fees, you can visit them during mass – but you can imagine you won’t become Miss Popularity if you start taking pictures then.

You cannot say you are discovering your hometown if you don’t visit some museums, to learn (or remind yourself) about its culture and history. There are many cities and towns, even little villages, that are rich in museums that do not charge entrance fees. Even if you are not lucky enough to live in one of them, there should be events at least once a year when they allow you to visit for free, so don’t miss out on these opportunities!

While many fun activities may cost you quite a bit, reconnecting with nature is completely free (at least in most cases). There must be some beautiful parks in your hometown you could relax in – or you can visit your local botanical garden. Depending on the time of year you visit, you will enjoy different delights. From the snow covered trees and frozen ponds in winter to the colorful spring blooms and romantic autumn scenery, there’s so much beauty to take in without having to worry about trivial things such as entrance fees!

If you have enough imagination, you can find numerous fun activities you can enjoy without having to pay anything. For example, free bicycle rentals have become very popular worldwide and cycling is not only one of the great ways to explore your hometown, but there’s the beneficial exercise you get too. So, find a rental center, hop on a bike, and discover your hometown while also burning some good calories!

If crowded festivals are not exactly your cup of tea, one of the best ways to explore your hometown and have a good time is to keep an eye open for the latest “freebies” – such as free film screenings or chamber music recitals, for example. Take advantage of any free local events, even if it is something you normally wouldn’t choose to do. You never know what you may find or whom you may meet.

Exploring your hometown is not only about sightseeing or playing tourist. It’s about learning new things and growing as a person. It may take a bit of work, but you can surely find free classes you can enroll in if you are patient enough. Why not try yoga or cooking? Or how about guitar lessons? Think about something you’d love to learn and then go hunting for free classes! Your local library is a great place to find info. Take advantage of the free services in the library too – especially if they have a local history section – you might find something inspiring.

Taking a walking tour is another of the one of the best ways to explore your hometown or discover a new city. You can either look for a free guided tour (though it would be nice to at least give a tip at the end), or search for self-guided tours online or in guidebooks. Also, in some cities, there are government-sponsored walking tours, which means you won’t have to pay a thing for them.

No matter where you live, there must be free festivals or other fun public events at least a few times a year. Be it a rock festival or the New Year firework show, even the local agricultural show which could be surprisingly interesting. With events hosted by the city, you’ll surely have a great time without having to even touch your wallet.

One of the ways to explore your hometown that you might not have thought about is enjoying outdoor art. Basically any city has beautiful architectural pieces, outdoor sculptures and monuments, or even brilliant graffiti works. How many times have you stopped to truly look at them? It’s such a shame that beauty is almost always right under our nose (and usually completely free), yet so many times we fail to see it!

Are you surprised there are so many great ways you can be a tourist in your hometown? And that they don’t cost a pretty penny? Will you be doing any of these – vacation or not?