Local Guides
Every pick verified and hand-selected. Filter by category, city and budget to plan your trip.
Hudson Square
Stylish small rooms with a rooftop bar, garden and library between SoHo and the Village.
★ 4.6
$$
Pantheon
A family-run institution steps from the Pantheon, serving faithful Roman classics since 1961 in a snug wood-panelled room. Tiny and enduringly popular – reservations are essential.
★ 4.6
$$
Loop
One of Americas great art museums, from Seurat to Hopper.
★ 4.8
$$
The second-hand outpost of iconic Finnish design brand Artek, giving vintage Aalto stools and mid-century pieces a new life, a cornerstone of Helsinki’s circular-design scene.
The remains of an extinct volcano in Holyrood Park and Edinburgh’s best free viewpoint. The walk up takes roughly 45 minutes and rewards you with a sweeping panorama over the city and the Firth of Forth.
Centre
A special local favourite for traditional Shkodran home cooking.
★ 4.6
$$
Multiple locations
France’s fair-trade shop network, selling crafts and food that pay producers in the Global South fairly.
★ 4.5
$$
Pimlico
A playful, art-filled bolthole of just a dozen rooms near the river in Pimlico.
★ 4.5
$$$
Beyoglu
A beloved old-school meyhane in Asmalimescit where Istanbullus settle in for a long night of raki and meze, cold starters, grilled fish and warm conviviality. Tables are tight and the atmosphere is everything; reserve.
★ 4.6
$$
1st Arr.
Hand-thrown black-clay ceramics finished in white glaze, all made in a historic Paris atelier.
★ 4.6
$$$
Centre
A storied grand hotel beside the Athenaeum and Revolution Square.
★ 4.5
$$$
Makrygianni
A friendly, well-located hostel moments from the Acropolis Museum, with dorms, privates, a rooftop bar (Acropolis view included) and a big social scene. The easy, affordable base for younger travellers.
★ 4.4
$
Centre
A guided graze through the raucous Varvakios market and the surrounding delis – olives, cheese, cured meats, spices, koulouri and Greek coffee – with a local unpacking Athens’ food culture. Come hungry.
★ 4.7
$$
Centre
A guided stroll linking Plaka, Monastiraki, the Agora and Syntagma – 3,000 years of history, from ancient democracy to the modern city, in a couple of easy hours. The perfect orientation for day one.
★ 4.7
$$
Coast
An evening cruise down the glamorous Athens Riviera – seaside suburbs, swimming spots and the coastal drive to Cape Sounion for the sunset over the sea and the Temple of Poseidon. A romantic escape from the city.
★ 4.6
$$
Makrygianni
A cool design hotel right on the pedestrianised Acropolis promenade, with mid-century interiors and a rooftop restaurant looking up at the Parthenon. Quiet, stylish and about as close to the ancient sites as you can sleep.
★ 4.7
$$
Psiri
One of central Athens’ most-loved seafood spots, a creative little meze taverna where the menu changes daily with the catch. Democratic, buzzy and genuinely inventive – book, as it’s tiny.
★ 4.7
$$
Brussels’ most famous landmark, built for the 1958 World Fair as an iron crystal magnified 165 billion times. Ride up to the top sphere for panoramic city views and exhibitions inside the connecting tubes. Adult entry is around 16 euros.