Spain’s capital boasts expansive views, elegant aesthetics, and stunning architecture. Madrid is a city full of adventure and things to do, so let us help you plan your Spanish city trip itinerary!
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Our top list of things to do in Madrid!
Sip on cocktails at Salmon Guru, one of the best cocktail bars in the world.
Walk around the city’s oldest flea market, the Rastro.
See masterpieces at the Reina Sofia.
Spend hours in the Prado Museum.
See a live flamenco performance.
Eat a picnic in Buen Retiro Park.
Have the best chocolate covered churros from Chocolatería San Ginés .
Walk around the largest working royal Palace in Europe.
Take in the views of the second-century BC Egyptian temple.
Go on a traditional Spanish tapas food crawl!
Activity Recommendations
Reina Sofía – Comprising of over 21,000 works, this museum is home to Picasso’s masterpiece the Guernica. Explore the works of Dali and so many more in this multi-narrative museum that is a must visit! Find tickets here.
Prado Museum – Explore the largest range of Spanish artwork in the world at the Prado Museum. Admire the works by Rembrandt, Dürer, Titian, Murillo, Velázquez and Goya, as you take in this beautiful gallery. Find tickets here.
Flamenco Performance – Flamenco shows are a must see when visiting Spain, so treat your senses to a full flamenco performance at this package deal where you can see a show at a usually sold-out venue of the oldest tablao (flamenco venue) in Madrid, alongside a tapas dinner.
The Royal Palace – Discover the Royal Palace and Royal collections in this full guided tour, with chances to see the royal apartments and the royal gardens. This tour comes with a private guide, and headphones for your guided tour, and is the best way to learn about this history of the palace! Find tickets here.
Spanish Tapas Crawl – Experience the original tapas crawl as you visit four different food locations in a non-touristic area of Madrid. This includes 10-12 tapas dishes, one house drink per location, and a guide for your tapas crawl! Find it here.
Places to stay
Here are some of our recommendations for staying in Madrid
Budget Traveler :
2060 The Newton Hostel – Being in the amazing central location of the Tirso de Molina Plaza, this hostel is an amazing start for your Madrid adventure! Offering 8-12 bedroom dorms, this hostel starts from only £19 a night, which is SO good for a capital location! Find it here.
Mid Budget Traveler :
Bastardo Hostel – Priding themselves to not JUST be a hostel or place to stay, Bastardo Hostel is a great mid budget option, offering both dorm and private accommodation, to suit a variety of budgets. They have breakfast options, rooms with terraces and more! Find it here.
Luxury Traveler :
UMusic Hotel Madrid – This 5 star hotel is an amazing luxury travel option to create the most unforgettable Madrid trip! Boasting a sun terrace with pool, a restaurant, fitness centre and prime location, this is a hotel to remember! Starting from £250 a night, this is the hotel to build memories! Find it here.
Have you done any of these things?
Would you add anything else to this list? If you have been previously, what is your favourite thing to do? And if you haven’t been, what is your most idolised thing to do?
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New York is one of the most popular cities for people to visit in the world. It truly is a staple of America, and is filled with endless activities for anyone! As expected, spending a week in New York can be super expensive and is definitely not a budget location!
Here we have compiled the best activities to see in the city to make the most out of the time; plus some important factors to consider when travelling to the City.
When travelling to New York (and even the whole of America), they are very strict at airports so make sure to research and check what visas you will require/documentation to get into the country! You will also need to provide the location of where you will be staying and the reason for your visit when landing. Make sure to pack efficiently for your trip. If you are from America then this won’t apply to you but you will need an American plug head for visiting as they aren’t the same as Europe or the rest of the world. Also, the weather is vastly different depending on the time of year you go so it’s important to pack accordingly.
Below, we have provided a list of activities that we would recommend to all visitors of New York so you can make the most of your trip!
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Statue of Liberty
A trip to New York wouldn’t be complete without stopping to see Lady Liberty. You can easily see her from afar if you head down to south Manhattan on the bank or look across from Brooklyn Bridge! Here you can get some really cool footage on a clear day, but you are rather far away so you can’t take it in fully.
We would opt for people to go on the boat tour to Liberty Island, but wouldn’t recommend going into the Statue of Liberty! The island is small, and the boat travels around the island to give you good views of the statue, with Manhattan in the background. The statue inside requires you to climb a spiral staircase to the top and once you reach the summit, it is cramped and you are limited in time due to a long queue! Check out an awesome Statue of Liberty cruise here.
You may be standing waiting in the statue for 20-30 minutes just to get to the top. Jack – as a 6ft tall man – had to bow his head due to the lack of room at the top. It’s not suitable for anyone 6 ft above and can be awkward to navigate. Also, when you are at the top you can look out the windows which are tinted green and dirty leaving for a subpar view outside. It’s definitely worth seeing as it’s so popular and a cool statue off the busy streets of Manhattan but we don’t think its worth going inside, and enduring a long wait for a very average and limited viewing.
Top of the Rocks viewing deck
Now, everyone talks about how every trip to New York should include a trip to the top of the Empire State Building and it’s probably something we would recommend too! However, we would always choose to visit the Top of the Rocks viewing deck first as it is further north to the Empire State building and gives you a better view of the whole Manhattan including the Empire State building.
The Empire State building is located further south and is built within alongside the other high-rises leading to a lesser view in our opinion! However, it is still a great view and can provide a great activity for an hour or two.
We would recommend that people are to visit the Top of the Rocks viewing deck early in the morning or late at night. The early morning views are spectacular and you can even get a sunrise over central park or the south of Manhattan over the Empire State which gives a perfect start to your morning. However, the night-time visit is spectacular as you see all the buildings across the city light-up! The views are amazing and it really is a view you can admire for a few hours. You can find tickets to the Empire State Building here.
When visiting New York, this was one of our favourite memories and one that we think visitors cannot miss out on!
Maddison Square Gardens
Maddison Square Gardens is a beautiful stadium located in the heart of Manhattan and hosts some of the top sports in the country! When we visited New York it was during the sport breaks and unfortunately we were unable to watch a game but had a tour and would definitely go back to experience it! The stadium is enclosed which will create a great atmosphere and is a place many celebrities go to enjoy their favourite sport.
Here they do a whole host of sports so that no matter your interests you can find something you will enjoy. It’s a great way to spend an afternoon/evening and experience something that you will truly enjoy!
New York Pizza Slice
Now this may sound a little crazy but this is a must!! New York is known for their pizza slices and we would recommend anyone who visits to experience it once! It’s a great budget friendly meal and who doesn’t love pizza! The slices are so large that 2/3 slices are enough as a dinner for one!
There’s a range of topping that you can go for but we would recommend a standard mushroom or pepperoni as it’s simple but super tasty! It’s such a staple for New York and one we could definitely eat often! We have found a really great pizza walking tour here, where you get to try three different New York pizza chains!
Visit Brooklyn Bridge
Brooklyn Bridge is a popular location for people visiting New York and an area you can get some really good views of the city and also see the Statue of Liberty from afar. It also allows you to venture over into Brooklyn to visit a different borough of the New York state.
The bridge is a place a bridge full of padlocks that couples have placed to symbolise their love be we would not recommend doing this and if you are found to do this you might be given a hefty fine!
Central Park
Central Park is a beautiful park located towards the northside of Manhattan and has a totally different environment compared to the hustle and bustle of the busy streets.
There are beautiful walks and cycle trails perfect for exploring and getting in some exercise. It has some amazing views of the city and has little bodies of water dotted within the park. A great way to wander and spend a few hours exploring the park and the many statues that are on show.
Museum of Natural History
This museum is one of the most popular and well-known museums across the globe. When visiting, it has a relatively low entrance fee and has many exhibitions on show that you can wander and learn about for hours. There are also some additional exhibitions that are private and offer specific learning for those interested in that topic. These are very informative and a great way to spend your time in the museum.
They have a canteen which offers decent foods and we would probably recommend for people to spend at least half a day in the museum as there is so much to see! You can find admission tickets here.
Theatre Show
I think this should be a staple when visiting such a large city like New York! There are options for amazing plays like Lion King, King Kong as well as many Broadway shows. There’s many options for people to choose from no matter the interests and is a great way to spend your evening!
You can get dressed up, go out for a lovely meal then spend a few hours watching a perfectly choreographed play and spend the evening in luxury!
If you are an avid shopper, then this is a place for you! Across 34th street there are many shops including the infamous Macy’s which offers some of the top brands in the world. These buildings covers multiple floors and are packed with different individual shops like Fred Perry, Superdry and more!! It’s the perfect place to find your favourite brands and maybe go on a little shopping spree as after all.. you are on holiday so why not!!
Here they also have some really cool promotions that may not be offered elsewhere so would be a great place to look for some cool clothing and merchandise! If you LOVE shopping then you could easily spend a day wandering in shops and finding your favourite brands!
Grand Central Station
Grand Central Station is a beautiful station that has such amazing architecture and statues dotted in and around the building. We personally would visit just to see the station and the beauty it has but you can also use it as a fast and easy way to move across the city and into neighbouring boroughs!
What many people may not know is they have an Apple shop located in the station which is great to wander around and even has a little market full of cakes and other sweet treats which can be a great place to grab food or have a wander!
Time Square
This is definitely a place you must visit! There is so much going on and it’s a place that is like no other! You will see street performers, musicians, souvenir shops, food stalls, a sky of marketing and so much more! While you are here we would recommend to visit The Hard Rock Café located on Times Square but if you are excited to go, make sure you make a reservation as it is a very popular place to eat!
You can visit the famous Bubba Shrimp or maybe just sit on the steps of Time Square and just watch the world go by. It is a rather busy area and will be tough to move at times but is definitely a place we would recommend to see and admire even if it’s just to walk through Time Square.
New York is such a busy place and has so much to do that it’s hard to do everything. Even when we visited there were things missed off of our list we were unable to do! We would set aside 5/7 days to do New York sufficiently depending on how busy you want to be, and if you like walking. Any longer will make the trip very expensive as it’s certainly not a cheap place to visit and stay!
We hope this Itinerary helps plan your once in a lifetime New York trip so you can get the most of your time there!
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Meknes is a rural town in the centre of Morocco that is very beautiful. It’s a location we didn’t know much about prior to being in Fes, but did some last minute research to find out that it’s a great place to visit for a day trip!
When visiting Meknes, we would definitely recommend to research the best way to get there from your start location! If you are in Fes, we would take the train as it is only a 40 minute ride to the Town. However, try to book the train tickets online, or get to the station early to guarantee a seat on the train as they can get full up rather quickly (we found this out the hard way)!
You can check out our full blog experience and thoughts on Meknes down below or by visiting our YouTube channel OurTwoStepStart.
How to spend a day in Meknes
Now you have set a day aside for Meknes, we would recommend you to book accommodation (either in person or online) with a local riad Hostel or homestay. This way you will have the authentic experience of staying in traditional housing and meet some of the locals. When visiting Meknes, we stayed in Dar Merzouga which had an amazingly friendly host and if you are in the area we would recommend staying here! Find it here.
Below we have highlighted the best activities you can enjoy when in Meknes so you don’t miss anything!
Visit the markets
Meknes is known for it’s local markets and is full of them! The markets can stretch for a good 45 minute walk; leaving you with endless opportunity to wander, look for souvenirs for home, or just check out some of the niche stalls! Some of the markets are specific to food or clothing for example, so you can choose the market that is right for you to get them most enjoyment!
When visiting a food market, be aware that it is a poorer country and they aren’t westernised with how they may treat animals. You are likely to see animal body parts such as Donkey hooves for sale or sheep’s head… or even live chickens being purchased and handled for meat. We would recommend for anyone who is bothered by this to avoid these specific areas where meat is sold as it can be graphic.
The markets however definitely offers an opportunity to get some good deals as you can negotiate a lower price for the goods that are on offer. Usually we would recommend to look at the price and find a realistic price you are comfortable and go from there! The locals are likely to take you up on your new price as long as it’s isn’t too low!
Bab El Masour
This is a monumental Gate that is located in the heart of Meknes just a stones throw from the mass markets. It is known to be one of the best structurally and architecturally gates across north Africa which stands out amongst the old Town. It was completed in the 1730s and build for the sultan’s son Moulay Abdallah.
It’s a great building which attracts crowds of visitors everyday and would be a great place to spend a few hours after wandering the local markets.
Try local food
As Meknes is a smaller Town, it doesn’t provide many westernised foods and sticks to the more traditional meals that Morocco has to offer. This is a great opportunity to find some local spots to taste authentic Moroccan Cuisine. Traditional food can be provided for dinner during you stay if you book with a Riad and is a great way to taste Morocco homecooked cuisine!
There will also be small independent stalls which will offer a variety of snacks/bites you can grab. The can be specific like pastries or desserts, or shops that offer a range of foods to try! You can even watch some of these make the foods to show it’s freshly made and that it’s a traditional Morocco taste as they cook it in front of you.
Street photography of locals
As it’s a more traditional and less touristy area, it’s a perfect place to set up and take some street photography of Meknes. It’s known to being a traditional Town so would be great to snap authentic Moroccan living. Places we would recommend for this would be down the tight streets of the Medina, in the busy markets as there’s so much going on, and outside the Bab El Mansour.
The Bab El Mansour is a monumental traditional structure which would be an awesome place to snap some photography. They have horse and cart outside with locals moving from place to place making it a great place to people watch!
The perfect day trip in Morocco
Meknes is a small Town that is full of life and has some beautiful parts we would recommend to visit! It’s the perfect 1-day trip into traditional Morocco and a great way to learn more about the countries culture and lifestyle.
We have also covered some of the most important things to know for travelling to Morocco, with key things to look out for! Find the blog here, which you should definitely check out to help you through your dream Moroccan Travels!
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London is one of the most visited cities in the world! People from all over the globe dream to see London’s bright lights and witness the busy life that the city exuberates. Over 20 million (pre-covid) visit London each year internationally, and it’s flooded with tourists daily!
When visiting London it really is difficult to pinpoint the best things to do and places to see. We know people who have lived there for 5-10 years and still have so much they haven’t discovered yet. So, someone who is visiting on holiday, or for a long break often feel overwhelmed with activities, places to eat and sights to see.
This is also coupled with the prices of London being exceptionally high and trying to make the most of your visit and not spend all your savings.
Just for reference, we live an hours train from London and when we visit you can easily find yourself spending £150 on food for 2, £100 on a stay for 2 and £100 for two activities in 1 day! This is not sustainable and when we go London we make sure to find the best budget options so we can maximise our experience whilst not breaking the bank each time!
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Best Times to Visit London
As expected, the best times to visit would usually be nearing Christmas/New Year or during the summer months.
On the lead up to Christmas, there will be decorations lining each street, festive activities including winter wonderland and markets that will definitely get you in the festive spirit! However, during these events prices are likely higher as it is an annual event that a lot of people go to.
The summer is more so for the beautiful parks and walks you can do and also enjoy some of the activities like the London eye or visiting Buckingham Palace with lovely weather. During the summer, it’s common to rent bikes and go for cycle rides in local London parks or settle for a picnic and enjoy your surroundings which you definitely cannot enjoy all year round.
Best Activities to do in London on a Budget
All the mainstream activities in London do come at a premium price. Everyone comes to London to see the main sights like the London Eye and Tower of London Tours but are these the best things to do in London?
Local Markets
There’s 2 reasons why we would visit London markets! Firstly, the food is really high quality, fresh and more budget friendly compared to local restaurants in the areas. In London there are so many markets you may just stumble across some! It’s the perfect place to look for your lunch/dinner while not using all your savings! The markets below are the ones we would recommend but there are so many more!!
Borough Market
Spitalfields
Portobello Road Market
Covent Garden
Camden Market
These markets are great to wander around and see some amazing and abstract things you may not otherwise see! You may not be hungry but you can marvel at all the stalls and potentially pick up something like local honey or jams that you can enjoy later in the day. Each market is full of character and have many different options of food for all to try. The main problem is usually deciding where to eat!
Our favourite market of choice would be borough market. It has some great lunch options including a generous portion of mussels, Thai street food bakeries and more! With perfect and take homes like homemade jams, rich cheeses and some desserts like Ice Cream and dedicated dessert stalls like humble crumble! Even if you aren’t looking for food, its a great place to wander and experience a true local market in the heart of London.
Hire a bike!
Many people may not know this but London is HUGE! You simply cannot see everything as all the main sights are dotted across the Capital. Most use the Underground which is a cheap and convenient way of moving across the city but can be tough to navigate unless you are a local. Even we struggle sometimes.
An alternative would be to hire a bike and ride across London. This will limit your time going to the underground and moving from point to point without experiencing the whole of London. Some of the best parts of the city is truly wandering and stumbling across some unique and cool places. Whether it’s quirky shops, street artists or performers, food stalls… anything really!
There is nothing better than a gentle bike ride across the riverbank admiring the views and seeing the sights the city has to offer. There are many locations where e-bikes are available for renting. All you need to do is download the app and scan the bike and you on are on your way! When finishing with the bike, you will need to drop it off at a bike stop and they are really cheap to rent out!
Walking tour
Walking tours are dotted throughout the city and is a great way to learn more on the history or sights throughout London.
If you aren’t familiar with the history, and are interested then it may be worth while to get a walking tour in your specific interest to learn more! An example would be the London Dungeons or a Jack the Ripper tour where you can learn more about what life was like in London centuries ago and how people lived. On these tours you would be taken to locations with significant importance and told facts about the topic at hand. Find our top pick of the Jack the Ripper tour here.
They usually last for an hour or two and you are able to ask questions and learn more about the topic. Included in the tour may be breaks which will allow you to grab food and drink or nip to the toilet when required. It’s a really good way to learn more about the rich history of the city as not all historic locations will include further details like a tour.
These would be aimed towards people who are maybe less familiar with the history and are visiting London as a holiday.
China Town
China Town is a beautiful part of the city. When you enter, you feel like you have teleported to busy Chinese streets with many food vendors and luscious smells. The streets are decorated with traditional Chinese markings and the food there is cheaper than most of London and has the authentic taste! The area will host events including the Chinese New Year there which would be great to witness.
All the surrounding streets are small local food stops which have traditional Chinese foods which is a great place to stop for lunch or dinner. When visiting London is it usually a place we visit as we love the flavours and authentic taste and it’s just a beautiful area to walk through and soak up the atmosphere!
Museums
There are many museums across London, so many in fact that you can’t realistically see all of them.. even if you lived there! As it’s a city, there is museums for all kinds of things and no matter your interest, there will be one tailored to what you like! As you may not know, most museums in London are free to enter – this includes all public displays. However, each museum does provide private viewings, usually temporary and seasonal, which you would be required to pay for.
These are normally worth while being around £10 – £20 and usually around a famous person or time in history. We have visited many of the museums in London and it is definitely a great way to spend some time to learn about topics you are interested in and a great way to keep costs down while in London.
We would recommend these Museums as these are the ones we have visited and enjoyed the most:
Natural History Museum
Science Museum
National Portrait Gallery
Victoria & Albert Museum
These museums offer a lot of variety of interests and a lot of cool viewings that could keep you busy for a few hours in London.
For us personally, our favourite in the National History Museum and is something we would recommend for all travellers to London to experience!!
Festivals throughout the year
London is well-known for the festivals and events they have throughout the year. Some are so large that people visit from around the world to experience them like new years or the London marathon which is a great time to visit. The atmosphere is very different with a lot of visitors either cheering on runners and enjoying the weekend or celebrating the turn of a new year. It definitely adds a new aspect to visiting London that many people don’t experience.
However, there are many festivals throughout the year that people are almost unaware of and stumble across. These can be music festivals or food festivals. For example, in June this year there is a Taste of London festival in Regent’s Park. This will include top restaurants showcasing their top dishes to onlooking and offer free samples to taste. This would be great to have a wander through and experience some top quality food. You could maybe even use this to find the best place to eat dinner later. It’s perfect as you can decide how much you want to spend or spend nothing at all, it’s totally up to you!!
Across London, no matter the time of year you visit there will be events occurring you just have to be in the right place. Sometimes it can be a simple google search away or you may just stumble upon one! As it’s such a large, vibrant city, we would always recommend to look out for any events, even if it’s just something to experience and walk through as you never know what you might see!
We really could talk about so much London and all that it’s offer but these would be our top picks when visiting London and keeping to a budget!
Accommodation recommendations
We have also provided our best recommendations on the different accommodation in London. Some budget friendly, medium priced and luxury hotels as well as a hostel option for your trip!
Hostel Option
This hostel is a great option for backpackers who want award winning accommodation for a fraction of the price. The reviews on this hostel are generally SO positive, with some stating this hostel is ‘perfect’. Located near Tower Bridge, you need to check this spot out! Find it here.
Budget Option
London can be an extremely expensive place to visit, especially for accommodation reasons- these rooms are a great budget friendly option! Working out at about £34 (based on two people sharing a room) each, these rooms have communal area kitchens, however these do have community bathrooms rather than private – this isn’t a problem for many, and we think this is a great option! Find it here.
Mid-Range Option
This modern hotel is only a 2 minute walk from Tate modern in the heart of London, and is a beautiful option for your trip to London! This hotel has its own app system, so you can control your room’s lighting and ambiance, amongst access to Disney, Netflix and more, this hotel boasts many impressive features ready for your stay! It will cost roughly £78 per person (based on a room for 2), and is such a great find! Find it here.
Luxury Option
Want the luxury life in London? This hotel serves world class treatment, with an onsite spa and health club (including a roman-style swimming pool), and is only a short 15 minute walk to Covent Garden and Leicester Square. Costing roughly £133 per person (based on 2 people sharing), this hotel is the best option for your celebrity style London adventure. Find it here.
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