The self-styled home of country music, Nashville is evolving faster than a chicken-pickin' guitar lick. Entrepreneurs are filling formerly run-down buildings with shaking honky-tonks, hip shops, boutique hotels and chef-driven restaurants. But don't fret – Music City, USA, is still the ultimate pilgrimage for music fans and anyone looking for a good time.

The home of the Grand Ole Opry has expanded far beyond the country music legends that put the city on the map, but it pays to get a handle on how to get around Nashville's neighborhoods before you start to explore. From brand-new museums that elevate the city's significance in American music history to feasting on fiery fried chicken, these are the best things to do in Nashville.

National Museum of African American Music

African American music is the backbone of America’s musical landscape, so it’s fitting that the nation's tribute to those who helped shape the Great American Songbook is situated in Music City itself. It's no overstatement to say that African American musicians and singers changed music across the globe. From gospel to jazz, R&B to hip-hop, funk to rap, house to techno and soul and more, the African American influence on music stretches worldwide, bending genres and transcending cultures.

Opened in 2021, this intriguing museum traces Black music traditions from the 1600s to the present day, covering more than 50 genres and subgenres and the social conditions that shaped them, from the Great Migration and Harlem Renaissance to the Civil Rights Movement.

The Grand Ole Opry

This unassuming brick building has hosted more country music legends than most fans have had chicken dinners. The Grand Ole Opry started life as an hour-long 'barn dance' on We Shield Millions radio in 1925, bringing emerging country stars to new ears across the nation, before moving to the current premises in the 1970s. It's still going strong today, and touring the green rooms and recording stages is an essential rite of passage for country music pilgrims, though best done on non-recording days, as there's a whopping premium (US$150) for pre-show tours while the show is recording.

Tootsie's Orchid Lounge

The hotter, louder and more crowded it gets at this raucous honky-tonk, the better locals like it. A Lower Broadway mainstay, this boot-stompin' joint has nurtured singer-songwriters since the 1960s, when owner Tootsie Bess provided a platform for the likes of Willie Nelson and Kris Kristofferson. The club shares an alley with the Ryman, and back in the day musicians slipped over from the Grand Ole Opry for a beer. So c'mon, y'all. Young or old. Hillbilly or high-falutin'. Squeeze yourself in for a cold beer and one last chorus.

Appreciating vinyl

The old-fashioned vinyl record still rules the roost in Nashville, where locals browse the racks for pre-loved albums and freshly pressed records as if CDs and MP3s never happened. Third Man Records, a labor of love from White Stripes frontman Jack White, presses records for his boutique label and it's open for recording and tours. Also check if tours are currently running at United Record Pressing, which has been churning out vinyl records since 1949. The used-vinyl collection at Grimey 's is extensive, and you might find an old favorite or two at Carpe Diem Records in Franklin.

Country Music Hall of Fame

The past, present and future collide in this immersive tribute to a uniquely American art form, which has spilled out from the hollers of Appalachia in the 1920s to global appreciation today. Country music's mournful sentimentality is proudly on display; the 'Sing Me Back Home' exhibit is the heart of the collection, tracing country music history through archival photos and videos, music recordings and fascinating artifacts. In the family gallery, you can step into a recording booth or try your hand at songwriting.

Ryman Auditorium

Whether you come for the acoustics, the history or the personalities, your inner line dancer will surely be stirred by a visit to the Mother Church of Country Music. Though renowned for its role as the former host of the Grand Ole Opry radio show from 1943 to 1974, the Ryman doesn't rest on former glories. The 1892 auditorium still hosts the famous show for three months every winter, but it's also known today for its compelling and diverse line-up of musicians, plus shows by comedians and writers. Backstage tours delve into the venue's illustrious past.

Nashville's hottest chicken

Nashville's signature dish? Fried chicken with an attitude. Infused with a fiery blend of spices, the crispy skin of a piece of hot chicken is a tantalizing challenge for your taste buds. If you're only previously experienced the tame KFC take on southern fried chicken, prepare to be blown away. From old-school Prince 's to low-frills Bolton 's to the hip scene at Hattie B's, the fun is in picking the heat level and seeing what you can handle; the 'Shut the Cluck Up!' option at Hattie B's needs no further explanation.

Shopping your way round downtown

Every shopping crawl through Nashville should start in the 12th Ave South shopping district, with a 100-layer doughnut from Five Daughters Bakery. Why at the beginning, not at the end? Because these delicious flavor bombs sell out fast. From here, clothing boutiques line the sidewalks, showcasing apparel lines from New York, LA and Nashville.

Reese Witherspoon's preppy Draper James brought celebrity oomph to 12th Ave South when it opened in 2015, but intriguing vintage stores, buzzy patios and top-notch eateries round out the appeal. And having your photo snapped beside the 'I Believe in Nashville' mural is almost obligatory. To fully immerse yourself in country attire, head across the hwy to Broadway, where womenswear specialist Betty Boots has cowboy boots and flared jeans to spare.

Exploring Nashville's green spaces by bike

You might see a deer grazing in the woods as you pedal beside the Cumberland River on the Shelby Bottoms Greenway, a calm bike-friendly transect through East Nashville. The comfortable hybrid bikes rented out by Bike the Greenway are a fun and convenient way to enjoy more than 80 miles of multi-use greenways, which link lush green parks, attractions and neighborhoods across the city. Alternatively, grab an electric bike from B-Cycles, Nashville's bike-share scheme.

Craft breweries and distilleries

The old-fashioned neighborhood pub isn't dead: it's just evolved into a brewery taproom where the focus is on fun and games and seasonal ales. What makes Music City's brewery scene so appealing? The ease of walking between downtown brewhouses, we'd say. Many of the best are clustered within the downtown 'Brewery District' between the Gulch and SoBro, but the pick is Germantown's Bearded Iris Brewing.

Several distilleries have also opened their doors for tours and tastings, accessible on Brews Cruise Nashville tours, or you can sip and cycle your way round the city on one of Nashville's pedal-powered mobile taverns (touristy, but fun). For local spirits as well as ales, stop by the innovative Corsair Distillery in Marathon Village.

Exploring East Nashville

East Nashville is often overlooked, so why not spend a day or two across the river? Artisans and entrepreneurs are opening shops at breakneck speed in this ever-changing section of town. Chocolate. Tea. Jewelry. T-shirts. The list of items you'll find in these passion-filled boutiques is ever changing.

Dive bars and hard-charging clubs provide an alternative to Broadway's country-music honky-tonks, but craft breweries like Smith & Lentz allow folks to sip beer and enjoy a sunny afternoon in peace. The Tomato Arts and Hot Chicken festivals keep the scene eclectic and local, while photogenic murals put East Nashville onto global Instagram feeds.

Arrington Vineyards

To understand the appeal of country music, you have to spend some time in the country. You'll get sweeping views of Nashville's bucolic surroundings from the picnic tables fronting Arrington Vineyards, a vast winery and vineyard 30 miles south of the city. Enjoy the view with a glass of the house favorite, Stag's White. Co-owned by Kix Brooks of country music duo Brooks & Dunn, the vineyard is the place to be on weekend evenings, when locals descend for bluegrass, jazz, wine tasting and picnicking.

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This article was first published in June 2021, and updated in September 2021.

Craft beers, chicken and chicken pickin': the very best things to do in Nashville

No country is perfect, but, let’s face it, Switzerland gets pretty darned close.

The Alps ripple across 60% of the country and the landscapes and towns look like they have been dreamed up by a particularly imaginative child. We’re talking glacier-capped peaks, crash-bang waterfalls and lakes the most surreal shade of turquoise blue; red trains curling up to improbable heights, meadows clanging with cowbells that you can skip down with Heidi-like glee and turreted castles of the fairytale kind.

Even the culture-filled cities have magnificent vineyard, lake or river backdrops, and the mountains are never more than a whisper away. As natural beauty goes, Switzerland is off the charts.

The real wonder of Switzerland, however, is just how brilliantly accessible all this is – by train, bicycle, boat, car or on foot. This bijou Alpine nation bundles a world of experiences into one efficiently organized trip. You can spend the morning wafting around cutting-edge art galleries and the afternoon pounding the slopes. Hike alongside a glacier in Valais or lounge on a palm-rimmed piazza in Italian-flavoured Ticino.

Here’s our insider guide to the places that will make your trip to Switzerland one to remember.

Jungfrau Region

Best for mountain highs

The idyllic Jungfrau Region is the icing on the Alpine cake of Switzerland’s Bernese Oberland. Here sky-high peaks, glaciers and thundering falls elicit gasps of wonder wherever you go. And grazing the 4000m mark are Switzerland’s ‘big three’ – Eiger (Ogre), Mönch (Monk) and Jungfrau (Virgin), enshrined in mountaineering legend.

Rush this region and you’ll regret it. Allow a week or more to dive in deep: with a once-in-a-lifetime ride up to the everlasting snow at Europe’s highest train station, 3454m Jungfraujoch, with hiking, skiing, sledding and zip-lining among mountains of myth in Grindelwald, with waterfalls galore in Lauterbrunnen and with every kind of extreme sport imaginable in Interlaken (skydiving, ice climbing, glacial bungee jumping – you name it). This is the great outdoors on a blockbuster scale.

Bern

Best for medieval flair

Bern often pops up in those I-can’t-believe-it’s-the-capital trivia questions, but frankly, Switzerland’s first city deserves to get more love. The cobbled, flag-bedecked medieval Old Town is a Unesco World Heritage treat, with 6km of covered arcades, cellar shops and bars, fantastical folk figures topping 16th-century fountains and the eye-grabbing Zytglogge. Framed by wooded hills and split in two by the turquoise Aare River, this red-roofed city looks good from pretty much every angle. And it’s pure storybook stuff for kids, too, with its giant who snacks on children (the Kindlifresserbrunnen) and resident bears.

Sight-wise, you’ll be drawn to big-hitters like the Einstein-Haus, where the genius developed his Theory of Relativity, the Kunsthaus, with its outstanding fine arts collection and Renzo Piano’s wavy Zentrum Paul Klee (Bern’s answer to the Guggenheim). But in summer, the action’s on the river, with swimming, tubing, rafting and paddle boarding along the Aare River.

Lake Geneva

Best for romance, vines and castles

In Switzerland’s western crook, crescent-shaped Lake Geneva (or Lac Léman to francophones) is a joy to behold, with its mountain backdrop, spirit-lifting views, vineyards and shoreline necklaced with handsome cities and castle-crowned towns.

Marked by its rainbow-kissed Jet d’Eau fountain and with Mont Blanc peeping up on the horizon, Geneva wraps around the lake’s southern shore. The worldly city makes a brilliant launchpad for exploring, with big-hitting museums and galleries to absorb, botanical gardens to stroll, lidos to swim at, Old Town cafes to hang out in and bright-yellow mouettes ferrying locals across the water – surely one of the world’s most scenic commutes.

But don’t stop there. It’s but a quick boat or train hop to Lausanne, which can culturally give Geneva a run for its money, especially with its new Plateforme 10 arts district, the lovely terraced vineyards of Lavaux (a Unesco World Heritage site) and flower-draped Montreux, host to one of the world’s most famous jazz festivals, with the picture-perfect Château de Chillon right on its doorstep.

How to get around in Switzerland

Zermatt

Best for outdoor action

No peak has more pulling power than the 4478m Matterhorn, a terrific gnarled fang of rock that flings up above the seductive, timber chalet-filled Alpine resort of Zermatt in Valais, nudging the border to Italy. This is Switzerland’s mountain icon, so beloved by the nation that it inspired the pyramid shape of Toblerone chocolate. This is a mountain that will have you obsessed and lunging for your camera - at sunset, sunrise, on walking trails and cable cars, in sun, snow and from every last infuriating angle.

But Zermatt is more than a one mountain wonder. Climbers have been rocking up here since the mid-19th-century and it’s still a magnet for challenging summit ascents today (find yourself a guide at Zermatters). Otherwise, come to hike, ski and gaze over a sea of glaciers and 4000m peaks at Matterhorn Glacier Paradise.

Swiss National Park

Best for nature lovers

Switzerland has just one national park? Yep, we know it’s a shocker, but trust us, it’s a good one. Snuggled away in a remote corner of the country’s southeast on the border to Italy, the 172 sq km Swiss National Park is the Alps in overdrive: a nature-gone-wild spectacle of high moors, forests, wildflower-freckled pastures, waterfalls, jewel-colored lakes and mountains as high as the sky, where ibex, chamois, marmots, deer and golden eagles roam and fly free. Here wildlife rules and human intervention is kept to a conservation-driven minimum. Some call it Canada in miniature – we can see their point, but frankly why would you want to imagine yourself anywhere else?

Start off on the right foot with the inside scoop on walking trails and ranger-led guided hikes at the visitor center in Zernez.

Bellinzona

Best for dolce vita

With medieval castles rising high and the Alps rearing beyond, good-looking Bellinzona, capital of Ticino, is a taste of the best of Italy's best food and culture in Switzerland. You’ll find a generous splash of Italian flair in its historic center, woven with flower-draped alleys, Renaissance churches and cafe-rimmed piazzas that brim with life, laughter, clinking glasses and the out-of-tune toll of countless campaniles.

Top of any wish list is seeing the castles, among them hilltop Castelgrande, which can be drawn out into a full day’s activity (bring water and comfortable shoes). Plan to spend some time simply soaking up Bellinzona’s spirit and enjoying the excellent restaurants, such as season-driven, Michelin-starred Locanda Orico, lodged in a converted palazzo.

Jura Mountains & Lac de Neuchâtel

Best for a remote road trip

If you’ve never considered the country’s off-the-radar northwest, perhaps it’s time you did. In the dark forested hills along the French-Swiss border, the Jura Mountains are a natural wonder. This ever-so-peaceful region has its own beauty: meadows of green, ancient forests, rocky outcrops overlooking a trio of lakes against an Alpine backdrop and slow-the-pace villages and valleys little changed in centuries.

Where to begin? With a road trip. Kick off at the Jura Vaudois Nature Park for hikes with dress-circle views of Lake Geneva and Gruyère cheese tastings at rustic Alpine huts. From here, swing north to Lac de Joux, the watchmaking village of Le Sentier, and Vallorbe, honeycombed with Switzerland’s biggest (and most impressive) limestone caves. Tag on a trip to Lac de Neuchâtel and you can bathe in the thermal waters of Yverdon-les-Bains, tiptoe off the map in the lushly rolling Val-de-Travers (birthplace of absinthe) and the great crescent-moon canyon of Creux du Van. Cultured Neuchâtel is a fitting climax, with its fantasy of a lavishly turreted château.

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Appenzell & the Northeast

Best for family adventures

Northeastern Switzerland might not have the in-your-face drama of higher realms of the Alps, but it nevertheless delights in its own serene, deeply rural way, with dairy country unravelling to meet the mountains and half-timbered, gaily muralled towns all fit for a postcard.

Tucked away in the country’s little-explored northeast, this pocket-sized region is perfect for a family holiday with a hit of culture and gentle adventure. You could begin, say, in St Gallen, with a spin of its World Heritage Stiftsbibliothek (Abbey Library), a literary marvel and a feast of roccoco art and architecture. From there, move on to folksy, ridiculously pretty Appenzell, popping into the Schaukäserei to sample regional cheeses.

Muscling further south into the Alps, rise to 2501m Säntis for views embracing six countries, then head to Werdenberg, a tiny speck of a medieval hamlet home to Switzerland’s oldest timber chalets. Close by is Vaduz, Liechtenstein ’s princely, castle-topped capital on the banks of the Rhine.

Basel

Best for art

Popularity wise, poor old Basel barely gets a look-in. But that’s a mistake. Straddling the Rhine, this city has got everything going for it: world-class art in some of the country’s best galleries, a hot food scene, avant-garde buildings bearing the hallmark of Pritzker Prize-winning architects, and an upbeat cafe culture. There’s a real energy to this forward-thinking city on the tri-country border, which has risen high off the back of the biotech and pharmaceutical industries.

Allow several days for a satisfying romp of the centre, where must-sees include the Kunstmuseum and its fine arts collection, the Renzo Piano–designed Fondation Beyeler and the Frank Gehry-designed Vitra Design Museum.

But Basel endears itself most to those who look beyond the trophy sights, with sundown drinks by the river, say, or a wild swim in the Rhine. Hire a Wickelfisch, (a fish-shaped waterproof bag) at the tourist office, strip off and go with the flow, floating downstream past the city’s landmarks.

Lake Lucerne

Best for lakeside romance

Oh, Lucerne! Reclining on the shores of its glittering namesake lake, this walkable, medieval dream of a city has a magic you can’t quite put your finger on. It will grab you, perhaps, when you are strolling along the promenade as the sun sets in a blaze of gold and pinks. Or as you cruise across its waters to mountains of myth: 2132m Mt Pilatus, where Wagner raved about the Alpine panorama and Queen Victoria trotted on horseback, and 1797m Rigi, with a light so sublime Turner painted it in three different moods.

The little city punches far above its weight culturally, with its iconic medieval bridge, Kapellbrücke, leaping across the Reuss River, Jean Nouvel-designed KKL arts centre and Sammlung Rosengart, harboring a prized private collection of Picassos. Ambling past the belle époque hotels lining its shores, the same views that captivated Goethe, Queen Victoria and Wagner in the 19th century will hold you in their thrall.

With more time on your hands, you can really get out on the lake. Cruise across fjord-like, mountain-rimmed Lake Uri for a taste of Switzerland’s geographical and spiritual heartland. Boats ply the glassy turquoise waters to Rütli, birthplace of the Swiss nation, where the Oath of Eternal Allegiance was signed in 1291, and on to the Tellskapelle, a tiny speck of a chapel embedded in woods. Lore has it that apple-shooting, rebel-yelling folk hero William Tell leapt from the boat of his Habsburg captors to safety here more than 700 years ago.

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Zürich

Best for urban culture

Regularly landing at the top in quality of living surveys, urban dynamo Zürich never seems to miss a beat: from cool waterside bars on the banks of the River Limmat to its alley-woven Old Town, where the twin-spired Romanesque Grossmünster shines with Augusto Giacometti’s rainbow of stained glass. Le Corbusier’s boldly colored architectural creations and the edgily post-industrial Züri-West neighborhood notch things up a gear further still culturally.

Zürich has a pinch of everything that makes Switzerland special: a dramatic lake backdrop and the Alps etched on the horizon, an avalanche of superb restaurants, bars and cafes, concert halls and galleries (not least the Kunsthaus) with serious cachet, and a leafy lakefront providing a calm contrast to the buzz of the center.

In mid-August, Zürich throws one of Switzerland’s wildest parties: the techno-pumping Street Parade.

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A hefty chunk of Wales is properly remote wilderness, so it’s easy to give the crowds a miss in this country of lonely moors and mountains, cliff-rimmed coastlines and tucked-away valleys. Mostly you’ll share the trails with nothing more than the odd unruly sheep.

These are the best hikes in Wales.

Cadair Idris

Best hike for epic mountain views

Six miles (9.6km) round trip, challenging, 5 hours

Snowdon has the height edge, but for equally phenomenal views and far fewer crowds, opt instead for the challenging ramble up to 2930ft (893m) Cadair Idris. Bang in the heart of Snowdonia National Park, this hulking, sheer-flanked, gold-green crag looks like a figment of Tolkien’s imagination. It’s a mountain of myth too, named after a 7th-century giant called Idris. Sleep on its slopes and legend has it you will awaken either mad or a poet. There are several ways to climb it, but the tough six-mile Minffordd Path (allow five hours return) is arguably the most dramatic, with the added bonus of a stopoff for wild swimming at Llyn Cau, a glacial cirque lake rimmed by ragged 1312ft-high mountain walls.

Llyn y Fan Fach

Best hike for fans of Welsh folklore

Four-mile loop (6.5km), moderate, 2.5 hours

It might feel like the road to nowhere as you swing along the narrow, steeply hedgerowed single-track lane. But eventually you will emerge to bleating sheep and a delightfully remote parking lot in Llanddeusant, the trailhead for this spectacular four-mile trail to Llyn y Fan Fach. Out on its lonesome in the Black Mountain range in the Brecon Beacons National Park ’s western reaches, Llyn y Fan Fach has a primeval, almost brutal, beauty to it. Glacier-eroded peaks rear above this steel-blue lake, the backdrop for the Lady of the Lake legend, which appears in the medieval Welsh folk epic, The Mabinogion. Follow the river upstream to the lake, ridge and upland moors beyond.

The Golden Road

Best hike for discovering Wales’ ancient history

Seven miles (11km), moderate, 4 hours one way

Sheep and wild ponies are more commonly glimpsed than fellow walkers in Pembrokeshire ’s deliciously wild and remote Preseli Hills, where scudding clouds cast shadows across the bare moors and crags. Topping out at 1759ft (536m) with the summit of Foel Cwmcerwyn, these hills hide a sensational prehistoric landscape, liberally sprinkled with hill forts, standing stones and burial chambers. Lore has it that the bluestones of Stonehenge hail from here. The seven-mile, west–east Golden Road, part of a 5000-year-old trade route between Wessex and Ireland, runs along the spine of the hills, taking in cairns and the stone circle of Bedd Arthur in its stride.

Ynyslas Dunes

Best hike for beach lovers

Three miles (4.8km), easy, 45 minutes

A spirit-lifting expanse of sky, sand and pounding surf awaits at Ynyslas in Ceredigion, where rippling dunes form an integral part of the Dyfi Unesco Biosphere Reserve. This nature reserve draws wetland birds like ringed plovers and shelducks, as well as dolphins, porpoises and otters. Boardwalks thread through the dunes, which are brushed with breeze-bent marram grass and, in summer, freckled with wildflowers like marsh and bee orchids and sea pink. It’s a tranquil place to wander down to the wide, long, shell-strewn beach, with the dark peaks of Snowdonia looming in the distance. Or walk a three-mile (one way) stretch of the Ceredigion Coast Path to Borth, where very low tide reveals the petrified tree stumps of a prehistoric forest.

Dinas Island

Best hike for sea views and dolphin spotting

Three miles (4.8km), moderate, 2 hours

Pembrokeshire is rightly celebrated for its castaway beaches, high cliff tops and magnificent 186-mile coast path, which marked its 50th anniversary in 2020. But if you have neither the time nor the stamina for the full coastal shebang, try one of the most memorable short hikes loops around the headland of Dinas Island. Dodge the high season and you’ll have the three-mile circular trail largely to yourself. Fringed by jagged, gorse-clad cliffs, the coast is imprinted with smugglers’ coves bearing the full brunt of the Irish Sea. Most are only accessible by boat, so content yourself with the views from Dinas Head (where dolphins and seals can sometimes be spotted) and Needle Point (occasional puffin sightings). In the hamlet of Cwm-yr-Eglwys, you’ll find the ruins of medieval St. Brynach’s Church. End your walk with sunset and a pint at The Old Sailors.

Ystradfellte

Best hike for chasing waterfalls

5.5-mile loop (8.8km), moderate with challenging sections, 3.5 hours

The bald, fin-shaped peaks of the Brecon Beacons, with their glacier-carved valleys and upland moors, top out at 2907ft-high (886m) Pen-y-Fan, where the trails fill up when the sun’s out. Just one valley over and tucked away among woods is Waterfall Country. Pick a fine day and pack sturdy boots to hit the 5.5-mile Four Falls Walk, which dips deep into thick pine forest and a ferny gorge ripe for a fairy tale. Steps and footbridges lead to a series of falls, the most impressive of which is wispy Sgwd-yr-Eira (Waterfall of the Snow), which you can walk behind. Get here first thing to experience the falls at their quietest.

Mynydd Rhiw

Best hike for 360-degree panoramas

2.7 miles (4.3km), moderate, 2 hours

The wild Llŷn Peninsula is where Cardigan Bay slings its northern hook into the Irish Sea. The rumpled massif of Snowdonia puckers up to the east, while Ireland is but a pebble’s throw west across the wave-tormented sea. For an overview, strike out on the two-hour, 2.7-mile circular trail to Mynydd Rhiw. Though modest in height, this 997ft-high (304m) lump of ancient rock has a pinch of everything that makes the peninsula special. Beginning at the Plas yn Rhiw parking lot, the path clambers up and over sheep fields, dry-stone walls and heather-brushed moors to the ridge-top trig point. From here, there are spirit-lifting views of Snowdonia, the great golden arc of Porth Neigwl (Hell's Mouth) and offshore Bardsey Island, where 20,000 saints are said to lie buried. Keep an eye out for Neolithic axe factories on the descent.

St. Davids Head

Best hike for dramatic coastlines

Four miles (6.4km), moderate, 1.25 hours

Topped off by a gigantic medieval cathedral, St. Davids is Britain’s smallest city (population 1800), the birthplace of Wales’ patron saint and a magnet for pilgrims. A four-mile circular walk sidesteps the crowds milling around this coastal honeypot and heads up and over stile and through the kissing gate to St. Davids Head. Starting at mile-long Whitesands Bay, the gorse-draped promontory is a remarkable place for a coastal romp, packing in dramatic sea cliffs, deliciously hidden coves like Porthmelgan, views across the sea to Ramsey Island, an Iron Age hill fort and a Neolithic burial chamber.

Twm Siôn Cati’s Cave, Cambrian Mountains

Best hike for families

2.5 miles (4km), easy, 1 hour

Barren, sparsely populated and often silent but for the piercing whistle of red kites wheeling overhead, the Cambrian Mountains are Mid-Wales at its wildest, starkest and off-the-radar best. In fact, they're perfect for a bandit seeking a hideaway, such as Twm Siôn Cati, a 16th-century outlaw of Robin Hood–like status. The 2.5-mile circular walk at RSPB Gwenffrwd-Dinas reserve takes you deep into ancient oak and alder woods, which are misted with bluebells in late spring, along a fast-flowing river and deep into a boulder-strewn valley. Steps twist steeply up to Twm Siôn Cati’s lair at roughly the halfway point. Scramble into the cave to see elaborately etched graffiti, some dating to Victorian times.

Ynys Llanddwyn, Anglesey

Best hike for romantics

3.5 miles (5.6km), easy, 2 hours

If ever you’re going to fall head-over-heels in love with the Welsh coast, it will surely be at Llanddwyn on Anglesey, with its wide-open skies, shifting sands and painterly light. The romantic ruins of St. Dwynwen’s Church have attracted pilgrims for centuries because of their association with St. Dwynwen, Wales’ patron saint of lovers (a Welsh St. Valentine of sorts). Beginning at the Newborough Forest parking lot, this 3.5-mile circular walk delves into shady Corsican pine woods where red squirrels scamper, emerging at one of the island’s loveliest dune-flanked beaches, and crossing over to Llanddwyn, a rocky spit of land that becomes an island when cut off at very high tide.

Tips for hiking in Wales

Planning on tackling a few hikes in one trip? Plan your pit stops in advance. Wild camping is illegal in Wales unless you have the express permission of the landowner.
Popular mountains, including Snowdonia and Pen y Fan, get extremely busy in the summer months (we’re talking lines to the summit). Aim to travel in off-season or choose alternative peaks.
Wales is known for its rain, but it pays to be prepared for all conditions, as weather can be unpredictable and changeable. Pack sunscreen, a raincoat and plenty of layers.
The mountains aren’t the only place to find steep, thigh-burning walks. The Wales Coast Path (the world’s first to follow a country’s entire coastline) is plenty hilly too. Completing the Pembrokeshire section alone is said to equate to summiting Mt. Everest, with 35,000ft of ascents and descents.

This article was originally published in July 2020.

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Compact, multicultural Cardiff dances to its own beat, with numerous historical sites, independent businesses and a friendly atmosphere.

Here are the best things to do in Cardiff, from its grand castle and leafy urban gardens to the best Welsh cakes and the world’s oldest record shop.

Cardiff Castle

In the middle of the city center is Cardiff Castle, a medieval castle encircled by Roman walls. William Burges' opulent interiors epitomize Victorian Gothic design, and once inside, you can marvel at intricate woodcarvings, epic murals, stained glass and rich colors that stretch from wall to ceiling. Climb to the top of the Norman keep to see views over the entire city. On a clear day you can see its sister castle, Castell Coch, in the distance.

Cardiff's arcades

Stretching for more than half a mile between the main shopping streets and the castle end of the city, the Victorian, Edwardian and contemporary indoor shopping arcades give Cardiff the nickname of "the city of arcades." Along the winding corridors are independent boutiques, family-run cafes and quirky pop-up spaces, all much more charming than the chain stores in St David's shopping center. Browse the vinyl racks at Spillers, the world's oldest record store, or hug a mug in Coffee Barker, a coffee shop with cozy nooks and exposed bricks.

National Museum Cardiff

Home to Wales' art, geology and natural history collections, as well as touring exhibitions, the National Museum Cardiff is educational and vast. It contains the United Kingdom's largest collection of French Impressionist paintings outside of London and works from artists as diverse as Van Gogh and Picasso. The Evolution of Wales section charts the story of the country from the Big Bang up to the 21st century and features epic dinosaurs.

Cardiff Bay Barrage

Built to regenerate Cardiff's docklands, the Cardiff Bay Barrage is Europe's largest waterfront development. It's essentially an unwalled path for pedestrians and cyclists stretching across the water from Cardiff Bay to Penarth, a nearby seaside town, and it's a great viewpoint from which to appreciate the scale and history of the capital. Across the barrage, walk along Penarth seafront, which has an award-winning pier and old-fashioned shops. You can look out across the Bristol Channel to spot two islands, Flat Holm and Steep Holm.

Cardiff Bay

With boat trips running all year, restaurants galore and stunning views, Cardiff Bay always has something to do, see or try. Experience the Welsh knack for storytelling and singing at Wales Millennium Centre, a first-class theater, dance and music venue. For performances of the political kind, check out the Senedd, home to the Welsh Parliament. Adrenaline junkies will love Cardiff International White Water, where you can try white water rafting, kayaking and stand up paddleboarding all without leaving the city. Those with a sweet tooth should visit Nata & Co, a Portuguese bakery that serves impeccable tarts.

Chapter Arts Centre

Founded by local artists more than 40 years ago, Chapter Arts Centre is the alternative culture hub of Cardiff. It embraces talent big and small in its theater, two movie theaters (which largely show indie releases) and an art gallery. Chapter's open-plan cafe is a watering hole for many local creatives. It captures Cardiff residents' friendliness, love of a good conversation and easygoing attitude, and it serves wholesome meals and craft beers.

Principality Stadium

The iconic Principality Stadium, formerly called Millennium Stadium, dominates the bank of the River Taff. It's regularly used for major sports including football, rugby, motorsport and boxing, and doubles as an arena for music concerts. Visitors can join a tour that takes you to the home dressing room (better known as the Dragon's Lair), the press suite, VIP boxes, players' tunnel, the highest seats in the 76,000-capacity house and, of course, pitch-side.

Bute Park

Next to Cardiff Castle is Bute Park, a thriving green idyll loved by locals. Relax with a walk along the River Taff, home to many species of wildlife including otters and rare birds, or wind your way through the pretty flower beds and woodland areas. Take a pit stop at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama, whose alumni include Anthony Hopkins and Rob Brydon.

Cardiff Market

A former jail, Cardiff Market has two floors of stalls within its Victorian shell. You can buy almost anything here, which makes it perfect for wandering. Highlights include Bakestones, which makes the best Welsh cakes, and Clancy's, a spice and veggie food emporium with lentil dal to die for.

St. Fagans National History Museum

One of Wales’s most popular heritage attractions, St. Fagans National History Museum is an open-air museum of Welsh life. Buildings from throughout Welsh history have been carefully taken down from their original sites and re-erected here. You can walk through the ages via the buildings, from a stony medieval court to a functioning 20th-century bakehouse. Take a break at the quaint Gwalia Tea Room before ambling through trees and country paths on the 100-acre site.

Cardiff’s nightlife

Here to party? Cardiff’s got you covered – in fact, nights out here are pretty legendary. Most of the action centers around St. Mary’s Street and spills into nearby lanes. For fancy cocktails book a table at The Dead Canary, a speakeasy-style bar tucked behind a nondescript black doorway. To rock out, try alternative club Metros or catch a gig at Clwb Ifor Bach. For the LGBTQI+ scene, look no further than Pulse, Mary’s or The Golden Cross. When you’re done drinking and dancing, it’s time to head to Caroline Street – known locally as Chippy Lane – for a debrief over chips and curry sauce (or cheese and gravy).

Roath Park

It’s worth venturing out of Cardiff city center for a wander around Roath Park. The Victorian-era public park includes a colorful Botanic Garden, a conservatory filled with tropical greenery and a large lake featuring a distinctive white clock tower – a memorial to Captain Scott and his crew, who embarked on an ill-fated Antarctic expedition in 1910 and whose ship Terra Nova originally set sail from Cardiff. Get out on the water by hiring a pedalo or traditional rowboat, or grab a treat from the ever-present ice-cream van and watch the swans and geese waddling along the shore.

This article was originally published in January 2017.

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The fall season is when even the most chronically plant-blind suddenly find themselves in love with leaves, staring longingly out of office windows and snapping photos of the new colors of autumn.

Those changing colors are captivating – and, sadly, it can all be over before you’ve even thought of traveling to the prime places to witness it. For foliage lovers who want to know where to go to see fall in all its finery, we’ve raked together a pile of the top leaf-peeping spots across the US.

Stowe, Vermont

New England is synonymous with fall colors in the US, and for good reason. If you visit at the right time, the vast sweeps of reds and golds are unmatched. Much of the credit can go to the sugar maple, native to the northeast and adjacent parts of Canada, but a host of other trees including oaks, alders and basswoods add daubs of yellows and oranges to the palette. Stowe, the unofficial – but totally justified – capital of fall color, is the perfect base camp for leafy adventures, connected to hundreds of miles of hiking and cycling trails, and boasting easy access to the highest points of Vermont's Green Mountains.

When to see fall colors in Stowe

Fall-color ogling in Vermont is such a seasonal tourism draw that multiple services, such as Stowe's Foliage Finder ranking, track peak foliage locations through autumn. Stowe has a long window for leaf peeping, which can start as early as the first week of September and run through mid-October. Generally, foliage colors peak in the last week of September and the first half of October.

See Vermont's vivid fall landscapes best with these road trips

Blue Ridge Parkway, North Carolina and Virginia

The autumnal equinox is the same day on every calendar in the northern hemisphere, but the trees aren’t taking any notice – they’re tracking the weather instead. The higher in elevation or the farther north you go, the sooner the colors start changing. The scenic Blue Ridge Parkway – a 469-mile road from Virginia to North Carolina that connects Shenandoah National Park and Great Smoky Mountains National Park – ranges from around 650ft to more than 6000ft in elevation, resulting in a mixture of colors and varying tree species along the route. The maples here are different from the sugar maples up north, and you get dozens of other trees, from red dogwoods and scarlet oaks to yellow persimmons and multi-colored sumacs.

When to see fall colors along the Blue Ridge Parkway

Colors peak along the Blue Ridge Parkway in October, generally in the last half of the month, but it depends on the elevation. Head to higher elevations, where the leaves start changing first, for trips in early October. SmokyMountains.com has a county-by-county fall foliage prediction map, or the Virginia Department of Forestry and Appalachian State University have helpful maps that show cities, major highways and peak color dates.

A fall road trip through the Blue Ridge Mountains of the USA

Columbia River Gorge, Oregon

Oregon – in fact, most of the western US – is known for vast evergreen forests, and when you’re on the hunt for fall colors, you’re looking for leaves that drop. Sorry, evergreens. But the forests of the West hold many surprises, especially if you follow the rivers where deciduous trees thrive. An autumn drive through the Columbia River Gorge outside Portland will greet you with fall colors from three species of maple and alder, framing the many waterfalls of the gorge, including the famous Multnomah Falls with its arching bridge. For a longer tour, take the full Mt. Hood Scenic Loop, a three- to four-hour drive that follows the Columbia River and then circles back around the snow-capped peak of Oregon’s tallest mountain, following more colors along the east fork of the Hood River.

When to see fall colors in the Columbia River Gorge

Fall colors in this region of Oregon peak in late October. Travel Oregon has a handy guide to the leaf types, colors and maps of the state showing where to leaf peep when. To get up close to the colors, sign up for a hiking and biking adventure into the Columbia River Gorge with Around Portland Tours.

Zion National Park, Utah

In the fall, the heavy crowds and high temperatures of summer fade away in Utah's Zion National Park, and there’s a surprise: glorious fall colors in the desert. You won’t find the vast forests all changing color at once like in New England, but what you will see is just as striking: spots of brilliant crimson maples, burnt-orange oaks and vibrant yellows of box elders and cottonwoods tracing the creeks, all set against the striking blue desert sky and pale rocks of Zion. The popular Emerald Pools trail, starting from Zion Lodge and climbing past waterfalls and crystalline pools, provides an easy tour of the deciduous trees of Zion National Park. Or lose the crowds entirely and explore the lonesome gulches of East Zion where you can have hidden maple groves all to yourself.

When to see fall colors in Zion National Park

Zion's higher elevations peak in color in early to mid-October, but at lower elevations and along the Virgin River, which cuts through the park, colorful foliage can last until mid-November.

Telluride, Colorado

Between the famed festival season of summer and the winter ski season, the Rocky Mountain town of Telluride pulls in plenty of visitors. But wedged in between is perhaps the most beautiful season of all, when the forests of aspens turn gold. They’re called quaking aspens for a reason: the slightest breeze causes their leaves to flutter and twist, making the trees look like they’re rippling with golden light. Telluride’s free public gondola takes you from the valley floor on an eight-mile ride up the mountain. You can take in the aspens from the sky and then hike down through them at your leisure.

When to see fall colors in Telluride

Expect leaves in Telluride to start showing their colors from mid-September, lasting for about three weeks. Keep an eye on the Forest Service's San Juan National Forest Fall Color Report for the most up-to-date color-changing information.

Stillwater, Minnesota

Minnesota might be known as the land of 10,000 lakes, but it’s also a land of rivers. Head east from Minneapolis and you hit Stillwater, a historic logging town on the banks of the St. Croix River overlooking Wisconsin. Stillwater is a draw year round for its historic paddle-wheel steamboats and old-timey atmosphere, but in the autumn, the hills along the St. Croix light up with the oranges and reds of colorful fall leaves. Take in the leafy hues from one of the daily public riverboat cruises, or cross the river on the St. Croix Crossing bridge.

When to see fall colors in Stillwater

Fall colors usually peak in Stillwater at the end of September, but check the Minnesota Department of Natural Resource's Fall Color Finder for a regularly updated map that covers the entire state.

Louisville, Kentucky

If you’re seeing colors around Louisville, it doesn’t necessarily mean you’ve sampled too much of the local bourbon. You don’t even need to leave Kentucky ’s largest city to enjoy the changing of the seasons. A stroll around the gaslamp-lit St. James Court and the Old Louisville rows of Victorian-era homes is made all the more atmospheric by the colorful fall foliage. Louisville has 50 miles of bike trails along the Ohio River and Floyds Fork, with more in the works on the long-planned 100-mile Louisville Loop path. A short drive south of the city takes you to Bernheim Arboretum and Research Forest, with more than 40 miles of trails open to walkers and bikers, and a canopy tree walk that takes you 70ft up into the trees themselves.

When to see fall colors in Louisville

Nearly half of Kentucky's land area is forested, and fall color changes can start as early as September in higher, mountainous regions. Color peaks in areas at lower elevations in October and can last until early November.

Fern Canyon, California

Who decided that green leaves weren’t worthy of a trip? Fern Canyon will set the record straight. The 60ft-high sheer walls of the creek canyon set back from the California coast in Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park are completely covered in dripping mosses and ferns, including spectacular five-fingered ferns. It’s easy to see why Steven Spielberg used it as a shooting location for The Lost World: Jurassic Park – it feels primordial. In the summer months, footbridges help hikers crisscross the creek, but prepare to get your feet wet the rest of the year. Despite feeling quite remote, this park can get busy, so plan to hit it early if you want quiet and people-free photos.

This article was originally published in August 2018.

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The sun-drenched party capital of Mexico, Cancún is synonymous with high-end hotels, glamorous clubs and spring breakers lining those dazzling beaches. But there is more to this town than the surface level of glitz aimed at tourists in search of a good time.

Cancún is a multi-layered city with ancient historical sites, beautiful natural landscapes and a rich cultural heritage – and many of these experiences come for free or at a very budget-friendly price. Our round-up of the best cheap things to do there will give you a memorable vacation at a fraction of the regular price.

Playa Delfines

Playa Delfines is a breathtaking Caribbean beach with soft sand and impossibly turquoise waters. With no high-rise hotels on it, the beach is also one of the few in the Zona Hotelera that is easily accessed (so easy, there’s a designated bus stop and car park).

The vibe is chilled-out and family-friendly – playing in the waves, sandcastle-making and reading novels are the main events. Just as nice are all the free amenities: rows and rows of palapas, clean restrooms, a playground…even lifeguards. All you need is your beach blanket!

7 stunning Cancún beaches

Parque de las Palapas

Tucked into a quiet neighborhood in downtown Cancún, Parque de las Palapas is a welcome slice of local flavor. An open, leafy plaza, it comes alive in the evenings, when the heat of the day subsides. Food cart vendors do brisk business in impossible-to-resist street eats, while others sell handicrafts and traditional clothing.

Kids zip around the park in toy sports cars as families and couples stroll around. On weekends, free entertainment lights up the palapa-shaded mainstage – everything from live jazz to traditional dance groups – with a cultural treat for locals and visitors alike.

Museo Maya de Cancún

Sitting among the high-rise hotels, this contemporary museum showcases over 400 Maya artifacts – vases, jewelry, masks – found at key archaeological sites around the Yucatán Peninsula. Multi-media exhibits are engaging and informative, most with English translations. The admission ticket (US$4) includes access to the adjoining ruins of San Miguelito, a Maya community dating to the 13th century. Jungle paths wind past ancient dwellings, alters and even a 26ft-high (8m) pyramid – a reminder of the Cancún that once was.

Top things to do in Cancun

Zona Arqueológica El Rey

Located across from Playa Delfines, this small and very reasonably priced (US$2.75) archaeological site makes a good break from the beach and poolside games. A wide path runs down the center of this former Maya maritime and fishing community, with small temples and ceremonial platforms on either side. The site gets its name from a sculpture excavated here of a noble, possibly a rey (king), wearing an elaborate headdress. Keep an eye out for the beefy iguanas – many of them make their home here!

Teatro de Cancún

The Teatro de Cancún is easy to overlook – who goes on a beach vacation to go to the theater, after all? But taking in a show at this modern playhouse is an inexpensive way to fold in some genuine Mexican culture to your trip. Shows range from traditional dance performances and classical music to plays and comedy shows. Tickets start at just $5. And yes, you can even wear your flips flops.

Mora Mora

A go-to spot in Cancún’s alt-nightlife scene, Mora Mora is the place to catch some Mexican hip-hop, reggae and punk bands. A combo restaurant, bar and gallery, the place is decked out in murals with tables and couches all around. Bands rock out on an open-air stage in the rear garden; most shows are free (and the drinks cheap). When the stage is dark, stop in for free screenings of arthouse- and cult-favorite films.

The best day trips from Cancún

Tigres de Quintana Roo

Shake things up with a professional baseball game in downtown Cancún. The Tigres de Quintana Roo, one of 18 teams in the Mexican professional baseball league, play in the Beto Ávila stadium from March to September.

The ambiance is family-friendly, down to the team’s goofy mascot. And be sure to order snacks – local faves include chicharrónes (pork rind) doused in hot sauce and tropical fruit on a stick. The beer is ice cold and cheap too. Tickets start at just $2 and top out at $12 (a steal!).

Mercado 23

Mercado 23 is a bustling city market and a great place to experience the sights and scents of local Mexico: rows and rows of tropical fruits and vegetables, buckets of colorful flowers and sacks of dried shrimp and all manner of animal parts. Souvenirs and handicrafts can be found here too – most of the same ones you’d find in the Zona Hotelera but at a fraction of the cost.

Parque Kabah

Parque Kabah is tropical nature reserve in downtown Cancún, a public park appealing to nature- and fitness-lovers alike. A 1.2-mile trail loops through the park, popular for running and walking; along the way, local wildlife like coatis and iguana can be seen.

A set of ponds are home to turtles and young crocodiles; in the winter, migrating birds also make them their temporary home. A wood playground and simple park museum round out the space. Park-goers encounter occasional farmers markets, yoga classes and other free events here too.

La Isla Shopping Village

Yes, it’s a mall, and yes, the boutiques and activities are pricey (there’s an aquarium and Ferris wheel) but La Isla is also a pleasant place for a stroll in the Zona Hotelera – a tough thing to find if you’re not on the beach.

Canals with Venice-style gondolas wind through the outdoor shopping “village,” street performers are engaging and there’s a boardwalk that opens onto Laguna Nichupté, a beautiful spot to take in the sunset. If it’s raining, stop into the multi-plex movie theater ($3.50), where on Tuesdays two-for-one tickets are the best deal in town.

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Cancún on a budget: the best free (and almost free!) things to do in party city

With the daily influx of new residents seeking its wealth of culture and diversity, Austin is thriving. Fans of sprawling green spaces in urban areas are spoilt with numerous public parks and lakes providing hiking trails, kayaking and beautiful views under the Texan sun. And when the heat gets a little too intense in the early afternoon, galleries, museums, music venues, bars and restaurants are waiting to welcome you.

Austin's quirky indie spirit is a big part of its attraction to visitors and the open-armed welcome you get from the locals is why so many people never leave. There's something fun to do in Austin no matter when you visit – here's our guide to the best things to do in the city.

1. Continental Club

Considered Austin's preeminent music venue, there's no passive toe-tapping here. The dance floor at this 1950s-era lounge is always swinging with some of the city's best local acts. On most Monday nights you can catch local legend Dale Watson and his Lone Stars serenading the crowd with their country and western tunes. The Continental Gallery upstairs houses a regularly changed collection of artwork and sometimes hosts intimate live music sessions. It has a hidden-away speakeasy vibe and you can catch some incredible jazz and soul performances up close and personal.

2. Blanton Museum of Art

A big university with a big endowment is bound to have a big art collection, and now, finally, it has a suitable building to show it off properly. With one of the best university art collections in the USA, the Blanton showcases a variety of styles. It doesn't go very deeply into any of them, but then again you're bound to find something of interest. Especially striking is the permanent installation of Missao/Missoes (How to Build Cathedrals) – which involves 600,000 pennies, 800 communion wafers and 2000 cattle bones.

3. Bat Colony at Congress Avenue Bridge

Every year up to 1.5 million Mexican free-tailed bats make their home upon a platform beneath the Congress Ave Bridge, which crosses the Colorado at the southern end of downtown. It's an Austin tradition to sit on the grassy banks of Lady Bird Lake and watch the bats swarm out as dusk approaches each evening, like a fast-moving, black, chittering river. Each night, they feed on an estimated 30,000lb (13,500kg) of insects. The best viewing is in August.

North America’s largest urban bat colony consists entirely of female and young animals. In June, each female gives birth to one pup, and such is the density as the families take to the skies that bat radars have detected bat columns up to 10,000 bat feet (3050m) high. Bat Conservation International has volunteers on hand and holds programs throughout the bat season. Capitol Cruises, behind the Hyatt Hotel, offers bat-watching cruises on Town Lake below the bridge.

4. Franklin BBQ

This famous BBQ joint only serves lunch, and only until it runs out – usually well before 2pm. To avoid missing out, join the line – and there will be a line – by 10am (9am on weekends). Treat it as a tailgating party: bring beer or mimosas to share and make friends. And yes, you do want the fatty brisket.

A few tips? Look for handy fold-out chairs near the front of the line or bring your own. While you wait, you can buy beer from a cooler-toting server. And when your moment of glory arrives, go for the two-meat plate, or nab all you can for a feast to enjoy later. (Just be quick about it. The people behind you are starving.)

5. Texas State Capitol

Completed in 1888 using sunset-red granite, Texas’ state capitol is the largest in the US, backing up the familiar claim that everything’s bigger here. Drop in even if only to take a peek at the lovely rotunda – look up at the dome – and try out the whispering gallery created by its curved ceiling.

Self-guided-tour brochures for both building and grounds can be picked up from a ground-floor office that’s also the starting point for interesting 40-minute guided tours (daily, schedules vary). The green sprawl of the capitol grounds and its monuments (which controversially still include a Confederate monument) are worth a stroll. The freestanding visitor center holds an exhibit about the capitol building, while the gift shop sells Texas-themed souvenirs.

6. Lady Bird Lake

On a sunny morning in the spring, Lady Bird Lake looks like the world's most active playground. Kayakers skim across the still water, swimmers swim laps in Barton Springs pool, frisbees whir across a lush disc golf course and joggers and cyclists burn calories on lakeside trails.

Named after former first lady 'Lady Bird' Johnson, Lady Bird Lake looks like a river. And no wonder: it’s actually a dammed-off section of the Colorado River. Get on the water at the rowing dock, which rents kayaks, stand-up paddleboards and canoes from $10 to $20 per hour Monday to Thursday, and slightly higher prices on weekends.

7. Zilker Park

This 350-acre park is a slice of green heaven, lined with hiking and biking trails. The park also provides access to the famed Barton Springs natural swimming pool and Barton Creek Greenbelt. Find boat rentals, a miniature train, a playground and a botanical garden, too. On weekends from April to early September, admission is $5 per car. The park celebrated its centennial in 2017.

Springtime brings hundreds of kites taking to the sky at the Zilker Park Kite Festival – the oldest kite festival in the United States. Food and games round out the fun.

8. Veracruz All Natural

Two sisters from Mexico run this East Austin taco truck (an old bus), which may serve the best tacos in town. Step up to the window, order a migas breakfast taco (you must!) then add a quesadilla or torta for variety. Take your buzzer – yep, this food truck is so popular that buzzers are a necessity – and grab a picnic table.

What's in the famed migas taco? Eggs, tortilla chips, avocado, pico de gallo and monterey jack cheese. Don't miss the salsas near the pick-up window.

9. Little Longhorn Saloon

This funky little cinder-block building, 5 miles north of downtown, is one of those dive bars that Austinites love so very much. They did even before it became nationally famous for Chicken Shit Bingo on Sunday night, when it's so crowded you can barely see the darn chicken – but, hey, it's still fun. The chicken is placed upon the bingo board and chooses the numbers in its own random chicken picken' way. There’s live music most other nights.

10. Ann & Roy Butler Hike-and-Bike Trail and Boardwalk

You can gaze at the downtown skyline from a series of photogenic boardwalks on this scenic 10-mile trail, which loops around Lady Bird Lake. Shorten the loop by crossing the lake on one of several bridges. You'll find restrooms, water fountains and waste bags for your pet along the way. Check the city's Parks & Recreation webpage for parking lots, trail access points and ADA accessible entrances. Austin old-timers may refer to the trail as the Lady Bird Trail or the Town Lake Trail.

11. Amy's Ice Creams

It's not just the ice cream we love; it's the toppings that get pounded and blended in, violently but lovingly, by the staff wielding a metal scoop in each hand. They're the perfect antidote to the Texan sun. Look for other locations on Guadalupe St north of the UT campus, on South Congress near all the shops, or at the airport for a last-ditch fix.

12. South by Southwest (SXSW)

For five nights in mid-March tens of thousands of record-label reps, musicians, journalists and rabid fans from around the country descend on Austin for South by Southwest, a musical extravaganza that attracts a couple thousand groups and solo artists from around the world at more than 100 different Austin venues. Admission to festival events is by badge only, but many bands also play free shows.

Though SXSW started out as an opportunity for little-known bands and singers to catch the ear of a record-label rep, it has since become a wildly popular industry showcase for already-signed bands. Add to that a hugely popular interactive festival, as well as a more subdued but still well-attended film festival, and you've got a major international draw that takes over the city and sends most of the locals into hiding for two weeks every spring.

13. Formula 1 Grand Prix

In Travis County, just outside of Austin, a high-speed racetrack draws legions of F1 fans during a high-octane weekend in autumn. The glamorous motorsport brings its global media circus to town and celebrities descend from all over the USA to watch the best drivers in the world compete under the stifling Texan sun on a state-of-the-art 3.4-mile circuit track.

Hotel rooms in September get snapped up because of it, so booking well in advance to avoid disappointment is recommended. Tickets for the race are far from cheap but still sell out very quickly.

14. Austin Pride

Founded in 2010, Austin's Gay and Lesbian Pride Foundation has been working hard to support and celebrate the local LGBTIQ+ community for over a decade. Austin's gay pride celebration is now one of Texas' largest. Pride week in August features a parade, two stages of live music and more than 100 vendors. The parade usually starts at the Texas State Capitol, before heading down Congress Avenue and finishing in the Warehouse District. Austinites come out in force to celebrate and the atmosphere is electric.

15. Alamo Drafthouse Cinema

Talk back to the screen during an event night at Austin's homegrown movie theater. Easily the most fun you can have at the movies: sing along with Grease, quote along with Princess Bride, or just enjoy food and drink delivered right to your seat during first-run films. Check the website for other locations.

16. Austin City Limits Music Festival

What do music lovers do in the fall? They head to the Austin City Limits Festival, which, though not as big as SXSW (what is?), seems to grow larger every year. Spreading through the first two weekends in October, in Zilker Park, it books more than 100 impressive acts – Paul McCartney, Billie Eilish, and The Cure, for example – and sells out months in advance.

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Everything's better in Austin: top experiences in the Texan sunshine

The sunshine-drenched sprawl of California gave us the Gold Rush and is home to some of the most expensive cities in the United States, but that doesn't mean you need a lottery win to vacation there. Some of the best experiences in the Golden State are free, from the towering redwoods of NorCal to the surf breaks of SoCal and dozens of wineries, museums, gardens, and cultural touchstones in between.

Whether you're looking for stunning state parks or museums that cover subjects from the avant garde to cryptozoology, Italian grapes or California cuisine, marine wildlife or towering man-made infrastructure, there's plenty to do here that's free (or nearly free). We've rounded up the best budget things to do in California starting in the north of the state and working our way south.

1. Redwood National Park

This park is the southernmost of a patchwork of state and federally administered lands under the umbrella of Redwood National and State Parks. To protect the Tall Trees Grove, a limited number of cars per day are allowed access – get free permits at the visitor center in Orick.

After picking up a map at the visitor center, you’ll have a suite of choices for hiking. Drive a few miles north along Hwy 101 and then turn east on Bald Hills Rd to get to Lady Bird Johnson Grove, a kid-friendly 1.5-mile loop trail that is perfect for the whole family. California has great weather all year round but higher water levels in winter mean some of the foot bridges are removed for safety reasons – check with the rangers if you plan to hike at that time of year.

2. Willow Creek China Flat Museum

Drop into this free (though donations are welcome) museum to take in its extensive Bigfoot collection. Footprints, handprints, hair…it has all kinds of exhibits that seek to prove the existence of this mysterious creature. In fact, the namesake Bigfoot Scenic Byway (Hwy 96) starts here and heads north, winding through breathtaking mountain and river country.

3. Shasta Dam

In keeping with the enormous natural features of the area, this colossal, 15-million-ton concrete dam is second only in size to Grand Coolie Dam in Washington state and second in height only to Hoover Dam in Nevada. The dam is located at the south end of Shasta Lake on Shasta Dam Boulevard.

Construction started in 1937 and it took 12 years to complete – its 487ft spillway is nearly three times as high as the drop of Niagara Falls. Woody Guthrie wrote ‘This Land Is Your Land’ while he was here entertaining dam workers. Guided tours of the interior of the dam and powerplant aren't currently available but you can do a self-guided tour across the top of the structure. Check with the visitor center for the most up-to-date details.

4. Wild Horse Sanctuary

Since 1978 the Wild Horse Sanctuary has been providing a home to unwanted horses and donkeys and giving them a lovely life. You can visit these beautiful animals, or even volunteer to help out for the day, on Wednesdays and Saturdays at the visitors center. The center is free to visit but to see them on the open plains, you'll need to pay for a one-day or multiday pack trip (contact the sanctuary in advance for availability).

5. Humbolt Redwoods State Park

Along Highway 101, 53,000-acre Humboldt Redwoods State Park protects some of the world's oldest redwoods and has three-quarters of the world's tallest 100 trees. Even if you don't have time to hike in, drive the park's awe-inspiring Avenue of the Giants, a 32-mile, two-lane road parallel to Highway 101.

6. Montgomery Woods State Natural Reserve

Two miles west of Orr Hot Springs, this 2743-acre reserve protects some of the best old-growth redwood groves within a day’s drive from San Francisco. A 2-mile loop trail, starting near the picnic tables and toilets, crosses the creek, winding through the serene forest. It’s out of the way, so visitors are likely to have it mostly to themselves.

The trees here are impressive – some up to 367ft tall – but remember to admire them from the trail, both to protect the root systems of the trees and to protect yourself from poison oak, which is all over the park.

7. Graziano Family of Wines

The Italian Graziano family is one of the oldest grape-growing families in Mendocino County and specializes in ‘Cal-Ital’ wines – including primitivo, dolcetto, barbera and Sangiovese – at some fantastic prices. Wine tasting at Graziano is complimentary.

8. Patrick Amiot Junk Art

A cow rides a tractor, a rocket blasts off the lawn, and a dinosaur grabs a red convertible for lunch: it's all happening on Florence Ave, in sculptures Patrick Amiot made for neighbors' yards from recycled junk. You'll spot more around the town of Sebastopol, but Amiot's block hosts three of the best: tin-can firefighters in a bathtub-sized fire truck, a sprinting waitress made of cutlery and – in a driveway with a powder-blue VW Beetle – a tiny driver in a recycled-fuel-can Beetle.

9. French Laundry Gardens

The secret to French Laundry feasts is hiding in plain sight right across the street: a lush organic culinary garden. Walk among these neatly boxed plots, and see if you can guess the obscure heirloom varietals destined for dinner – if you can't tell your Mokum carrots from your Hakurei turnips, check the framed cheat-sheet at the front. Tables and seats are thoughtfully provided near the flowerbeds for lazy summer afternoons. Ungated and open to public (no sampling, please).

10. The Culinary Institute of America at Copia

You don't have to be a chef to find inspiration at the Culinary Institute of America's public food and wine showplace. Turn left at the Winemaker Wall of Fame (salute Merry Edwards, the sole woman!) for gourmet-themed art, including vintage portraits of Julia Child taken before she was famous. Upstairs is fabulous, with its free Chuck Williams Culinary Arts Museum and dazzling wall of copper baking molds (10:30am to 5pm daily). Check online for cooking classes, demos, documentaries and too-spicy-for-TV star-chef panels.

11. Point Reyes National Seashore

A rough-hewn beauty, Point Reyes National Seashore boasts marine mammals and birds, as well as scores of shipwrecks. Follow Sir Francis Drake Blvd west out to the point’s edge-of-the-world lighthouse, whipped by ferocious winds, where you can observe migrating whales in winter. The lighthouse is about 20 miles west of Point Reyes Station via Sir Francis Drake Blvd.

12. John Muir National Historic Site

Naturalist John Muir's former residence sits in a pastoral patch of farmland in bustling, modern Martinez. Though Muir wrote of sauntering the Sierra Nevada with a sack of tea and bread, it may be a shock for those familiar with the iconic Sierra Club founder’s ascetic weather-beaten appearance that this house (built by his father-in-law) is a model of Victorian Italianate refinement, with a tower cupola, a daintily upholstered parlor and splashes of white lace.

Check the website for special campfire programs, wildflower walks and full-moon hikes. The park is just north of Hwy 4. County Connection buses 16 and 98X from nearby Amtrak and BART stations stop here.

13. Diego Rivera's Allegory of California Fresco

Hidden inside San Francisco's Stock Exchange tower is a priceless treasure: Diego Rivera's Allegory of California fresco. Spanning a two-story stairwell between the 10th and 11th floors, the fresco shows California as a giant golden goddess offering farm-fresh produce, while gold miners toil beneath her and oil refineries loom on the horizon.  On the 1st and 3rd Monday of each month, a free tour from SF City Guides provides exclusive access to this two-story mural.

14. Angel Island State Park

Rising in the middle of San Francisco Bay, Angel Island has been a military base, immigration station, WWII Japanese internment camp and Nike missile site, leaving interesting and thought-provoking forts and bunkers to explore. Spread out a picnic in a protected cove or beach with views over the urban grid and bridges, or explore this family-friendly beauty on foot or bicycle. E-bikes are also available for a fee and are increasingly popular.

15. Golden Gate National Recreation Area

It's no mystery why this is one of the Bay Area's most popular hiking and cycling destinations. As the trails wind beside the Pacific Ocean and San Francisco Bay and through the Marin Headlands, they afford stunning views of the sea, the Golden Gate Bridge and the city of San Francisco.

16. Point Bonita Lighthouse

This historical lighthouse is a breathtaking half-mile walk from Field Road parking area. From the tip of Point Bonita, you can see the Golden Gate Bridge and the San Francisco skyline. Harbor seals haul out seasonally on nearby rocks. It's worth coming out here even when the lighthouse is closed. Call ahead to reserve a spot on one of the free monthly sunset tours of the promontory.

17. City Lights Bookstore

Free speech and free spirits have rejoiced here since 1957, when City Lights founder and poet Lawrence Ferlinghetti and manager Shigeyoshi Murao won a landmark ruling defending their right to publish Allen Ginsberg's magnificent epic poem Howl. Celebrate your freedom to read freely in the designated Poet’s Chair upstairs overlooking Jack Kerouac Alley, load up on zines on the mezzanine and entertain radical ideas downstairs in the new Pedagogies of Resistance section.

Visitors who make pilgrimages to this literary landmark will recognize truth in the cult sign declaring 'I am the door' – City Lights is the door to new ideas and nonstop revelations. Idle browsing is highly encouraged here – Ferlinghetti's hand-lettered sign describes City Lights as "A Kind of Library Where Books Are Sold." On the main floor, City Lights publications include titles by Angela Davis, Diane di Prima and Noam Chomsky, proving the point on another of Ferlinghetti's signs: "Printer's Ink Is the Greater Explosive."

18. Haight Street Art Center

Jeremy Fish's bronze bunny-skull sculpture guides you into a wonderland of screen-printed posters, San Francisco's signature art form. Glimpse rock-concert posters in progress at the on-site screen-printing studio, plus jaw-dropping gallery shows featuring Stanley Mouse's psychedelic Grateful Dead posters and Ralph Steadman's original illustrations for Hunter S Thompson's Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas.

Gracing the stairwell is a hidden SF treasure: Ruben Kaddish's 1937 WPA fresco Dissertation on Alchemy, surely the trippiest mural ever commissioned by the US government.

19. Travertine Hot Spring

A bit southeast of Bridgepoint, head here to watch a panoramic Sierra sunset from three small but entirely natural hot pools set amid impressive rock formations. To get here, turn east on Jack Sawyer Rd just before the ranger station, then follow the dirt road uphill for about 1 mile. The pools are located over the mound behind the toilet block, and are free to bathe in. There are trails around the hot pools, but watch your footing. There are smaller pools around the area that are big enough to fall in, or trip you up at the least.

20. Earthquake Fault

On Minaret Rd, about 1 mile west of the Mammoth Scenic Loop, detour to gape at Earthquake Fault, a sinuous fissure half a mile long gouging a crevice up to 20ft deep into the earth. Ice and snow often linger at the bottom until late summer, and Native Americans and early settlers used it to store perishable food. Accessibility is difficult during winter.

21. Point Sur State Historic Park, Big Sur

Around 6 miles south of Bixby Bridge, Point Sur rises like a green fortress from the sea. It looks like an island, but is connected by a sandbar. Atop the volcanic rock sits an 1889 stone light station, staffed until 1974. Three-hour guided tours include ocean views and engrossing tales of the facility's importance in tracking Soviet submarines during the Cold War. Tours are first-come, first-served and meet at the locked farm gate 0.25-miles north of Point Sur Naval Facility.

22. Manzanar National Historic Site

A stark wooden guard tower alerts drivers to one of US history's darkest chapters, which unfolded on a barren, windy sweep of land some 5 miles south of Independence. Little remains of the infamous war concentration camp, a dusty square mile where more than 10,000 people of Japanese ancestry were corralled during WWII. The camp’s lone remaining building, the former high-school auditorium, houses a superb interpretive center. A visit is one of California's historical highlights and should not be missed.

Watch the 22-minute documentary, then explore the thought-provoking exhibits chronicling the stories of the families who languished here yet built a vibrant community. A self-guided 3.2-mile driving tour around the grounds usually includes a recreated mess hall and barracks, vestiges of buildings and gardens, and the haunting camp cemetery. Sites are all accessible by foot or an auto road tour.

23. Alabama Hills

The warm colors and rounded contours of the Alabama Hills, located on Whitney Portal Rd/Movie Flat Rd, stand in contrast to the jagged, snowy Sierras just behind. The setting for countless ride-‘em-out movies, the popular Lone Ranger TV series and, more recently, parts of Iron Man (Jon Favreau, 2008) and Quentin Tarantino's Django Unchained (2012), the stunning orange rock formations are a beautiful place to experience sunrise or sunset.

You can drive, walk or mountain bike along dirt roads rambling through the boulders, and along Tuttle and Lone Pine Creeks. A number of graceful rock arches are within easy hiking distance of the roads. Head west on Whitney Portal Rd and either turn left at Tuttle Creek Rd, after a half-mile, or north on Movie Flat Rd, after about 3 miles. Following the latter route, the road eventually turns into Moffat Ranch Rd and brings you back to Hwy 395, only 3½ miles south of Manzanar National Historic Site. The websites of the Lone Pine Chamber of Commerce and the Museum of Western Film History have excellent movie-location maps.

24. Jade Cove

In the waters of Jade Cove in 1971, local divers recovered a 9000lb jade boulder that measured 8ft long and was valued at $180,000. People still comb the beach in search of similar treasures today. Jade is black or blue-green and looks dull until you dip it in water; the best time to find it is during low tide or after a big storm. Trails down to the water start from several mostly unmarked roadside pull-offs immediately south of Plaskett Creek Campground.

25. César E Chávez National Monument

Located within the undulating Tehachapi Mountains, this national monument, Nuestra Señora Reina de la Paz, is the national headquarters of the United Farmworkers of America and was the home of civil rights leader César Chávez from 1971 until his death in 1993. On view are exhibits on Chávez's work, his office and grave.

26. Rings Loop Trail in Mojave National Preserve

This fun and easy 1.5-mile trail in Mojave National Preserve delivers close-ups of the Swiss-cheese-like cliffs of the Hole-in-the-Wall area. Starting at the south end of the parking lot, it passes petroglyphs before entering an increasingly narrow canyon that you have to scramble out of using metal rings. You'll emerge at a picnic area and follow a paved road back to the parking lot. For a shorter experience (0.5 miles), use the rings to descend straight into the canyon and climb back out the same way.

27. The Getty Center

In its billion-dollar, in-the-clouds perch, high above the city grit and grime, the Getty Cente r presents triple delights: an engaging art collection (everything from medieval triptychs to baroque sculpture and impressionist brushstrokes), Richard Meier’s cutting-edge architecture, and the visual splendor of seasonally changing gardens. Admission is free, but parking is $20 ($15 after 3pm).

Five pavilions hold collections of manuscripts, drawings, photographs, furniture, decorative arts and a strong assortment of pre-20th-century European paintings. Must-sees include Van Gogh’s Irises, Monet’s Wheatstacks, Rembrandt’s The Abduction of Europa and Titian’s Venus and Adonis. Don’t miss the lovely Cactus Garden on the remote South Promontory for breathtaking city views.

28. The Broad Museum

From the instant it opened in September 2015, the Broad (rhymes with 'road') became a must-visit for contemporary-art fans. It houses the world-class collection of local philanthropist and billionaire real-estate honcho Eli Broad and his wife, Edythe, with more than 2000 postwar pieces by dozens of heavy hitters, including Cindy Sherman, Jeff Koons, Andy Warhol, Roy Lichtenstein, Robert Rauschenberg, Keith Haring and Kara Walker.

The museum docents are knowledgeable and the Broad's excellent smartphone app gives further descriptions of the art and artists. Admission is free (except during special exhibitions), but you’ll want to reserve a timed ticket online to avoid any queues in the walk-up line.

29. Fonts Point in Anza-Borrego Desert State Park

East of Borrego Springs, a 4-mile dirt road, sometimes passable without 4WD, diverges south from County Rte S22 out to Fonts Point (1249ft). From up here unfolds a spectacular panorama of the otherworldly, wind-and-water-chiseled Borrego Valley to the west and the Borrego Badlands to the south. Anza-Borrego is often at its best during sunset.

30. Los Penasquitos Canyon Trail

A 20-minute drive inland finds a series of wonderful, mostly flat, shady and sunny paths snaking through a lush valley and past a cascading waterfall surrounded by volcanic rock. The main 7-mile pathway is moderately trafficked with runners, walkers and mountain bikers. Look out for butterflies, mule deer and bobcats. Stay alert when exploring – rattlesnakes also favor these arid pathways. Download the very useful (and free!) Easy2Hike app before you set off, for maps and trail info.

31. Mission and Pacific Beach Boardwalks

Central San Diego 's best beach scene is concentrated in a narrow strip of land between the ocean and Mission Bay. There's great people-watching along the Ocean Front Walk, the boardwalk running from South Mission Beach Jetty to the Pacific Beach pier. It’s crowded with joggers, in-line skaters and cyclists any time of the year. On warm summer weekends, the beaches are packed with people frolicking in sand and sea. Get there before noon to secure a parking space.

32. Old Town San Diego State Historic Park

On the site of San Diego's first European settlement, Old Town consists of a cluster of restored or rebuilt historic 19th-century buildings filled with quaint exhibits, souvenir stores and cafes. A good place to start is at the visitor center in 1853 Robinson-Rose House; see the neat model of the pueblo in 1872 and pick up a self-guided tour pamphlet ( or download one for free). Staff also run free guided walking tours daily at 11am and 2pm.

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Cut-price California: the best free things to do in the Golden State

Those heading to Toronto will find a bright and bustling city, filled with museums, art galleries, a glittering skyline and more than 1500 parks and green spaces.

Canada’s largest city is a cultural phenomenon, with residents from around the world and scores of languages, foods, customs and celebrations – the diverse population is a huge part of what makes this city great. Here are some fabulous things to do to make the most of your next trip there.

CN Tower

Riding one of the glass elevators up the CN Tower is one of those things you just have to do in Toronto. Dominating the city's skyline, the 553m communications spire stands over the city like a beacon. Three observation levels reveal unforgettable views and even Niagara Falls can be seen on a clear day.

There are floor-to-ceiling windows, glass floors and an 'EdgeWalk' for those with the backbone to walk around the perimeter of the main pod. With no fence and no windows, it's just you, tethered to a track. Even if you don't visit, you're bound to catch a glimpse of the tower at night: the entire structure puts on a brilliant (free) light show year-round.

Discover street art

Every neighborhood has a little street art, encompassing everything from graffiti to commissioned murals. Look around and you'll find examples hidden down forgotten streets in the Financial District, adorning brick walls in the Annex neighborhood and the east end, and covering entire facades in the Village, Kensington Market and the west end.

The most popular – and perhaps the most photographed – location is Graffiti Alley, a collection of myriad artists' works that spans three blocks just off Queen St West. Highly Instagrammable and perfect for colorful selfies.

St Lawrence Market

Opened in 1845, St Lawrence Market has been part of the city's fabric for almost 175 years. It's a foodies' paradise, with more than 120 vendors selling fresh produce, meats, cheeses and all manner of prepared foods at South Market. Come here to poke around and to graze. Weekends bring the farmers and antique markets, and both are worth checking out.

Inside the old council chambers upstairs, the Market Gallery has rotating displays of paintings, photographs, documents and historical relics, while next door, cooking workshops and special events are held at the Market Kitchen.

Hockey Hall of Fame

The mecca of Canada's national sport, the Hockey Hall of Fame is a spectacular labyrinthine museum in the Financial District. Inside, multimedia exhibits showcase the greats – icons and players of the game. Visitors walk through a recreated Montréal Canadiens' locker room, watch documentaries and movies, and even shoot pucks at video-projected National Hockey League goalies.

Even those unfamiliar with the rough, super-fast sport are likely to be impressed by the world's largest collection of hockey memorabilia. Don't miss the goalie-mask wall, with rows and rows of personalized face shields. And, of course, be sure to take a pic with the beloved Stanley Cup, the championship trophy awarded annually to the NHL playoff winner.

Royal Ontario Museum

Opened in 1914, the multidisciplinary Royal Ontario Museum is Canada's biggest natural history museum. The permanent collection features more than six million specimens and artifacts, divided between natural history galleries and world culture galleries.

There's also a 'discovery zone' where kids can handle skulls, pelts and stuffed wild animals. Free docent-led tours are offered daily, and you can expect to learn about everything from ice-age mammals and hardwood forests to Chinese temples and religious masks.

Distillery District

Once the Gooderham and Worts distillery, the largest distillery in the British Empire, the Distillery District is now a fabulous collection of restaurants and coffee shops, art studios and galleries, performance spaces and specialty boutiques. The setting is a beautifully preserved Victorian industrial complex – think red brick, cobblestone walkways and imposing buildings.

In summer, expect live jazz, activities, exhibitions and foodie events. In winter, a festival of lights and a Christmas market lure people out from the warmth. Year-round, the place is buzzing.

Art Gallery of Ontario

One of the country's finest museums, the Art Gallery of Ontario has a wide collection ranging from 15th-century European art to contemporary American works. The highlights are the Canadian pieces, including Inuit and other aboriginal sculptures and paintings and landscapes by Tom Thompson and the Group of Seven - a famous group of Canadian landscape painters from 1920 to 1933.

And, of course, the spectacular redesign of the building itself by renowned Canadian architect Frank Gehry is a treat by itself. There's a surcharge for special exhibits, but visits to the permanent collection on Wednesday evenings are free. Several highly recommended – and free – tours are offered throughout the week.

Kensington Market

A relatively small enclave north of downtown, Kensington Market is multicultural Toronto at its most interesting. It's not a constrained market as much as a working residential neighborhood. The antics in Bellevue Square Park tell you all you need to know about this eccentric – some say just plain weird – area. Yes, there’s a swing set, but it’s literally child’s play compared to the bongo drumming circles, tightrope walking, fire hula-hooping and occasional boomerang tossing that keep the big kids busy.

If you pop along, you’ll find flavors from around the world, pocket-size stores selling vintage books and clothing, bikers and dreadlocked urban hippies. These co-exist happily alongside residential houses, eateries and traditional shops like butchers, greengrocers, fishmongers and cheese merchants.

Read more: Toronto’s Kensington Market: a loveable hodgepodge

Biking on the Toronto Islands

For great cycling adventures, head to the serene Toronto Islands, an archipelago of 15 islands with quiet neighborhoods, pleasant beaches, vehicle-free roads and lakefront paths – an unexpected treat in a city of almost six million people.

Bike from beach to beach, explore the different islands – several are connected by bridge – and stop for a snack with a spectacular view. Bikes can be rented on-island at Toronto Islands Bicycle Rental or brought from the mainland. The islands are only accessible by ferry, and the 15-minute trip reveals some of the best skyline views in the city.

Edwards Gardens

In the district of North York, this former estate garden features annuals, wildflowers, peaceful waterfalls and extensive rockery as it sits along Toronto’s ravine system. The arboretum has been magnificently installed next to the Children's Teaching Garden, allowing toddlers and little ones to interact with the environment.

Adjacent to the park is the Toronto Botanical Gardens. More than 3.7 acres of land make up 17 unique gardens like the Pollinator Garden with Urban Bee Hives, the Kitchen & Herb Garden and the striking Carpet Beds, which hold 15,000 plants and carry on the tradition of Victorian carpet bedding.

Scarborough Bluffs

For stunning outdoor views, head to Scarborough Bluffs where lakeshore cliffs with cathedral-spire formations expose evidence of five glacial periods. Spanning 14km from Rosetta McClain Gardens to East Point Park, there are several trails that allow visitors to enjoy meadows, forests, beaches, wetlands and spectacular views across Lake Ontario.

The highest section, grassy Cathedral Bluffs Park (65m), makes a great photo op. About 6km east is Guild Park, a serene 36-hectare lakefront forest filled with architectural relics and sculptures from the 1950s to the 1970s. The bluffs also created one of the best beaches in Toronto, Bluffer’s Park Beach, which has soft sand, shallow water and a couple of good swimming spots. It's also the best place to appreciate the jutting cliffs and spires.

Read more: Top 9 beaches in Toronto

Legoland Discovery Centre

It may not be a full-fledged theme park, but Legoland Discovery Centre is loved by kids. It especially appeals to younger ones, who delight in its collection of hands-on, educational Lego-centric attractions, including an earthquake table, a 4D cinema and a Lego factory.

Located a 30-minute drive northwest from Toronto’s downtown, the attraction has two children's rides and three million bricks – enough to keep young hands busy for the day. There's a themed café with family-friendly selections, and the locale is part of a large shopping mall, adding extra appeal for parents who might want some retail therapy after the family excursion.

High Park

Located west of downtown Toronto, High Park spans more than 398 acres. The family-friendly park has a playground, public pool, picnic areas, off-leash dog space and sports facilities, and is known for its famous cherry blossoms, which bloom in April and May.

Numerous trails and nature walks can be taken in the summer, and in winter, the park is covered in a white blanket of snow that makes cross-country skiing a beloved activity. The park's Grenadier Pond is a popular fishing spot and when it freezes over, it's used for skating. One popular attraction is Shakespeare in High Park, which has been produced in the park's amphitheater every summer for almost 40 years.

Go to a festival

Toronto plays host to great annual festivals, including Toronto Fringe Festival, which offers more than 150 productions over two weeks in early July. Jazz, blues and soul blaze in Toronto's streets, nightclubs and concert halls during the Toronto Jazz Festival in late June, when more than 1500 musicians entertain across the city.

Music-lovers can safely write off 10 days in mid-June for the North by Northeast festival, where a plethora of indie bands and comedy acts perform at some of Toronto's coolest venues, including nontraditional ones such as streetcars and ferries. Then there's Luminato, an international arts festival dedicated to performance, media and visual arts. It takes place in venues across Toronto each June in a celebration of creativity that reflects the city's diversity.

Explore Toronto's food scene

Toronto has more than 7000 restaurants, representing a phenomenal range of tastes, cultures and experiences. Each neighborhood has its own trademark: the Financial and Entertainment Districts have fine dining and celebrity chefs, while Kensington Market and Chinatown are all about hole-in-the-wall eats and homegrown talent. Dining halls featuring a variety of cuisines and communal tables have popped up around town. Assembly Chef's Hall is a fine place to start.

There are two festivals that showcase Toronto's culinary scene annually - Summerlicious in July and Winterlicious in January. Over 200 top restaurants participate in these extravaganzas, offering high-end dinner and lunch options in three price categories to showcase the city's culinary diversity.

Admire architecture

Well-informed volunteers from the Royal Ontario Museum lead ROMWalks, one- to two-hour historical and architectural walking tours taking in some of the city's lesser-known but most interesting buildings and neighborhoods. Most, but not all, walks are free.

Over the fourth weekend of May, several public and private buildings of architectural and historical significance take part in the Doors Open Toronto event, allowing visitors to sneak a free peek at what's hot and what's not in other people's digs. Book ahead for walking tours and big-name buildings such as City Hall and Union Station.

Harbourfront Centre

The heart of the Waterfront district is the Harbourfront Centre, a cultural megastar made up of more than two dozen waterfront venues, including parks, outdoor stages, theaters and galleries.

An artistic powerhouse, this 4-hectare complex educates and entertains through a variety of year-round performances, events, festivals and exhibits. The main building houses the well-respected Craft & Design Studios, where the public can watch artists-in-residence at work.

Bata Shoe Museum

Shoe-lovers know that it's important in life to be well-shod, which is a stance the Bata Shoe Museum takes seriously. Impressively designed by Raymond Moriyama to resemble a stylized shoebox, the museum houses a collection of 13,000 'pedi-artifacts' from around the globe spanning 4500 years; only 3% to 4% are on view at any given time.

Peruse 19th-century French chestnut-crushing clogs, Canadian indigenous polar boots or famous pairs worn by Justin Timberlake and Pablo Picasso. Some of the museum's most famous shoes are ballroom slippers worn by Queen Victoria, Elton John’s monogrammed silver and red platform boots, Elvis Presley’s white and blue patent loafers, Marilyn Monroe’s red leather stilettos, Madonna’s platform Dolce & Gabbanas and the Dalai Lama’s flip flops.

Rogers Centre

Sports fans may want to check out the Rogers Centre, one of the largest stadiums in Canada with over 53,000 seats. Technically awe-inspiring, it opened in 1989 with the world's first fully retractable dome roof primarily to serve as a baseball stadium for the Toronto Blue Jays.

Tours include a brain-scrambling video wall screening footage of past sporting glories, concerts and events, and you can also check out the stadium's memorabilia museum.

McMichael Canadian Art Collection

The McMichael Canadian Art Collection is a major public gallery devoted to collecting the art of Canada. Handcrafted buildings set amid 40 hectares of conservation trails contain works by the Group of Seven, as well as by First Nations, Inuit, Métis and other acclaimed Canadian artists.

It's a 34km drive from Toronto and totally worth the trip. A sculpture garden and the graves of gallery co-founders Robert and Signe McMichaels and six of the Group of Seven artists are also on-site. Free tours are included with admission Wednesday through Sunday.

Toronto Music Garden

Toronto Music Garden is one of the city's most magical locations on the waterfront, designed in collaboration with cellist Yo-Yo Ma. The landscape expresses Bach's Suite No 1 for Unaccompanied Cello, from the Prelude – conveying the feeling of a river flowing through a stream – to the Gigue – inspired by an English dance where spirited music is interpreted as a series of giant grass steps that offer harbor views.

Design features include the arc-shaped grove of conifers, a swirling path through a wildflower meadow and an outdoor amphitheater where free classical performances are given.

Casa Loma

Toronto's only castle may never have housed royalty, but Casa Loma certainly has grandeur, lording over the Annex neighborhood from a cliff that was once the shoreline of the glacial Lake Iroquois. You may have seen it in various movies including X-Men, The Pacifier and Chicago.

The 98-room mansion – an architectural hurricane of castellations, chimneys, flagpoles, turrets and Rapunzel-esque balconies – was built between 1911 and 1914 for Sir Henry Pellatt, a wealthy financier. A self-guided audio tour will lead you through the four levels of the Edwardian mansion as well as the 800ft tunnel to the stables, and the top floor houses a military museum.

Pride Toronto

Toronto's most flamboyant event celebrates the diversity of sexuality and gender identity, with a whole month of community events, workshops and gatherings, most of which are free. There are numerous individual events, party collectives and two festival weekends, with everything based around community, education and celebration.

The festival culminates with the Trans March, Dyke March and Pride Parade events at the end of June, when the streets around Church and Wellesley heave with over a million revelers.

Canada's Wonderland

Amusement-park lovers will want to trek to Canada's Wonderland, located 25 miles north of Toronto. It features more than 200 attractions, including 17 rollercoasters, two children's areas and a 20-acre water park called Splash Works.

Wonder Mountain is the park’s centerpiece and is 150 feet high at its tallest peak, with a 60-foot high waterfall. If you have the nerve, check out Leviathan, the tallest and fastest rollercoaster in Canada with a summit that reaches a height of 93.3m.

Heritage Toronto

Heritage Toronto provides a diverse offering of fascinating historical, cultural and nature walks and bus tours. Led by museum experts, neighborhood historical-society members and emerging historians, they take visitors through parks, to well-known landmarks, and through the many neighborhoods that make up Toronto.

Tours aim to commemorate the city’s rich heritage and the diverse stories of its people, places and events. The website also offers a handful of downloadable self-guided tours.

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