Sightseeing is one of the best parts of traveling. However, these days can be long and exhausting. So packing comfortable and appropriate items will make your sightseeing days worth every penny!
In this post, I’m sharing 10 Things You Should Never Wear Sightseeing. All of these things I’ve learned from personal experience or the experience of others around me. You’ll learn how to prep your wardrobe and even things you should completely leave at home for the best and many times long sightseeing days.
1. Sandals
At some point you’ll need to use the restroom. And many of these restrooms will be outside and in small cramped spaces. This is not ideal for wearing sandals because the floor is often wet and obviously not very clean. Trust me, the last thing you want is strange water, liquids, and debris splashing on parts of your bare feet in a public restroom.
I highly recommend a pair of leather or easy to clean sneakers. My go to are the Cole Haan Grand Crosscourt sneakers.
As a side note, you won’t believe the filth I’ve cleaned off of these shoes after traveling. Between pubic restrooms and people stepping on my feet in crowded places, I am so happy that dirt and debris didn’t make it onto my bare feet.
2. New Shoes
Sightseeing is not the time to break in a new pair of shoes. You always want to wear shoes you are familiar with and are well broken in. Doing a lot of walking in brand new shoes can lead to blisters and achy feet. Your feet are essential when traveling and sightseeing, so be sure to take care of them and wear shoes that you are familiar with and will give you good support.
3. A Large Handbag
The last thing you’ll want to do is keep up with a large handbag with a bunch of stuff in it you don’t need. The shoulder and back pain is not worth bringing your everyday purse complete with checkbook and makeup bag.
When choosing a handbag to wear sightseeing, think of your essential items. This will be things like credit cards, hand sanitizer, hand lotion, phone, and maybe some cash. I personally have a lot of success wearing crossbody bags. Not only are they easy to walk with but they are close to the front of your body which will make it harder for pickpockets. Be sure to keep the items inside light and simple so your bag is easy to get in and out of.
I took the Michael Kors Maeve Large Pocket Crossbody Bag on a recent trip to London and it was perfect. It comfortably fit everything I needed and is very light weight. I even got it in pink when it went on sale for future travels!
4. Tight And Restrictive Clothing
Sightseeing comes with a lot of unexpected twists and turns. I have personally gone from squeezing in a tiny restroom to climbing a tight and cramped spiral staircase at The Tower Of London.
When I say you need to be prepared for anything… I mean it!
Go for clothing that fit well and have a loose and airy fit. These types of clothing will be appropriate in almost any climate and situation.
As a rule of thumb, you’ll want to be able to comfortable raise your hands above your head and lift your knee up without any restriction. And having a little extra space in the band of your pants is a bonus as you could be seated for long periods of time traveling from sight to sight.
5. Full Face Of Makeup
I know! You want to look cute for pictures. But I’m here to tell you that more importantly, you really need to be comfortable to enjoy your day.
Wearing a full face of makeup while sightseeing is a big no no in my book. And yes, I’ve see woman do this many times. And in theory, it might be ok for some lighter sightseeing days. I personally don’t wear makeup when traveling, but I have seen lashes coming off, smudged eyeliner, and foundation that became a cakey mess by the end of the day.
If you must wear makeup, keep is simple. Go for a tinted moisturizer with SPF. A bit of water proof mascara and lip gloss or lipstick. This makes touch ups easy and quick and you won’t need a mirror to pop on a little lip gloss before a picture.
6. Clothing That Show A Lot Of Skin
You know what comes with a lot of sightseeing, especially in many cities in Europe?
Churches. Lots and lots of churches.
These churches are operational and understandably expect tourist to be dressed in an appropriate manner. This doesn’t mean you need to be in full blown church clothes, but you do need to look appropriate.
Quick story time:
When I was in Rome, I visited the Vatican City and toured the Vatican Museum, Sistine Chapel and Saint Peter’s Basilica. I had on a pair of jeans, a pink tank top, and a blazer. Keep in mind, my tank top was more of a flowy material and it covered my back.
I took off my blazer because I got hot waiting in line to go inside Saint Peter’s Basilica. Once I entered, I forgot to put my blazer back on. One of the ministers saw me and gestured for me to put my blazer back on to cover my shoulders. I had no problem with this but it did help me realize the expectation even though I was tourist.
And keep in mind, there were people in shorts, tube tops, short dresses, etc. I think he pointed me out because he saw I had the blazer in my hand. And many others didn’t have a means to cover up more.
So moral of the story, you want to avoid showing a lot of skin or wearing provocative clothing especially if you know you’ll be touring a church or sacred building.
7. Expensive Or Valuable Items
As a rule of thumb, if it means something to you, leave it at home. That includes things like wedding rings, jewelry, and expensive handbags. Items like these can easily be lost or become targets for thieves.
Europe in particular is notorious for pickpockets. And please don’t underestimate how good these pickpockets are. You may think you can out smart them or be able to detect their presence, but many of these people have made a living out of being pickpockets. And trust me, they wouldn’t do it if they weren’t good enough to be successful and profitable.
For symbolic jewelry such as wedding rings and bands, I suggest buying a less expensive version to wear while travailing. Or if you are fine going without these types of items, just leave them at home.
8. Fragrances (especially strong scents)
I know you think you smell good, but not everyone will enjoy or even want to smell your fragrance.
Simply put, leave this off your packing list. When you are out and about sightseeing, you will be in close proximity to a lot of people. You want to take into consideration how people will react or respond to strong fragrances. Many people can be allergic or just have sensitive noses like myself. If I get around certain fragrances, the sneezing and coughing is inevitable.
Fun Fact: Did you know an airline can deny boarding if you have a strong scent? And yes, this includes perfumes and colognes.
If you must wear some type of fragrance, opt for a lighter scent or even a light body mist. These types of scents tend to not bother people as much and most people probably won’t notice them.
Your fellow travelers will thank you for it.
9. Loungewear
I love a cute and comfortable loungewear set just like the next girl, but leave those comfy threads at home. Loungewear is not appropriate attire for a long day of traveling and sightseeing. As a matter of fact, your comfy loungewear can become very uncomfortable by the end of the day. The material loungewear is usually made of isn’t suitable to wear out on an adventurous day. The material can become stretched and saggy and often drag the ground.
If you like the look of loungewear you can opt for a matching two piece set. I’ve seen these come in shorts and pants sets. These are really popular right now and can easily be found and will hold up a lot better than the loungewear made for your couch.
10. Anything With Offensive Words or Phrases (or sarcasm)
Your sarcastic and offensive phrased items might be funny in your own circle of friends, but you should always avoid wearing these types of items while traveling. Like I mentioned before, a lot of sightseeing might include going into churches and sacred buildings. You never want to offend people by entering these spaces wearing anything offensive. You can be denied entry to certain places if you are wearing something like this.
Remember, as a tourist, you are a representation of where you are from. So you always want to be respectful when traveling and sightseeing. These placing are opening their doors for travelers to see and experience sights that have meaning to their country and or city. So as tourist, you want to show respect to them and show appreciation.
10 Things To Never Wear Sightseeing
So, what have we learned today?
I think above all, go for comfort. That’s always my number one priority because traveling can be quite expensive and I want to enjoy every penny of my travels!
But with that being said, I do try to stay stylish as much as possible. It just takes bit of effort to make sure you combine style and comfort for the best sightseeing day.
Need packing tips? Check out this post!