Travelling is no longer just about visiting monuments or ticking off a list of must-sees. More and more travellers today are looking to live something more personal, more human and closer to the place itself.
That's exactly what a local experience offers: discovering a city, a region, a craft or a passion through someone who truly knows their environment.
With Meet People, the goal is precisely to put connection back at the heart of discovery.
What is a local experience?
A local experience is an activity that lets you discover a place through someone who lives there, works there, or pursues a passion there.
Unlike a highly standardised tourist activity, it relies more on:
- connection;
- sharing;
- passing things on;
- real knowledge of the area;
- local passions and know-how;
- a more personalised experience.
A local experience can take many forms: a walk, a creative workshop, a cultural tour, a boat trip, a sports activity, a tasting, a hike, exploring a neighbourhood, or even a musical experience.
So the idea isn't just to see a place, but to understand what makes it unique.
Why choose a local experience during a trip?
1. Discover a place differently
A local experience often lets you step off the most classic routes.
In Toulouse, for example, Chloé offers a flexible walk designed as a discovery of the city "with a friend from Toulouse", covering architecture, hidden gems, food and lesser-known corners.
👉 Discover "A slice of Toulouse with me"
This kind of format lets you discover the city at the pace of the person who lives there, following their own interests.
2. Meet someone truly passionate
One of the biggest draws of a local experience is the person offering it.
In Marseille, Laurent shares his knowledge of the city and the Mediterranean in an experience combining heritage, landscapes and a boat trip.
👉 Discover "Marseille, Land and Sea"
So the difference doesn't come only from the activity itself, but also from the perspective of the person bringing it to life.
3. Access lesser-known places and stories
A local experience can also help you discover neighbourhoods you might otherwise walk through without really understanding.
In Bordeaux, Stéphanie offers a walk through Capucins, Sainte-Croix and Saint-Michel, focused on flavours, stories and the city's multicultural atmosphere.
👉 Discover "Dive into the cosmopolitan, vibrant soul of Bordeaux"
It's a way to discover Bordeaux away from the most classic routes.
4. Adapt the experience to what you feel like doing
Some local experiences are less fixed than a traditional tour.
In Toulouse, for example, several formats offered by Chloé are designed around the mood you're after: a local stroll, a discovery of photogenic spots, or even an evening out in the city's liveliest neighbourhoods.
👉 Discover "Secret, Instagrammable Toulouse"
👉 Discover "Toulouse, the Festive City!"
The point is to choose a moment that truly matches your own way of travelling.
5. Discover a city through a passion
A local experience can also be built around a very specific theme: literature, photography, music, food or history.
In Marseille, a tour based on The Count of Monte Cristo lets you blend Marseille's heritage, history and literature, following in Edmond Dantès's footsteps.
👉 Discover the "Monte Cristo Walking Tour"
This kind of experience can turn a simple stroll into a real themed immersion.
6. Rediscover a city even when you already know it
Local experiences aren't just for tourists.
They're also worthwhile for residents who want to see their own city from a fresh angle.
In Paris, Christian offers a discovery of Le Marais through its streets, mansions, gardens and stories, drawing on more than 40 years of life in the city.
👉 Discover Le Marais with Christian
It's a good example of how a familiar city can still hold surprises.
What kinds of local experiences can you try?
Cultural experiences
These let you discover the history, heritage or traditions of a place.
Examples:
- a tour of a historic neighbourhood
- a walk built around a figure or a literary work
- discovering local heritage
- a themed tour
Food experiences
These let you discover a destination through its flavours.
Examples:
- a food tour
- a tasting
- a local market
- meeting a producer
- a cooking workshop
Nature experiences
These help you better understand a natural setting.
Examples:
- a hike
- a botanical walk
- exploring the coastline
- a boat trip
- a mountain immersion
Creative experiences
These highlight a skill or a passion.
Examples:
- painting
- photography
- drawing
- craftsmanship
- jewellery making
Sports experiences
These let you discover a destination while staying active.
Examples:
- cycling
- hiking
- cardio
- dance
- outdoor activities
Experiences around everyday local life
Some experiences are simply designed to help you live a moment like a local resident.
In Toulouse, an evening out might include lively neighbourhoods, bars, music and local recommendations, without being framed as a classic tour.
👉 Discover "Drinks & Toulouse by Night"
What's the difference between a local experience and a classic tourist activity?
A classic tourist activity is often mainly focused on what you do.
A local experience adds another dimension: who you do it with, and what that person shares with you.
Two travellers can visit exactly the same city and yet come away with completely different memories, depending on the people they met.
It's this human dimension that often gives the experience its real value.
Why does Meet People put connection at the centre?
Meet People is built precisely around the idea that the person offering the experience matters just as much as the activity itself.
A guide, an artisan, a professional or a passionate local can share:
- their story
- their passion
- their knowledge
- their favourite addresses
- their perspective on the place
- their know-how
So travellers aren't just booking an activity. They're also choosing someone they want to spend time with.
Is a local experience suited to solo travel?
Yes, and this is actually one of its biggest strengths.
Someone travelling alone can book a walk, a workshop or a tour to spend a few hours with a guide or other participants.
This lets you keep the freedom of solo travel while still creating moments of connection.
What about residents?
Local experiences are also designed for people who aren't on holiday.
You can live in Paris, Bordeaux or Toulouse for years without knowing certain neighbourhoods, stories or crafts.
A local experience can therefore be a great outing idea:
- as a couple
- with friends
- as a family
- solo
- or even as part of a corporate activity.
How do you choose a local experience?
Before booking, take the time to look at:
- the guide's profile
- what the experience includes
- the duration
- the location
- the number of participants
- the languages offered
- what you actually want to get out of it
If you're mainly looking for connection, go for friendly small-group experiences.
If you want to learn something, choose a workshop or a specialised tour.
And if your priority is to switch off, an outdoor nature outing might suit you better.
A few examples of local experiences on Meet People
To sum up, here are a few very different formats available on the platform:
- Toulouse with a local: a flexible walk covering architecture, food and hidden gems.
- Marseille, Land and Sea: discovering Marseille through heritage and a boat trip.
- Cosmopolitan Bordeaux: an immersion into the Capucins, Sainte-Croix and Saint-Michel neighbourhoods.
- Secret, Instagrammable Toulouse: a walk around photogenic, lesser-known spots.
- Monte Cristo Tour in Marseille: heritage, literature and history, following in Alexandre Dumas's footsteps.
- Discovering Le Marais in Paris: stories, mansions and gardens with a passionate Parisian.
Travelling differently with Meet People
Choosing a local experience means giving connection a bigger place in your trip.
You discover a place, but also a person, a story and a way of seeing things.
That's what can turn a simple activity into a lasting travel memory.
👉 Discover all the local experiences available on Meet People:
https://www.meetpe.fr/en/decouvrir
