All Culture Tips
Etiquette, food and local rules, city by city
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Bangkok
· Thailand
Wai, don't shake hands
Never disrespect the monarchy
Feet are dirty, head is sacred
Dress modestly at temples
Stand for the national anthem
Take off shoes indoors
Bangkok traffic — use BTS/MRT
Negotiate tuk-tuk fares upfront
Don't trust the 'Wat is closed' scam
Eat street food in busy stalls
Don't eat raw vegetables in cheap stalls
Tipping is appreciated, not required
Use Grab for everything
Bring tissues — toilets often lack TP
Visit Bangkok's malls for AC
Try a Thai massage
Don't touch monks (women)
Bangkok weather: hot, hotter, hottest
Khao San Road is touristy chaos
Try the night markets
Thai SIM cards are cheap and easy
Try a Thai cooking class
Avoid the Tuk-Tuk gem scam
Watch out for the floating market scam
Visit Chinatown for night food
Wat Pho is more than the reclining Buddha
Don't eat in tourist-trap restaurants near Khao San
Visit the Jim Thompson House
Bangkok rooftop bars are a must-do
Don't overuse the 'Sa-wat-dee' greeting
Skip the Grand Palace tout
Bangkok's craft beer scene is good
Bring repellent for mosquitoes
Don't drink the tap water
Pad thai vs. tom yum: order both
Visit Lumpini Park
Try durian at a fruit stand
Avoid the ping-pong show areas
Day trip to Ayutthaya
Don't haggle at hawker stalls
Explore Bangkok quizzes →
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Chiang Mai
· Thailand
Chiang Mai is mountain-cool
Avoid burning season
Visit Doi Suthep at sunrise
Wear shoes off in temples and homes
Try khao soi
Sunday Walking Street
Visit Doi Inthanon
Elephant sanctuaries — ethical choices
Chiang Mai is the digital nomad capital
Try a cooking class
Songkran in April
Eat at the Old City night bazaars
Don't ride elephants
Visit the Sticky Waterfalls
Visit the Three Kings Monument
Try the Sunday riverside cafés
Don't touch monks (women)
Visit a hill tribe market
Coffee culture is third-wave
Old City walking is the highlight
Try a Thai massage school session
Watch the Yi Peng Lantern Festival
Visit the Royal Project markets
Try sticky rice and mango
Don't expect Bangkok-style nightlife
Chiang Mai has the best night safari in Thailand
Take a day trip to Pai
Visit Wat Umong's tunnels
Pad Krapao for breakfast
Try kanom jeen for a meal
Visit the Bo Sang Umbrella Village
Use Grab in Chiang Mai
Beware of tour-scam taxis
Visit Doi Pui Hmong Village
Try Burmese-style food
Watch a Muay Thai fight at Tha Pae
Day trip to Chiang Rai
Stay at a boutique guesthouse in Old City
Try thanaka face paste
Visit a Saturday morning monk chat
Explore Chiang Mai quizzes →
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Florence
· Italy
Florentine steak is for sharing
Visit Uffizi at opening
Try lampredotto at Mercato Centrale
Climb Brunelleschi's Dome at dawn
Walk Ponte Vecchio early or late
Aperitivo culture is everywhere
Don't drive in Florence
Drink Chianti from the Chianti region
Skip restaurants right at the Duomo
Try cantucci with Vin Santo
Visit Piazzale Michelangelo at sunset
Wear good shoes
Try ribollita and pappa al pomodoro
Drink tap water everywhere
Eat early at Mercato Centrale upper floor
Visit Boboli Gardens with the Pitti Palace ticket
Pisa is 1 hour away
Try gelato away from the Duomo
Wear modest dress at the Duomo
Visit Oltrarno workshops
Florence dinner reservations matter
Try a wine window
Avoid August heat
Visit Brancacci Chapel
Try schiacciata for a sandwich
Don't pose like the Leaning Tower at the Duomo
Buy leather at San Lorenzo or the Scuola del Cuoio
Try Pici al Cinghiale
Visit Bargello for sculpture
Try a panino with lardo di Colonnata
Sunset run at Cascine Park
Take the train to Bologna for a day
Try Florentine coffee
Skip the Mona Lisa replicas
Drink Negroni — invented here
Visit San Miniato al Monte
Try truffles in season
Reserve the Vasari Corridor opening
Stay in Oltrarno for atmosphere
Try Florentine peposo
Explore Florence quizzes →
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Hanoi
· Vietnam
Cross the street slowly
Two hands for giving and receiving
Take shoes off indoors
Don't stick chopsticks upright in rice
Bargain politely at markets
Drink Vietnamese coffee slowly
Use 'em ơi' to call a server
Avoid touching anyone's head
Tipping is appreciated, not required
Carry small bills always
Use Grab, not random taxis
Dress modestly at temples
Try the local egg coffee in Hanoi
Sit at street food stools without hesitation
Learn 'cảm ơn' and 'xin chào'
Avoid public displays of affection
Don't drink the tap water
Pho is breakfast, not dinner
Don't gesture with one finger
Cross the street near locals
Visit pagodas in the morning
Carry tissues and hand sanitizer
Negotiate motorbike taxi prices upfront
Eat seasonal fruit from street carts
Don't blow your nose at the table
Try bia hơi at sunset
Use the right currency mental math
Respect funeral processions
Order family-style
Watch out for sidewalk parking
Banh mi is a sandwich, not a baguette
Avoid Ha Long Bay on weekends
Carry your hotel card
Always confirm taxi has a meter
Don't eat the garnish chili directly
Photograph people only with permission
Walk early or late in summer
Festival timing matters
Use both feet when stepping over thresholds
Try the egg in the beer
Explore Hanoi quizzes →
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Ho Chi Minh City
· Vietnam
Cross the street with momentum
Don't flash expensive phones
District 1 vs District 3 vibe
Bánh mì in Saigon is a religion
Coffee culture is everywhere
Tip the porter and the spa
Use Grab over street taxis
Sapa-style coffee is too sweet for some
Eat at Cô Liêng or any 'cơm tấm' joint
Avoid Ben Thanh Market for shopping
Try the rooftop bars at sunset
Get lost in District 3's alleys
Visit the War Remnants Museum
Cu Chi Tunnels: half-day trip
Try chè for dessert
Watch out for the rainy season
Hand the driver your hotel card
Negotiate cyclo prices upfront
Don't compare HCMC to Hanoi
Snake whisky is a tourist gimmick
Watch for the white-uniform 'Tea Lady'
Saigon weekend nightlife is loud
Visit Saigon Central Post Office
Try goi cuon and nem ran
Stay hydrated; avoid sugary drinks
Be patient with traffic noise
Get cash at bank ATMs
Saigon has the best craft cocktails in Vietnam
Saigon airport transfer: prebook Grab
Try durian if you dare
Walk Nguyen Hue Walking Street in the evening
Beware of 'free' photo offers
Sapa or Da Lat for cool weather
Vietnamese SIM card is cheap and easy
Visit a Vietnamese coffee farm if you have time
Walk slowly into the heat
Take a Mekong Delta day trip
Tet shuts down everything
Tipping in cafes is unusual
Try a bowl of hu tieu
Explore Ho Chi Minh City quizzes →
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Kyoto
· Japan
Temples close earlier than you think
Visit Fushimi Inari at dawn
Dress modestly in geisha districts
Eat kaiseki at lunchtime
Bus over subway in Kyoto
Eat tofu in Arashiyama
Avoid Arashiyama bamboo grove midday
Pontocho alley is gorgeous at dusk
Pray at Kiyomizu-dera early
Carry coins for shrines
Try matcha in Uji
Walk the Philosopher's Path in cherry blossom
Maiko encounters are private
Kyoto buses are crowded; consider walking
Don't enter inner sanctums uninvited
Reserve Kinkaku-ji for first sight
Try yatsuhashi as a souvenir
Visit Nishiki Market for lunch
Etiquette at tea ceremony
Cherry blossom forecast matters
Maruyama Park is a hanami classic
Don't miss the temple gardens
Stay at a ryokan once
Walk the Imperial Palace grounds
Get the JR Pass if you're temple-hopping wider
Visit a sake brewery in Fushimi
Coffee culture in Kyoto is third-wave
Geisha dance performances are bookable
Try a kyo-yasai dinner
Use the Kyoto City Tourist Info Center
Visit Sanjusangen-do for the 1,001 statues
Bring a backpack rain cover
Eat handmade soba in Sagano
Walk Higashiyama at golden hour
Reserve Saiho-ji (Moss Temple) by mail
Yatai festival food in summer
Don't miss Kurama and Kibune in summer
Carry a 'goshuincho' for stamp collecting
Try ochazuke at the end of a meal
Visit Nanzen-ji aqueduct
Explore Kyoto quizzes →
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Lyon
· France
Lyon is France's food capital
Try a bouchon for lunch, not dinner
Walk Vieux Lyon traboules
Fete des Lumieres in December
Lyon Part-Dieu vs Perrache stations
Visit Fourvière for the view
Lyon silk history
Try a praline tart
Saint-Antoine market is daily
Wine country is 30 minutes north
Lyon trams stop at midnight
Hike up Croix-Rousse on weekends
Pont Bonaparte at sunset
Quenelles are not fish balls
Coffee culture is small and traditional
Visit Tete d'Or Park
Lyon-Saint Exupéry airport
Don't confuse the rivers
Pere Brouilly is a Lyon classic
Lyon is walkable
Try cervelle de canut
Visit Les Halles Paul Bocuse
Stay in Vieux Lyon for atmosphere
Lyon weather is variable
Try andouillette at a bouchon
Pere Lachaise — wrong, that's Paris
Tasting Beaujolais at the source
Lyon bouchon prices
Don't miss the Confluences museum
Cycling along the Rhone
Lyon is cheaper than Paris
Try Saint-Marcellin cheese
Lyon Confluence pétanque
Don't overload your bouchon meal
Visit a chocolatier
Vieux Lyon traboule etiquette
Try a pot lyonnais
Lyon airport buses
Try a flammekueche
Mont d'Or is a winter cheese
Explore Lyon quizzes →
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Paris
· France
Greet with 'Bonjour' always
Don't speak loudly in cafes
Tipping is built into the bill
Bread goes on the tablecloth
Lunch is sacred from 12:00 to 14:00
Don't ask for substitutions
Cheese course comes before dessert
Wine in everyday meals
Metro etiquette
Don't expect AC in summer
Sundays many shops close
Don't snack in museums
Carry small change for restrooms
Don't smile at strangers reflexively
Wear neutral colors
Apéro is a social ritual
Pickpockets target tourists at major sights
Visit the Louvre on Wednesday or Friday evening
Try a 'menu' for set-price lunch
Walk along the Seine in the evening
Speak some French
Don't tip with credit card
Brasseries vs bistros vs cafes
Boulangerie tradition matters
Métro tickets vs Navigo Easy
Avoid restaurants with English menus only
Don't kiss strangers on the cheek
Eat dinner at 8 PM, not 6 PM
Watch out for the 'gold ring scam'
Visit small museums in the afternoon
Skip the Eiffel Tower line
Eat at the bar to skip reservations
Visit a wet market
Bring a refillable water bottle
Coffee culture is espresso first
Parks are for sitting, walking, reading — not picnicking
Avoid taxis from the airport
Pharmacies do more than meds
Don't say 'garçon' to a waiter
Try cheese from a fromagerie
Explore Paris quizzes →
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Rome
· Italy
Cappuccino is a morning drink only
Stand at the bar for cheap coffee
Don't ask for parmesan on seafood pasta
Dinner starts at 8 PM
Avoid restaurants on Piazza Navona
Pasta is a primo, not a main
Roman pasta classics
Don't tip 20%
Dress modestly at the Vatican
Carry small change for fountains
Visit the Colosseum at opening
Watch for pickpockets on bus 64
Try gelato at the right places
Aperitivo is happy hour
Eat at a real Roman trattoria
Don't eat near the Colosseum
Visit the Pantheon (it's free)
Practice basic Italian
Don't lean on ancient walls
Take a coffee with the locals
Skip lunch at famous restaurants
Visit Trastevere at night
Refill water at Rome's nasoni
Walk Via dei Fori Imperiali at sunset
Don't expect AC in old buildings
Use the Metro for distance, not city center
Try a supplì at a pizza al taglio shop
Avoid driving in central Rome
Try Roman artichokes (carciofi)
Visit Galleria Borghese
Eat outside the historic center one night
Don't refuse the bread basket
Try gricia, the original carbonara
Visit Vatican Museums on Friday night
Roman summer is brutal
Try a Roman white wine
Cash for restrooms and small purchases
Watch the changing of the guard at Quirinale
Visit Castel Sant'Angelo at sunset
Don't miss Testaccio market
Explore Rome quizzes →
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Tokyo
· Japan
Bow instead of shaking hands
Take your shoes off at the genkan
Don't tip — anywhere
Stand left on Tokyo escalators
Carry your trash all day
Don't eat while walking
Silence on trains is golden
Slurp your noodles loudly
Use both hands for cards and money
Don't talk loudly in public
Avoid the rush hour Yamanote Line
Get a Suica or Pasmo card
Don't blow your nose at the table
Don't pour your own drink
Visit Tsukiji Outer Market early
Tipping in Onsen is forbidden
Use trains, not taxis
Practice basic Japanese phrases
Convenience store food is amazing
Onsen rules: wash before bathing
Don't point at people
Look for the 'tachinomi' bars
Reserve sushi counters in advance
Vending machines are a national treasure
Asakusa is touristy but worthwhile
Cash is still king
Master the chopstick basics
Reserve hotels early in cherry blossom season
Public WiFi is spotty; get a SIM
Yamanote Line stations are color-coded
Try a kissaten — old-school cafe
Don't take photos in restaurants without asking
Department store basements are food paradise
Cherry blossom parties have rules
Visit a public bath if no onsen
Ramen shops are silent affairs
Don't fill your own beer until others have
Trains stop around midnight
Use the 'Mr. Donut' or Doutor for AC breaks
Try senbei (rice crackers) as souvenirs
Explore Tokyo quizzes →