20 Creative Staycation Ideas When You Need a Change of Scenery

Here's how to have a vacation wherever you call home.

Feeling cooped up, but not ready or able to take a full-on vacation? Enter the staycation, which offers a refreshing break from monotony without straying far from home — or, in some cases, leaving home at all.

With a little creativity, it's amazing how much you can break up your routine and free yourself from the rut of your usual surroundings. From playing tourist in your home city to camping in your backyard, read on for 20 of the best staycation ideas that you can do at any time — no plane ticket required.

Go camping.

An activity that lets you explore your local area, immerses you in the healing power of the great outdoors, offers a complete change of scenery, and requires learning new skills? We call that a staycation win. If staying at home during your time off is bound to drive you stir-crazy, camping is a sure cure for cabin fever. Even backyard (or living room) camping can be a fun change of pace if you don't have easy access to campgrounds in your area.

Stay at a local hotel, resort, or bed-and-breakfast.

If you're more in the mood to be pampered, skip camping and book a room at a local hotel, resort, or quirky bed-and-breakfast. It's the perfect way to see your town with fresh eyes and play tourist for the weekend. Not to mention, you can indulge in the delights of ordering room service and coming home to a freshly made-up room every day.

Visit your closest national, state, or local park.

If you're lucky enough to have a national or state park in your town or nearby, take advantage and go exploring. Most parks have a variety of outdoor activities on offer, from hiking and biking to climbing, kayaking, and wildlife-watching. A county or local park will also do if that's all you have within a day's driving distance. Pack a picnic and plan some fun activities for your time in the sunshine.

Do the touristy things.

You may live in a town that lots of people visit, yet you've never gone full tourist mode and explored the area's main attractions. A staycation is the perfect excuse to finally check off those landmarks and activities. If you live in a major city, consider purchasing a pass that bundles several attractions at a discount, such as CityPass or Go City. This way, you'll save on admission and have a long itinerary of experiences.

Enjoy a local museum, science center, or gallery.

What do out-of-towners do when they visit your city? Beyond the big tourist attractions, there are cultural and historical institutions you may have never thought to visit; a staycation is the perfect time to do so. Look for a cultural outing dedicated to local history, area artists, or scientific research for a refreshing change of pace from your usual routine. You may learn something new about the area, the world, or yourself.

Rent an Airbnb.

Is there a neighborhood in your city that you've always wanted to explore further, or an area you frequent but never spend the night in? Make weekend plans to visit this part of town and stay in an Airbnb. Or, arrange for a house swap if you have someone you trust. Booking an Airbnb is a good way to gain a new perspective on your hometown.

Relax at a local spa.

Dedicate a full day to indulgent self-care by checking yourself in at a local spa, whether it's located in a nearby resort or at a stand-alone location. Many spas charge a fee for a day pass unless you've booked a treatment, so spring for a pampering service or a full day of back-to-back appointments.

Book a last-minute hotel deal.

Set aside a weekend for spontaneous adventure. Before the weekend hits, take a peek at the HotelTonight app and book the first great deal you see. You may find hotels in your city (or the next town over) offering empty rooms at rock-bottom prices. During your stay, don't make any plans: Simply meander the neighborhood on foot and stop at whatever interests you, whether it's a park, bookstore, or restaurant.

Sign up for a food tour.

For a new, mind-opening experience without having to go far, take a food tour of your city or somewhere nearby. Join a professionally organized trip with a guide if available, or arrange your own tour with multiple stops for small plates or single courses at a variety of restaurants you've always wanted to try. Alternatively, theme your tour and sample various takes on the same dish, whether that's dessert, tacos, or appetizers.

Get comfortable.

Transform your everyday surroundings by prioritizing cozy: light your favorite scented candle, crack open a book, cook a hot meal that reminds you of your favorite destination, and break out every blanket you own. Read up on the concept of Hygge, a Danish lifestyle concept that's all about indulging in whatever makes you most comfortable at any given moment.

Take a virtual tour.

Many cultural establishments have gone digital and now offer virtual tours to those stuck at home. You can explore museums, national parks, European castles, or world-famous attractions like Machu Picchu without getting off your couch. You can even experience destinations like Tel Aviv and New York City, or go on a stunning train ride, all from home. Check out platforms like Beeyonder, which let you peruse through a variety of virtual travel experiences, where you'll be able to speak and interact directly with your guide on the other side of the world.

Visit your closest amusement park.

You may live far away from your dream park in Orlando or Anaheim, but that doesn't mean your home state has nothing to offer. Do a little digging and you'll find that some of the best theme parks in the United States are located in the heartland like Dollywood in Tennessee and Silver Dollar City in Missouri. Most likely you also live within reasonable driving distance of a Six Flags park.

Plan a scavenger hunt.

If you've already seen a lot of your hometown, a scavenger hunt is a great way to challenge your preconceptions and start thinking differently about your surroundings. Team up with your family and friends to come up with a list of scavenger hunt items, like asking them to find a specific type of car or street art, or encoding riddles into the list.

Try an escape room.

Escape rooms have surged in popularity in the last few years, as more and more people discover the joys of these life-size puzzles, so you may have a few in your area worth trying out. Participants in an escape room are "locked in" and given clues and puzzles to solve in order to find the key that lets them out. Usually, experiences are monitored by a supervising employee who is there to give hints and assist if anyone needs to exit the game for any reason.

Plan a movie marathon based on your favorite destination.

With the right movie, you don't need a plane to be transported to a new country. Take the time to research your chosen destination's most popular films — or movies that are set there — and try to watch as many as you can. This could mean a night of motoring around Italy with classic films like "Roman Holiday" or embarking on the samurai's journey with the entire Kurosawa canon.

Learn a new language.

Your big international trip might still be on the horizon, but that doesn't mean you can't start practicing your foreign language skills. Free language-learning apps are readily available, but if you want to get really serious about your studies, you can find an online tutor on platforms like Preply and iTalki. Not only do these classes give you one-on-one instruction, but you also often get to interact with a native speaker from your destination country.

Try geocaching.

Geocaching is like a scavenger hunt that takes place all over the world with participants hiding caches, usually small containers with messages or other rewards, in all kinds of places. You can download the geocaching app to see where caches have been hidden and follow the GPS coordinates to the location. Once you find the cache, you can sign your name in the logbook and collect the prize if there is one, or leave swag of your own for the next geocacher.

Learn a new craft.

A staycation is a perfect excuse to finally take that ceramics, aerial silks, woodworking, glassblowing, jiu-jitsu, rollerskating, or whatever kind of class you've had your eye on. Take a look around your town to see if there are any businesses offering classes or workshops that interest you. Even if it's just one class, it's worth it to get out of your comfort zone.

Scrapbook your travel memories.

Even the best staycation ideas can't ward off the travel blues when you've been itching to go somewhere new. Instead of moping, use this time off to focus your creativity on creating a scrapbook to commemorate your favorite trips. You can use online photo book makers to create your own books that can be printed and sent straight to your door. To make the designing process even more fun, you can order on-theme takeout that coordinates with your past travels to further fuel your creativity.

Sleep in.

If this is your favorite thing to do on vacation anyway, why not dedicate your whole staycation to it? Build yourself the perfect sleep itinerary by investing in a new pair of pajamas, lay down some freshly laundered sheets, and put on a sleep-inducing playlist to get set up for the best shut-eye you've had in a long time. Don't forget to put your phone on do-not-disturb mode and let the sheep-counting begin.

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