About us

We believe every city has
secrets worth discovering

Secret Gems was built for curious travelers who want more than a list of tourist attractions. We use AI to find the places only locals know — hidden courtyards, century-old cafés, forgotten viewpoints, and neighbourhood gems that never make it into guidebooks.

12,000+
Tours generated
180+
Cities covered
4.8★
Average rating
96%
Would recommend

Our story

Built by travelers,
tired of tourist traps

We've all been there — following a guidebook into a packed restaurant with laminated menus and English-speaking touts outside. Meanwhile, three streets away, locals are eating somewhere extraordinary that's been there for 80 years.

Secret Gems started as a personal tool to solve exactly this problem. We combined deep AI knowledge of cities with a curation philosophy: every stop has to be the kind of place a well-traveled local friend would whisper to you over dinner.

Today thousands of travelers use Secret Gems every month to explore cities on their own terms — at their own pace, with their own mood, discovering places that will never appear in a travel magazine.

secretgems.net/results
Lisbon's Secret Fado Quarter
📍 Mouraria ⏱ 3 hours ✦ Local life PRO
1
Tasca do Chico
Intimate Fado house — locals only, no tourist menus. ★ 4.8 (312)
2
Largo da Severa
Hidden square named after the legendary Fado singer Maria Severa.
3
A Cevicheria
Chef Kiko's tiny counter — no sign outside, reservation recommended.
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What we stand for

Our principles

◈
Real places only
Every stop is a real, verifiable location. We'd rather give you 4 great stops than 8 mediocre ones. Quality over quantity, always.
🗺
Your mood, your tour
Romantic evening? Street art hunt? Dog-friendly morning? We generate tours around you — not a generic template.
🔒
No ads, ever
We don't accept payments to feature places. Every recommendation is based purely on quality and local knowledge. No sponsored stops.
🌍
Global, local knowledge
From Belgrade to Buenos Aires — our AI combines deep local expertise with global coverage across 180+ cities worldwide.
⚡
Ready in seconds
No 20-tab research sessions. Type your city and mood, get a walkable itinerary in under 30 seconds. Travel planning, simplified.
💬
Real support
We're a small team and we actually respond. Found a closed place? Wrong address? Message us and we'll fix it — fast.

What travelers say

Loved by curious travelers

Trustpilot
★★★★★
"Found a tiny wine bar in Naples that's been run by the same family since 1952. My travel agent of 10 years never mentioned it."
S
Sophie L.
Paris, France
App Store
★★★★★
"Used it in Kyoto for a full day. Every single spot was real, walkable, and genuinely off the beaten path. Felt like a local."
D
Daniel K.
Berlin, Germany
Google
★★★★★
"We only had one afternoon in Lisbon and this made it unforgettable. The hidden viewpoint it suggested had maybe 3 other people there."
E
Emma T.
London, UK
Trustpilot
★★★★★
"Took my dog on the dog-friendly tour in Amsterdam. Every café on the list actually welcomed dogs — no disappointments."
M
Marco V.
Amsterdam, Netherlands
Reddit
★★★★★
"As someone who researches cities for weeks before visiting, I was skeptical. Secret Gems found 3 places I hadn't seen anywhere online."
A
Ana R.
Barcelona, Spain
App Store
★★★★☆
"Perfect for the kid-friendly mode. My 7-year-old loved the interactive museum it suggested — hadn't been mentioned in any family travel blog."
J
James P.
Toronto, Canada

Start exploring

Ready to find your first
secret gem?

Join 12,000+ travelers who've stopped following the crowds.

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