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The world’s best shopping tours
If you believe that retail therapy is the best kind of therapy, then a shopping tour is for you. Here is our guide to some of the best guided shopping tours and destinations around the world – just make sure you bring an empty suitcase!
Hong Kong – A destination where shopping is the main attraction, you’ll be buying like a local with a specially guided tour
Hong Kong is perhaps most famous for shopping than anything else, with many visitors coming for the sole purpose of indulging in a little retail therapy. Guided tours are available, with locals sharing their in-depth knowledge of the very best designer stores and fantastic specialty stores tucked away in side streets. You’ll begin your tour winding your way through the streets lined with skyscrapers, and the high-end designer labels. Next, make your way to the market district, where your guide will help you get the best price, and pick up something to remember your trip by. For homewares shopaholics, there’s a whole area of the city just for you – with numerous lifestyle and designer gift stores in close and convenient proximity. With so much on offer, you really will shop till you drop in Hong Kong!
New York City – United States – The shopping capital of the world, with tours offering every kind of retail therapy
Any list of the world’s best shopping tours simply must include the most famous and iconic retail destination of them all, the Big Apple – New York City. There’s a shopping tour available to suit every budget here – you can see the shopping sights on foot, by subway, or in your very own stretch limousine. If you have a particular weakness for shoes and handbags, be sure to book a place on the accessories only tour, or if you simply love treating your four-legged friends, there are also specialised pet shopping tours. Fans of the beloved TV show Sex and the City won’t want to miss the themed shopping tour based on the series, where guides will take you to the favourite retail haunts of Carrie, Samantha, Charlotte and Miranda.
Tokyo – Japan – An explosion of bold colour and fun, where every neighbourhood has its own specialshopping character
A day spent shopping in Tokyo guarantees a dizzying, dazzling experience of colour, fun and surprises. Tokyo is a unique shopping destination in that each neighbourhood specialises in something different. If it is high-end, designer items that you’re after, head to the upscale Ginza district. Bookworms should make a dash to Kanda, and those after a digital bargain need look no further than Akihabara, with numerous electronics stores. For those who are young, and young-at-heart, the kitschy Kiddlyand is well worth a visit, with over eight levels of toys and other bits and pieces, including every possible incarnation of the famous Hello Kitty character imaginable. For fashion stores with a difference, most tours also visit the districts of Harajuku and Shibuya. Here, clothing is almost like a work of art, with pieces in a colourful avant-garde style, and you’re guaranteed to pick up some finds that you won’t see anywhere else in the world.
Dubai – United Arab Emirates – The world’s biggest shopping centre, complete with over 600 stores, aquarium, ice skating rink and theme park, is a tour all of its own
With an apparent town planning theme of doing everything bigger, bolder and better, it’s perhaps no surprise that Dubai is home to the world’s biggest shopping centre. A trip to the Dubai Mall is essentially a shoppingtour in and of itself, and you’ll definitely need to set aside at least a day to explore all that it has to offer. Opening in 2008, the Mall boasts more than 630 stores, and is the most visited shopping centre worldwide, so be prepared to battle the crowds! If you’re feeling a little weary after a long day of retail therapy, take some time out and visit the on-site aquarium, ice skating rink, or huge SEGA arcade theme park.
Rome – Italy – It’s all about the immaculate shoes in Italy, with everything from handcrafted unique pieces to the world’s most exclusive designer labels
It’s well-known that the shoe shopping in Italy is some of the best in the world. Although the fashion capital of the country may be Milan, with a little local assistance, you’ll find all the very finest stores in Rome – a great way to combine some shopping fun with all the famous historical sites that the city has to offer as well. Privateshopping guides and tours are available, leading you along the medieval cobblestone paths to tiny, hidden stores, where you can pick up a beautiful pair of handcrafted heels. You’ll also visit the flagship stores of some of the world’s most exclusive designers, such as Armani, Gucci, Versace, and Dolce & Gabbana. You’ll be putting your best foot forward in no time!
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