Admitting you're lost

Estoy perdido/a

es-TOY per-DEE-doh — I'm lost

"Disculpe, estoy perdida, ¿me puede ayudar?"
Excuse me, I'm lost, can you help me?

Pairing this with a specific landmark (¿Cómo llego a la plaza mayor?) gets you much better directions than just saying you're lost on its own.

"Something I've said more than once exploring a new city on my own — it always gets a kind response."— Graciela