Attention all adventurers; those who refuse to follow the status quo and want to shake things up a bit. Have your vacations become a bit formulaic? Do you simply repeat the same approach to sightseeing over and over — a walk around town, stop for a coffee, a quaint place to eat in the evening? If so, you probably want to turn your next trip on its head and do something totally different. Have you ever thought of the following unusual ways to take in the sights on your next trip?

Get a bird’s eye view

If you desire a change of perspective, you’ll certainly get it by taking a helicopter or hot air balloon tour of your next destination. There’s nothing quite like soaring over a cityscape; seeing skyscraper buildings reduced to miniatures and street vehicles into tiny dots. Or feeling like you could just reach out and touch the side of a mountaintop, coasting through the jet stream with giant birds of prey.

In many cities you’ll find companies offering helicopter tours of the area — arguably some of the most iconic trips you can take would be over the Las Vegas strip or The Grand Canyon. Similarly, you’d be surprised how many hot air balloons are in the skies; hundreds set sail every year above the New Mexico desert.

Go underground

One of the most exhilarating ways to learn the history of a city is by exploring what lies beneath; many of the world’s oldest metropolises have — now disused — hidden tunnel ways, harking from past eras. If your next destination has a history marred with war, you may find there are old safety bunkers underground. Indeed, if you go beneath modern day Naples, you’ll find evidence of how citizens hid from air raids in World War 2; if you look carefully, you can still find old cooking pots and kids’ toys.

Spin around the streets

If the thought of being in dark, enclosed spaces leaves you feeling somewhat funny, why not look for novel ways to tour the streets? With some pre-planning, you should be able to find a tour company offering an ‘off the beaten track’ tour of your next vacation spot. However, for something truly unique and fun, you wouldn’t be disappointed with an open-air “party bus,” like The Trolley Bike. You’d be hard pushed to find a more memorable way to tour a city, especially if you’re traveling with a big group of friends. 

Virtually tour far-flung lands

On occasion, the destination of your dreams might be just that — a dream. Luckily, thanks to the Internet, it’s now possible to take in the sights, without having to be there. Have you ever wanted to bear witness to the world’s best marine life? Google has extended its Street View feature to cover The Great Barrier Reef so that you can dive in from the comfort of your own home.

Don’t spend another trip doing the same activities. Try an unusual approach to sightseeing.