Years ago, the concept of sightseeing formed the foundation for most holidays.
But a new generation of travellers now seeks to experience destinations in a different way.
Being actively engaged with a place undoubtedly creates more lasting memories and stories to be shared with friends and family back at home.
Booking platforms like GetYourGuide and Viator reported a 165 per cent growth in experience bookings between 2021-2024, overtaking traditional sightseeing tour growth which was only 37 per cent. Meanwhile, global travel network Virtuoso reports that 77 per cent of people regard curiosity and exploration as driving factors when planning their trips.
The latest operator to offer immersive experiences is accommodation rental platform Airbnb. Last week, co-founder and CEO Brian Chesky launched a series of unique experiences designed to offer a different perspective on destinations around the world.
Speaking at a glitzy event in LA, he said: ‘We’re changing travel again. This is about exploring a city with those who know it best.’
Among the 22,000 experiences available in 650 cities around the world are a cookery class with a ramen master in Tokyo and the chance to get in the ring with a real-life luchador wrestler in Mexico City. Elsewhere you can learn the art of cake decoration at the LA bakery loved by Reese Witherspoon and Barbra Streisand, indulge in private farm-to-table dining in Barcelona, or enjoy a game of volleyball with a Brazilian Olympian on Copacabana Beach in Rio de Janeiro.
The holiday rental giant – founded in 2007 by three friends who rented out an air mattress in their San Francisco apartment – has made good use of its pulling power to pull in help from a few A-listers. Another of the listed ‘experiences’ is the opportunity to hang out with singing sensation Sabrina Carpenter.
The unifying theme for all tours is authenticity. More than half of Brits rank this as one of the most important factors when booking a tour on holiday, findings from a survey by Airbnb suggest.
The world of credible guiding has come on leaps and bounds since the dreary days of ‘copy-and-paste’ walking tours based on facts lifted straight from Wikipedia.
Here are a few of the top one-of-a-kind experiences to book from Airbnb’s new collection.
Secrets of an Icon
The world watched in horror in the spring of 2019 as one of Paris’ most beautiful and cherished buildings was engulfed in flames. Now, after several painstaking years, Notre Dame has risen from the ashes and one of the people who played a part in its rebirth is now leading one of Airbnb’s most exciting new original experiences. With a background in design and historic preservation, one of the project’s architects promises to share her unique insight into the cathedral’s challenging restoration during this 90-minute tour. From £71pp.
Alone with Michelangelo
Filled with baroque beauty and renaissance splendour, the Vatican is home to some of the world’s greatest cultural treasures. Chief amongst them is Michelangelo’s masterpiece: the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. Rome-based company LivTours offers the rare privilege of witnessing the heavenly art without any crowds as part of a special guided tour held before the galleries open to the public. But with prices starting at around £420 per person, such a treat doesn’t come cheap. From £420pp.
Time for tea
Listen in as a former butler to the Royal Family lifts the lid on royal protocol over a spot of afternoon tea at a fancy spot just a stone’s throw from Buckingham Palace. Led by an expert in etiquette, who spent years serving King Charles and Queen Camilla as well as the late Queen Elizabeth II, guests learn how to make proper introductions, which piece of cutlery to use and how to sip tea correctly. Tuition is peppered with wonderful stories about the Royals which you won’t hear anywhere else. From £135pp.
