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izi.TRAVEL: Get a Travel Guide

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izi.TRAVEL Audio Tours 4+

Audio guide, city tour guide, informap technology center llc, designed for ipad.

• 3.0 • 2 Ratings
• Offers In-App Purchases

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Description.

izi.TRAVEL is your SMART CITY TOUR GUIDE Download izi.TRAVEL app now and get your best city tour guide. Plug in your earphone, turn on autopay mode and let izi be your tour guide. izi.TRAVEL is World’s No.1 FREE Audio Tour Guide with 15000 audio tours, covering 3000 cities across 110 countries in 70 languages. Explore the world with izi.TRAVEL as your free tour guide. izi.TRAVEL is like a personal tour guide in your pocket. izi uses GPS to locate your position and plays immersive stories right on your ears, while your eyes enjoy seeing it. It is truly an amazing experience! If you do not have Roaming data pack, not to worry, simply download izi audio tours using WiFi. Listen offsite or offline while walking, cycling, boating or driving. Let izi travel guide be with you everywhere, all the time! Choose Free Walking Mode and allow izi to identify the nearest tourist attraction and GPS auto-play the stories for you. If you hire a local tour guide, you will soon forget what you heard, but with izi, you can listen to the stories seamlessly before, during or after your visit. BENEFITS OF USING izi.TRAVEL TOUR GUIDE • SEARCH TOURS by Country, City, Museum, Monument, Attraction or any key word. • SELECT YOUR LANGUAGE for the tour. Many city tours have multiple languages. Use Time & distance calculation for each point to plan your route and sequence. • DOWNLOAD FREE AUDIO TOUR GUIDES for the most visited cities in the world: Amsterdam, Barcelona, Berlin, Dubai, London, Madrid, Moscow, New-York, Paris, Prague, Rome, San Francisco, Singapore, Tokyo, Dubai, Delhi, Mumbai, Kerala, Agra, Taj Mahal and many others. • LISTEN BEFORE, DURING and AFTER your visit. Bookmark list of tour attractions in sequence and share sightseeing tours with your family and friends on social media. • Look for AUDIO TOUR RATINGS and REVIEWS. See editor’s choice for popular destinations. • View WALKING TOUR PATH ON MAP with stop points or view it as a list. Tap the balloon to listen or try offsite auto play audio to play the attractions one after another, if you are driving or cycling. • RECORD YOUR OWN AUDIO STORIES when you are on a monument and share in social media. • If you are visiting a Museum, simply SCAN QR CODE OF EXHIBIT inside the Museum and enjoy the exhibit. • 20000 local storytellers and Local Tour Guides publish their audio guides in izi platform. Why don’t you consider PUBLISHING YOUR OWN AUDIO TOUR for your own Museum or a remote attraction? Try izi’s latest incredible India free audio tours including world wonder UNESCO world heritage site Taj Mahal, Red fort, Agra Fort, Qutub Minar complex, Rashtrapati Bhavan in Delhi, God’s own country Kerala, Mumbai, Bangalore, Ajanta and Ellora caves. Email [email protected] to join izi team. izi.TRAVEL: Enlightening Audio Tour Guide for every Destination! Try it, it is really cool! Continued use of GPS running in the background can dramatically decrease battery life. For more information about this app Terms of Use, please, go to https://izi.travel/legal/eula Have a great travel!

Version 7.1.0

We've made great improvements to enhance your experience and fixed some bugs that bother you.

Ratings and Reviews

Perfect for solo travellers.

I like this app. I have been using it for years, it’s perfect for solo travellers like me. I saw someone gave it a 1 star, so I think maybe I should add my review to encourage and share some love to the team behind izi. Keep up the good work!

App Privacy

The developer, Informap Technology Center LLC , indicated that the app’s privacy practices may include handling of data as described below. For more information, see the developer's privacy policy .

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Information

English, Czech, Dutch, Finnish, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Portuguese, Romanian, Russian, Simplified Chinese, Spanish, Swedish

• 1 month $1.99
• Amer Fort (Amber Palace) $2.99
• 6 months $8.99
• 1 year $16.49
• Rome from iAudioguide $4.99
• Knossos Palace: the Labyrinth of the Minotaur $1.99
• Devonport Audio Tour $4.99
• Visit Dublin with MP3 City Guides $2.99
• RED FORT(LAL QILA) $2.99
• 3 months $5.99
• Developer Website
• App Support
• Privacy Policy

SmartGuide vs izi.TRAVEL: Comparing the best digital guide audio platforms

Are you looking for the perfect audio guide platform to provide your visitors with an immersive experience, but have a hard time making a choice? Look no further! SmartGuide and izi.TRAVEL are two of the most popular audio guide platforms for tourist destinations and attractions, popular as well as off-beaten-path. In this blog post, we will conduct a comparison between SmartGuide and izi.Travel, examining their features, drawbacks, and advantages for destinations, travel businesses, and visitors alike.

The key players in the digital audio guiding solutions business

SmartGuide and izi.Travel are two of the most popular audio tour guide apps on the market today, providing travel businesses and visitors with an easy way to explore new destinations and attractions.

SmartGuide is a digital guide platform that turns every phone into a personal travel guide. It offers self-guided tours free-handed with an audio guide on one's phone, allowing visitors to enhance their travel experience when visiting all kinds of tourist destinations (from entire countries to small villages) or attractions (such as museums, castles, churches, parks, exhibitions, etc.).

In a very similar manner to SmartGuide, izi.TRAVEL also provides audio guides for museums and cities in one app. 

Both apps provide digital guides for renowned destinations worldwide, ensuring visitors have access to valuable insights and information during their explorations. They offer curated content, interactive maps (also offline), and convenient geolocation features that assist users in navigating their travel destinations with ease. The apps present free guided tours that leverage GPS navigation, allowing users to explore cities at their preferred pace and follow curated routes. Additionally, both SmartGuide and izi.TRAVEL's apps can be downloaded for free.

Destinations, travel businesses, and tourism professionals widely utilize both SmartGuide and izi.TRAVEL as platforms to create and publish digital audio guides , catering to the needs of discerning travelers seeking enriching experiences.

By understanding the pros and cons of each platform, destinations, and travel businesses can make an informed decision about which one best suits their needs and helps them provide a better visitor experience.

SmartGuide: The travel guide platform and a destination management tool

SmartGuide is the world's #1 digital travel guide platform. With close to 1000 destinations covered and content accessible to the public, SmartGuide has become a go-to resource for tourists worldwide.

One of the standout features of SmartGuide is its open self-service AI-powered content management system (CMS), which gives destinations, popular tourist attractions, and tour guides an opportunity to effortlessly publish their own digital guide in as little as an hour. Its level of accessibility allows for tailoring a personalized visitor experience, fostering engagement and enabling businesses to attract more visitors with content aimed at their particular target audiences. SmartGuide's CMS has a built-in automatic text-to-speech feature (so the written text automatically converts to an audio track in seconds). It's also possible to translate an entire tour to another language with a single click with the integrated DeepL translator.  By enabling fast and simple customized content creation for different audiences and nationalities, SmartGuide also serves as a solution for achieving more sustainable tourism in destinations by distributing visitors more evenly and guiding them independently to less crowded areas.

SmartGuide caters to a diverse range of content creators, who can offer both mainstream content for a general audience and thematic tours tailored for specific niche audiences - indoor and outdoor, while walking, cycling, riding a boat, car, or a tour bus. This flexibility ensures that every visitor can find the perfect guide to suit their interests and preferences.

But SmartGuide's capabilities extend beyond guide creation. The platform provides big data dashboards and GPS heatmaps, allowing destinations to gain valuable insights into visitor behavior. This expert data analysis service supports destination management and marketing strategies, enabling effective data-driven decision-making and enhancing the overall visitor experience.

• No additional maintenance costs for destinations and travel businesses that want to operate digital guides.
• SmartGuide currently covers 100,000+ tourist places worldwide.
• 102 Languages available to create guides in (Chinese, French, German, Spanish, English, Hindi, Slovak, Croatian, Italian, Japanese, Portuguese, Russian, Afrikaans, Dutch, and Finnish, to name a few)
• Free CMS with AI-powered text-to-speech and auto-translation for easy localization of content.
• Accurate and detailed insights provided by big data dashboards and GPS heatmaps of visitors' behavior.
• Expert analysis of data to understand visitor demographics, acquisition channels, and popular tours/places.
• Destination marketing services and expert consultations are available.
• Possibility for travel businesses to promote their offerings via POI Advertising ( contact us to learn more)

• Less localized content is available in languages other than English, which is depending on the preference of content creators (since SmartGuide is an open platform where anyone can create a digital travel guide, the content localization mirrors the preferred languages of whoever creates a tour).
• Fewer integrations, although more are being implemented (currently, SmartGuide supports e.g. the GetYourGuide ticket sales).
• Not accessible on the Windows Phone Store.

SmartGuide's remarkable accolades and acknowledgments

The exceptional quality of SmartGuide has not gone unnoticed. The platform has received recognition in over 20 international industry-related competitions, garnering numerous awards. In 2020, it was honored with an Accelerator Award by the Singapore Tourism Board and received the European Commission Seal of Excellence for its exemplary response to the Covid-19 pandemic. The public's recognition was evident as SmartGuide received the esteemed Hero of Tourism 2022 award, a special accolade from the Minister of Regional Development, and the Czech Tourism Director's Award in the Digitalization category.

SmartGuide's innovative approach has also attracted significant funding and opportunities. The platform was granted €1 million to develop an Artificial Intelligence system that recommends personalized travel destinations based on individual interests, as well as to support Augmented Reality experiences. The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) selected SmartGuide as a service provider for tourism digitalization projects in Bosnia and Herzegovina as well as Moldova. Additionally, SmartGuide is recommended for funding by the European Commission and has been approved as a preferred digital travel services provider within the DigiTour or Tourbit project funding initiatives. The company has been invited to showcase its best practices to EU tourism policymakers at the European Tourism Forum 2022 and European Tourism Day 2023.

Notable clients and partners of SmartGuide include prominent entities such as Switzerland Tourism , Prague City Tourism, Bratislava Tourism Board, Carlsbad, Singapore National Heritage Board, Harvard Business School, Dubai Tourism, Pilsner Urquell , RegioJet, Thames River Sightseeing, and Deutsche Bundesbahn, among many others.

izi.TRAVEL: The city attractions audio guide platform

izi.TRAVEL is an audio guide application similar to SmartGuide that offers insights into city attractions across more than 900 cities worldwide.

izi.TRAVEL especially encompasses museums, churches, or galleries. Similarly to SmartGuide, when visiting a museum, visitors can conveniently scan the QR code of a particular exhibit or indulge in the full audio guide for comprehensive knowledge. By activating their GPS geolocation, visitors can gain access to a wide selection of audio tours available in their vicinity. Each tour is curated, providing detailed maps, checkpoints, captivating photo galleries, and high-quality audio and video content.

Source: https://izi.travel/

• Visitors can enjoy 20,000 audio tours, spanning over 900 cities across 110 countries and available in close to 70 languages (in its audio tours). The app's user interface is available in 13 languages.
• Has 2,100 museum tours.
• Collaboration with 3rd party providers such as Tiqets - a platform that offers tickets to museums and attractions around the world; and Drimsim - an international SIM card for overseas travel through API integration, listing their offers for their users.
• Insights into user engagement with the audio guides created through the Visits Statistics section available on the izi.TRAVEL CMS desktop. This section provides information on the frequency at which users utilize a content author's audio guides. Data about a consumed content type, completion reasons, activation type, and access type help better understand user behavior and optimize the content accordingly.

• Does not offer more advanced AI-powered features.
• Lacks advanced destination management features.
• No complex regional tours.
• Users have reported inconvenient site functionality; payment limitations, broken links with slow response times, and a lack of support for technical issues.

izi.TRAVEL's remarkable accolades and acknowledgments

The platform has won several awards for its innovative approach to travel guides. In 2018, izi.TRAVEL was awarded the prestigious Webby Award for Best Mobile App in the Travel category. This award recognizes excellence on the internet and celebrates the best of the web from around the world. izi.TRAVEL has also been named a Google Play Editor’s Choice app, which recognizes apps that deliver an outstanding user experience on Android devices.

General comparison

SmartGuide and izi.TRAVEL has many similarities when it comes to its offerings for B2B customers, such as providing audio tours, detailed maps, captivating photo galleries, and high-quality content in multiple languages. While izi.Travel boasts more downloads, SmartGuide stands out with its more advanced features. Additionally, SmartGuide has a range of destination management tools that provide insights into user engagement and behavior based on precise geolocation. While we recommend trying out both platforms before making a final decision, Smartguide seems to be the ideal choice for tourist destinations and attractions looking for ways to better engage travelers and employ data-driven destination management.

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izi.TRAVEL Audio Tours Reviews

About: izi.TRAVEL is your SMART CITY TOUR GUIDE Download izi.

  Table of Contents :

• User Reviews (20)
• Is it Legit?
• Is it Safe?
• Not working
• Report Issue
• Contact Support

About izi TRAVEL Audio Tours

What is izi TRAVEL Audio Tours?

izi.TRAVEL is a free audio tour guide app that covers 3000 cities across 110 countries in 70 languages. It uses GPS to locate your position and plays immersive stories right on your ears, while your eyes enjoy seeing it. You can listen to the stories seamlessly before, during or after your visit.

- 15000 audio tours available for free

- Covers 3000 cities across 110 countries in 70 languages

- GPS-based audio tour guide

- Listen offline after downloading audio tours using WiFi

- Free walking mode to identify the nearest tourist attraction and GPS auto-play the stories

- Search tours by country, city, museum, monument, attraction or any keyword

- Select your language for the tour

- Download free audio tour guides for the most visited cities in the world

- Listen before, during and after your visit

- Bookmark list of tour attractions in sequence and share sightseeing tours with your family and friends on social media

- Audio tour ratings and reviews available

- View walking tour path on map with stop points or view it as a list

- Record your own audio stories and share on social media

- Scan QR code of exhibit inside the museum and enjoy the exhibit

- 20000 local storytellers and local tour guides publish their audio guides in izi platform

- Try izi’s latest incredible India free audio tours including world wonder UNESCO world heritage site Taj Mahal, Red fort, Agra Fort, Qutub Minar complex, Rashtrapati Bhavan in Delhi, God’s own country Kerala, Mumbai, Bangalore, Ajanta and Ellora caves.

Overall User Satisfaction Rating

Key benefits of izi travel audio tours.

- App performs well with no issues

- Smooth and no lag or crashing

- User interface is quite nice and smooth

- Free to use

- Good way to manage your trip and get all useful info about the places that you plan to visit

20 izi TRAVEL Audio Tours Reviews

By Zach P. Rogers

App has a job and it does it well. I searched up some places that would interest me to visit one day, and iziTRAVELAudioTours is basically a tour guide. App also performs well, had no issues using it. It's very smooth and did not experience any lag or crashing. So I am assuming when using iziTRAVELAudioTours when traveling would be stress-free.

By cr7linkinpark

Weekends special

Thank god for this application on weekends what we do ask to friends where can we go for parties or somethings else get confused all the times but iziTRAVELAudioTours shows you the exact what we need to do on weekends to find a better placed to visit. Thanks for sharing with us

By coolgarry

Its a lovely app for tour voice guides. I have used it in my recent trip and it worked fine. User interface is quite nice and smooth but theres still a room for improvement. Its free so do give it a shot. Recommended for daily travellers.

By Waqas Kazmi

The best part of this aap is that it supports bar-code of the sites that gives complete information about the place/museum/park including photos and even audio excursion. Thanks guys, and keep up the good work going.

By Joanna.brandy.1986

Good for traveling

This is an awesome app if you go on a vacation. It's basically a voice guided tour, so if you're in a city that has this functionality - take advance of it. My experience was great, this is a professional developed app.

By Twinnywinnie

This is a great app for people who like visiting new places. It works great as a travel guide because it informs you of all the places worth visiting around you. iziTRAVELAudioTours also has a great design and it is very easy to use.

By Maya the Bee

Needs work on the experience

It would be a mic nicer experience if it were easier to go from one audio track to the next. The English version could be improved by using a narrator that is a native speaker. Otherwise there are no technical issues with iziTRAVELAudioTours .

By Nicole V in Chicago

Easy to use, fun, informative

Such a cool way to explore a new city! Easy to use app, with lots of helpful and interesting information. Looking forward to trying more tours in new cities!

Well designed!

iziTRAVELAudioTours is nicely designed and very helpful to those that loves to explore the world. It's like a personal guide to many different places and you don't need a tourist to guide you.

By Deslee2012

iziTRAVELAudioTours has a nice and impressive concept. I really learned lots of story and history during travel. I hope iziTRAVELAudioTours can cover more country in future.

By galimirov

Great for travelling, i use it every time when i travel. I like that it is an audio app, because I can listen to it while doing other things.

By Maunik37

This cool app turns your mobile device into a FREE, Personal Guide and also transform from a tourist into a travel pro. You can explore cities, museums and cultural attractions effortlessely. thanks developers for this great app

By Andrew Kaplan

Must have app for travelers

iziTRAVELAudioTours is incredible, brilliant concept and brilliant execution. This audio travel guides makes traveling lot fun. Highly recommend.

By chauhan11

This is an great application which helps in discovering new places and events, very helpful to those whom looking forward in adventure and traveling. Good luck.

Great city tour in Zürich

I used iziTRAVELAudioTours to do a tour of Zürich. It was amazing. Only feedback, I did the tour backwards and iziTRAVELAudioTours had a hard time keeping up. The tours should be reversible.

By akbhatia97

Its a very nice and handy app with a simple, clean and easy to use user interface. A very nice audio guide app if the place supports it. Its overall a very nice app and worth a try. RECOMMENDED !!!!!

By Krissska1289

That's a wonderful application! I didn't know I have to many interesting things to explore in my city!

Easy to use, great content

Recommend for trips! Tried in Baltimore and gave a nice tour.

By Jackie_Olive

Good way to manage your trip and get all useful ino about the places that you plan to visit so this guide can make your life much easier.

By Alissonmartinezz99

This is very helpful guide app even though some city guides are not availbale but still worth trying and definetely help you while traveling.

By C. Smags

Urban enthusiast

iziTRAVELAudioTours added so much value to my recent trip to LA! I love all things urban but can never find enough time to read about or experience enough cities. iziTRAVELAudioTours solved both my problems! I was able to listing to multiple by different perspectives and persons while I was visiting their city. It's unbelievable to think of something discrete is free! I was able to spend my excess cash my things in the city rather than on a tour guide. Absolutely love it highly recommend him to any other visitors.

Is izi TRAVEL Audio Tours Safe?

Yes. izi.TRAVEL Audio Tours is very safe to use. This is based on our NLP (Natural language processing) analysis of over 6 User Reviews sourced from the Appstore and the appstore cumulative rating of 5.0/5 . Justuseapp Safety Score for izi TRAVEL Audio Tours Is 68.6/100.

Is izi TRAVEL Audio Tours Legit?

Yes. izi.TRAVEL Audio Tours is a totally legit app. This conclusion was arrived at by running over 6 izi.TRAVEL Audio Tours User Reviews through our NLP machine learning process to determine if users believe the app is legitimate or not. Based on this, Justuseapp Legitimacy Score for izi TRAVEL Audio Tours Is 89.4/100. .

Is izi.TRAVEL Audio Tours not working?

izi.TRAVEL Audio Tours works most of the time. If it is not working for you, we recommend you excersise some patience and retry later or Contact Support .

How was your experience with izi.TRAVEL Audio Tours? Post a Review

Leave a comment:

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IALLT's free language technology magazine

Designing Digital Audio Guides for Language Learning with izi.Travel

By Ilaria Compagnoni – Ca’ Foscari University of Venice, Italy

izi.TRAVEL (“easy travel”) is an open-course digital travel guide with audio tours, multi-media content available in 13 languages with storytelling capabilities. Devised by a team of Dutch innovators, it allows users to record their speech and upload pictures of city landmarks and museum collections to create and publish audio guides. Further platform tools include the addition of treasure hunts and interactive quizzes to increase audience engagement. One asset of izi.Travel is that it is open and free-of-charge with a variety of available destinations, from city tours to visitor guides through museum collections. As an additional resource, the application assigns QR codes to each tour, facilitating content retrieval and route traceability. 

Izi.Travel for Language Education

The usefulness of izi.Travel for language education purposes can be found in its affordances as a design tool for cultural and linguistic learning. Specifically, the platform can be used by students to create and upload audio content in the target language, to personalise and design authentic materials whilst simultaneously cooperating towards shared goals, as well as to develop written and speaking skills. 

In the following examples, izi.Travel was used by language learners to create city tours of Venice in Italian. The students possessed an upper-intermediate/advanced language proficiency and were spending a semester abroad in Venice as part of their degree. They were divided in two groups (A and B) and created an itinerary to help future exchange students familiarise themselves with the city. Both groups conducted independent research on the locations, took pictures, and uploaded audio and written descriptions in Italian. However, while Group A members pretended to be tour guides and minimised classroom interactions in favour of sector-specific language use (Picture 1), Group B presented a ghost tour engaging with classmates in an informal and conversational language. For instance, in the audio file of “Statue della Fondamenta dei Mori” in Picture 2, a student told the legend of the ghosts of Rioba, Afani and Sandi, petrified into statues by a witch for having tried to swindle money out of her.

During the activities, the groups practiced written and presentation skills in Italian, learning cultural and linguistic aspects of the city of Venice. For instance, Group A added colloquial Venetian expressions such as no schei (no-money), whilst Group B explained the meanings behind some location names (as in Ponte dei Squartai – the Bridge of Quartered People). 

As a side note, if you are studying Italian and are planning to visit Venice in the future or a teacher looking for lesson materials, do not forget to check out No Schei Tour by scanning the QR code below (Picture 3) and Venezia Misteriosa !

Application access and use

izi.Travel can be accessed on computers and as an iOS/Android mobile app . While the mobile app is designed for searching and following itineraries, the computer platform functions as a content management system for tour creation, named “izi.Travel CMS”. Upon registration, computer users choose from the dashboard in order to design a museum visit, a tourist attraction, or a city tour. In case of the latter selection, clicking on “Create Tour” leads them to a platform-integrated Google Maps search engine to select a location, upload audio and written content, as well as connect places with arrows (Picture 4). Once completed, the tour is published and searchable by location or QR Code.

The mobile application is intuitive and straightforward; upon granting authorisation to access user locations, the app automatically displays nearby tours which are also searchable by manual selection and QR code. Moreover, tour views and search tools are more user-friendly and visually appealing on mobile phones rather than computers (Picture 5).

Conclusion and Further Directions

In my experience, using izi.Travel as a linguistic learning tool turned students into designers and language masters, nurturing their sense of agency in devising a useful digital resource for cultural learning accessible to a wider public. Moreover, it stimulated cross-cultural comparison and curiosity to explore local heritage.

It is important to remember that users can enjoy platform contents without necessarily designing an itinerary. In fact, as a suggestion for additional linguistic tasks, students could take izi.Travel outside the classroom following a local tour on their phones in the target foreign language and doing follow-up activities once back to class. 

To sum up, izi.Travel can be a useful tool for language learning if its contents are appropriately scaffolded and adapted to meet student interests and proficiency levels.

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Izi Peru Travel - Lima

• See all photos

Full Day Tour In Paracas Ica And Huacachina from Lima

Lima Market Food Tour

Larco Museum & City Tour - Unveiling Ancient Peru's Treasures

Lima city tour by paronamic bus !

Peruvian Cooking Class Culinary adventure in Peru

Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

Izi Peru Travel - Lima - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (2024)

Your Tour Guide Waiting for YOU

Download it NOW!

Dear Traveler, Do you a want a Tour Guide where ever you GO?

Welcome to izi.travel.

13000 Audio Tours

10000 Outdoor Tours

2500 Museum Tours

in 110 Countries across 3000 Cities in 70 languages 

4 Million+ Downloads

World's No.1 FREE AUDIO TOUR GUIDE

We at izi.TRAVEL enable you get your Audio Tour Guide. Simply Download izi.TRAVEL App, Plug in Your earphone and enjoy your Tour.

We have over 25000 Publishers from all over the world publishing great audio guides for YOU. 

DOWNLOAD THE APP NOW

  https://izi.travel/en/app  

ARE YOU FROM MUSEUM/TOURISM DEPT

PUBLISH YOUR AUDIO GUIDES FREE IN OUR STORY TELLING PLATFORM   https://izi.travel/en  

AUDIO TOUR GUIDES FOR INDIA

Agra audio tour guides.

COVERS TAJ MAHAL, AGRA FORT, FATEHPUR SIKRI, ITTIMAD U DAULA, SIKKANDRA

DELHI TOUR GUIDES

Covers Walking Tour of Qutub Complex and Red Fort, Rajpath, Old Delhi Walking Tour plus our Most famous Food Tours

MUMBAI TOUR GUIDES

Mumbai Heritage Walking Tours in the Fort and Elephanta Walking Tours

AUDIO TOUR GUIDES FOR DUBAI

Download izi.TRAVEL APP and check the rich collection of Audio Guides

DUBAI 1-Day TOUR

Experience Old and New Dubai 

KIDS FUN TOUR

Let your kids decide attraction to visit

PRODUCTION OF AUDIO TOUR GUIDES

If you would like to produce and publish audio tour guides for your Museum and Attractions, please contact [email protected]

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Like Jewels, Will Travel

Gem- and jewelry-themed tours and excursions mix treasure hunting with adventure and cultural experiences.

Text by Amy Elliott

Illustrations by Ben Pearce

Last year, when Roberto Ruiz visited the Carbonera mine in Querétaro, Mexico, he cracked open a grapefruit-size piece of rhyolite with a hammer. When he looked inside, “it was like finding a fire fossil,” he said during a recent phone interview from his home in San Antonio. Inside was an orangey-red fire opal that he likened to a flame, forever preserved in the sphere of igneous rock.

Mr. Ruiz and his wife, Erika Rodriguez, are among the few people who have traveled to the mine, a desolate spot located in Carbonera in central Mexico, a destination that’s well off the beaten tourist track, some 20 miles from the nearest city. Their journey was especially unusual as neither is in the gem trade: Mr. Ruiz is a corporate attorney and Ms. Rodriguez works in digital marketing.

But they are among a growing number of travel enthusiasts seeking unusual, hyper-specific vacation experiences that offer an insider’s view of the gem and fine jewelry industries, and a number of businesses are responding to the demand accordingly.

Mr. Ruiz said the idea of visiting an opal mine was appealing for a few reasons, starting with his lifelong fascination with gemstones and minerals.

The mine’s remote location in the rocky, semidesert wilderness (where snakes and scorpions are not uncommon) was also compelling: Ms. Rodriguez said she and her husband are usually inclined toward travel focused on outdoor adventure, from hiking the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu in Peru to rock climbing around Krabi in southern Thailand.

“We had also gone to the American Museum of Natural History in New York and saw an opal from Querétaro, and Roberto is originally from there,” Ms. Rodriguez said. “We found out something that we didn’t even know existed and we became interested in learning how the opals are extracted — and meeting the people who were doing it.”

But a traveler cannot just show up at a mine and start digging. It requires a guide, someone well connected to the mine owners and well versed in what to expect: dirt and dust; lots of walking; the occasional explosion at the site; and, at times, security risks. Given their knowledge of the terrain, guides keep an ear to the ground for rumblings — both geological and political — and respond accordingly to keep travelers safe.

The couple arranged the trip through Carlos Torres, an acquaintance from New York who is a gemologist, commercial gem buyer and consultant. He had piqued their interest with tales of the mines he has visited, particularly on trips with his business partner, Laurent Massi, who has taught gemology at several institutions and now is the owner of the Neogem consultancy in Paris.

Mr. Torres and Dr. Massi have organized gem mining trips not just to Mexico, but also to destinations such as Colombia (for emeralds), Thailand (for rubies) and Brazil (for Paraiba tourmaline). Last fall, they started the Gem Odyssey , a business to structure similar gem-hunting expeditions as all-inclusive travel packages that start, on average, at about $3,700 per person, not including airfare.

Gem Odyssey itineraries are tailored to jewelry enthusiasts who are not industry professionals — offering plenty of education and explanation, while avoiding “inside baseball”-type industry talk. The trips typically span nine days, with at least three of those days spent at a mine site.

The founders say the schedules can be customized to include experiences such as tequila tastings or visits to local artisan markets; any given trip might include a mix of accommodations, with upscale hotels near the airports or central cities and more rustic facilities in the mining areas.

But his clients don’t come for the niceties, Mr. Torres said. “They like the idea of getting mud on their hands.”

And, he added, after receiving instruction in mining safety, they become part of the process: “They see the drilling, how the dynamite is used for extraction, and they get to experience breaking the stones and checking for gems.”

Dr. Massi, who also was on the phone interview with Mr. Torres, said that “witnessing the birth of a gemstone is not something anyone can do and see at home in their garden. We try to give them an experience, and see a part of a country, that they could not get access to on their own.”

Digging For Tourmalines

Perhaps it is not surprising, but gem- and jewelry-themed travel is a trend especially relevant to the tastes and inclinations of high-net worth individuals — people with at least $1 million in liquid assets — according to Milton Pedraza, the founder and chief executive of the Luxury Institute, a consultancy specializing in luxury consumer research with offices in New York and Florida.

Mr. Pedraza said the sophisticated traveler has “seen it, done it.” So, he said, when someone has the opportunity to access an exclusive experience in a far-flung part of the world, “it makes your life more unique,” he said,“and everybody wants to be seen as authentic, unique and genuine.”

The designer Pamela Hastry is connected to such clients through Morphée , her jewelry company in Paris, and the lectures that she regularly hosts in and around her hometown, Brussels. She also conducts private tours of Place Vendôme in Paris, a center for high jewelry, and of the Diamantkwartier, or Diamond Quarter, in Antwerp, Belgium, one of the jewelry industry’s oldest and most prominent diamond centers.

In November Ms. Hastry is planning to take a group to Namibia, in southern Africa, to discover the country’s beautiful tourmalines (while also making a stop at a mine that produces chrysocolla, an unusual blue-green type of chalcedony). Organized with Destination, a luxury travel agency in Belgium, the 10-day itinerary includes at least one night in a tent near one of the tourmaline mines (€8,986 or about $9,711, without airfare).

“You’re going to live — and dig — like a miner for a day and a half,” Ms. Hastry said.

Damien Van Bellinghen, the founder of Le Club des Etoiles, a business and social club in Brussels, has one of the 15 reservations for the Namibia trip. Mr. Van Bellinghen, who went on one of Ms. Hastry’s private tours of Antwerp’s diamond district, wrote in an email that he looked forward to discovering how gems are extracted, getting to know the miners and exploring the country through the lens of a jeweler.

“The types of trips that Pamela Hastry organizes plunge straight into the heart of where the most marvelous jewels come from,” he wrote. “Such visits can only be made if you are accompanied by someone who has ‘insider’ knowledge and, above all, who has the trust of the local people. And we’re lucky enough to enjoy it.”

The Royal Treatment

If you do find a gem during one of these mine trips, can it be used in a piece of jewelry? Both Ms. Hastry and Mr. Torres of the Gem Odyssey said that they could facilitate a purchase, although they noted that the item purchased would have to comply with international import/export regulations.

But some gem-loving travelers don’t want to dig for their treasures. They would rather a holiday centered on history, sightseeing and shopping for finished pieces of jewelry (with posh accommodations and amenities as a bonus).

“You can tour some cities very easily through the lens of the history of fine jewelry and jewelry-making,” said Camilla Davidson, who is head of destination management for Britain, France and Ireland at Red Savannah , a luxury travel agency in England. “And that would still enable you to see so many of the destination’s highlights.”

For example, the agency offers a tour of London called Couture and Crown Jewels, an extravagant option for jewelry enthusiasts with deep pockets ($550,000 for two people, without airfare). It offers a private tour of the Crown Jewels at the Tower of London and dinner in its White Tower; a four-night stay at the Raffles London at the OWO; and tickets to a West End show. And it includes a $125,000 credit toward a jewelry purchase at Humphrey Butler, an antique and estate jeweler.

Ms. Davidson said she developed the package in response to the world’s fascination with British royalty and was inspired by the idea of connecting a visit to the Crown Jewels to an exclusive jewelry shopping experience.

Humphrey Butler and his namesake business were a natural fit for the itinerary, she said: “He has the most impeccable collection and he as an individual is completely charming, exceptionally discreet, and just great fun to be around.”

Jewels at Sea

For some jewelry collectors, a travel experience that plays to, or enhances, their level of connoisseurship, is most appealing.

“Whatever their interest is, they want to learn more,” said Mr. Pedraza, the luxury consumer specialist. “So they make an adventure or journey out of it.”

One such example might be the Spotlight on Fabergé package offered by Regent Seven Seas Cruises in collaboration with Fabergé, the Russian heritage workshop known for its bejeweled eggs, which in 2009 moved its headquarters in London.

The first such excursion aboard the Seven Seas Grandeur liner is scheduled for July. Josina von dem Bussche-Kessell, Fabergé’s creative director, explained that the cruise is designed for “clients who care about art and culture and would happily sit for an hour or so to learn about the history of Fabergé’s royal clients then and now.”

The Grandeur, which was launched in November, has its own 1,600-piece art collection, including a Fabergé egg in an ocean theme with blue guilloché enamel, diamonds and pearls, called “Journey in Jewels,” which was commissioned by Regent Seven Seas. (The meetings on the commission actually led to the cruise collaboration.)

The 11-day voyage is scheduled to depart from the Civitavecchia port in Rome and to include destinations such as the Sicilian city of Taormina; Ibiza, Spain; and Nice, France, ending in Monaco (from $12,999 per person, including airfare).

The programming is to include Fabergé expert-led lectures, screenings and master classes, as well as shore excursions attuned to the participants’ interests in the decorative arts. As Ms. von dem Bussche-Kessell sees it, such a floating symposium — a kind of sleepover camp on a luxury scale — effectively creates a community for people who share a common passion.

Mr. Pedraza said that was an important incentive for certain travelers: “They love to engage with the product while meeting people who are their peers and who come through trusted brands and curators.”

And the return home is just as important as the journey itself, especially with a glittering souvenir to show friends and family.

“You get to demonstrate your expertise,” Mr. Pedraza said, “The experience has made you an insider.”

More From Forbes

Discover the land of the samurai: 7 immersive shogun tours in japan.

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Narai-juku, Nagano, Japan historic post town along the Nakasendo historic route at dusk. It's just ... [+] one of 7 tours available that highlight Japan's Shogun history.

With the recent release of the acclaimed Hulu historic epic TV miniseries Shogun, travelers are itching to explore firsthand the land of samurais, geishas, picturesque villages and urban centers throughout Japan that epitomize the thrilling spirit of Shogun. Based on James Clavell’s 1970s novel, Shogun is the story of William Adams, better known as Anjin-san, who rose to become the top advisor to Shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu in feudal Japan in the early 17th century.

Seizing the momentum of the highly anticipated new series adaptation, InsideJapan Tours has unveiled its latest Shogun campaign, which is designed to bring together a mix of historical sites and immersive experiences that echo the culture and history depicted in Clavell's epic. Travelers are now invited to tread their own path along the Shogun trail. These 7 tours can be added to any of InsideJapan Tours’ fully tailored cultural adventures or small group tours.

Tohoku, Japan The rural Tohoku region is jam-packed with fascinating feudal history and culture.

Traverse Tohoku

Discover the northern Honshu mainland and the Tohoku region as you walk in the footsteps of William Adams and Tokugawa Shogun just before the Battle of Sekigahara, a pivotal moment in the climax of Shogun. The rural Tohoku region is jam-packed with fascinating feudal history and culture. The samurai past is especially present in the town of Kakunodate where much of the architecture remains unchanged since it was erected in the early 1600’s.

The 7 -night Rural Tohoku Trail features a stay in a restored samurai Kura storehouse in Kakunodate.

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Samurai culture of Kyushu

William Adams and his shipmates first landed near Kyushu's southern coast, and later Adams spent time in Nagasaki and the serene isle of Hirado. Today Nagasaki stands out as one of Japan's most picturesque cities, nestled between a scenic bay and verdant mountains. The city exudes a relaxed atmosphere and is dotted with echoes of its storied history, most notably the restored artificial island of Dejima, which stands as a prominent symbol of Japan's period of seclusion, being the sole point of contact with Westerners for more than two centuries.

This 13-night Kyushu Adventure cultural adventure explores the southern island and its culture.

Nijo Castle is one of the seventeen assets of Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto which is ... [+] designated by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site

Conquer a samurai castle

When William Adams first landed off the coast of Kyushu, the Shogun commanded that he and his crew be arrested and they were then held captive in Osaka castle. Today, a restored castle stands in a city famous for its cuisine and dubbed ‘Kansai’s kitchen’. In nearby Kyoto you’ll find Nijo castle, a UNESCO world Heritage site erected by the Tokugawa Shogun in the early 1600’s. It’s filled with secret rooms and cleverly designed defenses for Shogun guards.

The Gastronomic Adventure gives travelers the chance to experience both Osaka and Kyoto and explore one of Japan's twelve authentic Edo-period castles in Matsumoto, alongside the historic Nagamachi samurai district.

Channel Your Samurai with Kenbu

As portrayed in the tale of Shogun, samurai would master their concentration and call on their strength before a fight by engaging in a kenbu ritual, which is a dance with a katana sword and a fan. Experience a two-hour kenbu class in Kyoto, where skilled instructors guide you through fundamental sword techniques, fan dances, and the intricacies of samurai etiquette. The session ends with a captivating kenbu demonstration.

A Kenbu experience can be added to any trip to Kyoto.

Dating back to the 17th century, the Nakasendo runs 332 miles across central Japan, and was once a ... [+] thoroughfare for Daimyo Lords and their Samurai between Kyoto and what is now Tokyo, (formerly Edo).

Walk the way of samurai

Dating back to the 17th century, the Nakasendo runs 332 miles across central Japan, and was once a thoroughfare for Daimyo Lords and their Samurai between Kyoto and what is now Tokyo (formerly Edo). The route takes you along cobblestone paths shaded by trees, quaint villages and towns set in the mountains of central Honshu.

This 14 night Honshu Hiking Self-Guided Cultural Adventur e features walks along some of the best preserved Nakasendo route over two days between the castle town of Matsumoto and Kyoto.

Visit a Sword Master

Few things epitomize the samurai more than a katana or Japanese sword. Outside Tokyo you can visit one of Japan’s last traditional swordsmiths to tour their workshop and see how they fold steel the way it was done for centuries. A not-to-be-missed experience for a Shogun fan.

InsideJapan can integrate a swordsmith experienc e into any cultural experience.

Tosho-gu Shrine. Founded in 1617, the remains of the first shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu are entombed here.

The spirit of the Shogun

Set in the mountains of Tochigi, just a few hours from Tokyo, lies the town of Nikko, home to one of Japan's most magnificent shrines dedicated to Shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu. The exquisitely crafted Toshogu Shrine is a beautiful memorial to Japan's first Shogun, featuring intricate wooden carvings adorned with gold leaf. This awe-inspiring shrine complex is located in the lush forests of Nikko National Park, at the base of Mount Nantai, and is surrounded by pristine crater lakes and waterfalls.

A stay two-night stay in Nikko and a visit to Toshogu is included in A Northern Soul small group tour.

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Biden tours collapsed Baltimore bridge as clearing proceeds and declares ‘your nation has your back’

President Joe Biden visited Baltimore Friday to get a firsthand look at efforts to clear away the remains of the Francis Scott Key Bridge which collapsed last week, killing six people. Biden vowed to “move heaven and earth” to rebuild the bridge.

President Joe Biden, aboard Marine One, takes an aerial tour of the collapsed Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, Friday, April 5, 2024, as seen from an accompanying aircraft. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)

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President Joe Biden waves as he walks to Marine One for departure from the South Lawn of the White House, Friday, April 5, 2024, in Washington. Behind the President from left are Adm. Linda Fagan, Commandant of the United States Coast Guard, Maryland Gov. Wes Moore, and Lt. Gen. Scott Spellmon, Chief of Engineers and Commanding General of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. They are headed to Maryland. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

President Joe Biden participates in an operational briefing on the response and recovery efforts of the collapsed Francis Scott Key Bridge, Friday, April 5, 2024 in Dundalk, Md., from Brigadier General John Lloyd, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, left, as Maryland Gov. Wes Moore, right, looks on. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, with the collapsed Francis Scott Key Bridge, seen rear, moves to speak, Friday, April 5, 2024 in Dundalk, Md. President Joe Biden is on scene getting a firsthand look at efforts to clear away the hulking remains of the collapsed Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)

An aerial formation including Marine One, carrying President Joe Biden, flies in a formation with a decoy helicopter and a U.S. Marine Corps Osprey aircraft carrying members of the White House press corps, during a tour of the collapsed Francis Scott Key Bridge, Friday, April 5, 2024, in Dundalk, Md. (AP Photo/Julia Nikhinson)

DUNDALK, Md. (AP) — President Joe Biden got a firsthand look Friday at efforts to clear away the “mangled mess” of remains of the collapsed Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore , as cranes, ships and diving crews work to reopen one of the nation’s main shipping lanes.

Aboard Marine One, circling the warped metal remains and the mass of construction and salvage equipment trying to clear the wreckage of last week’s collapse, which killed six workers, Biden got an up close view of the devastation.

On the ground later, he received a briefing from local officials, the U.S. Coast Guard and Army Corps of Engineers on the situation in the water and its impacts on the region. The president also greeted police officers who helped block traffic to the bridge in the moments before it was hit by a ship — which helped avert an even larger loss of life.

“I’m here to say your nation has your back and I mean it,” Biden said from the shoreline overlooking the collapsed bridge in Dundalk, just outside Baltimore. “Your nation has your back.”

Eight workers — immigrants from Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador — were filling potholes on the bridge when it was hit by a huge cargo ship and collapsed in the middle of the night of March 26. Two men were rescued and the bodies of two others were recovered in subsequent days.

Authorities announced Friday evening that salvage divers had recovered, in the hours before Biden arrived, a third body from the water, that of Maynor Yasir Suazo-Sandoval, 38, one of the missing workers. They said the search for the other victims will continue.

The president also met for more than an hour with the families of those killed.

“The damage is devastating and our hearts are still breaking,” Biden said.

Officials have established a temporary, alternate channel for vessels involved in clearing debris. The Army Corps of Engineers hopes to open a limited-access channel for barge container ships and some vessels moving cars and farm equipment by the end of this month, and to restore normal capacity to Baltimore’s port by May 31, the White House says.

That’s important since longer delays in reopening shipping lanes could send shockwaves through the economy . As much as $200 million in cargo normally moves through Baltimore’s port per day, and it is the leading hub for importing and exporting vehicles.

More than 50 salvage divers and 12 cranes are on site to help cut out sections of the bridge and remove them from the key waterway. Officials told Biden they had all the resources they need to meet the targets for opening the channel into the Baltimore port.

The president announced that some of the largest employers affected by the collapse, including Amazon, Home Depot and Domino Sugar, have committed to keeping their employees on payroll until the port is reopened. That followed days of outreach by state and federal officials to try to mitigate the economic impact.

“From the air I saw the bridge that has been ripped apart,” Biden said, “but here on the ground I see a community that’s pulled together.”

It is still unclear, though, how the costs of cleanup and building a new bridge will be covered.

The Federal Highway Administration has provided $60 million in “quick release” emergency relief funds to get started. Exactly how much the collapse will ultimately cost is unclear, though some experts estimate recovery will take at least $400 million and 18 months .

Biden said within hours of the collapse that “the federal government will pay for the entire cost of reconstructing that bridge, and I expect the Congress to support my effort.”

Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell likened the bridge collapse to assistance that flows after natural disasters and saying ”the federal government will step up and do the lion’s share” of funding. But authorization could cause some squabbles in Congress.

The White House is asking lawmakers to authorize the federal government to cover 100% of the collapsed bridge cleanup and reconstruction costs, rather than seeking funding through a separate, emergency supplemental funding request.

In a letter to congressional leaders, Office of Management and Budget Director Shalanda Young noted similar techniques were used for recovery and rebuilding efforts that received bipartisan congressional support in 2007, when a highway bridge in downtown Minneapolis collapsed during evening rush hour, killing 13 people.

But some hard-line congressional Republicans are already lining up to demand politically controversial offsets for the funding. The conservative House Freedom Caucus issued a statement saying, “If it proves necessary to appropriate taxpayer money to get one of America’s busiest ports back online, Congress should ensure it is fully offset and that burdensome regulations” are waved. It was referring to potential federal spending cuts elsewhere and to regulations like the Endangered Species Act.

The caucus’s letter also suggested that approval for bridge recovery funds be tied to the Biden administration agreeing to lift a pause it has imposed on exportation of liquified natural gas.

The funding questions only serve to heighten the collapse’s political implications as Biden squares off with former President Donald Trump in November’s election.

It’s the second major disaster along the country’s busy northeastern hub in as many years. Last summer, an overpass along Interstate 95 in Philadelphia caught fire and collapsed after a tanker truck slammed into it. Federal and state officials moved quickly on temporary repairs and ultimately reopened that section of the highway faster than expected.

But the cleanup and repairs in Baltimore will take far longer and be far more costly, making the chances it is a net political positive for Biden — especially in time for Election Day — far murkier. That hasn’t stopped the Biden administration from championing anew a $1 trillion-plus public works package that cleared Congress in 2021.

The bridge collapse also has thrust into the national spotlight Maryland’s Democratic Gov. Wes Moore , 45, a leading voice in Biden’s reelection campaign’s effort to energize young voters on the 81-year-old president’s behalf. The governor accompanied Biden on the helicopter tour and during his briefings.

Biden has traveled the country showcasing construction projects on highways, bridges and tunnels. In 2022, he arrived for an event in Pittsburgh just hours after a bridge nearby collapsed . Promoting the public works package also has allowed the president to lean into his love of train travel and many years commuting to and from Washington on Amtrak as a Delaware senator.

Biden said Friday that he’d been over the bridge “about a thousand times” commuting from Washington to his home in Delaware, prompting the state Department of Transportation chief to quip, “thank you for the tolls, sir.”

Associated Press writer Lea Skene in Baltimore contributed to this report.

Already planning to see the next solar eclipse in 2026? What travelers need to know.

Umbraphiles feeling the post-eclipse blues should start checking the expiration date on their passports.

The next total solar eclipse is set to happen on Aug. 12, 2026 over Greenland, Iceland, Spain, Russia and a small part of Portugal, according to NASA . 

In North America, only a partial eclipse will be visible, so if April’s event made you an eclipse chaser and you want to see totality, you’ll need to head overseas.

Start the day smarter. Get all the news you need in your inbox each morning.

Here’s what you’ll need to know before packing your bags.

Do you need a passport or visa for the best destination?

The path of totality for the 2026 eclipse mostly goes through places Americans can travel visa-free with their passport, so long as they’re planning to stay for less than 90 days.

Spain, Portugal, Iceland and Greenland all allow visa-free tourist travel for U.S. passport holders.

Spain, Portugal and Iceland are also members of the Schengen Area, which allows for visa-free travel in much of Europe, meaning if you decide to make a multi-country trip out of your eclipse adventure, you won’t need to clear customs if you’re coming from much of the rest of Europe, either.

One major change for travelers to Europe from the U.S., however, is that electronic preauthorization will become a requirement beginning in mid-2025. The European Travel Information and Authorization System (ETIAS) requirement will apply to all four open countries in the path of totality. 

Depending on the state of the Ukraine war, travel to Russia may or may not be an option for most Americans by 2026, so it’s unclear what the paperwork requirements will be by then.

Is it better to see it from the beach?

Beaches can be a great place to see the eclipse because there are few natural obstacles blocking observers’ views of the sky. The 2026 path of totality passes over beaches on Spain’s northern and southeastern coasts, as well as over islands in the Mediterranean Sea including Mallorca, Menorca and Ibiza. The eclipse will also pass over coastal areas in Greenland and Iceland, according to the National Solar Observatory . 

Cruising Altitude: What it was like to see the eclipse from a plane

Will there be eclipse cruises or flights?

Almost certainly, although most operators have not announced specific plans yet. 

Cruise lines will also offer more viewing opportunities. Princess Cruises “has created a bespoke itinerary aboard Sky Princess to position the ship near Spain on that date,” according to a spokesperson for the line. The cruise will open for bookings on Princess’s website on May 23.

Cunard Line has sailings on its Queen Mary 2 , Queen Victoria and Queen Anne vessels that will put passengers in prime spots to watch .

'The ship can move': Why you should watch next solar eclipses from a cruise ship

Holland America Line is also planning multiple sailings around the event, though details are still to be announced. “Guests have reacted positively to our 2024 eclipse cruises and with the next full eclipse in 2026 we plan to have three sailings in Europe that will align with the path of the eclipse,” Paul Grigsby, the line's Vice President of Deployment & Itinerary Planning, previously told USA TODAY in an email.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Already planning to see the next solar eclipse in 2026? What travelers need to know.

Millions of people are traveling to see the total eclipse. Hotels, motels, and skydiving operators are making bank on it.

• Millions of tourists are expected to boost economies in Texas and New York during the eclipse.
• Hotels, an eyeglasses manufacturer, and even skydiving companies are preparing for increased business.
• One study predicted that the eclipse could benefit the US economy with nearly $1.6 billion.

As millions of Americans get ready to watch the total solar eclipse on Monday — an event NASA has described as rare and "spectacular" — the phenomenon stands to lift local economies.

Various industries are poised to benefit from the millions of tourists flocking to cities in Texas, Ohio, and New York , which are on the eclipse's "path of totality" and offer the best views of the ring around the sun.

According to NASA, this year's eclipse is set to last three to four minutes, longer than the last solar eclipse , in 2017. People who miss this one will not be able to see another in the contiguous US until 2044 or 2045, the agency said.

Up to 3.7 million people are set to travel to the path of the eclipse, joining the 31 million people already living along the stretch, according to predictions by the eclipse-tracking website Great American Eclipse .

Visitors are expected to spend big: They'll shell out up to $1.6 billion on lodging, activities, food, and gas, the Texas economic consultancy Perryman Group estimated .

Here are some of the industries seeing big boosts from Monday's eclipse.

Hotels and Airbnbs book out

The budget hotel chain Super 8 has over 300 locations within the path of totality, per The New York Times. About 100 of these hotels are sold out for Sunday or Monday, according to the chain's website.

One two-star Super 8 branch in Grayville, Illinois, is advertising rooms for between $765 and $950 from Sunday through Tuesday. On most days, the rooms typically cost $80, the Super 8 website shows.

Higher-end hotels are seeing similar spikes. A JW Marriott in Dallas listed a standard room for $1,039 for Sunday night. It typically costs between $355 and $482, the website said.

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Visitors are flocking to Airbnbs, too. As of March 25, occupancy rates for April 7 soared to 88% across 110,000 active listings on the path of totality, according to the vacation-rental-data company AirDNA.

The biggest glasses manufacturer has sold out

People can permanently damage their eyesight by looking straight into the sun during an eclipse, so NASA recommends specific solar-filtering glasses .

The eye-protection guidelines translated into huge sales for some glasses manufacturers.

Tennessee's American Paper Optics, the country's largest producer of protective eclipse eyeglasses, has seen a big jump in sales compared with the total eclipse in 2017.

The company started taking eclipse orders two years in advance, John Jerit, the company's founder, told NPR on Friday. The glasses sold for $1.50 to $2 apiece.

"We've shipped already about 70 million glasses, and I suspect I'm going to approach right at 75 million by the time next week comes," Jerit said.

American Paper Optics sold out of glasses this year after producing about 30 million more glasses than it did for the total solar eclipse in 2017, according to a sales figure on the company's site .

Eclipse skydiving attracts thrill seekers

Some adrenaline junkies seeking a novel vantage point are planning to jump during totality to enjoy the darkness from the sky.

A group of 30 skydivers plans to jump in northern New York on Monday, Fox News reported . Tickets for the dive, hosted by the local company Skydive the Falls, sold out in seven minutes after they went live in January.

"We're going to jump one minute prior to totality, so we can enjoy totality in full under our parachutes," Jason Berger, a co-owner of Skydive the Falls, told Fox News.

A similar event in Dallas sold out of its $250 eclipse skydive tickets, too.

For sun observers on the ground, restaurants are making the most of the celestial phenomenon with eclipse menus and specials. Establishments like Smoothie King, Applebee's, and Sonic are offering special eclipse-themed smoothies and margaritas, as well as "blackout" drinks to mark the occasion.

Watch: A small Australian town was treated to a rare hybrid solar eclipse

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