Visit These Vulnerable Tourism Icons While Protecting Them

As global travel became easier and cheaper in the past decade, many popular tourist attractions have fallen victim to over-tourism, damaging fragile environments or landmarks and contributing negatively to the environment. To visit vulnerable tourism icons, consider a virtual tour conducted by a local expert guide that’ll allow you to experience it but in a low-impact, sustainable manner. ​

Trip Down the Catacombs of Paris 
Visiting the Catacombs in Paris takes some pluck. Made up of over 200 miles of old, crumbling underground tunnels (some of which are in danger of collapsing any day), this unofficial mass grave holds the remains of millions of Parisians and today remains an attraction for visitors intrigued by its eerie charm. Follow along on this guided virtual experience that will bring you through the tunnels with photos, maps, and private documents. Visit the infamous Bones part where the patterns that line the walls are made out of actual bones and unusual structures like the Barrel (said to be the work of quarry miner François Décurealso) double up as an art piece and support beam. Our guide will also share anecdotes of this unique necropolis, and best of all, you will do it from the comfort of your home. Join the tour here.  

Admire Machu Picchu from Afar 
A bucket list trip for many, exploring this iconic archeological site located 7,000 feet above sea level has gotten a lot more complicated as the Peruvian government struggles to balance its contribution to the Peruvian economy while conserving this sacred site. With new 2021 visiting rules, tourists are now restricted to a four-hour stay and are accompanied by an official tour guide. If going there in person is not an option, join this live virtual tour to explore this breathtaking historic sanctuary from its highest viewpoint surrounded by majestic mountain peaks and valleys. Our guide will share about its unique construction using the technique of ashlar where blocks of stone are precisely cut to fit together without the use of mortar, and other interesting facts that make these ruins of the Inca Empire a must-see. Join the tour here. 

Walk The Walls of Dubrovnik
Beautiful but overcrowded, the city walls of Dubrovnik have become another casualty of over-tourism thanks to its portrayal in the Game of Thrones as King’s Landing and for the spectacular views of the Adriatic sea offered from this walled city. Avoid contributing to the crowds but still explore this unique spot in detail with our live virtual tour. Stroll the 2,000 meters long walls of Dubrovnik with our guide who will take you to all six fortresses (Lovrijenac, Revelin, Minčeta, Bokar, St John and St Lucas), and share the hidden corners and stories that make this mythical and magical city of Dubrovnik a one of a kind. Join the tour here.  
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Explore Venice’s Colorful History
Pre-pandemic, the floating city of Venice was already feeling the weight of day-tripping hordes descending upon St Mark’s Square to gawk at this UNESCO world heritage site. As international tourism slowly starts back up, the city is pivoting to make Venice a world sustainability capital and introduce a Venice tourist tax (from 3 euros) from January 2022 to help pay for essential services like trash collection and the cleaning of public areas. Sidestep adding to the masses by taking a virtual tour around Venice’s famous neighborhood of Rialto. Our guide will show you around the banking center of Venice and the spots that inspired Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice. Full of life, color, and bustle thanks to the daily greengrocer market and busy Campo della Pescheria fish market, combined with a selection of historic photographs and videos, this live virtual experience will give you a fuller context of Venice's colorful history and leave you feeling like you were there in person. Join the tour here. 

Get Close to Penguins in the Antarctic 
The climate is warming, and with it, the Antarctic ice shelves have lost nearly 4 trillion metric tons of ice since the mid-1990s and will continue to melt if there aren’t any meaningful changes to our carbon emissions. The Antarctic’s growing vulnerability also presents a pressing problem for emperor penguin colonies who will be severely impacted if the loss of sea ice isn’t stopped or slowed somehow. It is estimated that as much as 70 percent of the population will be in danger by 2050 if present conditions remain as is. Learn more about these adorable torpedo-shaped birds on this virtual tour where our expert guide will share more about them – how they’re flightless birds, what their black and white plumage does to serve as camouflage while swimming – and the beautiful icy conditions they call home in Patagonia and Antarctica. Join the tour here.