A new service from Google called City Tours is now available in the Google Labs area, meaning the service is still in testing phases, and the idea behind it is really cool. All you have to do is enter the city in which you want to take a tour and the map will update with spots to visit and walking directions for you to travel to get to each spot. They try to give you the most efficient directions possible, which aren’t too bad, but definitely could use some work. They also provide the amount of time it will take to walk to each location and how long you can expect to spend at each spot.
I did a test using a city I know very well, Denver, CO and it came back with a tour that looked quite fun, especially for taking photos. As you can see from the screenshot above (click it for a larger view), it maps out some great places to visit. For some reason, the first location is in Asian language, but it’s actually the state capital. Not sure why that is. I’ve lived in the Denver area my entire life and I’ve never heard of the Basilica of the Immaculate Conception or the Mammoth Gardens, so that’s really cool. I think these tours are a great idea and would also be very helpful to print out before going on a vacation.