6 Unusual Tourist Attractions Your Clients Will Love

Add “unforgettable” to an itinerary

Every traveler is looking for an incredible discovery or a crazy story to take home. By helping your clients find that “something extra” to add to their itinerary, you are guaranteed to reaffirm your value as their travel agent. Travel magazines like the ones listed in our agent resource guide will inspire you with fresh ideas.

To get you started, here are a few fun, lesser-known tourist attractions you should definitely check out!

1. Underground Theme Park, Romania

What can you do with a huge, empty salt mine? Romania used one as a WWII bomb shelter and then as a warehouse to store cheese before converting it to an amusement park 400 feet below the earth. The Salina Turda amusement park has a Ferris wheel, paddle boats, mini golf, a bowling alley and more! The cost is approximately $4 to enter and is totally worth it for the view, even if you skip the rides.

2. Serengeti Balloon Safari, Tanzania

Jeeps are so yesterday. Hot air balloons are the new way to experience Tanzania’s incredible scenery and wildlife. Your balloon safari will begin at dawn, starting with a safety brief and boarding demonstration. Drift above the beautiful Serengeti landscape as the sun rises and witness sights and ancient wildlife trails you would never see from the ground. Following your balloon tour, you will experience a delightful “Out of Africa Breakfast” served outdoors.

3. Pilatus Railway, Switzerland

(pictured above)

At an elevation of nearly 7,000 feet, the Pilatus Railway takes daring passengers from Alpnachstad to Mt Pilatus. The maximum gradient on this trek reaches a dizzying 48%, making it the steepest rack railway in the world. The spectacular views of the mountains and Lake Lucerne are sure to take your breath away if this insanely steep ride does not!

4. The Gnome Reserve, England

The Gnome Reserve & Wild Flower Garden is located in the small town of West Putford in Devon, England. Over 2,000 gnomes artistically arranged in amusing, little scenes are the highlight of the experience. The gardens themselves consist of around 250 labeled species of wildflowers, grasses, and ferns. If you wish to blend in with the gnomes, free hats and fishing poles are available for you to create your disguise. Complete your visit with a light lunch at the cafe, serving sandwiches, teas, cakes, and ice cream.

5. Underwater Museum, Mexico

From 2009 to 2013 a team of sculptors created and submerged 500 sculptures in the ocean near Cancun. The sculptures that make up the galleries are both a work of art and a conservation project. The statues create an alternative destination for diving excursions to protect the surrounding coral from too much traffic. They are also constructed from materials that allow algae, seaweed and coral to thrive, welcoming marine life of all kinds. You can enjoy the exhibits by snorkeling or scuba diving, or from the comfort of a glass-bottomed boat.

6. Ramen Museum, Japan

Here’s a fun one from Japan! The Shin-Yokohama Raumen Museum is just a quick train ride away from Tokyo. You will spot it easily by the floating chopsticks hovering over a bowl of ramen just outside the entrance. Here you can tour a model town made to look like Japan in 1958 (the year that ramen was invented). Don’t show up with a full belly — this is a place to learn about the history of ramen as well as eat it! If you’re looking for the ramen that got you through college, you can enjoy this at the Momofuku Ando Instant Ramen Museum in Osaka.

What unusual landmarks or tourist attractions have you discovered while traveling? We want to hear your stories below!