Have you ever heard of a duck tour before?
This innovative way to discover a city combines the best of both worlds, traveling on both land and water to give a unique perspective on the highlights of those places. So, how does it work?
Duck tours are offered on vehicles that have been designed to work on both land and water. The idea was pioneered in 1946 in Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin by people who repurposed amphibious vehicles from World War II into tour automobiles.
There are still plenty of operators in different cities that re-use vehicles that were designed for military use, but some companies even make special vehicles designed for these tours. After a time cruising around the center of a city on roads, the vehicle approaches a ramp to a nearby body of water, enters, and begins to float!
Duck tours have the advantage of showing off a side of cities that normal, land-based vehicles can’t offer. For example, in New York City, the view of the Manhattan skyline from the Hudson River is something that can’t be seen on a regular tour bus.
What do you think? Are duck tours worth all of the hype?