🗺️ 8 Unusual excursions worldwide: what is included and how to book

A classic sightseeing tour rarely surprises anyone these days. A bus, a guide with a memorized script, a photo in front of a monument: almost every tourist has seen this scenario. But alongside it, another kind of tourism has long been growing, where you pay not for the view, but for the experience.

Among the unusual formats you'll find an overnight stay in a tent next to wild animals, a walk through a cemetery in New Orleans, a descent into the Paris sewers, and a trip to the ghost town of Pripyat. The official St. Louis Cemetery No. 1 tour lasts 55 minutes and starts every 15 minutes (as of 09/2026, official website).

Below are eight such programs: what's included, what you'll have to put up with, and who the format won't suit.

Eight tours for experience hunters

💡 In short:

Format: a night in a tent camp, the Harry Potter film set, a cemetery tour, a ghost town, a tribal village, a crime route.
Booking: some programs run only with a guide and only by advance reservation.
Schedule and conditions: 09/2026, verified on the official website.

1. A night in a safari park tent camp

San Diego Zoo Safari Park is located in Escondido, about a half-hour drive from downtown San Diego (according to Visit California). The Roar & Snore Safari program lasts a full night: you sleep in a tent camp, walk through the park after sunset, and listen to staff stories about animal conservation work.

Daytime panorama of San Diego Safari Park with a pond and palm trees

© Flickr user: Olivier Bruchez https://www.flickr.com/photos/bruchez/ · CC BY-SAPhoto: Flickr user: Olivier Bruchez https://www.flickr.com/photos/bruchez/, CC BY-SA (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0), Wikimedia Commons

The camp consists of 46 tents and sits on the edge of a pasture where giraffes, rhinos, and gazelles live (according to the California tourism office). At night the animals are more active, so in the upgraded Supreme Roar & Snore package guests are given night-vision devices and taken on a night safari through the Africa and Asia zones.

The program has two versions: one for all ages and a separate adults-only one (according to the official website). We checked the booking conditions for 03.09.2026: the camp accepts a limited number of guests, and dates are best checked in advance.

How to get in: by advance reservation only; there are usually no walk-up spots available.
Who it's for: travelers who value contact with animals over hotel comfort.
The catch: the park is outside the city, so getting there is easier by car.

2. A day on the Harry Potter film set

Warner Bros. Studio Tour London shows the actual sets, costumes, and props from the Harry Potter films. It's not an amusement park, but a working soundstage facility where you're led through the filming areas and told how the on-screen magic was created.

Entrance to Warner Bros. Studio Tour London - The Making of Harry Potter

Advance booking is required for all visitors: tickets are sold for a specific entry time, and you can't buy them on site (according to the official studio website). In the pavilions you'll see the Great Hall, Platform 9¾, and sets familiar from every film in the series.

The program takes almost a full day, so it's best not to make other plans for the evening. If the studio isn't enough, add a walk around Oxford or Gloucester Cathedral: scenes were filmed there that became the corridors and library of the wizarding school in the movies.

How to book: online only and in advance, on the official studio website.
Who it's for: fans of the books and films, and families with school-age children.
The catch: you won't be let in without a booking for a specific time slot, and weekend slots sell out early.

3. A walk through a New Orleans cemetery

New Orleans is called the city of the dead because people are buried not in the ground but in above-ground vaults. The most famous necropolis, St. Louis Cemetery No. 1, opened in 1789, and today it's an active cemetery with hundreds of graves and vaults (as of 09/2026, official tour).

Historic above-ground tombs and a walkway at St. Louis Cemetery No. 1

You can't walk through it on your own: access is only available with a guide and in small groups (according to the cemetery tour). The guide takes you through the main points in 55 minutes and shows you the vault of Marie Laveau, whom locals considered a sorceress and to whom people still come for help.

The atmosphere is enriched by local legends: about ghosts, crumbling tombs, and a night when, according to the story, you can knock on a vault door and make a wish. Besides St. Louis Cemetery No. 1, Lafayette Cemetery is also popular in the city, but according to locals, it was these necropolises that inspired Anne Rice's novel "Interview with the Vampire."

How to get in: only in a group with a licensed guide, individual entry is closed.
Who it's for: those interested in the city's history and gothic atmosphere.
The catch: access is limited and groups are small, so it's best to book spots in advance.

4. Ghosts of Lviv and closed-off Pripyat

Many call Lviv the capital of ghosts. City legends place a monk in the Jesuit church who sold his soul and now can't find peace, and in the town hall, according to tradition, the ghost of the Armless Executioner appears.

Woman baking cassava flatbreads in an Amazonian village

Far more powerful impressions come from the exclusion zone around Chernobyl. Pripyat became famous worldwide after the nuclear power plant accident, and tours used to be run here. Such trips are now impossible: the exclusion zone has been closed to tourists since 2022, and tours are suspended (according to a specialized operator).

Before the closure, about 100,000 people a year visited the zone, and demand for such routes remains high (according to the operator). While restrictions are in place, it's safer to choose legal mystical tours of Lviv: they aren't going anywhere.

Who it's for: lovers of industrial history and urban legends.
Not for: those who find heavy topics distressing.
The catch: the exclusion zone itself is currently closed, so you can't plan a trip there.

5. Amazon villages and voodoo rituals

For those who want to get completely away from civilization, there are tours to indigenous villages on the banks of the Amazon. Here you live in basic conditions, take part in local rituals, and eat what the river and forest provide.

Satellite view of Amazon rainforest with a winding river

A similar format awaits travelers in Haiti, where you can see voodoo rituals. Some ceremonies involve animal sacrifices, so these programs are far from suitable for everyone.

Both destinations require caution. The routes run only with local guides, and living conditions are far from hotel standards. But it's a rare chance to see how communities live that ordinary tourists almost never reach.

Who it's for: experienced travelers ready for simple living conditions.
Not for: those looking for comfort and a fixed schedule.
The catch: long transfers and no familiar services along the route.

6. Serial killer location tours

A separate genre of unusual tourism: routes through places connected with famous criminals. In Los Angeles there's a tour of addresses where Charles Manson operated: the guide talks about the crimes, the investigation, and everyday life in the city at that time.

The Jack the Ripper route in London is covered separately: London guide.

Who it's for: adults interested in criminal history.
Not for: not suitable for families with children.
The catch: the subject matter is heavy and not for everyone.

7. Red light district tours

In Amsterdam, tourists are especially drawn to the red light district. Prostitution is legal in the Netherlands, so museums and adult venues operate here. Since 2020, group tours past the windows in De Wallen have been banned.

Street wall with graffiti and passersby in Amsterdam

This kind of route suits those who want to see the city from an unusual angle. The area has long been part of local culture, not just a tourist attraction.

Who it's for: adult travelers.
The catch: the area has strict rules of conduct, and photography is restricted.

8. Stonehenge and crop circles

Stonehenge is famous on its own, but there is a separate topic around it: crop circles that appear on farmland nearby. The debate about their origin between scientists and ufologists is still ongoing.

Tourists at the ancient megaliths of Stonehenge under a cloudy sky

Entry to the Stonehenge site is paid, last entry is 2 hours before closing, and tickets are cheaper when purchased online in advance (according to English Heritage). Some visitors report that phones stop working near the stones, attributing it to a local magnetic field, but there is no scientific confirmation of such stories.

Related to this topic are other rare formats: tours of active prisons, walks through the Paris sewers, and trips to Centralia, where an underground fire has been burning for decades. Each of these routes offers impressions that are hard to find elsewhere.

How to get there: it's best to book online in advance, then the ticket will be cheaper.
Who it's for: for those who want to combine a classic landmark with an unusual story.
The catch: crop circles don't follow a schedule, so they're easy to miss.

⁉️🤔 Frequently asked questions

Are these tours suitable for children?

Some programs are adults-only, such as the nighttime Roar & Snore Safari and crime tours in Los Angeles. The Harry Potter studio tour and cemetery walks in New Orleans are open to families, but keep in mind the length of the trips and the evening timing of some tours.

Do I need to book in advance?

Yes, almost all formats in this selection require reservations. Warner Bros. Studio Tour London sells tickets only for specific time slots, the official St. Louis Cemetery No. 1 tour forms small groups, and the tent camp at the safari park accepts a limited number of guests. So it's best to check dates a few weeks ahead.

Can you visit Pripyat now?

No. The exclusion zone around Chernobyl has been closed to tourists since 2022, and trips to Pripyat are suspended. While restrictions remain in place, you can replace this destination with mystical routes in Lviv or cemetery tours in New Orleans: they are safe and open to visitors.

How much does an unusual tour cost?

The cost depends on the format and country. Studio and tent camp programs fall into the premium segment, while city cemetery and crime tours cost noticeably less. For exact prices, dates, and rules, check the official websites of the operators, where cancellation policies are also listed.

Are there health and safety risks?

Legal tours follow safety rules: a guide accompanies the group, animals are behind barriers, and restricted areas are closed to visitors. Assess your own experience and don't ignore the on-site safety briefing.

In short: what's worth booking

If you're traveling with children, go for Warner Bros. Studio Tour London: no extreme elements, just sets and special effects.

If you need adrenaline, choose a night at Roar & Snore Safari or a crime tour in Los Angeles.

If you want mysticism and history, plan a tour of the New Orleans cemetery.

Book in advance: most of these programs run by reservation and in small groups.

Unusual excursions: a night among animals and the ghosts of Lviv