Best destinations for a Segway tour

There’s something quite slapstick about sightseeing on Segways but once you’ve set foot on one and you’ve got a taste for how moreish they are, you won’t look back.

Bangkok, Thailand

Bangkok can be a little overwhelming on foot, with tuk tuks, street food vendors, cars, mopeds and other vehicles all competing for space on the streets. But on the intuitive piece of machinery that is the Segway, touring from temple to temple through narrow streets, from an elevated but still immersive position, sightseeing in the Thai capital is superb. Tara Place is only a 10-minute walk from the Grand Palace, Emerald Buddha Temple and central Khaosan Road, so you’ll be able to Segway almost all the way home.

Rome, Italy

You’d be hard pressed to cram in many of Rome’s must-sees in a day (given the Vatican City alone can swallow several sightseeing hours as you gaze at golden ceilings) – unless, that is, you take a Segway tour. As it happens, these days Segway can be found all over the Eternal City and you can zip from the Pantheon to the Roman Forum and on to the Colosseum in a matter of minutes without getting weary legs. Stay at Aventino Guest House, minutes from all of Rome’s key sights, and you’ll barely need to use your legs at all.

San Francisco, USA

Spread out across the Bay Area, the expansive city of San Francisco is famous for its hills, so gliding up its steep streets on a Segway you’ll feel like the smuggest tourist on the block. The sunny Californian climate means a Segway tour is a particularly pleasant affair and you can pick and choose the sights you want to see, with different tours focusing on the Waterfront and Fisherman’s Wharf, or Alcatraz and the Golden Gate Bridge. The Fairmont San Francisco is a highly rated, landmark hotel in the centre of the city, great for kicking back after a day of Segway sightseeing.

Madrid, Spain

Segway tours are super popular in Madrid, with English-speaking guides offering unique tours around the city’s landmarks. You can Segway past sights like the Royal Palace and the Plaza Mayor, or sign up for a tour that shows you lesser-known landmarks, taking in interesting facts and anecdotes from your tour guide as you go. Check into Lollipop Flats, beautiful, sun-filled loft accommodation just a few steps from the Plaza Mayor.

Rottnest Island, Australia

For a Segway tour in the midst of nature, you can’t do better than Rottnest Island, just offshore of Perth in Western Australia. With 63 beaches and 20 bays, there’s a fair chance you’ll be Segway-ing through totally secluded surroundings on this car-free, paradisiacal island. Aside from white sand and dazzlingly-blue sea, Rottnest is known for the quokka, a small marsupial native to Western Australia with a very distinctive and comical grin. As you crisscross the island’s sandy tracks, you’ll spot a few of these little creatures, plus plenty more exotic flora and fauna in this protected nature reserve. Just one minute’s walk from the beach, Rottnest Island Authority is a highly rated accommodation on the island.