Here in Boston, it seems like summer has finally arrived! And chances are that those who plan on taking a vacation this season will probably find themselves relying on an iPhone GPS for directions and maps (I know I will). Fortunately, there’s now a Boston-based startup that’s looking to upgrade the way we travel and experience our destinations – without having to rely on your sometimes unreliable GPS.

FlipKey, a vacation rental marketplace acquired by TripAdvisor, recently launched an interactive guide where travelers can experience the look and feel of a travel destination before they actually visit. The first in their series of guides features none other than our own city of Boston – although more city guides are coming.

And trust me, it’s pretty sweet. Just take a look at the virtual tour, here, and tell me you’re not completely impressed by the visuals and the intuitiveness of the guide. We all know how confusing our city’s winding streets can be, but this pretty parallax-scrolling guide can help tourists – and residents – see our city in a more coherent and connected way.

Tess Morton, a FlipKey spokesperson, explained to BostInno that the company “wanted to create a unique experience for our travelers by giving them an on-the-ground feel for a destination before they visit to better assist them in planning their vacation.”

According to Morton, the guide was created using Google street views and,  “each location on the map was hand-picked by FlipKey’s travel experts based on historical significance.”

The easy-to-use “virtual walking tour” of Boston let’s you explore 10 different landmarks in the city. As you click on each landmark (i.e. Faneuil Hall, Boston Public Library, MFA etc), the site immediately takes you on a virtual tour using Google Maps before offering a bit of history and information on the landmark. You can also “look around” your destination by taking a 360-degree tour.

We’re looking forward to seeing future city guides provided by FlipKey. In the meantime, try exploring our city in a whole new way – on this virtual walking tour.