Google's Field Trip now has an iOS competitor: Wanderous

Android has Field Trip, an app that connects you to interesting sights and information, wherever you are. Now iPhone has Wanderous.

The brand-new app, which launched yesterday on the app store, shows you highlights of what’s near, what’s interesting, and what you should explore. But where Field Trip pops up information as you go, Wanderous is more like a treasure map for a route you’ve already selected.

Here’s how Adam Wolf, the app’s creator, described it to me:

“Wanderous is a navigation app that creates routes optimized for adventure. Routes in Wanderous start and end where the user specifies, but here’s the twist: During the journey, the routes intentionally wander to one or more interesting, unique, or notable spots chosen by the user. Spots can include parks, landmarks, historical sites, busy city corridors, scenic vistas, and public attractions.”

Wanderous isn’t a clone of Field Trip. But it is in the same family.

While the data that drives Google’s exploration app comes from a variety of sources, such as the Food Network, the Atlas Obscura, and Cool Hunting, Wanderous has its own database of interesting places in addition to the main attractions that you’ll likely find in any travel app.

Another difference?

Wanderous tracks where you’ve been, dropping “virtual breadcrumbs” as you go. This allows you to save maps showing what places you’ve visited — and what remains unexplored.

The app is free for a limited time, Wolf told me. So if you’re interesting, you may want to download it now.

Wanderous works on iPhone 3GS through 5 and iPod Touch third generation and up. It requires iOS 6.

photo credit: Murky1 via photopin cc