I used ‘Immersive View’ to scout my hike before I even left the house

The result is a stunning overhead view of landmarks, neighborhoods, and terrain, complete with relative representation of elevations.

It’s not just visually impressive, but it is also genuinely useful for previewing a place before you navigate or visit it.

I have even found it surprisingly helpful for outdoor adventures and hiking.

Even though I don’t consider myself an avid hiker, Immersive View proved its worth on several recent family trips. It gave me a much clearer sense of the trails ahead and improved my confidence when tackling a mountain trail.

Ever since then, it has become one of my favorite Google Maps features, and even an indispensable tool on my hikes.

It has transformed the way I travel

And it’s practical and free to use

It has become second nature to use Google Maps on every international trip I take. Exploring a new city without it feels like trying to navigate a winding maze blindfolded.

But beyond the regular Maps experience, Immersive View has quickly become another essential tool. It is useful not just for travel, but for hiking as well.

At launch, it supported select popular landmarks and attractions worldwide, and since it was completely free, I had no reason not to try it out. We used Immersive View in our recent travels, including a couple of visits to Taiwan.

I primarily used Maps on my Google Pixel 9 Pro XL and Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 FE to plan our itinerary, including pinning tourist attractions and adding them to the list, and downloading offline maps. However, the addition of Immersive View has changed the way we plan our trips.

I was happy to see it supports iconic landmarks, such as the massive Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall, the ornate Lungshan Temple, and the towering Taipei 101.

But more than the popular places, I was surprised that Immersive View is also available at a few hiking spots in Taipei. However, accessing these areas isn’t straightforward. Fortunately, there’s a workaround. I will share exactly how to do it below.

One standout example is the picturesque Elephant Mountain, one of the most popular destinations in the city for locals and tourists alike.

Its proximity to Taipei 101 makes it a favorite. The trail entrance is about a 10-minute walk from the nearest train station. The hike’s difficulty ranges from easy to moderate, depending on your fitness level. If you are not a fan of steep stairs, it’s best to come prepared.

On Maps, Immersive View offers a detailed 3D aerial view of Elephant Mountain. It gives me a clear idea of the real-world points of interest in a map, such as exact bus stops, trail entrances, and exits along the route.

It goes far beyond regular urban exploration and is genuinely useful when mapping a hiking trail in advance.

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  SoC

  Google Tensor G4

  RAM

  16GB

  Storage

  128GB, 256GB, 512GB, 1TB

  Battery

  5,060mAh

  Ports

  USB-C

  The Pixel 9 Pro XL has a new name, but it fills the same slot as 2023’s Pixel 8 Pro, having similar specs with roughly the same footprint. The non-XL Pixel 9 Pro is new to the lineup as a smaller premium flagship offering. With the 9 Pro XL, however, you get Google’s fastest charging, a bigger screen and battery, and all of the camera and Gemini AI smarts you’d get in the smaller 9 Pro.

  
  

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  Storage

  128GB/256GB

  Operating System

  Android 15

  Battery

  8,000mAh

  Ports

  USB-C

  Display type

  LCD, 90Hz

  Price

  $500

  Samsung’s latest midrange tablet isn’t just a spec bump. With a brighter display, new AI tools, and IP68 water and dust resistance, the Tab S10 FE could be one of the best value tablets around at just $500.

  
  

Accessing the 3D mode on mobile and desktop

A simple hack to enable it outside landmarks and places

In areas where Immersive View is supported, such as most of Taipei, I open Google Maps on my Pixel 9 Pro XL and look for places that offer it. It’s easy. A static animated icon appears outlined and floating above the location.

After I tap the icon and select Immersive View, the landmark or area will start loading and rendering. The loading time depends on your internet speed, but I was never left hanging for more than 10 seconds.

However, there’s one notable frustration when using Immersive View on my Pixel phone. There’s no direct way to switch from normal to the aerial or 3D view, even in supported areas.

Fortunately, I discovered a simple workaround. I start 3D navigation from any place that already has Immersive View enabled. When 3D navigation is running, I can freely move around to nearby areas and access them in Immersive View mode or aerial view.

This works pretty well in city-sized areas where you can virtually explore on the phone screen.

I also tested it on Google Chrome on my Windows PC and found it even quicker. I visit any place with full 3D support, then hold CTRL and left-click to start panning and adjusting the view and zoom level on the computer screen.

The experience on the web and larger screen is notably smoother and more engaging. However, having Immersive View directly on my Pixel phone feels more efficient and practical, especially when on the go, like on trips.

When using Immersive View, I can easily scout an area and get a good sense of the hiking trail ahead, including how hilly it is, sudden elevation changes, and hidden turns.

Depending on the 3D rendering quality, it also gives me a helpful preview of whether a route runs along a steep cliff or what the view looks like from a particular spot.

It’s also useful for checking nearby buildings I often miss on the regular 2D map. In some cases, it could even help in emergencies by showing quicker ways to descend or reach assistance.

It’s not perfect, but it’s reliable

It makes my hike efficient and safe

However, it is not 100% accurate. Many spots and elements are not fully rendered with irregular shapes and blob-like textures. It can also take a long time to fully render certain areas, especially on a slow internet connection.

Still, it provides a much better visual representation of structures compared to traditional maps.

What I appreciate most is how Immersive View quietly removes a lot of the anxiety that comes with hiking unfamiliar trails. This makes trail navigation more efficient and reduces the risk of getting lost in the woods or forest.

When paired with other important map and topographic metrics like trail difficulty, elevation, coordinates, and distance, Immersive View becomes an incredibly reliable tool for both planning hikes and for use during the trek itself.

The feature is still missing in many areas, and the lack of a simpler way to access it is one of its few drawbacks.

Fortunately, Google continues to expand support every year by adding more landmarks and locations, so these issues should improve with future Google Maps updates.