Philly on wheels: Alternative tours of Philadelphia

According to Visit Philadelphia's 2014 annual report, 39 million visitors stopped in the City of Brotherly Love in 2013. And of that number, 34.4 million were here just to hang out on overnight trips—not for business. Given the city's history and all that it offers to tourists, it's no surprise millions of people come to visit. With the summer months and height of tourism season only weeks away, we've got a few on-wheels options for our out-of-town friends who want to see the most of Philly.

Bike Tours

Pumping and peddling through the historic streets is a great way to burn some calories and learn about the city. Philly Bike Tour Co. in Fairmount has a few options for the biking tourists. Their Classic Bike Tour will have you riding through all the must-see Philadelphia landmarks like the Liberty Bell and Rittenhouse Park during the three-hour tour. This tour is available at 10:30 a.m. Tuesdays through Sundays until August 20. For a more advanced ride with a few hills, try the 14-mile Fairmount Park Bike Tour. This ride, offered every Tuesday and Thursday at 1 p.m., covers Boathouse Row, the Philadelphia Zoo, Belmont Plateau and more. Book this one early; they're only available until August 21. Although you're only able to book these tours through late August, check their website for fall tours. All bike tours include a bicycle, helmet and water, however bringing your own bike is permitted.

Wheel Fun Rentals at Boathouse Row gives bikers the freedom to guide their own tour with an 11.5-mile self-guided tour of Center City. You'll have up to four hours on your bike to get to the spots you want to see. They're open daily year-round but you won't be able to leave on a tour any less than four hours prior to sunset.

Segway Tours

Now for a segue…Seeing the city via Segway will make you feel like a city-touring being from the future. These upright, two-wheeled motorized transporters will have you zipping around the city at a maximum 10 mph. Depending on how much time you've got, there are a variety of tours hitting different historical attractions and more.

Leaving from the Independence Visitor Center at Independence Mall, Philadelphia Segway Tours presented by Wheel Fun Rentals offers a Full City Tour lasting three hours and hitting areas like the Art Museum and Schuylkill River Banks and a meal. These tours are offered daily at 8:45 a.m. from now until June 29th and also at 3 p.m. on Fridays through Saturdays. Wheel Fun Rentals also offers a shorter, two-hour Old City Tour where you'll ride around Old City and the Waterfront District. These are offered daily through June 29th at 12:30 p.m., 3 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays and at 5:30 p.m. on Fridays through Saturdays. And a heads up: arrive 15 minutes prior to your tour time.

Philly By Segway, located on Arch Street, next to the Betsy Ross House, has a quick one-hour, four-mile tour through Old City, Society Hill and South Philly available daily through the end of the year at four times a day: 10 a.m., 12:30 p.m., 3 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. If you want a longer experience, consider their two-hour tour that takes you from the Delaware to the Schuylkill. These are also offered daily through year's end at 9:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. Or if food is more your style, ride for two hours through South Philly sampling the area's best cheese steaks. These tours are in high demand and they're only available on Fridays and Sundays at 11 a.m., so book soon.

With all Segway tours, riders must be at least 14 years old (and have a parent if under 18) and it's required that you wear closed toe shoes. When making a reservation, keep weather in mind since all tours are rain or shine. And don't worry if you don't have experience with Segways—all tours include a training session on the device.

Pedicycle Tours

Pedi-what? A pedicycle is a 15-passenger bike where 12 seats along the sides of the "bus" have pedals and an extra three seats with no pedals. Big Red Pedal Tours at Front and Chestnut Streets send you on your way with a tour guide for either their two-hour Philly By Day or Philly By Night tours. The daytime tours run yearly at 10 a.m., noon, 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. and visitors will roll by historic sites like the Liberty Bell, Constitution Center and Independence Hall. The nighttime tour however is for those of legal drinking age: you'll frequent a few pubs within city limits. These tours depart at 3 p.m. 5:30 p.m. and 8 p.m. daily.