Microsoft Flight Simulator guide: Wonders of the World sightseeing tips

The whole world is yours to explore in Microsoft Flight Simulator. After learning the basics, finding famous landmarks, and flying over your own house, we decided to see how the sim recreates the world’s most magnificent structures — the New7Wonders of the World.

Much of the game’s map is generated through a mix of clever AI and image processing techniques, but the developers have also handcrafted some of the most notable human-made objects on the planet. Many of them appear in the game as places worth visiting, or points of interest as they are described in Microsoft Flight Simulator.

In this Microsoft Flight Simulator guide to world wonders, we’ll show you where each destination is located, including map coordinates that you can input to fly directly there. Once you’ve taken to the skies above each, we’ll give you some tips on how to take advantage of the game’s unique take on photo mode so you can stage the best screenshots.

How to use this guide

Below we’ve created a list of the locations for the New7Wonders of the World, a series of locations voted upon as the current marvels of modern times.

The list below details each location, what country it’s found in, the coordinates you need to input to reach them, and whether or not the it’s listed as an in-game point of interest.

That final distinction is important as areas marked as points of interests tend to have custom models. Areas not marked as such may have their models created algorithmically, with varying quality or not at all (sorry Great Wall of China).

Image: Asobo Studio/Microsoft Corporation via Polygon

Once you’ve decided where you want to travel, go to the World Map / Free Flight mode and input the location’s coordinates or search for its name if it’s a POI.

From there, set the location as your departure destination. You can also set it as an arrival destination after you figure out a better place to depart from, like we suggest in our Microsoft Flight Simulator beginner’s guide.

Wonders of the World locations

Here are the locations of the current Wonders of the World. Below you’ll find the following information about each:

• The name of the location
• Its country of origin
• The coordinates you need to paste in Free Flight mode
• Whether or not the place is a Point of Interest

You can find places that are Points of Interest via the coordinates listed or by searching for their names. Those locations will usually have high fidelity models, while others may generate their models using photogrammetry or some other method. For locations not set as Points of Interest, be sure to lower your expectations compared to their counterparts.

Photo mode tips

After arriving to your destination, feel free to fly around slowly to take it all in, or make use of the Microsoft Flight Simulator’s version of photo mode to take stunning pictures.

Image: Asobo Studio/Microsoft Corporation via Polygon

In our Microsoft Flight Simulator photo mode guide, we detail the steps you need to take to enable the mode. If you’ve never tried out the game’s showcase camera, here’s how to use it:

1. Turn on active pause to stop your plane
2. Highlight the camera icon in your toolbar with your mouse
3. When the camera settings pop up, select showcase to begin controlling the camera

Once you figure out how to move the showcase camera around, experiment with time of day and weather to stage dramatic shots. To change the time and weather, highlight the cloud on your toolbar, which displays the weather options.

These settings allow you to change the position of the sun based on the time of day and even the date. Control time to position the sun in the proper location and get the right angles for your shadows.

When everything is setup to your liking, take a screenshot and you’re all set.