Google launched Immersive View for Google Maps last year, which provides a virtual experience with certain landmarks and destinations when you search for them using the app. Now, the feature is finally coming to five popular cities in Canada.
Immersive View, which provides multi-dimensional experiences for specific places, is now available for searches in Montreal, Calgary, Toronto, Ottawa, and Edmonton. It uses computer vision and AI to provide lifelike imagery of popular landmarks and destination spots.

Think spots like the CN Tower in Toronto, where you can not only see the towering structure, but also nearby restaurants, hotels, and other attractions. You can also explore the cobblestone streets of Old Montreal, take a stroll through downtown Calgary, check out Parliament Hill in Ottawa, or see the River Valley in Edmonton.

With the time slider, you can also see a simulation of predicted weather conditions and how busy a place will be at different points in the day so you can plan ahead.
To use the new Immersive View feature in Canada, open Google Maps on your device. Search for a landmark or place of interest in one of the five cities now offering Immersive View. Look for the Immersive View preview (a small video thumbnail) in the search results. Tap the preview to launch the full experience,

I tried it out, searching for some of the landmarks noted above, and the experience is certainly much more immersive than the traditional search results. You can zoom in and out, move side to side, up and down to explore not only the specific venue, but all around it as well. If you find a spot you want to check out, like a restaurant for dinner, tap on it and see a lifelike view of exactly where it is.
I tried out a few other locations, like Canada’s Wonderland and Notre-Dame Basilica of Montreal and it’s a really neat experience.

The slider is useful as well, showing a visual depiction of the times when it’s typically most busy as well as the upcoming weather so you can determine the best time to visit.
While Immersive View won’t help you in any way to navigate to a specific destination, per se, it’s a really cool way to help you visualize exactly where you’re going (or want to go). And you can use the map for a more realistic perspective once you’re there if you’re looking for a spot to grab lunch, for example, or the best route to drive there.