It’s no wonder the famous golden arches of McDonald’s are recognised all over the world when there are around 34,000 outlets in 118 countries worldwide. While most of these fast food chain restaurants look pretty similar both inside and out, there are some unique locations where you can enjoy a Big Mac and other signature McDonald's treats. Here are some of the most extraordinary McDonald’s restaurants on the planet.

One of the fanciest McDonald's locations you'll ever find, this outlet in Freeport is housed in a 150-year-old colonial mansion. A McDonald's restaurant since 1984, customers will find wooden furniture, beautiful fireplaces and mahogany booths inside. The menu here is equally as distinguished with lobster rolls occasionally available in summer. It's also one of the few McDonald's locations without a single golden arch in sight.

Opened in 2018, this is one of the most remarkable McDonald's locations in the world. Dubbed the McDonald's Sky Kitchen, its star attraction is the see-through kitchen that appears to be floating over the passenger lounge in a yellow glass box. Waiting for your meal is a real spectacle, as burgers and fries are delivered to the ground level via a conveyor belt one by one.

Not all McDonald's restaurants feature the ubiquitous red and yellow colours. Due to Sedona's strict zoning ordinances, this restaurant had to blend in with its surrounding landscape and, as such, has a colour scheme that fits in with the rest of the city. The building also reflects the local architecture while the signature golden arch has adopted a beautiful turquoise so that it doesn't clash with the surrounding red rocks.

At this McDonald’s in the charming city of Bergen you can dine in one of the most exquisite and oldest traditional Norwegian timber buildings in the district. With white wood panelling and no yellow arches mounted onto the exterior, it’s a very different look for the famous fast food chain. Here you'll also be able to order McLaks – a chunky salmon fillet in a bun, available only in Norway.

This McDonald’s location in New Mexico looks out of this world, literally. Shaped like a spaceship, it cashes in on what made Roswell famous in 1947, when a UFO allegedly crash-landed in the fields near the town. 

As with many McDonald's franchises, this one reflects its location too. And if the giant 50-foot (15m) giraffe statue isn't enough of a clue, this one's located next to the Dallas Zoo. Inside, a massive elephant greets guests as they walk through the door, another giraffe is munching on the leaves of one of the trees while a giant snake is seen slithering atop one of the booths.

One of the fanciest McDonald's locations, this franchise in Budapest's railway station is more reminiscent of a fine dining restaurant than a fast food chain. While the menu is all McDonald's, the food most definitely tastes better when eaten in soft leather booths, in a 1920s Art Deco-esque dining room.

In keeping with the area’s locomotive heritage, this fast food joint is housed in several train carriages at Barstow Station on Route 66. The old cars have been repurposed into dining carts, giving visitors a taste of train travel in mid-20th-century California – with added fries.

Ever wanted to eat McDonald’s on a plane? It might not be 38,000 feet up but this McDonald’s in Taupo, on New Zealand's North Island, has a decommissioned DC3 as part of its restaurant. The plane previously carried passengers for South Pacific Airlines of New Zealand during the 1960s and was also a crop duster. Climb aboard for a Big Mac with a side of history and excitement.

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Walking through the old town of Lijiang, China, you might not spot this McDonald’s. It blends almost seamlessly with the other buildings in this UNESCO World Heritage Site. Visitors can take in the traditional Nakhi architecture, quaint stone bridges over rivers and mountains in the distance before refuelling with a Big Mac. 

Wanting to create a calm haven from the busy world outside, Georgian architect Giorgi Khmaladze designed this futuristic-looking McDonald's to clash with the surrounding architecture. Encircled by a pond that reflects the geometric building, the restaurant features dining areas that overlook the water and the patio area is covered in diverse vegetation.

In among historic buildings, fine dining restaurants and designer shops on Rue Saint-Lazare sits this McDonald’s branch. Full of charm and character, it’s strategically placed to draw in tourists who usually flock to the area for its history and shopping. French McDonald's franchises also offer a more luxe experience inside – ingredients are locally sourced, coffee is served in mugs and burger buns can be swapped out for ciabatta.

The unique setting of this McDonald’s restaurant came down to money. Located in Hangzhou, in the former home of the late Taiwanese leader Chiang Ching-kuo, it caused some controversy when it opened. Activists had called for the cultural heritage site to be converted into a museum but it was leased to McDonald's because maintenance costs needed to be covered. Its interiors are decorated with posters about Chiang’s life in respect.

Previously known as the ugliest building in Rotterdam, this McDonald’s restaurant is now one of the most stylish fast food locations in the world after a sleek makeover. Once in line for demolition, it’s been renovated in a minimalist style with a glass-panelled front, statement white spiral staircase and perforated golden façade.

What was once known as the Imperial Café in Porto is now home to McDonald’s. The building from the 1930s was in great need of restoration when McDonald’s bought it. The eagle statue outside the entrance was retained and inside it’s full of mirrors, chandeliers, Art Deco stained-glass and ornate architecture on the high ceilings.

Built to commemorate the 1000th McDonald's in Brazil, this special location is dubbed Méqui (slang for McDonald's in Brazil) 1000. Opened in 2019, there's a giant Big Mac chandelier inside, a golden arches swing set and Happy Meals and fries adorning the façade. To celebrate the milestone, there was even a McDonald's-themed trailer available to rent on Airbnb right next to the restaurant.

With over 110 McDonald's restaurants in Las Vegas, it's no surprise there are six different franchises on the Las Vegas Strip alone. This particular branch, located in 3475 South Las Vegas Boulevard, is notable for its giant golden arch looming over other fast food joints nearby.

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Located in fashionable Krasnaya Polyana – home to countless ski resorts in the Caucasus Mountains – it's easy to mistake this McDonald's location for an Alpine restaurant. Near the Russian city of Sochi, the resort played host during the 2014 Winter Olympics. This temporary McDonald's opened for the event and has now turned into a much-loved permanent feature.

One of the seven 1960s-themed McDonald's to have opened in France, this franchise in Bordeaux sports a vintage look on the outside. Inside, diners are welcomed with mismatched chairs, black and white ceramic floor tiles and turquoise benches.

When plans emerged in 2016 to open a McDonald's franchise opposite St Peter's Basilica, the spiritual home of the world's Roman Catholics in Rome, it was met with harsh criticism from many. Some even dubbed the venture the "McVatican". However, the branch opened a year later and McDonald's responded by saying that "this restaurant has been fully adapted with respect to the historical environment". It has partnered with a local charity to distribute meals to homeless people in the area too. 

Located on the banks of the Nile in the Egyptian city of Aswan, this McDonald's restaurant has exceptional views over the storied river. With plenty of outdoor space across two floors, you can enjoy burger and fries while looking out to the surrounding landscape.

To get more than just a burger from McDonald’s, its Yangshuo outpost comes with added mountainscapes and a few special items. Here diners can order Sichuan double chicken burgers, spicy McWings and German sausage double beef burgers which are only sold in China, while looking out to the glorious peaks and waterways.

Three of Georgia's McDonald’s restaurants are in Tbilisi and two are standouts. At first glance, this might look like an observatory or a planetarium, however, the easily recognisable McDonald's logo is unmissable. The building blends in with the traditional Georgian architecture around and offers great views of the city from the top floor.

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This Tudor-style building in Bray, County Wicklow, Ireland is one of a kind. The building dates back to the 19th century and housed a market in the 1940s. The ground floor has been home to McDonald’s since 1997 with the upper floors serving as the Bray Town Council chambers.

Another cool McDonald’s location in Norway operates out of this beautiful building in Kristiansand, a city in the south. Formerly a bank, sadly the original doors are still intact but can’t be used by visitors. Instead customers have to use doors at the side of the building.

Built in 1795 as a farmhouse, then converted into a 19th-century Georgian mansion, this historic building in Long Island is now a McDonald’s. The fast food chain had originally planned to knock it down and build a standard restaurant in its place but after uproar from locals, the burger joint decided to renovate it into the classiest McDonald's in the state.

The Birch House in George Town, Penang used to be an office for a tin smelting plant in 1908. The mansion was eventually abandoned until a property group bought it in the early 2000s. The building was set to be demolished to make way for a modern office building, however, thanks to local activists, it's still standing and now houses a 24-hour McDonald's.

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A hotel in the 1930s, this Macca's (as Australians call it) is much loved in Melbourne thanks to its quirky exterior. The Art Deco building has a retro dining room and neon lights that glow at night, adding to its charm.

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The oldest operating McDonald's restaurant is also a very nice one to look at, with a retro Americana vibe. Opened in 1953, it was the third McDonald's restaurant at the time and deemed eligible for the National Register of Historic Places in 1984. It's now one of the main attractions in southeast Los Angeles.

Read more: America's most historic fast food joints