virtual tour of the british museum in london

British Museum London, United Kingdom

The British Museum’s remarkable collection spans over two million years of human history and culture. Over 6 million visitors every year experience the collection, including world-famous objects such as the Rosetta Stone, the Parthenon sculptures, and Egyptian mummies.

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A Journey: Conserving the Atlas of Joseph Russegger’s seminal publication Reisen in Europa, Asien und Africa etc. (1842-1849)

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Virtual london tours: the 10 best armchair travel experiences.

Why do you travel?

For some, it’s an opportunity to decompress, perhaps in a warm climate with a good book as a companion. Others seek out new experiences, including sampling local cuisine. But for many, travel is an opportunity to learn more about the place, its people, its culture and its history.

Extend your horizons beyond your living room by taking a virtual London tour of its iconic landmarks and flagship attractions. Here are the best of the bunch.

1. Explore the British Museum from home

The British Museum is one of my favourite places to visit in London. But just because you may not be able to visit it doesn’t mean that you can’t dive into its vast collection.

Its online collection is outstanding, allowing visitors to search over four million object records online or to explore collection highlights and stories. Many of the museum’s objects have more than one image.

Podcasts are also available.

For a different virtual experience, you can take a  virtual museum tour with Google Street View , including the hugely popular –  and usually rammed – Egyptian Gallery.

2. Take a virtual tour of the National Gallery, London

Google has also created  360-degree tours of the National Gallery , including seven rooms as well as its Central Hall. This virtual collection includes Renaissance masterpieces from the likes of Titian and Holbein.

And like the British Museum, you can search the gallery’s vast collection with almost 2,500 of its works available to view online.

3. Find out more about the Wallace Collection’s masterpieces

The Wallace Collection is one of those slightly off-the-main-radar art galleries in London.

Built over the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries by the Marquesses of Hertford and Sir Richard Wallace, this collection of paintings, sculpture, furniture, arms, armour and porcelain. It was bequeathed to the British nation in 1897.

It’s east to explore the  Wallace Collection highlights .

Want to know more about Frans Hals’  The Laughing Cavalier ? Then you are in luck. Where this virtual collection is head and shoulders over its neighbours is the depth of information offered on exhibits, even to the extent of providing suggestions for further reading.

4. Tour the Courtauld Collection from your armchair

The Courtauld Gallery is one of my favourite galleries in London. After a stunning makeover, it has opened its doors to visitors once again.

Get a sneak preview of what is behind its doors by taking a virtual tour of the gallery’s awesome collection . This includes Van Gough’s  Self-Portrait with Bandaged Ear  and Édouard Manet’s  A Bar at the Folies-Bergère .

5. Take a virtual tour of the Churchill War Rooms

Touring the Churchill War Rooms is a terrific thing to do in London. But if you can’t physically be there, visit virtually through its impressive collection of images and videos.

You can just imagine Churchill’s ministers and military strategists thrashing out the Allied strategy in smoke-filled rooms.

6. Take a tour of the Houses of Parliament

Explore the nooks and crannies of the home of UK democracy on a  Houses of Parliament 360-degree virtual tour .

Starting at the central lobby, walk through the labyrinthine corridors of power to the House of Commons. Embrace your inner historian by clicking on the information icons on the ‘hotspots’ along the way.

There is also a separate Woman and Parliament Virtual Tour which traces the role of the gentler sex in the UK Government, including the Suffrage movement.

7. Drop into 10 Downing Street

Let’s stay with UK politics. It’s not as if many people will get an opportunity to enter Downing Street, one of the most famous streets in London and the location of the Prime Minister’s home. But you can take a peek inside courtesy of a  virtual tour of 10 Downing Street .

I really like this London virtual tour. The image quality is superb and you can explore 10 Downing Street inside and out.

Start with the iconic staircase, lined with photographs of past Prime Ministers and then venture to the Cabinet Room with its elegant Corinthian columns. Complete your visit by checking out the Prime Minister’s office and the elegant Pillared Room.

Go full-screen for the best experience.

8. Walk in the footsteps of royalty at Buckingham Palace

Don’t stop at seeing where the PM conducts his business. Take a sneaky peek at HM The King’s official London residence with an armchair tour of Buckingham Palace .

This London virtual tour allows you to explore the opulent White Drawing Room, Throne Room and the Grand Staircase.

9. Stalk the corridors of Hampton Court Palace

Anyone who has read Hilary Mantel’s books will be familiar with the magnificent 16 th  Century Hampton Court Palace which was once the home of Henry VIII. One of the  most beautiful royal palaces in Europe , this is a fantastic place to visit, albeit pricey, but – you guessed it – you can now take a  virtual tour of Hampton Court Palace

This 8-minute video, narrated by a ‘Yeoman of the Guard’, starts in the courtyard before moving to rooms inside the Palace. A free online course on the history of royal fashion is also available.

10. Take a narrated tour of the Tower of London

Visiting the Tower of London is a ust-do if you are in town. Sadly, the virtual tour of the Tower of London is no longer available. However, it does have a selction of excellent educational materials on its website .

Which London virtual tour will you take?

These virtual tours of London’s top sights vary hugely in their quality and the depth of information provided. As might be expected, most of these are very visual experiences at the expense of contextual information about what you are looking at.

However, the advantage of experiencing London’s key attractions from the comfort of your own sofa is that you can go at your own pace and don’t have to battle with the crowds. A virtual London tour also provides an opportunity to view spaces normally closed to the public, such as 10 Downing Street.

So pause Netflix and just do it.

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About Bridget

Bridget Coleman is a Londoner who has been a passionate traveller for more than 30 years. She has visited 70+ countries, most as a solo traveller.

Articles on this site reflect her first-hand experiences.

To get in touch, email her at [email protected] or follow her on social media.

11 virtual tours of London’s top museums & landmarks

By: Author Tracy Collins

Posted on Last updated: August 10, 2023

If you are planning to visit London I am sure there are many of its famous landmarks and museums you are considering adding to your itinerary. It can be overwhelming to decide exactly which ones to visit.

Luckily many of the most popular London bucket list attractions have virtual tours accessible online so it is possible to take virtual walkthroughs and tours on our laptops, mobiles, and other devices. This is a great way to research London and prepare for your visit ahead of time.

In this article, you will find links to London museums, galleries, and landmarks that offer an online experience. if you are planning your visit to London we have a guide to buying London attraction tickets with tips and advice to ensure you see everything you want in the city.

Buckingham Palace

Tower of london, houses of parliament, 10 downing street, hampton court palace, the british museum, the natural history museum, the british library, the national gallery, imperial war museum – the churchill war rooms, enjoy the virtual tours of london, london travel guide & itinerary planner (+ 4 bonus ebooks).

Famous London landmarks

Would you like to take a stroll through the halls of Buckingham Palace? Well now is your opportunity to take a peek inside the Queen’s official London Residence.

The State Rooms are only open during a few months of summer (and you have to book ahead as it’s so popular) but now you can take a virtual tour of the Grand Staircase, Throne Room, Drawing Room and the Blue Drawing Room.

I wouldn’t like to have to keep all those carpets clean!!

Click here for Buckingham Palace or here to read about the Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace

Take an audio and accompanying virtual tour of the Tower of London . The tour is a great way to learn about the history of the Tower before your visit.

For example do you know why ravens are kept at the Tower of London? Or which famous names from history were executed on Tower Green?

You can find out the answers to these questions during the virtual tour!

Click here for the Tower of London virtual tour or here for our complete guide to visiting the Tower of London

Order! Order! Take a stroll through the halls of Westminster and explore the House of Commons and House of Lords where laws have been debated for centuries.

The Palace of Westminster offers a 360-degree virtual tour of the building with lots of interesting information to read along the way.

The artwork and architecture is beautiful – I found it interesting to explore such an iconic building from the inside! We are all familiar with it from the outside but how many of us have actually set foot inside the Houses of Parliament? Having taken a virtual exploration it will definitely be on my London itinerary to do so when I next visit!

Click here for the Houses of Parliament

10 Downing Street is the official residence of the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom since 1735.

It may be familiar to fans of the rom-com Love Actually (one of a number of movies shot in London ) which has scenes featuring the staircase and a number of rooms in the house including the Prime Minister’s office. (though it has to be mentioned these were actually filmed at Shepperton Studios and not in 10 Downing Street!)

If you want to see whether the filmmakers got it right take a virtual tour to find out!

Click here for 10 Downing Street

Reputed to be Henry VIII’s favourite royal palace Hampton Court is also popular with tourists from around the world with nearly 1 million people visiting every year.

Built in the early 16th century by Cardinal Wolsey Henry eventually took it over for himself and transformed it into the Mar-a-Lago of its day.

After Henry VII’s death, subsequent Kings and Queens added to the palace. In 1838 Queen Victoria opened it up to the public for all to enjoy.

Take a virtual tour of the Great Hall, Great Watching Chamber and Great Kitchen in 360 degrees.

Click here for Hampton Court Palace

Museums & Art Galleries

Take a virtual tour around one of the best museums in the world.

You can search over 4 million object records online on the British Museum collection database. Choose from curated collections including the themes of Americas; Animals; China; Death and Memory; Desire, love and identity; Egypt; and Africa.

You can find detailed information about each of the galleries in the museum plus take a virtual tour of Prints and Drawings and Oceania.

The British Museum is just one of many museums and galleries in London which offer free entry . This is worth remembering when you are planning your trip – this and other money-saving tips can be found in my budget travel guide to London.

Click here to visit the British Museum

Take a tour of the wonderful Natural History Museum and explore using their interactive online guide.

There are a multitude of ways to explore the museum online enabling you to, “Delve into the Museum from home with a virtual self-guided tour of the galleries, an interactive experience about Hope the blue whale and audio guides narrated by Sir David Attenborough.” (source Natural History Museum website)

Click here to visit the Natural History Museum

I didn’t find this the easiest website to navigate but once you get into it there are some interesting things to look at. Being a fan of maps and globes I found the 3D article about European globes of the 17–18th centuries quite fascinating!

There are some online exhibitions including Harry Potter: A Brief History of Magic and Alice in Wonderland that are worth taking a look at.

Click here to visit the British Library

The National Gallery situated on Trafalgar Square in the heart of London has one of the greatest collections of paintings in the world.

With over 2,300 works by artists including Van Gogh, Michelangelo, Botticelli and Titian the collection is free for public viewing.

The Gallery offers a number of virtual tours including around the Sainsbury Wing (which houses Early Renaissance paintings and a virtual tour of 18 rooms showcasing over 300 paintings in the collection.

Click here for the National Gallery

Read more – 10 UK landmarks and sights you can visit on a virtual tour

The Victoria & Albert Museum is the world’s leading museum of art and design. It was founded in 1852 and named after the then King and Queen – Victoria and Albert.

Take a virtual tour through the Gallery of Fashion and discover how clothing design has changed throughout history.

Other online exhibitions include Balenciaga: Master Craftsman; Indian Textiles: Nature and Making; The politics of Fashion and Ann West’s Patchwork.

Click here for the V & A Museum

The Churchill War Rooms are part of the Imperial War Museum in London . Located deep beneath the Palace of Westminster the rooms were used during WWII by Churchill and his ministers to meet and plan wartime tactics and strategies.

If you have an interest in history this is a fascinating virtual tour of the rooms. The 3D virtual floor plan is excellent and there is much to read and learn as you explore.

Click here for the Churchill War Rooms

Ready to plan your visit to London? You will find these posts helpful with lots of tips for making the most of your trip:

• How To Get Around London On Public Transport
• London Accommodation Guide
• First time visitors guide to London
• 12 Best Day trips from London by train (+logistics, tips & maps)
• The 9 Regions of England (An essential guide for itinerary planning

Find lots of more inspiration for your trip to London in my London Travel Guide which has lots of tips, itineraries and more to help you plan your perfect itinerary.

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Virtual tour of the Science Museum

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'Jason I', de Havilland DH.60G Gipsy Moth

In 1930, English aviator Amy Johnson (1903-1941) piloted Jason I to become the first woman to fly solo from Great Britain to Australia.

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Medical kit used by Ernest Shackleton, 1907 

This kit was used by Sir Ernest Shackleton (1874-1922), a British explorer, during the 1907-1909 expedition attempting to locate the South Pole.

Find out more about Shackleton's medical kit

Tracy, a transgenic ewe

Genetically modified to produce a human protein (alpha antitrypsin) in her milk, 1990-97. Alpha antitrypsin was considered a promising treatment for cystic fibrosis and some cases of the lung disease emphysema.

Find out more about Tracy

Crick and Watson's DNA molecular model, 1953

In 1953, the British and American molecular biologists Francis Crick and James Watson worked out the double-helix structure of DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid), the molecule that acts as a blueprint for all living things. 

Find out more about this model

Aerial tuning inductor, 1943-1966

The Rugby Tuning Coil was used to tune antenna to the right frequency at the Rugby Radio Station. 

Find out more about the Rugby Tuning Coil

Main frame, for Automatic Computing Engine (ACE) pilot model, 1949

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Virtual Museum: 13 ways to explore from home

Delve into the Museum from home with a virtual self-guided tour of the galleries, an interactive experience about Hope the blue whale and audio guides narrated by Sir David Attenborough.

1. Stroll around the Fantastic Beasts™: The Wonder of Nature exhibition

Although the exhibition at the Museum closed on 3 January 2022, you can still step into an online world full of fantastic real-life and magical beasts. There are highlights, stories and games galore. 

Walk around the exhibition from home with a 360° virtual tour on Google Arts & Culture.

2.  Take a deep dive into the life of a blue whale

Explore the rich history of Hope, the blue whale suspended from the ceiling in Hintze Hall. In this online interactive, see what her life was like in the ocean, find out how she got to her home in the Museum and get a behind-the-scenes peek of the Museum's collections.

Go one step further by viewing the skeleton in augmented reality (AR) with Google Arts & Culture. 

3. Hang out with scientists online

Catch up on all the Nature Live Online talks featuring topical discussions with our scientists and cutting-edge research. 

Free event recordings. 

Image:  NASA .

4.  Sound choices: listen to these podcasts

Every year the Museum attracts millions of curious visitors eager to learn about the natural world.

Bring that curiosity home, and learn more about natural history, science, and the world around you with these great podcasts. 

5.  Let Sir David Attenborough guide you around Hintze Hall

Sir David's unmistakable voice and expertise on all things nature make him the perfect person to take you on a tour of Hintze Hall's star specimens (including the blue marlin), all from the comfort of home.

6.  Go on a virtual tour of the Museum

Google Arts & Culture gives you access to 300,000 specimens within the Museum's collections, along with 35 digital exhibitions , virtual tours and an interactive gigapixel photo (so enormous you can zoom in on the tiniest detail) of Hintze Hall's gilded canopy. 

7.  Flick through Wildlife Photographer of the Year images

Explore the exhibition at your own pace in this online gallery filled with stunning nature photographs. 

8.  Watch us on the small screen

The Museum's stunning architecture has made it a popular choice as a filming location for everything from blockbuster movies to TV dramas.

Discover which films and television shows feature the Museum.

Paddington (2014)

9. Examine a 3D model of Dippy's skull

Get up close to the skull of the Museum's iconic Diplodocus cast produced by our Imaging and Analysis Centre. See more 3D models on Sketchfab , including Darwin's fossil mammals and the Crystal Palace sculptures .

10. See illustrations from HMS Endeavour

Our collection of botanical illustrations from HMS Endeavour make up some of the most scientifically significant artworks in our archive. It features works by Sydney Parkinson .

11.  Browse the Library and Archives digital collections

Dig deep into the archives, where you'll find scientifically important art, books, prints and manuscripts, including drawings by William Smith and brothers Franz and Ferdinand Bauer.

12. Uncover highlights from the collections

We've wrapped up some of the highlights from the collections on display including specimens from space , the spirit collection , Charles Darwin and the Treasures gallery .

Discover more stories from the collections  including stories from the Museum at Tring .

13. Zoom in on beetles

Open the drawers and zoom in on 16 Coleoptera collections held at the Museum including those from Thomas Broun (1838-1919), David Sharp (1840-1922) and Charles O. Waterhouse (1843-1917).

Find out more about the  Entomology collections .

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What is it like to go on a dino dig?

Explore an interactive story about Museum experts' adventure to Wyoming, USA, when they went off-grid in search of Jurassic dinosaurs.

Explore a 360 panorama of Antarctica

Join Dr Adrian Glover as he journeys to the site of a collapsed Antarctic ice shelf. Experience the awe-inspiring view from the ship deck.

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Discover more stories from the collections

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Virtual tours of the National Gallery

Wherever you are in the world, take a tour of the National Gallery.

Our virtual tours allow you to step inside the Gallery and explore one of the greatest collections of paintings, from the comfort of your home.

Experience the Gallery in virtual reality through your desktop, phone or VR headset.

The Director's Choice virtual exhibition

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Fit for a Queen virtual exhibition

Visit our virtual gallery of 28 paintings which celebrates Her Majesty The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee.

Find out more about 'Fit for a Queen'

Fruits of the Spirit virtual exhibition

Visit our virtual exhibition that juxtaposes nine works of art from the National Gallery’s collection with nine works of art from partner institutions across the UK.

Find out more about 'Fruits of the Spirit'

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Immerse yourself in the world of Gossaert’s masterpiece and its awe-inspiring intricate detail.

Step into Gossaert's 'Adoration'

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14 Of London’s Very Best Virtual Museum And Exhibition Tours

Chances are you’re twiddling your thumbs, aching to go out.

Join the club. But there are still lots of ways you can pass the time, while also feeling like you’re out in the heart of London culture. While there are countless virtual tours that you can dive into around the world , many of the most wonderful online museums, exhibitions and walking tours can be found on London soil. We’ve rounded up some of the best.

1. Greenwich Painted Hall

The beautiful Greenwich Painted Hall only reopened after works a year ago . So, only a lucky percentage have seen it in all its glory in recent years. Nevertheless, keen art-lovers can still catch the marvellous paintings online. You’ll get beautiful 360-degree views of the hall, including the stunning benches, windows and full-wall murals.

Check out Greenwich Hall with the full stunning surfaces right here.

2. British Museum 

View this post on Instagram

Take a scrolling stroll around the British Museum and head through their virtual time-capsule. You’ll make Marty McFly look like a fool with this one, as the tool lets you look at artefacts from as far back as 5000 BC. This site gives you a tour of any year, whether it’s 1400 AD or 2000 BC. It beckons the nation to come out of the lockdown as well-rounded, esteemed historians.

Take the scroll of your life through the British Museum right here.

3. Natural History Museum

The Natural History Museum was one of the first London museums to close its doors , before all the others were ordered to follow suit. But, if Ben Stiller taught us anything, it’s that life lives on in museums regardless of human movement inside. The dinosaurs, the blue whales and the scary skulls are all on hand to provide us with a cracking virtual display. The museum’s website gives a host of options on ways to interact with all things natural and historic. The pick of the bunch, however, has to be a guided interactive tour of Hintze Hall led by none other than Sir David Attenborough .

Check out the vast array of museum tour opportunities right here. 

4. Yayoi Kusama’s world-renowned Infinity Rooms, which were due to hit the Tate Modern

  View this post on Instagram   A post shared by The Broad (@thebroadmuseum) on Apr 1, 2020 at 7:12pm PDT

Yayoi Kusama’s spectacular Infinity Rooms have gripped the public as they make their way to different stops around the globe. Kusama’s Infinity Rooms are chambers just big enough for three people, filled with stunning beams of light for a unique, individual experience. They were due to hit the Tate Modern on 11 May , but sadly have been halted due to COVID-19. Never fear, Instagram is here. The Broad Museum has provided an interactive view of Kusama’s room via the app , which aims to transport you from your sofa to the radiant glow of infinity.

5. Jack The Ripper walking tour

Take yourself out to the spooky spots that Jack The Ripper once roamed through… all from the safety of your own home. In this thrilling tour, you’ll learn about London’s most notorious serial killer, his victims and even investigate other alleged perpetrators. The historical tour displays the Whitechapel crime scenes and lets you draw up your own conclusions about the never-caught killer himself. It’s the most detailed and all-consuming virtual tour you can experience from lockdown.

Find out more about the spooky tour and grab your tickets right here.

6. The Postal Museum

As the magic of the  Postal Museum  remains behind closed doors due to the coronavirus, virtual visitors are able to hop on board the museum’s star attraction: the famous Mail Rail. “Passengers” on the virtual tour will explore the hidden subterranean world of the 100-year-old Post Office Railway, chugging its way through the original tunnels.

Read all about it and get involved here.

7. The National Gallery

The National Gallery provides detailed virtual tours of their different wings. See everything from early renaissance paintings, to 360-degree views of Holstein and Titian. It’s a world to get lost in and immerse yourself in the best art the capital has to offer.

Check out the virtual tours of The National Gallery on offer here.

8. The London Transport Museum

If you’ve got time to kill, this is an excellent, detailed walking tour of the London Transport Museum. As it was filmed this time last year, the crowds in the museum might make you pine for the days where you could join them. It’s a great way to get to grips with London’s historic travel company.

9. Houses of Parliament

While they’re normally bellowing away here, even the MPs are mostly working from home. No matter how you feel they’re handling this ongoing crisis, it doesn’t mean you can’t get a feel for the historic buildings they normally grace. This 360-degree virtual tour lets you wander through the Commons, the Lords and the lobbies, halls and galleries that make up the Houses Of Parliament.

Check out the Houses Of Parliament virtual tour here.

10. Buckingham Palace State Tour Rooms

As it’s the Queen’s birthday this week (April 21), it would be remiss of us not to let you know about the Buckingham Palace virtual tours . Check out the majestic throne room, the grand staircase, the drawing-room and much more. Truly the most royal you can feel at a time like this.

Check out the Buckingham Palace State Room tours right here.

11.  Courtauld Gallery

The Courtauld Gallery has past experience in getting this kind of thing to work. It closed its doors temporarily in September 2018, and offered viewers a virtual tour. This has, of course, come in handy for the current situation. Anyone can gawk at the beautiful work of Manet, Van Gogh and plenty more with a virtual display of every single room.

Check out the full Courtauld Gallery tour right here.

12.  Saatchi Gallery’s ‘Tutanhkamun: Treasures of the Golden Pharaoh‘ exhibit

The Tutankhamun exhibit was one of the hottest tickets in town prior to lockdown—and one of the final chances to see the artefacts before their permanent move to Cairo’s Grand Egyptian Museum—so news of the online tour is welcome indeed. The gallery invites you to “Enter The Tomb” where you’re able to check out prized artefacts such as vases, coffinettes, and statues.

13. Andy Warhol at Tate Modern

Mainly down to the brilliant weather that London has so typically experienced as soon as everyone got forced inside, this is one that hurts a lot. A day out on the sunny Southbank topped off by cooling down at this Andy Warhol exhibition sounds like complete heaven. Nonetheless, the Tate Modern has ensured that we don’t completely miss out. A full video of the excellent Andy Warhol exhibition can be found online, along with a detailed commentary that explores the exhibition room by room.

14.  NOW Gallery’s “Slices Of Time” installation

  View this post on Instagram   A post shared by emmanuelle moureaux (@emmanuellemoureaux) on Feb 3, 2020 at 2:50pm PST

Before the forced closures, NOW Gallery housed Emmanuele Moureaux’s first large-scale installation in the UK. Luckily though, the free exhibition, dubbed “Slices Of Time”, can still be found online. It’s the most brightly-coloured display on this list and is inspired by the artist’s time living in Tokyo among the neon lights. Slices Of Time takes on Moureaux’s invented concept of  shikiri,  which means ‘dividing space with colour’. The exhibition is a sight to behold and it’s available here for free .

See also:  The Netherlands’ Breathtaking Tulip Fields Are In Full Bloom, And You Can Explore Them Virtually

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The new museum coming in 2026 will be situated at the heart of the capital’s historic Smithfield area next to Farringdon. Until then, the fun continues at our Docklands museum!

• Conferences and meetings
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Discover London Through History

East London and the popularity of gospel choirs

The Jubilee Singers sang for Queen Victoria in 1873, but gospel choirs became popular only in the 1960s. Now they often sing with icons like Madonna.

Rare books: What makes them special and how to care for them

What makes a book rare? Tips on identifying special books, storage and safe handling techniques to preserve these literary artefacts.

Music icons, Soho fashion streets & the Swinging 60s

From The Beatles to The Rolling Stones, and from Carnaby Street to West End, here’s how music and fashion were intrinsically linked in 1960s’ London.

Disability: A child’s perspective from 1950s’ London

These photos of disabled children in specialist schools in 1950s’ London attempt to fill a crucial gap in documenting our history.

Reach every London schoolchild

Celebrate the London collection

A new museum for London

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Virtual tour: Victorian Walk

Explore our Victorian Walk gallery wherever you are – with challenges to do too!

Our immersive Victorian Walk experience recreates the winding streets of 19th-century London. We've captured it in 3D for you to explore!

• Click/touch the white circles on the ground to move
• Click/touch and drag above the ground to rotate your view
• Scroll your mouse wheel/pinch your fingers to zoom in and out.

Do a little window shopping at the toyshop, tobacconist, tailor or pawnbroker and get a taste of life in Victorian London.

Can you complete our six challenges?

You might find it easier if you click here to open a new page showing just these challenges :

1. Find the toy shop

Hint : Start and go forward five times. The sign above says 'TOYSHOP'.

Zoom in to have a good look at what's on display.

If you could buy one thing from the toy shop, what would it be?

What are some of the differences between Victorian toys and toys today?

In Victorian times, children from poorer families would save their money to buy ‘penny toys’.

2. Find the barrel organ

Hint : From the toy shop, turn left, go forward three times, turn left again, go forward once, look to your right.

Children who could not afford toys would make their own entertainment in the streets. They might listen and dance to the music of a barrel organ, which played a melody when someone cranked the handle on the side.

Do you know any other places where Victorian people could listen to music?

What ways can you listen to music today?

3. Find the tea and coffee warehouse

Hint : From the barrel organ, go forwards towards the post box, turn right, go forward. Look up and you should see the sign.

What do you think the large ‘wheel’ outside was used for?

Why do you think tea, coffee and sugar were very expensive in Victorian times?

4. Find a Victorian bicycle

Hint : With the tea and coffee warehouse on your right, go forward twice. It's on your right.

Do you know the proper name for this type of bicycle?

Here's a clue: P _ _ _ Y - F_ _ _ _ _ _ G

How is it different to a modern bicycle?

How do you think people might have got onto it?

The bicycle (or ‘velocipede’) was invented in the Victorian period and became very popular.

5. Find the grocer’s shop

Hint : From the bicycle, turn left and go through the archway, then go forward. It's on your right.

This is where people in Victorian times would buy tinned and dry foodstuffs – the sort of things we would buy from a supermarket or a convenience store today.

• What food can you see on sale?
• Try zooming in to read the labels. What brands can you see?
• Do you recognise any types or makes of food that we still use today?
• If you were shopping in this grocer’s, would you be able to get to what you wanted?
• How is a modern supermarket different?

Tinned food was introduced in the early 19th century and was very expensive at first.

6. Find the fancy stationer’s shop

Hint : With the grocer's shop on your right, go forward. It's right in front of you.

This sort of shop sold things like writing paper, greetings cards and envelopes.

Christmas cards were very popular with Victorian Londoners.

How many pictures of Father Christmas can you spot?

How is he different to pictures of Father Christmas you might see today?

Many winter traditions such as Christmas trees, crackers, giving presents and Father Christmas were introduced in Victorian times.

What else can you find?

You've made it to the end. Well done!

There's plenty more to see if you keep your eyes peeled!

What to do next

Why not try this creative Victorian activity?

Decorate your own penny plains

The Victorians loved decorating 'penny plains' – souvenir images of famous actors or heroes. Try it yourself using felt tips and colouring pencils – or embellish your pictures with sequins and glitter!

Also of interest

Fun learning at home

We love welcoming families to our museums, but you don't need to visit to enjoy the fun. Here are some great ways to play and learn at home!

Free, fun school resources

Explore our range of free tools for visits and classroom use! We can help with everything from prehistory to the present with apps, pocket histories and more

Family visits

Birthday parties, be the first to hear about new exhibitions and events.

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• Cultural Exchange

Students in UK wowed by time-honored cultural treasures of China

Gazing down on spectators, with impressive noses and daunting staring eyes, bronze masks and figures displayed during a digital tour of Chinese artifacts have wowed British school students.

The virtual tour of China's Sanxingdui Museum was held on Thursday in Central London during an event in celebration of Chinese Language Day of this year, which was attended by about 100 students from four schools.

Despite being dubbed as one of the world's greatest archaeological findings of the 20th century, the Sanxingdui Ruins, whose remnants date back 4,500 to 3,000 years, were unfamiliar to many students, including Devina Mistry from Queen Mary's High School.

Mistry told Xinhua that this was the first time she was introduced to Sanxingdui, and the bronze figure of a tiger left a strong impression on her. She has been learning Chinese for a year and events like this have always been entertaining and educational.

"Learning Mandarin has been much more than acquiring a new way to communicate," she said, adding that the experiences of learning the language gave her "an opportunity to connect with people" and enriched her "understanding and appreciation of a culture that is both ancient and vibrantly alive today."

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• Feature: Students in UK wowed by time-honored cultural treasures of China

LONDON, April 25 (Xinhua) -- Gazing down on spectators, with impressive noses and daunting staring eyes, bronze masks and figures displayed during a digital tour of Chinese artifacts have wowed British school students.

The virtual tour of China's Sanxingdui Museum was held on Thursday in central London during an event in celebration of Chinese Language Day of this year, which was attended by about 100 students from four schools.

Despite being dubbed as one of the world's greatest archaeological findings of the 20th century, the Sanxingdui Ruins, whose remnants date back 4,500 to 3,000 years, were unfamiliar to many students, including Devina Mistry from Queen Mary's High School.

Mistry told Xinhua that this was the first time she was introduced to Sanxingdui, and the bronze figure of a tiger left a strong impression on her. She has been learning Chinese for a year and events like this have always been entertaining and educational.

"Learning Mandarin has been much more than acquiring a new way to communicate," she said, adding that the experiences of learning the language gave her "an opportunity to connect with people" and enriched her "understanding and appreciation of a culture that is both ancient and vibrantly alive today."

Joan Deslandes, head teacher of Kingsford Community School, said that the next generation "will need to understand China's culture and be able to work in the Mandarin language" in today's global context.

"The fact that more and more schools are incorporating Mandarin into their curriculum reflects the recognition that has been made in how important this is," she added. Her school has been teaching Chinese since 2000.

During the event, six on-site workshops offered the students an opportunity to experience Chinese culture, such as typography of the Chinese characters, Kung Fu, and Chinese fan dance.

"All people-to-people exchanges are really important in education," Katharine Carruthers, director of IOE, UCL's Faculty of Education and Society's Confucius Institute for Schools, told Xinhua during the event.

She said that Chinese children learning English and British children learning Chinese will be the "bedrock" of the relationship between the two countries, and it's important for them to "find out they have a lot more in common than there are differences." Enditem

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