virtual travel sites

The best virtual tours to explore the world from home

Oct 8, 2020 • 5 min read

The Sistine Chapel is just one wonder offering a virtual museum tour ©Rajesh Gathwala/500px

We live in an age of unprecedented access to digital technology – and with it, brand new ways of exploring the world around us.

While it's not quite the same as seeing, say, the Mona Lisa or Christ the Redeemer in person, some of the world’s most popular and remote destinations have created libraries of online images and video, as well as 360 degree virtual tours that let you virtually explore museums, galleries, world wonders and even national parks.

Here a just a few of the best digital tours that let you wander the world from wherever you may be social distancing.

See the seven wonders of the world

If there’s anything capable of whetting your appetite for world travel, it is the new seven wonders of the world:  the Great Wall of China , the ancient city of Petra , the Taj Mahal , the Colosseum , Machu Picchu , Christ the Redeemer , and Chichen Itza . Thankfully there are impressive virtual tours of each from The New York Times , AirPano , Google , and Panoramas .

With modern technology, you can even see the last standing wonder of the ancient world— The Pyramids of Giza . There are a few other wonders that might not make it into to the top seven but are still worth a digital peek, like the Alhambra , Seville's La Giralda , and even Easter Island.

Best virtual museum tours

In recent years, Google has partnered with over 2,5000 art museums to upload high-resolution versions of millions of pieces of art. Highlights include New York’s MoMA , DC’s National Gallery of Art , Chicago’s Art Institute , the Casa Battl ó, and Amsterdam’s Van Gogh Museum to name a few.

In addition, The Louvre offers a virtual tour , as do The Vatican Museums , many of the Smithsonian Museums , the Russian Museum , the top-rated British Museum , the Minneapolis  Museum of Russian Art , and the Palace Museum in Beijing.

You may not be able to kiss the Blarney Stone right now, but you can tour the Blarney Castle from afar. You can also visit the Museum of Flight,  the Museum of Science, the Museum of Natural History,  the National Women's History Museum  and Boston's History of Science Museum .

While museums are often an inherently visual experience, there's a lot to be learned from archives of past lectures and tours like the ones preserved online by Nashville's Frist Museum , the Hunter Museum of American Art in Chattanooga, Tennessee, the Smithsonian American Art Museum,  the Frick , and others.

You might also like:  Broadway might be closed, but here’s how to stream the best performances from your home

Explore national parks

While travel to National Parks is best avoided for the time being, you don't need to miss out on the scenery. Virtual Yosemite is absolutely stunning and one of the best, replete with audio. Both Yellowstone National Park and Mount Rushmore offer virtual tours as well. 

Google has similar 360 degree audio-visual tours of five select national parks, including Kenai Fjords, Hawai'i Volcanos , Carlsbad Caverns, Bryce Canyon , and Dry Tortugas, as well as 31 more on Google Earth . You can also get an up-close look at almost 4,000 pieces of artwork, artifacts, and other treasures related to the history and culture of the national parks, and view online exhibits .

Digital safaris

Wildlife is a big draw for travelers, whether it's sighting some of the Big Five in Africa, glimpsing whales in North America, or introducing your children to new animals in person on a family safari . But if you're forays into the bush are grounded for now, many zoos and aquariums have created digital access to their habitats.

You can easily watch several live webcams of some of the nation’s greatest zoos and aquariums, including the  San Diego Zoo , Houston Zoo , Zoo Atlanta , the Tennessee Aquarium , and the Georgia Aquarium . Additionally you can see Canadian farm animals doing their thing , or you could watch Stella the Dog jump endlessly into huge piles of Maine leaves.

You may also like:  These nine wildlife web cams offer access to your favorite animals

Virtual hiking

Thanks to panoramic video, you can get a really good idea of what a hike looks like well before you arrive at the trailhead. For example, you can experience all of the following top-rated hikes right now from your computer or tablet:  Bryce Canyon , Grand Canyon , GR20 , Inca Trail , and the death-defying Angel's Landing . For even more great hikes, simply YouTube one of Lonely Planet’s top 10 treks or any other hike that suits your fancy. Bonus points if you follow along during a workout to enhance the realism.

Famous landmarks

You can visit many wonders of nature, including the Amazon Rainforest , Iguazu Falls , the Komodo Islands , or Table Mountain , using virtual tours. Or you can explore the Statue of Liberty , the Sahara Desert , Niagara Falls , or even a guided tour of the Eiffel Tower . For even more virtual tours, search your bucket list of adventures with  AirPano , Google Earth , or YouTube .

Travel to outer space

The moon hasn't made it to Lonely Planet's Best In Travel list (yet!), and even without self-isolation and shelter-in-place measures for COVID-19, many of us may never travel to space. But thanks to technology, now is as good of a time as any to do so virtually. Before blasting off, considering touring some of NASA’s offices first. Then relive the last lunar missions and moon walks in stunning HD. Or take a virtual tour of Mars with the help of Google. 

You might also like:

Listen to the sounds of forests around the world Cook your way around the world with these travel-inspired kitchen essentials Rome watchlist: films to see before your trip

The novel coronavirus (Covid-19) is now a global pandemic. Find out what this  means for travelers . 

This article was originally published March 2020 and was last updated October 2020.

This article was first published March 2020 and updated October 2020

Explore related stories

National Parks

Jun 14, 2022 • 8 min read

Here are 8 national parks where you can learn more about the history of the Native American peoples first-hand.

Apr 23, 2024 • 9 min read

Apr 22, 2024 • 13 min read

Apr 14, 2024 • 8 min read

Mar 15, 2024 • 10 min read

Mar 1, 2024 • 6 min read

Feb 27, 2024 • 6 min read

Jan 24, 2024 • 7 min read

Dec 27, 2023 • 8 min read

Dec 3, 2023 • 6 min read

The website that lets you experience the world from home!

Walk Around 100+ Cities Around The Globe! Admire the beautiful scenery and street sounds.

Guess your location from your surroundings and walk around & admire the beautiful scenery!

Drive around and view the scenery from 100+ cities around the globe. Admire the beautiful sights!

Explore the world by walking, driving, flying, and viewing live footage of different locations around the world.

View LIVE Footage from different cities around the world. Enjoy!

Enjoy the view from above for over 80+ cities from around the globe/world.

Explore different famous & not famous monuments from around the world.

Click on cities on a map to view videos from that city!

Experience window views from hundreds of different cities.

Experience road trips by virtually driving between cities.

360° Panoramic Creations:

We create high-quality stabilized video having 8k and 4k resolution, 48 or 24 frames per second together with high-quality post-processing. Videos are supported by the most advanced technologies, such as virtual reality headsets (including Samsung Gear VR), different electronic devices and YouTube channels.

We use different types of moving and fixed objects (tripods, monopods, cars, helicopters, building cranes, etc.) to record videos. For aerial shooting we usually use drones with fully gyro-stabilized unique suspension. Panoramic video covers up all the space around the camera 360x180 degrees without black spots at both nadir and zenith viewing angle.

360° videos are available in any format you choose: .mp4, .avi, .mov, etc. All the videos are made and kept in frames, making it possible to encode them into any available format and bitrate with the resolution up to 8k.

360° PHOTOGRAPHY

Our team creates high-quality 360° photo-panoramas with 35000x17500 pixels resolution (in the equidistant projection) and carries out professional post-processing and corrections of any complexity. We develop virtual tours which are suitable for all browsers, support both Flash and HTML5 technologies and are compatible with different mobile devices and virtual reality headsets (including Samsung Gear VR).

We use different types of moving and fixed objects (tripods, monopods, cars, helicopters, building cranes, etc.) to record videos. For aerial shooting we usually use drones with the fully gyro-stabilized unique suspension. Panoramic video covers up all the space around the camera 360x180 degrees without black spots at both nadir and zenith viewing angle.

Ready 360° photo-panoramas cover up all the space around the camera 360x180 degrees without black spots at both nadir and zenith viewing angle.

Info-points (description buttons that can be placed in the panorama), embedded pictures, video and audio can be added to the virtual tour.

360° GIGAPANORAMA

Our team creates high-quality 360° photo-panoramas with resolution from 1 to 3 gigapixel and carries out professional post-processing and corrections of any complexity. We develop virtual tours which are suitable for all browsers, support both Flash and HTML5 technologies and are compatible with different mobile devices and virtual reality glasses (including Samsung Gear VR).

Info-points (description buttons that can be placed in the panorama), embedded pictures, video and audio can be added to the ready virtual tour.

360° TIMELAPSE

We can make panoramic timelapses with the given viewing angle and resolution up to 12k with professional post-processing and without black spots at both nadir and zenith viewing angle. 360° timelapses are supported by the most advanced technologies, such as virtual reality glasses (including Samsung Gear VR), different electronic devices and YouTube channels.

360° timelapses are available in any format you choose: .mp4, .avi, .mov, etc. All the timelapses are made and kept in frames, making it possible to encode them into any available format and bitrate with the resolution up to 12K.

Content sales:

VIRTUAL TOURS

On the basis of 360° panoramas we create virtual tours of any complexity, branded with logos and design elements of the company’s website together with embedding interactive elements, such as photos, slideshows, videos, descriptions, switch-points to other panoramas, audio descriptions, 3D sounds.

Our clients receive a fully functional virtual tour developed in HTML5 and supported by any computer or mobile device (iOS, Android, Windows Phone).

360° Photo    Price List

STOCK PHOTOS

For almost 10 years of travelling around the world our team has gathered an extensive stock of pictures, taken from both flying devices and the ground.

Any picture presented at our stock can be licensed for any kind of possible use. We can also offer the photos of ultra-high quality (the longer side up to 103,000 pixels).

You can also take a look at the spherical panoramas published on the website www.airpano.ru . Any of the 360° panoramas represented on the website can be converted into a printed image of very high quality.

Photogallery    Price List

STOCK 360° VIDEOS

By filming 360° video since 2011, our team has gathered an extensive stock of clips, taken from both flying devices and the ground.

Any video presented on our website can be licensed for any kind of possible use.

360° videos are available in any format you choose: .mp4, .avi, .mov, etc. All the videos are made and kept in frames, making it possible to encode them into any available format and bitrate.

360° Video    Price List

APPLICATIONS

We are one of the software developers of applications based on 360° photos and videos. Currently, there are 7 applications in our portfolio. One of them was top-rated in 84 countries and listed among the best applications of the year 2014 according to App Store.

These applications can also be used for demonstration of panoramic content with the help of virtual reality devices, such as Samsung Gear VR, Google Cardboard and analogues.

Exhibition installations:

EXHIBITION INSTALLATIONS

AirPano team has the experience of creating panoramic cinemas and video-walls, making it possible to demonstrate our panoramic content at different kinds of events, exhibitions and in museums. The size is only defined by the premises, the quality of projector and the dimensions of plasma screens. Such solutions usually make a deep impression on visitors.

The control is carried out by a tablet or Kinect devices.

TOUCH SCREENS

We are ready to create applications with panoramic content working on touch screens of any size. Both AirPano panoramas and the client’s material can be the basis for this kind of software.

We create virtual tours of any complexity, branded with logos and design elements of the company’s website together with embedding interactive elements, such as photos, slideshows, videos, descriptions, switch-points to other panoramas, audio descriptions, 3D sounds.

VR HEADSETS

Our virtual tours and 360° videos are supported by all the types of virtual reality headsets (VR): Google Cardboard, Oculus Rift, Samsung Gear VR, Sony Morpheus and others.

We can also develop special software for operating on Samsung Gear VR, if required.

AirPano in cooperation with Polden Studio carries out the installation of the binocular usage of the client’s or our own content. With the help of binoculars, the client can present the panoramic content at different kinds of events, exhibitions and in museums. This kind of devices usually attract a lot of visitors and leave a deep impression on them.

The 12 Best Virtual Vacations You Can Take Without Traveling

While recent events may have kept us off planes and, well, on our couch, travel still remains one of the best ways to demonstrate our global interconnectedness and humanity. So for now, because we are all in this together (and separately from our individual couches), we’ll have to be armchair voyagers as we explore museums, libraries, and historical, religious, and cultural sites. Learning and discovery don’t have to stop. Keep reading to find out about the best virtual vacations from the comfort—and safety—of your own home.

Have a Virtual Adventure at the Grand Canyon

The National Park Service does more than educate sightseers in person when they visit any of the 61 national parks. You can view the Grand Canyon via 360-degree photographs on an archeology virtual tour, go on a virtual hike past layers of earth to the famous Phantom Ranch, or float down the Colorado River on a rafting trip.

Online: View virtual tours, maps, and photographs through the National Park System’s website.

See Llamas at Machu Picchu

Wendy Altschuler

High in the Peruvian Andes mountains sits Machu Picchu , an ancient citadel built in the 15th century. A visit here will reward you with stunning mountain views, llama sightings, and great hikes throughout olden ruins.

Online: Visit the citadel online through a 360-degree virtual tour , provided by You Visit.

Wander Through the Sistine Chapel in Italy

Located in the Apostolic Palace in Vatican City, the Sistine Chapel is famous for the Renaissance frescos that brighten up the interior. In person, when open to the public, The Sistine Chapel is crowded, and it can be difficult to view all of the artwork. A virtual tour is not only a great way to appreciate the chapel without the interference of too many people, but you can also see the gardens, Pontifical Villas, and Vatican City museums.

Online: See the Vatican grounds, including the Sistine Chapel , by clicking on arrows to move up, down, left and right throughout each tour. You’ll also be able to zoom in to get a better look at the paintings.

Visit the Land of Creation

Jerusalem is home to three monolithic religions: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. The Church of the Holy Sepulcher is one of the most notable locations in Jerusalem . Located in the Christian Quarter of the Old City in Israel, this religious site is said to be where Jesus was crucified, where his empty tomb is located, and where he is believed to have been resurrected.

Online: Experience 360-degree virtual tours of Jerusalem, including The Church of the Holy Sepulcher, the Western Wall, Old City markets, Mount of Olives, and much more via Samsung XL.

Tour the White House

Visiting Washington, D.C. , is inadvisable right now, but you can still go on a virtual tour of the White House . See the Eisenhower Executive Office Building positioned next to the West Wing where White House Staff offices are located. Click through a 360-degree view of the Vice President’s Ceremonial Office, the Secretary of War Suite, the War Library/The Law Library, and The Indian Treaty Room. Learn about how the art and décor of the White House has changed with each Presidential occupancy. You’ll have the opportunity to view the Entrance Hall, Cross Hall, East Room, Green Room, Blue Room, Red Room, State Dining Room, Vermeil Room, China Room, East Garden Room, and more.

Online: Google Arts & Culture offers a wide variety of virtual reality tours.

Visit the Guggenheim Museum in New York City

 Courtesy of The Guggenheim Museum

New York City’s Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum is one of the most stunning Frank Lloyd Wright-designed structures in the country. The white spiral ramp in the interior takes you from the bottom to the top in an organized and visually pleasing way.

Online: Google Arts & Culture will lead you through the museum’s multiple floors, highlighting 600 artworks along the way. You’ll be able to zoom in and out and rotate your view 360 degrees.

Understand the Natural World in Washington, D.C.

TripSavvy / Victoria Chamberlain

The Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History , home to 125 million artifacts, is one of the most-visited natural history institutions on the planet. Visit the exhibits—permanent, current, and past—from your desktop or mobile device on a virtual tour. You’ll be able to click on blue arrows as you navigate through each exhibit, located on the ground, first, or second floors. Be patient as pages load and click on camera icons to get a close-up view of a particular object.

Online: The museum’s website showcases a wide variety of exhibits via virtual tours.

Visit the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island in New York City

If you’ve never been to New York City, then the Statue of Liberty on Liberty Island and the Ellis Island National Museum of Immigration on Ellis Island are likely high on your travel wishlist. Both islands, which are part of the same National Park System, are worth exploring. Go on a virtual tour of Ellis Island to see where more than 40 percent of Americans can find family history and climb inside of the Statue of Liberty.

Online: The National Park Service has virtual tours of Ellis Island , created by Heritage Documentation Programs, and the Statue of Liberty National Monument. Scholastic also has an informative Teacher’s Activity Guide that will allow you to see photos, listen to audio, and learn about Ellis Island on an interactive tour.

Smile Back at Mona Lisa in Paris

kwanchai_k photograph / Getty Images

The Louvre in Paris is the largest art museum on the planet, home to more than 35,000 displayed works, including Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa. While this historic museum is usually congested, especially on the weekends, you can visit virtually, from the comfort of your own home, and see the museum’s most impressive works. If nothing else, this online experience can be valuable research for when you travel to Paris in the future.

Online: Immerse yourself in the museum’s galleries and exhibits via virtual reality. See Egyptian antiques, the Louvre’s moat, and, of course, Mona Lisa’s smile. The museum’s website also has a number of videos that you can watch to get a better understanding of the museum’s art. Note: You’ll have to download Flash Player. You Visit also has a great 360-degree virtual reality display of several museum galleries.

Witness the Treasures of England’s British Museum

 TripSavvy / Gautier Houba 

Home to the Rosetta Stone, Greek vases, Egyptian mummies, an Easter Island statue, an Aztec double-headed serpent sculpture, and n umerous other artifacts and artworks , the British Museum is one of the most popular tourist attractions in London. See impressive examples of human history, art, and culture through a virtual tour.

Online: See the British Museum via Google, where you can navigate a timeline to view specific artifacts.

Learn About Amsterdam’s History and Culture at The Rijksmuseum

Merten Snijders /  GettyImages

The Rijksmuseum is one of the most visited museums in Amsterdam, and for good reason. See works from the Dutch Golden Age by Rembrandt, Vermeer, Ruisdael, Steen, and more. The building itself is also a work of art and worth viewing through virtual reality.

Online: Virtual tours, of the interior as well as the exterior, are available through Google Arts & Culture.

Float Along the Great Wall of China

Fortification walls, stretching thousands of miles, were built in northern China to protect the country against invaders and to control trade along the Silk Road. The Great Wall of China is known as one of the most impressive and significant archeological human feats in history.

Online: Wander through sections of the Great Wall of China through a virtual tour, provided by You Visit. Click on the camera icons to see close-up photographs.

Top 12 Places to Visit in the US

Guide to an Atlantic Coast Road Trip

10 Art Museums You Can Visit Virtually

Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island National Monuments

Science Says This Is the Perfect U.S. Road Trip

10 Virtual Tours of Amazing Architecture Around the World

Top Destinations in the Eastern United States

The Best Staycation in Every State

Best Places to Visit Near Washington, D.C.

8 Best Things to Do in Vatican City

The Best Destinations in 2019 for Group Travel

Top 15 Destinations in Israel

50 Best Free Things to Do in Washington, DC

Vatican City Travel Guide

How to Visit the Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel in Rome

10 Unique Guided Tours in Rome

60 Virtual Tours To Travel The World During The Coronavirus Pandemic

• Written by Post author: Chloe Smulian
• Post last modified: Updated on April 2, 2024

A comprehensive list of free virtual tours that will intrigue and delight all types of travel lovers. Discover the Seven Wonders of the World, visit UNESCO World Heritage Sites and iconic landmarks around the world from the comfort of your home! Experience your first virtual travel experience with us.

With extensive travel bans, citywide lockdowns and strict social distancing measures, it’s hard not to eventually let cabin fever weigh you down. This is especially true if you’ve got a healthy addiction to travel like us. So we’ve found a way around the problem – virtual travel!

Obviously it doesn’t replace the real thing, but it’s better than nothing. It’s also a great way to get travel inspiration and learn some interesting facts about the destination until we can travel again.

It will give you something positive to look forward to while we all do the responsible thing and #stayhome. Treat it like Facetiming the world!

It’s also a great thing to do with kids at home. They’ll especially love the wildlife live webcam feeds! This list is guaranteed to keep them occupied for days if not weeks!

So whether you love city escapes, exploring museums or learning interesting facts about the natural and man-made wonders around the world, there’s something for everyone.

Make sure you share this with your friends and family who love travelling too.

What Do You Need To Virtual Travel The World

Virtual touring the world is easy. All you need is a laptop, cellphone or tablet and an internet connection. You don’t need a VR set (virtual reality set), but if you have one it’s a bonus.

We recommend using Google Chrome web browser because some of these virtual tour websites are not in English. Chrome makes it really easy translating foreign languages to English or whatever language you prefer.

Lastly, have a little patience as some of these virtual tours take a bit longer to load.

New Seven Wonders Of The World Virtual Tour

Everyone’s heard of the Seven Wonders of the World. But did you know that there are two different lists for the 7 Wonders of the World?

No? We didn’t either. The list most people know is the New Seven Wonders of the World. But there’s also the Ancient Seven Wonders of the World.

Are you one of the those rare humans that can list all New 7 Wonders of the World?

1. Great Wall of China

Often cited as the only human-made structure that is visible from space. The Great Wall of China is probably the most well known Wonder of the World. It captures over 2,000 years of history and stretches more than 21,000 km across several provinces in China. That’s as long as 5 times the length of Australia!

This iconic landmark is usually teemed with tourists all year round. But you can visit it crowd-free on this Great Wall of China virtual tour.

2. Chichen Itza, Mexico

The ancient city of Chichen Itza is one of the most well restored Mayan sites in Mexico and also its biggest tourist attraction. El Castillo may be the most famous pyramid of Chichen Itza, but there are many other ancient ruins to explore.

If you love astronomy, you’ll love learning how each structure was intricately designed to align with specific planets and stars. Sounds fascinating?

You can virtually tour Chichen Itza and explore some of its most popular sites and facts right from the comfort of your own home.

3. Christ The Redeemer, Brazil

The cultural icon of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and a symbol of Christianity across the world. The Christ The Redeemer statue is the largest art deco statue in the world. It stands 38 meters tall (around 13 storeys high) and stretches 28 meters wide.

It was built by the Roman Catholic community of Brazil following the end of World War I. The community was concerned about the growing ‘godlessness’ when Brazil officially became a republic and the church was officially separated from the state.

You can skip the 200+ step climb to the top on this stunning virtual tour of Cristo Redentor .

4. Petra, Jordan

Also known as the ‘Carved City’ or the ‘Lost City’, Petra is known as one of the oldest cities in the world. It is estimated that the city was established in the 4th century (312 BC) but was only discovered by Western civilisation in the 1800s.

Only 15% of Petra has been explored by archaeologists, so not much is known besides it being home to about 800 tombs.

It’s simply one of those places that you have to see to believe that it exists in real life. Petra is still on our travel bucket list, but this virtual tour is probably one of our favourites!

5. Taj Mahal, India

One look at the Taj Mahal and it’s easy to see why it’s a wonder. It’s considered to be one of the most magnificent masterpieces of architecture in the world. Besides that, it’s also a symbol of love. Don’t believe us? See the Taj Mahal in VR for yourself.

The emperor built it in remembrance of his third wife who passed away giving birth to their 14th child. Today the couple remains buried together beneath the main inner chamber of the Taj Mahal.

It took more than 22,000 workers, 1,000 elephants and 22 years to build this incredible structure. Now there are concerns that it will crumble into pieces as its wooden foundations are rotting away.

6. Rome Colosseum, Italy

Did you know that Italy has the most number of UNESCO World Heritage Sites in the world? There are a total of 51 World Heritage sites within Italy of which the Colosseum is the most famous.

Historically, the Colosseum was a place where gladiator fights and executions took place in Ancient Rome. Today it stands as a symbol of power and majesty of the Roman Empire. It’s also one of the most popular tourists attraction in the world.

7. Machu Picchu, Peru

Machu Picchu is famous for being the Lost City of the Incas. It is believed that this is where the Incas escaped to when the Spanish conquistadors arrived in the 16th century.

Besides its historical significance, Machu Picchu also showcases the Incas’ incredible mastery of stone. The stones used to construct some of the most beautiful structures in Machu Picchu were cut so precisely and wedged so closely together, that a credit card cannot be inserted between them.

Not only was this more aesthetically pleasing, it also has engineering advantages. The stones were designed to bounce through earthquake tremors and fall back into place. This was only possible because no mortar (or cement) was used and the reason why Machu Picchu still stands today.

Virtual Tours of Top UNESCO World Heritage Sites

Top unesco sites in africa.

8. The Great Pyramid of Giza, Egypt

The Great Pyramid of Giza is one of the most famous landmarks around the world. Its sheer colossal size and perfect symmetry makes you wonder how this world icon was constructed more than 4,500 years ago.

Today, the Pyramids of Giza are the only surviving members of the Ancient Seven Wonders of the World.

9. Kilimanjaro National Park, Tanzania

Kilimanjaro is one of the largest volcanoes in the world and also home to Africa’s highest mountain.

If you love hiking as much as we do, then Kilimanjaro is probably on your bucket list too. Close to 35,000 people attempt to hike Mount Kilimanjaro every year. But only 40% of them successfully reach the summit and around 5 to 15 people die every year attempting it.

There isn’t a proper virtual tour of Kilimanjaro , but you can get some awesome 360 panoramic views using Google Map street views. Just drag the little yellow man to the circles on the map to ‘explore’ the area.

Save Me For Later

10. Drakensberg Mountains, South Africa

Not only is the Drakensberg Mountains a UNESCO Natural World Heritage Site, it’s also a UNESCO Cultural World Heritage Site. Drakensberg is culturally significant because it hides more than 20,000 San rock paintings inside its nooks and crevices.

These rock paintings are important because they represent the earliest form of human creativity. They also symbolise the beginning of art in the world today.

We’ve had the privilege of hiking the Drakensberg Mountains when we lived in South Africa. If you plan to hike it too, make sure you read our top Drakensberg hiking trails of the Royal Natal National Park . We also share tips on how you can hike the Drakensberg with children .

Since that’s not possible right now, you can enjoy the magnificence of the Drake nsberg on this beautiful virtual tour.

Top UNESCO Sites in Asia

11. Bagan, Myanmar

Bagan is known as the ‘sea of temples’ because it has the largest concentration of Buddhist temples in the world. There were originally 10,000 Buddhist temples, pagodas and monasteries built here in the 1000s and 1100s. But only 2,000 of them still exist today.

Needless to say that the entire Bagan Archaeological zone is too vast to explore by foot alone. You can compliment your walk with a ride on old rickety bicycles, hot balloon rides or on this mind blowing virtual tour of Bagan .

12. Angkor Wat, Cambodia

Angkor Wat is famous for being the largest religious monument in the world. Yes, it’s even bigger than Bagan! Before the fall of Angkor Wat in the 15th century, it was actually the largest city in the world.

Unlike Bagan, most of Angkor Wat still exists today. It was built with durability in mind because it was designed and dedicated to the immortal gods.

13. Terracotta Army, China

This World Heritage Site isn’t a temple, but a mass grave. It’s the burial ground for the First Emperor of China and his world renowned Terracotta Army.

No one knows exactly how many terracotta warriors were made. But it’s been estimated that more than 8,000 soldiers, 130 chariots with 520 horses and 150 cavalry horses were sculpted. And if that wasn’t amazing enough, each soldier has its own distinct facial features and were all built to life-size.

It took around 40 years to ‘build’ the entire army and its sole purpose was for protecting the emperor in his afterlife.

You can wander between these soldiers yourselves on this Terracotta Warrior virtual tour.

Top UNESCO Sites in Europe

14. Acropolis of Athens, Greece

‘Acropolis’ translates into ‘high city’ in Greek. Most cities in ancient Greece had their city centres built on a mound or a hill. This is where they would build their important temples and where citizens could retreat to if under attack.

The most famous acropolis of Greece is, of course, the one in Athens with the iconic Pantheon dominating its skyline. The Acropolis of Athens has withstood the test of time, including bombardments, earthquakes and vandalism. Yet it still stands today as a reminder of the rich history of Greece.

15. Stonehenge, United Kingdom

Also known as the Bronze Age Ring of Standing Stones, Stonehenge is one of the UK’s most unique sites and visited attractions. It’s a prehistoric monument steeped in all kinds of myth and speculation because no one knows its true origin or purpose.

Some believe that Stonehenge was a Druid temple, built by ancient Celtic pagans as a centre for their religious worship. Others believe it to have astronomical significance as the light from sunrise and sunset aligns with the stones during summer and winter solstice.

Why don’t you decide for yourself based on the interesting facts you’ll learn on this Stonehenge virtual tour.

Top UNESCO Sites in North and South America

16. Mesa Verde National Park, USA

Mesa Verde is the largest and one of the most spectacular archeological sites in the USA. It was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site because it encapsulates how Native Americans once lived by carving their homes into the cliff.

It’s one of the most well preserved ruins of the Ancestral Pueblo people in North America and you can virtually explore Mesa Verde right from the comfort of your own home.

17. Mayan Ruins of Tikal, Guatemala

At first glance, the Mayan Ruins of Tikal appears to be quite similar to the ruins of Chichen Itza. They were both major cities in the history of the Mayan civilisation and are both declared UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

The biggest difference between the two is that Tikal is less visited and often less crowded compared to the more popular Chichen Itza. That’s because Tikal is located in the remote Guatemalan forests whereas Chichen Itza is much easier to access.

Some areas of Tikal remain unmapped or excavated too. So if you love hidden gems, make sure you visit the Mayan Ruins of Tikal , even if it’s only by virtual tour for now.

18. Easter Island, Chile

Easter Island is a Chilean island in the south Pacific Ocean. It’s famous for its 900+ giant statues known as Moais, which are scattered around the entire island.

It is believed that the Rapa Nui natives built these Moais to honour chieftains and important individuals from their village. They believed that by doing this, the spirit of the person would forever watch over the tribe and bring good fortune.

Today, Easter Island is believed to be the most remote inhabited island in the world. That’s why it’s also very expensive to get to. But have no fear, you can admire Easter Island virtually until then.

Iconic Landmarks and Buildings Around the World

Some of the most iconic and recognised landmarks and buildings around the world that you can explore for free from home.

Iconic Landmarks and Buildings in USA

19. The White House, United States

Anyone can visit the White House free of charge. But you have to register and request a tour online and wait between 3 weeks to 3 months to visit. Skip the wait on this White House virtual tour.

20. Statue of Liberty, USA

More than 130 years ago, France gifted the Statue of Liberty to the United States to celebrate the friendship the two endured during the American Revolution. Today it represents freedom and democracy in the USA.

Iconic Landmarks and Buildings in the United Kingdom

21. Buckingham Palace, United Kingdom

The official residence of The Queen and a must-visit when in London. Skip the long 3 month wait and the €30 entrance ticket and see Buckingham Palace virtually.

Iconic Landmarks and Buildings in Italy

22. The Vatican, Italy

Vatican City is the headquarters of the Roman Catholic Church and the seat of government. More than 5 million people come to Rome every year to feast their eyes on the prized paintings and sculptures of the Vatican and to experience the most religious and cultural site in the world. Check out youvisit.com/tour/vatican for the tour.

23. Leaning Tower of Pisa

The Leaning Tower of Pisa is one of the most recognised landmarks in the world. The intention was to build the tallest bell tower for that era in order to show off Pisa’s growing wealthy and prosperity. The ‘leaning’ part of the equation was actually an engineering mistake.

24. Doge’s Palace, Venice

More than a 1,000 years ago, Doge’s Palace was the home to the ruler of Venice and the seat of power for the Venetian Republic. Today it is one of Venice’s must-see museums. Wander around the corridors of the Doge’s Palace or along one of its many surrounding canals on this beautiful virtual tour.

Iconic Landmarks and Buildings in Germany

25. Reichstag Parliamentary Building, Berlin

The Reichstag is one of the most important buildings in Berlin today. Built to symbolise the reunification of Germany. It’s one of the few parliamentary buildings in the world that allows the public to watch over government processions. Similar to the White House, it’s free to visit but you have to book months in advance for a tour. Wait no more as this virtual tour of the Reichstag is pretty awesome.

Wondering how travelling in Berlin and Germany has changed since COVID? Find out what it’s like to visit Berlin during the coronavirus pandemic .

Iconic Landmarks and Buildings in France

26. Palace of Versailles, France

Did you know that the Palace of Versailles was a mere hunting lodge before it became the world’s largest palace? It’s one of the most important landmarks in French history because it symbolises the power and downfall of the French monarchy.

Explore its opulent, regal interior and admire its intricate details on this Palace of Versailles virtual tour.

27. The Louvre Museum, Paris

The Louvre use to serve as the royal palace for the French monarchy. It only became an art museum after the royal family moved their residence to Versailles. Today it is the world’s largest art museum and an iconic historical monument in Paris.

28. The Catacombs of Paris, France

It’s no coincidence that the word ‘catacombs’ rhymes with ‘tombs’. The Catacombs of Paris is the world’s largest underground burial site. The city was growing too fast for its cemeteries to handle the bodies of the dead. The solution was to move the bodies and bury them underground. Archaeologists estimate that around 6 to 7 million bodies were buried down there. Creepy…

Iconic Landmarks and Buildings in Israel

29. The Holyland, Bethlehem and Jerusalem

Also known as the most sacred place on earth. It is here at The Holyland that the main religious faiths believe that God first entered into a relationship with the human race.

Virtual Tours of Top Natural Wonders and Attractions

30. Niagara Falls , Canada – see live video feeds of these world famous falls on EarthCam.

31. The Northern Lights , Canada – another great live webcam to catch a glimpse of the Northern Lights. Remember to watch this in the evening Canadian time.

32. Victoria Falls , Zambia – a magnificent virtual tour of the world’s largest waterfall.

33. Sahara Desert , Africa – explore the world’s largest desert without getting sand in your eyes.

34. Mount St Helens , USA – travel back in time and witness the day Mount St Helens erupted back in 1980.

35. Mount Everest , Himalayas – the only way to trek the world’s highest mountain without training is going on this virtual tour. Remember to click on the arrows to explore around.

36. Cliffs of Moher , Ireland – discover the most beautiful natural landscapes of Ireland on this gorgeous virtual tour.

37. Hawaii Volcanoes National Park , USA – one of our favourite virtual tours from the whole list. Not only is it mesmerising, but you can also learn so many interesting facts on this tour.

38. Grand Canyon , USA – enjoy a virtual hike and explore one of the most famous national parks in the USA.

39. Yellowstone National Park , USA – a nature lover’s paradise. Make sure you use Google Chrome for this tour.

40. Zhangjiajie National Forest Park , China – otherwise known as ‘Avatar Mountain’. The mesmerising, otherworldly landscapes that inspired the ‘floating mountains’ in one of our favourite movies, Avatar.

41. Galapagos Islands , Ecuador – A scuba diver and nature lover’s idea of paradise! This is right on the top of our travel bucket list.

42. Raja Ampat , Indonesia – The epitome of utopia. Hundreds of jungle-covered islands as far as the eye can see and some of the best beaches, coral reefs and scuba diving spots in the world.

Virtual Tours From The Top: City Skylines

43. New York Skyline – New York, New York! Head up to the 102th floor of the Empire State Building on this virtual tour and admire the city that never sleeps from above.

44. Tokyo Skytree , Japan – Teleport yourself to the highest structure in Tokyo and admire the vibrant capital city of Japan from the top. We hope you aren’t afraid of heights because the Tokyo Skytree is 634 meters tall which is more than double the height of the Eiffel Tower.

45. The Eiffel Tower , Paris – Head to the top deck of the Eiffel Tower and marvel at the City of Love on this breathtaking virtual tour.

46. The Peak , Hong Kong – Ever heard the phrase ‘A New York minute is a Hong Kong second’ before? Discover one of the most populous and expensive cities in the world from its highest peak. When you’re ready to visit Hong Kong in person, make sure you read our 7 tips to travel Hong Kong on a budget before you go.

47. St Paul’s Cathedral , London – Admire London’s epic skyline from the top of St Paul’s Cathedral.

Free Virtual Museum Tours

You should download the Google Arts and Culture app to your phone if you’re a museum lover. You’ll find tons of stunning virtual tours and interesting things to learn from the arts and culture world. Here are some of our favourite free virtual museum tours.

48. The British Museum , London – The famous British Museum is dedicated to human history, art and culture. Their permanent collection consists of more than 8 million pieces of artwork. Making it one of the largest and most comprehensive compilations in the world.

49. Musée d’Orsay , Paris – If you love French art whether that’s paintings, sculptures, furniture or photography, you’ll love the Musée d’Orsay Museum.

50. Pergamon Museum , Berlin – Explore one of the largest and most visited museums in Germany. The Pergamon Museum is known for its antiquity collection and Islamic and Middle Eastern artworks.

If you love history and want to learn more about the story behind the Berlin Wall like why it was famous and so important. We’ve explained it simply (i.e. Story of the Berlin Wall for dummies) in our Berlin Wall by Bike guide.

51. Rijksmuseum , Amsterdam – The national museum of the Netherlands that holds some of the world’s most famous artworks from artists like Vermeer and Rembrandt.

52. Van Gogh Museum , Amsterdam – Another jewel from Amsterdam. The Van Gogh Museum needs no introduction.

53. The Metropolitan Museum of Art , New York – Also known as The Met. This is one of the largest museums in the world. You can easily spend days if not weeks here admiring everything from antiquities, paintings, sculptures to modern art and fashion. A museum that has something for everyone.

Live Webcam Feeds for Wildlife Watching and Scuba Diving

We saved the best for last. Watch wildlife and underwater sea life from home via live webcam feeds! If you didn’t know you could do that, now you know.

54. Tau Game Lodge in Madikwe , South Africa – The beautiful Madikwe Game Reserve is located on the edge of the South African border close to Gaborone, Botswana. They have a 24 hour live webcam looking over one of the water reservoirs where the animals come to drink.

55. Kruger National Park , South Africa – Have you always dreamt of going on safari? Wait no more! WildEarth is hosting daily safari rides, twice a day so you can see some of South Africa’s most beautiful wildlife live with their awesome rangers! This is definitely one of our favourite wildlife webcam feeds! Support WildEarth with a donation if you can during these difficult times.

56. African River Wildlife, Kenya – There are more than 10 live webcam feeds here so you’re spoilt for choice. Head over to Explore.org and enjoy ‘Facetiming’ these amazing creatures.

57. Virtual Dives with National Marine Sanctuaries – Discover the underwater world with virtual scuba diving! There’s a host of coral reefs waiting for you to explore. Just click on the video and use your mouse or VR set to look around.

58. Underwater Cave Diving – Even certified scuba divers like us are not allowed to explore underwater caves without the right technical qualifications and training. So whether you’re a scuba diver or not, you’ll most definitely enjoy this cave scuba diving virtual tour.

Want to learn how to scuba dive? Check out our Beginners Scuba Diving guide where we share how you can save time and money getting certified.

59. Georgia Aquarium – ‘FaceTime’ with the residents of Georgia Aquarium via their live webcams. See sea lions, puffer fish and even the elusive beluga whale.

60. Monterey Bay Aquarium – Another amazing aquarium with an array of live webcams. Spy on sea otters, jellyfish, penguins and even turtles and sharks.

Virtual Tours: How To Travel For Free From Home

We had a lot of fun looking for different ways to ‘travel’ the world from home. We hope you enjoyed your first experience of ‘armchair travel’. We’d love to hear which one was your favourite.

Thank You For Reading

If you enjoyed reading this guide, share it with your friends and family. Have a question or need advice? Contact us via Email, Messenger or WhatsApp. And if you'd like to leave a comment, tweet us . Oh, and don’t forget to subscribe and follow us on social media !

Help the site by leaving a review:

Buy Us A Coffee

Our content is free and always will be. But if this guide has saved you time, money or made your life easier, feel free to buy us a coffee . We’ll really appreciate your support.

Support Our Work

Can't donate? No problem! You can still support us by buying products and services that we recommend. Check out our resource page for all offers and discount codes.

📣 This guide contains affiliate links. This means if you click on our links and buy something, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. This allows us to work on the website full time and keep Nomad And In Love alive and thriving.

Related Guides

Traffic Fine Abroad: 5 Tips to Help You Reduce a Speeding Ticket in Europe (As Much As 30%)

How To Travel for Cheap Using VPN To Unlock The Best Travel Deals in 2024

7 Honest Reasons Why Revolut is the Best Travel Card in 2024 (A Review of the Prepaid Travel Card)

The 12 Best Free Virtual Travel Experiences Worth Checking Out

Don't have the means to travel the world? You can still visit stunning locations via virtual travel. Here are some of our favorites!

Do you want to travel, but circumstances are preventing you from doing so? Thankfully, the internet enables you to visit multiple destinations around the world in real time. No plane tickets, visas, or long flights necessary!

If you have a laptop, a smartphone, or a VR device and a reliable Wi-Fi connection, you are all set to take these virtual tours for free.

1. African Safari

WildEarth relies on safari vehicles, guides on foot, drones, balloons, rovers and remote cams to capture some of Africa's most iconic animals in their own habitats. You can interact with an expert game ranger hosting the safari while you watch.

Related: Outdoor Virtual Tours to Get Back to Nature With Hikes, Dives, and Spelunking

2. The White House

At 55,000 square feet, the White House has 6 floors, 132 rooms (16 are family guest rooms), 35 bathrooms, 28 fireplaces, eight staircases, three elevators, 412 doors and 147 windows.

Thanks to Google Arts and Culture, you can enjoy a walk through the most famous residence in the US without having to worry about the Secret Service.

Related: Virtual Field Trips That Make History Come Alive

3. Discover India

You can visit the Taj Mahal and other iconic Indian sites via the official Indian government's immersive Audio Odigos app.

Once the app is downloaded Audio Odigos does not require Wi-Fi or an Internet connection. You can choose a destination and download all the chapters of the destination you are visiting in one go and enjoy your tour offline.

Download: Audio Odigos for Android | iOS (Free)

4. Sydney Opera House

The Sydney Opera House offers exclusive live streams of their performances, inclusive of original new digital programming direct from Sydney Opera House. It's free when you sign up.

5. Northern Lights (Aurora Borealis)

The Northern Lights most commonly appear between 5:00 pm and 2:00 am.

A good display may last for no longer than 15-30 minutes at a time, although if you're really lucky, they could last for a few hours. Norway's lights over Lapland project enables you to experience the Northern Lights via VR.

6. The Grand Canyon

The most popular hiking trail into the Grand Canyon is the Bright Angel Trail. Google's Street View Trek enables you to virtually hike it.

7. Paris Catacombs

Beneath the City of Paris is a 200 mile series of macabre tunnels containing the bones of 6 million people. As photographer Felix Nadar put it, the catacombs are one of those places "everyone wants to see and no one wants to see again". You can see the catacombs for yourself with this virtual tour.

Related: The Best Virtual Tours of the Human Body for Interactive Anatomy

8. Christ the Redeemer Statue

Located at the peak of the 700-metre (2,300 ft) Corcovado mountain in the Tijuca Forest National Park, overlooking the city of Rio de Janeiro, the Christ the Redeemer statue is the largest art deco statue in the world. You can skip the 200-step climb to the top via this stunning virtual tour set to soothing jazz by Kenny G.

9. Roman Colosseum

Fans of the Gladiator movie will no doubt recall the legendary fight scenes in the colosseum.

In real life, the colosseum was used as an entertainment venue for 390 years. During that time more than 400,000 people and 1 million animals died inside the Colosseum. You can virtually visit the real colosseum on AirPano.

10. Brooks Falls, Alaska

EXPLORE is the largest live nature cam network on the planet.

If you are a fan of bears, the livestream of Brooks Falls in Alaska's Katmai National Park is the best place in the world to watch brown bears feasting on salmon as they swim upstream to spawn. EXPLORE offers a multicam experience of various virtual tours both on land and under the sea.

11. New York Times Square

Would you like to visit Times Square in New York right this very moment? EarthCam takes you on an aerial and street-level tour of the square, complete with audio.

12. Marine Life Virtual Dive

America's National Marine Sanctuary System is a network of underwater parks encompassing more than 600,000 square miles of marine and Great Lakes waters, and now you can visit these amazing places in the blink of an eye through virtual reality.

If you're on a desktop, click and drag to experience in 360 degrees, or pair your phone with your virtual reality headset. For the best viewing experience, watch the video in high-definition: click the gear symbol in the lower right corner, then select any of the HD options that pop up when you click "Quality."

Related: Google Earth Tour Guide: Virtual Tours You'll Want to Check Out

Hot Tip: Amazon Explore

Amazon Explore enables you to virtually tour the world's cities and experience local culture with the help, or rather the company, of local guides or hosts.

Amazon Explore experiences are not free. However, if you’re an Amazon Prime member, your first experience of up to $50 is free with the promo code FREEFUN for a limited time.

How to get a free Amazon Explore experience:

• Visit Amazon Explore .
• Select and schedule an experience that is $50 or less. Use the code FREEFUN at checkout. This will reduce your cost to zero.
• Meet Your Host: When it’s time for your livestreamed session, show up at your computer and meet up with your host.
• Explore: The session is private and just for you, so ask questions, take pictures, and focus on what interests you the most.

Virtual Travel Is Here to Stay

For travelers who have various physical impairments—mobile, visual, auditory—virtual tours are a great way to visit destinations that were once off limits. Needless to say, those with financial limitations are equally empowered to visit places they otherwise could not afford.

If you are worried about global warming, traveling via internet is a great way to reduce your carbon footprint and avoid flight shaming while seeing the world.

And of course there are the time savings. You may not have the time to see the world in your lifetime. With virtual travel, you can visit a new continent every day.

A new wave of virtual trips let you travel the world from your living room

By Jenny Southan

As COVID-19 wreaks havoc on the travel industry – forcing countries to close borders , cancel flights and place populations on lockdown – going on holiday has had to be postponed . However, the need for escapism is more acute than ever, as is our curiosity, which is not satisfied by being housebound. Instead of bingeing endless Netflix shows, the answer could lie in virtual travel. (If people are paying to see a hologram of Whitney Houston perform in concert, then why not?)

In the USA , video games are, apparently, being played at record levels, while sales of home consoles such as Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 4 are rocketing in South Korea . The same can be expected in the UK while people are quarantined – but instead of playing shoot-’em-ups, how about taking a walk around the Academy Ruins in Anthem or nosing around the White House in Tom Clancy’s The Division 2 ?

At the beginning of 2020, Rough Guides published a guide book to virtual Xbox worlds, proving that gaming tourism – whereby people play to explore, rather than win – is now a legitimate trend. The book provides sightseeing guides to eight Xbox One X Enhanced games such as Shadow of the Tomb Raider, Forza Horizon 4 and Metro Exodus , with sections on getting around, etiquette, shopping and things not to miss, just as it would with a physical city.

The Rough Guide to Xbox states that game graphics are now so immersive and all-consuming that the ‘thrilling feeling of being somewhere new is no longer the exclusive domain of real-world travel’. It adds that the rise in popularity of in-game photography – gamers sharing images of the places they’ve discovered on Instagram – demonstrates that there is still social kudos attached to visiting a digital destination. The only thing you won’t come back with is a tan.

Using a virtual-reality (VR) headset – either a stand-alone unit or one that connects to a gaming PC or console – is a way to be transported to other realms in 3D. The wireless Oculus Quest has partnered with National Geographic to offer disembodied hikes around Machu Picchu and even kayak around Antarctica, while PlayStation 4’s headset can plunge you into the stunningly beautiful and seemingly endless No Man’s Sky (the idea is to travel through galaxies discovering new resources on alien planets).

Although not currently accessible due to temporary coronavirus measures, London’s futuristic Otherworld gaming arcade is a thrilling example of how VR is evolving as a form of entertainment. Here, punters enter sci-fi gaming pods where they can climb Mount Everest in hyper-real immersive 3D, or walk through the beautiful landscapes of Iceland inspired by Björk’s Vulnicura album.

Otherworld says: ‘Free from physical and spatial constraints, it can provide a limitless number of impossible and exhilarating experiences.’ (If you have seen Steven Spielberg’s Ready Player One , you will have a good idea of what it's like.) Sure, VR is never going to replace travel but that’s not the intention. It’s about providing perfect moments – the kind we talk about on our return from a trip – like watching a sunrise from the top of a volcano. And the best thing is, it’s relatively cheap, plus you don’t have to worry about jet lag, getting ill or mosquito bites. This is travel for the mind, not the body.

Laura Fowler

Charlie Hobbs

Olivia Morelli

Connor Sturges

Another example is Google Arts & Culture, which has compiled virtual tours of hundreds of the world’s best museums and galleries – from MoMA in New York and Florence’s Uffizi to the State Hermitage Museum in St Petersburg and Tate Britain. It works on desktops but the tablet/smartphone app is best – and for those who have a Google Cardboard headset (phones slot straight in), it will be even more immersive.

As cultural institutions such as these are shuttered during the pandemic to help facilitate social distancing, Google’s endeavour means that not only can people explore their famous halls, but they can also do so without queues and crowds, with the option to zoom in for high-definition examinations of colours and brushstrokes.

It doesn’t end there. With Google Street View, you can poke around backstage at the Paris Opera, stand on top of the Taj Mahal and step inside Hong Kong’s Blue House, a living time capsule. Google Earth VR, meanwhile, lets you fly like a superhero around some of the world's most amazing sites, from the Hoover Dam to the Matterhorn. (An HTC Vive or Oculus Rift headset are needed to experience these.)

At the end of March 2020, the British Library launched a series of virtual historic globes that have been digitised over the course of two years by imaging specialists. Described as ‘one of the most beautiful but fragile subsets in the British Library’s vast maps collection,’ the terrestrial and celestial globes date between 1600 and 1950, and represent centuries of knowledge about our planet and cosmos. Although seeing them in person is not possible as the library is temporarily closed, the public can explore them in detail from afar online .

Of course, being grounded is frustrating, and it’s shocking to see hotels closing and airlines slashing entire networks, but it’s an opportunity to get perspective on everything we’ve taken for granted. As problems such as overtourism are solved overnight, at least in the short term, giving the planet some breathing space, now is a time to embrace overlooked technological possibilities. We can spend evenings having virtual FaceTime-and-wine hangouts with friends, and even stream opera and classical music concerts from global institutions.

For example, during the coronavirus outbreak, the Berlin Philharmonic has opened up its digital concert hall to give access to its performance archives, while New York’s Metropolitan Opera has aired past productions filmed for its Live in HD series for cinemas. Plan the rest of your self-isolation staycations as you would a holiday, and you’ll soon feel part of the world again – watching La Traviata in Teatro Massimo Palermo one night, followed by a morning meandering around Amsterdam’s Van Gogh Museum. And you don’t even need to pack a suitcase.

Like this? Now read:

The best cultural and nature livestreams to watch right now

By Olivia Morelli

10 skills you can learn at home

By Sarah James

How the editors of Condé Nast Traveller are working from home

By Condé Nast Traveller

• International edition
• Australia edition
• Europe edition

10 of the best virtual travel experiences for 2021

Travel the world through this new crop of virtual experiences, from online guide walks to film festivals, wine-tasting to birdwatching

See Amsterdam’s Canal district as never before

Starting from their artisanal chocolate shop in the De Wallen red light district, husband-and-wife team Ian and Salomé have devised a tour of Amsterdam that, right now, shows its canals quieter than you’re ever likely to see them in person. The tour is organised through Vancouver-based ToursByLocals, which has launched more than 150 virtual experiences since the pandemic began. Tours cover many destinations and topics, from ghost-hunting in Kyoto to African-American culture in Harlem. Sessions are livestreamed and 100% of the cost can be redeemed against the purchase of a future, in-person tour with the same guide. One-hour Amsterdam tour every Sunday; £70 for up to six screens, toursbylocals.com

Join an icy plunge in Helsinki

On a virtual trip to Helsinki, Intrepid tour leader Kati Pankka will guide you around a private lakeside sauna. Pankka’s insights into traditional Finnish spa rituals include her taking an ice swim which, combined with sauna in winter, locals believe is a mood-booster with potential health benefits. The tour is part of a recent launch of 15 interactive virtual experiences by Intrepid’s Urban Adventures team, intended to help support its cohort of local guides during the pandemic. Sessions are conducted on Zoom in real time, many of them in the guide’s home. Other options include Mandala art and meditation in Delhi, and Polish pierogi-making with a Kraków cook. Helsinki experience (group tour option) from £19.84 , urbanadventures.com

Birdwatching on Florida’s Paradise Coast

Peregrine falcons, pelicans and even bald eagles can be found among the more than 200 species of birds that use south-west Florida’s Tigertail beach. The tidal lagoon and mudflats it feeds into on Marco Island are also an important migratory winter stop-off, now open for exploration through a seasonal online birdwatching programme. During new 90-minute educational tours, the shifting array of birdlife can be viewed in real-time through virtual binoculars placed along the beach, supplemented by photos. Sessions will be held monthly until April 2021, hosted by biologists Adam DiNuovo of conservation organisation Audubon Florida, and Collette Lauzau of the local Rookery Bay research reserve. The next event is on 16 January, and this month you can combine a birdwatching tour with other online activities during Florida’s Festival of Birds . Tours $10 , rookerybay.org

Tour the Mary Rose, Portsmouth

Visit Portsmouth has launched a number of virtual tours since the start of the pandemic and its latest project is guaranteed to fascinate budding young historians. The new interactive photosphere of the Mary Rose rotates 360 degrees along a walkway between the vessel’s wooden carcass and the artefacts that were found with the 16th-century wreck – and provides a good second-best to visiting in person. The Mary Rose Museum holds the largest collection of Tudor artefacts of its kind in the world and the photosphere lays out all the key discoveries from Henry VIII’s favourite warship through rotating clickable icons. Free, maryrose.org

Catch a movie at the New York Jewish film festival

Many film festivals will be virtual this year, making global fringe cinema more accessible than ever. The New York Jewish film festival, which starts this week, will be streaming documentaries, shorts and features from the Lincoln Center. Highlights include Nir Bergman’s Here We Are , a moving tale of a dad and his autistic son, and Irmi, an inspiring documentary about the life of Irmi Selver, a Jewish refugee who fled her home town of Chemnitz in eastern Germany during the rise of nazism. 13-26 January, virtual tickets $12 or $125 for an all-access pass, virtual.filmlinc.org

Walk the medieval streets of Transylvania

Romanian tour guide Vlad Blaj spent last summer recording virtual tours for his small travel company, Romanian Thrills. In the Mysteries of Medieval Braşov tour, participants can take a guided walk with Blaj through one of the most important towns of Saxon Transylvania, augmented by old photos, illustrations and maps. Though prerecorded, the tour follows an interactive format that allows participants to choose different paths at various points in the recording, allowing you to focus, for example, on the history of Braşov’s Black Church or alternatively taste traditional Romanian chimney cake at a street stall. A similar tour of Sighișoara will launch at the end of this month, and on 30 January Romanian Thrills is also hosting a free virtual river cruise tour of the Lower Danube. Virtual tours £15 a download, romanianthrills.us

Taste volcanic wines on Lanzarote

After six months with no work during 2020, Wine Tours Lanzarote flipped its Canaries-based activity business in October to become a UK-registered import/export operation. As the first company capable of sending Lanzarote’s little-known volcanic wines to the UK, it is now offering virtual tours. Interactive tastings are conducted with up to five local wines and run by a Wine & Spirit Education Trust -accredited guide using presentation slides, photos and videos. Also, the company has free, livestreamed Lanzarote craft beer and brewing sessions on Instagram . The next one will be on 15 January. Virtual wine tours £90, plus £9 each for up to three devices, and £9 for each extra device after that. Wine from £57 for three bottles, including delivery, wineshoplanzarote.com

Get a preview of Menorca’s new Isla del Rey gallery

Private gallery Hauser & Wirth has launched a virtual reality preview of its forthcoming base on Menorca’s Isla del Rey. The extensive arts centre, due to open later this year, will span eight galleries in and around an 18th-century decommissioned naval hospital inside Mahón port. The gallery incorporates conservation work and native planting schemes, and has virtually launched with works from artists including Glenn Ligon, Mark Bradford and Louise Bourgeois, including the latter’s giant Maman spider sculpture. The preview has been created using technology applied in architecture, construction and video-gaming to make the virtual journey more lifelike. Free, vip-hauserwirth.com

Discover Indigenous Australian culture in the Northern Territory

One tour operator in the far-north’s Katherine region has transposed its Indigenous Australian culture experience on to live video. Launched in November and available as a prerecorded download – making it time-suitable for the UK – the 45-minute tour from Top Didj is hosted by Indigenous Australian artist and storyteller Manuel Pamkal. Complete with a wallaby encounter, viewers are treated to stories of Manuel’s childhood growing up in the bush and learn about hunter-gathering, spear-throwing and music culture. Pamkal’s demonstrations of starting a fire with nothing but two sticks is sure to be a hit with the kids. Tour is now half price, AU$10, topdidj.com

Explore hidden corners of London

• Travel websites
• Cultural trips

Most viewed

18 Virtual Tours Worth Taking

Many museums, parks, and zoos have recently launched virtual tours and interactive experiences. Check out this list to learn more!

During the COVID pandemic, most of us had our travel wings clipped a bit. The inability to travel was tough but luckily, many travel-oriented companies decided to pivot a bit and offer virtual travel tours and activities. Many of these virtual tours proved to be such a hit that they’re still in place today! 

Virtual tours are a great way to explore a new place, even if you don’t have the luxury of traveling at the time. Some of the best virtual tours take you deep into a destination, sharing insider tips and hidden gems you may never learn about otherwise. This is a particularly great option when you want to “visit” some of the world’s greatest museums and parks without having to endure the crowds and the high costs of getting there!

Explore the world with Let’s Roam .

At Let’s Roam, we specialize in turning the ordinary into the extraordinary. We strongly believe you can have a great time no matter if you’re exploring the streets of Mexico City or hanging out with your friends and family at home. To help you along the way, we’ve created hundreds of exciting app-based scavenger hunts , in-home games , virtual birthday party events, and much more. You can access all of these great experiences through the Let’s Roam app or on our website. 

The Best Virtual Tours to Help You Explore the World

Below you’ll find a list of some of the best virtual tours. Our team of in-house travel experts has scoured the globe (and the internet!) to find the best virtual tours. Many of these virtual tours are free to view and have a ton of other fun goodies that you can listen to or read while you’re there. This is a fun way to pass the time when you’re unable to travel, and it’s much better than looking at these destinations on social media. 

We’ve broken them down by museums and galleries, world landmarks, and parks and zoos and have included information on family-friendly activities available to make it even easier to plan an awesome virtual trip around the world with the whole family!

Museums and Galleries

1. the louvre virtual tour.

The Louvre is one of the best art museums in the entire world. People line up outside for hours to get a glimpse of artworks such as Leonardo Da Vinci’s Mona Lisa and Rembrandt’s Philosopher in Meditation. It probably comes as no surprise that the Louvre is also one of the world’s most searched virtual tours. Not only do you get a private glimpse into Paris’ most legendary art museum, but you get to escape the massive groups. These virtual tours allow you to see not only the museum’s most famous works, but it also allows you to go into the museum archives to see what lies behind the scenes. 

The Louvre offers a wide variety of virtual tours based on interesting themes or areas of the museum. You can choose from Founding Myths: Hercules to Darth Vader, the Body in Movement, and Power Plays. There’s also a Louvre at Home section of their website where you can access different activities and events held at the museum including podcasts, kids activities, and virtual reality experiences.

2. Van Gogh Museum

Van Gogh is considered to be one of the most influential artists of the 19th century. His Post-Impressionistic work is famous for its use of bright colors and vibrant brush strokes that convey deep expression and emotion. While visiting the Van Gogh Museum is a must for anyone traveling through Amsterdam, the Van Gosh Museum also lets you view his famous work from the comfort of your own home!

During your virtual visit, you can check out some of Van Gogh’s masterpieces as well as work by some of his contemporaries through the museum’s online collection. You can also read stories about Vincent’s life and work along with some of his letters and greatest quotes. There’s a special section of the website dedicated to activities for children including coloring books and board games. If that’s still not to satiate your desire to learn more about this famous Dutch artist, you can also download apps to your phone that offer free books or watch videos on YouTube. This is the perfect resource for anyone hoping to learn more about Vincent Van Gogh and his work in a fun and memorable way!

3. The Guggenheim Museum

As one of the most famous museums in New York City, the Guggenheim is at the top of many travel wish lists. From the robust curves of the exterior to the world-class collections inside, this is one museum you won’t want to miss! Some of the highlights of the collection include works by Pablo Picasso, Edgar Degas, and Edouard Manet, amongst many other 20th-century artistic legends. Lucky for us, you don’t have to travel to the Big Apple to get a sneak peek at all the museum has to offer!

The Guggenheim Museum offers an online collection of more than 1,700 artworks by more than 625 artists from the late 19th century through today. The database is searchable by artists, date, movement, and medium. It is designed to showcase the diversity and tenor of the Guggenheim’s New York collection as well as pieces from the Guggenheim Collection in Venice and the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao. The Guggenheim also offers an extensive list of online courses for adults, kid’s activities, and a slew of family-friendly activities. 

4. Google Arts Project: Street Art

Street art has become one of the most beloved art genres around the world. From gritty graffiti to colorful murals, street art tells the story of a destination in a way that few other mediums can. Google has attempted to bring these stories to life through its Google Arts Project. Focusing on street art from around the world, the project features virtual tours of destinations like Buenos Aires and Lima as well as themed tours centered on different types of art. 

Visitors to the Google Arts Project website can go on virtual walking tours, listen to audio tours, and view online exhibitions while learning about the artists through interactive features. It’s a fascinating way to view street art from all corners of the globe without having to pack your passport! If street art isn’t your thing, don’t worry. The Google Arts & Culture Project includes high-res images from more than 2,000 of the world’s leading museums including many of the museums on this list!

5. Metropolitan Museum of Art

Another of New York’s treasures, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, also known as the Met, stands proudly on 5th Avenue, overlooking Central Park. This fantastic museum holds a bewildering collection of more than 490,000 pieces of art and artifacts from all corners of the planet including paintings by Vermeer and sculptures from ancient Egypt. The museum is organized by region of the world, and as you wander through the endless galleries, it feels like you’re traveling around the world without ever leaving Manhattan! 

This world-class museum can be visited anywhere in the world thanks to the Met 360° Project . This virtual experience is a series of six videos that have been created using 360° technology to help you explore every nook and cranny of this famed museum. The videos have been viewed more than 11 million times and offer a unique perspective of what goes on inside the museum. You may find yourself suddenly standing in an empty gallery, soaring high above the museum’s roof, or feeling like you are watching the world in fast-forward thanks to a time-lapse video. The experience is truly unique. Even if you’ve been to the Met before, you have never seen it quite like this!

6. Vatican Museums

As the heart of Catholicism and the home of countless treasures, the Vatican Museums in Rome are some of the most revered museums in the entire world. On their website, you can access a series of virtual tours that take you inside some of the most popular areas of the complex including the Sistine Chapel, the Pio Clementino Museum, and the Profane Museum.

You can start your visit with a 360-degree view of the Sistine Chapel, undoubtedly one of Michelangelo’s most famous masterpieces. The spectacular ceiling can be viewed in high-res detail, giving you a close-up look at the stories of Christ, Moses, and the various Popes over the past 2,000 years. The Vatican also offers real-time live webcams which lets you see what’s happening in Vatican City throughout the day. This is a great way to explore the history and art of the Roman Catholic Church. 

7. British Museum

Famous for being one of the best museums in the United Kingdom, the British Museum first opened its doors back in 1759. The collection has grown exponentially since those early days and the British Museum now holds a collection of more than eight million items showcasing more than two million years of human history. Some of the highlights of the museum include the Rosetta Stone and the Statue of Ramesses II in the Egyptian Sculpture Gallery and items recovered from Ancient Roman cities.

There are many ways you can virtually explore the British Museum. The museum is the world’s largest indoor space on Google Street View so this is probably the best place to start your journey! This gives you the chance to view more than 60 different galleries and create your own curated tour of your favorites. Before you head into each gallery, don’t forget to listen to the insightful introduction from the museum’s audio tours. There are also many online galleries where you can find art from Asia, Europe, Africa, Australia, and the Pacific Islands as well as podcasts featuring curators, authors, artists, and scientists. There’s even a library of kid-friendly resources specially designed for ages 3 to 16.

If you’re still hungry for more British art and history, head over to the National Gallery . This art gallery is home to more than 2,600 paintings from around the world. Here, you can take a Director’s Tour of the galleries, view paintings celebrating Queen Elizabeth’s Platinum Jubilee, or discover Renaissance masterpieces. 

8. Getty Museum

Located in Los Angeles, the Getty Museum is one of the best museums on the West Coast. The Getty Museum’s virtual tours focus on both particular works of art and broader themes. Some of the virtual tours on offer include the Grand Canal in Venice by Canaletto, J. M. W Turner’s Modern Rome, Irises by Vincent Van Gogh, and Manet’s Spring. There is also an orientation film where you can learn more about the museum and its collection.

Although it’s not possible to access the Getty Museum’s virtual tours on their website, they can be found on Google Arts & Culture and on the Joy of Museums Virtual Tours .

9. Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History

The National Museum of Natural History is one of the many amazing museums in Washington, D.C. This fascinating museum takes you through millions of years of evolution and human history through an incredible selection of artifacts.

Besides having a massive collection of 147 million artifacts, the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History also boasts an impressive “Explore from Home” selection. As part of the Objects of Wonder virtual exhibit, the program shares the story behind many of its items. You can take a virtual narrated tour of the exhibition or visit their online featured collections. 

10. Museum of Modern Art (MOMA)

As the Met’s “little sister,” the Museum of Modern Art specializes in art from the 20th century. For many visitors, the highlight of the museum’s collection includes Van Gogh’s eerie yet idyllic Starry Night. You can find this and many more of the museum’s artwork on their online exhibition. 

The museum also offers some interesting videos online of New York City itself. The videos offer a very interesting perspective of the Big Apple that is a far cry from the glitz and glamour you see on social media and TV. You can also listen to audio shows or watch movies as part of their Film Vault Summer Camp. 

11. The Uffizi Gallery

In a country that’s famous for its art and history, the Uffizi Gallery in Florence stands head and shoulders above its competition. This breathtaking museum is home to some of Italy’s most famous paintings and sculptures including Botticelli’s breathtaking Birth of Venus and Primavera, and Titan’s Venus of Urbino. 

The Uffizi’s virtual tours give you a three-dimensional view of this world-renowned museum. You can see all of their most famous paintings. The best part about it is you don’t have to jostle amongst the crowds of people that are there all year round! There are also videos posted on their website that give you a brief introduction to the museum’s collection as well as nearby attractions like the Pitti Palace and the Boboli Gardens. 

World Landmarks

12. great wall of china.

Stretching a whopping 3,000 miles long, there’s been a long-running rumor for decades that the Great Wall of China is one of the world’s only landmarks that can be seen from space. While that is definitely not true, you can view the longest structure ever built by humans on the China Guide’s virtual tour of the Great Wall. This 2,000-year-old wall stretches through a number of provinces in northern China, and this virtual tour allows you to view this world wonder without having to go through the lengthy and frustrating China visa process. 

Through the virtual tour, you can view both the interior and exterior sections of the wall, enjoy the beautiful scenery of northern China, and get a close-up look at the brick walls and windows that still stand proudly after two millennia. While their website offers a 360-degree virtual tour of the ancient site, you can also join a live tour with a guide who will be more than happy to answer any questions you may have! This is a great option for people who want to see more of the Great Wall of China but may not be able to conquer the never-ending steps to get there!

13. Heritage on the Edge

Google’s Heritage on the Edge lets you view UNESCO World Heritage sites using 3D maps. This interactive program provides interesting information about the history and heritage of a site as well as the lengths people are taking to protect these sites from the effects of climate change. Some of the different destinations you can explore include Easter Island, Edinburgh, the California Redwoods, Bangladesh, and Chan Chan, Peru. 

The aim of the project is to digitally preserve these UNESCO sites that are currently being degraded by droughts, erosion, flooding, and more. There are interviews from local communities along with experts discussing how climate change is impacting the sites. The website gives a fascinating look into these areas and is particularly interesting for anyone planning on visiting Easter Island or Edinburgh anytime in the near future. 

14. Eiffel Tower

It’s hard to look at any travel blog or article about Paris without seeing this famous tower. Erected in 1887 as part of the Paris World’s Fair, it quickly became a symbol of the City of Light. Today, people make the journey to the top of the tower to enjoy sweeping views of Paris down below.

Even if you can’t get all the way to Paris, there’s no reason why you can’t see the Eiffel Tower up close and personal! There are many different virtual tours available that will take you up into the tower and let you admire the spectacular views yourself! You simply need to log onto the Eiffel Tower website and look for their mobile tour guide. Here, you can find a plethora of information about the history of the Eiffel Tower as well as the surrounding area. It’s just like having your own personal tour guide but without the high costs and the crowds!

15. Disney World 

Getting to Disney World or Disney Land can be an epic experience for many people. These beloved theme parks make many childhood fantasies come true and have almost become like a rite of passage for many families. However, getting to one of the Disney theme parks can be a painfully expensive and simply painful affair. The long lines and the shocking price tags for pretty much everything can put this adventure out of many people’s reach.

However, this certainly doesn’t mean you and your family have to miss out on the magic of the Magic Kingdom. In fact, there are tons of different ways you can visit the parks virtually. From park walk-throughs filmed by tourists to virtual experiences created by Disney lovers, you simply need to do a quick Google search. One of the best places to start is on Google Street View where you can check out 360-degree panoramas. From there, you can head over to their YouTube channel to virtually experience even more Disney attractions!

Parks and Zoos

16. san diego zoo.

The San Diego Zoo is one of the most famous zoos in the entire United States. Located in Balboa Park just north of downtown San Diego, it’s home to more than 4,000 animals (many of which are endangered) and more than 700,000 individual plants. 

On their website, you can access live cameras including the koala cam, panda cam, hippo cam, and penguin cam. Some of the cameras are live while others are pre-recorded due to ongoing construction at the zoo. This is the perfect way to keep track of your favorite animals in realistic-looking habitats. You can also watch videos covering different topics such as pigmy hippos, tapir calves, and toucan chicks to learn more about these fascinating animals. 

17. Monterey Bay Aquarium

Monterey Bay Aquarium is located on the edge of Monterey Bay just south of San Francisco in Central California. The aquarium offers more than 200 exhibits and 80,000 plants and animals with a focus on local and regional species. Like the San Diego Zoo, the Monterey Bay Aquarium offers live webcams that give you the chance to see your favorite marine animals any time of the day! Some of the animals you can view include jellyfish, penguins, sea otters, sharks, and more! There are also webcams of Monterey Bay and the open bar so you can see what’s happening in the ocean. 

If you want to experience something really unique, head over to the Monterey Bay Aquarium’s YouTube channel where you can watch videos of marine animals paired with ambient and instrumental music. Now that is one mesmerizing way to relax!

18 . Houston Zoo

If the San Diego Zoo doesn’t have webcams of your favorite animals, don’t despair. The Houston Zoo has even more webcams just waiting for you! The zoo’s webcams allow you to see their herd of Asian elephants making their way through their habitat, watch giraffes nibble on their favorite snack of lettuce, or laugh as hippos roll around in a massive mud puddle. For anyone that prefers primates, you can even watch chimpanzees and gorillas interact with guests. The webcams also give you a view into the zoo’s educational programs and animal care

Ready to roam?

We hope this list of virtual tours has left you excited to explore the world! As always, we would love to hear your feedback. Please let us know if there is anything we may have missed!

If you want to read about more destinations around the world, make sure to head over to the Let’s Roam Explorer blog . Here, you will find hundreds of destination guides, travel articles, and must-see lists for destinations around the world. These have all been written by our very own in-house travel experts who can give insider tips for destinations ranging from Alabama to Antarctica and everywhere in between! Also, don’t forget to download the Let’s Roam app before you head off on your next adventure. This handy app gives you access to all of our fantastic scavenger hunts as well as user-generated information for locations across the country. 

Frequently Asked Questions

Many of the world’s most famous museums offer free virtual tours . These are a great way to learn more about the collection itself as well as its history and culture.

Many museums offer interactive virtual tours where you can zoom in on particular works of art to read more about them or look at them in closer detail.

While most zoos don’t offer virtual tours per se, they do offer live webcams that allow you to see what your favorite animals, and their caretakers, are doing throughout the day!

There are many different historical sites and museums that offer virtual tours . If you want to see historical sites, you can check out Google’s Heritage on the Edge.

Virtual tours are the perfect way to get to explore the world around you if you don’t have the time, money, or desire to travel. They’re very educational and can be fun at the same time!

Featured Products & Activities

• Share full article

52 Places, Virtually

While you’re stuck at home waiting for travel restrictions to be lifted, we invite you on a virtual visit to each and every one of our Places to Go in 2020.

Supported by

By Paige McClanahan and Debra Kamin

• Published April 14, 2020 Updated July 27, 2020

When we published our list of 52 places to visit in 2020 three months ago, no one could have guessed how much our world would change. And now, given our stay-at-home circumstances, we’d like to invite you on a series of virtual journeys: You can wander into the belly of an Egyptian pyramid, explore the house where Mozart was born, or fly over the rocky peaks of Glacier National Park. Sure, you’ll be looking at a screen, but you’ll see new places, hear new languages and pick up some interesting tidbits about other cultures. Call it a warm-up for that moment when you’ll actually be packing your bags and heading out for your next adventure.

[Sebastian Modak, the 2019 52 Places Traveler contacted friends he met on his journey around the world to see how they were doing during the pandemic. ]

1) Washington D.C.

The U.S. capital makes for an engaging and varied virtual destination. Without leaving your sofa, you can commemorate the 100-year anniversary of American women winning the right to vote by visiting the Library of Congress’s online exhibition about the suffrage movement, then click through another informative exhibition from the National Archives . To explore the city further, tour the buildings around the Capitol, wander through the National Museum of Natural History, and explore the many online resources offered by the National Air and Space Museum , the National Gallery of Art and the National Museum of African American History and Culture . The annual Cherry Blossom Festival, which was due to run through April 12, has gone completely virtual. Visit the festival’s website to take a video tour of the tidal basin and watch highlights from previous years.

2) British Virgin Islands

Anyone dreaming of white sand beaches might enjoy browsing the views from this collection of webcams scattered around the British Virgin Islands. Admire the shifting light over Scrub Island Marina, or just watch the breeze wafting through the palms in front of Soggy Dollar Bar. You can also sail around the islands with a group of friends who visited last year.

3) Rurrenabaque, Bolivia

The Amazon jungle is about as remote as you can get, but you can get a sense of the place from home by reading the remarkable story of the tourist who spent nine days lost in the region’s dense rainforest (he said that monkeys helped him survive). Or skim around the waterways and look out for birds, turtles, caimans and other wildlife.

4) Greenland

Get a bird’s-eye view of Greenland’s stunning frozen scenery in this elegant nine-minute video from the Swiss filmmaker Stefan Forster. Without leaving your sofa, you can also watch the Northern Lights shimmer over the country’s snowy mountains, or even learn a few words of Greenlandic (Aluu!).

5) Kimberley Region, Australia

Australia’s wild northwestern corner is another out-of-the-way region that offers a gorgeous natural escape. To visit from afar, start with Tourism Australia’s guide to the Kimberley , then dive into a vivid photo gallery of the otherworldly Bungle Bungle Range, and wrap up with a fun video tour of some of the region’s most popular spots.

6) Paso Robles, Calif.

Paso Robles is known for its wineries, and good news: You can now visit many of them online , while enjoying a glass of whatever you have on hand at home. The area’s vast and dreamy Field of Light at Sensorio installation is closed to visitors, but this collection of images and videos gives a vivid sense of the place.

Embark on your own Sicilian adventure by exploring this series of panoramic photographs and videos from around the Italian island. (Just click on “Sicilian tour map” to get started.) Gape at the ceiling of the Monreale Cathedral, admire the ruins at the Valley of the Temples, or take in the sweeping coastline at Cefalù. For a loftier perspective, spend a few minutes watching this impressive footage of a recent eruption of Sicily’s Mount Etna.

8) Salzburg, Austria

Get an online taste of Austrian tradition through some entertaining snippets offered up by the Salzburg Puppet Theatre. Start with 10 minutes or so of The Magic Flute — composed by Mozart, Salzburg’s famous native son, then skip over here to take a virtual tour of Mozart’s birthplace.

Tokyo’s MORI Building Digital Art Museum: teamLab Borderless offers a range of immersive videos that take you inside the museum’s trippy and wonderful exhibits. Start in the forest of resonating lamps , then move on to the universe of water particles , or the weightless forest of resonating life . Want to get “outside”? Head over here for a virtual rickshaw ride around the city.

10) Caesarea, Israel

The Roman ruins of Caesarea occupy a beautiful stretch of Israel’s Mediterranean coast. Enjoy the landscape, as well as a lofty view of Caesarea’s impressive amphitheater, in these sweeping aerial shots . Then head over to the Jewish Virtual Library to find more detailed images of the ruins and to read about the history of the site.

11) National Parks, China

The world’s remaining giant panda population is set to get a helping hand from China’s proposed new Giant Panda National Park, which will spread over five mountain ranges and more than 10,000 square miles. You can read about the development of the park here and here . Or just get straight to the point and enjoy the highlights of these panda cams , which offer a glimpse into a panda center that lies within the proposed park.

12) Lesotho

One of the top sights of this tiny mountain kingdom is Maloti-Drakensberg Park, which straddles part of the country’s border with South Africa. The park, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site , is home to the largest and most concentrated group of rock paintings in sub-Saharan Africa. Check out these images from around the park, then enjoy some drone shots of the country’s dramatic landscape.

13) Colorado Springs, Colo.

There are a number of ways to get to the top of Pikes Peak, the 14,115-foot mountain that rises above Colorado Springs, without leaving your house. You can ride the cog railway (which — in real life — is scheduled to reopen next year after major renovations). You can hike . You can drive yourself up the Pikes Peak Highway . Or, if you’re maybe a little bit crazy, you can even try to run .

14) Krakow, Poland

This ancient city in southern Poland can be fully explored through an extensive virtual walking tour . Go for a guided stroll through the Old Town, admire the ornate interior of the Juliusz Słowacki Theatre, or visit the peaceful grounds of the Old Jewish Cemetery. Then head over to the National Museum in Krakow to peruse its collection online.

15) Jodhpur, India

The 15th-century Mehrangarh Fort, which stands at the top of a cliff above the city of Jodhpur, can be visited online . Wander through the ornate rooms and admire the views down to “the blue city” spread out below, then visit the Mehrangarh Museum Trust to learn about the history and architecture of the site. You can also check out these highlights from the international folk festival that the fort hosts every year.

16) Western Sweden

Good news, nature lovers: Without leaving home, you can spot a moose in the forest, go for an evening swim, or enjoy the views from the top of a spectacular waterfall. These 360 videos of the Swedish outdoors allow you to choose your own perspective as the scene unfolds. Enjoy.

Explore some of the great pyramids of Egypt with this panoramic video , or this clickable virtual tour . Then have a look inside the Pyramid of Giza with this 360 video from the BBC. You can also watch this video or read this story about the development of the Grand Egyptian Museum, an enormous complex that is nearing completion.

18) La Paz, Mexico

La Paz sits on the coast of the Sea of Cortez (also known as the Gulf of California), which has been described as “the world’s aquarium” because of its extraordinary biodiversity. The region’s islands and protected areas have been recognized by UNESCO, although the site was added to the organization’s “in danger” list last year because of ongoing threats to the vaquita, an endemic porpoise. Learn more about the region, then check out UNESCO’s gallery of images . You can also get lost in this mesmerizing scuba-diving video .

19) Grand Isle, La.

Get to know this tiny barrier island off the coast of Louisiana with this short video , then read about how environmentalists are working to protect the island’s remaining maritime forest, which serves as a critical habitat for migratory birds. Finally, get a sense of the size of the place with these flyby shots along the coast.

20) Chow Kit, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Kuala Lumpur’s Chow Kit neighborhood is home to one of the most popular markets in the city. Following along with an American family, you can wander among the stalls loaded with pineapples and plantains and plucked chickens. Then take a few minutes to learn some words of Malay , the native tongue of more than 33 million people .

21) Jevnaker, Norway

You can explore the many sculptures of Norway’s futuristic Kistefos Museum and Sculpture Park by clicking your way through this interactive map . You can also watch this video of the museum’s emblematic “Twist” structure taking shape (and get a taste of the Norwegian language at the same time).

22) The Bahamas

So brilliant is the sunshine on display in this panoramic tour of the Bahamas that you might be tempted to put on sunglasses (or at least dim the brightness of your screen). Gaze at the turquoise waters of Pipe Cay, stroll across the boardwalk through Lucayan National Park, then gape at the size of the ships in the cruise terminal in Nassau.

23) Kampot, Cambodia

Ride along with two young travelers as they explore Cambodia’s riverside city of Kampot and tour a nearby pepper plantation . Or just enjoy some drone shots of the city and nearby Bokor Mountain, which is home to a waterfall, a Buddhist temple and a towering statue of Lok Yeay Mao , whom locals revere as the protector of the mountain and sea.

24) Christchurch, New Zealand

The largest city on New Zealand’s South Island, Christchurch offers a range of cultural attractions, some of which are available on the web. Start with a tour of the online exhibitions of the Canterbury Museum, including a look at the evolution of New Zealand’s tourism posters. Then head over to the website of the Christchurch Art Gallery, where you can browse the artwork and even create your own gallery .

25) Asturias, Spain

The Asturias region in northwestern Spain is home to dramatic mountain scenery , sacred sites and even an extensive network of ancient Roman gold mines . Asturian dairy farmers continue to produce the region’s celebrated products, including cheeses and various types of milk, cream and butter. You can browse a photo gallery of local farmers at work, and other lovely images from the region here .

26) Haida Gwaii, British Columbia

Get your first taste of this remote Canadian archipelago with this panoramic video from Parks Canada. You can also take a close-up look at some of the area’s bald eagles with this GoPro footage , or learn about the proud history of the Haida nation .

27) Austin, Texas

Austin, the capital of American cool, is packed with quirky landmarks, vibrant street art and sparkling green spaces. Dive into all of them thanks to YouVisit, an immersive virtual reality platform whose Austin tour will take you from the elegant grounds of the Texas Capitol to the summit of Mount Bonnell and even to the packed, smoky barbecue pit of Salt Lick BBQ . And for a taste of Austin’s celebrated live music scene, take a look back at last year’s Austin City Limits music festival.

28) Sabah, Malaysia

Amid the volcanoes, dense rainforest and fluorescent blue water on this corner of Borneo, Sabah’s Mount Kinabalu, with its distinctive granite peaks, sits like an imposing crown. And now you can hike to its summit from home, thanks to Google Street View, whose trekkers captured sweeping panoramas all the way to the top. Want more thrills? Follow along on the world’s highest via ferrata (a mountain pathway of bridges and cables), which sits on Kinabalu.

29) Churchill, Manitoba

Wildlife enthusiasts head to Churchill, Manitoba, the Polar Bear capital of the world, for a glimpse of these incredible white mammals. Get to know some special sea bears , then climb into a Tundra Buggy, an all-terrain vehicle that can handle snow drifts, via an on-dash webcam, whose stunning footage can be viewed from home.

There is perhaps no better spot on earth to see gorillas than Uganda, home to the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest Park , a habitat for half of the world’s endangered mountain gorillas. And the virtual reality house VR Gorilla will take you right into the dense forest to meet them up close.

In the City of Light, it’s the world-famous cultural treasures that shine the brightest, and chief among them is the Louvre, the largest art museum in the world. But while this iconic Parisian landmark is closed to the public, several galleries, including Egyptian Antiquities and Galerie d’Apollon, remain open for online exploration. And for those who prefer art of the wearable variety, Paris’s fashion museum, the Palais Galliera , has an annotated online library of 10 collections, with vivid photography to click through.

32) Lake District, England

With craggy fells, rolling hills, glacial landforms and more than a dozen ribbon lakes, it’s no wonder that the natural wonders of the Lake District served as muse for William Wordsworth and all of English Romanticism. Meander through Dove Cottage , where Wordsworth wrote some of his most seminal works. And you, too, can be inspired by the charming district’s beauty, thanks to municipal webcams offering live feeds on a number of its lakes.

33) Tajikistan

For roadsters and adrenaline junkies, the remote Pamir Highway, a spectacular, high-altitude passage marked by yak sightings, gargantuan potholes and jaw-dropping mountain views, is the ride of a lifetime. And if you can’t drive it yourself, you can still ride shotgun with the travel blogger and videographer Pete Rojwongsuriya , who did. Don’t forget to fasten your seatbelt.

34) Antakya, Turkey

Antakya, also known as Hatay, overflows with rich treasures of Christian history, both below ground in its current archaeological excavations, and above it in stone churches carved into mountainsides. Explore the city in this time-lapse tour , then step into one of those treasures, the Church of St. Pierre, to explore frescoes and mosaics dating all the way back to the fourth century.

35) Leipzig, Germany

There’s no doubt that Leipzig knows how to party. The city has a long musical legacy; Bach wrote some of his best works here, so treat yourself to his great organ works , as performed in Leipzig’s St. Thomas Church. Then get a bird’s-eye view via a sleek drone video of the city that will show you its Renaissance architecture, its bustling market square, its arenas, green belts and cultural spots.

36) Lima, Peru

Lima is a triple threat kind of city, with riches in gastronomy, culture and history. Plan a 36 hours itinerary with the help of this video , then satisfy a craving for Lima’s abundant museums, including the National Museum of the Archaeology, Anthropology, and History of Peru , which is open for virtual visits thanks to the Peruvian Ministry of Culture.

37) Molise, Italy

Pastoral Molise, home to the traditional Transumanza ritual , remains blessedly undiscovered but has a notable artistic pedigree. At its foundation is the Praitano-Eliseo collection, the most significant collection of Molise art from the 19th and 20th centuries. You can now explore it online, thanks to a project, “From the Invisible to the Visible,” created by the Regional Directorate of the Museums of Molise. The site is in Italian; click on “i ritratti” in the upper right corner to navigate to the paintings.

38) Copenhagen

Spend one day in modern, sustainable, efficiency-focused Copenhagen via a virtual tour through its landmarks, then zoom in further. The city is home to CPH:DOX , one of the largest documentary film festivals in the world. And this year, when the coronavirus forced the city to cancel its physical event, it offered a virtual stand-in as substitute. Visitors can stream conferences, meetings and workshops, and even rent competition films for their own home viewing.

39) Richmond, Va.

The Virginia Museum of History and Culture, a state history museum and research library operated by the 190-year-old Virginia Historical Society , is currently closed to visitors. So it’s made more than 250 hours of lectures (spanning women’s history, popular culture, the lives of famous Virginians and more) available online, as well as virtual tours, links to videos like this one on Pocahontas, podcasts, and interactive games for kids.

40) Mount Kenya

On Mount Kenya, the sleeping volcano that is Africa’s second-highest peak, you might see wild elephants and white-tailed mongoose . You’ll most certainly see glaciers and grasslands; bamboo and peat-filled bogs. YouTuber Milosh Kitchovitch has captured all the wonders in 4D so you can explore it yourself, from home.

41) Minorca, Spain

Dive into a virtual tour of the pristine beaches and rugged wilds of beautiful Minorca with VR Menorca, whose 360 degree panoramas of the Balearic Island’s landmarks come with vivid captions and details. The new arts center on Minorca’s Isla del Rey, from top gallery Hauser & Wirth, is now delayed until 2021; for an extra cultural kick in the meantime, you can explore their extensive online exhibitions.

42) Oberammergau, Germany

Oberammergau, a tiny Bavarian village with colorful frescoes, unspoiled Alpine views and a centuries-old woodworking legacy, is best known for its once-in-a-decade Passion Play , now canceled for 2020. But its other charms can still be enjoyed from home, including a webcam feed of its adrenaline-spiking Kolbensattel Alpine Coaster.

43) Plymouth, England

The year 2020 marks the 400th anniversary of the Mayflower’s journey from Plymouth to the New World. And while the southwestern English city has had to cancel many of its commemorative events, the Mayflower Trail App , which is meant to turn your phone into a mobile tour guide while on the ground, offers an excellent window into history from home, as well.

44) Atlantic Forest, Brazil

The breathtaking biome that is Brazil’s Atlantic Forest is ground zero for global conservation efforts, and for good reason: one of Earth’s richest and most diverse ecosystems, it’s home to a stunning variety of wildlife. The Rainforest Trust has captured footage of 11 of its most elusive mammals , including the southeastern common opossum and the capybara — the largest rodent in the world.

45) Belle-Île, France

On Brittany’s “beautiful isle,” there are grottoes, jagged cliffs and colorful rock formations, making the Tour de Belle-Île, its annual yacht race, particularly thrilling. The next Tour de Belle-Île will be held in May 2021, but you can enjoy footage of the 2019 contest now. Belle-Île was also beloved by Claude Monet; his Belle-Île collection , rife with daydream blues and moody shadows, can be enjoyed on Wikimedia Commons.

46) Val D’Aran, Spain

Val D’Aran is at its finest in the snow, when its magnificent slopes and valleys become a pristine escape for those armed with skis and snowboards. See for yourself via this webcam of the ski resort Baqueira/Beret. But this Catalonian valley is also thrilling on two wheels and in warm weather; take an armchair ride through its cycling routes to see why.

47) Mongolia

Google came to Mongolia in 2014, intent on opening up the proud nomadic culture and rugged, dramatic vistas of this Asian country to the world. Today, those riches are online and waiting to be explored. The National Museum of Mongolia can now be visited via the Google Cultural Institute; Google Street View has also captured many of its sites in stunning 3-D.

48) Juliana Trail, Slovenia

Slovenia, a pint-size nation of quaint villages, green rivers and gorgeous glacial lakes, is a wonderland for trekkers and adventurers. To get a taste of i ts new 166-mile hiking loop, you can explore the virtual reality zip-line up Mount Triglav , the highest peak along the Juliana Trail, and also savor views from its summit.

49) Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Ethiopia’s colorful and chaotic capital has a thriving food scene and a gleaming new international airport. Until you can visit in person, watch the traditional Ethiopian dancer Melaku Belay move rhythmically through the city; join YouTube food vlogger Mark Wiens as he eats his way through Addis’s street food stalls, and then cook a feast yourself with help from the Ethiopian Swedish celebrity chef Marcus Samuelsson.

50) Transylvanian Alps, Romania

Just looking at the multitude of hairpin turns along the Transfagarasan , a paved mountain road loop-de-looping over the Transylvanian Alps in Romania, is enough to give you butterflies. But thanks to Google Street View, you can up the adrenaline from home, navigating them yourself with nothing more than a few clicks of the mouse. After your stomach calms, enjoy 360 panoramic views of Domogled-Valea Cernei National Park, then savor this meditative drone footage from above the Faragas Mountains.

51) Urbino, Italy

The year 2020 marks 500 years since the death of Raphael, the great Renaissance painter who was Urbino’s favorite son. Take a virtual tour of the major Raphael show at the Scuderie del Quirinale in Rome marking that anniversary. Much of the important ideas of the Italian Renaissance were hatched from within the studiolo (study) of Duke Federico III da Montefeltro, who served as Lord of Urbino in the 15th century, and you can also drop into its hallowed hallways, which sit within Urbino’s imposing, magnificent Ducal Palace.

52) Glacier National Park and Whitefish, Montana

Part of Montana’s Rocky Mountains, Glacier National Park is an American treasure under threat from climate change. The park is currently closed, but thanks to both Google Earth and Smithsonian Magazine, its more than one million acres, dotted with over 100 lakes, are still open for online exploration. Want more? Meditate on some of the park’s most captivating views, which can be seen here.

Follow New York Times Travel on Instagram , Twitter and Facebook . And sign up for our weekly Travel Dispatch newsletter to receive expert tips on traveling smarter and inspiration for your next vacation.

Explore Our Style Coverage

The latest in fashion, trends, love and more..

Scam Calls and Messages:  Digital life is cluttered with bogus text messages, spam calls and phishing attempts. You can try to block, encrypt and unsubscribe your way out of it , but you may not succeed.

A Celebrity Editor’s Store:  Shoe horns, lampshades and CBD-infused elixirs are among the goods Graydon Carter is selling  at a new newsstand-style shop in New York.

What Is a Magazine Now?:  Highsnobiety is a store, a website, a production agency and a clothing line . Oh, and Pamela Anderson is on the latest cover.

Collectible Italian Ceramics:  Buon Ricordo plates were introduced 60 years ago at restaurants in Italy. The hand-painted ceramics can now be found  at design trade shows and fancy décor stores.

Gossip From a Tiny Island:  Rusty Foster could never live in New York. But his hit newsletter, Today in Tabs, is an enduring obsession  of the city’s media class.

French Olympics Opening Outfits:  Carine Roitfeld teamed up with Berluti to sprinkle some fashion fairy dust on the designs . Here’s the verdict.

Advertisement

15 Breathtaking Virtual Tours Of Nature You Can Take From Your Couch

While we’re all being told to avoid all non-essential travel, that doesn’t mean that you can’t see the world. These excellent virtual tours of natural sites can be a fun distraction.

Travelling via laptop is the closest many of us are going to get to the great outdoors during a lockdown. But, even though health authorities recommend that we all avoid non-essential travel, these virtual tours of natural sites can be a joyful distraction, or even worth bookmarking for a future trip. 

Virtual reality vacations have really taken off in recent times, especially since so many of us are stuck inside. It’s the perfect way to escape from reality while you also explore the world. There are lots of natural places you can tour virtually ; all you need is a screen and an internet connection. 

15 Virtual Tours Of Natural Sites You Can Take From Your Home

Marvel at the stunning waterfalls at yosemite national park, usa.

Get Up Close And Personal With The Himalayas At The Everest Base Camp, Nepal

Watch An Incredible Display Of The Northern Lights, Canada

View this post on Instagram Days are getting longer and the odds of seeing aurora up here and getting smaller. Late August and into September is when we start seeing good shows again. ?: @alexdevriesphotography #explorecanada #nightimages #nightshooters #auroraseason2020 #discoverchurchill #auroraborealisnotifications #amazing_longexpo #longexpoelite #worldaurora #ShareYourWeather #universetoday #exploremb #travel #travelpics #northernlights #northernlightsphotos #bestnatureshot #fiftyshadesofnature #ipulledoverforthis #nature_brilliance #sharecangeo #natgeotravel #natgeoyourshot #canadiancreatives #churchill #imagesofcanada #alexdevriesphotography A post shared by Discover Churchill (@discover_churchill) on May 3, 2020 at 8:23am PDT

Canada’s Churchill hosts one of the best northern lights viewing spots; its northern latitude and almost zero light pollution are perfect for viewing the Aurora Borealis. Even if you can’t get there at the moment, a live cam has been set up so that everyone can take a virtual tour of this natural site and enjoy this dazzling show of lights from the comfort of their own homes.

See The Stunning Views From The Top Of Uluru, Australia

Explore The Diverse Landscapes On The Slopes Of Mt Kilimanjaro, Tanzania

Feel As If You’re Next To The Stunning Lakes At Glacier National Park, USA

Walk Along The Waters At Hancock Gorge, Australia

View this post on Instagram "This has to be one of the best walks we have ever done, we started walking through Hancock Gorge wading through waist deep water, then we spider walked to reach Kermits Pool. The rock formations looked out of this world!" ? @alexcable28 #GoPro #SeeAustralia #GoProANZ A post shared by GoPro (@goproanz) on Dec 10, 2017 at 12:34pm PST

Tucked away in Western Australia’s Karijini National Park, this gorgeous place can be visited virtually from anywhere in the world. You can walk along the edges of this popular swimming hole (and maybe even dip your feet in a cold bucket of water to set the scene) and see its calm waters for yourself. 

“Trek” Along The Iconic Inca Trail, Peru

Float Along The Flowing Colorado River, USA

Explore The Many Stunning Caves At Carlsbad Caverns, USA

View this post on Instagram THE GREATEST ARTIST It has to be Mother Nature herself! Caves like those in @CarlsbadCavernsNPS are time capsules, examples of thousands and thousands of years of untouched organic artistry. And as long as these took to form, human impact can destroy them in a moment – visit responsibly and extra cautiously! Photo by @jonathan_irish #radparks #findyourpark A post shared by Parks Project (@parksproject) on Aug 4, 2019 at 1:00pm PDT

Carlsbad Caverns National Park has over 119 caves which will be all yours to explore on this virtual tour . Don’t miss The Big Room, which is the largest single cave chamber in North America. Now you can travel here from the comfort of your couch on this virtual tour. 

Visit The Umoona Opal Mine & Museum, Australia

View this post on Instagram We live in a wild environment. #cooberpedy #outbackaustralia #opalmine A post shared by Umoona Opal Mine (@umoonaopal) on Jan 22, 2020 at 8:49pm PST

Plunge deep underground and walk around this stunning opal mine in the heart of Coober Pedy, South Australia. In a rustic underground dugout, you’ll find rooms full of artefacts and historic equipment. The only thing you won’t be able to get for yourself on this virtual tour is a souvenir.

Check Out The Spectacularly Steep-Sided Grand Canyon, USA

View The Snowy Top Of Mt Elbrus, Russia

See The Magnificent Tropical Oasis That Is Fortescue Falls, Australia

View this post on Instagram ▪️Karijini Nationalpark, Fortescue Falls▪️ Such a lovely waterfall eventhough there was not so much water coming down cause the dry season. Tell me your opinion! ? Shot with my Nikon D5100 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ #explore_australia #australia #wa #karijininationalpark #karijini #nationalpark #fortescuefalls #waterfall #nature #photography #photo #travel #moodygrams #wanderlust #travelandleisure #ig_color #igshotz A post shared by » ᴍᴀʀᴛɪɴ ᴄsöᴋöʀ « (@martincsoekoer) on Apr 14, 2020 at 11:21am PDT

This gorgeous waterfall is located in Western Australia’s Karijini National Park. The park’s only permanent waterfall, it is a tropical oasis in the middle of the remote and unforgiving desert-like Pilbara Region. Place yourself in the breathtaking scenery that is the virtual tour of these pristine falls.

Enjoy The Splendid And Colourful Great Barrier Reef

Which Of These Virtual Tours Are For You?

So maybe you can’t go out and experience the great outdoors right now, but virtual nature sure comes a close second. There are tons of virtual tours of natural sites that you can take while you’re stuck indoors. These tours instantly place you into a realistic world of far-flung, exotic locales, allowing you to intimately explore the minute details of destinations that are otherwise off-limits. So, which one are you going to choose?

• National Parks
• Natural Wonders
• Virtual Tours

RELATED ARTICLES

12 most venomous and dangerous snakes in the world, 18 rare flowers in the world and what makes them so, 12 best ngos in bangalore for helping the needy, 8 scenic routes to travel by vistadome trains in india, 8 popular christmas carols to put you in the festive spirit, 17 best christmas movies to binge-watch this holiday season, mythological book recommendations for avid readers, check out the world’s most unique bookstores.

It’s an amazing article in support of all the web visitors; they will take benefit from it I am sure.

It’s actually a cool and helpful piece of information. I am happy that you simply shared this useful info with us. Please keep us informed like this. Thanks for sharing.

LEAVE A REPLY Cancel reply

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

• GTA 5 Cheats
• Print on a Chromebook
• Nothing Phone 2 Review
• Best YouTube TV Alternatives
• Asus ROG Ally vs. Steam Deck
• Gameshare on Nintendo Switch

Digital Trends may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site. Why trust us?

Best virtual tours that you can take without leaving home

Need to get out of the house and go on vacation, but finances, health, or other circumstances have you staying at home? Virtual tours are the next best thing. They allow you to travel to exotic locations, including space, without ever leaving home. Here are some of the best ways to take a staycation getaway using virtual tours.

Best virtual tour app for Android

Best virtual tour app for iphone, best virtual tours online, best virtual space tours, best virtual tours of us national parks, best way to take a random tour, best global virtual tour, best zoo virtual tours, best aquarium virtual tours, best fine art virtual tours, best history museum virtual tours, best virtual nature walks.

The Seven Wonders app allows you to travel to the seven wonders of the world from your phone. The app supports the use of Google Cardboard but you don’t have to use it. You can just hold your phone up to your face — as you move the phone, you’ll see a 360-degree view of whatever location you’re visiting.

• People are returning the Vision Pro. Here are the best alternatives you can buy now
• Apple’s XR headset could get one of the Mac’s best features
• ‘Metaversities’ let you attend digital twins of real-world college campuses in VR

With the Sites in VR app, you can take tours around the world using a virtual reality headset or just your phone or iPad. You can choose from cities or countries to visit, or you can go inside famous landmarks, like the pyramids. There are even space panoramas for a little out-of-this-world entertainment.

AirPano is a free site that allows you to wander beautiful locations all over the world. The best features of these virtual tours are choosing to take a helicopter view over the landscape or a walking trail through the area. The site also has articles about the location you are visiting and allows visitors to leave comments. If you really like a tour, you can choose to buy it as a download.

Sometimes you just want to leave this planet behind. That’s where virtual space tours come in handy. The Exoplanet Travel Bureau , powered by NASA, is here for you. You can choose an exoplanet and travel around its alien surface. Of course, the planets are artist renderings, since we haven’t actually traveled there yet, but they’re fascinating just the same. NASA at Home has many more space-themed virtual and augmented reality tours, too.

The Hidden Worlds of the National Parks is a Google project that lets you explore five different U.S. parks, including Florida’s Dry Tortugas, Hawaiian volcanoes, the Kenai Fjords in Alaska, New Mexico’s Carlsbad Caverns, and Utah’s Bryce Canyon. Each tour starts with a little history lesson about the area, and then you can dive into the 360-degree landscape. There are also audio tour guides that help you along your journey, explaining what you’re looking at and a little of its history.

Sometimes you don’t know where you want to go, and that’s OK. The Random Street View generator (powered by Google Maps ) is the answer. It will take you on a virtual stroll down a random street somewhere in the world. Be careful, though. Exploring random locations is a bit addicting. One minute you may be virtually walking down a highway in Michigan, and then with a click, you could be in an alleyway in Romania. The best part is that you get to see places that other virtual tour sites and apps don’t offer.

With Google Earth , you can go anywhere on our planet, from your hometown to the other side of the earth. You can use the website to take your journey, or use the app together with VR equipment to enhance your experience. Other than the awesome street views and ability to travel just about anywhere, you can also enhance Google Earth with your own videos and photos of places you have been in person.

If you’re an animal lover, there are many great virtual zoo exhibits that you can visit from your home. The San Diego Live Cams , for example, let you watch live footage of a wide range of animals, from baboons to penguins. Some other great animal cams can be found at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo & Conservation Biology Institute , The Houston Zoo , and EarthCam .

There are plenty of ways to visit our fishy friends, too. The Monterey Bay Aquarium, The Georgia Aquarium, and The National Aquarium all have fantastic live webcams that allow you to watch sharks, jellyfish, stingrays, and much more.

When it comes to fine art, it’s hard to do better than a virtual tour of the Louvre . The website has a variety of tours you can take throughout the gallery, including The Galerie d’Apollon, Louvre’s Petite Galerie, and the east side of the Sully wing. When you’re finished at the Louvre, check out the virtual tours of the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art in South Korea , the Musée d’Orsay in Paris , and the Museu de Arte de São Paulo in Brazil .

There are also virtual tours that can take you back in time, sort of. You can see amazing exhibits of curiosities from the past, like dinosaurs, Egyptian relics, Stone Age tools, and more at The Natural History Museum in London ,  The Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History , and The British Museum .

Longing for a walk in the woods or a tour through habitats that rarely see a human? No problem. There are plenty of virtual tours to satisfy you. Conservation International, for example, has a 360-degree tour through the Amazon that is narrated by an indigenous guide. Other virtual hikes you might enjoy include a trip through the redwoods at Muir Woods National Park , a stroll through the Upper Newport Bay Nature Preserve, and a tour of New Zealand’s Great Walks .

Editors' Recommendations

• The best VR headsets for PC you can buy right now
• You really do not want to forget your Vision Pro passcode
• If iOS 17 is a letdown, you can blame this one Apple device
• New mini-LED VR headset to ‘take clarity to another level’
• You can now high-five in VR
• Virtual Reality

As rival Apple is rumored to be eyeing an entrance into the metaverse, Microsoft, an early proponent of mixed and augmented reality applications, is criticized for its blurry vision behind the company's own HoloLens strategy. While HoloLens notched big early wins, including scoring a U.S. Department of Defense contract, subsequent delays, project cancellations, and high-profile executive departures may have resulted in the death of the HoloLens 3. Still, despite a scathing profile by Business Insider, it appears that Microsoft remains, at least publicly, committed to its HoloLens endeavors for now. The company has gone on record to refute the publication's reporting that HoloLens 3 has been killed.

There are a number of factors that may be causing Microsoft to pivot from its early bet on HoloLens, but the Microsoft profile cited internal divisions and the lack of a unified strategy among the top reasons for concern. As a result of the chaos, it appears that the largest collateral damage to Microsoft's infighting is the cancellation of its next-generation HoloLens 3 hardware.

Actronika, a startup company known for its HD haptics technology has a futuristic new product. Expected to be on display at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in January 2022 is Skinetic, a haptic vest that should make virtual reality experiences feel a lot more realistic.

Skinetic works much as you'd expect. The wearable vest makes VR feel more immersive by bringing life-like sensations and touch-like experiences to areas of the body like the chest when paired with a compatible headset. As reported by Business Wire, the technology "works with 20 patented vibrotactile voice-coil motors, capable of generating a wide range of vibrations that cover 100% of human vibrotactile perception."

It seems that virtual reality may be about to become even more real than ever before -- all thanks to a new VR headset. Pimax, a company that manufactures VR equipment, announced the upcoming release of a new 12K QLED VR headset that will feature technologies such as eye tracking, full-body tracking, and refresh rates of up to 200Hz. The headset, dubbed Pimax Reality 12K QLED, is part of the company's venture into the metaverse and a step toward bringing true realism to using VR.

During today's Pimax Frontier event, the company's representatives talked at length about the goals behind the product -- naturalness, self-awareness, and freedom. Pimax wants to bring these qualities into virtual reality and the metaverse, allowing people from all over the world to interact and explore virtual worlds together. While VR technology already allows for some of that to happen, Pimax wants to take it to the next level with its new invention -- the Reality 12K QLED VR headset.

• Search Please fill out this field.
• Manage Your Subscription
• Give a Gift Subscription
• Sweepstakes

Take a Glow-in-the-dark Tour of an Australian Forest, Enjoy Teatime in Japan, and More With This New Virtual Travel Company

Beeyonder offers more than 350 virtual travel experiences in nearly 50 countries.

Jessica Poitevien is an international storyteller and regular contributor to Travel + Leisure.

The idea of connecting with people and places online is nothing new, but virtual experiences have undeniably gained a higher level of popularity since the pandemic forced almost everyone around the world to stay home. Familiar companies like Amazon and Airbnb began offering online tours, classes, and other digital travel experiences, but new names also sprung from the hardships over the past year.

Beeyonder is one of them.

Launched in December 2020, Beeyonder brings people on virtual adventures around the world, exploring nearly 50 countries, plus Antarctica. And though the company was established in the midst of the pandemic, its inspiration and purpose stems from its founder's experience as a bilateral amputee.

"While being a bilateral amputee doesn't prevent me from traveling, I do have joint issues that prevent me from walking long distances without a significant amount of pain," Beeyonder founder Brittany Palmer told Travel + Leisure . "I thought how wonderful it would be to be able to see things I may never get to see in person through virtual experiences."

She also thought of her husband, who suffered a ruptured brain aneurysm in 2013 and spent weeks in the hospital and several months at home in recovery.

"Based on [those] experiences, I started looking into how many people in the U.S. have disabilities and other conditions that prevent or inhibit travel, and found that there are [more than] 40 million people in that category — limited mobility, hospital/homebound, those who have degenerative diseases, agoraphobia, a fear of flying, those on parole," Palmer explained. "I wanted to provide the ultimate equal access to travel."

With that, Beeyonder was born. Now, anyone can sign up for the company's 350 virtual experiences, which include glow-in-the-dark tours of an Australian forest to see biofluorescent and bioluminescent wildlife, fungi, and leaves; a dive into the world of the Vikings in Norway; and teatime in Japan. Beeyonder offers both private and group options, each led by a qualified guide. The experiences are also interactive, so guests will be able to speak with their guides and ask questions.

According to Palmer, the response from customers has been overwhelmingly positive.

"We've had families from across the country, a rehabilitation center for adults suffering from brain injuries, a nonprofit working with adults and kids with developmental disabilities, and many more, all of whom have had wonderful experiences," she said.

And although countries are reopening their borders and travel is picking up again, Palmer believes that virtual experiences are here to stay .

"Based on surveys we've conducted, most people plan to continue to do virtual tours, even after the pandemic subsides. There are millions of people in the U.S. alone that have disabilities that prevent or inhibit travel. They will still need virtual tours to see the world."

Jessica Poitevien is a Travel + Leisure contributor currently based in South Florida, but she's always on the lookout for her next adventure. Besides traveling, she loves baking, talking to strangers, and taking long walks on the beach. Follow her adventures on Instagram .

10 of the Best Virtual Reality Travel Experiences

  With the time and expense required to travel being prohibitive to many, there are alternative ways of indulging your wanderlust – including via the burgeoning world of Virtual Reality.

(Photo: Cubicle Ninjas)

There are a huge number of VR companies all vying to create ever more unique experiences for consumers – and one of the biggest growth categories has been travel. And what better time to get a taste of exploration and adventure from the comfort of your living room, equipped only with a VR headset, than now, when travel is a luxury that many just can’t stretch to? We’ve picked out 10 of the best virtual reality travel experiences currently on the market.

So which VR headset should you go for? Our favourite is the Meta Quest 3, which launched onto the market in mid-2023 and is the successor to the Meta Quest 2. For immersive games and travel experiences, we believe the Meta Quest 3 is destined to become the leading VR headset over the coming years. It’s pretty affordable, too, and unlike other headsets, doesn’t require cords or a computer. You can purchase the Meta Quest 3 at Amazon.com.

Guided Meditation VR

Developed by Cubicle Ninjas, Guided Meditation VR is designed to bring peace, joy, and calm back into your daily life by teaching you ancient meditation practices in a cutting-edge way. It features over 40 lush environments to escape the everyday, 30-plus hours of guided meditations on anxiety, depression, maternity, resilience, sleep and zen, and hundreds of hours of calming musical audio tracks to help enhance your meditation experience. Users can also customise their sessions to their own specific preferences and needs, including the option to switch into Motion mode and gently float through beautiful vistas like you would on a lazy river, leaving the worries of your life behind before returning calmer and stronger.

PRICE £10.99 HEADSETS Meta Quest 3

Be anywhere in the world with anyone, instantly, in this captivating game developed by Wooorld Inc. Visit hundreds of cities, architectural landmarks, natural wonders, and vacation spots in incredible 3D detail, and get tips about the best places to visit, the hidden gems, where to get the best food and all the tourist traps to avoid. You can also create your own 3D avatars with face and body tracking and test your worldly knowledge by guessing where you are after being teleported to 5 random locations, with only the landscape, flora, architecture, and road signs for clues. The game can played as collaboratively as you wish, with options to explore the world with friends and meet new people, or hop into a Solo World without any distractions.

PRICE Free HEADSETS Meta Quest 3

(Photo: Wooorld Inc.)

Blueplanet VR Explore

(Photo: Blueplanet VR Explore)

Highlighting sacred and fragile locations of natural beauty and cultural heritage, Blueplanet VR Explore  is a collection of remarkable places across the world. With freedom to move around and explore, the virtual reality experiences are captured in volumetric 3D with great detail and accuracy. The scenes look and feel like these places do in real life, and enable you to freely move around to enjoy and explore these remarkable, fragile, and priceless environments. Concern for the environment often comes from direct experience, and being as close as we can get to experiencing a sense of actually being there, Blueplanet can help encourage people to appreciate and protect these treasures.

PRICE £18.99 HEADSETS Meta Quest 3

BRINK Traveler

Travel to some of the world’s most amazing natural wonders in fully immersive 3D and feel like you’re really there in this awe-inspiring game by Brink XR. Step into a scene akin to a postcard as you visit a total of 28 (with more on their way) of the most breathtaking places on Earth. In-game highlights include room-scale walkable areas in each destination, a virtual guide and assistant to learn about where you’re visiting, and the chance to shoot photos to share with friends. You can either play the game solo or with friends and family in multiplayer mode.

PRICE £11.99 HEADSETS Meta Quest 3

(Photo: BRINK XR)

National Geographic Explore VR

Created in partnership with National Geographic, a world-leading society in the fields of geography, cartography and exploration, this magical VR experience invites you to discover two of the most iconic locations on Planet Earth. Don your explorer hat and head to Antarctica for an exhilarating expedition. Navigate around icebergs in a kayak, climb a vast ice shelf and survive a snowstorm as you hunt for a lost emperor penguin colony. Visit the ancient Inca citadel of Machu Picchu in Peru and get immersed in amazing digital reconstructions of the legendary site. Witness mummy worships, raise a cup of sacred chicha and encounter cute and furry alpacas as you match Hiram Bingham’s photographs from when he rediscovered the citadel. Be sure to take a camera as your best snaps may even make it into the prestigious National Geographic magazine.

PRICE £7.99 HEADSETS Meta Quest 3

(Photo: Force Field Entertainment B.V)

The Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners

Fans of the hugely popular TV blockbuster The Walking Dead can now join the world of zombies in this new VR adventure. Travel through the ruins of New Orleans as you fight, scavenge, and survive, each day unravelling another mystery lurking within the city’s historic quarters. Encounter desperate factions and lone survivors who could be friend or foe. Whether you help others or take what you want by force, every choice you make has consequences. What kind of survivor will you be for the people of NOLA? Scavenge for anything that you can; weapons, food, tools, and clues. Be wary of the living and the dead, with spatial audio drawing attention to any loud noise. Craft makeshift gear out of scrapped material; blades, guns, medicine, and more. Test your morals and make difficult choices for yourself and others. It’s all here, bringing the small screen to life in a big way.

PRICE £29.99 HEADSETS Meta Quest 3

(Photo: Skydance Interactive)

Narrated by award-winning actress Anna Friel, this trail-blazing VR series opens the door to some of the planet’s wildest environments while redefining the limits of 3D-180 cameras. Meet the humans protecting our most precious wildlife, explore the great savannahs of Kenya, discover the ancient jungles of Borneo and dive into the rich coral reefs of Raja Ampat. Encounter elephants, orangutans, manta rays and some incredible humans, all in stunning cinematic footage filmed from the air and deep into the ocean. The series was produced in partnership with World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF),

(Photo: PHORIA)

The world is your oyster with this interactive, immersive VR experience that’s designed to be played by the whole family. There’s global travel and adventure in which your friends and family can join city tours, hot air balloon rides, back-country road trips, and plenty more. Or you can simply kick back and relax, practice meditation and get back to nature – all in the company of a guide or going solo, if you prefer. Other features include photo sharing, soundtracks, a range of fun games and media customisation.

(Photo: AARP Innovation Labs)

Rome Reborn: The Pantheon

Created by Flyover Zone, an American company specialising in virtual travel applications that present the world’s most important cultural heritage sites and monuments, Rome Reborn is one of five applications that present different areas of ancient Rome. This particular one transports users over the entire ancient city, focussing on the Pantheon, perhaps the best-preserved building from antiquity. In the company of two virtual guides, you’ll get to explore the exterior forecourt and interior sanctuary of the reconstructed complex as you listen and learn about the Pantheon’s design and decoration, as well as the nature of the religious cult once housed within it.

PRICE £3.99 HEADSETS Currently only available on Oculus Rift

(Photo: Flyover Zone Productions)

Monte Fitzroy is Argentina’s most famous mountain landmark and is even used as the logo for outdoor retailer, Patagonia. It is a place that immediately evokes a sense of adventure. At the foot of the mountain is a beautiful and remote glacial lake known as Laguna Sucia. Most people who visit Monte Fitzroy view it from a location that is much easier to access. Laguna Sucia requires a much tougher hard-to-access trail that culminates in one of the most beautiful and remote glacial lakes in existence. You are rewarded with a sense of almost meditative stillness as you approach this untouched natural amphitheatre. This VR experience utilises Pterovision, a 3D technology that integrates computational photography, 360 Video, and gaming and allows you to take off like a bird, fly around the lake, visit the waterfalls along the edge, and fly over glacial formations beneath the mountain peaks. Numerous narrations will tell you about the challenges we faced when filming in this location, as well as educate you about the geology, culture, and history.

PRICE $2.99 HEADSETS Currently only available on Oculus Rift 

(Photo: Specterras Productions)

Gala360 – Travel & Relax

Taking you on awe-inspiring virtual adventures across the globe, Gala360 is the result of the magic touch of an array of exceptionally talented photographers who have captured their globe-trotting trips in all their glory before being rendered into VR form. In professional 6K resolution, more than 300 tours around the world are featured, with some also including narration which allows you to listen to the stories behind the trips. Most of the tours are free, but you can pay a small fee to unlock more.

PRICE Free HEADSETS Currently only available on Oculus Go (soon available on Quest 2)

(Photo: Gala 360)

Latest Articles

• A Short Guide to Berlin Wall Museums and Memorials April 26, 2024
• Campervan Rental in Denver: The Best Companies April 26, 2024
• 5 of the Best Airbnb Management Companies in Paris April 26, 2024
• 5 Charming Hostels in Berlin with Private Rooms April 25, 2024
• Top 5 Brands for Polarized Sunglasses, for Men and Women April 25, 2024

• Get One: Tornado Alert Apps
• The Best Tech Gifts Under $100

The 19 Best Free Virtual Field Trips of 2024

Stuck at home? Travel virtually all over the world instead (but seriously, check out the Son Doong Cave)

• California Polytechnic State University at San Luis Obispo
• The Ultimate Guide to Shopping Online
• The Ultimate Guide to Online Learning at Home
• The Ultimate Guide to Skype

When you can't get away, your kids still can by taking a virtual field trip to a museum, farm, zoo, or another fun location. We compiled our list of favorites to help you keep your kids engaged and entertained. Some of these are virtual tours (you can actively decide where to go on the tour) and others are video walkthroughs (just watch and learn), but all give you a great experience of the location.

Best Art-Centric Virtual Tour: The Met

A glimpse at some of the greatest works of art created.

Online exhibits on various topics.

There's only one view of the museum currently available.

The Metropolitan Museum of Art is home to over 5,000 years of art from around the world. You can see some of it from the comfort of your home. Take a virtual stroll through part of the museum using Google Street View. There are also numerous online exhibits on topics like Coco Chanel, Vermeer, Catholic allegory in art, and more.

Best Tour of Space: NASA

The volume of space videos.

The approachable aspect of the videos.

So much more to see on the site.

It's not easily searchable unless you know what you're looking for.

This might be cheating a bit because it's really a collection of videos, but, oh boy, what a collection to tour! The Galleries open up an array of videos covering space topics from testing a parachute for Mars to moving water in space. Each video is a mini virtual tour that will awe kids and encourage interest in science and space.

Best Tour of the White House: Google Arts & Culture's The White House

Stunning 360-degree images.

See inside and outside the White House.

Offers views of 140 paintings.

Once inside a tour, it's hard to know what you're looking at.

No search functions.

Every President since John Adams has occupied the White House and now your children can visit it, too. Google Arts & Culture offers four museum views (three tours of The White House and one of the Eisenhower Executive Office Building) plus a look at more than 140 paintings that grace (or have graced) the walls of the country's most famous abode. The 360-degree images let kids explore to their heart's desire.

Best Cave Virtual Tour: Son Doong Cave

Son Doong is beautiful.

The virtual tour includes lots of information.

Zoom into areas for a more detailed look.

No supplemental online activities.

Son Doong is the world's largest natural cave. Located in Vietnam, it features a subterranean river and the largest cross-section of any cave worldwide. National Geographic's virtual tour lets you explore the cave with full 360-degree views and immersive sounds. You can even zoom in one area to check out the campers in their tents. Son Doong is beautiful and worth a virtual visit.

Best National Park Virtual Tour: Yellowstone

Offers multiple tours.

Lots of historical information.

Amazing images.

No video tours.

Lots of written information that can turn off some kids.

Yellowstone offers seven virtual tours appropriate for older elementary and middle school ages. There's a lot of written information along with the images, and the tours aren't in video. However, the information is fascinating, and the photos are stunning.

From learning about old Fort Yellowstone to discovering park anomalies like Mud Volcano, these tours are a great way for kids to discover unique facts about America.

Best Natural History Tour: Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History

So many exhibits to see!

Easy, clickable maps.

Quick and easy to navigate.

It's not always easy to read the signs in the exhibits.

This iconic museum is dedicated to understanding the natural world and humanity's place in it. There's so much to see it can't possibly be listed here. However, the museum offers an online tour of most of its exhibits. Split this tour up into multiple lessons, so kids don't get overwhelmed.

Skip the ground floor and go straight to the first or second floors.

Best Aquarium Virtual Tour: National Aquarium

Easy to find exhibits.

Fun to explore using the 360-degree options.

Some scenes spin quickly, which can frustrate young learners.

Baltimore's National Aquarium features more than 20,000 aquatic animals. Kids can click and drag images to navigate their way around and use arrows, the map, or a scene list to explore various exhibits. Explore eight areas, such as the Amazon River, a tropical rain forest, and jellyfish.

Best Tours of the World: AirPano

Bright, well-produced videos and images.

Offers tours of numerous countries.

Includes video and still frame-images.

What's not to like?

AirPano has a variety of tours in China, Portugal, Switzerland, and more countries. Children can visit the Zhangjiajie Glass Bridge in China, an underwater cave in Indonesia, ski resorts in France, and more destinations around the globe.

What makes this site so good is that it offers narrations of several tours, provides closeups through interactive actions, and includes short chunks of written information that's easy for kids of most ages to read. The tours are also fairly short, which makes these tours great for younger kids, but older kids will still enjoy the trip.

Best Virtual Tour for Car Lovers: Lane Motor Museum

Totally unique tour.

An inside look that allows for deep diving into collections.

There's no way to tell what a specific vehicle is unless you know cars.

Scroll to the bottom of the link to watch a fun virtual tour of one of the most unique car museums in the world. Lane Motor Museum is home to an oddball collection of vehicles dating from the 1920s up to modern times.

Your child will love seeing amphibious vehicles, microcars, prototypes, and more. The tour is easy to click through and offers six angles to entertain viewers.

Best Tours of Nature: Nature Works Everywhere

Tours are narrated and easy to follow.

Provides student handouts, vocabulary, and discussion questions.

We wish there was a larger library of tours!

Explore nature around the world with Nature Works Everywhere's virtual tours. Visit the coral reefs of Palau, the deserts and grasslands of Africa, a rainforest (from a canoe's viewpoint), a renewable energy plant, and more.

The tours are narrated and give great, quick facts to help kids learn in simple, straightforward ways. All tours are appropriate for grades 3 through 12 but are marked with notes about the grades most likely to enjoy the tour.

Best Historical Tour: Ellis Island

A clear explanation of Ellis Island, how it worked, and why it was needed.

Includes children asking questions of tour guides.

The images in much of the tour are small in order to focus on the tour guides.

Ellis Island is a key piece of American history. This virtual tour offers lots of anecdotes and features actual guides from Ellis Island telling stories. Plus, it includes lots of pictures and views of the island.

It's more appropriate for fourth grade and up, mainly due to the litany of facts and complexity of the information provided.

Best Slime-Based Virtual Tour: Slime in Space

Nickelodeon

It's playful and educational.

Good production values.

Fun experiments.

It's a video, not an interactive virtual tour.

What happens to Nickelodeon's iconic slime when it's in space? That's the concept behind the Slime in Space virtual field trip. Featuring real astronauts and Nickelodeon celebrities, the 15-minute video shows kids how slime and water react in a microgravity environment 250 miles above the Earth. Along the way, it answers burning questions like, "Is slime a solid or a liquid?" and "Can you slime a person in space?" (The answer is: yes, very slowly.)

Best Virtual Zoo Tour: San Diego Zoo

Live cams of the animals.

A variety of educational videos.

Fun games and activities.

Fixed camera angles mean you're not always guaranteed to see the animals.

The San Diego Zoo is home to more than 3,500 animals of more than 650 species and subspecies. It's widely considered one of the best zoos in the world. But, if you can't make it to California, it has a robust virtual experience online.

You can peek in on the animals through live cams. There's also a variety of videos that teach kids about vultures or show them how to draw a tiger, for example. There are also zoo-related games and activities kids can do at home.

Best General Farm Tour: FarmFood 360

360-degree views of the farm.

Offers a free app for Android and iOS.

It can be hard to see things on a mobile device.

FarmFood 360 gives an inside look at the activities of a Canadian farm. Kids see 360-degree views of the farm as they learn about milk and cheese production, sheep farming, egg processing, and more.

There's an app available for Android and iOS devices, and it's compatible with some virtual reality headsets.

Best Virtual Planetarium: Stellarium

Realistic night sky simulation.

Mobile apps are available.

Includes a telescope control module for experienced astronomers.

Can be difficult to navigate.

The mobile apps aren't free, but the money supports the project.

Stellarium Web is an online planetarium created by two brothers. Offering an accurate and realistic view of the night sky, it lets you pan around and spot stars, satellites, and other celestial bodies.

It offers mobile apps for Android and iOS that aren't free. The money goes toward paying server and development costs for the two-person project.

Best Living-History Virtual Tour: Colonial Williamsburg

Next best thing to being there.

The virtual scavenger hunt.

The virtual tours are highly interactive.

Virtual tour models can load slowly.

Condensation or inclement weather can obstruct the webcam views.

Colonial Williamsburg is a living-history museum in Virginia that offers a glimpse at what life was like in the 18th century. Its virtual tour is highly interactive and includes videos, informational signs, and 3D models you can rotate.

With its various webcams, you can see the armory, courthouse, merchants square, and more. Colonial Williamsburg's website also offers a virtual scavenger hunt your kids can participate in as they tour the area.

Best European Museum Virtual Tour: The Louvre

It's the Louvre.

The website offers a list of online family-friendly activities.

The virtual tours include a map and an information button.

The website offers limited language options.

Sure, we'd love to jet off to France and tour its fabulous museums personally. But if that's not an option, the Louvre has several virtual tours available on its website. The offerings include exhibitions on the body in movement, founding myths, Egyptian antiquities, and more.

The Louvre also has a handy list of family-friendly online resources everyone can enjoy, including a Mona Lisa VR experience.

Best Factory Virtual Tour: M&M Factory Tour

Zoonar RF / Getty Images

Who doesn't love chocolate?

360-degree views of the factory.

It's short.

The Food Network teamed up with candy maker Mars to give M&M fans a virtual tour of one of its factories. During the short YouTube video, viewers can pan around as a tour guide explains how unrefined chocolate is turned into the little candies we know and love.

Best General Virtual Tour Resource: Discovery Education

An eclectic variety of virtual field trips.

Watch live or on demand.

Trips come with a companion guide packed with activities.

A schedule of when field trips go live would be nice.

Discovery Education offers a variety of virtual field trips for kids learning from home. The offerings change often but currently include an NFL experience, a doodling experience meant to encourage creativity, and a virtual field trip through the internet of things. You can watch the field trips live or catch the videos later on-demand.

Get the Latest Tech News Delivered Every Day

• The 20 Best Free Learning Websites for Kids in 2024
• The 10 Best Apartment Websites of 2024
• The 8 Best Camera Apps for iPhone and Android in 2024
• 7 Great Virtual Reality Travel Experiences
• 19 Best Free Cloud Storage Services for Backup in 2024
• The 10 Best Free Online Classes for Adults in 2024
• The Best VR Apps for the iPhone in 2024
• The 6 Best Kid Coloring Apps of 2024
• The 12 Best News Podcasts of 2024
• 14 Safe Podcasts for Kids and Schools in 2024
• The 8 Best Free VR Games of 2024
• The 22 Best Chrome Extensions for Chromebooks in 2024
• The 16 Best Roku Channels of 2024
• 11 Best Free Movie Download Sites for 2024
• The 5 Best Housing Apps of 2024
• The 8 Best Learning Apps of 2024

Top Virtual Travel Sites – See the World Online

Riley’s Contributors share some of the best places to visit online when the hankering for some virtual travel takes a hold. We hope you’ enjoy our list of these top virtual travel sites.

Just because we may be spending a lot more time at home over these days, doesn’t mean we can’t still see the world from the comfort of our living rooms.

Thanks to the magic of technology, there are a variety of ways we can travel to our favourite museums, listen to our favourite musicians, or even visit our favourite landmarks with just the click of a button.

To help you get the most out of your ‘stay-at-home time’, we’ve put together our very own list of a few of our favourite places to enjoy some virtual travel. We hope you’ll join us and enjoy Riley’s recommendations of the best place to visit online through these top virtual travel sites.

Journey Along Canada’s Rideau Canal

Take a trip down the Rideau Canal, including a stop in Canada’s capital city of Ottawa . Thanks to television station TVO you can now enjoy a remarkable four-hour journey in real time along Ontario’s magnificent Rideau Canal, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and North America’s oldest continuously operating canal system. Visit www.trippingtherideaucanal.ca/ to watch this fascinating show.

Go on a Safari!

Lions, tigers, and… spiders – oh my! Join WildEarth , an award winning broadcaster focused on connecting people with nature on various live wildlife TV shows, broadcasts, and encounters. Go on a live safari as they search for critters of the South African bushveld. Twice a day, expert guides take you on a virtual safari experience. Interact with your guide by asking questions through the comments section at https://wildearth.tv/safarilive/ .

Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park

Take a ranger-led tour and witness stunning images of the rippling black rock formations and the still-fiery lava flows that feed them in Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park. You’ll also stand inside a rainforest, go underground to tour a lava tube, and take a helicopter flight over an active volcano – a vantage you’d be hard pressed to find on an actual visit. Check out this incredible virtual travel adventure here .

The Taj Mahal

Tour India’s Taj Mahal, one of the most lavish – and romantic – architectural tributes on earth. This UNESCO World Heritage Site sees up to 8 million visitors a year… and you can now be one of them. Check out this amazing video at www.youtube.com/watch?v=665AHTNpf2o .

Go Diving With National Marine Sanctuaries

Take part in a series of thrilling virtual dives through National Marine Sanctuaries , whether you want to visit the waters around American Samoa (don’t miss Big Momma), the Florida Keys (have a look at the Aquarius Reef Base research centre), or any of several spots in between.

Join a Ranger Tour in Bryce Canyon

The amazing topography of Bryce Canyon in Arizona is a sight to behold. Take a virtual ranger-led tour that takes you into the canyon’s corners and over its swells, accompanied by fascinating behind-the-scenes notes throughout the journey. It’s the next best thing to being there.

Witness the Northern Lights

Experience the wonder that is the Aurea Borealis while staying warm thanks to the Churchill Northern Studies Centre in Manitoba Canada. Watch this spectacular display here .

The Great Wall of China

Even though you can’t physically walk the 3,000 km of the Great Wall of China in person, you can enjoy your own trek with a virtual visit instead. See it here .

Visit the Louvre in Paris

If you have always wanted to see the Mona Lisa up close and personal, why not take the opportunity to check it out online? You can see it and hundreds of other amazing exhibits at the world’s most-popular museum by visiting www.louvre.fr/en/visites-en-ligne and joining one of their excellent on-line tours.

Explore the Mus ée d’Orsay

Also in Paris, take in 278 masterpieces – including a self-portrait by Vincent Van Gogh and É duoard Manet’s legendary nude Olympia – by visiting the Mus ée d’Orsay .  All the pieces seen on-line have extensive descriptions and notations for your perusing pleasure.

The National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC

  View exhibits and more than 42,000 works on display at Washington’s National Gallery of Art. Click here to start your journey .  

Uffizi Galleries in Florence

Take a virtual walk through the Uffizi Gallery in Florence before stopping to admire some of the museum’s most famous inhabitants. During your visit, don’t forget to drag the screen and look up at the beautiful frescoes on the ceiling, painted by Alessandro Allori.

Johannesburg Art Gallery

Browse more than 500 works at Johannesburg Art Gallery , Africa ‘s largest art gallery. The museum houses  works from Dutch and European artists, as well as an array of works from South African artists . For a more historical angle, browse their online exhibit about the role of photography and resistance in the era of Apartheid.

National Portrait Gallery in Washington, DC

The intimate nature of portraiture makes this museum a particularly great option for a home browse . Check it out here .

National Gallery Victoria

More than 75,000 works from the National Gallery Victoria in Melbourne Australia are available online for your enjoyment. In addition to viewing their impressive art collection, they also offer free curator-led virtual exhibition tours , which are added to regularly.

Tate Galleries

On the other side of the pond, the Tate Galleries in the UK are offering downloadable exhibition guides, including for the recently opened Aubrey Beardsley and Andy Warhol exhibitions, and their online collection , featuring nearly 80,000 pieces of art . Check it out at www.tate.org.uk .

British Museum in London

Explore a stunning visual timeline of the world , with an array of annotated objects. Check out the exhibition A History of the World in 100 Objects , a podcast narrated by the Director of the British Museum, Neil MacGregor .

African American History and Culture, Washington, DC

If you’ve ever wanted to visit an extremely popular museum but couldn’t seem to nab tickets, a virtual tour is the next best thing. This virtual tour of Washington’s African American History and Culture Museum can give you a small peak into everything it has to offer.

Smithsonian Museum of Natural History: Washington, DC

Dinosaurs! Snakes in jars! Giant diamonds! The Smithsonian Museum of Natural History is a great option for keeping the grandkids – or the kid in you – busy. Check out the Ocean Hall, The Hall of Mammals, or the Hall of Fossils.

Russia’s State Hermitage Museum: St. Petersburg, Russia

Enjoy a five-hour tour of Russia’s largest museum, the State Hermitage Museum , complete with 45 galleries and nearly 600 masterpieces.

Kusama’s Infinity Mirrors

  If you missed one of the hottest traveling museum exhibits of the past few years enjoy a quick room-by-room rundown of the hypnotic, multi-faceted work of Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama. Check out the amazing Infinity Mirrors here .  

Banksy Murals Around the World

If street art is your jam, why not go on an artistic scavenger hunt without leaving the comfort of your own home? Check out these amazing murals by graffiti artist Banksy .

Street Art tours

Go beyond Banksy and explore the stories behind street art across the world with audio-guided tours and online exhibitions, offered by the Google Cultural Institute. Check out these amazing tours www.google.com/culturalinstitute .

Van Gogh’s Starry Night at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City

  Enjoy a close up look at some of Vincent Van Gogh ’s most famous paintings, including the remarkable Starry Night, at the online home of the Museum of Modern Art in New York City.

The White House: Washington, DC

Want to hang out in the Oval Office? Don’t mind if we do!  By the way, the online exhibit sections of Google Arts & Culture’s offerings are like having your own personal tour guide. Our suggestion: The Virtual Tour of the Eisenhower Executive Office Building will get you acquainted with stunning spaces you’ve only ever seen on TV.

Palace of Versailles: Versailles, France

Explore one of France’s national treasures, the Palace of Versailles , and enjoy its impressive collections of Baroque art, architecture, and so much more. You can even go outside the palace for a spectacular birds-eye-view of the palace grounds .

The Prambanan Temple: Yogyakarta, Indonesia

There’s so much to behold in the iconic Prambanan Temple in Yogyakarta, Indonesia. This famous and intricate Hindu temple complex can be explored virtually as you step up to the spires with the arrow marks and drag your cursor to get a good look at the carvings. A simply breathtaking experience.

The Sistine Chapel: Vatican City

There are a lot of museum collections to explore on the Vatican’s virtual site . But first, go straight to zooming in on all of the detail on the Sistine Chapel . Click here to enjoy this amazing experience.

The Toronto Zoo

Follow the Toronto Zoo on Facebook @TheTorontoZoo and tune in daily at  1pm to experience a live component with their Wildlife Care team. You can also follow them on Instagram and Twitter for updates on how zoo keepers are caring for the Zoo’ s 5 ,000 animals during the closure.

Ripleys Aquarium, Toronto

Ever wanted to be a risk taker and swim with the sharks? Well, now you can thanks to Ripleys Aquarium in Toronto. Tune in to the aquarium’s Facebook page at 1pm on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays to see them feeding the sharks, or check out their shark camera anytime .

The Cincinnati Zoo

Every day while school is out, the Cincinnati Zoo ( home of the famous Fiona the hippo ), will be hosting a Home Safari on their Facebook Live Feed at 3 pm ET. They’ll have up-close animal experiences. Check it out at www.facebook.com/cincinnatizoo/ .

The Shedd Aquarium: Chicago, Illinois

The Shedd Aquarium has already captured hearts with the antics of its resident penguins, which have been filmed roaming the now-empty halls of the aquarium, looking at all of the other exhibits. But animal lovers will want to follow their  Facebook page , too. Here they’re sharing all kinds of behind-the-scenes videos and fun virtual experiences. Visit their website at www.sheddaquarium.org .

The San Diego Zoo

Want to have something fun going on in the background while you’re working, or merely to pass the time? Your favourite zoo probably has live cams so you can check in on all the animals. The San Diego Zoo is a great place to start.

The Georgia Aquarium: Atlanta

The Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta also has live streams worth checking out, too ! Best of all, you can pick what animal you want to watch at your leisure. Here’s a link to one of our favourites, the aquarium’s awesome African penguins: https://www.georgiaaquarium.org/webcam/african-penguin-cam/  

Old-fashioned Cutting Gardens Are Making a Comeback

Green-thumbed gardening enthusiast Andrew Wagner-Chazalon shares these tips for growing the perfect cutting garden

Enjoy Luxury Living in this Muskoka Cottage Compound

his Custom-built Riley Lake cottage compound offers luxurious Living in the heart of beautiful Muskoka, Ontario

 The Ultimate Bespoke Benz: Mercedes-AMG G 63 – G Wagen

Big, boxy, brawny and bespoke: there’s nothing quite like the “G-Wagen” Mercedes-AMG G 63 with its handcrafted AMG engine

Welcome Home! Tips to Help Ontario Birds Settle In This Spring

You can help our feathered friends as they return home. Read these tips on how to help returning Ontario birds in spring

Exotic Luxury Cars On Display at the 2024 Canadian International AutoShow

Start your engines… Bryan Dearsley gets excited about the unique luxury car collections on display at the 2024 Canadian International AutoShow

• Sustainability
• Small Business
• Mastercard launches mobile virtual card app to simplify travel and business expenses

HSBC and Westpac to unlock the convenience, security and efficiency of tap to pay transactions   

Mastercard announced a new mobile virtual card app that enables virtual commercial cards to be seamlessly added to digital wallets. The innovative app is designed to offer financial institutions more choice in how they deliver the secure and sustainable contactless payment solutions that companies increasingly expect.  

For over a decade, Mastercard has pioneered virtual card solutions to simplify tedious expense report and reconciliation processes for employees, contractors, recruits, and consultants who often use personal cards or cash for reimbursable business expenses. As companies navigate changing payment preferences particularly from the entry-level workforce – with over two-thirds of millennials having adopted digital wallets 1 – mobile technology is unlocking the next frontier of convenient contactless payments.   

“Businesses worldwide are seeking fast and secure payment experiences, where payments can be made with just a click or tap, and finance teams can experience automatic reconciliation,” said Chad Wallace, global head of Commercial Solutions, Mastercard. “With today’s launch, we’re providing innovative tech that digitizes business and travel expenses, while also empowering businesses with more control of and visibility into their finances.”  

The app leverages Mastercard’s innovative virtual card and tokenization platforms, enhanced data, and robust spend controls all within one easy-to-use interface. Accessing Mastercard mobile virtual cards is made seamless through the app so users can quickly experience the benefits of tap to pay. Mastercard mobile virtual cards can be used by organizations spanning a range of sizes and industries – including healthcare, insurance, fleet, higher education, and corporate travel.  

Key capabilities and benefits of Mastercard’s mobile virtual card app include:  

• Increased security : The app offers the ability to set up a biometric authentication and an added security measure using a PIN to view card details. Each virtual card is also tokenized, enabling the cardholder’s sensitive data to be replaced by a unique card number so sensitive account details are not exposed.  
• Robust spend controls: Organizations can confidently stay compliant with expense policies using Mastercard’s transaction-level controls, which limit how, where, and when a mobile virtual card can be used. 
• Flexible integrations: Financial institutions can quickly get to market through Mastercard’s user interface or flexible API-based integrations, and offer unique features such as customized card art.  
• Holistic and seamless payment experience: The app provides a single interface to check the status of card balances and view pending and completed transactions, and is bank-agnostic, enabling users to access and manage virtual commercial cards issued by multiple participating financial institutions.  
• Real-time and enhanced data: For each mobile virtual card created, custom data elements are automatically captured and matched to the transaction, providing organizations with increased insights into spending and automatic reconciliation to optimize back-office processes. 

HSBC Australia and Westpac will be the first financial institutions to offer organizations and corporate customers mobile wallet functionality through the Mastercard app.    

“We’re pleased to partner with Mastercard to bring mobile wallet virtual cards to our Australian corporate clients, providing them with a smarter, safer, and faster way to pay,” said John Scott, Head of Global Payments, HSBC Australia. “Mobile wallet usage is growing, with the Asia-Pacific region accounting for over half of the digital payment transactions globally 2 . As contactless payments continue to surge, it’s important that corporate clients have access to best-in-class payment solutions to keep their business secure and take advantage of the increased efficiency offered by the latest technologies. HSBC has a history of delivering innovative digital solutions to our corporate clients, and we’re proud to add to that legacy with the launch of mobile wallet virtual cards in Australia. We plan to launch in other markets later this year.” 

“Westpac is pleased to be one of the first domestic banks in Australia to offer the new Mastercard mobile virtual card app to our corporate and commercial customers in addition to our existing virtual card capabilities. The global payments market is at an inflection point and the mobile wallet solution, combining digital innovation, real time processing and security through robust controls is another way we’re helping our customers,” said Jeff Byrne, Managing Director of Global Transaction Services at Westpac Institutional Bank. 

The app will be available in other key markets for users with a commercial virtual card issued through an organization by a participating financial institution. Once registered for the app with an invitation code, users will find their commercial virtual cards automatically linked and ready to be added to select digital wallets for use across Mastercard’s trusted global network.  

For more information on other ways Mastercard is simplifying commercial payments, click here .  

1 PYMNTS Research: “Mobile Wallet Challenge: Replacing Physical With Digital,” (April 2023)  

2 “Global Mobile Payment Methods 2024 Report” (January 2024)  

Disclaimers:  

Mastercard In Control Pay app and features are available only for eligible virtual card accounts issued by the financial institution. Prepaid Cards and Consumer Cards are not eligible. The virtual card(s) are not issued by Mastercard and is (are) subject to the terms and conditions of the relevant issuer.  

Media Contacts

About Mastercard (NYSE: MA)

Mastercard is a global technology company in the payments industry. Our mission is to connect and power an inclusive, digital economy that benefits everyone, everywhere by making transactions safe, simple, smart and accessible. Using secure data and networks, partnerships and passion, our innovations and solutions help individuals, financial institutions, governments and businesses realize their greatest potential. With connections across more than 210 countries and territories, we are building a sustainable world that unlocks priceless possibilities for all.

www.mastercard.com

• Investor Relations

Mastercard Sites

• Mastercard.com
• Mastercard Brand Center
• Mastercard Data & Services
• Priceless.com

What are virtual cards and when should you use them?

Let's be real. Sometimes, suspicious online websites have the best deals or the items we need. When you feel hesitant about entering your card information, you could use a virtual card -- not to be confused with a digital wallet . 

Also: Is Temu legit? Everything to know before you place your first order

In observation of Financial Literacy Month, Google shared ways users can protect their payment information when using Google Pay. Unsurprisingly, given their ability to protect your card information easily and efficiently, virtual cards made the list.

So, what are virtual cards?

A virtual card is a unique credit card number you can enter on a site to complete a transaction. The technology masks your actual card information, keeping it hidden from businesses and protecting you against fraud.

Some virtual cards expire after every transaction, so if anyone accesses your card information, that number would be useless to them. Other virtual cards, like Google Pay , have a longer duration.

Also: The best budgeting apps: Find the Mint alternative that's right for you

If someone steals your virtual card's payment information, you can cancel just that virtual card instead of your entire credit card. Once you cancel the virtual account, the thief no longer has access to your credit card, which you can continue using. 

Creating a virtual card is free and easy, and there are multiple ways to do so, regardless of the type of phone, browser, or card you use.

How can you create a virtual card?

Google pay .

One way to create a virtual card is by using Google Pay. When you check out from Chrome desktop or mobile, if you have an eligible American Express, Capital One, or Citi card, you have the option to save your card as a virtual card. 

Then, every time you autofill your card information using Google Play, your virtual card information will be inputted automatically. If you don't use Google Pay, don't worry -- there are other options. 

Your credit card 

Many major credit card companies offer virtual cards within their platform to users free of charge, including American Express, Capital One, Mastercard, or Citi. For example, as a Citibank credit card holder, I can go into the app and generate a virtual card number simply by tapping the quick action. 

I often use this feature when I try to place an online order, am nowhere near my wallet, need to enter my credit card information, and have no desire to get up. While this isn't the intended use case, it's still a big plus.

Also: Proton VPN review (2024): A very solid VPN with robust leak protection

CNET has a comprehensive list of the best credit cards with virtual card numbers. You can cross-reference this list to see if your card is included. You can also see credit cards with the feature that you might want to consider in the future. 

Third-party payment sites

Many popular third-party payment sites offer virtual cards, including Wise, Stripe, and PayPal. These cards function a little differently: you can choose what funds get added and create separation between your personal account and your virtual card. 

For example, with the PayPal Debit Card, you can spend your PayPal balance online and in stores. You can load money onto that card from an eligible bank account or debit card. This approach gives you control over how much money someone can access if the payment information is stolen and makes it easier to cancel the account if needed.

The best AirTag wallets you can buy: Expert recommended

How good is that smartphone deal really use this free spreadsheet to do the math, the best travel vpns: expert tested.

All Mars Resources

Perseverance’s ‘Bunsen Peak’ Sample

NASA’s Perseverance Mars rover captured this image of a sample cored from a rock called “Bunsen Peak” on March 11,…

NASA’s Curiosity Rover Reaches Gediz Vallis Channel (360 View)

360-degree panorama provided by NASA’s Curiosity Mars rover. This view was captured at Gediz Vallis channel, a feature that formed…

Animation of Mars Helicopter Flight Test

This animation shows a simulation of the response of NASA’s Ingenuity Mars Helicopter to the system identification, or “Sys-ID,” process.…

Rover, Helicopter Locations in Jezero Crater

This map shows the locations of NASA’ Perseverance rover (white star) and Ingenuity Mars Helicopter (cyan star) on Dec. 19,…

Sol 4132: Right Navigation Camera, Cylindrical Projection

NASA’s Mars rover Curiosity took 31 images in Gale Crater using its mast-mounted Right Navigation Camera (Navcam) to create this…

Sol 4130: Right Navigation Camera, Cylindrical Projection

NASA's Mars rover Curiosity took 31 images in Gale Crater using its mast-mounted Right Navigation Camera (Navcam) to create this…

Sol 4128: Right Navigation Camera, Cylindrical Perspective

NASA's Mars rover Curiosity took 30 images in Gale Crater using its mast-mounted Right Navigation Camera (Navcam) to create this…

Sol 4128: Left Navigation Camera, Vertical Projection

NASA's Mars rover Curiosity took 30 images in Gale Crater using its mast-mounted Left Navigation Camera (Navcam) to create this…

Sol 4128: Left Navigation Camera, Cylindrical Perspective

Sol 4128: Left Navigation Camera, Cylindrical Projection

Sol 4128: Mast-Mounted Navigation Camera, Cylindrical Perspective

NASA's Mars rover Curiosity took 30 image pairs in Gale Crater using its mast-mounted Navigation Camera (Navcam) to create this…

Sol 4128: Right Navigation Camera, Cylindrical Projection

Sol 4125: Right Navigation Camera, Cylindrical Projection

NASA's Mars rover Curiosity took 52 images in Gale Crater using its mast-mounted Right Navigation Camera (Navcam) to create this…

Sol 4123: Right Navigation Camera, Cylindrical Projection

NASA's Mars rover Curiosity took 51 images in Gale Crater using its mast-mounted Right Navigation Camera (Navcam) to create this…

Sol 4118: Right Navigation Camera, Cylindrical Projection

NASA's Mars rover Curiosity took 49 images in Gale Crater using its mast-mounted Right Navigation Camera (Navcam) to create this…

CDOT and local partners host virtual public meeting for affected communities for US 50 Blue Mesa bridge closure

News release.

Montrose and Gunnison Counties — The Colorado Department of Transportation and partner state and local agencies held a virtual public meeting the evening of Tuesday, April 23, to provide the latest info to the community about the US 50 Blue Mesa bridge closure. Partner agencies hosting the event included Gunnison County, Hinsdale County, Montrose County and the Colorado Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management. Colorado Transportation Commission Chair Karen Stuart and Commissioner Barbara Bowman also joined. More than 800 people attended the virtual meeting, in addition to those gathered at public viewings offered by the towns of Gunnison and Crested Butte in their respective library and town hall. CDOT and partner agencies answered 135 questions. Translation was provided in real time in Spanish and American Sign Language. The meeting was recorded and the English version is posted to CDOT’s YouTube account. The US 50 Blue Mesa Bridge Emergency Repairs Public Meeting on 04-23-2024 recording is accessible with this link . CDOT is posting the Spanish language recording as soon as it is available.

Travel times for the local access route changed this morning, Wednesday, April 24. The morning and evening commuter times on County Road 26 are pushed back by 30 minutes. The new times are:

• Westbound travel - 6:30 to 7 a.m. and 6:30 to 7 p.m.
• Eastbound travel - 7:30 to 8 a.m. and 7:30 to 8 p.m.

Commuters should continue to anticipate pilot car operations. Commercial vehicles exceeding a 16,001 gross vehicle weight rating are prohibited. Trailers of any kind are also prohibited from using this route. The road will remain closed at all other times for the ongoing restoration work needed to ensure the road remains safe for travel. The local access route opened on Monday, April 22 and is open during limited hours in the morning and evening.

The hotline and email are available for customer questions. Both were established Friday, April 19. 626 phone calls and emails have been received to date (morning of Wed., April 24). Customers with questions can continue to use either at 970-648-4423 or [email protected] . Calls will be closely monitored and will receive a prompt reply. Information is also available on the website at bit.ly/us50bridge . Travelers should refer to COtrip.org or the smartphone COtrip Planner app to plan an alternate route.

Travel Impacts

• US 50 is closed between Montrose and Gunnison
• Recommended alternate routes are I-70 to the north or US 160 to the south
• A limited, local access route is in place for travel
• The designated travel times changed beginning the morning of Wednesday, April 24

Project Contact Information

For additional information about this project, contact the project team.

• Webpage: bit.ly/us50bridge
• Information hotline: 970-648-4423
• Email: [email protected]