Virtual tours of the National Gallery
Wherever you are in the world, take a tour of the National Gallery.
Our virtual tours allow you to step inside the Gallery and explore one of the greatest collections of paintings, from the comfort of your home.
Experience the Gallery in virtual reality through your desktop, phone or VR headset.
The Director's Choice virtual exhibition
Visit a virtual space showing a selection of paintings chosen and narrated by our Director, Dr Gabriele Finaldi.
Take the Director's tour
Fit for a Queen virtual exhibition
Visit our virtual gallery of 28 paintings which celebrates Her Majesty The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee.
Find out more about 'Fit for a Queen'
Fruits of the Spirit virtual exhibition
Visit our virtual exhibition that juxtaposes nine works of art from the National Gallery’s collection with nine works of art from partner institutions across the UK.
Find out more about 'Fruits of the Spirit'
'Sensing the Unseen: Step into Gossaert’s ‘Adoration’, mobile edition'
Immerse yourself in the world of Gossaert’s masterpiece and its awe-inspiring intricate detail.
Step into Gossaert's 'Adoration'
Google virtual tour
Take a tour of some of our Renaissance masterpieces with Google
Take the tour
- How we are run
- Our strategy
- Our statements
- Our funders
- Annual Reports
- Our committees
- Our policies
- Code of Ethics
- Anti-racism
- Collections
- Decolonising museums
- Learning and engagement
- Museums Change Lives
- Museums for Climate Justice
- Associateship (AMA)
- Museum Essentials
- Fellowship (FMA)
- Competency Framework
- Redundancy Hub
- Wellbeing Hub
- Career Conversations
- Entering the sector
- Conference 2024
- Forthcoming events
- Watch our webinars
- Conference 2023 content
- Esmée Fairbairn Collections Fund
- Benevolent Fund
- Beecroft Bequest
- Mindsets + Missions
- In practice
- Watch and listen
- Museums Journal
National Gallery launches immersive virtual experience
The National Gallery has launched its first ever immersive experience for mobile phones. From this month, Android users can enjoy the London gallery’s Sensing the Unseen: Step into Gossaert’s Adoration display in intricate detail from the comfort of their sofas.
A physical version of the same exhibition opened at the gallery on 9 December 2020 last year. Due to rising Covid cases, Sensing the Unseen was forced to close after just a week.
Overcoming the challenges of lockdown, Emma McFarland, the gallery’s innovation programme lead, worked with independent collaborators on a part-time basis to develop the virtual experience over six weeks. She said: “This experimental mobile experience was created as part of our response to the constraints on exhibition visitor numbers as a result of the pandemic.”
Both the digital and the physical exhibitions revolve around a single painting: The Adoration of the Kings (1510-15) by Northern Renaissance artist Jan Gossaert.
Acquired by the National Gallery in 1911, the detailed, 5ft-long oil-on-oak masterpiece depicts the birth of Jesus, surrounded by angels, king, shepherds in a crumbling city instead of a stable. Gossaert was so impressed by the finished piece that he signed his name twice – on King Balthasar’s crown and the king’s attendant’s collar. Now Android users across the world will be able to get closer to the details of the artwork.
McFarland said: “Virtual exhibitions offer the public an exciting new space in which to engage with a collection in new ways; one which is not tied to a geographical location or a specific building or the materiality of the object.”
Making use of the possibilities of digital, the “sonified” mobile exhibition allows users to journey through high-resolution images of different segments of the painting while listening to ambient sound, music and six poems, in the voice of King Balthasar, that interpret the painting’s six scenes.
The former young people’s laureate for London, Theresa Lola, wrote and voiced the poems. Users can zoom in and out using their fingers on the touchscreen.
“What virtual offers museums is an opportunity to reimagine and reinterpret our collections in new ways, reaching people far beyond their traditional visitor base,” McFarland said.
“But these technologies do come with some downsides; creating these experiences can be risky and resource-intensive, both of which can be barriers for museums, smaller ones in particular,” she added. For McFarland, designing for a specific audience in mind is key to success.
The innovation team is in the process of deploying the beta version created for iOS soon so iPhone users can also experience the exhibition.
See Sensing the Unseen here .
Leave a comment Cancel reply
You must be signed in to post a comment.
Zoological Society launches crowdsourcing appeal for memories and artefacts
Campaigners seek clarity on future of buxton museum & art gallery, british library opens black british music exhibition.
The National Gallery, London
London, united kingdom.
The National Gallery virtual tour
This virtual tour of the National Gallery in London, launched in 2016, allows users to access the museum virtually using Google Streetveiw style navigation. It also offers users to access ‘stories / further information associated with particular exhibits. For 15 exhibits, users can use their mouse to scroll informative text and zoom-in on specific elements of the paintings.
Organisation
Nature of content, distribution mechanism, monetisation strategy, geographic area.
- International edition
- Australia edition
- Europe edition
10 of the world’s best virtual museum and art gallery tours
The originals are out of reach for now, but you can still see world-class art – without the queues or ticket prices – with an online tour of these famous museums
A rt lovers can view thousands of paintings, sculptures, installations and new work online – many in minute detail – as well as explore the museums themselves. There are various platforms: from interactive, 360-degree videos and full “walk-around” tours with voiceover descriptions to slideshows with zoomable photos of the world’s greatest artworks. And many allow viewers to get closer to the art than they could do in real life.
So, take a break from the news, enter full-screen mode and start your art adventure in sunny California …
J Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles
With more than 6,000 years worth of creative treasures, the Getty is one of the best places for art on the west coast of the US. Go from neolithic clay figures to Van Gogh’s Irises and Renoir’s La Promenade – just two of many artworks that feature in the virtual tour . As with several of our selection, Google Arts and Culture offers a “ museum view ” tool to look inside gallery spaces, with clickable artworks presenting further information. The Getty’s sunny sculpture plaza and garden terrace are worth adding to your digital trip, via another viewing platform, Xplorit . getty.edu
Vatican Museums, Rome
Soaring vaulted ceilings, intricate murals and tapestries, the Vatican’s museums are creatively rich sites. Don’t forget to look up when exploring the seven spaces in the museum’s virtual tour, to gawp at a series of 360-degree images, including the Sistine Chapel. Wander around the rest of Vatican City with a You Visit tour that takes in Saint Peter’s Basilica and Square, complete with a tour guide narrating each interactive space. museivaticani.va
Guggenheim, Bilbao
Frank Gehry’s sculptured titanium and steel building, on the banks of the Nervión River, is one of the world’s most distinctive art spaces. The interactive tour takes viewers around its collection of postwar American and European painting and sculpture – Rothko, Holzer, Koons, Kapoor – and even down between the weathered curves of Serra’s Matter of Time (turn left at the entrance). guggenheim-bilbao.eus
Natural History Museum, London
From the diplodocus to the dodo, botany to butterflies, giant crystals to specimens in jars … the Natural History Museum’s vast collection has long been a favourite of both Londoners and tourists. Get lost in the corridors and gallery spaces – one treat is Dippy the dino, who despite recently going on tour still makes an appearance in the entrance hall in this interactive online guide . nhm.ac.uk
Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam
This grand museum has a vast collection of art and historical objects across 80 galleries. A 10-year renovation project was completed in 2013, transforming the space and combining elements of 19th-century grandeur with modern lighting and a new glass-roofed atrium. The interactive tour helps viewers get up close to every brush stroke by Vermeer, Rembrandt and other Dutch masters while exploring the Great Hall and beyond. rijksmuseum.nl
National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, South Korea
There are several sites making up this museum: the main gallery in Gwacheon and branches in Deoksugung, Seoul and Cheongju. The virtual tours explore an inspiring mix of print, design, sculpture, photography, new media and other large-scale installations. From Joseph Beuys to Warhol and Nam June Paik, the collection includes an international lineup of established artists, contemporary Korean artworks and emerging names. mmca.go.kr
Musée d’Orsay, Paris
In the former Gare d’Orsay, a Paris railway station and hotel, the musée is home to Cézanne, Monet and other French masters. Under a 138m-long curved glass roof, sits the largest collection of impressionist and post-Impressionist works in the world. The virtual tour also includes an online exhibition charting the history of the building. And over on Tourist Tube there’s a 360-degree view of the magnificent exterior. m.musee-orsay.fr
British Museum, London
There are 3,212 panes of glass in the domed ceiling of the British Museum’s Great Court, and no two are the same – and the 360-degree view in this virtual tour lets viewers examine each and every one. Beyond this magnificent space, viewers can find the Rosetta Stone, Egyptian mummies and other ancient wonders. The museum’s interactive infographic platform, History Connected , goes into further depth of various objects with curators, along a timeline. britishmuseum.org
MASP, São Paulo, Brazil
The Museu de Arte de São Paulo has one of the broadest historical collections available to view via its virtual gallery platform , spanning from the 14th to 20th centuries. Paintings appear suspended in the air around the open-plan space, on glass panels or “crystal easels” as the museum calls them. There’s also a temporary retrospective exhibition by Brazilian pop artist Teresinha Soares beside the building’s statement red staircase. The glass and red-beam structure, built in 1968, is worth a look from the outside too, via Google Street View . masp.org.br
National Gallery, London
- Cultural trips
- Travel websites
- Virtual reality
Favourite UK museums and galleries: readers' travel tips
Where to get spooked this Halloween in the UK
12 of the best city museums in Europe: readers’ travel tips
10 of the best museums close to railway stations in Europe: readers’ tips
10 holiday highlights of this strange summer: readers’ tips
Shetland: an epic landscape with a Viking soul
The UK’s best forgotten ruins: readers’ travel tips
20 of the best autumn getaways around the UK
UK parks and free public gardens: readers’ travel tips
10 great UK coastal walks: readers' tips
Comments (…), most viewed.
Independent Art Voice
National Gallery Virtual Tours
The National Gallery website features virtual tours of the Gallery allowing visitors to explore one of the greatest collections of paintings in the comfort of your home.
The Google virtual tour takes a look at some of the Renaissance masterpieces with panoramic views of the Gallery in 360 degrees. Includes masterpieces from Northern Italy, the Netherlands and Germany including works by Tirian, Veronese and Holbein.
Take the tour Here
The National Gallery has teamed up with Oculus using Matterport’s 3D camera technology to create a virtual reality experience of the Sainsbury Wing.
The immersive experience invites you to step into the Gallery’s collection of Early Renaissance paintings from 1200 to 1500.
Enjoy over 270 paintings in virtual reality with a VR headset, or browse a 360 tour on your desktop or mobile Here
- Liechtenstein
- Netherlands
- Switzerland
- Solo Location Guides
- Solo Travel Advice
- Solo Inspiration
- Luxury travel
DESTINATIONS , ENGLAND , EUROPE
Virtual london tours: the 10 best armchair travel experiences.
Why do you travel?
For some, it’s an opportunity to decompress, perhaps in a warm climate with a good book as a companion. Others seek out new experiences, including sampling local cuisine. But for many, travel is an opportunity to learn more about the place, its people, its culture and its history.
Extend your horizons beyond your living room by taking a virtual London tour of its iconic landmarks and flagship attractions. Here are the best of the bunch.
1. Explore the British Museum from home
The British Museum is one of my favourite places to visit in London. But just because you may not be able to visit it doesn’t mean that you can’t dive into its vast collection.
Its online collection is outstanding, allowing visitors to search over four million object records online or to explore collection highlights and stories. Many of the museum’s objects have more than one image.
Podcasts are also available.
For a different virtual experience, you can take a virtual museum tour with Google Street View , including the hugely popular – and usually rammed – Egyptian Gallery.
2. Take a virtual tour of the National Gallery, London
Google has also created 360-degree tours of the National Gallery , including seven rooms as well as its Central Hall. This virtual collection includes Renaissance masterpieces from the likes of Titian and Holbein.
And like the British Museum, you can search the gallery’s vast collection with almost 2,500 of its works available to view online.
3. Find out more about the Wallace Collection’s masterpieces
The Wallace Collection is one of those slightly off-the-main-radar art galleries in London.
Built over the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries by the Marquesses of Hertford and Sir Richard Wallace, this collection of paintings, sculpture, furniture, arms, armour and porcelain. It was bequeathed to the British nation in 1897.
It’s east to explore the Wallace Collection highlights .
Want to know more about Frans Hals’ The Laughing Cavalier ? Then you are in luck. Where this virtual collection is head and shoulders over its neighbours is the depth of information offered on exhibits, even to the extent of providing suggestions for further reading.
4. Tour the Courtauld Collection from your armchair
The Courtauld Gallery is one of my favourite galleries in London. After a stunning makeover, it has opened its doors to visitors once again.
Get a sneak preview of what is behind its doors by taking a virtual tour of the gallery’s awesome collection . This includes Van Gough’s Self-Portrait with Bandaged Ear and Édouard Manet’s A Bar at the Folies-Bergère .
5. Take a virtual tour of the Churchill War Rooms
Touring the Churchill War Rooms is a terrific thing to do in London. But if you can’t physically be there, visit virtually through its impressive collection of images and videos.
You can just imagine Churchill’s ministers and military strategists thrashing out the Allied strategy in smoke-filled rooms.
6. Take a tour of the Houses of Parliament
Explore the nooks and crannies of the home of UK democracy on a Houses of Parliament 360-degree virtual tour .
Starting at the central lobby, walk through the labyrinthine corridors of power to the House of Commons. Embrace your inner historian by clicking on the information icons on the ‘hotspots’ along the way.
There is also a separate Woman and Parliament Virtual Tour which traces the role of the gentler sex in the UK Government, including the Suffrage movement.
7. Drop into 10 Downing Street
Let’s stay with UK politics. It’s not as if many people will get an opportunity to enter Downing Street, one of the most famous streets in London and the location of the Prime Minister’s home. But you can take a peek inside courtesy of a virtual tour of 10 Downing Street .
I really like this London virtual tour. The image quality is superb and you can explore 10 Downing Street inside and out.
Start with the iconic staircase, lined with photographs of past Prime Ministers and then venture to the Cabinet Room with its elegant Corinthian columns. Complete your visit by checking out the Prime Minister’s office and the elegant Pillared Room.
Go full-screen for the best experience.
8. Walk in the footsteps of royalty at Buckingham Palace
Don’t stop at seeing where the PM conducts his business. Take a sneaky peek at HM The King’s official London residence with an armchair tour of Buckingham Palace .
This London virtual tour allows you to explore the opulent White Drawing Room, Throne Room and the Grand Staircase.
9. Stalk the corridors of Hampton Court Palace
Anyone who has read Hilary Mantel’s books will be familiar with the magnificent 16 th Century Hampton Court Palace which was once the home of Henry VIII. One of the most beautiful royal palaces in Europe , this is a fantastic place to visit, albeit pricey, but – you guessed it – you can now take a virtual tour of Hampton Court Palace
This 8-minute video, narrated by a ‘Yeoman of the Guard’, starts in the courtyard before moving to rooms inside the Palace. A free online course on the history of royal fashion is also available.
10. Take a narrated tour of the Tower of London
Visiting the Tower of London is a ust-do if you are in town. Sadly, the virtual tour of the Tower of London is no longer available. However, it does have a selction of excellent educational materials on its website .
Which London virtual tour will you take?
These virtual tours of London’s top sights vary hugely in their quality and the depth of information provided. As might be expected, most of these are very visual experiences at the expense of contextual information about what you are looking at.
However, the advantage of experiencing London’s key attractions from the comfort of your own sofa is that you can go at your own pace and don’t have to battle with the crowds. A virtual London tour also provides an opportunity to view spaces normally closed to the public, such as 10 Downing Street.
So pause Netflix and just do it.
ENJOYED THIS ARTICLE? THEN READ THESE NEXT!
- 30 Famous London Landmarks
- 26 Epic Things To Do Alone In London
- 23 Famous Bridges in London
- 32 Easy Day Trips from London by Train
- 30 Famous Streets in London You Must Visit
- 10 Tasty Foods in London That You Must Try
About Bridget
Bridget Coleman is a Londoner who has been a passionate traveller for more than 30 years. She has visited 70+ countries, most as a solo traveller.
Articles on this site reflect her first-hand experiences.
To get in touch, email her at [email protected] or follow her on social media.
- Mario Bernardi
- The Grand Tour Europe Terms and Conditions
- The Grand Tour Europe Corporate Social Responsibility Policy
- The Grand Tour Europe
- Financial Protection
- Customer Support
- Private Virtual Guided Tours
- The Grand Tour – Private Italy Guided Tours – Lived Experience of Art and Culture
- Guided Tours of Italy
- Shopping and a stroll around Rome
- Rome Highlights Sightseeing Driving Guided Tour
- Ancient Rome walking guided tour
- Appian Way Driving Tour
- Sightseeing Tour of Ancient Rome
- From the Dark Ages to the Baroque Splendor
- Guided Tours of Renaissance Rome
- Introducing Rome on The Grand Tour walking tour
- Gelato Tour around Baroque Rome
- On The Footsteps Of Saint Peter
- Guided Tours of the Palazzi of Rome
- Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel & St Peter’s Basilica
- The Borghese Gallery and Gardens
- Private Guided Tours of Underground Rome
- Secret Rome Tour: Trastevere Undergrounds
- Guided Tour of the Underground of the Celian Hill
- Boat Cruise on Tiber River & Tour of the Scavi of Ancient Ostia
- Guided Tour of Pompeii and Amalfi Coast from Rome
- Guided Driving Tours of the “Castelli Romani”
- Tivoli Villas: Hadrian’s Villa and Villa D’Este
- Venite Adoremus: Nativities and Adorations
- Christmas Tour: Le Madonnelle di Roma
- Christmas tours: Basilica of S. Maria Maggiore
- Christmas Tour: Witches in Rome
- Christmas Tour: Christmas at the Vatican
- Christmas tour: Nativities and Masterpieces
- Guided Walking Tour of Florence
- Chianti and Panzanello Winery from Florence
- Tour of Pisa and Lucca from Florence
- Private Guided Tour of Capri
- The Gold of Naples walking tour
- Guided tour of Pompeii from Naples
- Siena and San Gimignano driving tour
- Highlights of Venice Guided Tour
- Private Guided Walking Tour of Venice
- Murano and Burano from Venice
- Guided Tours of Verona
- Amalfi Coast, Positano and Ravello driving tour
- Milan city tour
- Rome Highlights Private Excursion from Civitavecchia
- Rome Sightseeing from Civitavecchia
- Livorno (Port of Florence)
- Pompeii and Vesuvius sightseeing from Naples Port
- Naples Highlights and Pompeii from Naples port
- Sorrento, Positano and Amalfi from Naples Port
- Paris Private Guided Tours
- London City Private Guided Tours
- Group Guided Tour
- VIRTUAL TOURS
- Essential information: AMALFI COAST
- essential information: FLORENCE
- essential information: MILAN
- essential information: NAPLES
- essential information: ROME
- essential information: VENICE
- The Grand Tour Gift Card
- The Grand Tour Enquiry Form
Masterpieces of the National Gallery in London – Virtual Experience
What They Say about our Virtual Guided Tours and Virtual Experiences
Previous Tour
Booking for masterpieces of the national gallery in london – virtual experience, tripadvisor traveller’s choice.
The Grand Tour
The Grand Tour Europe Ltd
Unique Guided Tours
Boutique Tour Operator
Head Office 2 White Friars, Chester, CH11NZ, UK
Chester +441244913326
Rome +390692928173
Venice +390418876986
Registered No: 08171172
VAT GB177128492
I have read and agree to the terms & conditions
Email address
IMAGES
COMMENTS
Virtual tours of the National Gallery . Wherever you are in the world, take a tour of the National Gallery. Tours. ... London WC2N 5DN [email protected]. Brighten up your inbox. Get all the latest news from the Gallery's Bicentenary year, updates on exhibitions, plus occasional offers and information on how to support us. ...
In this captivating video, I invite you to join me on an unforgettable journey through the iconic National Gallery in London. Get ready to immerse yourself i...
This virtual tour of the National Gallery is an immersive experience that takes you on a journey through the world's greatest art collection, showcasing some...
The National Gallery in London has 3 Virtual Reality tours. Each uses slightly different technologies but all are good. The best is the Sainsbury's Wing tour which is hyper-real and includes information tags on each of the paintings (just hover over the red circles). See the tours here. I would also take a look at their top 30 must see ...
The National Gallery has launched its first ever immersive experience for mobile phones. From this month, Android users can enjoy the London gallery's Sensing the Unseen: Step into Gossaert's Adoration display in intricate detail from the comfort of their sofas. A physical version of the same exhibition opened at the gallery on 9 December ...
The National Gallery, London. The National Gallery Collection contains over 2,300 works, including many famous works, such as van Eyck's 'Arnolfini Portrait', Velázquez's 'Rokeby Venus', Turner's 'Fighting Temeraire' and Van Gogh's 'Sunflowers'. All major traditions of Western European painting are represented from the artists of late ...
The National Gallery, London. London, United Kingdom. Google Arts & Culture features content from over 2000 leading museums and archives who have partnered with the Google Cultural Institute to bring the world's treasures online.
The National Gallery is an art museum in Trafalgar Square, Central London, England. Founded in 1824, it houses a collection of over 2,300 paintings dating fr...
This virtual tour of the National Gallery in London, launched in 2016, allows users to access the museum virtually using Google Streetveiw style navigation. It also offers users to access 'stories / further information associated with particular exhibits. For 15 exhibits, users can use their mouse to scroll informative text and zoom-in on ...
A backdrop to London's four lions in Trafalgar Square, the National is home to 2,300 publicly-owned paintings, watercolours, drawings and other European art from the 13th to the mid-20th century.
The immersive experience invites you to step into the Gallery's collection of Early Renaissance paintings from 1200 to 1500. Enjoy over 270 paintings in virtual reality with a VR headset, or browse a 360 tour on your desktop or mobile Here. Duration. 01 February 2021 - 01 May 2021. Times.
The dynamic new virtual tour allows you to explore each room of the exhibition True to Nature: Open-Air Painting in Europe, 1780-1870. Zoom in on the works, click on the different-colored dots to read wall texts, view higher-resolution photos, and see artist biographies. While available on mobile, this tour is best viewed on a desktop or ...
Google has also created 360-degree tours of the National Gallery, including seven rooms as well as its Central Hall.This virtual collection includes Renaissance masterpieces from the likes of Titian and Holbein. And like the British Museum, you can search the gallery's vast collection with almost 2,500 of its works available to view online.
Book the most popular Virtual museum tours in National Gallery, London. Best price and money back guarantee! Read the reviews of your fellow travelers.
National Gallery Tour Practicals. Meeting time: 2.15 pm. Meeting point: Just outside Embankment Underground station ( the Villiers Street exit ), London. The London Walks guide is easy to identify. They hold up copies of the distinctive white London Walks leaflet and sport their professional qualification - the famous Blue Badge.
The National Portrait Gallery in London holds the world's most extensive collection of portraits. The gallery is currently closed for 3 years until Spring 2023 as it commences its biggest redevelopment since the current building opened in 1896. ... As part of our ongoing programme of virtual tours, London Walks is now bringing you an online ...
What They Say about our Virtual Guided Tours and Virtual Experiences. Unfortunately, the 7-day trial period has expired. Check our subscription plans! >>. Masterpieces of the National Gallery in London - Virtual Experience.