15 EXCITING Virtual Tours & Experiences

What if I told you that you could travel without leaving the comfort of your home?

Sounds too good to be true? Well it's not. 

As it’s become apparent that travel is one of the factors that has accelerated the global spread of COVID-19, a lot of travel enthusiasts have had to let go of what they love.  And instead are opting to do right by society and practice social distancing.  Which means that a lot of trips that people poured hours of planning, effort and resources into –are now being cancelled (or postponed) until it’s safe to travel again.

Coronavirus is such a buzzkill right? 

If you are one such person who has had their plans overturned by the virus, I have good news for you – don’t need to deprive yourself of the thrill of seeing new places and learning new things. 
You just need to re-frame what you think of as travel.  

Enter virtual tours.

Virtual tours are incredibly in vogue right now and excellent way to keep the travel dream alive while you wait out the storm

But first…what are virtual tours, you ask?

It’s pretty much what it sounds like – a tour that is conducted online, thru livestream or via social media.  The content aims to mirror what you would actually see if you were in those locations and typically involves video (and sometimes still images as well), to bring the destination or experience to life. Virtual tours sometimes include a host or guide, and may contain multimedia elements like narration, sound effects, text and music. All this creates a memorable and interesting experience for the viewer. This is different from live television and has definitely upped the ante for tourism!

Virtual tours are a great way to see places that you have been longing to see without getting on a plane or having to ask for time off from work. Many such tours offer 360 degree viewing, helping immerse you into the atmosphere of the space without leaving your home.

Many major museums are now offering virtual tours - showcasing hundreds of awesome sculptures, paintings, installations from renowned artists.  And tourism boards have gotten creative as well – offering beach walks, cocktail making courses, and salsa lessons.

There many unique ways people are sharing their countries, cultural sites and customs right now – so I encourage you to check out some of these innovative and exciting new offerings.  If you’re like me, counting down the days until you can travel again, this will certainly help satiate some of your wanderlust and educate yourself in the process!

So, if you need to take a break from the coronavirus news, take out your preferred device, and dive into one of the tours below.  You can thank me later!!

The Louvre offers virtual tours of exhibits that you can take from the comfort of your own home!

The Louvre

France’s most famous museum offers four virtual tours to viewers!  Depending on your preference, you can explore a selection of tours– including the remains of the Louvre’s Moat, The Advent of the Artist, Galerie d’Apollon and Egyptian Antiquities. This museum is visited by thousands and thousands of tourists a year…if you’re going to do one museum this is the one to do!! 

This tour is very easy to navigate and there is an expandable minimap which allows you to highlight exhibits you want to see by simply clicking, and detailed descriptions help bring the exhibits to life.  

Fiona is the star of the Cincinnati Zoo’s “Home Safari”

Cincinatti Zoo

Anyone else obsessed with Fiona the hippo?  ….just me?  Ok y’all are missing out!

The Cincinatti zoo is doing daily “Home Safari” on their Facebook livestream – it starts at 3pm each day and you won’t want to miss it. Zoologist hosts will introduce you to the animals, sharing fun facts and providing viewers with an educational experience.  Stars of the show include giraffes, aardvarks, komodo dragons, and of course Fiona the hippo!

The Chef & The Dish

This company pairs you up with chefs from around the world to learn to cook international cuisine.  So put on an apron and get ready to make homemade Italian pasta or authentic paella from the comfort of your own home.  

There’s even an option to pair you with a random chef from anywhere in the world and they will figure out a dish to make using only the ingredients you happn to have in the house!  Take about inventive!

 Georgia Aquarium

Who doesn’t love being enveloped in a sea of blue amidst stingrays, sharks, and fish of every size and color?!  The Georgia Aquarium possesses about fifty species ranging from underwater pufins to sea lions - many of which can be viewed right at home thru their many webcams!

If you have kids at home, there are also daily and weekly livestreams that are targeted towards wildlife education!  This is also a wonderful interactive tool for little ones (or adults too!) If you have ever thought about what a Beluga Whale does in its spare time, they’ve got you covered 

Discover Puerto Rico

Puerto Rico’s tourism board has gotten very creative in their efforts to bring their culture and tourists sites to people at home.  From cocktail making classes to guided tours in El Yunque National Park to live Bomba dance performances, they are encouraging travelers to daydream now and visit later.

I love Puerto Rico and I’m proud of their efforts to stop the spread of covid19 – I hope you can all visit in person sometime soon!  But in the meantime, make sure to follow @discoverpuertorico on Instagram for more updates on cultural experience offerings.

Machu Picchu

If you want to be transported away to one of the most incredible UNESCO World Heritage sites, you must check out the The Machu Picchu virtual tour!

Thru 360° imagery online, travelers can drag around to virtually visit remnants of the Incan settlements, as well as lush green landscapes. Sites include several of the most popular vantage points and narration shares the history of the exquisite site. Sure, you may not be able to feel the breeze you normally would, but set up a fan to enhance the experience for some makeshift 5D!

DancePapi

Have you been meaning to learn to dance for ages but never gotten around to it? 

Well strap on your dancing shoes and get ready to learn Salsa with Dance Papi.  They currently have a seies that focses on salsa fundamentals, techniques, styles and moves.

Now is the time to learn a new hobby – especially one that gets you up and moving for a little exercise!

The Guggenheim Museum

If you get a chance to visit the Guggenheim in person someday, I recommend it for the impressive architecture (designed by Frank Lloyd Wright).  But that doesn’t mean you can’t explore some of the integral artwork from a far in the meantime!

This museum makes an array of its collections and other exhibits available online – including works by Piet Mondrian, Jeff Moons, Franz Marc, Pablo Picasso, and many more.  As well as being able to experience the spiral staircase right from home!

The Great Wall of China

 One of the world’s most epic creations invites you to take a virtual tour during your quarantine.  Having been to the Great Wall of China, I can tell you that crowds are abundant there….but thru the virtual tour it’s like your own private walkthrough.  

360 degree photos take you thru The Great Wall’s most popular sections and will certainly stun you with it’s scenic views of the architectural & historic masterpiece. 

Smithsonian National History Museum

Another great option for a virtual tour is the Smithsonian– which allows you to enjoy the exhibits, minus the crowds!  This can be a benefit if you are an introvert, or you are simply not in the mood for groups of people lol.  This Washington DC museum is one of the most popular in the world and they are giving viewers a peek at some of the exceptional treasures within.

Their viewers are allowed into its rotunda and are welcomed by a detailed 360° room-by-room tour of all the outstanding exhibits, including but not limited to the Insect Zoo, Dinosaurs, Hall of Mammals as well as the Hall of Paleo biology.

The San Diego Zoo

Another fun one for kids (and those young at heart alike) are the live webcams at the San Diego Zoo.  Take a seat with the whole family and observe apes, elephants, koalas, pandas, tigers and more! 

For anyone homeschooling little ones right now, this is a great way to incorporate an immersive experience into the curriculum (just add a class of wine for the grownups!)

Japanese Tourism Board

Get immersed into some of Japan’s most iconic sites with 360 degree VR video experiences that take you thru the throngs of Shibuya crossing, down the Inari temple, past sushi bars, sumo wrestlers, and a bustling candy wonderland.

These videos are from the Japanese tourism board and are enjoyable whether you’ve been to Japan or just dreamed of going.  Make sure to check them out here!

The National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea

This museum is dedicated to providing an exciting and unique experience to their viewers, since opening in 2013. Located in Seoul, it has established itself as a cultural leader when it comes to Korean art. Thru a collaboration with Google Arts and Culture, they now offer virtual tours for those who can’t visit Korea in person right now! 

The tour leads visitors through six immersive floors of modern art from Korea, as well as other parts of the world. There are pre-recorded curator led tours for those who want a deeper dive into the pieces.

Mars Curiosity Rover

Or do something you wouldn’t be able to do even IF travel was currently possible and take a tour around Mars with the Curiosity Rover.  NASA has a cool simulation that allows you to learn more about their efforts on Mars and take a tour of the far off planet.  

Maybe someday real visits to Mars will be possible, but in the meantime, this is a pretty cool virtual visit!

Disneyland 

Disneyland with it’s massive crowds, may be closed for the foreseeable future, but that doesn’t mean you can’t bring the magic to your own home. 

These aren’t exactly officially sanctioned (lol) but you can find a lot of Disneyland rides on YouTube to enjoy!  Float thru Frozen’s Ever After Ride in 4K, coast thru It’s a Small World, cruise thru Pirates of the Caribbean, and more.

Well I hope you enjoyed this roundup of virtual tours that can immerse you in some of the world’s natural wonders, artistic masterpieces, and cultural fun.  

Xoxo

Lauren