We’ve found bucket list Virtual Tours of some of the places you may have been wanting to visit – so indulge your senses and keep the travel bug alive!
The Louvre
Photo by Marc Babin
Perhaps the most famous museum in the world, the Louvre in Paris is home to countless beautiful and unique pieces, most notably the Mona Lisa. Visit the museum’s website for several virtual tours that will take you through the mesmirising halls wound with art from the world’s greatest creators.
Feast your eyes on works from Delacroix, Rembrandt and Tintoretto in the Louvre’s Petite Galerie. Collections from the Pharaonic period are displayed on the east side of the Sully wing in the Egyptian Antiquities exhibit. And Remains of the Louvre’s Moat will take you on a virtual walk around the original perimeter moat and view the piers that supported the drawbridge.
The Vatican Museum
Photo by Anna Church
The Vatican City has a densely rich history stretching back centuries and despite being the world’s smallest country, it welcomes five million visitors every year! The architecture of the Vatican is one of a kind and the artefacts and artwork that fills the halls of the museum are awe-inspiring. Take a virtual tour of areas such as the one-of-a-kind paintings in the Sistine Chapel, Raphael’s Room, the New Wing and the Pio Clementini Museum.
Yosemite National Park
Yosemite Valley – Photo by Aniket Deole
Experience over 200 different locations within the stunning Yosemite National Park in all seasons. Scott Highton, virtual reality photographer, captured the imagery used and 95% of the locations on the tour are accessible to Yosemite visitors via roads or trails once the park reopens.
Included in the 360-degree interactive panoramas are views from the tops of Yosemite’s famous cliffs and waterfalls, along with peaceful locations along trails and in well-known parts of Yosemite valley. You can log on to explore the Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias, the tops of Half Dome, Yosemite Falls, and Glacier Point and even the interior of the Majestic Yosemite Hotel (formerly the Ahwahnee).
If you’re looking for a little more inspiration behind this incredible mountain range we love the documentaries Free Solo and The Dawn Wall that follow daredevil climbers Alex Honnold and Tommy Caldwell as they take on El Capitan in the Yosemite National Park
The Great Wall of China
high-angle view of concrete building and stairs – Photo by Hanson Lu
As the only manmade structure visable from space and certainly one of the greatest wonders of the world, the Great Wall of China is a virtual must see. The Great Wall stretches more than 3 000 miles across several provinces of northern China with a history older than 2 000 years, making it one of the most impressive ancient structures on the planet. Enjoy the scenic views and terrains while safely at home.
Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History
Smithsonian National Museum – Photo by Quinn Villarreal
The Smithsonian, National Museum of Natural History is offering virtual visitors a self-guided, room-by-room tour of select exhibits and areas within the museum from their desktop or mobile device.
A collection of 145 million specimens fills this incredible museum to tell the Earth’s history. You’ll find exhibits such as Bone Hall, complete with skeletons of every type; Butterfly Pavilion, with so many beautiful species of butterflies to admire; David H. Koch Hall of Fossils — Deep Time; Janet Annenberg Hooker Hall of Geology, Gems, and Minerals – home to the Hope Diamond; and the O. Orkin Insect Zoo with many creepy crawly creatures. You can even find past exhibits such as the Last American Dinosaur.
Virtual Disney World
The Magic Kingdom, Lake Buena Vista, United States – Photo by Thomas Kelley
Are the kids missing Mickey and Minnie? Virtual Disney World lets you tour many of Walt Disney World’s attractions in an interactive 360-degree video environment.
Virtual Disney World is not affiliated with the Disney Company, but they do a great job offering an immersive experience to many of the theme park’s rides. You’ll be able to “ride” the Haunted Mansion, Big Thunder Railroad, Space Mountain, Pirates of the Caribbean, Jungle Cruise, Monsters Inc. Mike and Sulley to the Rescue, Twilight Zone Tower of Terror, Star Wars Millennium Falcon Smuggler’s Run and more. There’s even a virtual Main Street Electrical Parade, one of my personal favorites.
National Aquarium in Baltimore
Aquarium view – Photo by Glenn Haertlein
Visit the National Aquarium’s website and take a floor-by-floor tour of exhibits including the Atlantic Coral Reef, Tropical Rainforest, Shark Alley, Jellies and more.
The Aquarium even offers activities for kids to download and do at home such as aquatic-themed word searches, make your own octopus mask, ocean coloring pages and make your own “socktopus.”
Let us know what you think of our list on our social platforms! Have you found any that you’d like to add?
[ Travel Tuesday: Bucket list Virtual Tours ]
