11 FREE virtual tours – Travel the world for free
Are you not able to travel at the moment? Yes, we know that feeling. We struggled during Covid when most of the world was in lockdown and boarders closed.
Now that the world is slowly opening up, travel is now possible. But maybe you’re not able to travel at the moment, due to the cost of travel, family commitment, or whatever your circumstances are.
So how to do you sooth those itchy feet?
What has helped us get over the hurdle of not being able to travel, is with these free virtual tours, it has still allowed us to travel the world and not spend a penny.
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Table of Contents
Free Virtual Tours
We are always looking for a cheap travel deal, or to travel on as little money as possible, this solves that problem.
With a virtual tour, you can travel the world, without having to pack a suitcase, or even pay the expenses of air fares, accommodation, or have to wrestle with the crowds.
We have selected the very best and some unusual free virtual tours from around the world.
Virtual tours of UNESCO World Heritage sites
If you have always wanted to visit UNESCO World Heritage Sites from around the world, then check out these awesome virtual tours
Machu Picchu
Be taken around Machu Picchu and learn about its history without having to visit in person.
As you navigate around this free virtual tour of the UNESCO World Heritage site in Peru, you’ll be taken on a journey with an audio guide, superb photographs, video footage and 360-degree views. You could easily be mistaken for standing on Machu Picchu as the quality of the footage is so good.
Rather than climbing to the 2430 metres summit, you could sit back at home, relax and enjoy this virtual tour of Machu Picchu. Definitely worth it, if you can’t travel at the moment.
Take the free virtual tour of Machu Picchu here.
Virtual Museum Tours
Some museums are free to visit, such as the British Museum in London, while other museums require the purchase of a ticket. And some tickets are expensive, such as the Louvre Museum in Paris at €17 per adult.
One great way to saving money while you travel, is with a virtual tour of these great museums around the world.
All of which we might add are free.
The Louvre Museum, Paris
We visited the Louvre Museum, on our trip to Paris and enjoyed looking at the art work on display. But a lot of the time, we had to wrestle with the crowds, especially at the Mona Lisa. There are so many tourists trying to get a picture of the famous painting.
Yet the virtual tour of the Louvre Museum, changed the experience. It is free to enter the virtual tour, compared to the €17.00 a ticket per adult to enter the museum in Paris, plus we could wander around the museum, virtually of course, at our own leisure, without the crowds. Not a single person in sight, pure bliss.
The Louvre Museum, is the largest art museum in the world, holding up to about 38,000 objects.
Select a room at a time and navigate each piece of art on display. Take a closer look at the works of art or find out more information on the piece, by selecting the information or magnifying icon.
This 360-degree virtual tour, also provided great quality imagery of each individual displays.
We don’t like to find any negatives, but there was just one. The information on the website was all in French. There was no option to change the language to English.
Needless to say, this is a great free virtual tour, if you want to travel the world on a budget.
Take a free virtual tour of the Louvre Museum in Paris
British Museum, London
This basic virtual tour of the British Museum in London, takes you around the various exhibition rooms. View exhibits from ancient civilisation, including ancient Egyptian, Asian and African antiques.
Get yourself a cup of tea, sit back, relax and enjoy the crowd less British Museum from the comfort of your own home.
Take the British Museum Virtual Tour here.
Vatican Museum, Vatican City
Located in Vatican City and is home to various different works of art and sculptures. However, you don’t need to book a flight to visit this famous museum, unless of course you want to do some travelling around Rome and Italy.
With a choice of 14 rooms with 360-degree uninterrupted views of each room. The most popular rooms to make a point of exploring is the Raphael room and Sistine Chapel.
The quality of the virtual tour is incredible, with so much detail and colour bouncing through your screen. It really does feel like you’re in the Sistine Chapel.
Take the Vatican Museum virtual tour here.
Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, Washington DC
If you’re anything like us and could spend hours wandering around a museum, then Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History in Washington DC, is the place to visit. But you don’t have to visit DC for this museum.
Over the 3 floors learn about the natural history, mammals, fossils, humans, the oceans, insects and geology.
Spend a night at the museum, from the comfort of your own home, or just spend a few days exploring each exhibition and floor. All of which you will have to yourself in this 360-degree free virtual tour.
Take the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History virtual tour.
Tomb of Queen Meresankh III, Giza, Egypt
If you haven’t yet made it to Giza in Egypt, then take a trip into the Tomb of Queen Meresankh III for free.
Be taken deep into the tomb and immerse yourself with the great quality of the virtual tour. The quality is so good and detailed, that it could easily be mistaken for standing in the tomb in Egypt.
The detailed descriptions around the tour, helps you learn more about the Tomb of Queen Meresankh III.
Immerse yourself at the Tomb of Queen Meresankh III here.
Virtual Tour in space
Space travel hasn’t been invented yet, but you could with these epic virtual tours in space.
Yes, that’s right, you can take a virtual tour in space. Find the right one for you.
Mars
Be a space explorer and travel millions of miles, just to land and explore the terrain on Mars.
But you must be thinking why would we add Mars to our list of best virtual tours, especially when space travel isn’t possible yet?
Well, we picked this one, because it’s just so interesting. We are a bit of a nerd when it comes to the planets in our solar system. So, if you’re anything like us, you will enjoy your Mars trip.
Start with the immersive story of landing on Mars, before taking the Curiosity Rover out onto the Martian lands, to examine the terrain.
NASA have done pretty well in our opinion to produce this interesting virtual tour.
The 360-degree footage of the Martian planet have been taken from Curiosity Rover, that took photographs of the terrain, which has been produced for you to experience.
Learn more about the expedition to Mars, what Curiosity Rover is made up of, what NASA established from their mission and the landscape and surface.
You can tell your friends and family that you have visited Mars, even though it may have been virtually.
Take an expedition to Mars with NASA virtual tour.
Street Art Virtual Tours
Most cities around the world have some epic street art on display.
Instead of getting lost, or being out in the elements, why not check out these street art virtual tours
Street Art
Taking a walking tour around a city to see the local street art is a must. But if you can’t travel, then this street art tour will have to do.
A collection of different street art tours from around the world, however the majority is located in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Many of the works of art located around the cities, have been created by famous street artists.
Our favourite street art virtual tour was Artscape 2014.
The awesome audio, provides small snippets of information on street art, the creator and the area. The visual aspect is from Google maps.
Sadly, some of the Google map images are either not up to date, did not display the street art clearly, or there wasn’t art in the area in question.
Although Artscape 2014 was far better.
Explore the street art from around the world
National Parks Virtual Tour
Want to get out into the wild, but don’t want to break out in a sweat? Then these National Park virtual tours will be right up your street.
National Park Hikes
A choice of 5 different U.S National Parks, from Kayaking through a glacier in Alaska and learning more about the receding ice, fly over a volcano in Hawaii and explore the lava tubes, to going under water in Florida and dive a shipwreck, swim in coral reef without getting wet and so much more.
This lovely National Parks virtual tour through the USA, has great audio narrated by experts, offering knowledgeable information and the affects the climate has had on the area. Sound effects and 360-degree footage brings the experience to life.
This awesome National Parks virtual tour should keep those symptoms of itchy feet at bay.
Break out in a sweat with these National Park Hikes.
Europe Virtual Tours
Take a tour around Europe, with these awesome and informative virtual tours.
Shakespeare’s Globe, London
Audiences from far and wide have come to watch one of Shakespeare’s plays, since this open-air theatre opened hundreds of years ago.
Learn more about Shakespeare’s Globe, through photography, audio clips and video footage of performances.
Some of the audio clips you hear are from the original recordings from the Midsummers Night Dream. Now that is like no other and is an incredible experience.
Anne Frank House, Amsterdam
Ever since we read Anne Frank’s diary, we have had Anne Frank Museum on our bucket list of places to visit in Europe.
But you must have heard the queue to visit the museum will often go around the block in Amsterdam.
Well, the anticipated wait is over, as we explore Anne Frank’s House for free.
Anne Frank, her family, another family and a dentist hid in the attic in Amsterdam during World War II. In her early years and even when she was in hiding, she wrote in her diary.
The attic has since been opened as a museum and a free virtual tour.
Explore each tiny room in the annex, as it was called. Learn about what life was like living in hiding, through facts and video footage.
The quality of the tour is great, with detailed images of each room. Navigating the tour is just a simple click of the button.
The best part about this tour, is that you don’t have to queue to get in, no crowds, it is completely free and we could take it at our own pace.
We can’t wait to finally make it to Amsterdam to visit Anne Frank’s House.
Anne Frank’s House Virtual Tour
Conclusion
We know that taking a virtual tour is never the same thing, compared to visiting these locations on holiday, but it is still great to experience travel, when travel isn’t possible.
We have selected a range of things to do, to get your out travelling, be that a free museum tour, to the great wide ocean and to places travelers have never been.
So, whether travel costs too much, or you’re not able to travel at the moment, at least you can be inspired with these free virtual tours from around the world.
They have certainly inspired us to want to travel and to plan our next trip.
Have you done any Virtual Tours? What was your best Virtual Tour? Is there a virtual tour you did but we haven’t mentioned? Leave a comment below, we’d love to hear from you.
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