Whilst we may not be able to physically travel right now, with the help of the internet, we can virtually travel. There are endless options for online travel experiences you can try in the comfort of your own home. Whether you’re an animal enthusiast, history buff, or nature lover, there’s a virtual travel experience for you.

Animal Experiences

Taronga Zoo, Sydney

Sydney’s Taronga Zoo has set up live animal cams where you can watch the cuddly creatures 24/7. The live streams include tigers, elephants, meerkats, and seals as well as informational talks from the zookeepers.

If you’re wanting to take your experience to the next level, you can explore the zoo using Google Expeditions. Simply download the Google Expeditions app and tour the zoo in Augmented Reality or Virtual Reality. If you do wish to tour the zoo in VR, you will need VR goggles. Otherwise, make your own pair using the Google cardboard instructions.

San Diego Zoo

San Diego Zoo in California is home to over 3,500 species of animals and has been voted the number 1 zoo in the world. The zoo has a number of live cameras where you can watch your favourite animals and their daily antics from your living room. The live streams include baboons, penguins, pandas, tigers, giraffes, koalas, polar bears, and more.

Kyoto Cat Cafe

If you’ve been to Japan, you’ll know how common animal cafes are. From shibas, hedgehogs, owls, and snakes, Japan has no shortage of animal experiences in their funky cafes. Now you don’t even need to travel to take part in the trend. Neko Cafe in Kyoto now has a 24/7 live stream of their 12 cuddly cats running, sleeping, and playing in their cozy home.

Ouwehans Dierenpark, Netherlands  

For a change of scenery, check out the Ouwehans Zoo in the Netherlands. The conservation park has an unbelievably cute livestream of two baby polar cubs and their mother. The adorable trio are often spotted playing, digging, and getting up to mischief. The zoo also has a livestream of giant panda bears who are just as entertaining.

Sea Life Aquarium, Sydney

Sea Life Aquarium in Sydney allows you to discover the mysterious marine life with its recently launched Tank TV. The 24/7 live streams show seals, turtles, fish, sharks, and dugongs swimming in their underwater world. The aquarium also offers informational talks from the aquarists about their day-to-day interactions with the marine life.

History Experiences

Museum of Natural History

If you’ve ever wanted to take a self-guided tour of the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History, you can now do so online. The museum allows visitors to take a virtual room-by-room tour of select exhibits. With three floors to explore, the museum offers incredible exhibitions including dinosaurs and fossils, African artefacts, ancient Egyptian displays, a butterfly pavilion, and a hall of sea monsters.

Tokyo National Museum, Japan

Thanks to Google Arts and Culture, you can now take a virtual ‘walk-through’ tour of the Tokyo National Museum. As Japan’s oldest museum and one of the largest museums in the world, there are over 100,000 spectacular artefacts to admire. You can explore more than 100 of these incredible treasures in the virtual tour. The best part? No crowds blocking the amazing displays.

NASA

If you’ve ever wanted to be an astronaut, now is your chance. NASA has some incredible virtual tours on both its website and mobile app. Take a tour of the inside of an aircraft hangar, enjoy a guided tour of the International Space Station, and explore 360-degree views of our solar system. With the mobile app, you can learn about NASA’s most fascinating aircraft, study earth through a telescope, and take a selfie in a spacesuit for a real astronaut experience.

Anne Frank House

The museum is currently closed but you can still tour the Anne Frank House online! Thanks to the internet, you can explore the secret annex where Anne Frank hid for more than 2 years during WWII. The virtual tour allows you to discover each room in the house where the Frank family went into hiding. With informational videos and voice-overs from a guide, it feels like your very own private tour.

Palace Museum Beijing

The Palace Museum, or as its more commonly known, the Forbidden City, attracts millions of visitors every year. Despite the palace now being closed, you can explore parts of the museum, without actually stepping foot inside. The virtual tour of the Forbidden City allows you to travel through the palace and explore its many beautiful buildings.

Art Experiences

Picasso Museum

With over 4,000 artworks, the Picasso Museum in Barcelona holds the largest collection of art pieces created by Pablo Picasso. Take a virtual tour to the courtyards of the Museum and tour the houses that Picasso lived and worked in. Enjoy a 360-degree view of some of the best-preserved medieval architecture in Barcelona as well as some of the most stunning paintings.

Ufizzi Gallery Florence

For art lovers, the Ufizzi Gallery in Florence is a must-see. As one of the world’s top art museums, it contains an incredible collection of artwork including pieces from Michelangelo, Raphael, and Leonardo da Vinci. Explore the museum online and take a virtual walking tour of the ancient statues and Greek sculptures, famous paintings from the Renaissance period, as well as precious works from Florentine artists.

MOMA

The Museum of Modern Art in New York is home to some of the most famous modern art pieces in the world. Despite the museum being temporarily closed, you can still enjoy the artworks online. Each week the museum hosts a virtual tour of an exhibition, providing an insight into the art piece, a history of the artist, and a live Q&A session for viewers to take part in.

Van Gogh Museum

The Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam is dedicated to the famous paintings and drawings of Vincent Van Gogh. The museum holds over 200 post-impressionist paintings, 500 drawings, and more than 750 letters. Google Arts & Cultures allows virtual visitors to take a walking tour to admire the incredible art pieces displayed over 3 floors of the museum.

The Lourve

If The Lourve is on your bucket list, then why not take a sneak peek inside with a virtual tour. Skip the crowds and enjoy an online walking tour of numerous exhibitions and displays. Or if you want to see the most famous piece inside the Lourve, download the VR Mona Lisa smartphone app. While taking in the stunning views, you can learn about the creative process and painting techniques behind Leonardo da Vinci’s masterpiece.

Nature Experiences

Cliffs of Moher, Ireland

Whilst you may not be able to physically travel to Ireland right now, that doesn’t mean you can’t travel there virtually. The Cliffs of Moher are both a historical landmark and a geographical wonder. Thanks to Google, you can take a 360-degree tour of the incredible cliffs, exploring their natural beauty and magnificent structures. You can also browse the gift shop and explore the on-site museum!

Yosemite National Park

Tour one of America’s most stunning destinations without even leaving the house. Virtual Reality photographer Scott Highson has created an incredible virtual tour of the breathtaking Yosemite National Park. The online adventure allows virtual travellers to experience over 220 different locations within the park. The high definition panoramas boast incredible views of Yosemite’s soaring cliffs, peaceful waterfalls, and famous walking trails.

Uluru, Australia

Uluru in Australia’s Red Centre is on the bucket list of many travellers and is another incredible destination that can be explored online. The virtual tours offer 360-degree views of the Uluru-Kata-Tjuta National Park as well as audio clips from the traditional owners of the land, the Anangu people. You can discover the Mutitjulu waterhole, explore the Mutitjulu cave, and embark on a journey along the famous Kuniya walk.

Katmai National Park, Alaska

Alaska’s Katmai National Park and Reverse has installed webcams to capture the incredible sight of brown bears fishing for salmon in Brooks River. The webcams allow virtual visitors to explore other parts of the National Park including Dumpling Mountain, Naknek Lake, and the Naknek River where you can spot Beluga Whales in the spring.

7 Wonders of the World

Why stop at one when you can see them all? You can now take virtual tours of all 7 Wonders of the World. Take a virtual hike along the Great Wall of China. Discover the ancient world of Petra in Jordan. Take a tour of the incredible Taj Mahal in India. Enjoy a walking tour of the famous Colosseum in Rome. Admire the stunning architecture of the pyramids of Chichen Itza in Mexico. Take a virtual trek of Macchu Picchu and take in the breathtaking scenery. See Christ the Redeemer and enjoy panoramic views of Brazil.

Music & Theatre Experiences

Sydney Opera House Performances

For music and performance lovers, Sydney Opera House offers a full program of weekly shows that you can watch online for free. The unmissable performances include contemporary and classical music, dance and opera, and never-before-seen footage live from the Opera House. With new videos uploaded each week, you’ll never be short of amazing content.

Broadway HD

For the theatre lovers out there, meet Broadway HD. As a streaming service specifically for musicals, Broadway HD offers a selection of professionally filmed theatre performances. Some of the most popular musicals currently on the streaming service include Pippin, Les Miserables, The Phantom of the Opera, Billy Elliott, Cats, and Jesus Christ Superstar. Subscriptions for Broadway HD cost $8.99/month with a free week to trial the service.

The 24 Hour Plays

Watch well-known actors perform short monologues that are all written, rehearsed and performed in 24 hours. Some of the stars include John Gallagher Jr., Kate Nash, Natalie Walker, David Hull, and Nick Blaemire. The highly entertaining (and hilarious) plays can be watched on the 24 Hour Plays IGTV.

Seattle Symphony

The musicians from the Seattle Symphony have come together to provide free performances that can be enjoyed online. With regular live streams on Youtube and Facebook, you can enjoy the performances from the comfort of your own home. You can also head over the Seattle Symphony website for Beyond the Stage content including guides on how to make your own instruments.

Cercle

For an electronic music fix, check out Cercle on YouTube. Cercle provides unique music experiences with broadcasts of DJs playing in unusual locations around the world. Some of the most iconic spots include Iguazu Falls in Argentina, the State Aviation Museum in Ukraine, and on top of a mountain in the French Alps. While you may not physically be in these amazing locations, they do provide the perfect backdrop for a virtual music experience.

What virtual travel experiences have you tried? If you have any to recommend, let me know!

Until the next adventure,
Jetsetter Soph