Do you remember when we were free to travel the world to our hearts content? Ahh, seems like such a long time ago, doesn't it?!
Sadly, borders are likely to be shut for some time to come whilst we collectively strategise to keep Covid-19 under control. Until our scientific communities find a vaccine, relishing in the world's natural and human-made wonders can only be something we dream about.
Well, perhaps things aren't quite as bad as they seem.
While it may not be possibly for us to physically travel, it doesn't mean we can't travel virtually.
We've been tracking down a number of great free virtual tours, covering some of the world's most incredible places. We've already found plenty, but we're going to continuing looking and adding to our list, so make sure you subscribe below to be notified of future updates.
Embark on These FREE Virtual Tours of the World
So, let's see where we can visit from the comfort and safety of our homes. For ease, we've arranged our list of free virtual tours in alphabetical order by ISO country code.
Bahamas
This free virtual tour seems a bit limited to begin with, but once you start clicking around, the number of things to click on increases and the tour improves. The beauty of the Bahamas certainly helps to make this an enjoyable experience.
Giza, Egypt
Explore the Tomb of Queen Meresankh III in this astonishingly good free virtual tour. The image quality is incredible, there's stacks of things to click on and you can wander about as you please. Unmissable!
Faroe Islands
The Faroese tourism board have taken a very unique approach to their free virtual tour. A member of their team straps a live streaming camera to their head and guests are encouraged to 'control' them using a virtual game controller. You can even make them run and jump. It's a daft idea, but it works!
London, England (UK)
Starting atop the London Eye, this free virtual tour gives users a simple interface for browsing 360° photos of London's most famous attractions. It's not a particularly immersive experience, but it's a fun way of seeing some of the views you can't currently enjoy in person.
Petra, Jordan
This highly polished free virtual tour of the rose-red city of Petra, Jordan is provided by Google. What we really like about this experience is that there's a commentary, giving explorers the chance to feel like they're on an actual walking tour.
Machu Pichu, Peru
This free virtual tour of Machu Pichu in Peru mixes 360° photos and an informative commentary to give an intimate and fascinating insight into the history of this famous 15th century Inca citadel.
Kraków, Poland
A surprisingly extensive free virtual tour of the beautiful Polish city of Kraków. The computer-generated commentary can get a bit annoying, but you can turn it off if you wish. There's plenty of photos, videos and information to keep you sightseeing for hours.
Ljubljana, Slovenia
Not content with 360° photos, Ljubljana opts for 360° videos. If you have a VR headset (like Google Cardboard for example), you can get a truly immersive experience. Otherwise, it's easy to spin around and enjoy what's on offer.
British Virgin Islands
A simple list of webcam, some just still photos taken on a schedule, others a live video. We were on the fence about including this in our list, but the views are so splendid, we couldn't resist.
Austin, Texas, USA
A simple slideshow of 360° photos taken from around what appears to be a very pleasant and liveable city.
Have you discovered any free virtual tours?
That's our list for now. We're still looking for more free virtual tours to include here, so make sure you subscribe below to stay in the loop.
If you discover a free virtual tour that you think is good enough to make the list, please let us know in the comment below.
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I struggle with PTSD, finding these virtual tours has brought me such peace. Thank you!
Jay
Pennsylvania, USA
Hi Jay. Thanks for your comment. We’re delighted to hear our article has been of use to you. We hope you continue to find peace. If you find any other good virtual tours, do let us know.
I appreciate how this travel blog emphasizes sustainable tourism and responsible travel practices. It’s important to preserve the beauty of these destinations for future generations. Kudos to the author for promoting responsible travel!