Do you want to travel, but circumstances are preventing you from doing so? Thankfully, the internet enables you to visit multiple destinations around the world in real time. No plane tickets, visas, or long flights necessary!
If you have a laptop, a smartphone, or a VR device and a reliable Wi-Fi connection, you are all set to take these virtual tours for free.
1. African Safari
WildEarth relies on safari vehicles, guides on foot, drones, balloons, rovers and remote cams to capture some of Africa's most iconic animals in their own habitats. You can interact with an expert game ranger hosting the safari while you watch.
2. The White House
At 55,000 square feet, the White House has 6 floors, 132 rooms (16 are family guest rooms), 35 bathrooms, 28 fireplaces, eight staircases, three elevators, 412 doors and 147 windows.
Thanks to Google Arts and Culture, you can enjoy a walk through the most famous residence in the US without having to worry about the Secret Service.
3. Discover India
You can visit the Taj Mahal and other iconic Indian sites via the official Indian government's immersive Audio Odigos app.
Once the app is downloaded Audio Odigos does not require Wi-Fi or an Internet connection. You can choose a destination and download all the chapters of the destination you are visiting in one go and enjoy your tour offline.
Download: Audio Odigos for Android | iOS (Free)
4. Sydney Opera House
The Sydney Opera House offers exclusive live streams of their performances, inclusive of original new digital programming direct from Sydney Opera House. It's free when you sign up.
5. Northern Lights (Aurora Borealis)
The Northern Lights most commonly appear between 5:00 pm and 2:00 am.
A good display may last for no longer than 15-30 minutes at a time, although if you're really lucky, they could last for a few hours. Norway's lights over Lapland project enables you to experience the Northern Lights via VR.
6. The Grand Canyon
The most popular hiking trail into the Grand Canyon is the Bright Angel Trail. Google's Street View Trek enables you to virtually hike it.
7. Paris Catacombs
Beneath the City of Paris is a 200 mile series of macabre tunnels containing the bones of 6 million people. As photographer Felix Nadar put it, the catacombs are one of those places "everyone wants to see and no one wants to see again". You can see the catacombs for yourself with this virtual tour.
8. Christ the Redeemer Statue
Located at the peak of the 700-metre (2,300 ft) Corcovado mountain in the Tijuca Forest National Park, overlooking the city of Rio de Janeiro, the Christ the Redeemer statue is the largest art deco statue in the world. You can skip the 200-step climb to the top via this stunning virtual tour set to soothing jazz by Kenny G.
9. Roman Colosseum
Fans of the Gladiator movie will no doubt recall the legendary fight scenes in the colosseum.
In real life, the colosseum was used as an entertainment venue for 390 years. During that time more than 400,000 people and 1 million animals died inside the Colosseum. You can virtually visit the real colosseum on AirPano.
10. Brooks Falls, Alaska
EXPLORE is the largest live nature cam network on the planet.
If you are a fan of bears, the livestream of Brooks Falls in Alaska's Katmai National Park is the best place in the world to watch brown bears feasting on salmon as they swim upstream to spawn. EXPLORE offers a multicam experience of various virtual tours both on land and under the sea.
11. New York Times Square
Would you like to visit Times Square in New York right this very moment? EarthCam takes you on an aerial and street-level tour of the square, complete with audio.
12. Marine Life Virtual Dive
America's National Marine Sanctuary System is a network of underwater parks encompassing more than 600,000 square miles of marine and Great Lakes waters, and now you can visit these amazing places in the blink of an eye through virtual reality.
If you're on a desktop, click and drag to experience in 360 degrees, or pair your phone with your virtual reality headset. For the best viewing experience, watch the video in high-definition: click the gear symbol in the lower right corner, then select any of the HD options that pop up when you click "Quality."
Hot Tip: Amazon Explore
Amazon Explore enables you to virtually tour the world's cities and experience local culture with the help, or rather the company, of local guides or hosts.
Amazon Explore experiences are not free. However, if you’re an Amazon Prime member, your first experience of up to $50 is free with the promo code FREEFUN for a limited time.
How to get a free Amazon Explore experience:
- Visit Amazon Explore.
- Select and schedule an experience that is $50 or less. Use the code FREEFUN at checkout. This will reduce your cost to zero.
- Meet Your Host: When it’s time for your livestreamed session, show up at your computer and meet up with your host.
- Explore: The session is private and just for you, so ask questions, take pictures, and focus on what interests you the most.
Virtual Travel Is Here to Stay
For travelers who have various physical impairments—mobile, visual, auditory—virtual tours are a great way to visit destinations that were once off limits. Needless to say, those with financial limitations are equally empowered to visit places they otherwise could not afford.
If you are worried about global warming, traveling via internet is a great way to reduce your carbon footprint and avoid flight shaming while seeing the world.
And of course there are the time savings. You may not have the time to see the world in your lifetime. With virtual travel, you can visit a new continent every day.