Google is constantly looking at ways to make it easier to explore the real world. Whether physically or virtually.

The company announced on The Keyword that it is adding a new feature coming to search that makes it so you can virtually explore over 100 important cultural sites worldwide without hopping on a plane.

This comes right after Google announced that it is killing off the Expeditions virtual reality application. While not the same, the new feature offers similar functionality but should be accessible to far more users.

To get access to this feature, you must search in English for information about one of the supported locations. While browsing the wealth of information offered by Google, you can click on the "About" section to see a link to the virtual tour.

Click that link and then get ready to be whisked away through a collection of street view images, photos, artifacts, and other imagery. Google says it gets high-resolution images from the company's Arts & Culture collection.

google virtual tour

While these virtual tours can't replace being there, they give you a feel for what the experience will be like. Google did point out that you'll be able to see some of the artwork and artifacts from famous museums, but the company will leave some things for an actual visit. Still, limitations or not, the tours are quite enjoyable.

In these times where traveling isn't an option for many people, this is an excellent opportunity for Google to roll out a feature like this. It could also be useful for planning where you'd like to travel once things settle down again.

Where Can You Take These Virtual Tours?

Google announced that it has more than 100 cultural locations you can visit through Search. Unfortunately, the company didn't release a full list of places, so you'll have to do some experimenting to see if the places you're curious about are supported.

The company's blog post did announce and link to some locations you can visit, though. For example, you can get tours of the Palace of Versailles in France, the Palace Museum in China, Sicily's Valley of the TemplesMount Haguro in Japan, the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian in the US, and Brazil's Museu Nacional de Belas Artes.

Whichever cultural location you end up visiting, you're sure to learn a lot about the world while you have a good time seeing the places you can't physically travel to for the time being.