During this unprecedented time when many of us are staying home, there are still ways that we can travel. Thanks to the initiatives offered by museums, galleries, and zoos amongst others, you could easily spend an entire afternoon (or even day!) exploring these virtual tours! Without leaving the comfort of your home, indulge in your wanderlust and go on a tour across museums and continents, where you can visit history from thousands of years ago or go on live safaris happening every day!

Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History

Starting in the capital of the United States, the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History in Washington, D.C. is offering virtual museum tours, letting you wander through their fascinating exhibits, starting right in the main rotunda with an 11-ton African elephant named Henry. In addition to the permanent and current exhibits, you can also view a few of their past exhibits such as the Former Fossil Hall.

The Vatican Museum

Next, head over to Europe where you can visit the Vatican Museum in Vatican City! There are seven virtual tours of different parts of the museum. Explore at your own leisure – walking through the Sistine Chapel, admiring its famous ceiling, or the Niccoline Chapel with its fresco paintings.

&Beyond Live Safaris

Journey next to the southern part of Africa and join in on live game drives twice a day! Expert guides from game reserves in South Africa post live ~3 hour game drives in the morning and afternoon (CAT time zone) on Facebook and Youtube each day. They’ll also be posting some live videos on Instagram. For more information, check out &Beyond’s Wildwatch Live or head over to their Youtube channel to tune in!

Google Arts & Culture

Thanks to Google Arts & Culture, you have the chance to walk through these next incredible museums. You can choose to spend the afternoon strolling through the exhibits and spaces. If you want to dive in to learn more about specific displays, check out their collection of stories or click on one of the items listed to learn more about it.

Uffizi Gallery

Housed over two floors in a 16th century building, the Uffizi Gallery in Florence, Italy holds an incredible collection of paintings, drawings, sculptures, and books. Located on the banks of the Arno River near the famous Ponte Vecchio, the building was originally built for the Medici family and holds a large collection of ancient Roman busts and sculptures that belonged to the family. Beyond being able to walk through the gallery with Google Arts & Culture, you can learn more about individual paintings (there’s over 150 available) or read through the stories offered to learn more about specific paintings or artists.

The British Museum

Having been open since the mid-18th century, The British Museum in London, England is the world’s oldest national public museum. It is also the largest indoor street view offered on Google – great for spending an afternoon walking around the Great Court or meandering through its many exhibits on a virtual museum tour.  Through Google Arts & Culture, there are over forty online exhibits offered, covering a variety of topics, as well as over 7,000 items you can learn about. In addition to those, the British Museum is also offering over 60 galleries to be explored virtually through their website!

Museu de Arte de São Paulo (MASP)

Why not head to South America for your next museum visit? The Museu de Arte de São Paulo opened in 1947 and is considered to be the first modern museum in Brazil. Housed since 1968 in a distinctive glass and concrete building, the inside picture gallery is also unique in its design. Rather than hanging the pictures on the walls in ways many other galleries do, the artwork is spaced throughout the room.  Containing paintings, sculptures, and other items, the MASP collection currently holds more than 8,000 pieces from all over the world. View 6 online exhibits, learn about more than 1,000 pieces, or go on your own virtual museum tour with Google Arts & Culture.

National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art

From South America, we journey next across the Pacific to South Korea and the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art. First opened in 1969, the museum has since expanded to include four branches and is home to both Korean and international art. Through Google Arts & Culture, enjoy a virtual tour of the museum spaces with different street view options or learn more from their online exhibits and selection of over 200 items.

Have you been to any of these before?

Did one of these locations inspire you to want to visit?

Let Bell & Bly Travel help you plan your next vacation when we can journey out and explore our beautiful world again, without a screen.