With the mainstream travel industry experiencing a period of downfall amid the coronavirus pandemic, adventure seekers were forced to postpone their plans to travel the world. But even in a pandemic, there are still some alternate ways to experience wanderlust, and that includes the possibilities of exploring the world of virtual reality.
Various travel companies have adapted to the pandemic and acknowledge the new reality. They started turning guided tours into digital experiences available to anyone with a WiFi connection. Thus, it is definitely an explosive phase of virtual tourism. And people are becoming used to these remote technologies that bring the world to their office or living room.
1. Flyover Zone
Flyover Zone is a famous virtual travel company that arranges many enjoyable virtual tours to awesome historical locations, and the most important cultural heritage sites in the world. Their fun virtual tours, led by subject matter experts. This allows you to see the place up close and give you insights into how heritage sites originally looked through 3D modeling.
The most famous virtual tour of this company is to Baalbek Reborn. Baalbek was a part of the ancient Roman Empire but built thousands of years before Rome. It is a historical site in Lebanon as famous as places like Pompeii and Machu Picchu.
Flyover Zone has partnered with the German Archaeological Institute to bring this virtual travel experience. You can see areas that are forbidden and even travel back in time and see what this amazing site looked liked centuries before. The tour is led by the people who excavated the site and brought the ancient world to life. Luckily, this tour is free of cost.
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Amazon Explore
The company that sells almost anything and everything recently added Amazon Explore – Live Virtual Travel like walking on landmarks and cooking classes. Experiences are streamed live one to one with a host, and two-way audio allows for a lot of interaction.
You can browse through a variety of options to find the virtual experience of your choice. Many experiences enable people to buy artisan products, supporting small businesses, by letting guests purchase unique “souvenir” items.
An amazing virtual tour of this agency is Explore Australian wilderness. In this, you can explore hidden natural beauty in the wild valleys surrounding Sydney. You will learn about the native flora and fauna and get to explore spectacular cliffs and caves in the Berowra Valley National Park. The cost for this virtual tour is $ 40.
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Airbnb
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Airbnb is the topmost company in the travel industry. When the pandemic broke out, Airbnb transformed its popular travel experiences into a 100% virtual travel platform. So now they offer fantastic sessions that allow entrepreneurs around the world to connect with travelers through Zoom and share their experiences.
Aurora hunting in Iceland is one of their famous virtual tours. Spend two hours with your local host in search of the Northern Lights. Your host will teach you all about the natural wonders with live sessions and take you for real, to those incredible places. The price of this tour is $ 30.
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Eventbrite
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Eventbrite enables enterprises to share their events with a wide community. The service hosts millions of international events and experiences annually. During the pandemic, they collaborated with event creators to bring virtual travel experiences to the consumers. Their virtual travel business grew with more than 1 million events online and more than 75 million attendees globally.
One of their famous virtual tours is the Virtual Tour of Ancient Egypt. It is for people interested in the history and legacy of Egypt’s most famous king. A licensed tour guide will moderate this event live from Egypt with a local expert. Together they will explore the tomb of King Tutankhamun, the golden mask, and the wonders of the Cairo Museum. This tour is priced at $10.
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Indagare
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Indagare launched its Global Classroom to give private lessons for people searching for new experiences. The company offers a variety of choices, like cooking classes, guided wine, and mixology tastings, and history tours.
One of their famous virtual tours is Wine tasting with Schramsberg and Davies Vineyards. Take a virtual trip to Schramsberg, the second oldest winery in Napa Valley, and meet the second-generation winemaker. He will guide you through some of the varieties of wine and explain the history of the Northern California coast winery. The cost of this tour is –prices on request.
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Arigato Japan Food Tours
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Arigato Japan Food Tours arranges virtual food experiences with local hosts. The company deems these experiences to be the modern style of traveling and exploration. With every experience, you’ll make new friends in Japan and incredible local connections for traveling in the future.
Green teatime in Shizuoka is one of their popular virtual tours. Here you will learn about the magic of green tea, its relevance in Japanese culture, and why this place is so popular for its green tea. Plus, you’ll get all the tips you need to make the perfect tea at home. The cost of this tour is $ 15.
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Intrepid Urban Adventures
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Intrepid’s new Urban Adventures Virtual Tours allows families who live miles apart to virtually connect with local guides and their families around the world through hands-on experiences that give an insight into local culture and traditions. Currently, the tour comprises four experiences, which will be expanded to include other experiences and travel destinations in the coming months.
Online Krakow Experience: Pierogi’s Traditional Cooking Class, is one of the most loved virtual tours of this company. With this, you can learn how to make authentic Polish pierogi from the beginning. Join a Krakow-based chef from his own kitchen to learn the tricks of this awesome cuisine. Also, you will learn some trivia about the Polish culture and language. The cost of this tour starts at $ 29.
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Google Arts & Culture
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A partner of more than 2,000 museums and archives around the world, Google Arts & Culture is a virtual travel company that enables viewers to experience the art and artifacts of the world. world. High-resolution imagery, virtual reality, and interactive experiences bring these online cultural events to life.
The most famous virtual tour of this company is 9 Amazing New York Street Art Murals. Here you can visit the sites of impressive artworks in the streets of New York City. With virtual travel tours, you can “walk” through the streets. This is a free tour.
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ToursByLocals
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This travel company connects travelers with local guides in 193 countries. It has 175 live private virtual travel experiences to offer. You can chat in real-time with a local guide and take different experiences like cooking sessions, history tours, or walking tours.
Tokyo Cherry Blossoms Tour is one of their famous tours. Here you can explore Japan’s national Sakura or Cherry blossom flower, which is a symbol of renewal and optimism. Much of Japanese culture has been inspired by them.
Connect with your Tokyo-based guide as you virtually tour the gorgeous cherry blossoms, and go for a virtual picnic and explore the Japanese culture and cuisine. This tour is priced at $ 125.
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Jane Austen House Museum
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In some cases, individual tourist sites have turned their regular tours into virtual travel tours. The Jane Austen House Museum in the UK did the same when the lockdown was imposed. Later, trustees discovered unique ways to keep their fans busy with online events and a virtual tour of the famous writer’s home.
With this tour, you can experience a 360-degree virtual tour of the Jane Austen House. Introduced last October, anyone can explore Austen’s home without having to travel. Guided tours provide avid fans with an exciting resource to know more about Jane Austen. This tour is priced at $ 7.
Thus, all of these virtual tours are enriching, enjoyable, and offer a pleasant experience. Although they can’t compete with the real-life experience, still they are not that far. And, thus they are a great and the safest alternative for travelers, in times of pandemic. Do consider booking your virtual travel soon, and it will totally be a worthy experience.
If you want to discover the top virtual experiences of 2021, then read our blog.
