12 Virtual Tours Bring Travel Home to You
Are you dreaming of traveling? We are, too! We are so lucky to have computers and the internet to explore destinations around the world, right from our couch. You can travel to New York City, Washington DC, The Louvre, Amsterdam, Vatican, Smithsonian, Italy, Guggenheim Museum, The Sistine Chapel, Great Wall of China and more. All from the comfort of your own home.
We searched the internet and found some of our favorite destinations with virtual tours (online tours) and experiences. We have been enjoying these free virtual tours at home. I hope this brings you and your family some happiness at home. 😀
Let’s dive in with one of our family favorites . . .
#12 Japan Virtual Tour
We love Japan! Last year (about this same time) we experienced several weeks in Tokyo and Kyoto. This trip was completely planned by our 15 year old. He had been studying Japanese as one of homeschool subjects. We wanted him to continue practicing what he learned, so he planned the whole trip to Japan.
It was an incredible trip for the whole family. You can enjoy our Best of Video from our Japan trip. This videos includes our favorite things in both Tokyo and Kyoto.
Turns out, we all fell in love with Japan. We even had a trip planned a few weeks ago that we had to cancel due to the quarantine. Don’t worry, we will back soon! We are hoping to head back in October for the changing of the leaves.
To add to the fun at home, how about trying some Japanese Candy? The kids loved trying all of the different candy from Japan. Here are some of their favorites.
We found a really cool virtual tour created by the Visit Japan. This is an amazing video showcasing the country of Japan. You can even watch it with Virtual Reality. Soooo cool!
#11 Hawaii Virtual Tour
One of our favorite destinations in the United States is Hawaii. We have been to all of the islands in Hawaii, including the Big Island.
Did you know there are several National Parks in Hawaii? One is located right on the Big Island called Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park.
During one of my recent visits, I got to see the Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park at night. The lava of the volcano was just glowing. It was amazing!
I was so excited to find this virtual tour in partnership with Google and National Parks. It is pretty amazing!
You even get to walk through one of the lava tubes. I did that on my last visit to Hawaii. Your kids will love this experience!
#10 Bryce Canyon Virtual Tour
One of Tim’s favorite places to visit is Bryce Canyon in Utah. We love the elevation changes and the beautiful red rock formations. Plus, Tim loves all of the hiking! This is one of our old videos of a hike through the Navajo Hiking Trail. The kids are so young, but it was an amazing hike through Bryce Canyon.
You can see and experience the beauty of Bryce Canyon with this National Parks virtual tour. Once it loads, click on Bryce Canyon on the right to watch.
#9 Dry Tortugas Virtual Tour
On the very tip of Florida past the Florida Keys and just 276 km from Cuba is the Dry Tortugas National Park. You can only get to this island by plane or ferry. Both are a little expensive, but worth it.
On our visit, we took the ferry from Key West to Dry Tortugas National Park. Be prepared for rough waters. You are going out in the open ocean and it can get rough.
Once you arrive to Dry Tortugas, you will be amazed. It is this little island in the middle of the ocean with an old fort taking up most of the island. This fort is called Fort Jefferson and was active with over 2000 residents over the Civil War.
Once you exit the ferry, you can explore the fort, snorkel around the island, and enjoy the beauty. We love to go to the top of the fort and look down into the water. You will see lots of sea life. On our trip, we saw sharks and sea turtles.
Here is a video from our trip to Dry Tortugas a few years ago.
The National Parks has another amazing virtual tour of Dry Tortugas.
I love this tour. It brings a little bit of history and beauty home to you. I also think this is a great tour to decide if Dry Tortugas is somewhere you want to visit in the future.
#8 Florida Beach Sunrise
In Florida, we have some spectacular sunrises and sunsets. You can come along with us as we enjoy a sunrise on the East Coast of Florida in Jacksonville Beach.
#7 San Diego Zoo Webcams
San Diego has so many fun things to do for families. A must do is the San Diego Zoo. This is one of The Jones Family’s favorite zoos. It is so much fun! You can watch our experience in San Diego and at the San Diego Zoo.
During the quarantine, the San Diego Zoo released a bunch of webcams. You can see the animals up close and almost in person. Our family favorite is the Koala Cam and the Pandas.
There are 12 different animals at the San Diego Zoo that you can follow.
#6 International Space Station Virtual Tour
Have you ever wanted to travel to space? I do I do!
Google Arts & Culture have a virtual tour of the International Space Station in partnership with NASA. Imagine this walking tour in space. This one is pretty cool!
#5 Georgia Aquarium Webcams
In the middle of Atlanta, Georgia sits the Georgia Aquarium. The Georgia Aquarium hosts one of my bucket list items. They offer behind the scenes swims with the whale sharks.
One of these days my daughter and I will experience this adventure. It is crazy cool!
For now, we can watch the whale sharks, penguins, or beluga whales live on the Georgia Aquarium web cam.
#4 Ride Mako at SeaWorld Orlando Virtual Tour
We are big roller coaster fans in our family. Anytime we can hop on a coaster, we do it. Especially Hunter (my daughter) and myself!
We were lucky enough to attend a media event for the opening of Mako at SeaWorld Orlando. This roller coaster is epic!
I was so excited to see Visit Orlando has a virtual ride of Mako! Once it loads, look for the circle that says Ride Mako. Click on that and away you go! This is an epic theme park ride at home.
#3 Lazy River at Aquatica by SeaWorld Virtual Tour
Ummm, yes please! We are big fans of Aquatica by SeaWorld. We were excited to see this virtual tour of Roa’s Rapids.
It is just like a lazy river, but just a little bit faster. This is a fun one to watch at home. It is very relaxing!
If you ever plan a visit to Aquatica by SeaWorld, check out this post about how to get a free cabana. 😉
#2 Machu Picchu in Peru Virtual Tour
Years ago, Tim and I went to Peru with Adventures by Disney. One day, Tim wants to bring the kids back to Peru.
With all of our travels, I think the people in Peru are some of the happiest people we have ever met.
A highlight in Peru is the incredible Machu Picchu. You can hop onto YouVisit to explore Machu Picchu with a virtual tour.
#1 Explore the World
I love this virtual tour! It reminds me of Soarin at Disney World. 😀 This videographer is truly amazing. I love watching his videos and live streams. This one is one of my favorites as he goes around the world.
There are so many amazing virtual tours to enjoy at home. Do you have a favorite? Leave a comment, so we can share with everyone else.
We know many families are still quarantined at home. When you are ready to travel, we are ready to help you.
