The team at Uswitch have compiled a list of the best virtual school trips and categorised them into subjects. From art to history, here are the most educational virtual tours to take when you can’t go outdoors.
Best virtual tours for budding scientists
From NASA research centres to United States Air Force museums, you can keep budding scientists happy with tours of the most famous museums and research centres around the world.
NASA: Langley Research Center, Virginia, USA
You can now look inside the gates of NASA’s Langley Research Center by taking the Virtual Tour.
Oxford University's History of Science Museum, Oxford, UK
Explore fantastic exhibits and artefacts from some of the most important scientific discoveries in science history. The museum has been offering virtual tours since 1995, so you can trust the quality of the tours today.
The National Museum of the United States Air Force, Ohio, USA
The virtual tour allows users to take a virtual, 360-degree, self-guided tour of the entire museum by navigating from gallery to gallery either by using a drop-down map or by following navigational arrows
Go back in time and experience history with these virtual tours
The ultimate list of historical buildings, ancient artefacts, religious artefacts, castles and government buildings that offer virtual tours that you can take right in the comfort of your own home.
Hagia Sophia, Istanbul, Turkey
Hagia Sophia is the former Greek Orthodox Christian patriarchal cathedral, later an Ottoman imperial mosque and now a museum in Istanbul, Turkey. Take a virtual tour around the Cathedral and explore its beautiful architecture.
The White House, Washington D.C., USA
From the Ground Floor Corridor rooms, transformed from their early use as service areas, to the State Floor rooms, where countless leaders and dignitaries have been entertained, take a virtual tour of the famous building.
The Acropolis of Athens is an ancient citadel (little city) located on a rocky outcrop above the city of Athens and contains the remains of several ancient buildings of great architectural and historic significance, the most famous being the Parthenon.
Visit the seven wonders right from your living room
From the Great Wall of China to the Taj Mahal, these historical man-made sites will have fuelled wanderlust for many travellers. Here’s how you can visit them all in an afternoon.
1. Great Wall of China, near Beijing, China
This Virtual Tour provided by The China Guide allows you to ‘walk’ along the wall with just a click of your mouse.
Leave your passport at home and grab your headphones to be immersed in this stunning city steeped in history and impressive architecture.
3. The Colosseum in Rome, Italy
Skip the crowds and take a virtual tour on YouTube - this hour-long walking tour of the Colosseum is filmed in pin-sharp 4K, immersing you into the action.
4. Chichen Itza, Yucatán, Mexico
Attracting more than 900,000 visitors each year, Chichén Itzá continues to be a historical wonder that is popular with tourists. Situated just 2 hours from tourist hot-spot Cancún, it’s a popular cultural excursion for many visiting Mexico.
5. Machu Picchu, Cusco Region, Peru
This virtual tour comes complete with a voiceover, educating and entertaining as you take in the spectacular scenery of Maccu Picchu.
6. Taj Mahal, Agra, Uttar Pradesh, India
Go behind the scenes of India’s Crown Jewel with this virtual tour from Google.
7. Christ the Redeemer, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
To reach the statue on foot, you’d scale around 200 steps, but you don’t need to with this virtual tour of the statue. This 360-view includes a guided tour with some interesting facts about the origins and construction.
Explore Egyptian antiquities and step back in time to view the remains of the Louvre’s Moat in these comprehensive virtual tours.
This online collection features more than 1,700 artworks from over 600 artists. This is a searchable database, so if there’s a particular piece you’d like to see you can search by name.
Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History
Explore nature from your living room with these high quality virtual tours. Use your mouse to navigate each room in the museum and click the camera icon for an up-close view of exhibits on display.
Part of Google’s Art and Culture Network, the tour takes you through the Van Gogh Museum allowing you to view the artworks up close.
Available through Google’s Arts & Culture programme, the Getty Museum is home to an eclectic range of impressive artworks and photography.
The Vatican Museum website contains seven virtual tours, which includes a 360 view of the famous Sistine Chapel.
Rather than a 360 tour, the multimedia section of the Thyssen-Bornemisza features short videos that delve behind the scenes.
Browse artworks from modernist artist Georgia O’Keeffe using Google’s virtual gallery.
Bring the zoo to you with these 3 virtual classrooms
With just a click of a mouse, you can visit some of the world’s best zoos for free. Many of these virtual school trips have educational resources such as worksheets and tasks, perfect for keeping the kids busy when they are stuck indoors.
Watch and Learn: Their dedicated educational site contains pre-recorded videos of the animals alongside extensive craft tutorials, downloadable colouring sheets and recipes, perfect for keeping them busy.
Live Cams: https://zoo.sandiegozoo.org/live-cams
Pre-recorded videos: https://kids.sandiegozoo.org/videos
Activities for Younger Kids: https://kids.sandiegozoo.org/activities
Chester Zoo Learning Resources
If the school trip can’t go to the zoo, bring the school trip to your kitchen table with these learning resources which can be filtered by educational stage, subject and topic. There’s something for every age to be getting along with if they are stuck inside.
For tiny tots aged between 3-5 there are downloadable animal masks, perfect for colouring in and wearing while on a FaceTime call with family to show off their artwork.
For kids aged 7+ take a look at these animal fact files. Ask them to pick out facts about each animal and write a paragraph to explain more about the specific species.
5 virtual tours for when you just need to relax
During this stressful time it is important to safeguard your emotional and mental wellbeing whilst spending a lot of time indoors.
Many aquariums, parks and tourist attractions around the world are offering virtual tours for free to help people stay curious and occupied.
Relax during golden hour by viewing the sunset off the Cliffs of Moher in Ireland. You can take a virtual tour of the famous Irish geological landmark on the Cliffs of Moher website.
2. The National Aquarium, Baltimore
The National Aquarium strives to enhance ocean and climate literacy for everyone, drawing from environmental justice principles in their ongoing work to battle climate change.
Discover the hidden worlds of the National Parks with a virtual tour that explores five of America’s most beautiful parks. From Kenai Fjords in Alaska to Dry Tortugas in Florida, these virtual tours will transport you to another world.
Sea-dwellers like African penguins and Beluga Whales are the stars of this aquarium's live cam. With lots of different live webcams from the Georgia Aquarium such as a Jelly webcam, African Penguin, Beluga Whale, Ocean Voyager, Piranha, Otter, Underwater Puffin and Sea Lion. You’ll have plenty of relaxation time to sit and watch all the interesting animals at this aquarium.
5. New England Aquarium, Boston
Join New England Aquarium for live presentations, new videos and activities that you can get involved in from home. Their daily presentations are posted every day at 11am. Watch as they feed the penguins and octopus and all the other animals that the aquarium has to offer, and unwind with the live stream from inside the giant ocean tank exhibit.
With so much fun to be had online, it’s worth making sure you’ve got a fast and reliable broadband connection. And check out our latest broadband deals to see if you could be getting better broadband at a cheaper price.
