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10 virtual travel apps for oculus/meta quest 2.

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Travel is a major goal for many people, but it can be inaccessible even in the best of times because of financial and mobility-related barriers. As unfortunate as it is, some people may never have the chance to visit all the places they want to. But VR allows its users to not only explore virtual worlds but also get a better understanding of their own.

Between 360-degree breakdowns of the world, guided tour videos, and documentaries, VR allows people to get closer to the places of their dreams than was previously possible. Many travel apps even include interactive features, so the users can feel like they're actually able to connect with different cultures and topography. As systems like the Oculus/ Meta Quest 2 become more widely available, and as programmers and cinematographers put more effort into advancing the technologies, travel will truly be possible without having to leave home.

Traveling While Black

Traveling While Black is an Emmy-nominated VR experience that talks about the process of traveling, specifically focusing on the barriers that have been put in place for Black populations, in history and in the present. The experience takes advantage of every benefit VR offers, which helps its message connect with the audience.

While this is not a documentary that focuses on the freedom of VR, it does try to get its users to think outside their own bodies and life experiences to see how other people can be limited in their own freedom. It tells an incredibly important story, which deserves to be heard by those who have now gained a deeper level of freedom through the digital realm.

For those looking for a way to walk around the world, Wander is the app to download. The app's primary function is to allow users to navigate the world similarly to Google Maps' StreetView, allowing them to enter an address and be transported to that spot. This can be a great way to explore new areas or look back on places you used to live.

In addition to immersive imagery, users can use the historical jumping feature to see what different areas looked like over the years. Many famous landmarks even have the ability to be explored from the inside, giving users the feeling that they're really there.

BRINK Traveler

BRINK Traveler gives users the ability to see some of the most amazing places on Earth from the comfort of their own homes. While there are currently only 17 locations for users to visit, the additional features make each one a true travel experience that may push them to travel in real life as well .

Virtual guides can explain the features and history of each spot, and an in-app camera allows users to take all the pictures they would want if they were to visit in person. Another great feature is the ability to travel in multiplayer mode, which lets users meet up with friends from anywhere while getting a remarkable view at the same time.

OtherSight is one of the most interactive travel apps out there because it specifically focused on including usable objects in every location. Currently, users only have the option of going to four different locations, but there's a lot that they can do at each one.

Users can visit churches, streets, and museums and really get a sense of how it feels to be there. The scale, texture, and movement qualities of interactive features are especially well done. While this is a fairly limited app at the moment, the developers are working on new locations, which can provide future explorations.

The Ocean might not be the first place people think of when they try to imagine their travel plans, but it is one of the great untapped resources on Earth. There is far more to be seen and discovered in the Ocean than there is on land, and Ocean Rift gives users the chance to explore that realm.

There are 14 different habitats to explore, which can be used as an educational program or one for relaxation, depending on the settings. The sea creatures are extremely detailed, and users can actually interact with many of them, giving the perspective of a true underwater safari. However, those with a fear of the ocean and its creatures may find some modes a little too realistic for their comfort level.

Blueplanet VR Explore

Blueplanet VR Explore is one of the most expensive travel apps, but that's in part because it is so extensive. The app allows its users to travel to 40 different cultural sites, with some offering the ability to interact with the landscape or even hang glide over it.

One of the best qualities of this app is the spacial breakdown, where users can truly explore the location. It is a physically navigable terrain, which creates a greater level of immersion than standard point-and-click systems. The one downside to the app, beyond its price, is that it takes up a lot of space, requiring a lot of memory and a strong internet signal while downloading.

Alcove is not technically a travel app, but it does offer a number of virtual tour experiences for free. The app itself is a virtual home, where users can download different in-app features depending on their interests. The travel features do include a number of tours on the ground, under the sea, and even in the sky, narrated by some of the most thorough guides available in VR.

The limitation of the app is that each experience is entirely pre-determined. There are no interactive features that would make it more immersive. However, given that it is free and has such incredible visual quality, that might be a sacrifice worth making.

National Geographic Explore VR

National Geographic Explore VR is a highly-interactive app that allows users to take on the role of a National Geographic photographer. They have the ability to travel to Machu Pichu or Antarctica, where they can navigate the landscape and take pictures of the many sights to see.

Users feel the strain of rowing boats and climbing cliffs, which makes for a more immersive experience . However, the quest is fairly pre-programmed, which means that individual decision-making is only possible in the pictures a user takes rather than in the experience as a whole. Coupled with another, more interactive app, this could be a great way to feel the travel in a way that images themselves cannot achieve.

Nature Treks VR

Nature Treks VR isn't overly concerned with realism, instead focusing on making a relaxing experience. Users have the ability to go on a walk on a variety of virtual paths, with exotic animals meandering by and control of the weather allowing the user to fit the experience to their preferences.

Because it isn't definitively located in any real-world locations , users have the ability to mold the world as they see fit, interacting with the trees to summon animals and controlling the sound levels to be more immersive or more relaxing. The detail work and spontaneity make it an engaging experience, though users should be aware that it is not intended to be a completely realistic one.

ecosphere is a photo-realistic breakdown of the Earth's most beautiful locations and the people that are working to protect them. Intended as a way to help the average person connect with the environmental crises of our time , these immersive documentaries show the importance of caring for the Earth before the damage is irreversible.

This is distinct from other user-directed travel apps but also provides a sense of depth and significance far beyond what other apps can offer. There are only a handful of experiences, but they go beyond visuals to explain what really matters about the different locations they portray. As an added bonus, the app is free, making these videos some of the most accessible ways for Oculus users to travel in VR.

NEXT: The 10 Coolest Games To Play On Oculus Quest 2

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Go explore American art Beyond the Walls, a virtual reality experience that transports you directly into the galleries of the Smithsonian American Art Museum.  Beyond the Walls blends photorealistic 3D capture imagery of artworks from the Smithsonian American Art Museum's collection with augmented elements which let you interact with and learn about the museum’s collection using a headset and handheld controller.

Beyond the Walls  is a high fidelity, immersive museum experience, and is compatible with Oculus and Vive headsets.  Available for FREE download after July 15.

Tips for a Great Virtual Reality Experience

• The experience requires use of a VR headset, so find a place where you are free to move and rotate safely.
• To “click” on an a teleport marker within the space, press the trigger, point to the teleport location with your handheld controller and release the trigger.
• Although headphones are not required, they are highly recommended for the audio narration track and ambient sound of the media artworks.
• Although a VR headset can be used at any age, we recommend this experience for 13 years of age and older.

Learn more about the artworks from Beyond the Walls at the Smithsonian American Art Museum

This virtual museum presents a selection of unique paintings, sculpture, and multimedia artworks for you to engage and interact with as you freely explore the museum’s east wing from inside a VR headsets. Four of the museum’s artworks serve hotspots which feature a little bit of extra VR “magic”:

Frederic Edwin Church

Frederic Edwin Church,  Aurora Borealis ,  1865, oil on canvas, Smithsonian American Art Museum

In this painting, Frederic Edwin Church has taken the aurora borealis—ethereal, dynamic, and alien—and captured it in oil paint, making you believe that you are standing underneath that phenomenon, witnessing the colors reflected off the ice. In VR, you can stand closer to the painting than might ever be permitted in real life, allowing you to examine its texture and observe its rich custom frame. VR users standing in front of the painting can trigger a teleportation hotspot which sends them to a remote mountain in Iceland, where they are suddenly in a dark landscape, looking around at jaw-dropping, 360-degree 6K video footage of an actual aurora blazing in the sky, provided by designer and photographer Olafur Haraldsson. The ability to compare and contrast the two scenes offers rich opportunities for learning and observation.

Augustus Saint-Gaudens

Augustus Saint-Gaudens, Roman Bronze Works,  Adams Memorial ,  modeled 1886-1891, cast 1969, bronze, Smithsonian American Art Museum

In 1885, Marian Hooper “Clover” Adams, an amateur photographer and the wife of the writer Henry Adams, committed suicide by drinking poisonous chemicals used to develop film. Her grieving husband commissioned prominent sculptor Augustus Saint-Gaudens to create a memorial to her that would express the Buddhist idea of nirvana, a state of being beyond joy and sorrow. Saint-Gaudens modeled a powerful shrouded figure, and then worked closely with architect Stanford White, who designed a secluded, contemplative setting for Clover’s gravesite in Rock Creek Cemetery in Washington, D.C.. Decades later, the Smithsonian American Art Museum acquired a bronze cast made after the original in the cemetery. When standing in front of SAAM’s bronze cast in VR, you can choose to teleport to Clover’s actual gravesite, coming face-to-face with the same sculpture, but this time in the context of the private outdoor memorial for which it was originally intended. Soft sunshine filters through a bank of trees, which move softly in the background, and the bench surrounding the sculpture allows for a moment of quiet contemplation. Flashing back and forth between the museum’s version and the outdoor version, you can notice the differences, sometimes subtle, that distinguish the two casts, and the effects of weather on the outdoor installation.

Hiram Powers

Hiram Powers,  Model of the Greek Slave ,  1843, plaster and metal pins, Smithsonian American Art Museum

The original marble sculpture of the Greek Slave propelled its artist, Hiram Powers, to international stardom. The Greek Slave was almost immediately associated with the anti-slavery movement in the United States, as abolitionists used images of it to promote their cause. The 3D model that appears in the VR app was rendered from a scan of the original plaster model that dates to 1843; in fact, this VR edition is a not work that exists in the real world at all. The presence of this sculpture in VR provides an opportunity to draw parallels between contemporary 3D scanning technology and nineteenth-century mechanical reproduction techniques, and to talk about the slippery (and often unhelpful) concept of “the original,” when it comes to sculpture.

Alex Prager,  Face in the Crowd ,  2013, three-channel video installation, color, sound; 11:52 minutes, Smithsonian American Art Museum

The only contemporary artwork to appear in the Beyond the Walls  VR experience is a selection from a video installation by Los Angeles-based artist Alex Prager. When you experience it in the physical museum, Face in the Crowd is installed in a black box gallery, where video plays asynchronously on three of the walls. The experience in VR looks no different, with one notable exception: the artist herself is standing in the room with you. You can walk up to Prager (or around her—she was volumetrically scanned and has been fully rendered in three dimensions) as she tells you about the inspiration for her artwork as you experience it “together.”  Prager’s artwork deals with the anxiety of being swept up by the masses while trying to create and maintain a sense of self—conditions long present in the physical world—and how this anxiety can be amplified in the virtual spaces we inhabit today. 

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Oculus React VR takes you behind the scenes of ‘Jumanji’ and the British Museum

The first one on offer is an interactive look at Sony’s  Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle.  The program is basically a 3D scavenger hunt where you explore the jungle and pick up objects to unlock behind-the-scenes footage from the upcoming movie. You might see it as a high-tech version of the special features section one would find on a DVD or Blu-Ray set.

Museums from around the world

The British Museum has teamed up with Oculus to create an interactive virtual tour of the British Museum’s famous Egyptian exhibit complete with text, commentary from the curator, and 3D models of the items on display.

“We’re hugely excited to offer people around the world access to this first-of-its-kind gallery tour,” Hannah Boulton, Head of Press & Marketing, told Oculus. “The British Museum has always been open to everyone, but this kind of technology means we can make this a reality in an unprecedented way, allowing anyone across the world to immerse themselves in our Egyptian collections. We’re proud to have worked with Oculus on this important project.”

Art lovers may be more interested in the virtual tour of the National Gallery’s Sainsbury Wings, which allows users to tour the gallery’s collection of Renaissance-era art in the comfort of their own home.

The full tour will launch in December and will allow users to explore two of the gallery’s rooms.

“The National Gallery believes immersive media like VR has the potential to change the way people create, consume, and distribute art,” Digital Director Chris Michaels said. “We want to explore the many different ways that will impact what we do and are delighted to work with Oculus, Vizor, and Matterport on this brilliant collaboration.”

These virtual tours won’t compare to actually going to the museums in person, but there is still intrigue in the possibilities on offer here. For a lot of people, this may be the closest they can get to the British Museum or National Gallery.

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8 Best Virtual Travelling Apps for Oculus Quest 2

Virtual Reality, VR, Immersive Technology & Simulated Environment

Recently updated on February 17th, 2022 at 11:28 pm

In this article, we would like to share with you the best virtual travelling apps for Oculus Quest 2 from our perspective. This might be useful for you who are also looking into the apps for the virtual tour and trip purpose as well. Without waiting much longer, here is the list…

This is one of our most favorite apps and the best virtual travelling apps that you must have!! Wander apps allow you to travel nearly around the world. You can move forward, backward and turn around in 360-degree. You also able to become a Time Traveller where you can teleport yourself in different time frame at the same location. Damn fun!

However, the images surrounding you are static. You can feel like you are in a time freeze or bullet time moments like in “ The Matrix ” film or “ Max Payne ” game. But it does not stop you from having fun.

Main Highlights: You can join group tours or organize your own virtual tour with family and friends. Nice feature!

2) Oculus TV

Oculus TV is one of the apps that we use quite regularly. It contains many wonderful and high quality virtual tour videos that can make mesmerized. Some of the content creator produce videos with awesome quality like AirPano .

You can turnaround and rotate 360-degree or 180-degree (depending on the video). Unfortunately, you cannot move forward and backward like Wander.

Main Highlights: Good categorization of videos such as “Immersive Videos”. Furthermore, it is frequently updated with new contents. And, it is FREE!!

3) BRINK Traveler

BRINK Traveler is one of the wonderful virtual tour apps that can bring you to some of the most majestic and breathtaking locations on earth. Some example of the locations are Haifoss in Iceland, Horseshoe Bend, Death Valley National Park and Mount Whitney. The good thing about this apps is that you can rotate and move around in 360-degree and also able to move forward and backward within certain area.

Unfortunately, the list of contents is not rich enough since it only got few locations. At this moment, there are 12 locations with 18 spots available for you to enjoy. Nevertheless, in the future, there will be more coming in to satisfy your hunger of travelling.

Main Highlights: Sharp photorealistic images and you can also pick up some stones and throw it away.

4) YouTube VR

We think everybody already know what YouTube is. There are many virtual trip videos that you can watch on it. The challenges is you need to spend some time to find the good 360-degree video with high resolution. But once you found it, then it is really a gems.

Main Highlights: A lot, lot, lot of video contents in VR or 360-degree format. And it is also free to download from Oculus Quest Store.

5) Blueplanet VR Explore

Blueplanet VR Explore is a wonderful virtual tour apps with great scenic view. It consists of 40 volumetric experiences of popular and historical locations all around the world such as Bears Ears National Monument in United States.

Furthermore, it looks super realistic because they are using the high level photogrammetry and art direction approach to generate the environment. However, the price is a little bit pricey if compare to others.

Main Highlights: You can fly above the scenic, terrain environment using virtual glider.

In Alcove apps, there is a feature that enable you to travel around the world in selected places. For example diving in the Greet Barrier Reef of Australia. The content is in the form of video in 360-degree format and the quality is also great. It seems that the Alcove team already select the best of the best for us to enjoy it.

Main Highlights: You can also invite your family and friends to travel together with you. Besides travelling, you can do many more social activities as well with your friends. And it’s free.

7) National Geographic Explore VR

National Geographic Explore VR apps focuses on two great locations in the world which are Antarctica and Machu Picchu in Peru. Although the number of locations is just two, but the number of activities that you can do is still significant. For example, navigate around icebergs in kayak, search for lost emperor penguin colony and witness the mummy worship. Sounds great, huh?

Main Highlights: It comes from National Geographic Society , a famous organization that has tremendous works in the form of magazines, documentaries, nature films. This is legend.

8) ecosphere

Ecosphere is an apps with great and high quality virtual tour video in the 360-degree format. However, the destination choice is very limited because it only has three locations which are Raja Ampat , Kenya and Borneo .

Although the choice is limited, but the cinematic experiences are stunning where you can meet orang utans, manta rays, elephants and many more. Just to add, before you enjoy the scenery, you must download the file first which is quite large. Be patience, guys…

Main Highlights: Yeap, it’s free.

Lastly…

That’s are the list of top virtual travelling apps that we have for now. You can get all these apps from the Oculus Quest Store . In case if there is any good travelling apps in the future, we will definitely add it here. In case you want to see other top games and apps based on other genres or categories, we hope that this article can help you with it.

Are you now getting excited to try VR after you read this? If you don’t have a VR headset yet, we think this is the right time for you to get it 🙂 Happy travelling!

About Author

I am a guy who is very excited on anything and everything related with virtual reality. My mission is to spread the love of VR to the world.

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2 Responses

Great list . Thank you. After finishing the set up, it’s hard to choose what to do/see. This helps a lot.

Thank you for your remarks. Really glad that we can help you on this. Cheers 🙂

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8 Best Oculus Quest 2 Travel Games and Experiences (Must Have)

One of the wonders of virtual reality is that you get to explore entire worlds and have it feel as real as being there. Visually, anyway. One of these worlds is our very own, and if you’ve got an interest for exploring it in VR, you’re in the right place!

In this article I’m going to be talking about the 8 best Oculus Quest 2 travel games and experiences. Namely:

• National Geographic Explore VR
• 360 Travel Videos
• Google Earth VR
• Flow (Bonus Entry)

First, let’s talk about the native Oculus experiences in more detail so you can see where you want to be going!

1) National Geographic Explore VR

Spit on that virtual camera lens and wipe it clean as you experience the wonders in National Geographic Explore VR. As an explorer, you’ll have to visit locations and capture the same photographs as the one who came before you.

The VR experience that will have you demanding more. Like, seriously. The biggest criticism of the game is that it’s only got two locations for you to dive into.

• An expedition to Antartica
• Machu Picchu, Peru 

Although the game doesn’t have the best graphics out there, it’s still worth checking out by VR standards. Survive a snowstorm, keep still during a mummy worship, and experience much more with National Geographic Explore VR!

Since there’s not much replay value with only two locations, you might want to wait for a sale to really get the most bang for your buck.

Get National Geographic Explorer for $9.99 on Oculus Store

2) ecosphere

ecoshpere is a collection of fantastic 360-degree exploration videos. But they’re not your typical 360 videos!

The ones in ecosphere are beautifully narrated documentaries that add to the element of immersion. You have over 10 episodes to download and start your virtual adventure. Learn more about locations such as Africa, Malaysia, and Indonesia from the comfort of your Oculus Quest 2.

What’s even more is that ecosphere is getting constant support with new updates and features, so the future for 360 travel is looking really good on this app!

Get ecosphere for free on Oculus Store

There’s one big reason I’d like everybody to at least give Alcove a try: variety. Okay, there are two big reasons. It’s also free. But let’s talk about the first one more.

While not being big on high-end graphics, Alcove does a fantastic job of letting you go on a tour in virtual reality. The game includes virtual tours across hundreds of landscapes and beautiful sites around the world. Ride hot air balloons or go for long drives in VR.

What’s more is that you can even take to the seas of Australia and the Pacific Ocean!

That’s not even where the possibilities end. Alcove allows you to customize your personal vacation home in VR, and invite your friends over to appreciate it even more. 

Although the majority of minigames like Chess and Puzzles are single-player, Alcove is constantly receiving fresh updates and new features. The opportunity to do more with your friends may not be far off!

Get Alcove for free on Oculus Store

4) 360-Degree Travel Videos

These are the travel experiences you’re looking for if your main goal is to explore the world. Leaving out the gaming and interaction parts, 360-degree travel videos are available across the Internet and have plenty of thrill to offer.

How do they work? All you have to do is load the video from within your browser in your headset.

Oculus Browser will do just fine, but some Quest 2 users recommend using the Mozilla Firefox browser. They experience higher frame rates and an overall better VR tour experience.

Since the durations of many 360-degree tour videos are short, you can look for multiple videos and add them to a playlist. Then, simply hit play and let yourself be taken around the world from the comfort of your couch.

For your convenience, here are two of the best VR tour compilations I came across:

The best 360° aerial footage by AirPano. Part I – YouTube

Virtual Travel (VR Experience) – YouTube

Wander is not your average adventure app, not by a long shot. 

And by that, I mean that this app lets you travel in time. With a unique feature, you get to actually visit different areas at different points in time . See your hometown since you moved away or the construction of Dubai from a desert. 

The magic of this app also integrates Google Street view to give you a truly one of a kind experience.

Even with time travel being an amazing feature, it doesn’t mean you can’t travel in the present. Wander lets you visit the world without restrictions. Explore the Wonders of the World in VR and live the traveling dream you always had!

Get Wander for $9.99 on Oculus Store .

Best PCVR Travel Experiences for the Quest 2

Since we’re talking about the best travel experiences you can have on the Quest 2, it wouldn’t be fair to leave out the PCVR possibilities!

You can immerse yourself in PCVR experiences on your Quest 2 through PC streaming options such as Virtual Desktop or Oculus (Air) Link. If you are new to VR and want to know more about how these options work, check out this article .

6) Google Earth VR

First, let’s address the elephant in the room: Google Earth VR. When it comes to travelling experiences, everybody should have at least heard of this app.

Google Earth VR lets you travel the literal world in your VR body. You get to float around in any location and take in the marvelous sites created by man and nature anywhere!

As a bonus, this app comes with preloaded tours for selected locations like the Amazon River and The Grand Canyon. All you have to do is not forget to enjoy the ride.

So whether it’s the Eiffel Tower, Pyramids of Giza, or the entire Great Wall of China, Google Earth VR is something definitely worth trying out!

Did I mention it’s free? Get it from Steam now!

7) Realities

With additional add-ons that are just as free as the game, Realities is a mesmerizing historical VR experience.

This app takes you to a bunch of different locations that are incredibly detailed for a VR game and lets you explore what once was. Photorealism is at the core of Realities as it abandons the traditional 360-degree approach to VR experiences in favor of greater and more realistic immersion.

You’ll especially like this app if you’re interested in knowing what the less popular “tourist sites” are like!

Get to explore the chill of the Alcatraz prison, the lifelessness of Death Valley, and the ruins of old castles with Realities.

Get Realities for Free on Steam

8) Bonus Entry: Flow

Not everybody wants to travel for the fun, the thrill, or the exploration. Some people want to visit new locations for the serenity and to discover new ways to relax.

If your next trip across the world in VR is like that, then Flow is the app for you. The locations in this app revolve around what Iceland has to offer, mainly because of the natural scenery there . 

The features of Flow revolve around meditation and calmness. Even the chosen locations from around the world are an inspiration to help the human brain feel more calm.

There’s also a specially curated playlist to help VR enthusiasts make the most of their virtual vacation.

Recharge yourself in all the soothing experiences that Flow has to offer on the Quest 2!

Get Flow Free from SideQuest

Note! For more information on how to sideload an app onto your Quest 2, give this article a read.

That concludes my current list for the best travel experiences on the Quest 2. There are a few games that are currently only compatible with the Oculus Go that are slowly but surely making their way to the Quest 2.

Stay tuned for more, especially as new game releases and updates roll out! 

HARDWARE USED FOR TESTING AND WRITING THE ARTICLES : * Meta Quest 2 (My “daily driver” headset, which I absolutely love & recommend) * Lenovo Legion 5 Pro (AMD Ryzen 5 5600H, Nvidia Geforce RTX 3060, 16GB RAM) * TP-Link Archer C6 (budget dedicated router for Air Link, see my full setup tutorial ) ESSENTIAL QUEST 2 COMFORT ACCESSORIES : * VR Cover Foam Replacement (one of the easiest & cheapest ways to improve headset comfort) * BoboVR M2 Head Strap (reduce pressure on your head and improve the overall fit of the headset)

Martin Rakver

I am a software engineer and tech enthusiast. During my free time, I like to immerse myself in the world of virtual and augmented reality, which I believe will be more and more prominent in the years to come.

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Virtual Reality Is A Big Trend In Museums, But What Are The Best Examples Of Museums Using VR?

Museums use virtual reality to enhance visitor experiences by providing immersive, interactive exhibits. VR allows for exploration of historical sites, distant cultures, and intricate details of artifacts that might be inaccessible in physical form. It also engages diverse audiences and can bring history and art to life in innovative ways.

Take Philadelphia’s Franklin Institute, for example. In 2016, the institute launched a range of Virtual Reality experiences. As part of the installation, visitors can use VR to journey to the depths of the ocean, the far edges of outer space, or even inside the human body. This technology allows people to be completely immersed in an interactive adventure. Franklin claims these exhibitions will transform the visitor’s view of the world.

What does VR mean for museums?

Museums have always sought to breathe life into their collections, and VR is an exceptional tool for achieving that goal. It offers a unique and captivating experience that transports visitors to new dimensions within an exhibit. 

The global museum community has eagerly embraced VR’s potential, employing it to create immersive tours, interactive exhibits, and breathtaking visual narratives. VR allows curators to contextualise objects and showcase their true scale, revolutionising how visitors engage with art and history.

Immersive Examples from Museums:

London’s renowned V&A museum unveiled the “Curious Alice” exhibition, exploring Lewis Carroll’s enduring classic. Complementing traditional galleries, visitors were invited to partake in a playful VR experience, immersing themselves in Alice’s whimsical world.

Louvre 

The  Louvre  launched ‘Mona Lisa: Beyond the Glass’, a VR experience that explores Renaissance painting as part of its Leonardo da Vinci blockbuster exhibition. 

Through interactive design, sound, and animated images, users discover details about the painting, such as its wood panel texture and how the passage of time has changed its appearance. 

Available in five languages, the experience could be enjoyed for four months by booking directly at the Louvre and is downloadable on the VR app store VIVEPORT, iOS, and Android.

Peterson Automotive Museum

The Peterson Automotive Museum in Los Angeles worked with Microsoft HoloLens to create a new exhibition. The result was an  exciting VR experience . Visitors could interact with a classic American sports car, the Ford GT40.

This supercar is a fascinating piece of history and winner of several Le Mans races in the 1960s. The  HoloLens  allowed visitors to see the car up close, alongside a modern Ford GT for comparison. The exhibition aimed to tell a story by blending the real and the virtual space. Visitors were further drawn into the experience by adding spatial audio or surround sound. While learning about the history of the cars, they could also hear the roar of the engines and the sounds of tyres racing around a track.

The museum’s executive director, Terry Karges, said the exhibition was an excellent addition. The museum aims to use more interactive displays such as this to enhance its  storytelling potential.

The National Museum of Finland

The National Museum of Finland in Helsinki opened a  new VR exhibit  in 2018. Visitors can return to 1863 as they explore R. W. Ekman’s painting  The Opening of the Diet 1863 by Alexander II .

The VR headset makes people feel like they are stepping inside the painting. Visitors find themselves within the scene and can view the Hall of Mirrors from a 3D perspective. They can even speak with the Russian Emperor and other characters depicted in the painting. The painting is part of an exhibit detailing Finnish life and politics in the 1860s under the Russian Empire.

The Smithsonian

In 2018, the Smithsonian Institution included a  VR component alongside a new exhibition .  No Spectators: The Art of Burning Man  was installed in the Renwick Gallery until January 2019.

The legendary Burning Man event takes place every year in the Nevada desert. A temporary city of artists and revellers emerges from the wilderness each August. It is both an art event and a cultural movement. Massive art installations rise throughout the festival and are then burned. The Smithsonian’s collection displayed some of these incredible large-scale sculptures. Visitors were also able to learn about the spirit and origins of the event.

Although the exhibition closed in January 2019, the VR experience is still available. People can continue enjoying the exhibition despite the fact that the physical collection no longer exists. This is one of VR’s benefits. It can create lasting records of otherwise temporary experiences.

The Tate Modern

In the UK, London’s Tate Modern has also embraced the VR trend. Alongside their Modigliani retrospective, they created  a fascinating VR exhibit . Visitors could experience complete immersion in a 3D model of the artist’s Paris studio.

The exhibit used the actual studio space as a template. The room itself still exists but is not as it was then. After thorough research, the museum recreated the artist’s final studio as it would have been 100 years ago.

Hilary Knight, head of digital content at Tate, thinks that VR is a valuable tool. She said, “It’s a way of conveying feeling, helping people connect with an artist. It’s a different way of absorbing that information, making the artist a living person.”

The National Museum of Natural History in Paris

The National Museum of Natural History opened its first permanent VR exhibition. The installation dealt with evolution as part of the museum’s wider scope.

When they enter the “ Cabinet of Virtual Reality ” and don the VR headsets, visitors are fully immersed in a journey of discovery. They can explore the links between species, viewing a variety of creatures up close and to scale.

The museum turned to technology to help visitors better understand the collection. Its goal is to make the concepts behind it more accessible. The museum aims to develop its permanent VR collection further in the future.

Natural History Museum

The Natural History Museum, in partnership with broadcaster Sky, developed  Hold the World,  an educational VR experience that allows you to meet Sir David Attenborough face-to-face.

The interactive experience takes you to London’s Natural History Museum. It puts you in reach of a few rare specimens from its world-famous collection, letting you handle and resize the objects. At the same time, Attenborough teaches essential facts about how the animals must have lived, eaten, breathed, and more.

What challenges do museums face around the use of VR?

The above examples show that VR has the potential to enhance museum exhibits. It allows curators to bring subjects to life and change the viewer’s perspective. But like any new technology, it does bring challenges.

At MuseumNext Australia in February 2017, a panel discussion examined the topic. Nils Pokel from the Aukland War Memorial Museum spoke about his experience with VR in a museum space. He talked about his hope that VR will continue adding value when used with a curator’s existing tools. He pointed out that it has some unique traits, for example, the ability to create an actual first-person perspective. This could be a huge draw when creating a new exhibit. Although he believes that VR is helpful, he does concede some downsides.

One of the most limiting factors currently is cost. VR equipment itself is not cheap. In addition to this, the design and management of VR programmes can be costly. Depending on the size of the project, costs can escalate quickly. There are many factors to consider, from paying for bespoke content design to replacing broken headpieces. Pokel talked about how his Aukland War Memorial Museum exhibition ran into hardware issues. In fact, they had around 15 broken headsets after just a couple of weeks.

Hygiene is another issue to be aware of. Several people use headsets over the course of a day. Things like skin, hair, and grease can quickly build up, potentially causing infections. Many museums have opted to have staff or volunteers to clean the devices between uses. Disposable hygiene masks are also available.

Pokel also touched upon the issue of Simulation Sickness. Some users find their first experience of VR unsettling or even nausea-inducing. This is because of the disconnect between their physical body and the virtual world that their minds are immersed in. Symptoms can include headaches, eyestrain, disorientation, vertigo, and even vomiting.

What does the future look like for VR in museums?

The Kremer Museum  has gone further than the examples above. In fact, it does not exist as a physical museum at all. It showcases over 70 17th-century Dutch and Flemish old masters. They are only available to view through the VR experience and do not exist together as a physical collection.

Projects like this go a long way in making the modern museum experience more accessible. They can help people with mobility issues enjoy exhibitions from the comfort of their homes, for example. VR can transport visitors to collections housed on the other side of the world without having to set foot on an aeroplane.

Some may worry that VR can potentially stop visitors from attending in person. Despite projects like the Kremer Museum, VR experiences seem unlikely to completely take over. Bruno David is the president of the National Museum of Natural History in Paris.

Talking to the New York Times about VR in museums, he said, “People are coming to a museum to see real objects because real objects are emotional.” VR exhibitions are not intended to replace the existing model but to enhance and complement what is already there.

There could be a danger of using VR for the sake of it, as a gimmick, or to appear more modern. But when implemented thoughtfully, it can genuinely bring collections to life. The above examples show how  Virtual Reality can enhance the museum  experience. These institutions have created innovative exhibitions that make a genuine connection with visitors.

MuseumNext offer online learning for museum professionals striving for engaging, relevant and flexible professional growth content. Find out about our upcoming events here.

Virtual Moscow & St. Petersburg

Virtual tour hosted by olga.

• 75-90 minutes - All tour times are specific to your time zone!
• Any screen will work!
• Up to 50 people. Private groups available for up to 100
• Hosted in English

What you'll do

The starting point for any trip to or experience with Russia is Moscow and St. Petersburg.  These two cities consistently take top honors in the annual World Travel Awards and for good reason: world-famous museums, theaters, palaces, historical landmarks, and the list goes on.  Understandably, there isn’t just ONE virtual tour that can do these cities justice; we actually offer EIGHT different virtual tours of Moscow & St. Petersburg!  Below is a list to choose from; these tours are always available for private groups, and at different times during each month if you’d like to join a public group:

-Virtual Moscow: Join me for a virtual tour of Russia’s capital.  We will use 360 degree panoramic views and exclusive pictures to make you feel like you are really there in the heart of Russia!

-Virtual St. Petersburg – This tour is a perfect opportunity for you to see the highlights of Russia’s “Venice of the North”: time-honored royalty, majestic canal views, onion-shaped church domes, and much more!

-Virtual Summer Palaces of Tsars – Join me as we explore three royal estates of the Russian royal family, outside of St. Petersburg: Catherine’s Palace (Pushkin), Peterhoff Palace, and Pavlovsk Palace.

-Virtual Hermitage Museum – Although 90 minutes can hardly do it justice, come explore the world’s 2nd largest  museum, St. Petersburg’s Hermitage Museum.

-Virtual Hermitage Museum: Art Only! – This tour is for art-lovers, as we’ll do a deep dive into some of the Hermitage’s most famous (and not-so-famous) pieces of art!

-Virtual Canal Cruise – Join me for a virtual canal cruise in St. Petersburg.  St. Petersburg is known as the Venice of the  North  because of its beautiful rivers and canals.  Many of the important buildings in the city were  built  to be viewed from the water.

-Virtual Hidden Gems of St. Petersburg – Because Russia’s “cultural capital” is filled with so many  famous  destinations, often equally-deserving but less-known places get overlooked.  On this  virtual  tour, we’ll explore two of those places, the Yusupov Palace and the Faberge Museum (yes, THOSE Faberge Eggs!).

-Virtual Field Trip: Russia for Kids! – This virtual field trip to Russia is for kids up to 12 years old.  We will use our imagination, 360-degree panoramic views, games and dancing to learn about this mysterious  country  halfway around the world.  What kids eat, how they dance, and how they travel; you’ll learn these things and more in this interactive Russia experience!  ***Great for individual classes or home-school groups! 

Interested in scheduling a private virtual tour of Moscow or St. Petersburg?   Inquire now  for custom dates, team-building options, corporate events, school field trips, and more.  Private tours starting at $150.

What to bring

• A desktop, laptop, tablet or smartphone
• All of your questions
• A stable internet connection

All tour times are specific to your time zone!

How to participate, choose a date & book.

Look for a virtual tour date on our calendar that fits your schedule and book your spot.

Join the video call

After you book you’ll receive an email with a link and details on how to join.

Meet your guide, Olga

Hi, my name is Olga and I grew up in St. Petersburg.  I have been enchanted with museums and Russia’s rich history since I was a little girl, starting when we would take school field trips to the Hermitage Art Museum.  I have been guiding international guests visiting Russia since 2012, to many of my favorite spots in St. Petersburg and Moscow: Peterhoff Palace, the Hermitage, the Faberge Museum, churches, mansions, and the list goes on.  Since the world went into quarantine in 2020 due to COVID-19, I have been providing virtual tours to Moscow and St. Petersburg and continue to show off Russia’s beauty and history, just on Zoom rather than in-person.  I hope to meet you soon!

Virtual Tours

Local expert hosts.

Learn from Olga: her travels, her experiences, her life.

Intimate Experience

Join a group of up to 50 people, or gather your own private group!

Convenient and Safe

Experience Moscow & St. Petersburg without leaving your home.

Things to know

Cancellation policy Any experience can be canceled and fully refunded within 24 hours of purchase, or at least 7 days before the experience starts . Learn More >

Guest requirements You’ll need an internet connection and the ability to stream audio and video to participate. A link and details on how to join will be included in your booking confirmation email.

Show More >

Experience Russia Virtually from the comfort of your home!

Virtual Dagestan

From $12 / person.

Virtual Mt. Elbrus Climb

Virtual Chechnya

Virtual Caucasus Mountain Adventures

Virtual Moscow & St. Petersburg

From $25 / person, from $20 / person.

Where to Find Us

• +1 704-810-4296
• [email protected]
• 1578 Pine Creek Rd., Gastonia, NC 28056

Travel Information

• We no longer offer travel services to Russia. See Caucasus Quest Tours for new destinations
• Is it Safe to Travel to the Caucasus in 2024?
• Climbing Kazbek & Kilimanjaro: Comparing two 5,000+ meter peaks
• How to Train to climb Mt. Kazbek in Georgia

Our Elbrus Climbing Tours

• Climb Elbrus South Route
• Climb Elbrus North Route
• Climb Elbrus & The Capitals
• Climb Elbrus & The Caucasus

Russia Cultural Tours

• Capitals of Russia
• Lake Baikal on Ice
• Delightful Dagestan
• Heart of the Caucasus

Contact Us!

• Comments This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

ALL Travel Services to Russia and Mt. Elbrus have been indefinitely suspended as of Feb. 2022.

Explore our new tour branch Caucasus Quest to climb Mt. Kazbek (5,054 meters) in Georgia or for immersive cultural touring experiences in Georgia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan.

Moscow Must-See’s

Our Bestselling Private Walking Tour

Red Square, Kremlin, St.Basil’s Cathedral, the Bolshoi Theatre, Lenin’s Tomb – get acquainted with the iconic Moscow sights during a pleasant and relaxing 4-hour walk with your private guide. Learn to navigate in Moscow Metro, hear the Kremlin clock toll, see the guards change at the Eternal fire. Learn how Russians lived before and now from a local. Feel welcomed in Moscow!

The Kremlin tour - 2 hours Show information

Skip-the-line tickets included Closed on Thursdays Private tour inside the Kremlin walls with an official licensed guide. This tour includes skip-the-line tickets and guided visits to the Assumption Cathedral, Archangel’s Cathedral and Annunciation Cathedral. This tour doesn’t include a visit to the Armoury.

Metro tour - 1 hour 30 min Show information

Tickets included Extend your tour by add the Metro Tour option and visit the most beautiful Moscow metro stations (5-6 stations).

St Basil Cathedral Visit - 30 min Show information

Tickets included Private tour inside Saint Basil’s Cathedral with an official private licensed guide. Includes tickets.

USSR Museum - 30 min Show information

Tickets included The museum houses over 5000 exhibits from the Soviet period and stylized rooms with interactive areas.

Tour Itinerary

Hotel pick-up.

Our guide will come to your hotel (lobby area) or any other indicated address to begin the tour from there. If you stay outside of the city area, we will offer you alternative meeting options.

Revolution Square metro station

• Who was first to dance with the English Queen Elizabeth II?
• What do local people do at this station to bring them luck?
• What part of the station is the most ‘attractive’ for Moscow thieves?

The Bolshoi Theatre

• What tricks were used to create the best acoustics in the world?
• How locals tried to save the building during the World War II bombings?
• What sorts of tulips were planted in front of the Bolshoi Theatre?

The Red Square

• Why is the square named “Red”?
• For what reason did the debating people meet at the square in the past?
• Why is the Lenin’s Mausoleum copying the ancient Mesopotamian Ziggurats?

Saint Basil’s Cathedral

• What did Ivan the Terrible do to keep this beautiful Cathedral unique?
• Who was St Basil and which miracles was he known for?
• Which Russian New Year tradition is connected with this place?

Private guided tour to Saint Basil’s Cathedral Optional

When looking at St.Basil’s Cathedral from the outside one can not imagine that inside it is not one but 11 (eleven) different churches! Each dome marks a separate church with a separate altar and iconostasis. The frescoes inside trace back to the 17th century but art restorers also uncovered older frescoes in some areas so that you can see how the inside decorations of the Cathedral evolved through time.

Zaryadye Park

A unique urban park built in the historical center and opened in 2017. The park divided into 4 climatic zones representing different parts of Russia: tundra, forest, steppe and floodplains. The floating bridge is a 70 meter long construction without a single supporting element. It also has fantastic views to the Kremlin and St Basil Cathedral.

GUM department store

• Who are the most popular visitors of the top floors of the GUM?
• What did Christian Dior do to provoke the Soviet people?
• What food was the most popular among the Soviet people and still remains the main base for the meals in the Russian Army?

Nikolskaya street

• What does “to breakfast to up to the cranes” mean according to the Moscow tradition?
• How was the legend born which told about walking bears on the streets in Moscow?
• How was the fully-automatic café organized in the Soviet time?

KGB headquarters

• How many people worked for KGB?
• Which Soviet monument was removed little time before the USSR collapsed?
• How has it been possible to see the nuclear bomb at this area recently?

Tverskaya street

• What Russians did with the Hitler monument left by Nazis?
• What was the most remarkable carnival in the Tverskaya street history?
• How did communists move the buildings to expand the street?

Manege square

• Why is the Moskva hotel building asymmetric?
• How is it possible that the picture of the hotel building can be found in almost every part of the world?
• What did the authorities do to stop the demonstrations in front of the Kremlin?

Alexander Garden

• Why is the Kremlin located here and where is the Neglinnaya river now?
• Which entrance and exit did Napoleon use to get in and out of the Kremlin?
• Who is Mr Zurab Tsereteli and why is he so unpopular in Moscow?

The Kremlin Grounds tour Optional Closed on Thursdays

Finalize your sightseeing with 1,5 hours private tour inside the Kremlin walls with an official licensed guide (speaking your language). This option includes skip-the-line tickets and guided visits to the Assumption Cathedral, Archangel’s Cathedral and Annunciation Cathedral.

Back to your hotel

At the end of the tour we will take you back to your hotel.

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