This new year 2023, we must brace ourselves for a few more months of being cooped up inside, rushing and memeing our way through our lives (and work). To make up for lost time and live out your wanderlust aspirations, though, you don’t even have to leave your home. Nowadays, you can find a plethora of VR tours to choose from, and we promise you that they are almost as excellent as the actual thing. We’ve compiled a list of the most exciting virtual reality excursions to help you forget about the current epidemic. Don your virtual reality goggles, buckle on, and prepare to see a whole new world.
1. Escape Now: The Icons
There’s no sugarcoating it: Escape Now is the vacation you’ve been dreaming about for the last two years but have been unable to book due to, well, Rona. We were excited to start off the list with a virtual reality game unlike any other, and Escape Now does not disappoint. Travel virtually to Paris, Rome, New York City, London, and the mind-blowing Great Pyramids of Egypt in this seven-part virtual reality series. Tarik Mohamed, a renowned VR filmmaker and presenter of the show Escape Now, produces and hosts the show. Start here if you want an excellent visual refreshment or relaxing virtual vacation.
2. National Geographic Explore VR – Oculus Quest
What could be more fun than assuming the role of a National Geographic photographer on a quest to capture the world’s most breathtaking landscapes? Let’s face it, it’ll be tough to top that. That’s why if you’re interested in seeing culturally significant locations throughout the globe, National Geographic Explore VR is one of the greatest virtual reality tour experiences you can find right now. Travel to Peru to see Machu Picchu, where you may e-pet alpacas, witness a mummy worship ceremony, and get insight into the Inca Empire from the vantage point of a National Geographic photographer. But your adventures aren’t over yet; you’ll also be able to visit Antarctica and take pictures of the frozen landscapes there. Extra recommendation: see the emperor penguin colony. Everyone should go check them out. Put on a warm coat and get ready to travel somewhere cool this winter.
3. Vatican – Valve Index, HTC Vive, Oculus Rift
Awe-inspiring construction? Architectural marvels? Raffaello, Michelangelo, and Caravaggio? If you’re a serious traveller, the Vatican has everything you might want, and it’s all only a headset away. The Sistine Chapel, Raphael’s Rooms, and the Niccoline Chapel are just a few of the beautiful locations available for virtual reality excursions at the Vatican. In other words, you will have a great time participating in such activities. If you’re interested in seeing Michelangelo’s Sistine Ceiling in more detail, you may do it in a separate virtual reality tour.
4. Blenheim Palace
Blenheim Palace is a beautiful alternative if you’re looking for a venue to visit that also happens to be the birthplace of Sir Winston Churchill. The Saloon, First State Room, and the Red Drawing Room are just a few of the spectacular spaces that can be experienced in this 18th-century mansion’s virtual reality tour.
5. Waddesdon
In the tradition of British country houses, Waddesdon also has many priceless artefacts that may best be appreciated with the aid of virtual reality. Baron Ferdinand Rothschild commissioned the construction of this 19th-century mansion in the style of a French Renaissance château so that he could have his renowned dinner parties there. Many of the lavish apartments and their priceless royal relics will be open to the public. Not only that, but this is your one and only chance to see the most gorgeous parts of this mansion that are seldom seen by the general public.
6. Sainsbury Wing VR tour
The Sainsbury Wing of London’s National Gallery, a cultural icon of the United Kingdom, presently houses a large collection of works by some of the world’s finest artists. Indulge in the masterpieces of Veronese, Holbein, and Titian, among others, from the Renaissance era.
7. Anne Frank House VR – Oculus Rift, Go
One of the most popular tourist attractions in Amsterdam, you can now go inside the Anne Frank House thanks to virtual reality technology. Take a guided tour of the building where Anne Frank and her family hid out during World War II, including the hidden annex where Anne penned most of her diary. This trip is more than just a visit to Anne Frank’s home; it also sheds light on the historical background of her diary entries.
8. The Grand Canyon VR Experience – Valve Index, Oculus Rift, HTC Vive
You won’t want to miss this tour of what the creator calls the “most accurate natural setting in VR accessible today.” Prepare yourself for a trip of a lifetime as you kayak across the Grand Canyon’s beautiful landscape without ever leaving your living room. An added perk is that you may decide whether to take your trip in the scorching heat of the day or beneath the shade of the night sky. Toss caution to the wind and dive in.
9. When We Stayed Home – Oculus Quest
When We Stayed Home is a virtual reality series on the pandemic, or more accurately a worldwide travel experience through the world’s most renowned cities as they were vacant during lockdowns, which is a very different take on the topic than the other releases thus far. The appeal of this experience lies not just in the breathtaking settings, but also in the fact that it is told by locals, who provide a uniquely human perspective to a global issue like the recent epidemic. If you’re interested in the series, you can find it here.
10. Realities – Valve Index, HTC Vive, Oculus Rift, PC VR
At a time when actual travel is too expensive or otherwise impractical, Realities provides the pinnacle of virtual reality immersion with its stunning sights and exotic locales. The free software is an upgrade on Google Earth VR, giving you access to unparalleled virtual tours. Some of these locations, like Alcatraz, may serve as educational opportunities as well, as you can hear about the prison’s history from a former inmate’s perspective. The remains of Staufer Castle in the Netherlands or an abandoned hospital in Beelitz Heilstätten, Germany (the former GDR), both qualify as exotic locales.
11. Everest VR – Valve Index, Oculus Rift, HTC Vive
Mount Everest is a popular tourist attraction, but for most people, the experience of climbing the mountain is out of reach due to its high cost, high danger, or both. However, if reaching the top of Everest is still on your list of things to do, this virtual reality trip is for you. EVEREST VR is not your average VR experience; it allows you to traverse the Khumbu Icefalls, ascend the notoriously dangerous Hillary Step, and take in the whole of Mount Everest, from Basecamp to Summit, without worrying about hypothermia. In addition, VR allows you to appreciate unique perspectives, such as standing on the mountain at human scale or towering over it at 1500x scale.
12. Patagonia VR – Oculus Rift
Get out of town and see two world heritage sites: the peak of Mount Everest and Patagonia, located a little farther south. In this virtual reality experience, you can see some of the most famous tourist spots in Argentina, which boast some of the world’s most breathtaking scenery. This virtual reality tour “lets you take off as a bird with wings, fly around the lake, visit the waterfalls along the edge, and check out the snow-clad plains beneath the mountain peaks, including many stunning glacial formations,” allowing you to experience Monte Fitzroy, Laguna Sucia, and other stunning natural landscapes in a whole new light. If you want to learn more about Patagonia’s history and geology, you may listen to the optional narrations.
