Virtual Vacations

Top Virtual National Park Tour Websites

• Google Arts & Culture: Hidden Worlds: Features interactive 360-degree tours of five major parks (Kenai Fjords, Hawai'i Volcanoes, Carlsbad Caverns, Bryce Canyon, and Dry Tortugas) guided by park rangers.

• NPS Find Your Virtual Park: The official National Park Service database offering, webcams, virtual tours, and photo galleries for parks across the US.

• Virtual Yosemite: A highly detailed, specialized site with 360-degree panoramic imagery of over 200 locations within Yosemite National Park.

• National Park Foundation - Parks at Home: Provides educational tools, videos, and virtual tours to explore nature from home. 

Key Features of Virtual Tours

• 360-Degree Views: Explore areas like volcanic coasts, glaciers, and deep canyons using street-view technology.

• Ranger-Led Tours: Many virtual experiences are guided by rangers, providing in-depth educational content.

• Live Webcams: Watch live feeds of park, such as wildlife or geyser activity, via the NPS website.

• Accessibility: Offers the ability to experience challenging terrain and remote areas from home. 
  
  

 Best for Cities & Landmarks

• Google Earth: Allows for fly-over views of major world cities and street-level exploration of iconic urban landmarks.

• EarthCam: Provides live streaming cameras from cities worldwide, including NYC, London, and Tokyo.

• YouVisit: Offers interactive, 360-degree tours of major cities, campuses, and landmarks worldwide.

• 360Cities: A vast database of high-resolution, 360-degree panoramas of cities, street scenes, and landmarks. 

  Best for Museums & Cultural Sites

• Google Arts & Culture: Partners with museums worldwide, including the British Museum and the Van Gogh Museum, for high-definition, walk-through tours.

• Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History: Provides a room-by-room, self-guided tour of its collections.