Travel to the Louvre Museum, Shakespeare’s Globe and the Great Pyramids of Giza with Expedia’s New Virtual Tour Series

Ask anyone and they would probably tell you that travelling was one of the things they most looked forward to before COVID-19 became a global pandemic. But, even though we may have all adapted to the new normal and put our travel plans on indefinite hold till the virus situation settles around the world, it does not mean that we still can’t experience some time abroad… virtually.

In an effort to help fulfil Singaporeans’ wanderlust during the stay home period, Expedia has curated an all-new Travel from Home virtual tours series that features an inspiring virtual catalogue of nature, cultural, educational and entertainment experiences shared through guided videos from official sites, YouTube videos, and dedicated platforms (such as Google and Airpano) that uses augmented reality (AR) and 360-degree views to bring a location to life. Each video typically lasts around 10 minutes or more, while the self-guided platforms would take a bit longer for you to navigate.

Here’s a closer look at the global destinations that you can expect to visit from home.

NATIONAL PARKS

If you’re into nature, you consider escaping reality for an hour or two by visiting famous national parks around the world such as the Yellowstone National Park, Yosemite National Park and Zhangjiajie National Forest Park. These videos are put together by the Expedia Travel Guides with clips of the park as well as bits of background information about the parks.

You could even go underground on a virtual tour of the Son Doong Cave in Vietnam (aka the Earth’s largest cave) — an interactive platform put together by National Geographic, or take in the gorgeous landscape of massive mountains, glaciers and placid lakes in South America at Patagonia.

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MUSEUMS

Culture vultures will enjoy this opportunity to immerse in the world of arts, science, history and architecture, with virtual visits to some of the world’s most famous national museums like the American Museum of Natural History, the Louvre Museum, the Guggenheim Museum and The British Museum.

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GARDENS

Though you may not have been able to catch the cherry blossoms in Japan or South Korea this year, there are still other ways of appreciating a floral display with a visit to famous gardens across the globe. From Highgrove Gardens located in the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall’s residence to the iconic tulip fields in full bloom at the Keukenhof and the colourful Claude Monet’s Garden, there’s bound to be a garden that captures your fancy.

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MUSIC & THEATRE

One of the fun things to do on vacation is to take in the local arts scene and while it may not be possible to do that in person, for the time being, you can still enjoy shows from the Sydney Opera House, Berlin Philharmonic, The Metropolitan Opera, Shakespeare’s Globe and the Broadway stage from the comfort of your home.

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ICONIC MONUMENTS

Take a trip back in time to some of the best historical sites around the world. Relax after a hard day’s work and use the selection of 360-degree videos to enjoy unrivalled views of the Mayan Pyramids at Chichen Itza, uncover the history of the mysterious Nabataean Kingdom in Petra, Jordan, and take in a bird’s eye view of the Great Pyramids and Sphinx in Egypt. 

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AIR & SPACE TRAVEL

Ideal for the air and space enthusiasts, give yourself a well-deserved break from life on Earth as you jet set on a virtual tour (with help from Google) to museums and locations that celebrate the marvels of aviation and space travel. Featured locations include CERN in Switzerland, the International Space Station, the NASA Kennedy Space Center, and an out of this world destination — Mars!

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ARCHITECTURE

Having withstood the test of time, a lot of the buildings that we see while we’re travelling are architectural gems that hold a lot of stories within their walls. Though we may not be able to physically soak in the history, we can still enjoy a 360-degree virtual tour of these places. Choose from a number of iconic destinations which includes The Vatican in Rome, Iolani Palace in Hawaii, USA, and marvelling the world-famous marble mausoleum in India, the Taj Mahal.

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DESTINATION VIDEOS

If you prefer a more paced view that lets you enjoy the sights and sound in a more relaxing way, you would enjoy the selection of 6 to 8 hour-long Slow Travel destination videos that features a scenic train ride from Bergen to Oslo, a boat ride along the Macclesfield Canal, and a slow canal journey around London Borough of Hillingdon.

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GUIDED TOURS

For those who prefer a unique experience, you might enjoy the selection of guided tours. These tours are chargeable and offer a live look via Zoom at the destination of your choice alongside a local guide. Available tours include Colosseum & Gladiators ($15 per adult), Best of Pompeii ($15 per adult), Mysteries of the Vatican ($79 per traveller), and Virtual Tour of Versailles with an expert guide ($22 per adult).

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For more information, visit www.expedia.com.sg.

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