The virtual travel guide for families

It’s hard to believe that only a month ago, I was wondering what plans to (belatedly) make for Easter – now, of course, the next few months are looking dramatically different. So while my usual family travel tips are out, I’ve compiled this virtual travel guide of ideas to help us through.

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Whether you’re stuck at home yearning for a virtual day out, looking for something to entertain (and educate) the kids, or just wishing you were somewhere else altogether, I’ve been looking for some of the best blog posts, websites and other resources to do just that.

There have been some fantastic pieces written already, so rather than try to replicate them, I’ve pulled them all together into this virtual travel guide and I’ll be adding to it as I come across more ideas – do add your own favourites in the comments as well.

For London-based ideas, check out the Facebook group London with Kids which I co-run, as well as more ideas on the MummyTravels Facebook page. For travel inspiration, if you’d like some virtual escapism, I’m sharing photos over on Instagram too for as long as they make people smile rather than gnash their teeth.

Virtual museum tours

I never realised quite how many museums and galleries had virtual tours available – plus some new additions popping up too. So while you can’t arrange a day out right now, you can try the next best thing.

This post from Catherine’s Cultural Wednesdays rounds up some of the world’s biggest and best-known museums with virtual tours, from the Louvre and the Hermitage to the British Museum.

For ideas that will appeal particularly to kids, there’s another set of links to museums, galleries and other family-friendly attractions around the world from Family Days Tried and Tested.

And Travel + Leisure has more suggestions of museums you can visit virtually, some using Google Streetview.

Some of Rome’s museums also have virtual tours, including the Vatican Museums (one we didn’t manage to see when we were in Rome last month) and a virtual tour of the ruins of Trajan’s Market among others. Check out this post for a virtual city guide to Rome.

The Google Arts & Culture project has a huge number as well, if you’ve worked your way through all the ideas above or have a particular museum you’re yearning to see.

Virtual family days out

It’s not just museums and galleries that you can visit virtually – you can see some of the world’s great landmarks and even take a virtual tour of some US National Parks.

This post from Learning Escapes is another great place to start with a mix of ideas including the chance to explore Yosemite or Hawaii’s volcanoes, as well as a virtual tour to the top of the Eiffel Tower.

Scroll down for live zoo cams where you can watch the animals from home too.

Zoo cams

If you (or your kids) don’t fancy the idea of a virtual museum, you could always head to the zoo – check out some of the best in this zoocams post.

Marwell Zoo in Hampshire also has its own zoo cams as does Edinburgh Zoo where you can watch lions, penguins and more on their zoo cam.

For a few more live cams from zoos and other animal attractions in the US and Canada, there’s a good round-up on Mashable with more ideas.

Or check out the zoo and aquarium cams on this list from Travelling in heels.

Virtual travel

Of course it’s not just the museums and attractions which make you want to visit a country, it’s the destination itself. Virtual travel is another one which divides people – if it feels like you’re being taunted with something you can’t have, skip down to the next section.

Australia

Even when those long-haul flights become possible once again, it’s tempting to cut the journey short and check out some of Australia’s highlights with this series of 360-degree videos from Tourism Australia.

Watch the sunset over Sydney Harbour Bridge and Sydney Opera House  then travel along Victoria’s iconic Great Ocean Road, to see the 12 Apostles rock formations.

Or venture into the dramatic scenery of the Northern Territory for Aboriginal rock art millions of years old as you trek virtually through the ancient landscape of Katherine Gorge.

You can even snorkel the Great Barrier Reef with its incomparable marine wildlife, or discover the white sand beaches and dazzlingly clear waters of Whitehaven Beach in the Whitsundays, swim with sea lions in Boston Bay, by Port Lincoln on the lower Eyre Peninsula in South Australia, be surrounded by a pod of dolphins in Fortescue Bay in Tasman National Park, Tasmania and spot quokkas in their natural habitat on Rottnest Island, off the coast of Perth in Western Australia.

UK

Where to start? There are virtual city tours, virtual countryside and even a sunset stroll along the Giant’s Causeway in Northern Ireland….

Devon – As well as some of Devon’s best family attractions – from museums to zoos – you can get a virtual glimpse of one of my favourite UK counties, not least a few of the gorgeous beaches. Check out this guide from Devon with Kids for more details and inspiration.

London – Peek inside some of the rooms at Buckingham Palace on a virtual tour (you can also see the Queen’s Palace of Holyroodhouse in Scotland) 

Wiltshire – take a virtual tour of Stonehenge  to transport you back in time, as well as in (virtual) space, with experts to explain more about the mysterious stone circle and its significance.

USA

As well as the US National Parks (check out Virtual family days out for more suggestions, browse this pick of the top 17 US National Parks to visit virtually or see the 360 degree tours), you can whisk yourself away to the Florida coastline.

With some of its beaches voted the best in the country, you can virtually roam 825 miles of them. There’s even a choice depending whether you’d prefer a family-friendly stretch of virtual sand, or whether you’ve got a virtual babysitter and are looking for a romantic cove to watch the sunset in.

Then Google StreetView drops you just where you wish you could be.

If it’s Hawaiian culture and scenery which tempts, the Hawaii VR app includes local experiences across the different islands from hula performances to boat trips.

Or if you prefer a virtual city break, how about popping to Chicago.

Travel-themed activities for kids

Perhaps you’ve taken the virtual museum tour and you’re looking for an activity to follow it. Or you’re hunting around for something to include as home schooling ideas. Or, frankly, any way to occupy kids while the schools are closed…

For travel-themed activities, check out my reviews of Deliberate Travel and The worldly adventures of Archibold Clutterbuck

Art, history & culture

Museum Mum has her own round-up post which has some great ideas for resources from galleries and museums to try at home – try creating your own virtual masterpiece with the Tate Paint Game for example.

There are some fantastic online courses too, especially if you’re looking for art ideas – check out the Art for Kids hub and look for ways to link it to your own travels, past or planned.

I love this tutorial with suggestions on how to sketch your own travel map too, led by a children’s book illustrator on Skillshare.

The British Museum has some fantastic classroom resources aimed at different age groups too – I’m checking out the Romans for my 7-year-old, who’s been learning about them in school, but the choice is as wide as the museum’s collection. 

The same goes for Historic Royal Palaces which has some helpful resources including videos and ideas for lessons.

If you’ve got kids who are studying Ancient Egypt – or are as fascinated by it as me – we were recently sent new game Match a Mummy: The Ancient Egypt memory game to review, due out on April 6.

It’s a twist on the usual card matching games as the two cards in each pair are different – canopic jars and the organs which would have gone inside, for example! – so you have to learn about Ancient Egyptian culture and beliefs to remember what makes a pair, as well as uncovering the cards. A really fun way to keep everyone entertained and learn along the way.

Geography

You can also test your geography with these fun geography games and quizzes – I admit I couldn’t get all 25 of the world capitals correct, so I obviously need to have a play around myself.

There are also some fantastic free activity packs to download from the Worldly Adventures of Archibold Clutterbuck, perfect for a bit of geography homeschooling – check out my review.

Or head to National Geographic Kids which has a variety of activities and quizzes for younger kids. Disney Plus includes National Geographic programmes as well as movies.

There are some fantastic kids’ atlases, sticker books and maps out there as well – I’ve recommended a few in the past which we’ll be getting down again, including this children’s scratch map, this sticker picture atlas of the world from Usborne and pretty much all the Lonely Planet Kids range.

The Amazing World Atlas is full of trivia and quizzes as well as actual maps.

Another option to get kids researching countries around the world is to try planning a virtual holiday – unless the thought of dreaming about travelling is going to be too hard right now.

For more ideas of travel books and travel fiction that I love, check out my Amazon shop

Learn a language

If you’d like to brush up your language skills – or learn a completely new one while you’ve got some enforced time at home – Duolingo has a variety of languages available and is free. There’s an app or you can try it online.

I’m already planning to keep up my daughter’s school Spanish lessons here if possible (as my own Spanish is a bit limited!) but I know my own language skills could do with a boost.

If you’re looking for more tips on how to learn a language at home, as well as other options of online language resources, check out this article from Lonely Planet.

Books to inspire travel

If you fancy whisking yourself around the world, you can’t beat a good book – realistically there’s more choice for adults and older kids, but whether you prefer a good novel or love to lose yourself in a travel memoir, you’re not short of choice.

Check out the best non-fiction books to inspire travel.

If you’re considering a trip to Denmark (or just love reading about Vikings), I’ve also listed my top kids’ books about Denmark for all ages, as well as my top kids’ books about Rome for those who love the Romans.

PIN FOR LATER: THE VIRTUAL TRAVEL GUIDE

Disclosure: This post contains some review products and affiliate links. Any purchases you make are unaffected but I may receive a small commission. All opinions are my own.

London Zoo and Match a Mummy images copyright MummyTravels, all other images courtesy Depositphotos

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