5 Awesome Destinations to Visit Without Leaving Home

A year ago, if you had asked me to imagine going an entire year without traveling, I would say that it would never happen. However, in 2020, we were all surprised by something that has never happened before in this century: a global pandemic. Staying at home has become an obligation, rather than an alternative, and travel lovers like me are suffering because they are unable to visit new places. In many places, second waves are again restricting travel dashing hopes and plans that many were resuming.

If you are also in this boat and suffering attacks of wanderlust, I have put together a list of ways you and I can immerse ourselves in the culture and history of several countries without even leaving home! Below are five awesome destinations to visit during isolation. So leave your passport and mask at home, and let’s get started!

1- Louvre Museum (Paris, France)

Magnificent, sophisticated, and bursting with culture, Paris is one of the most famous cities in the world and a dream destination for many. Among its most famous attractions is the Louvre Museum, the largest art museum in the world with over 38 thousand historical objects from different peoples and times. Below are some of its most famous pieces:

To see all of this and more, you have two options: go to France, face the giant lines and pay in euros for the ticket, or take the virtual tour at any time from home. Ready? Start your adventure at the Louvre by clicking here.

2- Vatican Museums (Vatican)

There are many historical works within the Vatican, plus the entire architectural structure made up of galleries, chapels and gardens. The Vatican Museum is definitely one of my favorite museums worldwide. It is the largest building in the entire country, located in the Vatican, home to the Catholic Church and the Pope. Much visited by people from around the world, the Vatican museum is a sight to behold, surprising with its abundance of detail on the ceiling or walls and even its floors.

The most famous works in this museum are by Renaissance artists:

The virtual tour of this museum is also sensational. The tour is divided into rooms where you can observe every detail with 360 viewings. To go on this incredible tour, click here.

3- Frida Kahlo Museum (Mexico City, Mexico)

Despite a painful life, marked by betrayal, illness and psychological trauma, Frida Kahlo became a historical figure of the 20th century. In addition to being a painter, Frida left a mark on the history of Mexico in the last century. Her work was a form of protest against both political and social bias, mainly denouncing the sufferings of women.

It’s possible to visit the place where Frida lived most of her life (La Casa Azul), which today is called the Frida Kahlo Museum, located in Mexico City. Through the virtual tour, you can walk around the house and enter the artist’s universe and observe her works and her personal objects. Curious? Click here.

4- Anne Frank’s house (Amsterdam, Netherlands)

Anne Frank’s diary became one of the most popular books in the world, and was even declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. The girl’s writings tell the story of a family of Jews who hid in a secret house (Secret Annex) during the Nazi occupation of the Netherlands. A touching story about the sad reality of the family, the diary shows an obscure time in the history of the world that affected countless families. It’s a necessary read to help us reflect and do all we can to prevent the repetition of history.

In Amsterdam, tourists are able to visit the house where the Secret Annex, a hidden continuation of the house, was located and where the family hid. One of the great difficulties, however, is to get hold of the fast-selling tickets that require you to purchase months in advance. But, you can visit online for free! It’s an incredible experience both for those who have already read the book (you can read it here) and for those who have not yet read it.

Intrigued by the Secret Annex? Click here.

5- MET Museum (New York, USA)

The Metropolitan Museum of Art is one of the most visited museums in the world, housing an important collection of European paintings from the 12th-20th centuries and ancient works of art from Greece, Rome, Egypt and Babylon. It was created with the aim of bringing art to the American people, the collections representing works from all continents and divided geographically and chronologically.

Some highlights:

To experience the incredible and rich virtual tour that allows a 360 view of the place, click here.

Bonus:
Google has developed an incredible platform that allows you to visit countless museums around the world. Google Arts & Culture is interactive and you can spend hours getting to know places from home. Amazing, right? Here is the link with all the museums. You can select your destination on the map.

Here’s a list of my favorites:
1- Musée d’Orsay, with one of Van Gogh’s most famous paintings, “A siesta”.
2- Van Gogh Museum, with touching history and countless works by the one and only: Vincent Van Gogh.
3- Acropolis Museum, with numerous spectacular Greek works in marble.
4- Uffizi Gallery, with the beautiful “The Birth of Venus” by Botticelli.
5- Belvedere, with the wonderful painting “The Kiss” by Gustav Klimt.

What about you? What was your favorite tour?