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It’s officially been 2.5 months since I started quarantining, and the travel bug is back (and stronger than ever). Normally, I’d give in to my travel urges and start brainstorming new places to go, looking up cheap flight deals, and convincing friends to spare me a few of their vacation days. Seeing as how our current reality prevents me from (safely) doing any of those things, I decided to embark on a different kind of virtual travel. In the last few weeks, I hiked through parks I’ve always dreamed of visiting, strolled through world-famous museums, and gone on other bucket list adventures, all without stepping outside my house. Here are some virtual travel experiences that have been most effective in satisfying my travel urges. Enjoy!
Navigate Through Icebergs and Observe Whales Breaching
Ice-pick your way into a crevasse, kayak through icebergs, and get up close and personal with an enormous humpback whale on this interactive adventure through Kenai Fjords National Park. This national park is the smallest in the state, but it offers some of the most rugged, authentic Alaskan wilderness experiences out there. Aside from being home to countless glaciers and icefields (including one of the largest icefields in the US), the park also contains 27 species of land mammals and 10 species of marine mammals – perfect for any animal lover.
The park can typically be accessed via car or train from Anchorage, but it is inaccessible during winter months. The best time to visit is the summer, so add it to your summer 2021 list after your virtual travel experience!
Travel to Kenai Fjords National Park here.
Get Up Close and Personal with Active Volcanoes
Travel through the Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park rainforest, walk through a real life lava tube, marvel at the dramatic cliffs hanging over the coast, and explore the Halema’uma’u Crater. The Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park contains two active volcanoes, one being the Halema’uma’u Crater, and you can even see flowing red lava when the volcanoes are erupting. The park is famous for allowing visitors to hike up to and get really close to active volcanoes (it is also not for the faint of heart).
The park is located on the Big Island, the biggest of the seven inhabited islands in Hawaii, and can be easily accessed via car or public transportation.
Explore Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park here.
Spend a Night at the Metropolitan Opera
I’m ashamed to admit that while I live in New York City, I’ve still never been to an opera. I decided that now is as good of a time as any to change that, and lucky for me, the Met is offering free streams of their performances. Their streams change every week, so you can enjoy a new show every Monday night. Check out their current stream, Ernani, a tale about a vengeful nobleman, a group of outlaws, and of course, a forbidden love.
Watch a Met Opera performance here.
Surround Yourself with 360 Degrees of Monet
I’ve long touted the Musée de l’Orangerie as the best museum in all of Paris (hot take, I know). The museum features work from Cezanne, Picasso, Rousseau, Matisse, and more, but the gem of the museum is Monet’s works. The first time I went to the Musée de l’Orangerie, I sat in the dome-shaped room that holds Monet’s Water Lilies murals, and felt an incredible sense of peace and contentment. There’s something ethereal about the museum that I can’t explain, so just take a look for yourself! Best part? You get to enjoy the museum with no other people in the way!
Visit the Musée de l’Orangerie here.
Marvel at the Northern Lights
This one is, in my opinion, one of the coolest virtual travel experiences on this list. Seeing the Northern Lights in person has always been high on my bucket list. A few years back, my family and I went on a boat off the coast of Iceland in hopes of spotting the Northern Lights, but to no avail. Unfortunately, the lights work on their own schedule and don’t cater to tight vacation schedules. With quarantine in the works, you can now tune in to this livestream from the Churchill Northern Studies Center in Manitoba, a prime spot for seeing the Northern Lights. This way, you won’t have to worry about missing out on the lights – you can just tune in again the next day!
Enjoy the Northern Lights here.
Enjoy a Scenic Train Ride Through Switzerland
The Bernina Railway operates a line from Saint Moritz, in Eastern Switzerland, to Tirana, in Northern Italy. This is one of few train routes that is recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and for good reason. You’ll travel through narrow mountain tracks, pass by stunning turquoise lakes, and even catch sight of a glacier or two. This virtual adventure will have you ducking into caves, weaving through forests, and basking in the openness of the Swiss countryside. If you’ve been dreaming of taking a train ride through Switzerland, now’s your chance!
Begin your Swiss train journey here.
While nothing compares to in-person adventures, these are a close second! Let’s take a moment to be thankful that technology has evolved to the point where we can go on virtual travel experiences. I hope you enjoy these trips as much as I did. Let us know in the comments which ones your favourites are!
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