virtual tour london museum

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Virtual Museum: 13 ways to explore from home

Delve into the Museum from home with a virtual self-guided tour of the galleries, an interactive experience about Hope the blue whale and audio guides narrated by Sir David Attenborough.

1. Stroll around the Fantastic Beasts™: The Wonder of Nature exhibition

Although the exhibition at the Museum closed on 3 January 2022, you can still step into an online world full of fantastic real-life and magical beasts. There are highlights, stories and games galore. 

Walk around the exhibition from home with a 360° virtual tour on Google Arts & Culture.

2.  Take a deep dive into the life of a blue whale

Explore the rich history of Hope, the blue whale suspended from the ceiling in Hintze Hall. In this online interactive, see what her life was like in the ocean, find out how she got to her home in the Museum and get a behind-the-scenes peek of the Museum's collections.

Go one step further by viewing the skeleton in augmented reality (AR) with Google Arts & Culture. 

3. Hang out with scientists online

Catch up on all the Nature Live Online talks featuring topical discussions with our scientists and cutting-edge research. 

Free event recordings. 

Image:  NASA .

4.  Sound choices: listen to these podcasts

Every year the Museum attracts millions of curious visitors eager to learn about the natural world.

Bring that curiosity home, and learn more about natural history, science, and the world around you with these great podcasts. 

5.  Let Sir David Attenborough guide you around Hintze Hall

Sir David's unmistakable voice and expertise on all things nature make him the perfect person to take you on a tour of Hintze Hall's star specimens (including the blue marlin), all from the comfort of home.

6.  Go on a virtual tour of the Museum

Google Arts & Culture gives you access to 300,000 specimens within the Museum's collections, along with 35 digital exhibitions , virtual tours and an interactive gigapixel photo (so enormous you can zoom in on the tiniest detail) of Hintze Hall's gilded canopy. 

7.  Flick through Wildlife Photographer of the Year images

Explore the exhibition at your own pace in this online gallery filled with stunning nature photographs. 

8.  Watch us on the small screen

The Museum's stunning architecture has made it a popular choice as a filming location for everything from blockbuster movies to TV dramas.

Discover which films and television shows feature the Museum.

Paddington (2014)

9. Examine a 3D model of Dippy's skull

Get up close to the skull of the Museum's iconic Diplodocus cast produced by our Imaging and Analysis Centre. See more 3D models on Sketchfab , including Darwin's fossil mammals and the Crystal Palace sculptures .

10. See illustrations from HMS Endeavour

Our collection of botanical illustrations from HMS Endeavour make up some of the most scientifically significant artworks in our archive. It features works by Sydney Parkinson .

11.  Browse the Library and Archives digital collections

Dig deep into the archives, where you'll find scientifically important art, books, prints and manuscripts, including drawings by William Smith and brothers Franz and Ferdinand Bauer.

12. Uncover highlights from the collections

We've wrapped up some of the highlights from the collections on display including specimens from space , the spirit collection , Charles Darwin and the Treasures gallery .

Discover more stories from the collections  including stories from the Museum at Tring .

13. Zoom in on beetles

Open the drawers and zoom in on 16 Coleoptera collections held at the Museum including those from Thomas Broun (1838-1919), David Sharp (1840-1922) and Charles O. Waterhouse (1843-1917).

Find out more about the  Entomology collections .

Virtual expeditions with our scientists

What is it like to go on a dino dig?

Explore an interactive story about Museum experts' adventure to Wyoming, USA, when they went off-grid in search of Jurassic dinosaurs.

Explore a 360 panorama of Antarctica

Join Dr Adrian Glover as he journeys to the site of a collapsed Antarctic ice shelf. Experience the awe-inspiring view from the ship deck.

Let the exploration continue

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Find activities and ideas to occupy yourself and family at home, in your garden or local outdoor space.

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Discover more stories from the collections

Uncover colourful stories behind the specimens, meet collectors and curators past and present and read about their contributions to our understanding of the natural world. 

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A range of downloadable educational curriculum-linked resources that you can adapt for home use.

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11 virtual tours of London’s top museums & landmarks

By: Author Tracy Collins

Posted on Last updated: August 10, 2023

If you are planning to visit London I am sure there are many of its famous landmarks and museums you are considering adding to your itinerary. It can be overwhelming to decide exactly which ones to visit.

Luckily many of the most popular London bucket list attractions have virtual tours accessible online so it is possible to take virtual walkthroughs and tours on our laptops, mobiles, and other devices. This is a great way to research London and prepare for your visit ahead of time.

In this article, you will find links to London museums, galleries, and landmarks that offer an online experience. if you are planning your visit to London we have a guide to buying London attraction tickets with tips and advice to ensure you see everything you want in the city.

Buckingham Palace

Tower of london, houses of parliament, 10 downing street, hampton court palace, the british museum, the natural history museum, the british library, the national gallery, imperial war museum – the churchill war rooms, enjoy the virtual tours of london, london travel guide & itinerary planner (+ 4 bonus ebooks).

Famous London landmarks

Would you like to take a stroll through the halls of Buckingham Palace? Well now is your opportunity to take a peek inside the Queen’s official London Residence.

The State Rooms are only open during a few months of summer (and you have to book ahead as it’s so popular) but now you can take a virtual tour of the Grand Staircase, Throne Room, Drawing Room and the Blue Drawing Room.

I wouldn’t like to have to keep all those carpets clean!!

Click here for Buckingham Palace or here to read about the Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace

Take an audio and accompanying virtual tour of the Tower of London . The tour is a great way to learn about the history of the Tower before your visit.

For example do you know why ravens are kept at the Tower of London? Or which famous names from history were executed on Tower Green?

You can find out the answers to these questions during the virtual tour!

Click here for the Tower of London virtual tour or here for our complete guide to visiting the Tower of London

Order! Order! Take a stroll through the halls of Westminster and explore the House of Commons and House of Lords where laws have been debated for centuries.

The Palace of Westminster offers a 360-degree virtual tour of the building with lots of interesting information to read along the way.

The artwork and architecture is beautiful – I found it interesting to explore such an iconic building from the inside! We are all familiar with it from the outside but how many of us have actually set foot inside the Houses of Parliament? Having taken a virtual exploration it will definitely be on my London itinerary to do so when I next visit!

Click here for the Houses of Parliament

10 Downing Street is the official residence of the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom since 1735.

It may be familiar to fans of the rom-com Love Actually (one of a number of movies shot in London ) which has scenes featuring the staircase and a number of rooms in the house including the Prime Minister’s office. (though it has to be mentioned these were actually filmed at Shepperton Studios and not in 10 Downing Street!)

If you want to see whether the filmmakers got it right take a virtual tour to find out!

Click here for 10 Downing Street

Reputed to be Henry VIII’s favourite royal palace Hampton Court is also popular with tourists from around the world with nearly 1 million people visiting every year.

Built in the early 16th century by Cardinal Wolsey Henry eventually took it over for himself and transformed it into the Mar-a-Lago of its day.

After Henry VII’s death, subsequent Kings and Queens added to the palace. In 1838 Queen Victoria opened it up to the public for all to enjoy.

Take a virtual tour of the Great Hall, Great Watching Chamber and Great Kitchen in 360 degrees.

Click here for Hampton Court Palace

Museums & Art Galleries

Take a virtual tour around one of the best museums in the world.

You can search over 4 million object records online on the British Museum collection database. Choose from curated collections including the themes of Americas; Animals; China; Death and Memory; Desire, love and identity; Egypt; and Africa.

You can find detailed information about each of the galleries in the museum plus take a virtual tour of Prints and Drawings and Oceania.

The British Museum is just one of many museums and galleries in London which offer free entry . This is worth remembering when you are planning your trip – this and other money-saving tips can be found in my budget travel guide to London.

Click here to visit the British Museum

Take a tour of the wonderful Natural History Museum and explore using their interactive online guide.

There are a multitude of ways to explore the museum online enabling you to, “Delve into the Museum from home with a virtual self-guided tour of the galleries, an interactive experience about Hope the blue whale and audio guides narrated by Sir David Attenborough.” (source Natural History Museum website)

Click here to visit the Natural History Museum

I didn’t find this the easiest website to navigate but once you get into it there are some interesting things to look at. Being a fan of maps and globes I found the 3D article about European globes of the 17–18th centuries quite fascinating!

There are some online exhibitions including Harry Potter: A Brief History of Magic and Alice in Wonderland that are worth taking a look at.

Click here to visit the British Library

The National Gallery situated on Trafalgar Square in the heart of London has one of the greatest collections of paintings in the world.

With over 2,300 works by artists including Van Gogh, Michelangelo, Botticelli and Titian the collection is free for public viewing.

The Gallery offers a number of virtual tours including around the Sainsbury Wing (which houses Early Renaissance paintings and a virtual tour of 18 rooms showcasing over 300 paintings in the collection.

Click here for the National Gallery

Read more – 10 UK landmarks and sights you can visit on a virtual tour

The Victoria & Albert Museum is the world’s leading museum of art and design. It was founded in 1852 and named after the then King and Queen – Victoria and Albert.

Take a virtual tour through the Gallery of Fashion and discover how clothing design has changed throughout history.

Other online exhibitions include Balenciaga: Master Craftsman; Indian Textiles: Nature and Making; The politics of Fashion and Ann West’s Patchwork.

Click here for the V & A Museum

The Churchill War Rooms are part of the Imperial War Museum in London . Located deep beneath the Palace of Westminster the rooms were used during WWII by Churchill and his ministers to meet and plan wartime tactics and strategies.

If you have an interest in history this is a fascinating virtual tour of the rooms. The 3D virtual floor plan is excellent and there is much to read and learn as you explore.

Click here for the Churchill War Rooms

Ready to plan your visit to London? You will find these posts helpful with lots of tips for making the most of your trip:

• How To Get Around London On Public Transport
• London Accommodation Guide
• First time visitors guide to London
• 12 Best Day trips from London by train (+logistics, tips & maps)
• The 9 Regions of England (An essential guide for itinerary planning

Find lots of more inspiration for your trip to London in my London Travel Guide which has lots of tips, itineraries and more to help you plan your perfect itinerary.

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Virtual tour of the Science Museum

Even when the museum is closed, our collection—and the inspirational stories it contains—remains open to you online.

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Take a virtual tour via Google Streetview

Take a look at the Museum as captured by Google Streetview in 2016, including a second chance to see our blockbuster exhibition Cosmonauts.

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Explore over 325,000 objects and archives from the collection of the Science Museum Group.

SOKOL space suit 

Sokol-KV-2 rescue suit worn by Helen Sharman during the Juno mission to the Mir space station, 1991.

Find out more about Helen's space suit

'Jason I', de Havilland DH.60G Gipsy Moth

In 1930, English aviator Amy Johnson (1903-1941) piloted Jason I to become the first woman to fly solo from Great Britain to Australia. Find out more about Jason I

Medical kit used by Ernest Shackleton, 1907 

This kit was used by Sir Ernest Shackleton (1874-1922), a British explorer, during the 1907-1909 expedition attempting to locate the South Pole.

Find out more about Shackleton's medical kit

Tracy, a transgenic ewe

Genetically modified to produce a human protein (alpha antitrypsin) in her milk, 1990-97. Alpha antitrypsin was considered a promising treatment for cystic fibrosis and some cases of the lung disease emphysema.

Find out more about Tracy

Crick and Watson's DNA molecular model, 1953

In 1953, the British and American molecular biologists Francis Crick and James Watson worked out the double-helix structure of DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid), the molecule that acts as a blueprint for all living things.  Find out more about this model

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The Rugby Tuning Coil was used to tune antenna to the right frequency at the Rugby Radio Station.  Find out more about the Rugby Tuning Coil

Main frame, for Automatic Computing Engine (ACE) pilot model, 1949

A prototype based on British mathematician Alan Turing's designs for an 'automatic computing engine' (ACE), which would have been the world's first general-purpose computer. 

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Google virtual tour

In 2016, Google created this 360° tour of Rooms 4, 5, 9, 10, 11, 12, 15 and Central Hall.

Immerse yourself in Renaissance masterpieces from Northern Italy, the Netherlands and Germany, including works by Titian , Veronese , and Holbein .

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You can do virtual tours of almost every major London museum and gallery

Life without art and museums is just a whole lot of Netflix and cheap lager, that’s what self-isolation has taught me. Good heavens, I miss museums. The smell, the light, the people, the ART. I really miss art. But it’s good to know that way before everything went crazy last year, most of London’s museums digitised their collections and even created virtual tours of their spaces. If you miss those places as much as I do, especially now that we're deep into yet another lockdown, then this might just be the balm your restless soul needs. From Tate Modern through to the Natural History Museum, here are our favourite virtual tours of our most beloved London cultural institutions.

Tate Modern

Photograph: Facebook/Tate

The Tate’s collection is staggering: Monet, Picasso, Rothko, all the big names. In this tour, Tate Modern’s director Frances Morris takes you on a tour of one of the Tate’s new buildings, showing you works by Louise Bourgeois, Carl Andre and plenty of others. For some reason, Nick Grimshaw’s there too. I don’t know why. I don’t like it.

The Courtauld Gallery of Art

Photograph: Courtauld

This is a virtual tour of a museum that was shut even before the current crisis. The Courtauld’s been closed for refurbishment for ages, but cleverly created this digital tour for posterity’s sake. It’s room by room, so start at the beginning with Cranach the Elder’s ‘Adam and Eve’, scoot through the portraits of old dead people in room four and then head straight for the Impressionist and modernist delights of rooms six and seven. Van Gogh, Manet, Kandinsky? Yes please!

The National Portrait Gallery

Photograph: National Portrait Gallery

Ah, London’s museum Marmite. The NPG is filled with stuff you either love or despise with a hatred so intense it’s all-consuming. ‘The Cholmondeley Ladies’ painting? Amazing, love it. The portrait of Ed Sheeran? I’d rather stab my eyes out with a pair of tweezers. But don’t listen to me, take the tour and decide for yourself.

The National Gallery

Photograph: National Gallery

This one’s done in collaboration with Google Street View, so you get all the thrills of scouring your local streets to see if they caught you picking your nose, but with paintings instead. The National Gallery’s collection has some of the greatest artists who ever lived – Renaissance masters, Baroque painters and Impressionist adventurers – and there is nowhere better to lose yourself for an afternoon in London. Plus, you get to stand in exactly the right spot to see the skull straighten out in Holbein’s ‘The Ambassadors’. And online, there are no Italian schoolkids with giant backpacks getting between you and the Raphael. Heaven.

The British Museum

Photograph: British Museum

Woo, things were hotting up for a while there with Brexit. As Britain formally withdrew from the European Union, bills were being drafted in Brussels that would basically force the British Museum to give the Parthenon Marbles back to Greece. The CV crisis has put the kibosh on all that for now, so there are probably some very relieved people at the BM. But in the meantime, let’s all enjoy it online while we can (and the mummies, obviously: everyone loves the mummies).

Want more virtual art exhibitions? Have a look at this heartbreaking show we’ve part-hosted  here .

Then check out more   virtual tours of museums around the world .

Been there, done that? Think again, my friend.

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11 virtual museums in London

London is justifiably famous for its museums, whether you’re looking for culture, art or a family-friendly museum. And if you’re looking for virtual museums, the choice is still one of the best around.

As long as you have internet access, you can take virtual tours of London museums or check out some of the highlights in their collections, as well as going behind the scenes and discovering more in podcasts and videos.

And best of all, it won’t cost a penny to visit some of the city’s best-loved museums from your armchair. Here are 11 of the best.

British Museum

With around 80,000 items on display (from a collection of 8 million), you’re guaranteed to find something to fascinate at the British Museum. And while you can take a Google Street View walk through several exhibition rooms, the best way to explore is with the clever Museum of the World tour .

Taking you through the exhibits along a timeline of human history, you can also browse by geographical area and different themes, with links to related objects plus more details about the item and audio description.

You can also take virtual tours of some of the galleries, including Prints and Drawings  and  Oceania .

Museum of London

Once upon a time, hippos lived in Trafalgar Square – and the Museum of London traces that story through ancient humans to Romans, Saxons, plague, fire and all the way to modern times.

As well as being able to search for individual objects (although not all have images), you can view slideshows with highlights of the permanent galleries as well as quirky facts: click here to take a virtual look.

Natural History Museum

One of the world’s largest collections of natural history, the London’s Natural History Museum might be most famous for its dinosaurs, but there’s far more to discover among its exhibits.

There’s a Google Arts and Culture tour which takes you through various rooms to look at the animal exhibits, including a chance to see Dippy the diplodocus on display in the Hintze Hall once more.

There’s also a 360 degree tool, some short films about various aspects of natural history and lots of activities for kids to try. The perfect addition to a visit or to transport yourself there virtually.

Science Museum

The Science Museum is somewhere which appeals to all ages, with as much for curious pre-schoolers as for adults fascinated with scientific, technological and medical achievements over the centuries.

While one of the biggest draws here is the chance to get hands on, there’s still an option to virtually transport yourself into some of the galleries with highlights videos, including Wonderlab .

You can also search the whole collection of 325,000 objects – in reality, you’d need to visit six separate locations to see the whole lot, including the London site – from the Rocket  steam locomotive to space craft including the Apollo 10 command module and Apollo 11 lunar module.

It’s also a fabulous site to find online resources for kids including games and free activities aimed at different age groups.

One of the world’s greatest art and design collections, the Victoria & Albert museum is a mecca for anyone interested in fashion, sculpture and iconic designs throughout the ages.

You can explore the V&A’s collections, with some of its 2.75 million objects divided up by theme – each item has a section on its background to give you more detail.

There are also online games for kids to try, just as in the museum itself: you could design your own wig or discover just what it took to become a master tradesman, including having to deflesh a hide or risking madness by mercury poisoning.

Recover by going behind the scenes and watching Secrets of the Museum  on  BBC iPlayer .

National Maritime Museum

One of the Royal Museums Greenwich, the National Maritime Museum tells the story of Britain’s naval history, including famous figures such as Admiral Nelson and Sir Francis Drake, tales of exploration and the less flamboyant but no less vital business of trade.

The museum’s website, along with the others in the group, are making increasing amounts available online from a 3D tour of a globe created by Gerald Mercator to themed information on ships and maritime history, as well as other fascinating stories of sea, space and the stars.

You can search the collections online and there are links to livestreams helping you explore the world from the comfort of your armchair.

Horniman Museum and Gardens

This wonderfully eclectic collection ranges from natural history (not least its most famous stuffed walrus), a butterfly house and a small aquarium to cultural collections from around the world including musical instruments and anthropology.

You can check out the museum’s collections as well as looking at a slideshow of some of the highlights, and even watch videos taking you around the museum itself.

RAF London Museum

The museum in Colindale, north London, tells the story of the Royal Air Force over its first 100 years, from the founding in 1918. There are printed guides online, so you can read more about what’s included in the museum’s collections as well as trying several virtual tours of the museum itself, such as a look around the historic hangar.

Spot the kangaroo on one plane, peer around the Bomber Hall or take a look inside an office decorated as it might have been at the time of the First World War, in the earliest days of military aviation.

Imperial War Museum

With a collection telling the story of modern war over the last century, from the point of view of those fighting and civilians, the Imperial War Museum’s collections includes objects, photos, films and more and can be searched online .

There’s also a fascinating collection of podcasts , as well as various articles, telling the stories behind the history.

London Transport Museum

One of the highlights of visiting the London Transport Museum is a chance to clamber over some of its vintage vehicles, along with exhibits telling the story of London’s public transport from early coaches and cabs to boats, buses, trams and tubes, all accompanied by some iconic design.

The collections online are a great chance to discover some of the history from a distance, with a new object of the month every month, stories from the collection, photos of traditional transportation and sound recordings featuring interviews with staff and those who’ve worked on London’s transport system over the decades.

National Army Museum

Just like its physical collection, the National Army Museum’s online collection is organised by theme so you can explore different aspects of the British Army and how its role has changed over the years.

Start with the highlights, ranging from 17 th century royal clothing worn in battle to Florence Nightingale’s lantern and a George Cross awarded in 1971, discover more about horses in war, Black Asian British Army and women in the army.

For more tips on visiting London’s museums with kids , check out my guide, as well as the latest London attractions to open after lockdown

First published on Armchair-Travels – for more inspiration , check out my virtual travel guide

PIN FOR LATER: VIRTUAL MUSEUMS IN LONDON

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Award-winning family travel blogger and mum to the mini traveller, aka Minnie. Together we've visited Europe, America, the Caribbean, Africa and Asia, tried a cruise and a road trip, and survived countless long-haul trips. London (UK) based. Serious beach habit.

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These 15 Famous Museums Offer Virtual Tours You Can Take from Your Couch

Experience the best museums — from London to Mexico City — in the comfort of your own home.

If you're a dedicated art lover, you likely go to great lengths to visit renowned museums and galleries. But even when you’re not traveling, you can still get a taste of the masterpieces, artifacts, and architecture at many famous institutions — and get inspired for future trips while you're at it.

Google Arts & Culture teamed up with more than 1,200 museums and galleries around the world to create a collection of online exhibits and virtual tours . Other museums have their own virtual tours, too, such as the Vatican Museums and the Louvre , which features a selection of exhibitions on their websites.

Top 5 Can’t Miss

• View legendary artifacts like the Rosetta Stone on a virtual stroll through the British Museum.
• Gaze up at the Sistine Chapel’s divine ceiling without the crowds at the Vatican Museums.
• The Met’s immersive 360-degree VR videos are arguably the best virtual museum tours.
• Get a glimpse of the four locations of National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea, on a Google Street View tour.
• Peruse some of Van Gogh's most iconic works in the artist's namesake Amsterdam museum.

The British Museum, London

This iconic museum located in the heart of London allows virtual visitors to tour the Great Court, which was given a striking contemporary redesign in 2000. Move through other galleries to discover ancient artifacts like the Rosetta Stone and Egyptian mummies.

Vatican Museums

MihaiDancaescu / Getty Images

The next best thing to an after-hours tour , the Vatican Museums offers virtual access to more than a dozen of its galleries and richly decorated spaces. Explore the sumptuous murals of Raphael's Rooms and the Sistine Chapel, where you can zero in on Michelangelo's famous ceiling.

The Met, New York City

While you can explore highlights of the Metropolitan Museum of Art's encyclopedic collection — including the ancient Egyptian Temple of Dendur — via Google Arts & Culture , the institution offers its own virtual reality tours. The Met 360° Project comprises six videos that can be viewed with a VR headset for an immersive experience, complete with ambient soundtracks.

National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea

Don Eim/Travel + Leisure

One of Korea's popular museums can be accessed from anywhere around the world. Google's virtual tour gives you a taste of the museum's four locations with Street View visits and online exhibits. For a deeper dive, check out the museum's website for video walk-throughs of select exhibitions, including immersive VR versions.

Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam

Anyone who's a fan of this tragic, ingenious painter can see his works up close (or, almost up close ) by virtually visiting this museum, home to the largest collection of art by Vincent van Gogh. Check out some of his most iconic paintings, including "Sunflowers" and "The Potato Eaters."

National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.

This renowned American art museum offers three online exhibits through Google. An overview of American fashion from 1740 to 1895 features watercolors of garments from the colonial and Revolutionary eras. You can also browse through works from Baroque painter Johannes Vermeer and other Dutch genre painters of the period and take an in-depth look at an early work by Leonardo da Vinci.

Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum

If you can't get to D.C., take a stroll among the historic planes, rockets, and other craft on display at the country's top air and space museum . Check out the Wright Brothers' first bona fide plane, the Wright Flyer, which took to the skies in 1903, and astronaut Neil Armstrong's spacesuit from the Apollo 11 moon landing.

Guggenheim, New York City

NurPhoto / Getty Images

Google's Street View feature lets visitors tour the Guggenheim's famous spiral staircase without ever leaving home. From there, you can discover incredible works of art from the impressionist, post-impressionist, modern, and contemporary eras.

The J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles

European artworks from as far back as the eighth century can be found in this California art museum. Take a Street View tour to discover a huge collection of paintings, drawings, sculptures, manuscripts, and photographs.

Musée d’Orsay, Paris

You can virtually walk through this popular museum that houses dozens of famous French works from the 19th and early 20th centuries. Get a peek at paintings and sculptures by Monet, Cézanne, Gauguin, and Rodin, among others.

Pergamon Museum, Berlin

As one of Germany's largest museums, Pergamon has a lot to offer — even if you can't physically be there. This historical museum is home to plenty of ancient artifacts including the Ishtar Gate of Babylon and, of course, the Pergamon Altar.

Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam

Explore masterpieces from the Dutch Golden Age, including works by Vermeer and Rembrandt. Google offers a Street View tour of this iconic museum, so you can feel as if you're actually wandering its halls.

Uffizi Gallery, Florence

Housed in a purpose-built 16th-century palace, the Uffizi Gallery showcases the art collection amassed by the wealthy and powerful de' Medici family. Today, anyone can wander its halls from anywhere in the world to view world-famous works like Sandro Botticelli's "The Birth of Venus."

MASP, São Paulo

The nonprofit Museu de Arte de São Paulo was Brazil's first modern museum. Artworks placed on clear, raised frames make it seem like they're hovering in midair. Take a virtual tour to experience the wondrous display for yourself.

Frida Kahlo Museum, Mexico City

Getty Images / Andrew Hasson

Enter the world of 20th-century artist Frida Kahlo with a Street View tour of several spaces in Casa Azul, the modest, vivid blue-painted house where she was born, now the Frida Kahlo Museum . You can tour her studio and peek into other personal spaces like the kitchen and lush courtyard garden as well as view works by Kahlo and her husband Diego Rivera.

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DESTINATIONS , ENGLAND , EUROPE

Virtual london tours: the 10 best armchair travel experiences.

Why do you travel?

For some, it’s an opportunity to decompress, perhaps in a warm climate with a good book as a companion. Others seek out new experiences, including sampling local cuisine. But for many, travel is an opportunity to learn more about the place, its people, its culture and its history.

Extend your horizons beyond your living room by taking a virtual London tour of its iconic landmarks and flagship attractions. Here are the best of the bunch.

1. Explore the British Museum from home

The British Museum is one of my favourite places to visit in London. But just because you may not be able to visit it doesn’t mean that you can’t dive into its vast collection.

Its online collection is outstanding, allowing visitors to search over four million object records online or to explore collection highlights and stories. Many of the museum’s objects have more than one image.

Podcasts are also available.

For a different virtual experience, you can take a  virtual museum tour with Google Street View , including the hugely popular –  and usually rammed – Egyptian Gallery.

2. Take a virtual tour of the National Gallery, London

Google has also created  360-degree tours of the National Gallery , including seven rooms as well as its Central Hall. This virtual collection includes Renaissance masterpieces from the likes of Titian and Holbein.

And like the British Museum, you can search the gallery’s vast collection with almost 2,500 of its works available to view online.

3. Find out more about the Wallace Collection’s masterpieces

The Wallace Collection is one of those slightly off-the-main-radar art galleries in London.

Built over the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries by the Marquesses of Hertford and Sir Richard Wallace, this collection of paintings, sculpture, furniture, arms, armour and porcelain. It was bequeathed to the British nation in 1897.

It’s easy to explore the  Wallace Collection highlights .

Want to know more about Frans Hals’  The Laughing Cavalier ? Then you are in luck. Where this virtual collection is head and shoulders over its neighbours is the depth of information offered on exhibits, even to the extent of providing suggestions for further reading.

4. Tour the Courtauld Collection from your armchair

The Courtauld Gallery is one of my favourite galleries in London. After a stunning makeover, it has opened its doors to visitors once again.

Get a sneak preview of what is behind its doors by taking a virtual tour of the gallery’s awesome collection . This includes Van Gough’s  Self-Portrait with Bandaged Ear  and Édouard Manet’s  A Bar at the Folies-Bergère .

5. Take a virtual tour of the Churchill War Rooms

Touring the Churchill War Rooms is a terrific thing to do in London. But if you can’t physically be there, visit virtually through its impressive collection of images and videos.

You can just imagine Churchill’s ministers and military strategists thrashing out the Allied strategy in smoke-filled rooms.

6. Take a tour of the Houses of Parliament

Explore the nooks and crannies of the home of UK democracy on a  Houses of Parliament 360-degree virtual tour .

Starting at the central lobby, walk through the labyrinthine corridors of power to the House of Commons. Embrace your inner historian by clicking on the information icons on the ‘hotspots’ along the way.

There is also a separate Woman and Parliament Virtual Tour which traces the role of the gentler sex in the UK Government, including the Suffrage movement.

7. Drop into 10 Downing Street

Let’s stay with UK politics. It’s not as if many people will get an opportunity to enter Downing Street, one of the most famous streets in London and the location of the Prime Minister’s home. But you can take a peek inside courtesy of a  virtual tour of 10 Downing Street .

I really like this London virtual tour. The image quality is superb and you can explore 10 Downing Street inside and out.

Start with the iconic staircase, lined with photographs of past Prime Ministers and then venture to the Cabinet Room with its elegant Corinthian columns. Complete your visit by checking out the Prime Minister’s office and the elegant Pillared Room.

Go full-screen for the best experience.

8. Walk in the footsteps of royalty at Buckingham Palace

Don’t stop at seeing where the PM conducts his business. Take a sneaky peek at HM The King’s official London residence with an armchair tour of Buckingham Palace .

This London virtual tour allows you to explore the opulent White Drawing Room, Throne Room and the Grand Staircase.

9. Stalk the corridors of Hampton Court Palace

Anyone who has read Hilary Mantel’s books will be familiar with the magnificent 16 th  Century Hampton Court Palace which was once the home of Henry VIII. One of the  most beautiful royal palaces in Europe , this is a fantastic place to visit, albeit pricey, but – you guessed it – you can now take a  virtual tour of Hampton Court Palace

This 8-minute video, narrated by a ‘Yeoman of the Guard’, starts in the courtyard before moving to rooms inside the Palace. A free online course on the history of royal fashion is also available.

10. Take a narrated tour of the Tower of London

Visiting the Tower of London is a ust-do if you are in town. Sadly, the virtual tour of the Tower of London is no longer available. However, it does have a selction of excellent educational materials on its website .

Which London virtual tour will you take?

These virtual tours of London’s top sights vary hugely in their quality and the depth of information provided. As might be expected, most of these are very visual experiences at the expense of contextual information about what you are looking at.

However, the advantage of experiencing London’s key attractions from the comfort of your own sofa is that you can go at your own pace and don’t have to battle with the crowds. A virtual London tour also provides an opportunity to view spaces normally closed to the public, such as 10 Downing Street.

So pause Netflix and just do it.

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About Bridget

Bridget Coleman is a Londoner who has been a passionate traveller for more than 30 years. She has visited 70+ countries, most as a solo traveller.

Articles on this site reflect her first-hand experiences.

To get in touch, email her at [email protected] or follow her on social media.

10 of the Best: Virtual Tours in London

Categories:  10 of the Best , Excursions , London Living

THE BEST ONLINE TOURS LONDON HAS TO OFFER

Lockdown, quarantine, self isolation.... We've lost count of the amount of times we've caught ourselves staring out the window, dreaming of yesteryear (not 2020 but anything before that). Chances are, we aren't the only ones. But just because we can't physically go out and about doesn't mean we have to miss the things we love. There are an abundance of virtual tours of museums, art galleries and palaces that you can dive into. We’ve put our research caps on and collated a list of what we think are the best virtual tours of London's most iconic landmarks. So, buckle up, you're about to get a much needed dose of culture.

Shakespeare's Globe

The home of Shakespeare's plays, the Globe Theatre and the story behind it are Shakespearean themselves, with extensive roots in English history, a tragic backstory, and representing the mixed bag that is London in the early 17th century. Fast forward a few centuries and the city’s radiant street life, diverse international cultures, and its delight in the play and interplay of languages and what do you get? The setting for a Shakespeare play. The reconstructed theatre on the banks of the Thames offers a virtual tour which includes the theatre itself and also archived theatrical performances.

Explore Shakespeare's Globe Virtual Tour

The Houses of Parliament

Instantly recognisable thanks to Big Ben, the Houses of Parliament are possibly London's most iconic landmark. Whilst this tour doesn’t include Big Ben, you can still explore some of the most famous rooms and walk around the halls of power in the UK. Discover more about the building's fascinating history as you wander through the Commons, the House of Lords and the lobbies, halls and galleries that make up the Houses of Parliament.

Have a nosy inside The Houses of Parliament Virtual Tour

Natural History Museum

Built by Alfred Waterhouse in 1881, the Natural History Museum is at the heart of London’s Museum Mile in South Kensington. Home for over 100 years to Dippy the Diplodocus , this temple of teaching displays skeletons and fossils alongside temporary exhibitions and expert talks at the Darwin Centre. During the day the museum will be packed to the rafters with school trips; arrive nearer to closing time for a quieter experience. Late night programmes bring the museum alive for adults with silent discos mixed with light learning. The Natural History Museum offers 14 different virtual tours, ranging from their Fantastic Beasts collection to the Wildlife Photographer of the Year Awards to a guided tour by everyone's favourite, Sir David Attenborough!

Dive into the Natural History Museum Virtual Tour

The National Gallery

One of the world’s finest collections of classical and contemporary art, the National Gallery is a Mecca for art lovers. Like so many on this list, a real life visit can be overwhelming, with so much to see and do. With over 2600 paintings to view, the virtual tour of the National Gallery is perfect for those who know the type of art they want to see or genres to explore.

Wander through the National Gallery Virtual Tour

The Royal Albert Hall

Iconic. Quintessential.  Symbolic. It's easy to throw around superlatives these days but those three sum up the Royal Albert Hall perfectly. Celebrating it's 150th birthday in 2021 (happy birthday to you...), it is probably London's most revered and distinguished concert venue, playing host to some of the biggest names in entertainment including Adele, Sir Elton John and the BBC Proms. Step inside the hall, from the comfort of your home, and marvel at the splendour of one of London's truly breathtaking landmarks.

The Royal Albert Hall Virtual Tour - headphones required!

Westminster Abbey

Housed in Parliament Square, visitors can explore this incredible building and some of its most famous features without leaving their home. Westminster Abbey offers up a variety of tours including the history of the monarchy and how the abbey itself was built. You can also do a walk-through tour where you will see the Coronation Chair, the tomb of Edward the Confessor and the tomb of the Unknown Soldier. You’ll also find podcasts featuring religious services on the site too.

Walk through the Westminster Abbey Virtual Tour

10 Downing Street

Now this is one tour you can only do online, with the residence of the UK’s Prime Minister off limits to visitors. And before anyone asks... we've checked, we've double checked, we've triple checked but unfortunately we can confirm that you aren't able to meet Larry the Cat, Chief Mouser to the Cabinet Office.

With this tour you can get a great look inside one of the most famous homes in the world. Look around and discover interesting facts in the Prime Minister’s office, the Cabinet Room and you can even see the Union flag that was taken to the moon aboard Apollo 11!

Do the #10 Downing Street Virtual Tour

Tower of London

It's really no exaggeration to say that the Tower of London is one of the most visited landmarks in the UK, let alone the city itself. Rich in history and tradition, the Tower of London is a fascinating place with so much to see. Home to the crown jewels, beefeaters and THOSE ravens, there are plenty of mesmerising stories to be told.

Be a virtual prisoner at the Tower of London Virtual Tour

Walking Tours

Now, one of the most popular things to do in London as a tourist is a walking tour. There are literally hundreds of options, as you'll discover in these Virtual Walking Tours. Footprints of London are renowned for hosting walking tours, normally in person but in 2020 they took the streets of London to the homes of millions around the world. Well worth a look.

Virtual Walking Tours - trainers are optional!

Buckingham Palace

Forget the White House, this really is the most famous home in the world. Buckingham Palace is the Queen’s London residence and is among London’s best known landmarks. Okay, so you won't get to experience the spectacle of the Changing of the Guard, but you can survey the richness of the Palace with this great virtual tour.

Feel like a royal on the Buckingham Palace Virtual Tour

We know that no virtual tour will ever fully replicate, or replace, the true feeling of visiting these iconic cultural institutions in person, but that doesn't mean that they can't give you a taste or a sense of what they are like. At Stay Campus London we regularly organise tours for groups of students around these various destinations and if you'd like to know more about one in particular or even how you can attend the school, then feel free to drop us a line.

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NEW EXHIBITIONS The Place I Am Not : 25 September to 20 October 2024 Women & Freud: Patients, Pioneers, Artists : 30 October 2024 to 5 May 2025

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Enjoy a virtual tour of the Freud Museum London

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Virtual tour created by UK360VR

Virtual Tour of the Freud Museum

Although you may not be able to travel, you can still enjoy a virtual visit. On this tour of Freud’s final home in London you can step behind the barrier to inspect his iconic psychoanalytic couch , wander around the Freud family’s dining room, and tour our exhibition.

We look forward to welcoming you to the museum in person, but until then we hope you enjoy your virtual visit.

Opening Times

Wednesday: 10:30 – 17:00 Thursday: 10:30 – 17:00 Friday: 10:30 – 17:00 Saturday: 10:30 – 17:00 Sunday: 10:30 – 17:00

Tickets can now be  booked online . Details on planning your visit and making a booking can be found on our  Visit page .

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Sigmund Freud’s Famous Psychoanalytic Couch

The centre piece of Sigmund Freud’s study – and indeed Sigmund Freud’s work – is his famous psychoanalytic couch. Visit and see the couch.

The History of Freud’s Library

Freud received books as gifts from friends and family, and gave them as gifts to loved ones. In the 1880s, while studying medicine, his library steadily began to grow.

Past Exhibitions

Explore the Freud Museum’s past exhibitions.

Sigmund Freud: A Life in Psychoanalysis

Explore Sigmund Freud's life and work with our Google Arts & Culture exhibition.

Anna Freud: Life and Work

Explore the life and work of the pioneering child psychoanalyst.

The Interpretation of Dreams

A guide to Sigmund Freud's theory of dreams and his method of dream interpretation.

Virtual Travel

A Smithsonian magazine special report

Smart News | March 20, 2020

Ten Museums You Can Virtually Visit

Museums are closing their doors amid the coronavirus crisis, but many offer digital exhibitions visitors can browse from the comfort of home

Nadine Daher

Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, museums and cultural institutions across the globe are closing their doors to the public. But while visitors can no longer roam the halls of these institutions, virtual tools and online experiences mean anyone with an internet connection can browse world-class collections from home.

The Smithsonian Institution , of course, has its own array of virtual tours, experiences and educational resources . Among the other experiences on offer: Scroll through an extensive trove of 3-D photographs from the Minneapolis Institute of Art , explore online exhibits from the National Women’s History Museum in Virginia, or admire artistic masterpieces from the Dalí Theatre-Museum in Spain. Additionally, around 2,500 museums and galleries, including the Uffizi Galleries in Florence and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, are offering virtual tours and presenting online collections via the Google Arts and Culture portal.

For those in search of armchair travel inspiration, Smithsonian magazine has compiled a list of ten museums that have found new ways to fulfill their critical mission of cultivating creativity and spreading knowledge.

The Museo Nacional Thyssen-Bornemisza

Home to the world’s second largest private collection of art, the Museo Nacional Thyssen-Bornemisza owns masterpieces by giants of virtually every art movement—to name just a few, Jan van Eyck, Titian, Caravaggio, Rembrandt, Picasso and Dalí. To spotlight these artistic treasures, the Madrid museum offers an array of multimedia resources . Users can take a virtual tour of the entire building (or a thematic tour covering such topics as food, sustainability, fashion and even “inclusive love”); browse current and closed exhibits ; and watch behind-the-scenes videos featuring interviews, lectures and technical studies.

The National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea

Committed to offering a culturally rewarding experience since opening its doors in 2013, the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art in Seoul (MMCA) has established itself as a prominent cultural platform and leader in Korean art. In collaboration with Google Arts and Culture, the MMCA is now offering a virtual tour of its collections. This experience takes visitors through six floors of modern and contemporary art from Korea and around the world. Those seeking an educational walkthrough can follow along by tuning into curator-led recorded tours.

The Anne Frank House

The Anne Frank House , established in cooperation with the famed diarist’s father, Otto, in 1957, strives to inform the public through educational programs and tours of the building where the teenager and her family hid during World War II. To delve deeper into the story detailed in Frank’s diary, online visitors can watch videos about her life; virtually explore the Secret Annex ; look around the house where she lived before going into hiding; and view the Google Arts and Culture exhibition “ Anne Frank: Her Life, Her Diary, Her Legacy .”

The Vatican Museums

Home to some 70,000 artworks and artifacts spanning centuries, continents and mediums, the 5.5-hectare Vatican Museums are among Italy’s finest cultural institutions. Virtual visitors can tour seven different sections of the sprawling complex, enjoying 360-degree views of the Sistine Chapel , perhaps best known for Michelangelo’s ceiling and Last Judgment fresco; Raphael’s Rooms , where the Renaissance artist’s School of Athens resides; and lesser-known but equally sumptuous locations such as the Pio Clementino Museum, the Niccoline Chapel and the Room of the Chiaroscuri.

The Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum

“Since its founding, the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum has maintained a belief in the transformative powers of art,” reads the Manhattan museum’s website . “In uncertain times such as these, art can provide both solace and inspiration.”

In a nod to this mission, the Guggenheim , a cultural center and educational institution devoted to modern and contemporary art, has opened up its collections to online visitors. The building itself, designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, is an architectural masterpiece; audiences can listen to an audio guide of its history or journey up its spiral halls via a Google Arts and Culture virtual tour . For those who want to take a deeper dive into the museum’s collections, the Guggenheim’s online database features some 1,700 artworks by more than 625 artists.

The London National Gallery

Take a virtual tour of 18 gallery rooms, enjoy a panoramic view of the museum’s halls and click through a wide collection of artistic masterpieces using the National Gallery ’s virtual tools . Based in London, this museum houses more than 2,300 works reflecting the Western European tradition between the 13th and 19th centuries. Collection highlights include Vincent van Gogh’s Sunflowers and J.M.W Turner’s The Fighting Temeraire .

NASA Research Centers

For those fascinated by space exploration, NASA offers online visitors the chance to take a behind-the-scenes look inside its facilities. Visitors can take virtual tours of the organization’s research centers, where aeronautic technology is developed and tested, and learn more about the functions of different facilities. The online tour of Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia, covers 16 locations, including the Flight Research Hangar and the Katherine Johnson Computational Research Facility. The virtual tour of the Glenn Research Center in Ohio, meanwhile, takes visitors inside facilities such as the Supersonic Wind Tunnel, where high speed flight is researched, and the Zero Gravity Research Facility, where microgravity research is conducted.

The National Museum of Anthropology in Mexico City

Home to the world’s largest ancient Mexican art collection, in addition to an extensive collection of ethnographic objects, the National Museum of Anthropology in Mexico City preserves the country’s indigenous legacy and celebrates its cultural heritage. In collaboration with Google Arts and Culture, the museum has made some 140 items available for online visitors to explore from their homes. Among the objects available for viewing are the famous Aztec calendar sun stone and the striking jade death mask of ancient Mayan king Pakal the Great.

San Francisco’s De Young Museum

One of the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco , the de Young Museum ’s new copper-clad building in Golden Gate Park combines art with architecture. The collection features a priceless array of American art dating from the 17th to the 21st centuries, as well as artifacts from Africa and Oceania, modern and contemporary art, costumes, and textiles. Through Google Arts and Culture, the de Young offers 11 exhibits, including “ Cult of the Machine ” and “ Ruth Asawa: A Working Life .”

Housed in a large fortress along the banks of Paris’ Seine River, the Louvre regularly tops rankings of the most-visited museums in the world, with millions of visitors flocking to its halls in search of Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa , the Venus de Milo and other instantly recognizable artworks. Virtual tours offered by the Louvre include a walkthrough of the Egyptian antiquities wing and a view of the museum’s moat, which was built in 1190 to protect Paris from invaders.

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Nadine Daher | | READ MORE

Nadine Daher is a digital intern at Smithsonian magazine. She is a senior at Northwestern, where she studies journalism and international studies.

The Natural History Museum

London, United Kingdom

The Natural History Museum is a world-class visitor attraction and leading science research centre. We use our unique collections and unrivaled expertise to tackle the biggest challenges facing the world today. Explore a story of natural history discovery in an interactive experience , Making Natural History, voiced by Museum researchers and curators. Dive into the museum's 80 million objects with unique, new features: encounter a prehistoric marine reptile in virtual reality, discover pioneering Museum research in a short film, navigate the galleries in 360 degrees care of Google's Street View team, take a tour of ten new exhibits tackling natural history themes, and take students on an expedition through the galleries to learn about adaptation in the natural world.

The Collection

• Photograph 19
• United Kingdom 92
• United States 72
• Australia 19
• Netherlands 3
• Indonesia 1
• Peter Forsskål 310
• Pierre Edmond Boissier 190
• Carl Peter Thunberg 148
• Joseph Gaertner 101
• Ferdinand de Saussure 88
• Coenraad Jacob Temminck 56
• Alfred Russel Wallace 39
• Marcus Licinius Crassus 24
• Friedrich Hayek 9
• Rudolf von Jhering 7
• Carl Linnaeus 6
• Maria Sibylla Merian 6
• Carl Gustaf Emil Mannerheim 4
• W. G. Sebald 4
• Carl Sigismund Kunth 3
• François Quesnay 3
• John Stuart Mill 2
• Friedrich Carl von Savigny 2
• Empedocles 1
• Chemistry 45
• Medicine 44
• Statistics 11
• Electronics 10
• Psychology 2

Peter Forsskål

Pierre Edmond Boissier

Carl Peter Thunberg

Online Exhibit

Take a virtual stroll through the exhibition

Get a sneak peek of the Fantastic Beasts™: The Wonder of Nature exhibition.

Read the story

Five natural history trailblazers you may not have heard of

Meet five oft-unsung women who paved the way for future generations of female scientists.

Mary Anning: History's Pioneer of Palaeontology

Get to know the life and work of this pioneering palaeontologist and fossil collector

Butterflies and Moths: Life Written on Wings

The Hidden World of the Tank Room

Virtual visits

Virtual Tour

The Natural History Museum, Hintze Hall

Fantastic Beasts: The Wonder of Nature

Stay in touch

Follow The Natural History Museum on Google Arts & Culture for updates to the collection, new stories and upcoming events.

The Natural History Museum's website

• Monday 10:00 AM – 5:50 PM
• Tuesday 10:00 AM – 5:50 PM
• Wednesday 10:00 AM – 5:50 PM
• Thursday 10:00 AM – 5:50 PM
• Friday 10:00 AM – 5:50 PM
• Saturday 10:00 AM – 5:50 PM
• Sunday 10:00 AM – 5:50 PM

The Courtauld is an internationally renowned centre for the teaching and research of art history and a major public gallery

Be part of an international community of influential art enthusiasts, thought leaders and change makers

Current students

Information and resources for students currently studying at The Courtauld

Stay in touch

Quick links, suggested searches, gallery virtual tours, launch tours.

Our virtual tour uses a photographic technique to show The Courtauld Gallery and our collection in exceptional close-up quality.

You can roam each room of the Gallery, and zoom in to look closely at masterpieces from our collection, from individual brush strokes to the texture of the paint. Our permanent collection is subject to change and some pieces might be on loan to other galleries. If you have any enquires,  please email [email protected].

Frank Auerbach. The Charcoal Heads

Experience a  remarkable  series  of  haunting ly  beautiful,  large-scale  drawings by  Frank Auerbach (born 1931),  presented together  for the first time at The Courtauld Gallery.

Find out more about the exhibition

Permanent Collection

The Courtauld’s much-loved permanent collection ranges from the Middle Ages to the 20th century, including masterpieces such as Manet’s  A Bar at the Folies-Bergère (1883), Van Gogh’s  Self-Portrait with Bandaged Ear (1889) and the most significant collection of works by Cézanne in the UK.

Located in the magnificent historical setting of Somerset House in London, experience all three floors of our remarkable collection.

Claudette Johnson: Presence

A founding member of the Black British Arts Movement, Claudette Johnson is considered one of the most significant figurative artists of her generation. For over 30 years she has created large-scale drawings of  B lack women and men that are at once intimate and powerful.

Presenting a carefully selected group of major works from across her career, from key early drawings such as the arresting  I Came to Dance, 1982,  and  And I Have My Own Business in This Skin,  1982, alongside recent and new works, this exhibition offers a compelling overview of Johnson’s pioneering career and artistic development.

Reworking Manet

This exhibition showcases  a selection of outstanding works made by students aged 14–18 from across the UK. They are creative responses to  Édouard  Manet’s famous painting  A Bar at the Folies-Bergère  (1882) in The Courtauld collection.   

Reworking Manet ,  a live project brief was developed  by The Courtauld’s Learning team  in collaboration with a group of young people and Turner Prize-winning artist and Courtauld alumnus, Jeremy Deller. It opened to UK wide submissions 2023.   

A major exhibition of new and recent works by Peter Doig – including paintings created since the artist’s move from Trinidad to London in 2021.

The Morgan Stanley Exhibition: Peter Doig  presents an exciting new chapter in the career of one of the most celebrated and important painters working today.

Edvard Munch. Masterpieces from Bergen

Experience 18 seminal paintings from Edvard Munch in spectacular detail in our latest virtual tour.

Displayed at The Courtauld Gallery,  Edvard Munch. Masterpieces from Bergen   marks the first time that the Rasmus Mayer collection from KODE in Bergen has been shown outside of Scandinavia.

Van Gogh. Self-Portraits

Van Gogh. Self-Portraits  takes as its springboard Van Gogh’s iconic  Self-Portrait with Bandaged Ear (1889), one of the most celebrated works in The Courtauld’s collection, and brings together around half of the self-portraits Van Gogh created during his short years as a painter.

This is the first time that the full span of Van Gogh’s self-portraiture has been explored in an exhibition. Several works in the exhibition were last together in Van Gogh’s studio and have never been reunited, until now.

Online tours - Enjoy the Louvre at home!

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Virtual tours Enjoy the Louvre at home! Online tours

Virtual tours, louvre at home.

Visit the museum rooms and galeries, admire the palace architecture and enjoy the views!

From afar. Travelling Materials and Objects

Through materials and objects, this exhibition describes exchanges between distant worlds – exchanges often far more ancient than the explorations of the 16th century.   From deepest antiquity, carnelian, lapis lazuli, ebony and ivory circulated along trade routes...

Launch virtual tour  

The Advent of the Artist

For its 5th edition, the Petite Galerie takes a closer look at the transition from the typically anonymous craftsman of the classical period to the artist of the Renaissance, featuring works by Delacroix, Rembrandt, Tintoret and more.

Power plays

This third Petite Galerie exhibition focused on the connection between art and political power, from antiquity to the present day.

The Body in Movement

In its second season, the Petite Galerie explored one of the performing arts: dance. How did artists use different materials and techniques to represent movement?

Founding Myths: From Hercules to Darth Vader

The very first Petite Galerie exhibition looked into how illustrators, sculptors, painters, puppeteers, filmmakers, and musicians around the world have drawn inspiration from myths, given them form, and brought them to life.

What activities does the Louvre offer that can be enjoyed from home?

Events at the auditorium (in French)  

Podcasts (in French)  

Louvre Kids  

“Mona Lisa Beyond the Glass” virtual reality experience