Chances are you’re twiddling your thumbs, aching to go out.
Join the club. But there are still lots of ways you can pass the time, while also feeling like you’re out in the heart of London culture. While there are countless virtual tours that you can dive into around the world, many of the most wonderful online museums, exhibitions and walking tours can be found on London soil. We’ve rounded up some of the best.
1. Greenwich Painted Hall
The beautiful Greenwich Painted Hall only reopened after works a year ago. So, only a lucky percentage have seen it in all its glory in recent years. Nevertheless, keen art-lovers can still catch the marvellous paintings online. You’ll get beautiful 360-degree views of the hall, including the stunning benches, windows and full-wall murals.
Check out Greenwich Hall with the full stunning surfaces right here.
2. British Museum
Take a scrolling stroll around the British Museum and head through their virtual time-capsule. You’ll make Marty McFly look like a fool with this one, as the tool lets you look at artefacts from as far back as 5000 BC. This site gives you a tour of any year, whether it’s 1400 AD or 2000 BC. It beckons the nation to come out of the lockdown as well-rounded, esteemed historians.
Take the scroll of your life through the British Museum right here.
3. Natural History Museum
The Natural History Museum was one of the first London museums to close its doors, before all the others were ordered to follow suit. But, if Ben Stiller taught us anything, it’s that life lives on in museums regardless of human movement inside. The dinosaurs, the blue whales and the scary skulls are all on hand to provide us with a cracking virtual display. The museum’s website gives a host of options on ways to interact with all things natural and historic. The pick of the bunch, however, has to be a guided interactive tour of Hintze Hall led by none other than Sir David Attenborough.
Check out the vast array of museum tour opportunities right here.
4. Yayoi Kusama’s world-renowned Infinity Rooms, which were due to hit the Tate Modern
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Yayoi Kusama’s spectacular Infinity Rooms have gripped the public as they make their way to different stops around the globe. Kusama’s Infinity Rooms are chambers just big enough for three people, filled with stunning beams of light for a unique, individual experience. They were due to hit the Tate Modern on 11 May, but sadly have been halted due to COVID-19. Never fear, Instagram is here. The Broad Museum has provided an interactive view of Kusama’s room via the app, which aims to transport you from your sofa to the radiant glow of infinity.
5. Jack The Ripper walking tour
Take yourself out to the spooky spots that Jack The Ripper once roamed through… all from the safety of your own home. In this thrilling tour, you’ll learn about London’s most notorious serial killer, his victims and even investigate other alleged perpetrators. The historical tour displays the Whitechapel crime scenes and lets you draw up your own conclusions about the never-caught killer himself. It’s the most detailed and all-consuming virtual tour you can experience from lockdown.
Find out more about the spooky tour and grab your tickets right here.
6. The Postal Museum
As the magic of the Postal Museum remains behind closed doors due to the coronavirus, virtual visitors are able to hop on board the museum’s star attraction: the famous Mail Rail. “Passengers” on the virtual tour will explore the hidden subterranean world of the 100-year-old Post Office Railway, chugging its way through the original tunnels.
Read all about it and get involved here.
7. The National Gallery
The National Gallery provides detailed virtual tours of their different wings. See everything from early renaissance paintings, to 360-degree views of Holstein and Titian. It’s a world to get lost in and immerse yourself in the best art the capital has to offer.
Check out the virtual tours of The National Gallery on offer here.
8. The London Transport Museum
If you’ve got time to kill, this is an excellent, detailed walking tour of the London Transport Museum. As it was filmed this time last year, the crowds in the museum might make you pine for the days where you could join them. It’s a great way to get to grips with London’s historic travel company.
9. Houses of Parliament
While they’re normally bellowing away here, even the MPs are mostly working from home. No matter how you feel they’re handling this ongoing crisis, it doesn’t mean you can’t get a feel for the historic buildings they normally grace. This 360-degree virtual tour lets you wander through the Commons, the Lords and the lobbies, halls and galleries that make up the Houses Of Parliament.
Check out the Houses Of Parliament virtual tour here.
10. Buckingham Palace State Tour Rooms
As it’s the Queen’s birthday this week (April 21), it would be remiss of us not to let you know about the Buckingham Palace virtual tours. Check out the majestic throne room, the grand staircase, the drawing-room and much more. Truly the most royal you can feel at a time like this.
Check out the Buckingham Palace State Room tours right here.
11. Courtauld Gallery
The Courtauld Gallery has past experience in getting this kind of thing to work. It closed its doors temporarily in September 2018, and offered viewers a virtual tour. This has, of course, come in handy for the current situation. Anyone can gawk at the beautiful work of Manet, Van Gogh and plenty more with a virtual display of every single room.
Check out the full Courtauld Gallery tour right here.
12. Saatchi Gallery’s ‘Tutanhkamun: Treasures of the Golden Pharaoh‘ exhibit
The Tutankhamun exhibit was one of the hottest tickets in town prior to lockdown—and one of the final chances to see the artefacts before their permanent move to Cairo’s Grand Egyptian Museum—so news of the online tour is welcome indeed. The gallery invites you to “Enter The Tomb” where you’re able to check out prized artefacts such as vases, coffinettes, and statues.
13. Andy Warhol at Tate Modern
Mainly down to the brilliant weather that London has so typically experienced as soon as everyone got forced inside, this is one that hurts a lot. A day out on the sunny Southbank topped off by cooling down at this Andy Warhol exhibition sounds like complete heaven. Nonetheless, the Tate Modern has ensured that we don’t completely miss out. A full video of the excellent Andy Warhol exhibition can be found online, along with a detailed commentary that explores the exhibition room by room.
14. NOW Gallery’s “Slices Of Time” installation
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Before the forced closures, NOW Gallery housed Emmanuele Moureaux’s first large-scale installation in the UK. Luckily though, the free exhibition, dubbed “Slices Of Time”, can still be found online. It’s the most brightly-coloured display on this list and is inspired by the artist’s time living in Tokyo among the neon lights. Slices Of Time takes on Moureaux’s invented concept of shikiri, which means ‘dividing space with colour’. The exhibition is a sight to behold and it’s available here for free.