Museum Tours from Home

Don't let the isolation ruin your motivation. Tour these world-class museums and tourist destinations and stay inspired!

In this difficult time of self-isolation, I, as a person whose everyday task mostly associates with art and creativity, often find myself in a constant state of boredom — switching back and forth between frustration of not being motivated, and anxiety from not being able to finish the task on time. Also, I'm devastated that many plans have to be canceled. For a moment I think fondly back to the time I was visiting art galleries and museums in many places, then I suddenly remember that this amazing thing exists: Google Art & Culture.

What can you do with Google Art & Culture?

If you're reading this article, then I assume that you have an internet access, and therefore I deliver you this good news, you can now take tours in hundreds of museums and galleries around the world, even in self-isolation.

I know what you're thinking. What's the difference? Nowadays, we can access almost any knowledge in the world using the searching engines, but I must tell you that this experience of virtual touring is unique. For me, it is very fun and it can kill hours of time. In a sense, it's quite similar to the experience of physically touring the museums; then you can see the building, explore the exterior and interior design, walk around, and discover something you've never seen. Simply give the yellow person icon a click, then you'll be able to access the Google street view feature of the places.

On the other hand, the virtual experience also has its own unique advantages. One thing you cannot do at the actual museums, you can zoom in on many artworks and see every little detail, using a feature called Art Camera.

Another cool feature is 360-degree Video. Quite similar to a normal street view feature, this feature allows you to look 360-degree, but in a video version often with a guide or a narrator.

Can you guess what is this picture? Hint: It's very iconic and painted by Vincent van Gogh.

But Where should I go?

There's literally hundreds of available options of places in every continent. You can start by looking at the map in the Collection, or you can simply look at anything the site suggests. You can explore artworks according to artists, styles, movements, or even colours.

I also have some personal suggestions. These are entirely based on my personal interests. If you've tried them, you can share with me what you think!

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British Museum, England Tour Now

This museum is so large it can take days to walk through all the rooms. In here, you'll find thousands of historical artefacts from around the world. You can even find real mummies and a part of the Parthenon here. It's perfect if you'd like to casually look at things, but if you're looking for something specific, you might want to open up the museum map first.

Or else, if you are looking for something from a specific continent or a period of time, then you can look at this interactive website: Museum of the World

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Film Archive, Thailand Tour Now

This is a suitable choice if you're interested in film making in Thailand in the past. You'll find old vintage cameras, replications of film sets, and many objects actually used in many famous Thai films. What even more interesting is that they now have a YouTube Channel, where many iconic vintage films are available, with English subtitles and free of charge.

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Van Gogh Museum, Netherlands Tour Now

Maybe you already figure out that the painting I ask you to guess at the top of this article is Van Gogh's Starry Night. If so, I guess that you really like Van Gogh, and you can't miss this museum. Walking virtually through this museum, alongside with looking at his magnified paintings in Google Art Camera, is a very surreal experience.

One awesome thing you can find in this museum is an actual photography of Vincent van Gogh himself! Hint: It's on the ground floor.

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Uffizi Gallery, Italy Tour Now

Uffizi Gallery collects many masterpieces of paintings and sculptures. The collections include art pieces from since 14th century and the Renaissance period. The building was constructed in the 16th century, and it has been well renovated and maintained. The corridors and ceilings are very pretty, those who enjoy Renaissance architecture might also enjoy walking in this museum as well.

Highlights in this gallery, according to my interest, are: Botticelli's The Birth of Venus at room 10-14, and Caravaggio's Medusa at room 90.

Many masterpieces are stored here, if you want to see anything specific, try searching for the room number. It's quite easy and kind of like a finding game. It took me only 4 minutes to find Botticelli's Venus!

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Giverny Museum of Impressionism, France Tour Now

As a fan of Impressionism, especially Claude Monet, this place brings joy to me, even by looking through the computer screen. This was the place Monet lived. The sky, the trees, and the flowers, they are all so pretty! It makes me think that Plein-Air painting through Street View is interesting.

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I hope you're inspired by these awesome places, and finally, don't let your isolation ruin your imagination and motivation~