Vitrual Tours in London

London might be on lock down but you can still explore some of the capitals greatest landmarks & attractions with a virtual tour. While it isn’t the same as visiting in person a virtual tour really is the next best thing. Below we’ve listed attractions who’ve digitally opened their doors with 360′ virtual tours.

Virtual Tours

Benjamin Franklin House

About Benjamin Franklin House

36 Craven Street is the only remaining home of the Benjamin Franklin, a famous scientist, diplomat & Founding Father of the United States. The house itself dates from around 1730 & is an authentic representation Benjamin Franklin’s time in London. Tours of Benjamin Franklin House are available for the public & there is also a small shop & toilet facilities onsite.

About their Virtual Tour

This virtual tour of Benjamin Franklin House lets you explore all four levels of the historic Georgian townhouse. The interior is decorated with light panelled walls & sash windows typical of houses in Georgian London.

Buckingham Palace

Buckingham Palace, City of Westminster

Buckingham Palace

Buckingham Palace, City of Westminster

Buckingham Palace

About Buckingham Palace

Buckingham Palace has been the home of the Monarch since the accession of Queen Victoria in 1837. Originally built in 1703 for the Duke of Buckingham the house was purchased by King George III as a private residence for his wife, Queen Charlotte. The palace has seen numerous alterations including King George IV’s magnificent staterooms (designed by John Nash) & the fourth wing (designed by Edward Blore) commissioned by Queen Victoria to create extra space to house her growing family.

About their Virtual Tour

Buckingham Palace is filled with beautiful items from the Royal Collection including magnificent paintings & exquisite handmade furniture. Bucking Palace’s virtual tour lets you explore The Throne Room, The Grand Staircase & the White Drawing Room.

Courtauld Gallery

Somerset House, City of Westminster

Somserset House

Somerset House, City of Westminster

Somserset House

About the Courtauld Gallery

The Courtauld Gallery is situated within Somerset House next to Waterloo Bridge. The gallery houses the Courtauld Institute of Art containing over 500 paintings & 26,000 drawings & prints. The Courtauld Gallery is currently closed for an extensive renovation & is due to re-open in 2021.

About their Virtual Tour

This tour showcases six rooms in the Courtauld Gallery as they were before the museum closed. Discover works of art including Vincent Van Gogh’s Self-Portrait with Bandaged Ear or Édouard Manet’s A Bar at the Folies-Bergère.

The National Gallery

The National Gallery, Trafalgar Square
The National Gallery, Trafalgar Square, Photo Credit: UlyssesThirtyOne on Flickr (Photo Licensed By Creative Commons, resized.)

Top: The National Gallery | Bottom: The National Gallery, Photo Credit: UlyssesThirtyOne on Flickr (Photo Licensed By Creative Commons, resized.)

The National Gallery, Trafalgar Square
The National Gallery, Trafalgar Square, Photo Credit: UlyssesThirtyOne on Flickr (Photo Licensed By Creative Commons, resized.)

Top: The National Gallery | Bottom: The National Gallery, Photo Credit: UlyssesThirtyOne on Flickr (Photo Licensed By Creative Commons, resized.)

About the National Gallery

The National Gallery was founded in 1824 & opened to the public on the 10th May of the same year. As the collection grew the gallery moved from a small building at 100 Pall Mall to the present building, a purpose built structure designed by William Wilkins. Both The National Gallery’s building & collection has grown over the years, Sir James Pennethorne, Sir Charles Barry & Sir John Taylor have all extended the building & over 2,600 paintings are now housed within the collection. Today the National Gallery is free to visit & they organise a range of exhibitions & events showcases works from the collection. The gallery also has a number of giftshops, a dining room & cafés.

About their Virtual Tour

The National Gallery have three virtual tours on their website exploring more than seven rooms in the gallery. Just some of the artworks on display include Renaissance paintings by Titian, Veronese & Holbein

The Painted Hall, Old Royal Naval College

Old Royal Naval College, Royal Borough of Greenwich

Top: The Lower Hall | Bottom: The West Wall, Upper Hall

Old Royal Naval College, Royal Borough of Greenwich

Top: The Lower Hall | Bottom: The West Wall, Upper Hall

About the Old Royal Naval College

The Old Royal Naval College is Sir Christopher Wren’s riverside masterpiece, built in the 17th Century as the Royal Hospital for Seamen on the site of the Tudor Palace of Placentia. The Old Royal Naval College boasts beautiful surroundings & some of the most magnificent interiors in London. The Painted Hall in King William Court is home to the largest painted ceiling in Europe, a Baroque masterpiece by Sir James Thornhill depicting over 300 years of English aristocracy & British Naval Power. The Chapel of St Peter & St Paul in Queen Mary Court has a beautiful interior designed by James ‘Athenian’ Stewart. Visitors to the Old Royal Naval College can enjoy tours of the Painted Hall & the grounds & visit the cafe & gift shop located in King William Court.

About their Virtual Tour

This highly detailed tour of the Painted Hall lets you explore the Lower Hall, Upper Hall & the Vestibule in incredible detail. The tour is available in English & British Sign Language and allows you to zoom into details on the 50 foot high ceiling & learn about the historical figures depicted in Sir James Thornhill’s Masterpiece.

Palace of Westminster (Houses of Parliament)

New Palace of Westminster (Houses of Parliament), City of Westminster

Top: The New Palace of Westminster | Bottom: St. Stephens Hall

New Palace of Westminster (Houses of Parliament), City of Westminster

Top: The New Palace of Westminster | Bottom: St. Stephens Hall

About the Palace of Westminster

Known as the ‘Houses of Parliament’, the new palace was built between 1840-1870 after the original palace was damaged during a fire. The palace is the home of UK Parliament & the iconic Elizabeth Tower (known as Big Ben).

About their Virtual Tour

This virtual tour allows viewers to explore the corridors & rooms of one of the United Kingdom’s greatest Gothic buildings. Augustus Welby Pugin’s beautiful interiors combined with stunning artworks from the Parliamentary Collection make a tour of the Palace of Westminster a breathtaking experience, when in person or online.

10 Downing Street

10 Downing Street

10 Downing Street

10 Downing Street

10 Downing Street

About 10 Downing Street

10 Downing Street has been the residence & office of British Prime Ministers since 1735. The building’s iconic black door & brick facade symbolises British Government & the Prime Minister. Originally designed by Sir Christopher Wren in 1684 Downing Street has been refurbished & modernised by numerous architects including William Kent (1735), Kenton Couse (1780) & Sir John Soane (1825).

About their Virtual Tour

This virtual tour lets you walk in the footsteps of the worlds most famous politician’s & world leaders. This tour includes five rooms at No 10 including the reception hall, William Kent’s 3-sided Grand Staircase, the Cabinet Room, the Prime Ministers Office & the Pillared Room. The building is decorated with beautiful carpets, elegant furniture & paintings & photos of previous Prime Ministers including Horace Walpole, Winston Churchill & Margaret Thatcher.

Churchill War Rooms

10 Downing Street

10 Downing Street

About Churchill War Rooms
About their Virtual Tour

Sir John Soanes Museum

Sir John Soane's Museum, Holborn

Sir John Soane’s Museum

Sir John Soane's Museum, Holborn

Sir John Soane’s Museum

About Sir John Soane's Museum

Sir John Soane’s Museum is situated in the Grade I listed home of the Regency architect Sir John Soane. Soane commissioned numerous buildings throughout his career including country homes, the Bank of England & Dulwich Picture Gallery. During his lifetime Soane amassed a vast collection of items including books,  manuscripts, paintings, models, sculptures & the alabaster sarcophagus of Seti I. Soane obtained an Act of Parliament bequeathing his home to the British Public. Today Sir John Soane’s Museum is free to visit & remains mostly unchanged since his death in 1837. Tours & trails are are available at the museum to guide visitors through the rooms & collections that have been curated by Sir John Soane himself.

About their Virtual Tour

Sir John Soane’s home remains almost unchanged since his death in 1837. The John Soane Museum have been using 3D technology to digitise the museum & it’s contents. The Model Room & the Sepulchral Chamber are already complete & more rooms will be added to the model as they are completed. You can also take a close look at some of the artefacts in Sir John Soane’s collection & learn more about their history.

Westminster Abbey

Westminster Abbey, City of Westminster

Westminster Abbey

Westminster Abbey, City of Westminster

Westminster Abbey

About Westminster Abbey

Westminster Abbey was built by King Edward (later to become St. Edward the Confessor) on the site of a Benedictine Monastery on Thorn Ey (Thorn Island) in Westminster. King Edward’s Abbey was consecrated on the 28th December 1065 however Edward was unable to attend the consecration due to illness, he died just days later sparking a succession crisis which intimately led to the Norman Conquest of England. William the Conqueror was coronated King William I on Christmas Day in 1066 & every coronation has taken place at Westminster Abbey since.

King Edward’s abbey stood for over two centuries until King Henry III started to rebuild the abbey in a Gothic style. Henry’s abbey was consecrated on the 13th October 1269 & still stands today. Westminster Abbey is the resting place of 17 monarchs & a number of poets, musicians, scientists and politicians.

About their Virtual Tour

This tour of Westminster Abbey allows you to explore the historic Abbey in great detail from Poet’s Corner to the Nave. The tour is also filled with information boxes explaining the Abbey’s history.

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