The Best Ways to Explore London Without Leaving the House

London’s culture, history, art and architecture are second to none. If you love to explore London, you don’t have to wait until museum doors are open again. From virtual tours of galleries to simulated walking tours, the very best of the big smoke is now available online, so let’s take this opportunity to be tourists from our homes!

Virtual London Sightseeing

Love exploring the city in your free time? You might not be able to jump on the tube or grab a coffee from Pret yet, but you can still discover London gems and visit London landmarks, albeit virtually.

New virtual walking tours
A London Blue Badge tour guide, Kate, is giving virtual London walking tours through her Instagram page using Google Maps. Tune in and she’ll guide you through some of London’s most famous streets, with plenty of fascinating facts along the way.

Live London webcams
Ever wondered what the view from The Shard must be like while London is empty? Now you can see for yourself! Check out the (lack of) traffic on Westminster Bridge and watch the clouds move in on the city from Canary Wharf with these expertly placed webcams.

360° views of landmarks
From the top of the London Eye to Buckingham Palace, these are London’s most iconic landmarks captured on 360° camera. Taken pre-social distancing, the most amazing part is how crowded the pavements are.

Virtual Museums and Galleries

London boasts some of the most incredible museums in the world. These have found ways to make sure you can still get your culture fix without getting up off the sofa

Slices of Time by Emmanuelle Moureaux
Take a virtual tour of Moureaux’s technicolour art installation at NOW Gallery in Greenwich. The beautiful piece explores the marking of time with a cascade of multicoloured numbers.

Mail Rail from Home with The Postal Museum
Before Amazon Prime, London’s mail used to travel by rail. The underground network has since been transformed into a ride, and while the museum is closed, you can experience it online for a limited time only!

The British Museum
Scroll your way through history with the British Museum’s interactive chronology of the world! Examine historical artefacts from across the continents and see how cultures linked together through time.

Historical Places and Palaces

Haven't you always wanted to go to the Tower of London, but couldn't stand the thought of the crowds? Wonder no longer - plenty of historical places and palaces have now gone online.

The Tower of London
With 360° images of Tower Green, the Poppy Display and a stunning view from the battlements across the Thames, you can explore with their guided commentary. The best part? No queues.

The Natural History Museum
They have curated 12 ways to explore the museum from home, including a virtual tour of Hintze Hall with Sir David Attenborough as your guide, and 300,000 specimens in the Museum’s collections available through Google Arts & Culture.

Hampton Court Palace
Head back in time to Tudor England to see how life might’ve been if you lived or worked at one of the grandest palaces in the country. One thing’s for sure, the kitchen's much more spacious than yours.

Houses of Parliament
The Government might be working from home, but the virtual doors to the Houses of Parliament are open to visitors. Lovers of politics, history and architecture alike will find plenty to admire.

Then let's make it official. To keep up to date with what members like you are up to, follow us on our Zipcar UK Instagram, Facebook or Twitter.

The Best Ways to Explore London Without Leaving the House

Virtual London Sightseeing

Virtual Museums and Galleries

Historical Places and Palaces

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