Virtual tours of Italy and Italy virtual experiences you can enjoy from home right now

Virtual tours of Italy you can enjoy from home. Virtual tours of Italian museum, virtual cooking classes and that will bring Italy to you

A virtual tour of Italy may not feel quite the same as the real thing.

However, they are a surprising good way to bring Italy a little closer to you and they can also be a fantastic way to help you get excited and plan a future trip.

Weather you are looking at virtual tours of Italy because you cannot go right now, to finalize an itinerary or just to pass the time surrounded by the best of Italy, I hope you enjoy this selection of Italian tours and experiences and help bring a taste of Italy to you, wherever you are!

Need to know: the tours are all provided by different museums and operators and use different platforms. Some are actual tours with a guide, others are webinars and some are 360 degrees images that you can move with google earth/ google arts and culture technology.

No tours require technical knowledge. Some are free, those with a guide are fee paying.

Please note: this post contains affiliate links. Should you make a purchase, we might make a small commission.

Virtual Yours of Italian museums

Virtual tours of the Vatican Museums

The Vatican Museums has a section of their website devoted to official ‘virtual tours’ of some of their most famous spaces.

The tours are interactive images that you can move at 360 degrees on your screen so that you have the illusion of being inside the room itself and they are very enjoyable.

The ability to zoom into details allows to see up close all parts of the room, including the ceilings, that would be hard to fully appreciate in real life.

14 tours are available, including the Sistine Chapel and Raffaello’s Stanze. You can access them all for free here.

If you prefer a tour with a guide, a free one is offered by GetYourGuide, which is also an excellent provider of actual Vatican Tours, for when you are in Rome! You can find it here (once on the article, click on the YouTube video).

Virtual Tour of he Uffizi, Florence

The wonderful Uffizi in Florence also offer a virtual tour, accessible for free on their website.

You tour is organized on the basis of the Uffizi Plan: you click on your room of choice and an interactive image of the room appears. Some images are powered by Google Earth and you can move them to have a 360 degree view of the space but others are static.

I find this an excellent tool to help you plan your actual Uffizi visit: the museum is so big, knowing what rooms to prioritize will be priceless.

You can access the Uffizi free virtual tour here

Another way to experience the Uffizi from home is by joining the Uffizi Virtual Tour offered by GetYourGuide: the tour is not free but is it hosted by a local guide, so you get value for your money.

You can access the GYG virtual tour here

Virtual Tours of Venice Museums

The Google Arts & Culture project allows you to peek into several of Venice museums, from home, for free.

Available museums are:

• Doge’s Palace
• Ca’ Rezzonico (Museums of 1700 in Venice)
• Ca’ Pesaro (International Gallery of Modern Art)
• Palazzo Mocenico (1800s residence)
• Museo Correr (Venice History)
• Museo del vetro (Glass museum)
• Venice Museum of Natural History
• Palazzo Fortuny (Venetian gothic)

Virtual Tour of Leonardo’s last supper in Milan

Google Earth technology allows us to visit the Leonardo’s LAst Supper in Milan and appreciate not just the beauty of this fresco but also its incredible location, the cenacolo.

You can access the image for free here: use the arrows and the + and – buttons to zoom in and out.

Virtual Tour of Milan’s Duomo

The official site of Milan’s Duomo offers 360 degrees photos of several of its areas, for free. The site is not the most intuitive and it took me a few clicks to get the tour started but the images are super sharp and incredibly beautiful.

You can access the virtual tour for free here.

Centrale Montemartini Museum Virtual Visit, Rome

This is a lesser known yet wonderful museum in Rome with ancient mosaics and Roman statues hosted in an unusual setting: a disused electric plant!

The juxtaposition of industrial spaces and ancient art is wonderful.

The tour is offered via google arts and culture, which you can access here

Online tour of Musei Capitolini, Rome

Musei Capitolini are among the most important in Rome and you can experience them from home in two different ways:

The first is via google arts and culture, for which you only need an internet connection.

To access, click here, then click again on the yellow man on the right corner of the main image.

A new page will open up with a selection of images from the museum: click on any that grabs your attention for a close-up!

If you have Flash player, you can also access the virtual tour offered by the museum itself here.

Virtual Tour of Mercati di Traiano, Trajan Markets, Rome

I mercati di Traiano, Emperor Trajan’s Markets, are a beautiful and well kept ancient structure now serving also as a museum.

A visit is well worth it both virtual and in real life! There are two access options:

Museum virtual tour (required flash player, follow the prompt from the museum page to install it if needed, it is free and easy to do)

Google arts and culture tour: click on the little yellow figurine and then on any image for a close up.

Online visit of Ara Pacis, Rome

The incredible Ara Pacis, dating back to Augustus’ times has been recently restored and can now be enjoyed in all its splendor via two virtual tours:

Via google arts and culture here (not really a virtual tour, but a selection of images you can move around and see in close up)

Or via the museum itself, here.

This is a much better and enjoyable option, however, it requires the use of Flash Player, which not all computers have. You can download it safely and for free following the prompts on the museum page.

Virtual tours of Italian Cities and areas of natural beauty

When it comes to virtual tours of Italy that brings you to cities, these are the ones we have found.

60 Min Virtual tour of Florence

If you cannot wait to see Florence, then you might love this 60 min webinar about the city hosted by a local guide.

Over 1 hours, an English speaking guide will introduce you to the art, history and architecture of Florence and, at the end, will be available for a Q&A session too.

You can find info, prices and how to join here

Virtual Tour of Ancient Rome

A beautiful way to experience the marvels of ancient Rome from your own home is to join a tour that leads you two three of its most impressive landmarks: the Colosseum, the Forum and the Palatine Hill.

This is a one-hour tour hosted by a licensed Rome guide. There is a Q&A session at the end should you want to ask questions. The session is audio-only and you only need microphone access if you decide to take part.

You can find info and ticket here

Virtual Tours of Venice, Italy

I have come across two different ways to experience and learn about Venice.

A 360 degrees photo tour, which you an access here for free and a live webinar with guide that you can access here. The webinar is one hour long and uses photos, videos and a chat system to connect you with a local Venice guide.

Virtual Tour of Piazza del Campo, Siena

You will not believe your eyes as you enter this tour of Piazza del Campo, in the heart of wonderful Siena!

The tour is a 360 degrees images with great detail and definition that you can move with the easy to use arrows at the bottom of the screen.

You can access it for free here.

Virtual tour of Alberobello, Puglia

Immerse yourself in the peculiar architecture of Alberobello and its trulli with this 360 degrees moving image /free virtual tour (with music).

The tour brings you in the heart of Rione Monti, where you have the highest concentration of trulli. You can access the tour here.

360 degrees interactive images tours of the Dolomites

You can almost feel the fresh air of the Italian Dolomites when you access this 360 degrees interactive image of their powdery slopes! You can use the slider on the right to select the image that interests you most. Access them here

360 degrees interactive images of Cinque Terre

The colors of the Cinque Terre villages truly pop in these 360 degrees images!

As you enter, you see a birds-eye view of the location first but pay attention to the little icon of the hiker: if you click on it, you will access specific areas of the photos and feel as if you are walking there yourself!

Access it here

Virtual classes in Italy

Virtual pasta making class in Rome

If you always wanted to learn to make real pasta, you don’t have to renounce just because you are not in Rome right now. You can also learn from home, joining this live pasta making class, directly from Rome.

This is an interactive class and you will be cooking along: recipes will be sent in advance so you can stock up on what you need for the day.

Find info and tickets here

Virtual pizza making class from Rome

You will never order take out pizza again after you learn how to make your own with this 1.5 hours pizza making class live from Rome!

You will get the full list of ingredients in advance so you can cook along. Sign up here.

Virtual Italian cooking class from Rome

always dreamed of being able to make a real Italian meal from scratch? Now you can, with this online Italian cooking class live from Trastevere, Rome. Cook a full meal and enjoy the fruit of your labors booking your slot here

Live Virtual Tiramisu Cooking class from Venice

1h virtual cooking class with an Italian chef who, from Venice, will walk you through the steps to make the perfect tiramisu!

List of ingredients sent prior to the class to give you time to get ready. Info and tickets here

I hope you enjoyed this selection of virtual tours in Italy and Italian virtual experiences. Stay safe!