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From the Great Wall of China to the Taj Mahal, these historical man-made sites will have been wanderlust fuelled destinations for many travellers. But, what if you could visit them all in an afternoon?
From Jordan’s incredible Rose City of Petra, to the white marble Taj Mahal in India there are more ways to visit these ancient architectural sites than you might think.
In this list, Uswitch have brought together seven free virtual tours, allowing you to experience the allure of these wonders, right from your armchair.
Great Wall of China, near Beijing, China
Every year, over 10 million people visit the Great Wall, China’s longest wall and biggest ancient architecture. It’s winding path covers over 21,000 km and it is thought to be 2,300 years old.
This Virtual Tour provided by The China Guide allows you to ‘walk’ along the wall with just a click of your mouse.
Petra, Jordan
With Google’s Street View Treks, you can get up close and personal with Jordan’s Rose City, Petra.
Leave your passport at home and grab your headphones to be immersed into this stunning city steeped in history and impressive architecture.
Petra is over four times the size of Manhattan, but with Google Street View Treks, you can explore caves, temples and tombs spread out for over a hundred square miles with just a click of your mouse.
The Colosseum in Rome, Italy
Roughly 6.4 million people visited Rome’s Colosseum last year, making it one of the most-visited tourist attractions in the world – and it is easy to see why.
This majestic amphitheater measures over 189m long and 50m high and could seat over 50,000 to watch sporting events and games.
Skip the crowds and take a virtual tour on YouTube – this hour-long walking tour of the Colosseum is filmed in pin-sharp 4K, immersing you into the action.
Chichen Itza, Yucatán, Mexico
Attracting more than 900,000 visitors each year, Chichén Itzá continues to be a historial wonder popular with tourists. Situated just 2 hours from tourist hot-spot Cancun, it’s a popular cultural excursion for many visiting Mexico.
Experience a 360 view of the stepped pyramids in this virtual tour.
Machu Picchu, Cuzco Region, Peru
Set high amongst the Andes mountains in Peru, it’s an adventure just getting to Machu Picchu. Built in the 15th century, this ancient Inca site draws tourists from all over the world to visit.
This virtual tour comes complete with a voiceover, educating and entertaining as you take in the spectacular scenery of Machu Picchu.
Taj Mahal, Agra, Uttar Pradesh, India
This ornate marble mausoleum is widely considered to be one of the most beautiful buildings in the world. The building was designed to be completely symmetrical and in the event of a disaster such as an earthquake everything would fall away from the tomb inside.
Go behind the scenes of India’s Crown Jewel with this virtual tour from Google.
Christ the Redeemer, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
This colossal statue of Christ the Redeemer is the largest art deco statue in the world, standing at an impressive 98 feet tall overlooking Rio de Janeiro in Brazil and has been classed as a ‘World Wonder’ since 2007.
To reach the statue on foot, you’ll scale around 200 steps, but you don’t need to with this virtual tour of the statue. This 360 view includes a guided tour with some interesting facts about the origins and construction.