TeachersFirst's Virtual Field Trips
Take your students around the world with this curated list of resources offering free virtual field trips. Visiting museums and famous landmarks may not be in your school's budget. The next best thing is taking students to visit locations around the world - virtually! Each review includes a description highlighting what is available at each site. Read the classroom use suggestions for additional ideas about how to implement these tools in your classroom.
Take a look at our complete list of resources that offer virtual field trips.

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Talking Tours - Google Arts and Culture
Grades
4 to 12tag(s): archeology (28), artificial intelligence (177), deserts (16), forests (30), landmarks (22), maps (220), museums (52), virtual field trips (128)
In the Classroom
Take your students to the world's most famous cultural landmarks without leaving your classroom using Talking Tours. Use this Google Experiment to enhance learning by exploring specific locations in books or mentioned in history lessons. If you have five minutes to fill at the end of a class period, ask students to select a location to explore and ask questions. Extend learning using a timeline generation tool like MyLens, reviewed here to create a timeline that shares the story of critical events in the location you are exploring. Further, extend learning by finding or creating an interactive chatbot such as those available on SchoolAI, reviewed here. For example, when visiting Nelson's Column, found at Trafalgar Square in London, search for a "Space" featuring Lord Nelson and invite your students to interact and ask questions to learn more about his epic sea battles.Explore the Blue: 360 Sea Lion Adventure - National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Grades
4 to 12This site includes advertising.
tag(s): animals (294), conservation (102), ecosystems (83), habitats (92), virtual field trips (128)
In the Classroom
Have students research the marine ecosystem of the Channel Islands and create a food web that includes California sea lions, kelp, fish, and other species. Use images, string, and labels to construct a visual food web on a bulletin board or digitally using a resource such as MindMup, reviewed here. In small groups, students can use recycled materials to create a model of a sea lion's underwater habitat, including kelp forests, rocky areas, and open water. They can label parts of the model and explain how each element contributes to the sea lion's survival. Students can write a narrative from the perspective of a sea lion exploring the Channel Islands. Encourage them to include sensory details inspired by the VR experience and factual information about the species' behavior.Sanctuaries 360: Explore the Blue - National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Grades
6 to 12This site includes advertising.
tag(s): california (17), conservation (102), ecosystems (83), florida (12), marine biology (31), michigan (5), virtual field trips (128)
In the Classroom
After analyzing maps of marine sanctuaries to understand different habitat types and their significance for marine species, students can create their own maps based on data provided in the resources. They can use a resource like Google My Maps, reviewed here. Students can make food webs after looking at species in the galleries. Use a resource such as MindMup, reviewed here to make an online version. Assign students to research a real-world issue impacting marine sanctuaries (ex., coral bleaching, overfishing, or pollution). They can create presentations suggesting solutions using Nearpod, reviewed here or Genially, reviewed here.Explore the Blue: 360 Mallows Bay Ghost Fleet - NOAA
Grades
6 to 12This site includes advertising.
tag(s): ecosystems (83), environment (252), marine biology (31), virtual field trips (128), world war 1 (77)
In the Classroom
Assign students to research one species found in or around the Ghost Fleet, examining its role in the ecosystem and how the wreckage supports its habitat. Students present findings through creative posters or short presentations using Canva, reviewed here or Google Slides or Nearpod, reviewed here. Create a timeline of the Ghost Fleet, including its World War I origins, its current ecological significance, and ongoing conservation efforts using an online tool such as Time Graphics Timeline Maker, reviewed here or Timelinely, reviewed here. Encourage students to create art or write a story inspired by the Ghost Fleet, imagining its history from the perspective of a crew member or an organism living on the wreck today.Virtual Yosemite - Virtual Yosemite
Grades
K to 12tag(s): glaciers (17), landforms (39), mountains (10), national parks (29), virtual field trips (128)
In the Classroom
Offer students time to explore Virtual Yosemite on their own. After some exploration, use FigJam, reviewed here to encourage students to share information they discovered by adding notes to FigJam. Add categories to Jamboard slides to encourage students to think about different features of locations they found, or add the name of specific areas and ask students to share what is shown on the virtual tour at that location. Ask students to create interactive images containing information about Yosemite National Park using the free creation tools available from Genially, reviewed here. Find many other ideas for virtual field trips at the TeachersFirst Special Topics Page, reviewed here.Innovation Generation - Discovery Education
Grades
2 to 12tag(s): careers (156), crafts (64), engineering (129), makerspace (40), STEM (297), virtual field trips (128)
In the Classroom
Engage students in the design process and makerspace thinking by sharing the resources found on Innovation Generation. The Educator Guide includes several student handouts; use PDF Converter, reviewed here, or another file conversion tool to enable digital document annotation instead of paper versions. Enhance the learning process using FigJam, reviewed here to offer collaborative opportunities for students to share ideas and reflections based on the recommended questions and activities in the Educator Guide. As a final learning extension, develop a collection of makerspace activities for students to interact with within your classroom. Browse through the Makerspace Resources Special Topics page located here, to find many ideas and resources to get started.Geo-fs Flight Simulator - GeoFS
Grades
6 to 12This site includes advertising.
tag(s): aviation (40), virtual field trips (128)
In the Classroom
There are various uses for this flight simulator, from a simple flight for exploring the land below to learning more advanced aviation skills. Your students can experience different parts of the world using the Geo-fs flight simulator. Use this site to learn the geography of a region or study various landscapes. Teachers can create a virtual field or lit trips by making a flight plan for their students to follow. Create a challenge or virtual race for your students to complete; the possibilities are endless!Take a Virtual Field Trip - Google Arts and Culture
Grades
3 to 12tag(s): adaptations (16), africa (148), amazon (11), animals (294), archeology (28), architecture (75), aviation (40), california (17), central america (20), chemicals (39), climate change (99), colors (63), coral (11), dinosaurs (43), earth (184), earthquakes (46), ecosystems (83), endangered species (27), evolution (89), first ladies (4), flight (34), fossils (41), france (41), insects (68), inventors and inventions (80), italy (30), machines (17), magnetism (36), martin luther king (45), medieval (32), mexico (37), migration (45), molecules (43), moon (73), peru (5), presidents (135), railroads (14), rainforests (18), respiration (11), romans (52), shakespeare (99), south africa (13), van gogh (8), virtual field trips (128), volcanoes (55), women (151), world war 1 (77)
In the Classroom
Be sure to take advantage of the guide included on this site on how to take a virtual field trip. In addition, the guide offers suggestions and lesson plans for making the most of virtual field trips. Use any of the included field trips as an engaging introduction to many different topics. For example, several different field trips take viewers under the oceans and use these excrsions to introduce a unit on ocean animals, climate change, or oceans worldwide. Use Figjam, reviewed here for students to share notes, questions, and information learned throughout the activity. Instead of assigning a typical research project, ask students to create a virtual field trip using Google My Maps, reviewed here. Learn the basics of creating with Google My Maps by viewing the archive of a November 2021 OK2Ask virtual workshop, reviewed here.Gez.la Virtual Trips - gez.la
Grades
2 to 12tag(s): virtual field trips (128)
In the Classroom
Take advantage of this site to visit places where time, money, and mileage inhibit your dreams of bringing your students into wondrous worlds. Find ways to visit where your class has never gone before. Small groups or individual students can focus on one of the tours and use it as a starting point for additional research. ENL/ESL learners will appreciate the visual tours. Reach all types of learners through a class visit. Use these virtual reality tours as a class anticipatory guide, center activity, home connection, or extra credit. Challenge your gifted students to guide their own learning. Extend learning and challenge students to create their own virtual tours using Google My Maps, reviewed here. Google My Maps includes tools for you to add routes, images, videos, and more to create virtual field trips anywhere in the world.United States Holocaust Memorial Museum - United States Holocaust Memorial Museum
Grades
7 to 12tag(s): europe (84), germany (28), holocaust (42), virtual field trips (128), world war 2 (161)
In the Classroom
Use these free materials as the starting point for any lessons on the Holocaust. Go on a virtual field trip of the museum to engage students' interest in the causes and outcomes of the Holocaust. Be sure to help students understand the personal toll of the Holocaust by visiting the "Who Were the Victims?" portion of the site. Organize your lessons using ActivelyLearn, reviewed here. Add articles, videos, and documents into an ActivelyLearn lesson to guide students through the learning process. Easily differentiate materials based on student interests and abilities within your ActivelyLearn unit. As a culminating project, and to enhance student learning, ask students to share what they learned using Odyssey, reviewed here. Ask students to create a story map for individuals involved with the Holocaust, or to tell the story of events leading up to the Holocaust.OK2Ask: Engage & Inspire with Virtual Field Trips - TeachersFirst
Grades
K to 12Make an ordinary day...more
Make an ordinary day extraordinary. Provide important context for your content, ratchet-up engagement, and immerse all students in authentic learning experiences with virtual field trips. Discuss strategies that can deepen learning and focus on targeted instructional goals, whether challenges and observations during or reflections and extensions post-experience. Explore different field trip options and identify destinations that support your educational setting. As a result of this session, teachers will: 1.Understand how to use virtual field trips in the classroom; 2. Explore virtual field trip options; and 3. Plan for the use of virtual field trips in your classroom. This session is appropriate for teachers at all technology levels.
tag(s): remote learning (54), virtual field trips (128)
In the Classroom
The archive of this teacher-friendly, hands-on webinar will empower and inspire you to use learning technology in the classroom and for professional productivity. As appropriate, specific classroom examples and ideas have been shared. View the session with a few of your teaching colleagues to find and share new ideas. Find additional information and links to tools at the session resource page. Learn more about OK2Ask and upcoming sessions here.Exploring by the Seat of Your Pants - Joe Grabowski
Grades
6 to 12tag(s): animal homes (57), animals (294), conservation (102), ecology (103), explorers (64), oceans (149), space (222), STEM (297), virtual field trips (128), water (102)
In the Classroom
Take advantage of these free sessions to bring real-word conservation and science lessons to your students. There are three ways for your class to enjoy the sessions. The first one is to "Tune in live! Any number of classrooms can watch the events live on YouTube and even send in some questions using the chat sidebar." The second one is "Grab a camera spot so your class can appear on the screen and interact with the speaker. We generally have 5-7 classrooms joining in this way each hangout." The third viewing choice is "Every hangout is recorded directly to YouTube, we have a growing library of past events that can be viewed by classrooms anytime on our channel." See more explanations to the viewing options by clicking the wavy red lines in the upper left corner and then click For Teachers. Begin by watching virtual field trips (viewing option 3), then expand your activities in additional sessions by signing up to participate and interact with the presenters. Prepare for student questioning by brainstorming ideas. Engage students by sharing ideas using an online bulletin board tool like Pinside, reviewed here. Save and share ideas on your class website. As students research information for your upcoming topic, enhance learning by using a collaborative bookmarking tool like Raindrop.io, reviewed here, for all students to share websites with their peers and add comments. Prepare your students further for interactions with researchers by watching videos from previous broadcasts using playposit, reviewed here, to add questions for students into the YouTube videos and encourage students to add comments discussing each issue. Most of the online tools suggested above will help students document their learning during remote or distance learning sessions.Instant Street View - Nick Nicholaou
Grades
4 to 12This site includes advertising.
tag(s): maps (220), virtual field trips (128)
In the Classroom
Bookmark this site on computers for quick use at any time. During current events discussions, share a street view of locations with students to provide context for the area. When discussing famous buildings, or locations, share a street view to provide students with a 360-degree view of the actual area. Find an interesting location and use street view as a starter for a creative writing project. Extend student learning by having students share their stories using a website creator like Hashify, reviewed here. Hashify is a simple website creator that offers options for adding links and images to the site.Virtual Field Trip to Ellis Island - Scholastic
Grades
3 to 8tag(s): ellis island (6), immigrants (34), immigration (68)
In the Classroom
Include this video with your other resources for students using a bookmarking tool like Symbaloo EDU, reviewed here. Symbaloo includes icons to make organizing and sharing information easy for any topic. Enhance learning by asking students to interview family members to learn about immigrants in their family tree or research famous immigrants. Have them create a webpage using Hashify, reviewed here to share information about their family member including country they came from, reasons for leaving, their immigration experience, and their life in America. In addition to telling stories about immigrants, create a timeline using Time Graphics Timeline Maker, reviewed here that allows you to create interactive timelines.BLVRD - Art. Virtually. Anywhere. - Robert Hamwee and Elizabeth L Reede
Grades
8 to 12tag(s): art history (102), artists (84), england (50), great britain (16), museums (52), virtual field trips (128)
In the Classroom
Engage students by taking a "window walk" as you explore the large variety of art found on this site. Use a tool such as WordClouds, reviewed here to create and share word maps with features of art found in the different museums. Use this site to begin your exploration of different time periods in British history. Enhance learning by having students create an animated timeline including images and videos to share art from around the world during the same time frame or to demonstrate British art throughout the years. Use a timeline tool such as Time Graphics Timeline Maker, reviewed here that allows you to create interactive timelines.Discovery Education Virtual Field Trips - Discovery Education
Grades
K to 12tag(s): agriculture (49), animals (294), careers (156), constitution (96), design (79), energy (133), england (50), explorers (64), holocaust (42), lincoln (66), nutrition (140), pi (29), planets (113), shakespeare (99), spain (13), STEM (297), virtual field trips (128), weather (160)
In the Classroom
Immerse your students into your studies with a close-up in-depth look through virtual field trips. Visit places where time, money, and mileage inhibit your dreams for bringing your students into wondrous worlds. Find ways to visit where your class has never gone before. Find ways to motivate your most reluctant learners. ENL/ESL learners will appreciate the visit. Reach all types of learners through a class visit. Use field trips as a whole class anticipatory guide, a center activity, a home connection, or even as extra credit. Challenge your gifted students to be guides in their own learning by choosing topics of interest. Then transform their learning and ask these students to share research findings in a video with discussion questions to go with the research and with links to outside resources using a tool such as Vibby, reviewed here. Be sure students create a script to read from before beginning to produce their own video.Pompeii Virtual Tour - Google Maps
Grades
6 to 12tag(s): romans (52), virtual field trips (128), volcanoes (55)
In the Classroom
In the age of shrinking opportunities for field trips, jump right in! This site is perfect for use on an interactive whiteboard as you explore this well-preserved example of ancient Roman life. Enhance learning by having students use Fakebook, reviewed here to create a "fake" page similar in style to Facebook about a day in the life of an inhabitant of Pompeii. As an alternative, enhance learning by having students create blogs using a tool like edublog, reviewed here to reflect what they have learned about ancient Pompeii and Roman life.Roadtrippers - Roadtrippers
Grades
1 to 12This site includes advertising.
tag(s): DAT device agnostic tool (147), field trips (8), virtual field trips (128)
In the Classroom
Bring the world of road tripping to your class! Plan journeys as math challenges to determine the amount of money required. Give students a budget and see what happens. Challenge students to create a dream trip and a budget trip. Find the difference between the two. You could use an online tool such as the Interactive Two Circle Venn Diagram, reviewed here, to replace a paper and pencil Venn Diagram. Bring the settings of your favorite stories to life! Introduce a travel blog by pursuing the saved trip journals. Again, preview what you will show students as not all journals are kid friendly. Post the trips with pictures and a travel diary on your class blog or learning management system (LMS) class group.George Washington's Mount Vernon - Virtual Tour - Mount Vernon
Grades
6 to 12tag(s): 1700s (36), presidents (135), virginia (15), virtual field trips (128)
In the Classroom
Ideal for use on an interactive whiteboard or for students to access individually, this virtual tour has many features. You can explore the buildings, zoom in on items in the buildings, access stories and discussions that highlight features of the property and the daily lives of those who lived at Mount Vernon. Enhance learning by having students share their impressions of and questions about Mount Vernon and more with video, using a tool like Gravity, reviewed here. Gravity provides a means for video responses to a question along with comments from peers. There are additional links to lesson plans and other student resources.Google Maps Treks - Google
Grades
K to 12tag(s): cultures (180), environment (252), images (263), maps (220), photography (130), virtual field trips (128)