Being stuck inside and doing our best to exist in this new reality, midst of COVID-19, one of the things I miss the most is travel. I recently turned 40 and in celebration of this milestone, we had planned a fabulous European family vacation with some close friends. Our trip itinerary went like this…we would start the trip by flying from San Francisco into Bodrum, Turkey. From Bodrum we would embark on a vacation at sea on a 5 star Gullet, traveling from Turkey to Greece to experience the Greek Islands - all served up with the help from a crew of 4 who would pamper us with unlimited food and drink and steer us safely into port where we could also experience life on land in small Turkish and Greek towns.

After 7 days at sea, we would then head off to Istanbul and then Cappadocia to experience life in a cave and a sunrise hot air balloon, floating effortlessly through the sky.

Then off to Croatia, famous for the filming of Game of Thrones, to experience Split, and Dubrovnik for the remainder of our adventure.

Needless to say, COVID-19 swept in and ruined my 40th birthday plans but with a strong itch to travel and feeling so cooped up in my house, I started searching online for “virtual travel experiences”. Here are a few sites that offer the ability to see the world from the comfort of your own home. While it’s not the same as walking or biking the streets, hiking the hills, voyaging out at sea, and experiencing the true senses of travel, for the present time it will have to do. 2021…I hope you will bring new travel opportunity, allowing us to spread our travel wings and experience the things we so hoped to do in 2020. For now, I remain grateful that my family is safe and healthy and that at least I have beautiful Lake Tahoe and an awesome community at home in Truckee. I truly wouldn’t choose to be anywhere else.

Here are 7 great virtual reality travel experiences brought to you by Lifewire.

01 The Grand Canyon VR Experience

The Grand Canyon VR Experience, $2.99 by Immersive Entertainment, lets you sit in a virtual motorized kayak ride through the Grand Canyon. Tailor the tour to your preferences by selecting either a sunlit or moonlit experience and controlling the speed of the ride.

While you cruise along, you'll enjoy the sights and sounds of procedurally generated, artificially intelligent wildlife. Attract and feed the virtual fish as you navigate the waterways.

The ride is on rails (meaning you can't steer the kayak), but you can stop at various points and enjoy the scenery by utilizing the throttle speed controls of your motorized kayak or by exiting at scenic rest stops.

The tour is short and there is no historical background information for history buffs, but it is a fun ride perfect for someone new to VR.

02 Realities

Realities, free from Realities.io, is a VR travel app that allows users to explore scanned and modeled real-world environments. The environments aren't just 360-degree photos, they are locations that have been captured with specialized scanning equipment, allowing for immersive rendering in virtual reality.

The user interface is a giant globe you rotate with your VR controllers. Once you've decided on the place you want to visit, simply tap the area on the virtual globe and you are instantly whisked away to the exotic locale.

One interesting destination available is a cell in the infamous Alcatraz prison. Once you arrive, you're greeted by an unseen narrator, presumably a former prisoner in the cell next to you, who recalls his experiences. It's museum-like and an educational adventure worth having.

There are other destinations of varying size and complexity. Hopefully, many more will be added in the near future.

03 Titans of Space PLUS

Do you like planetariums? Have you always wished they were more realistic? If you've ever dreamed of riding in a spaceship and exploring our solar system and beyond, Titans of Space PLUS, $9.99 by DrashVR LLC, helps make this a reality (at least a virtual one).

The original Titans of Space was one of the first polished virtual reality experiences available; it created a lot of buzz about all the potential VR had to offer.

This app provides a theme park-style ride through our solar system and beyond, allowing the user to control the pace of the experience. Factoids about all the planets and moons are provided throughout your journey, as are distances and other measurements of interest.

The sense of scale of the planets and moons is truly awe-inspiring and gives a unique perspective only astronauts usually get to have.

04 EVEREST VR

EVEREST VR, $9.99 from Sólfar Studios, RVX, is an interactive Mount Everest VR tourism experience.

Users experience Mount Everest in five iconic scenes. Prepare for your expedition at Basecamp, traverse the terrifying Khumbu Icefalls, spend the night at Camp 4, ascend the perilous Hillary Step, and finally conquer the summit of Everest.

After completing your first summit attempt, unlock God Mode to reach a unique vantage point of the Himalayas only possible in VR. Towering over the mountain range, this is a stunning VR diorama.

If you're into mountain climbing but don't like its possible death and frostbite aspects, EVEREST VR is a must.

05 VR Museum of Fine Art

If you've ever wanted to peruse a museum at your own pace with no limits on how close you can get to the artwork, then the VR Museum of Fine Art, free from Finn Sinclair, is for you.

With incredibly detailed scans of some of the world’s most famous paintings and sculptures, this free app holds amazing educational value. Look at the brushstrokes of Monet’s Water Lilies or take a 360-degree tour of Michelangelo's David. This is an art lover’s delight.

The experience makes you feel as if you're visiting a museum, complete with a pamphlet map to help you navigate your way around the exhibits.

06 theBlu

theBlu, $9.99 from Wevr INC., is a collection of virtual reality-based underwater experiences that make you feel as if you're literally in the tank of a huge aquarium exhibit.

Stand on the deck of a sunken ship while a gargantuan whale swims by and looks you straight in the eye, or swim in a sea of bioluminescent jellyfish. There's no need for expensive scuba equipment or diving classes, or even to leave your living room, for that matter.

The level of detail in this app is amazing and the sense of scale (especially during the whale encounter) is jaw-dropping.

07 Google Earth VR

When Google Earth was released many years ago, everyone marveled at the novelty of being able to find and view their house from satellite imagery. Now, Google Earth VR, free from Google, lets you not only see your house from space but virtually fly to it and stand in your front yard or on your rooftop.

Change the sun’s position at will, scale objects to any size you like, and fly around the world. The detail levels depend on what you're trying to view. For example, tourist destinations are likely to have much more highly detailed geospatial imagery than rural areas. There so much to see, and Google offers some virtual tours to help you get started.

Google has even added several comfort features to prevent virtual travel sickness in this must-see virtual reality app.

Traveling Virtually During COVID-19