Virtual Reality Touring Applications: Explore the Globe from Your Sofa
In the realm of virtual reality (VR), the latest advancements in technology have opened up a world of possibilities for travel and exploration. Two of the most notable VR headsets, the Meta Quest and the newly released Apple Vision Pro, are leading the way in immersive travel experiences.
Meta Quest: A VR Travel Powerhouse
The Meta Quest ecosystem, including the Meta Quest 3S, hosts a variety of top-tier virtual travel apps that cater to different preferences.
- Wander uses Google Maps to offer stunning VR tours of real-world locations, making it one of the best virtual travel apps in 2025. With Wander, users can immerse themselves in the beauty of iconic global sites from the comfort of their homes [1].
- Horizon Worlds is a popular social VR space where users can explore vast virtual landscapes, attend events, build custom worlds, and socialize with others. It's ideal for those seeking interactive and social travel experiences in VR [1].
- VRChat offers a wide variety of user-generated worlds and environments, focusing on social interaction. Users can meet, chat, and explore together, making it a key app for virtual social travel [1].
Apple Vision Pro: The Future of VR Travel
Though the Apple Vision Pro is still in its infancy, its advanced sensors and cameras promise a future of immersive AR and VR experiences with hand, eye, and voice control [2]. While there isn't a wide selection of dedicated travel apps yet, popular VR travel apps and experiences are expected to quickly be adapted or developed for this platform.
The Apple Vision Pro supports immersive viewing and interaction, potentially through apps that provide virtual destination exploration, much like how VR is revolutionizing travel by allowing users to explore landmarks and environments virtually [3].
Standout VR Travel Apps: FLY and Explore POV
In addition to the aforementioned apps, there are standalone applications like FLY and Explore POV that offer unique travel experiences.
FLY is an immersive virtual reality app available on both the Meta Quest headset and the Apple Vision Pro. It offers a unique perspective on global landmarks and cities by allowing users to soar over photorealistic 3D landscapes, mimicking the sensation of piloting a drone [4].
Explore POV is an immersive video app designed specifically for the Apple Vision Pro. It provides breathtaking 180-degree 3D experiences in ultra-high-definition 16K resolution [5]. Its library of content is growing, with new immersive videos added weekly.
Travel Tips from Matthew Karsten
For those interested in immersive VR travel, travel blogger and digital nomad Matthew Karsten shares his wealth of knowledge from over a decade of traveling and living around the world. His resources include an ultimate travel packing list, tips for finding cheap flights, tips for renting a car abroad, tips for saving money booking hotels, the importance of travel insurance, and his best travel tips for a great trip [6].
Matthew Karsten has also created a series of immersive VR travel videos in 8K 3D VR180 format with spatial audio, which can be best viewed with a VR headset [7].
Summary
The Meta Quest 3S and the Apple Vision Pro offer a rich selection of virtual travel apps, each catering to different preferences and experiences. While the Meta Quest ecosystem currently boasts a more extensive selection of dedicated travel apps, the Apple Vision Pro's advanced hardware and interaction methods promise a future of innovative VR travel experiences [1][2][3].
| Platform | Top VR Travel Apps & Features | |-----------------|-------------------------------------------------------------| | Meta Quest 3S | Wander (real-world tours), Horizon Worlds (social VR), VRChat (user-generated worlds) | | Apple Vision Pro| Mixed reality experiences with potential virtual travel apps under development; supports immersive AR/VR navigation via hand/eye/voice controls |
[1] Meta Quest VR Travel Apps [2] Apple Vision Pro and VR Travel [3] Revolutionizing Travel with VR [4] FLY: The Immersive VR Travel App [5] Explore POV: The Apple Vision Pro App [6] Matthew Karsten's Travel Tips [7] Matthew Karsten's Immersive VR Travel Videos
In the Meta Quest ecosystem, users can engage in immersive travel experiences through various VR travel apps like Wander, Horizon Worlds, and VRChat, offering realistic tours, social interaction, and user-generated worlds [1]. The advanced technology of the Apple Vision Pro is promising a future of innovative VR travel experiences, with potential apps for virtual destination exploration and immersive AR/VR navigation via hand, eye, and voice controls [2].
