Stay Curious: Take a Virtual 360 Tour of the West Coast

Golden sunshine, deep blue ocean, fine white sand and some of the world’s oldest and most impressive national parks – these are the kinds of images a quick Google of the USA’s glorious West Coast will conjure up. If you’ve seen it with your own eyes, then lucky you. But for those of us who haven’t – and anyone who’s in the mood for some post-Covid travel inspiration – this immersive virtual 360 tour experience might be as close as you’re likely to get anytime soon.

Your companions for the tour will be a fellow traveler and a local actor from Beverly Hills. First, your guide will show you around some of his favorite hangouts in California – Santa Monica, LA’s Venice Beach and yet more beaches in Malibu, home to Hollywood’s rich and famous.

Then you’ll hit the Pacific Coast Highway and get your first glimpse of the rocky coastline that leads to San Francisco in a series of twists and turns. You’ll get a whistle-stop tour of the top sights by car and tram, before returning to the highway.

Leaving The City by the Bay in your wake, your next adventure will be a camping trip in Yosemite National Park – a vast expanse of natural beauty home to giant sequoia trees (the world’s oldest among them), epic waterfalls and the granite cliffs of El Capitan and Half Dome.

Next up will be an open drive through the infamous Death Valley – one of the hottest deserts on the planet – bringing you to another of Earth’s greatest natural wonders: the Grand Canyon. It will be rather a long way down from your lofty vantage point as you fly high above this gaping gorge in a private helicopter.

If that doesn’t make your tummy flutter, then maybe your final destination will. Las Vegas, so-called Sin City, is a glittering and unforgettable display of all things larger-than-life. As you drive along the eponymous boulevard, you may recognize an iconic international landmark or two (Eiffel Tower, anyone?). It might not be the real deal, but then neither is a virtual tour – although this one is about as realistic as it gets when you’re stuck at home, dreaming of your next big trip.

To appreciate the video as it was intended, be sure to watch it in the highest-quality resolution that your device can handle, with ear-covering headphones for maximum immersion.

This 360 video was produced in collaboration with Yondr.