If you’re like me, museum visits were regular and cherished outings before the pandemic started.  These days, I find myself fantasizing about walking through museum galleries, wandering from case to case and from civilization to civilization. The pandemic necessitated that cultural institutions around the world prioritize virtual learning over in-person visits and many museums have responded by creating online events and virtual tours.

A few months ago I wrote a blog with a few suggestions for scratching the travel itch during the pandemic, a list which included some virtual tours of Egyptian tombs. This week I’m highlighting four virtual tours of Egyptian galleries around the world. Stay as long as you like – these museums never close.

1) Coptic Museum, Cairo

With vast and ornate galleries that display a collection of 16,000 objects, the Coptic Museum in Cairo is big enough to get lost in, and you probably wouldn’t mind if you did. Wander through this virtual tour and discover a diverse collection of metalwork and manuscripts, textiles and tapestries, woodwork and weaving. And don’t forget to appreciate the architecture!

Click here for the virtual tour.

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2) National Museums Scotland, Edinburgh

Thanks to Google Arts & Culture, visitors can stroll through four thousand years of history with 650 Egyptian objects now on display in Scotland. Looking for a guided tour? Listen to Dr. Margaret Maitland, Principal Curator of the Ancient Mediterranean, explain the history behind some family-oriented objects in the collection in this ten-minute video tour.

Click here for the virtual tour.

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3) Museo Egizio, Turin

Recently the Museo Egizio has shared virtual tours of two exhibition halls: Deir el-Medina and The Tomb of Kha. The virtual tours incorporate links to online archives, photos, and videos, making it easy to learn more about some of the objects on display. At-home visitors can also enjoy a series of ‘Director’s Walks’ videos.  Museum director Dr. Christian Greco provides a guided tour of the galleries and explains the history behind many of the artifacts in the collection (Italian language only).

Click here for the virtual tour.

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4) British Museum, London

Courtesy of Google Arts & Culture, this virtual tour lets you explore over 60 galleries at the British Museum. Enjoy an unobstructed view of the Rosetta Stone and spend some one-on-one time with the famous painted scenes from the tomb-chapel of Nebamun. If you’re looking for more ways to enjoy the Egyptian collection online, you can supplement your virtual tour with these short audio tours.

Click here for the virtual tour.