A lot of us confusing the concepts of “virtual tour” to the concept of “independent / self-guided tour” for a very clear reason, its new ideas and there is a chance that you have the term virtual tour you have heard for the first time in the Corona (COVID-19) Let’s do some seder.
What is a virtual tour?
A virtual tour is a tour where participants are undergoing a simulation that tries to simulate the feeling of the real thing, in other words, the tour is conducted in a sterile place, for example, in front of a screen in your home or in a large hall and you see photos and videos, a lot of people use virtual tours to sell homes in distant places, or virtual tours in different museums around the world. If you go to Google Streetview, you can make virtual tours almost anywhere in the world! Another example of this interesting virtual tour is the virtual tour of the Tower of David, where you already use a dedicated interface to illustrate the experience. Today, almost every attraction combines the experience of virtual reality, and with special glasses, you can enter into a fully virtual world in detail and almost feel that you are there.
What is an independent (Self-guided) tour?
A self-guided tour is really happening in the field, past and today, the product that provides the independent tour is usually a guide book for a particular area, for example, a Self Guided tours in Jerusalem book etc. The tour guide itself is not really in the field with you, you are following the guide recommendations and experience. Today in the modern age, independent tours such as many other things are accepted and upgraded by technology and are beginning to emerge in digital platforms for independent tours, applications and tailored sites that provide a little more than a book can provide, in fact, it is possible that the independent technological tour combines many strengths from the virtual tour, for example A virtual tour of the Temple Mount can be from your living room, but can also be a real independent tour in the field!
Examples of Virtual tours
Now that you understand the difference between a virtual tour and an independent self-guided tour, here are some examples of independent tours that combine the virtuals of video and images, with the guidance and deep experience of the local guide.
