Just because you can’t travel right now doesn’t mean you have to stop exploring the world. There are hundreds of free online resources where you can digitally dive into all aspects of travel, from art, architecture, and adventure to food, flora, and fauna.
In addition to the many museums, libraries, aquariums, and zoos around the world that are offering free online access to their facilities during the COVID-19 pandemic, take advantage of these no-cost opportunities to explore the world from the comfort of your couch—and learn something along the way.
Coursera
Coursera is a significant online learning platform founded by Stanford professors Andrew Ng and Daphne Koller in 2012. It has expanded to include content from prestigious universities like Yale and the University of Pennsylvania, as well as renowned companies like Google and IBM. Alongside its remarkably popular course on the science of well-being, Coursera offers various classes that are well-suited for travelers—including free content.
Go old school with a class on ancient Egypt and its civilizations taught by the University of Pennsylvania, fast forward a few centuries for a course on global history from 1760 to 1910 from the University of Virginia, or look to the present with a class on diplomacy in the modern world presented by the University of London. Want to jump right into the future? Enroll in a Coursera course on climate change and the earth’s future from the American Museum of Natural History in New York City.
You can also spend your downtime learning a new language. Coursera offers classes in Korean from Seoul’s Yonsei University, Chinese from Beijing’s Peking University, and Spanish from the University of California.
If you wish to study something more substantial, Yale University offers a class on Roman architecture through Coursera, and you can take Mountains 101 from Canada’s University of Alberta.
JSTOR
You can now access up to 100 free articles each month on JSTOR, a longtime favorite website of academics worldwide. This digital database contains over 12 million academic journal articles as well as scholarly books and primary source material in 75 different categories.
Unesco buffs can tour the World Heritage Sites of Africa collection, where you can view over 57,000 objects including photographs, 3D models, excavation reports, antiquarian maps, and scholarly research for treasures such as the manuscripts of Timbuktu, photographic records of Swahili life and culture from Lamu Island, and the earthen architecture of Mali, Morocco, and Egypt.
While they may not be able to visit blooming botanical gardens at the moment, flower fans can learn about flora around the planet using the 3 million items in JSTOR’s Global Plants collection. You can join Spain’s royal botanical expedition to Peru in 1777-1778 to identify new species or take a modern-day trip to Mexico to explore the contents of the herbarium at the Universidad de Guadalajara. Also, discover peaceful watercolors of 1,907 different mushrooms and fungi painted by Dr. Fritz Wohlfarth during his travels through Germany.
Nikon Photography School
Photography plays a significant role in travel, allowing us to document our experiences and share our adventures with others. Step up your photography skills before your next trip with online photography lessons.
During the month of April, camera powerhouse Nikon made all of its online learning content available for free through Nikon School. You can find more details about what’s available, including Nikon Live streaming events here.
Free Online Cooking Classes
If you’d love to learn about sauces from chef Thomas Keller of San Francisco’s The French Laundry or salsas from chef Gabriela Cámara of Mexico City’s Contramar, without a hefty Masterclass subscription, you’re in luck.
Explore free cooking courses currently available online if you’re eager to master global cuisine at home. (Note that some of this content may not be accessible in all locations due to licensing.)
The Kitchn offers a free 20-day cooking school on its website, complete with a printable “diploma” to decorate your home office. This school covers the basics, including boiling, broiling, braising, and baking, which will prepare you for advanced international cooking.
BBC Food’s extensive library of cooking techniques will elevate your skills with instructions on French julienne chopping, tips for grilling halloumi cheese from Cyprus, and shaping Chinese dumplings in your own kitchen.
When you’re ready to conquer cultural cuisine, visit the world recipes section of allrecipes.com for free recipes categorized by region and country. You’ll find everything from Korean barbecue beef and Greek lemon chicken to Moroccan date bread and Argentinian alfajores cookies.
