Key takeaway
A 360° virtual tour is a set of connected panoramic photos that lets people look around a real space and move between areas in a web browser. It helps customers understand a place before visiting; it doesn't replace good service, accurate listings or a strong offer.
The short definition
A 360° virtual tour is made of panoramic photographs that each capture the full sphere of view — left, right, up and down — from one position. These panoramas are linked so a viewer can click to move from, say, a hotel lobby to a room, then out to the pool. The tour runs in an ordinary web browser on phones and computers.
On a phone, viewers swipe to look around and, on many devices, can move the phone itself to change the view. On a computer, they drag with the mouse. Some tours also support VR headsets, but a headset is never required.
What a tour can include
- Navigation points that move the viewer between areas
- Hotspots with text, photos, menus, capacities or prices
- Your logo and scene names, such as “Deluxe room” or “Rooftop terrace”
- Buttons that link to an enquiry form, WhatsApp chat or booking page
- An opening view chosen to make a strong first impression
How a 360° tour is produced
- Planning: agreeing which areas to capture and where each panorama will be taken.
- Preparation: the business tidies and lights the space, and schedules a time without customers.
- Capture: a photographer uses a 360° camera or a camera with a panoramic head, usually taking several exposures per position to handle bright windows and dark corners.
- Processing: exposures are merged, stitched, colour-corrected and checked for stitching errors. People or sensitive details can be blurred.
- Assembly: panoramas are linked, labelled and branded, and hotspots are added.
- Publishing: the tour is hosted and shared via a link and embed code, and selected panoramas can be published to Google Maps through Google's tools.
Where tours can be published
Most businesses use a tour in two places. The first is their own website, where the tour can carry full branding and calls to action. The second is Google Maps, where 360° imagery appears alongside the business listing. Google controls what it publishes and how, and Google Maps imagery cannot include your own hotspots or buttons. The same capture can often serve both if it is planned that way.
What affects the cost
- Size of the space and the number of capture points
- Travel to the location
- Amount of editing, retouching and privacy blurring
- Number of hotspots and information panels
- Hosting platform and duration
When a tour is — and isn't — worth it
Tours are most useful when the physical space is part of what customers are buying: a hotel room, a wedding venue, a restaurant's ambience, a home, a showroom or a campus. They are particularly helpful when decision-makers are in another city or abroad.
A tour is less useful if the space is purely functional and customers never visit, or if the space is about to be renovated. In that case, wait until the space reflects what customers will actually experience.