A virtual tour is an interactive replica of a real place, built from 360° panoramic photos or a 3D model, that you move through on screen as if you were there. It opens in a web browser on a computer, phone or virtual reality headset, with no app to install.

Unlike a video, a virtual tour lets the viewer decide where to go and where to look: they step into a room, turn around, go back the way they came and, in a 3D tour, measure a wall or switch to the dollhouse view. At Panosphere 360, we have been providing virtual tour services in Quebec since 2015, and more than 1,000 of our tours are published on Google Maps. This guide explains what a virtual tour is, the different types, what it’s used for, how it’s made and what it costs.

Virtual tours at a glance

What it is: 360° photos linked together, or a 3D model of the space, that you explore on screen.
Where it opens: in a web browser on a computer, tablet, phone or VR headset, through a link, on a website or on Google Maps.
How long it takes to make: 1 to 3 hours of capture for 1,000 to 4,000 sq. ft., according to Matterport, then online 24 to 48 hours after the capture in most cases.
What it costs: with us, $395 to $1,295 for a Matterport 3D virtual tour of up to 10,500 sq. ft., depending on the floor area.

The 5 types of virtual tour

In everyday use, “virtual tour” covers several different technologies. They look alike on screen, but they don’t let you do the same things. Knowing which one you’re looking at makes it easier to choose the right one for your project.

1. The 360 tour (linked panoramic photos)

A photographer takes 360° photos at several spots, then links them together with navigation points. The viewer jumps from one point to the next and looks around freely inside each panorama. It’s the oldest and lightest form of virtual tour, and it’s ideal for a small shop, an event or a single 360 photo. Because you move between fixed viewpoints, a 360 virtual tour feels like a series of connected snapshots of the space rather than a walk through it.

2. The Matterport 3D tour (the digital twin)

A camera with a LiDAR sensor measures the space as well as photographing it. The result is a 3D model: you move through it freely, switch to the dollhouse view (a cut-away model of the whole space), measure a room and get a floor plan. This is what’s known as a digital twin. According to Matterport, the Pro3 camera is accurate to within ±20 mm at 10 metres. Because the model is measured, a 3D virtual tour is useful well beyond marketing. To see one in detail, visit our Matterport 3D virtual tour page and read our article on how a Matterport 3D virtual tour works.

3. The Google Street View tour (on Google Maps)

These are 360° panoramas published on Google Maps and on your Google Business Profile: customers can step inside your business straight from the search results, without ever leaving Google. Publication on Google Maps is reserved for non-residential places, such as shops, offices and institutions. Learn more about our Google virtual tour service.

4. 360 video

The camera films in every direction at once, and the viewer chooses the viewing angle during playback. The route, however, is fixed: it’s a video, not a tour you explore freely. It suits an event, an experience or a presentation viewed in a VR headset. Learn more about 360 video.

5. The custom tour

This is a 360 or 3D tour with added features: a menu that reflects your brand, a bilingual version, sections, information pop-ups with text, videos or documents, and aerial drone views. It serves as a complete presentation of a campus, a museum or a real estate project. See our virtual tour branding and enhanced virtual tour pages.

At a glance

360 virtual tour: you move from point to point; best for a small shop or an event.
Matterport 3D virtual tour: free movement, dollhouse view, measurements and floor plan, with possible publication on Google Maps for a non-residential place; best for real estate, buildings and large sites.
Google Street View: point to point, right on Google Maps; best for a business’s local visibility.
360 video: you look anywhere, but the route is fixed; best for an event, an experience or a VR headset.
Custom virtual tour: an enhanced 360 or 3D tour; best for a campus, a museum or a real estate project.

An example: a 3D virtual tour

Here is the Matterport 3D virtual tour of the Casino de Montréal, created for Loto-Québec. Click to open it, move around, then try the dollhouse view using the icon at the bottom left.

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You’ll find more examples, by sector and by region, in our portfolio.

Virtual tour, video or photos: what’s the difference?

Photos show what the photographer chose to show, from the most flattering angle. A video follows a route, in an order and at a pace set for you. A virtual tour lets visitors explore on their own: they look at whatever interests them, for as long as they like, and can come back to it. In a 3D virtual tour, they also understand how the rooms connect to one another and can take measurements.

The three work well together. A real estate listing, for example, often combines photos to catch the eye, a video to convey the atmosphere and a 3D tour for serious buyers.

What is a virtual tour used for?

Selling or renting a property: buyers or tenants can tour the place before travelling to see it. See our virtual real estate tour page.
Promoting a shop or a business: the tour reassures customers before their first visit, and recruiters use it to show what the workplace looks like. See our virtual tour for business page.
Opening a cultural or tourist site to remote visitors: museums, exhibitions and attractions. See our virtual museum tour page.
Showing a school or a campus to future students and their parents. See our virtual school tour page.
Showcasing a hotel, a venue or a restaurant before guests book. See our virtual tour for hotels page.
Documenting a building: condition reports, plans, measurements, training and planning for renovation work.

How is a virtual tour made?

Preparation. The space is tidied, well lit and cleared, just as it would be for a photo shoot. For a Google virtual tour, you decide which areas to show the public.
Capture. The photographer moves the camera from point to point and from room to room until the whole space is covered. According to Matterport, allow 1 to 3 hours on site for 1,000 to 4,000 sq. ft.
Processing. The images are stitched into panoramas or a 3D model, any faces that appear are blurred, and the floor plan is produced.
Publishing. You receive a link, an embed code and, if needed, publication on Google Maps, 24 to 48 hours after the capture in most cases.

How do you put a virtual tour on a website?

A virtual tour can be shared anywhere a link works:

On your website, with the embed code (an iframe tag) that your webmaster pastes into the page;
On Google Maps, on your Google Business Profile, for a non-residential place;
In a listing, for example on Centris for a property for sale;
In your emails, on social media and in your printed materials, with a link or a QR code.

The tour has to stay hosted to remain online. With us, the first year of virtual tour hosting is included; after that, hosting costs from $150 a year.

How much does a virtual tour cost?

The price depends mainly on the type of tour and the size of the area captured. At Panosphere 360, our prices are public:

Matterport 3D virtual tour: $395 for under 1,500 sq. ft., then $100 more for each additional 1,000 sq. ft., up to $1,295 for 10,500 sq. ft. The 2D floor plan and one year of hosting are included.
Google Street View tour: $495 to $1,395 depending on the floor area, with publication on Google Maps included.
Options: standard branding $100 to $250, custom branding $500 to $650, aerial drone views from $350, and professional HDR photos $250 to $350.

You’ll find the full breakdown on our virtual tour pricing page, and our article on how much a 360 virtual tour costs in Quebec explains what makes the price vary. To choose between the two main technologies, read Matterport vs Google Street View: which to choose.

Do it yourself or hire a professional?

You can make a virtual tour yourself. A consumer 360 camera is enough for a tour of a few panoramas, and the Matterport app lets you capture a small space with an iPhone that has a LiDAR sensor; according to Matterport, its free plan allows only one active space at a time.

A professional makes the difference in three areas: image quality (window exposure, sharpness, colours), the accuracy of the model and its measurements in a large space, and time. For a property for sale, a business or a multi-storey building, a professional capture is done in a few hours, with no reshoots, and the result reflects well on your brand.

Where do virtual tours come from? A brief history

1787: the painter Robert Barker patents the panorama, a circular painting that surrounds the viewer. The 360° painting becomes a public spectacle.
1995: Apple launches QuickTime VR, which lets you turn around inside a panoramic photo on screen. The first virtual tours on the web soon follow.
2007: Google launches Street View in the United States; the service reaches Canada in 2009. Business interiors are added later on.
2011: Matterport is founded. Its 3D cameras go on to popularize the digital twin, particularly in real estate.
2020: the pandemic turns the virtual tour into an everyday tool for selling, renting, recruiting and visiting places remotely.

Frequently asked questions

Is a virtual tour free?

Making one yourself can be free, with a compatible phone and a limited free plan. A professional virtual tour is a paid service: with us, it starts at $395 for a Matterport 3D tour, with the first year of hosting included.

Do you need an app to view it?

No. A virtual tour opens in a web browser on a computer, tablet or phone. A virtual reality headset is an option, but not a requirement.

What is the difference between a virtual tour and a 3D tour?

Every 3D tour is a virtual tour, but not every virtual tour is 3D. A 360 tour links panoramic photos together; a 3D tour is based on a measured model of the space, with a dollhouse view, measurements and a floor plan.

Can I put a virtual tour of my house on Google Maps?

No. Publication on Google Maps is reserved for non-residential places. A virtual tour of a house or condo is shared on your website, in the listing and on your social media.

How long does a virtual tour stay online?

For as long as it’s hosted. A tour published on Google Maps stays there for as long as Google keeps it; a Matterport tour stays online for as long as the hosting is renewed.

Learn more

A well-made virtual tour answers your customers’ very first question: “What does it really look like?” For a project in Montreal, on the South Shore or anywhere in Quebec, have a look at our virtual tour prices or request a quote: you’ll have it in writing within 24 hours.

What is a virtual tour?