Being cooped up for months can stoke very real feelings of isolation, and in this pandemic-induced travel lull, many people are turning to the best online Airbnb experiences as a way to satiate their wanderlust from a responsible distance. You can traverse the streets of Paris, meditate with sheep in Scotland, or perfect your taco-making skills with a live cooking class from Mexico City—all from your couch. Sure, you’ll be tuning in via video chat, but you’ll discover new places, hear other languages, and hang out with people from around the world without having to change out of your pajama pants.
If you’re just hearing about Airbnb’s Online Experiences, it’s the quarantine-approved version of the company’s in-person outings. It’s Zillow house stalking and Netflix documentaries combined—and ideal for anyone mourning dashed travel plans or daydreaming about far-off locales.
Airbnb Online Experiences are pretty straightforward: They’re live interactive sessions held over Zoom by vetted locals for small groups of people. You can expect sessions to fall between 60 and 120 minutes, with up to 10 people per group. Digital tourists can choose from niche experiences across a range of interests, like a Guided Meditation With Sleepy Sheep or Sangria and Secrets With Drag Queens. The two-way video is immersive, family-friendly and—unlike most IRL excursions—more affordable. Most of the experiences cost around $10, and you can dial in with your entire lockdown pod instead of being charged per person.
With concerns of a second wave on the rise, if you’re looking for a way to release some pent-up travel energy from the comfort of your home, we rounded up 13 of the best online Airbnb Experiences to check out now.
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Stirling, Scotland: Guided Meditation With Sleepy Sheep
Star rating: 4.97 out of 5
Key selling points: Come for the cottagecore experience of adorable sheep and rustic escapism, stay for the host’s actually effective meditation techniques. This 60-minute guided meditation takes place on Beccy Routledge’s farm, where you’ll virtually meet “mischievous sheep in their cozy barn.” Beccy’s daughter, Rivkah (a certified yoga and meditation instructor), appears onscreen at the end to host a 15-minute meditation.
What customers say: “Beccy’s farm is a truly special place. The views were stunning, and the sheep all had great personalities. You can tell that they have a great bond with their humans. I feel much more at ease after the meditation, having envisioned myself stroking the lovely sheep! My ‘trip’ to Scotland made me feel very refreshed after months of confinement during this pandemic.” —Courtney
Mexico City, Mexico: World’s Top Coffee Masterclass
Star rating: 4.97 out of 5
Key selling points: You’ll never look at your morning brew the same way. Over a 60-minute period, host Ricardo Lopez, a national coffee judge in Mexico, will teach you all about what makes a great cup of coffee (and why), plus a few clever brewing techniques to re-create your own barista-worthy pour.
What customers say: “This experience is so much more than learning how to make a perfect cup of coffee. Ricardo spent the first part of the experience teaching us the key elements we should be looking for when tasting coffee. I highly recommend that you bring all the ingredients Ricardo listed to fully engage in this part of the experience. Since I don’t have the brewing equipment, I simply watched Ricardo when he was brewing coffee during the second part of the experience. I was surprised to learn about the many intricate details that could impact the taste during the brewing process! I am more of a cappuccino drinker and the most I can tell about any coffee is I like the taste or I don’t like the taste; but I am now inspired to brew my own coffee and learn to fully appreciate the taste. Time to shop for brewing equipment!” —Stella
Baltimore, Maryland: Propagating Plants With Hilton Carter
Star rating: 4.95 out of 5
Key selling points: Indoor gardening enthusiasts, this class will help you live your best plant-parent life during quarantine. The 90-minute experience takes place in plant guru Hilton Carter’s home, where you’ll be introduced to various types of house plants, the best ways to cut them, and which vessels to keep them in.
What customers say: “Learning from Hilton on Zoom was a really cool, collaborative setup with a huge punch of material packed into an hour and a half. What you’ll get in this environment is a lot of warmth, personality, humor, and TONS of helpful information. There was a lot more about plant care, growth, and home considerations that I wasn’t expecting, which made this an overall more informative and whole approach to plant care and propagation. Thank you, Hilton!” —Addie
