Put Paris on the screen, then New York. Before looking for a famous building, take a moment to decide what you would like to explore: the river, a neighbourhood or the way the evening light changes the city.

AirPano’s city imagery makes a lovely starting point for a short virtual trip. The photographs selected here show Paris and Manhattan, with enough detail to invite a little wandering from home.

AirPano panoramic view of the Eiffel Tower and surrounding Paris streets
AirPano panoramic view of the Eiffel Tower and surrounding Paris streets. Gallery attribution: AirPano.

Begin with one city and one question

Open the AirPano project site and look for its named city tours. Where an interactive panorama is available, use its own controls to explore the view; the still images in this article do not themselves rotate through 360 degrees.

Choose one question to guide the session. What lies around a landmark? Where does the river bend? Which part of the view would you like to see from street level?

There is no need to work through a whole catalogue. Ten attentive minutes in one setting can be more satisfying than rapidly clicking through a dozen cities.

Paris: follow the river beyond the tower

The Eiffel Tower is the obvious starting point in the selected Paris view. Let your eye move from it to the surrounding green space, buildings and the Seine.

AirPano panorama of Manhattan towers and the river in evening light
AirPano panorama of Manhattan towers and the river in evening light. Gallery attribution: AirPano.

Find one area you would like to explore on foot, then locate it on an ordinary map. The exercise turns a familiar skyline into a place with routes, crossings and possible pauses.

For another visual interpretation of the city, pair the panorama with Paul Richardson’s J’adore Paris. Compare what a still view encourages you to notice with the pace of a time-lapse film.

New York: compare daylight and evening

The Manhattan photographs show how light changes the city’s emphasis. In brighter conditions, roofs and blocks are easier to separate. As lights come on, the image begins to read through bright streets, windows and darker gaps.

AirPano view across illuminated Manhattan at dusk
AirPano view across illuminated Manhattan at dusk. Gallery attribution: AirPano.

Pick the same kind of feature in both views: a tall building, a river edge or a cluster of blocks. Describe the difference without deciding that one version is the “real” city.

If this sparks plans for a visit, our Central Park guide offers a starting point at ground level. Keep travel time and neighbourhood scale in mind when connecting attractions.

Turn the session into a shared activity

Give each person a few minutes to choose one detail. Then take turns explaining what caught your attention. Someone may notice a roof shape while someone else follows the boats or a line of trees.

Save a short note with the creator’s name and the tour title. That makes it easier to return to the work and keeps the image connected to the people who made it.

For a future trip, build a small list: one place to visit, one question to investigate and one practical detail still to check.

Keep the virtual view in perspective

These are photographs from particular viewpoints and dates. They do not establish current access, walking distances or what is happening in the city today.

Our guide to reading an aerial panorama explores the visual patterns in more depth. Here, the goal is simpler: enjoy a little shared curiosity and finish with a place you would love to understand better.

Our 2015 drone-photography feature places another set of aerial images within the period and methods that produced them.