The 8 Best Museum Visits

1.Hellisheiði Geothermal Exhibition: Entry and Audio Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 88 reviews · 1 day · from $21Our pick

Visit the Hellisheiði Power Plant, about 20 minutes from Reykjavík, for a self-guided audio tour of Iceland’s geothermal system. Interactive exhibits explain production, sustainability, and Carbfix. You can move at your own pace, ask staff questions, and use indoor viewing platforms.

“The Hellishedi Geothermal Exhibition was well worth the trip to get there and the entry fee. For those ignorant of the process (the vast majority, I expect) to extract thermal power and hot water from the earth, go straight to Exhibit Stop 9, Production Process, and spend sufficient time there to learn how the industrial process works and to fully appreciate the research, engineering, and money needed to succeed. Stop 9 will also better inform you of what you see at other stops. My only disappointment of the Exhibition is that we did not have a guided tour by an employee. I had thought we would have been provided a…”

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2.Geothermal Energy Exhibition Entry Ticket

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 34 reviews · 1 to 2 hours (approx.) · from $21

At the Hellisheiði ON Power plant in South Iceland, you set your own pace through a hands-on exhibition about geothermal power, carbon sequestration, and Iceland’s hot-water and steam systems. Download the free audio guide, look into the turbine halls, and use the outdoor decks for views of the plant and countryside.

“Fascinating. The staff member was very knowledgeable, but if a tour group wasn't there, we would have had to listen to the audio tour. The website said to bring headphones, but really they wanted you to bring a device (phone, ipad, etc.) that could connect to the internet to download. That was a problem because we hadn't brought those for our kids.”

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3.Full Day Ice Museum and Chena Hot Springs Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.4 · 32 reviews · 7 hours · from $200

Travel from Fairbanks to Chena Hot Springs for an ice museum tour, a geothermal-energy presentation, and time in the pools. Guides such as Paul and Joe bring useful local commentary to the roughly one-hour drive. Lunch at the resort costs extra, and outside soaking is limited to adults 18 and over.

“Sadly, this trip fell far short. Guide’s commentary was not particularly informative during the hour plus drive to get there. The guide offered a folding plastic step stool to enter van that was cracked and broken to the point of being a safety concern. The van’s tire pressure alarm went off while driving and she just waved it off. Once there, the ice museum was closed due to a temperature variance, so that was a total bust (and the refund received for this was laughable). At that point, we were simply released to go find lunch (one available restaurant), visit hot springs or otherwise entertain ourselves til 5pm when she…”

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4.Fire & Ice: Chena Hot Springs, Ice Museum + Aurora Adventure

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 30 reviews · 9 hours (approx.) · from $270Top rated

Leave Fairbanks at 5 p.m. for Chena Hot Springs, where you can soak in mineral-rich water, visit the Ice Museum, dine at the resort, and watch for the aurora. Guides such as Gina and Christopher add local insight, while private transportation keeps the long Arctic evening comfortable.

“Gina was an amazing guide! She is thoughtful, a great communicator, and truly cares about giving you the best experience. I had never seen the Northern lights before, and Gina stayed a little extra long to ensure we did! It was an forgettable experience!”

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5.Midnight Sun Magic Chena Hot Springs Soak and Ice Museum Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 24 reviews · 6 hours (approx.) · from $180

Travel from Fairbanks with Heart of Alaska Tours to Chena Hot Springs for an Aurora Ice Museum visit and geothermal soak beneath the midnight sun. Kevin, Nate, or Bella may guide the small group, with dinner, an Appletini, and towel rental available at extra cost.

“Kevin was an amazing tour guide. He made the whole experience ten times better, he was great at explaining things and made everyone feel like family. Overall, it was a great night and an amazing experience.”

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6.National Roman Museum and Diocletian Thermal Baths Walking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 18 reviews · 2 to 3 hours (approx.) · from $323

Meet your guide near Republic Square for a private visit to Palazzo Massimo, home to the Boxer at Rest, Roman frescoes, mosaics, coins, and more. Add Diocletian’s Baths and see Michelangelo’s Basilica of St. Mary of the Angels inside the vast ancient complex.

“Museum was nice. Guide was late and appeared to be tired. Tour ran short but she was knowledgable would have like more time in museum before baths”

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7.White Temple, Black House Museum and Hot Spring Tour from Chiang Mai (SHA Plus)

★★★★★★★★★★3.5 · 3 reviews · from $51

Travel from Chiang Mai to Chiang Rai with an English-speaking guide, stopping at Mae Kajan Hot Spring, Wat Rong Khun, and Baan Dam Museum. You get round-trip transport, admission fees, and a small group capped at 15 people, with about two hours at each main stop.

“The whole experience was enjoyable. Took many pictures, had ample time in each spot, and our guide was very outgoing and friendly.”

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8.Xi’an Terracotta Warriors, Huaqing Hot Spring, and Banpo Museum

★★★★★★★★★★3.5 · 3 reviews · from $89

Spend about eight hours exploring Xi'an's Banpo Museum, Huaqing Palace, and Terracotta Warriors Museum. An English-speaking guide, local lunch, entrance fees, air-conditioned transport, and hotel pickup are included. Guides such as Alice and Alicia have received high praise, though shared routes may affect timing.

“Lovely, informative tour guide Alicia with excellent English skills. However, tour poorly organised with three different itineraries in the same minibus. The others had not booked for all three attractions, so were told they would need to pay the extra for entry fees, or wait in the miRead more”

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