Exploration activities, such as tourism, cultural heritage, and science, enhance knowledge and understanding. The rise of 360-degree videos allows users to explore cultural landmarks and destinations remotely. While multi-user VR environments encourage collaboration, single-user experiences often lack social interaction. Generative AI, particularly Large Language Models (LLMs), offer a way to improve single-user VR exploration through AI-driven virtual assistants, acting as tour guides or storytellers. However, it’s uncertain whether these assistants require a visual presence, and if so, what form it should take. To investigate this, we developed an AI-based assistant in three different forms: a voice-only avatar, a 3D human-sized avatar, and a mini-hologram avatar, and conducted a user study to evaluate their impact on user experience. The study, which involved 12 participants, found that the visual embodiments significantly reduce feelings of being alone, with distinct user preferences between the Human-sized avatar and the Mini hologram.