A virtual reality system providing a virtual robotic surgical environment, and methods for using the virtual reality system, are described herein. Within the virtual reality system, various user modes enable different kinds of interactions between a user and the virtual robotic surgical environment. For example, one variation of a method for facilitating navigation of a virtual robotic surgical environment includes displaying a first-person perspective view of the virtual robotic surgical environment from a first vantage point, displaying a first window view of the virtual robotic surgical environment from a second vantage point and displaying a second window view of the virtual robotic surgical environment from a third vantage point. Additionally, in response to a user input associating the first and second window views, a trajectory between the second and third vantage points can be generated sequentially linking the first and second window views.