AUDIO TOURS · SELF-GUIDED TOURS
No guide, no group, no start time. These 15 self-guided audio tours are the ones with routes that make sense on foot and audio worth the headphones, priced from a few dollars and yours to keep.
Review of Athens Acropolis timed entry ticket with optional audio tours, practical crowd advice, site highlights, costs, and booking tips.
“Absolutely worth visiting, even the climb up there! Very glad also that we booked tickets in advance because the queue without tickets was huge!!! Beautiful view from the top of the Acropolis!”
Review of Gettysburg’s self-guided driving audio tour, with route details, GPS tips, value, key stops, and advice for planning your visit.
“The tour was a very eye opening experience. So much to see and learn. Disappointed with the audio tour. As it did not do what it was supposed to and I kept having to restart the audio. Finally gave up on it and just drove the tour using the markers.”
Explore Joshua Tree by car with offline GPS narration, 60-plus stories, Hidden Valley, mining tales, and flexible access for $16.99 per vehicle.
“It very interesting. We wish it would have updated with the west entrance closing. Between the app and the ranger station we were unclear if there was actually another route available to exit, there was not and had to double back.”
Explore Acadia by car with GPS-triggered stories, scenic stops, offline maps, and flexible access for one low group price.
“Very good audio after we figured out how to get it to download. Very helpful customer service. We used it twice and after we purchased Cadillac mountain tickets”
Explore Lake Tahoe by car with 70+ audio stories, scenic stops, history, offline maps, and flexible access for $16.99 per vehicle.
“Very thorough guidance around Lake Tahoe. We were happy to be able to stop where we wanted to capture the beauty of the area.”
Explore Newport’s mansions, Ocean Drive, forts, and Gilded Age stories at your own pace with this affordable GPS audio tour.
“It was enjoyable and interesting. It was neat the way it knew where you were and which story to read. There were a couple of times that it talked too long and told you to turn either AT the turn or just after so you missed your turn and had to circle around and find your way back to the route. That was frustrating and would be way worse if it were busier time of year.”
Review of Santorini’s Akrotiri ticket, with tips on timing, audio guides, crowds, value, access, and what to expect at the Pompeii of the Aegean.
“Amazing site with good explanatory signage, indoors (shade), raised level spacious walking paths allowing this old guy to explore in comfort.”
Explore Arches National Park at your own pace with a $16.99 audio tour featuring offline maps, 40 stories, and lifetime access.
Review of Boston’s $7.75 GPS audio walk, covering the Freedom Trail, North End, Bunker Hill, and USS Constitution at your own pace.
“It was great. It was very informative and a really fun walk. We all learned a lot and had a great time! We highly recommend this and can’t wait to come back and do it again.”
Explore Valletta with an offline audio tour, useful route stops, and a free Mdina guide for just $8 per person.
“les mails envoyés sont systématiquement en Anglais donc si tu ne parles pas là langue c'est compliqué. j'ai réussi à avoir quelqu'un au téléphone au bout d'une heure et la dame m'a envoyé balader en me disant que je n'avais qu'à parler Anglais. Évidemment elle ne parlait aucune autre langue que la sienne et elle a finit par m'envoyer un lien tout prêt en Français.Ce qui aurait été simple à faire dès le début plutôt que de me faire perdre une heure au téléphone. Bref, je déconseille vivement...”
Review of Yellowstone’s self-guided audio tour, with offline maps, GPS stories, five entrances, key stops, pricing, and practical planning tips.
“We used this for an improvised trip to Yellowstone and it didn’t disappoint. The value is fantastic. We did a full day tour at Grand Teton the next day which was fun but the audio tour of Yellowstone was on par with it and much cheaper.”
Review of Diamond Head’s $8.99 narrated hike, with practical advice on entry reservations, parking, audio quality, value, and summit views.
“Activity did not mention during the booking that the state park pass was NOT included and a requirement to have booked separately in order for entry. Only after payment and confirmation was this mentioned. In our care no time slots for the park pass were available at the same time frame as the booking of the audio tour, hence we were denied entry to the park and unable to use it.”
Explore Pompeii at your own pace with a $4.70 smartphone audio guide covering 60 sites, maps, frescoes, baths, and Roman daily life.
“We only had 2 hours and wished we had longer. We couldn't get the app to work properly. Definitely worth the visit. I would like to do it again with a proper guide.”
Explore Palm Springs by car with 53 audio stories, celebrity homes, mid-century design, desert trails, and flexible offline navigation.
“It was interesting to see various neighborhoods and learn some background about the stars. The app was a bit difficult to maneuver.”
Explore Cape Cod and Provincetown by car and on foot with a flexible audio tour covering lighthouses, beaches, Pilgrim history, and more.
“An enjoyable audio tour with interesting historical tidbits you wouldn’t necessarily “google” on a normal drive through the area. The audio was brief enough to give you some facts, without distracting you from the driving directions.”
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