AUDIO TOURS · SMARTPHONE AUDIO TOURS IN THE USA
A free morning is the scarce thing on any trip. These 15 smartphone audio tours in the USA are worth one, priced and timed, with the download-before-you-go warnings where they matter.
Review of the self-guided GPS e-bike tour in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, with route details, costs, tips, and honest pros and cons.
“E bike is super fun and much better than driving as you can't drive too fast anyways and we saw many cars couldn't find parking along the national park. We saw lava from different angles on the trail which is so cool!”
Explore Santa Fe’s oldest churches, Plaza, Billy the Kid lore, and atomic history with a flexible GPS audio walk for $9.75.
“Easy to follow. Good overview of the city. Able to start and stop when we had another commitment. Enjoyed our time.”
Drive Portland’s historic streets, harbor, cemeteries, and Fort Williams with GPS audio stories for one car, at your own pace.
“We enjoyed it very much. Wish it went to a beach that was off beaten track but that’s only thing. Narrator was great and lively. would have even loved it a little longer.”
Explore Birmingham’s Civil Rights landmarks with a flexible GPS audio tour covering 16th Street Baptist Church, Kelly Ingram Park, and more.
“Everything is in close proximity so it was a good walk for someone just passing through. We were there on a Monday so most places were closed. Would like to go back and tour the inside of the church and see the museum”
Review of Acadia’s $9.50 self-guided GPS audio tour, with route details, parking tips, app advice, highlights, drawbacks, and booking guidance.
“Is a great audio tour with options of where to stop. The real problem is extremely crowded and absolutely no place to park we were unable to finish the tour.”
Review of Bike Volcano’s 4-hour e-bike ride through Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, with lava tubes, steam vents, GPS audio, and active lava views.
“Awesome! Easy to get into park. Missed all the crowds parking & walking. Best way to see the park for sure.”
Explore Charlotte’s haunted past on a self-guided audio walk through cemeteries, pubs, hotels, and old city streets for only $6.75.
“Don’t cross the street unless it tells you too. Some of the locations are discussed before it shows you the picture. Several pictures are out of date and some places don’t have signs to help you. It was a very interesting historical tour and I would do it again. It’s just a little tricky to follow some of the instructions.”
Drive from Los Angeles to Santa Maria with a GPS audio tour covering beaches, history, parks, wineries, and Pacific Coast Highway trivia.
“Unable to get this one working for me so it was a wash. Normally can get viator apps to work well maybe I’m just not understanding how this one works, but I wasn’t able to use it.”
Explore Memphis history on a $7.75 self-guided Beale Street audio tour, from Robert Church Park and Handy Park to Elvis and B.B. King.
“Perfect way to see Beale Street and gain an appreciation and understanding of the history of the people and events that shaped the region. Toured during the day and experienced the night life later. The tour stirred a desire to dive deeper into the history.”
Review of Boston’s $7 GPS audio walk, from Copp’s Hill to the Public Garden, with Revolutionary history, practical tips, and honest drawbacks.
“We couldn’t get it to work! We had to just walk through town to find things without it.”
Explore San Antonio’s Alamo, River Walk, cathedral, markets, and historic streets with an affordable GPS audio tour at your own pace.
“Didn’t get a chance to fully complete this tour, but I can tell you I would recommend doing it in the evening when it is cooler or very early in the morning if you are visiting during the summer months. Great price we got through half of it and then we ended up on the Go Rio Riverwalk boat….(Kids) lol”
Explore Salt Lake City’s Mormon history with a $9.75 self-guided audio walk covering the Capitol, Temple Square, museums, and pioneer sites.
“We drove it. It was very spread out and you would have to back track to return to your vehicle. We parked at the Capitol on the street. Saw that then drove over by the pioneer museum for that. Then we drove down the hill and parked on the side of the conference center and walked the Mormon square from there. The video was a bit difficult to keep on track. Homestead quit using it about halfway through. Really not worth the money. Buy one and listen on speaker setting.”
Explore Houston’s downtown history, architecture, parks, theaters, and Cotton Exchange with this flexible GPS audio walking tour.
“We walked the ground and saw the city, both from its humble inception time, some of the buildings that shaped it's culture, to the present glory of it many sky scrapers today. We saw the people, including the many who call the streets home, we spoke to some who are proud to live here and work in such a dynamic place. The Tour was memorable, but be ready for a lot of walking and standing. If you aren't able to hike for 4 miles on flat ground, you may be hurting at the end of this tour. Also the software provided is great and has a few automation features to…”
Review of Indianapolis’ $9.75 self-guided audio walk, covering monuments, museums, the Statehouse, and downtown history in 70 to 90 minutes.
“Good experience for solo travelers like me! Easy to follow and was concise and worth it. Exceeds my expectations”
Explore St. Augustine’s haunted streets with a flexible GPS audio tour covering 19 historic stops, ghost stories, cemeteries, inns, and the Castillo.
“It actually is a great app we loved it. Don’t reason why I gave it four stars because I was dumb and forgot to pack anything warm because I live in Largo Florida and it doesn’t get this cold so it’s my fault but it really is a five star thing because it was fun to walk walk around, but we also got lost.”
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