Best Self-Guided Tours Worldwide — Our Top 9

1.Gaudi and La Sagrada Familia Exterior Self-Guided Audio Tour

★★★★★★★★★★3.5 · 25 reviews · from $5Our pick

Use your phone to explore the Sagrada Familia exterior with a 39-minute audio tour in English or Spanish. The app explains Gaudí’s ideas and the meaning behind the detailed façade. You start near Plaça Sagrada Família and explore at your own pace, but you must provide your own phone, internet for setup, and headphones. Admission is not included.

“It's no good if u dont have internet to download the story or headphones This should be made clear as we expected to have a headset given to us Like on other walks we ha e done,waste of money for children with no access to head sets or a phone”

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2.Self-Guided Tour of Ísafjörður: Art, History, and Architecture

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 23 reviews · 1 hour 15 minutes to 1 hour 30 minutes (approx.) · from $9Top rated

Follow a VoiceMap audio tour through Ísafjörður with local stories, maritime landmarks, church lore, art, gardens, and architecture. The walk takes about 75 to 90 minutes, begins at the Westfjord History Museum, and ends at the town square. Download the map and audio before setting out, then walk at your own pace for $9.99.

“Be sure to download the Voice map ahead of time and make certain it is operating. It takes a bit of time to do it. I really enjoyed the tour until I had to take some other streets due to the construction occurring. There was sanding being done on buildings and I could not tolerate the dust. Tried to get it to match my location but gave up.”

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3.Bastille’s Architecture & Artisans Self-Guided Walking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 18 reviews · 45 minutes to 1 hour (approx.) · from $17

Follow a 45-minute to one-hour self-guided audio walk from Place de la Bastille to Coulée Verte René-Dumont. Juan, a local historian, explains the neighborhood’s revolutionary past, artisan traditions, old architecture, fountains, gardens, and Aligre market. Download the guide in advance for offline use and stop whenever you wish.

“It was nice to hear the history of this area in Paris. We were able to walk through various neighborhoods and hear about what it used to be like. Some things have not changed.”

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4.Palau Guell by Gaudi with Audio Guide in Barcelona

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 13 reviews · 1 hour to 1 hour 30 minutes (approx.) · from $18

Visit Antoni Gaudí’s Palau Güell at your own pace with priority entry and an audio guide available in 13 languages. See the grand entrance, stained glass, central dome, decorative ironwork, and famous rooftop chimneys. Plan for about 60 to 90 minutes. This is a self-guided visit, not a tour led by Gloria or another personal guide.

“Tour is self guided with an audio headset...maybe I misread info but we expected a tour guide. Otherwise...all good.”

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5.Self-Guided Audio Tour-The Surrealist Barcelona of Dalí and Gaudí

★★★★★★★★★★3.5 · 8 reviews · from $10

Use the Soundwalkrs app to follow a 39-minute, self-guided walk through Barcelona’s Dalí and Gaudí landmarks. Begin near Sala Dalmau in Eixample and finish at Palau Güell in the Old City. English and Spanish narration, offline maps, and flexible timing make it easy to fit into your day, but you must use the app yourself and pay monument admission separately.

“Waste of money. I did not dowload. I thought that thus was with a guide. Don't bother recommending this.”

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6.Self-Guided Audio Tour – Miami Art Deco

★★★★★★★★★★3.0 · 7 reviews · from $11

Use your smartphone to follow a roughly one-hour audio walk from the Art Deco Welcome Center to the Clevelander. Hear stories about Ocean Drive, Miami’s film and fashion connections, and the Versace story while using offline maps and route tips. Bring your own phone and headset, and download the app before you arrive.

“Soundwalkrs App was unreliable. It kept crashing even though it was downloaded to play offline. From what we heard the commentary was ok.”

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7.Riga’s Architecture: A self-guided audio tour of the city’s art nouveau history

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 3 reviews · from $5

Use the VoiceMap app to follow an English audio walk from Riga’s National Art Museum to Alberta iela 12. You’ll learn how to spot Art Nouveau, hear about Mikhail Eisenstein and Riga’s National Romantic style, and explore the city’s finest façades at your own pace.

“This is such a great tool to use if you don’t have access to live walking tours or if you are under time constraints! I really loved this audio tour as it helped me make the most out of my visit to Riga by informing me about the history behind Riga’s art nouveau architecture.”

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8.Woodlawn Cemetery: A Self-Guided Audio Tour of Gilded Age Art and Architecture

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 2 reviews · from $14

Follow Emmy-nominated storyteller Tom Darbyshire through Woodlawn Cemetery on a two to two-and-a-half-hour VoiceMap audio tour. Hear stories of Irene Castle, Alva Vanderbilt Belmont, Claude Fitch, Anna Bliss, and Barbara Hutton while exploring Gilded Age mausoleums, sculpture, trees, and art. GPS directions work offline, and lifetime access includes a virtual tour at home.

“Who thinks of a cemetery as great place to take a walking tour? I do! This is a beautiful place and the stories you hear in this walking tour is worth your time. Bring a lunch and stay for a picnic under one of the many magnificent trees. You’re going to learn things you never knew about some well known New Yorkers.”

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9.Philadelphia Architecture: Discover Every American Style on a GPS Audio Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 2 reviews · 1 hour 30 minutes to 2 hours (approx.) · from $11

Follow an architect-narrated GPS tour from the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts to Love Park. In about 90 minutes to two hours, you’ll pass the Masonic Temple, City Hall, Union League, Academy of Music, One Liberty, and Suburban Station while learning how Philadelphia’s buildings reflect different American styles. Use the tour offline in English whenever you like.

“Information about the different architectural styles in Philadelphia. Many explanations about City Hall, PAFA and Masonic temple.”

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