Boston · SELF-GUIDED TOURS
24 reviewed
These are the 15 best self-guided tours in Boston right now: what each one costs, how long it takes, and the kind of traveller it suits. Start at the top; it earns the spot.
Walk Boston’s Freedom Trail at your pace with GPS audio on WalknTours. Self-guided in English, about 2–3 hours, from $7.75.
“Loved this tour! It was great to be able to go at our own pace and pause when we wanted to. They audio was very informative”
A budget-friendly Salem ghost walk with GPS directions and audio stops for about 45 minutes, from Ropes Mansion to the Witch Trials Memorial.
“Loved the flexibility of doing the tour on my own time and getting to take breaks in between. The narrator was super informative and it was very entertaining!”
Walk Boston’s Freedom Trail at your pace with GPS-triggered audio, an easy map, and lifetime access for a smart budget history outing.
“This was a good audio tour of the freedom trail. The information was good and we enjoyed having the map. The automatic GPS location features didn’t work exactly, so we had to constantly keep an ion it to make sure we were listening to the right things at the right time, but overall it went OK. For someone who doesn’t like to use the phone much, keep in mind you’ll need to figure out how to use the app and it won’t automatically play the experiences when you get to the location all the time. Overall, we really enjoyed it.”
A $16.99 self-guided Salem audio walk with offline maps, 35+ location-triggered stories, and 1–2 hours of flexible witch-trials history.
“Easy to follow & great narrator. A perfect choice if you want to explore Salem at your own pace while getting an overview of the history.”
Self-guided Beacon Hill Underground Railroad audio tour in Boston with named stops, dramatized narration, and flexible pacing for $9.75.
“Lost our way and couldn't get back on the correct route. Tried several times to rewind the tour narration.”
A self-guided GPS walk through Boston’s Freedom Trail core, with key stops, flexible timing, and audio you can replay via 360° photos.
“Perfect for a family of 4 with teenagers. Could go at our own pace. Great for our American History vacation.”
Explore Boston’s Old North Church with a self-guided audio tour about Paul Revere’s lantern signal and more. Quick, flexible, $8.
“I found the tour very boring. Didn’t use the audio part after 10 minutes. Lots of restoration going on in the church”
A self-guided Freedom Trail audio walk from the State House to the Paul Revere House with offline maps, stories, and lifetime access.
“A Wonderful self guided tour, allows you to go at your own pace and spend more time a stops. Very informative”
A GPS audio walk along Boston Harborwalk, built around Tea Party history, with lifetime access and a pace that’s all yours.
“Here visiting family and found this tour and thought it would be a great opportunity. Very informative and instructive. Just remember to bring your earbuds as it’s easier to listen to.”
Self-guided Boston Freedom Trail audio with offline maps, 16 historic stops, and flexible pacing for about 2.5 hours.
“The app was slightly confusing to download and to start using. It took awhile to figure it out with my confirmation code, etc. Once downloaded, the narrator's voice was super clear and understandable. Both me and my husband downloaded the app. His worked well. I had to manually press the forward button when I reached the next site. The map didn't always read where I was, and I had to forward and replay when it stopped mid-story. Other than that, I did like it. We saw alot and learned quite a bit. I would recommend it. Especially, if you want to go your own pace and make quick stops in…”
A $7, 2-hour GPS walking audio tour from Copp’s Hill to the Public Garden, covering the Revolution, immigration, and city-changing moments.
“It was very well done and easy to use. The tour took my family much longer than the estimated time but we enjoyed it.”
A self-guided Salem audio tour starting at Gallows Hill Park, pairing witch trials history with eerie site-by-site audio in 6 languages.
“nothing was marked so it was difficult to follow. walking through neighborhoods was a little sketchy. We drove to majority of the spots because of the heat.”
Walk Boston’s North End with a Mafia-themed phone scavenger hunt. Self-paced clues, free stops, 24/7 support, from $7.18.
“If it is cold and dark and you do not know the area it is difficult because we did not know the area”
Boston ghost walk by app with an EMF reader. Hear eerie stories at key sites, roam Boston Common, and finish at Cutler Majestic. 30–45 min.
“Bring a portable speaker would be my recommendation but otherwise a nice time with family. Can be done in daytime and I think would be just as enjoyable but probably louder with the city daytime activity.”
Salem Hawthorne hauntings in a self-guided audio walk, 45 to 55 minutes, $5, turn-by-turn on WalknTours with free stops.
“We enjoyed hearing the history and ghost tales to go along with the sights we saw. We sidetracked to go through the Salem Witch Museum before picking up again.”
