Britain · SELF-GUIDED TOURS
Good self-guided trails fill up weeks ahead and the great ones go first. Below: the 15 to book early, what each includes and how they differ.
Spend about 90 minutes behind the scenes at Emirates Stadium with Arsenal-branded headphones and an audio guide in six languages. Visit the home dressing room, players’ tunnel, dugout, directors’ box, pitchside areas, and Arsenal Museum, with interactive shirt cam and tour cam features along the way.
“Great experiance. The kid loved the tour the digital guide”
Meet Vox City staff at Russell Square, exchange your voucher, and enter the British Museum with reserved access. Use your phone and headphones to follow 50 audio stops covering Egyptian mummies, the Rosetta Stone, Parthenon sculptures, Roman art, and the Lion of Knidos. The package also includes a London sightseeing app and Political London walking tour.
“It was very huge place more than I thought. I was really surprised. There were so many famous buildings and things. I was really happy to come there. Thank you so much.”
Walk through Bath’s ancient bathing complex at your own pace with an audio guide in 12 languages or a BSL video guide. See the Great Bath, temple remains, Roman artifacts, heated rooms, plunge pools, and the gilt bronze head of Sulis Minerva. Finish by tasting the mineral-rich spa water.
“Superb! The Audio-guides allow you to get so much more out of the experience. Very informative and did mean you didn't have to spend so much time reading boards etc. This made for a more 'comfortable' viewing”
Use your included handset and headphones to explore Canterbury Cathedral at your own pace. See medieval architecture, some of the world’s oldest stained glass, the Chapter House, Great Cloister, gardens, and up to three exhibitions. Commentary is available in English, French, German, and Japanese, with material credited to Phillips Langton.
“Wonderful experience....never been! So historic in every sense and the architecture is fantastic. The crypt was a special e xperience and loved Joey the war horse!”
Enter Churchill’s underground Cabinet War Rooms at King Charles Street, see the Map Room and disguised communication rooms, then use the VoxCity app to follow a self-guided audio route past 15 political London landmarks, including 10 Downing Street and Parliament. Bring your own phone and headphones.
“Very thorough. We could go through the exhibit on our own time the vox video was fantastic. Not overwhelming. Husband is a retired history teacher and very much loved it. I learned a lot myself”
Follow an English-speaking guide from the William III statue through St James’s Park, Pall Mall, The Mall, and past royal residences to Buckingham Palace. Guides such as Sophie, Lee, Jen, and Chris have led lively walks, followed by a self-guided palace visit with skip-the-line entry and official audio commentary.
“Tour was on time, guide was friendly and knowledgeable!”
Follow a GPS-led walking route from Bristol Bridge through Castle Park, the Old City, St Nicholas Market, Christmas Steps, Bristol Cathedral, the docks, and the Old Vic. Audio narration, apparently voiced by Heather, mixes local history with pub and food tips. The tour is English-only, lasts a few miles, and stays available for one month.
“Loved the realness of the tour. I especially thought it was funny when at some point during the recorded tour I ran into a physical tour talking about the same thing on site. I thought my info was more informative lol. The only thing I wish would happen is that the recording could be updated as it was, as mentioned in the recording, recorded during COVID.”
Use the Trippy Tour Guide app to follow a two-hour route from Notting Hill Gate to Westbourne Park Station. Audio stories lead you to the Hugh Grant movie door and bookshop, Portobello Road, Electric Cinema, colorful mews, and homes linked to famous residents. Choose English, French, Spanish, German, Italian, or Chinese, and explore at your own pace.
“I really enjoyed this self-guided Notting Hill walking tour. The app was easy to use and took me to all the key spots, including famous locations from the Notting Hill and Love Actually movie scenes, plus so much more. A great way to explore the area at your own pace and really soak in the charm of the neighbourhood. Highly recommended!”
Pick up a well-serviced bike at Bellfield Park, then follow paths and National Cycle Network Route 78 from Inverness to Dores on Loch Ness. You get a helmet, water bottle, map and route advice, but no guide or food. Plan for hills, changeable weather and a full day in the saddle.
“Amazing experience. Bikes to Dores, then the Foyer waterfalls and back to Inverness, for a total of 60km. Guys at the shop were great”
Use your phone and a private online tour to find Cambridge’s tiny Dinky Doors. You’ll get exact locations, fun facts, video backstories, and a route past Parker’s Piece, the River Cam, Mill Road, and more. The experience lasts about two hours, though reaching every door takes longer and may require a bus, bike, or car.
“The kids said this was on the top of their favorite things in Cambridge! Super cute and guided us on nice walks through the city! Sometimes the connection to the map was spotty.”
You’ll follow a self-guided Questo game through central Glasgow, from the vaults beneath Central Station to George Square. Expect roughly 90 minutes of walking, location-based riddles, local history, ghost-themed tales, and flexible start times. Use your own phone, pause when needed, and stop for a pub break if you like.
“We were one of 3 couples visiting Glasgow for Hogmanay, and to use up some spare time on 1st January we tried this tour, which was very suitable as it was so flexible - we could start when ready and take all the time needed. The ghostly facts were amusing and the clues fun. It was just a pity so many bars were closed (preventing occasional stops!) before heavy rain terminated our game prematurely. The game encouraged us to tour parts of the city we wouldn't have and was very good value.”
Follow Alicia’s English narration from King’s College to Trinity, St John’s, and Magdalene College on a flexible VoiceMap walking tour. Pause for photos, wander at your own speed, and finish near the River Cam and punting departures. Admission to the colleges is not included, so this is best for seeing their exteriors and learning the city’s town-and-gown story.
“We were able to go at our own pace as the GPS knew exactly where we were at all times. We really enjoyed our tour.”
Follow an English-language VoiceMap audio walk from Castlehill to the Elephant House, stopping at Harry Potter film locations, Victoria Street, the Writer’s Museum, and graves linked to familiar names. The $11.99 tour runs about 40 minutes to an hour, works offline, and lets you pause for shops, photos, or museums.
“Since we knew we would becoming in later afternoon to Edinburgh, this tour was great for us to do on our own at our own time. The audio tour gave very good instructions and we enjoyed learning more about places in Edinburgh that influenced JK Rowling's books about Harry Potter. Victoria Street is awesome!”
This self-guided London walk uses the Trippy Tour Guide app to lead you from Westminster Station through Cecil Court, Platform 9¾, the Millennium Bridge, Leadenhall Market, and Tower Bridge. You get more than 40 audio stops in six languages, with film facts and directions. Bring headphones, a charged phone, and time for possible route delays.
“veel informatie. de filmscenes worden duidelijk beschreven bij iedere locatie. de tour is erg lang. we redden het niet binnen de tijd. omdat we nog iets anders geboekt hadden, hebben we hem de volgende dag afgemaakt.”
Follow an app-guided route from the Mercure Bristol Grand Hotel to Charlotte Street, solving 11 location-based puzzles along the way. You’ll see works by El Mac, Aryz, Pixel Pancho, and Banksy-linked art. There is no guide or fixed start time, so you can play at your own pace, pause when needed, and continue offline.
“Finding the street art was great fun as somebody who doesn't know the city, it was also easy to use.”
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