Colonial Williamsburg Self-Guided Audio Walking Tour in Williamsburg booking from $14.99

Colonial Williamsburg Self-Guided Audio Walking Tour

Overview

Don’t just learn about American history… live it! At Colonial Williamsburg, America’s Colonial past comes to life through beautifully restored architecture and authentic reenactors. Stroll down these historic streets while this tour tells you everything you need to know about Williamsburg, early America, colonial life, and more.

Williamsburg has a long and complex history that predates the creation of the United States by almost 150 years! Dig into the town’s origins, the dramatic struggles which unfolded here during the revolution, and the people who put Williamsburg on the map.

After booking, check your email to download the separate Audio Tour Guide App by Action, enter your unique password, and access your tour. These steps require good internet/Wi-Fi access. From there, follow the audio instructions and the route.

Buy once, use for one year! Ideal for extended visits and return trips over the next 12 months

This isn't an entrance ticket. Check opening hours before your visit.

City: Williamsburg

Tue 27 May

Other dates

You can choose the date already on the booking website

Starting at $14.99

Make a reservation

Tue 27 May

Starting at $14.99

Make a reservation

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What's Included

Easy-to-use app: download Action’s Tour Guide App onto your phone

Perfect narrator: nothing can beat listening to a great voice. Proven with tons of rave reviews!

Offline maps: no signal, no problem! Works perfectly without cellular or wifi.

Comprehensive route and stops: See it all, miss nothing, leave no stone unturned!

Go at your own pace: Start anytime, pause anywhere, enjoy breaks for snacks and photos freely!

Learn more: dive deeper into any story you enjoyed with extra stories.

Hands-free: audio stories play on their own based on your location. Easy to use!

Additional Info

Public transportation options are available nearby
Suitable for all physical fitness levels
How to access: Once you book a tour, you’ll get a confirmation email and text with instructions: • Download the separate tour app by Action • Enter the password • Download the tour MUST DO while in strong wifi/cellular Works offline after download
How to start touring: Open Action’s separate audio tour guide app once onsite. • If there is just one tour, launch it. • If multiple tour versions exist, launch the one with your planned starting point and direction.
Go to the starting point No one will meet you at the start. This tour is self-guided Enter the first story’s point and the audio will begin automatically Follow the audio cues to the next story, which will also play automatically. Enjoy hands-free exploring. If you face audio issues, contact support. Stick to the tour route & speed limit for the best experience.
Travel worry-free: Use the tour app anytime, on any day, and over multiple days. Start and pause the tour whenever you like, taking breaks and exploring side excursions at your own pace. Skip anything you don’t care about or explore bonus content for everything that interests you
Savings tips: Walking tours: couples can share one tour by splitting headphones
Buy once, use for one year! Ideal for extended visits and return trips over the next 12 months.

What To Expect

Colonial Williamsburg Visitor Center

The tour of this beautifully preserved slice of Colonial America begins at the Visitor Center, where you can get your first taste of the nation's largest living museum. Note: This 2.5+ mile-long tour covers the essentials of Colonial Williamsburg in 2-3 hrs. Buy once, use for one year! Ideal for extended visits and return trips over the next 12 months.

The Rockefellers' Bassett Hall

A simple two-story 18th-century white frame farmhouse nestled on 585 acres of lawn, garden, and woodlands, Bassett Hall once was the Williamsburg home of John D. Rockefeller Jr. and his wife Abby Aldrich Rockefeller .Philip Johnson, a member of the House of Burgesses from King and Queen County, Virginia, is believed to have built the 18th-century frame house sometime between 1753 and 1766. Purchased by Burwell Bassett around 1800 Union cavalryman George Armstrong Custer guest in home during the Civil War

Colonial Williamsburg Capitol Building

Built between 1701 and 1705, the first Williamsburg statehouse served the colony of Virginia until fire destroyed the building in 1747.The first floor of the west building was for the General Court and the colony's secretary, the first floor of the east for the House of Burgesses and its clerk. Arched windows marched across the facades. Stairs on one side led to the Council Chamber, a lobby, and the Council clerk's office stairs on the other side led to three committee rooms. A second-floor conference room connected the classically corniced structures, and a six-sided cupola on the ridge of the hipped and dormered roof crowned it all. Though the west wing was completed by July 1703, it took Cary until November 1705 to finish all the work.

Colonial Williamsburg Magazine

Then you'll come to the Colonial Williamsburg Magazine, the site of a tense standoff between American patriots and British soldiers trying to steal all the gunpowder from the town before it could fall into rebel hands

Governor's Palace

Then you'll see the extravagant Governor's Palace, and maybe start to get a sense of why the residents of Williamsburg didn't particularly care for their British royal governors!

George Wythe House

Up next is the house of George Wythe, a signer of the Declaration of Independence who stands out from most of his compatriots because of one simple fact: he was an abolitionist. In Virginia, a state which used a huge amount of slave labor, this didn't exactly make him a lot of friends!

Bruton Parish Episcopal Church

Continuing on, you'll arrive at the oldest building in Colonial Williamsburg: the Bruton Parish Episcopal Church. Here, you'll learn not just about the church's surprising history, but also about how it's the whole reason Colonial Williamsburg exists in the first place

William & Mary

Your route takes you next onto the campus of William & Mary College, the oldest college in the United States

Show 5 more stops

Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Traveler Photos

Reviews (35)

96louish

Sep 2022

I liked learning the history behind each stop; well explained. What I don't understand is why they have you park like a mile from the starting points, then just leave you 1.2 miles from your car with no guidance in the middle of the College of William & Mary campus? Would have been way easier to park in the Merchant Square area or such. Luckily, we are walkers. Some may have found the total walking distance to be too much, especially in the summer.

Response from Host

Sep 2022

I understand that the starting parking lot at the visitor center is a bit away (0.5 miles) from the first story. My thinking about starting at the visitor center is to be able to use the restroom, look at brochures, ask questions, etc. Also, there is a lovely story outside the visitor center across the bridge. I am looking into starting at the other end, near the college, to see if that will reduce the walking. Thank you for your suggestion. You can use this tour at home for pictures, reviewing the stories again, and on your next trip.

Jeanne_C

Sep 2022

The stories were good but brief and the offline version never worked and when the Internet was bad, it was like having nothing at all. Ibalso accidentally bought too many. Only one is needed for a group.

Response from Host

Sep 2022

Thank you for your thoughts, Jeanne! I'm delighted you enjoyed the stories. I'm so sorry about your experience. The tour is designed in such a way that no internet connection is required to complete it once downloaded. Given that the vast majority of our customers had a positive experience with us, I'm curious if this is an issue on your end. And, because this is a walking tour, we recommend purchasing it per person unless you have a speaker in a group. In addition, I have 100 other self-guided tours for other historic sites, scenic drives, cities, and parks in the United States — hopefully, you'll get a chance to try them the next time you visit! Also, just a reminder that the tour you purchased is valid for a lifetime. As a result, you can listen to it at home or during your next visit.

travellvr32655

Jun 2022

This tour was great. After reading that many buildings were still closed for the full tour I decided to try it. For $8.00 I thought I could always buy a real ticket if I decided I wanted one. Easy download - easy to follow map - it senses where you are and starts narrating when you’re close to a stop. Very interesting-takes about an hour. It’s not a loop so you’ll be a ways from the start when you are done. I liked it so much I wished there were more buildings on the route. Great narration great value.

Response from Host

Jun 2022

Thanks so much! I’m constantly adding stories so the next update will cover even more Colonial Williamsburg spots. I hope you have the chance to try some of my other tours during your future travels!

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Colonial Williamsburg Self-Guided Audio Walking Tour

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