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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.

No expiration — The tour comes with lifetime validity!

This isn't an entrance ticket.
City: Williamsburg
Sat 19 Oct
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You can choose the date already on the booking website
Starting at $8.00
Sat 19 Oct
Starting at $8.00
Make a reservation
What's Included
Offline use: No cell signal or wifi required. Offline GPS Map & route. Stop-to-stop direction.
Don’t miss a thing: Full itinerary, travel tips, professionally narrated hidden stories, video, text
Flexible schedule: Use any day, any time. Travel over multiple days or on next trip. Never expires.
App on your phone: A link to download the Action Guide app. Password for your tours. Preview at home
Easy to use: Stories play automatically by GPS. Hands-free. Get HELP all day: Call, Chat or Email.
Additional Info
  • Public transportation options are available nearby
  • Suitable for all physical fitness levels
  • How it works: Once you book a tour, you’ll get a text/email with instructions. Download the app (while in good wifi/signal) and use your unique password to access your tours. To begin touring, go to the Starting Point and launch the app. The audio starts automatically. Stick to the tour route & speed limit for the best experience. Please note that no one will meet you at the starting point.
  • Good value: Purchase one tour per person. If you are a couple and prefer to share, purchase one tour and remember to bring headphones you can split.
  • Flexible Schedule: Once the app/tour is on your phone, you can use it any day and at any time. You can use it over multiple days. And, also use it on your next trip here. This tour never expires.
  • Preview the tour: You can use it before the trip at home (highly recommended), use it during the trip, and use it after you come back.
  • Don't miss a thing: You will get everything with the app - a complete itinerary, travel tips, professionally narrated audio stories, story script, images, videos, deep dives, hidden gems, exciting locations, recommendations for hikes, adventure, activities, treks, and stop-by-stop direction.
  • Private tour: You can use it in your car or rental car. No worries about groups or crowds. Start the tour app on your phone. And it will direct you step by step. You can stop for as many breaks as you like. Take a break for Instagram photos, and take a break for lunch/snacks. Go on a hike. The tour will wait for you and start when you start again. You can even do the tour over multiple days. Go at your own pace.
  • Easy to use: The stories play themselves as soon as the GPS is activated. It requires no use of your hands at all. You can get HELP by calling, chatting, or emailing any time of the day.
  • Offline: There is no need for a cell signal or Wi-Fi while touring. App’s GPS map works offline.
  • Expiration/go again: The tour will last for the rest of your life on your phone. It is available for use on any day of your next trip.
  • Use pictures for a photo book: Create a photo book using clean (no crowd) app images of each spot to make a memorable trip. All the significant photos and the correct sequence is ready in the app for you to use.
  • Social media: Share clean (no crowd) images with friends/family.
  • Devices supported include iPhones with iOS 13 & above, Android phones with version 9 & above and all cellular-enabled tablets & iPads.
  • Face masks required for travellers in public areas
What To Expect
1
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.
2
Colonial Williamsburg Capitol Building
Keep your ears open at our next stop for the iconic fife and drum parade which marches through the town regularly. Here, you'll also learn about the military significance of these old-timey instruments
3
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
4
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.
5
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
6
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!
7
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!
8
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
9
The College of William and Mary
Your route takes you next onto the campus of William & Mary College, the oldest college in the United States
Show 6 more stops
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Traveler Photos
Reviews (14)
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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