What is an audio guided tour?

When you join a walking tour, you normally join a group. That group assembles at specific times, sometimes only once or twice a day, week or month. It moves slowly too, because everybody has to gather up around a guide when she has something to say. If you stop — to take a photo, buy a bottle of water, or tie your shoelaces — you fall behind. If somebody else stops, you have to wait.

VoiceMap’s walking tour app gives you the freedom to explore at your own pace. You can start the walk at any time and stop whenever and wherever you like, for as long as you like. You don’t even need to hit pause. The app uses your location to play audio automatically, at exactly the right time and place, and when you start moving again, playback will too. It also gives you directions, making it much easier to put your phone away and immerse yourself in your surroundings, not the screen.

Where can I find the VoiceMap app?

Our iOS app is compatible with your iPhone or iPad 3G, allowing you to keep a walking tour app in your pocket wherever you go.

Our walking tour app for Android supports over 4000 devices, including most Samsung phones, and any device that runs Android version 4.0 or above.

How can I listen when I am moving?

You download the app to your mobile phone, buy the tour in your app, put your head phones on your ears and then press «start tour». Now, you can put your phone away. Your phone’s built-in GPS is accurate to between 5 and 15 metres. The storytellers use this to make magic, pointing out tiny details at exactly the right time. They use it to give you directions too.

Can I listen to the tour more than one time?

Yes, of course. Once you purchase the tour in the app, it’s yours. You can listen to it as many times as you want.

You can revisit your walk at voicemap.me, where you’ll find a full transcript, satellite photography, and an interactive map. Your comments, ratings and purchases also sync with the two mobile apps, and vice versa.

I don’t want to use my data on this – can I listen offline?

Of course you can listen to the tour offline. You can download the audio tours with a single tap before you leave your WiFi zone. They come with offline maps, and you don’t have to pay for data while you’re out exploring.

Does the audio guided tour provide all detailed information about the places we pass?

No, it doesn’t. There may be some themes or descriptions that are more in-depth, but in general the guide informs you about what you are seeing, some of the background history and where you should move next.
There will always be interesting topics that come up, the need for more information, etc., and that is part of the purpose – this type of tourist guide invites curiosity, and we are happy if you continue searching for «missing» information after you have completed the tour.

If you want a tour where you can ask questions along the way, we recommend checking if there are group guiding with physical guides in the area.

How do you create an audio tour?

Good question! You have to spend quite a lot of time in the research process, and that is my favourite part. And, secondly, it is important that you have a good connection with the VoiceMap editor, who knows exactly how the result should be. You can see more detailed about my working process here.