England · SELF-GUIDED TOURS

Self-Guided Tours in England, Compared: The 15 Best

57 tours  ·  from $4

The 15 best self-guided tours on sale right now, with the price, the running time and who each one suits. The first is first for a reason, so start at the top and work down.

Western Approaches Self Guided Tour - Phones, typewriters, and the machinery of secrecy
Liverpool Tours, Self-Guided Tours, Tour Reviews, Tours

Western Approaches Self Guided Tour

1.Western Approaches Self Guided Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 505 reviews · 1 to 2 hours (approx.) · from $24Our pick

Explore Western Approaches HQ, Liverpool’s underground WWII command center, at your own pace. See the untouched Map Room, wartime phones, convoy maps, teleprinters, uniforms, and rooms used by WRNS and WAAF personnel. Allow one to two hours, wear sensible shoes for the steps, and enjoy free return visits for 12 months.

“Thoroughly enjoyed walking around and LEARNING more of what went on during those dreadful years and surviving.”

Check availability →Read our full review

Private Self-Guided Dinky Door Hunt in Cambridge - From Trinity Street to All Saints Garden
Cambridge Tours, Private, Self-Guided Tours, Tour Reviews

Private Self-Guided Dinky Door Hunt in Cambridge

2.Private Self-Guided Dinky Door Hunt in Cambridge

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 103 reviews · 2 hours 10 minutes to 2 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $11

Use your phone to hunt Cambridge’s Dinky Doors, miniature art installations tucked around streets, parks, and the river. Your private group gets secret coordinates, fun facts, and video backstories rather than an in-person guide. Allow about two to two and a half hours, plan your route carefully, and note that Wandlebury Country Park requires separate transport.

“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.”

Check availability →Read our full review

Bristol Street Art: Banksy Exploration Game and Tour - El Mac’s photorealistic mother and child
Bristol Tours, Self-Guided Tours, Street Art, Tour Reviews, Tours, Treasure Hunts

Bristol Street Art: Banksy Exploration Game and Tour

3.Bristol Street Art: Banksy Exploration Game and Tour

★★★★★★★★★★3.5 · 39 reviews · 1 hour 30 minutes (approx.) · from $6Best value

Use the Questo app to follow a 90-minute Bristol street-art route from Mercure Bristol Grand Hotel to Charlotte Street. You will solve 11 location-based puzzles while finding works by Banksy, El Mac, Aryz, and Pixel Pancho. There is no guide or fixed start time, and the game can be played offline in English.

“If was great to see the art work and explore different parts of Bristol. We skipped through the 'love story' as it was very cheesy and wouldn't be suitable for young children. Some of the questions weren't easy to answer as the answers could have been a number of things. On one question you had to fill in a street name. We were literally stood in front of the sign and got the question wrong. Not sure if the street name has been changed since the tour was started but definitely wouldn't have got the answer without skipping it. On the whole we enjoyed the tour as a couple, the…”

Check availability →Read our full review

Public BucketRace - Scavenger Hunts with a Twist - Golden Square sets the tone at noon
London Tours, Self-Guided Tours, Self-Guided Tours in London, Tour Reviews

Public BucketRace – Scavenger Hunts with a Twist

4.Public BucketRace – Scavenger Hunts with a Twist

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 32 reviews · from $0

BucketRace turns London sightseeing into a three-hour team game. Meet at Golden Square, learn the rules, then use your phone and Twitter account to complete photo tasks, collect points, and explore Shoreditch, Camden, Brixton, or West London. Teams return for scoring, trophies, and prizes. Comfortable shoes and extra battery power are essential.

“The challenge is very cool, I had a fun time finding all the clues. The organisers are very friendly and helpful. Overall great atmosphere, would recommend.”

Check availability →Read our full review

Covent Garden’s Hidden Gems: A Self-Guided Walking Tour - Seven Dials and the shape of old London
London Tours, Self-Guided Tours, Self-Guided Tours in London, Tour Reviews, Tours, Walking Tours, Walking Tours in London

Covent Garden’s Hidden Gems: A Self-Guided Walking Tour

5.Covent Garden’s Hidden Gems: A Self-Guided Walking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★3.5 · 29 reviews · 45 to 50 minutes (approx.) · from $9

Use your phone to follow a 45 to 50 minute self-guided audio walk through Covent Garden. A local guide or historian leads you from the Piazza and Seven Dials to Neal’s Yard, St Paul’s Church, Savoy Court, the Royal Opera House, and Rose Street. Download the tour first, then explore at your own pace.

“The information was very interesting and the presentation entertaining. But, the routing on the map was non-functional in the area - no internet and no way to follow the map from location to location. This wqas true even on my map apps sdeparate from the tour one. I had to guess at some locations but finally took the app home and sat and liistened to ther narration where I had wifi and then pl,otyted out where to find some of the sites I hadnt been able to locate initially.”

Check availability →Read our full review

Liverpool Ghost Hunt: Paranormal Detective Self-Guided Game - St George’s Hall and the cells beneath the grandeur
Ghost Tours, Liverpool Tours, Self-Guided Tours, Tour Reviews

Liverpool Ghost Hunt: Paranormal Detective Self-Guided Game

6.Liverpool Ghost Hunt: Paranormal Detective Self-Guided Game

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 26 reviews · 1 hour 30 minutes (approx.) · from $7

Use your phone to follow a self-guided Liverpool mystery game through historic landmarks and neighborhoods. Solve 12 puzzles tied to Ma Egerton’s Stage Door, St George’s Hall, Liverpool Playhouse, the Queen Victoria Monument, and the Eleanor Rigby statue. You set the pace, can pause anytime, and explore privately without a physical guide.

“I was really looking forward to this and it was a good way to spend some time in Liverpool and I got to see parts of the city I might not have seen. However I thought it would be more exciting”

Check availability →Read our full review

Private Bespoke Scavenger Hunts - Teamwork matters more than sightseeing
London Tours, Private, Self-Guided Tours, Self-Guided Tours in London, Tour Reviews

Private Bespoke Scavenger Hunts

7.Private Bespoke Scavenger Hunts

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 26 reviews · from $41

You and your private group spend about three hours tackling a personalized London scavenger hunt. Laurence and the BucketRace team can shape the route, challenges, and theme around your birthday, hen or stag party, corporate event, or budget. Start at Golden Square at noon, submit tasks by mobile, and finish back at the meeting point.

“This was an activity to never forget indeed. Our incredible host put together a personalized hen do themed scavenger hunt that had us in stitches all evening. The creativity and organization that went into it didn’t go unnoticed. They seamlessly incorporated our requests and Read more”

Check availability →Read our full review

Private Chester Self-Guided Tour - Eastgate Clock and the old city entrance
Chester Tours, Private, Self-Guided Tours, Tour Reviews, Tours

Private Chester Self-Guided Tour

8.Private Chester Self-Guided Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 23 reviews · 2 to 3 hours (approx.) · from $12

Follow Jake’s audio guide through Chester’s cathedral, Roman amphitheatre, city walls, castle, Minerva shrine, and Grosvenor Park. The app includes GPS directions, maps, photos, videos, and food tips, with three weeks of access. It is private, self-guided, and available in English.

“The tour made us walk and talk as a family and given the range of buildings we viewed the subjects were wide ranging. Definitely recommend as a way to discover a city.”

Check availability →Read our full review

Bath Private Self-Guided Walking Audio Tour - The Roman Baths, where the audio cannot replace entry
Audio Tours, Bath Tours, Private, Self-Guided Tours, Tour Reviews, Tours, Walking Tours, Walking Tours in Bath

Bath Private Self-Guided Walking Audio Tour

9.Bath Private Self-Guided Walking Audio Tour

★★★★★★★★★★3.0 · 21 reviews · from $25

This self-guided Bath audio walk takes you from Parade Gardens to Thermae Bath Spa in about 35 minutes. Use a smartphone app with GPS guidance and offline playback as local or historian commentary introduces Bath Abbey, the Roman Baths, Sally Lunn’s, its medieval hospital, and the city’s hot springs. Entrance fees are separate.

“It’s a scam. I turned up to bath to get my tickets and couldn’t download them. I had to repay at the door of the Roman baths to get in. This is the 2nd tour I have booked through this company and not been able to do it”

Check availability →Read our full review

London Self Guided City Tour With an App - The Monument and a dramatic fire story
City Tours, London Tours, Self-Guided Tours, Self-Guided Tours in London, Tour Reviews, Tours

London Self Guided City Tour With an App

10.London Self Guided City Tour With an App

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 21 reviews · 1 to 2 hours (approx.) · from $9

Follow a private, app-based walking route through central London, beginning at Monument Station and ending at St Paul's Churchyard. The Trippy Tour Guide app provides more than 30 audio points, directions, and an offline map. Expect Roman traces, royal drama, riverside views, markets, theatres, and modern architecture, but allow several hours if you want to stop properly.

“Awful couldn’t even use it - took us to the end first luckily we realised when we had already wasted half an hour wrong way. Maybe you need good data reception - such a waste of money”

Check availability →Read our full review

Bath Self-Guided Private Tour - Starting with Roman Bath and Bath Abbey
Bath Tours, Private, Self-Guided Tours, Tour Reviews, Tours

Bath Self-Guided Private Tour

11.Bath Self-Guided Private Tour

★★★★★★★★★★3.5 · 20 reviews · 2 to 3 hours (approx.) · from $12

Follow a GPS-guided Bath walk with Helen’s recorded commentary, maps, photos, videos, and local recommendations. In 2 to 3 hours, you’ll pass the Roman Baths, Bath Abbey, Pulteney Bridge, Henrietta Park, the Circus, Royal Crescent, Theatre Royal, and Thermae Bath Spa. The tour is private to your group, but it has no in-person guide.

“After having had excellent experiences of using Viator in the USA, this one left us sorely disappointed. This fee is to be able to download an App that offers commentary on a walking tour across Bath. Totally different from what I was looking for. Was further deceived into thinking I was getting into something else when the email from Viator asked me to go to their office to collect my tickets. That office was closed and pointed to another location where they had re-located and there was no office in that second building either. The phone number to call was a non-UK number which no longer existed. Seemed like a…”

Check availability →Read our full review

Self-Guided Craft Beer Tour (Explore Old Market) - A brewpub under a railway arch
Bristol Tours, Craft Beer, Markets, Self-Guided Tours, Tour Reviews, Tours

Self-Guided Craft Beer Tour (Explore Old Market)

12.Self-Guided Craft Beer Tour (Explore Old Market)

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 19 reviews · from $118

Start at Moor Beer Co near Bristol Temple Meads, then follow a map and booklet through a brewpub, traditional pub, and local bars around Old Market. Seven Bristol-brewed beers, snacks, tasting notes, and tokens are included. You set the pace, choose your final bar, and finish near buses, Cabot Circus, and the station.

“For anyone taking a trip to Bristol - I highly recommend this beer tasting tour! The bar tender at the first bar was extremely accommodating and friendly. At the pubs we went to, all of the staff were very friendly too. I am not sure we would have ventured into these places normally so it was great to get more of an "authentic" Bristol experience. Very good value for money!”

Check availability →Read our full review

Scholars & Secrets of Cambridge: Self-Guided Puzzle Adventure - Starting beside the Corpus Clock
Cambridge Tours, Self-Guided Tours, Tour Reviews

Scholars & Secrets of Cambridge: Self-Guided Puzzle Adventure

13.Scholars & Secrets of Cambridge: Self-Guided Puzzle Adventure

★★★★★★★★★★3.5 · 19 reviews · from $8

Use your smartphone to follow an offline puzzle trail through central Cambridge. Starting at the Corpus Clock, you’ll solve clues linked to a secret society while passing King’s, Trinity, St. John’s, and other famous colleges. Allow one to two hours, pause whenever you like, and play privately with your own group.

“Fun but some of the clues aren’t there such as a statue was missing and many places shut due to COVID 😔 so some of the places like Kings College and other grounds could only be viewed from outside.”

Check availability →Read our full review

Haunted Chester and its Ghosts: A Self-Guided Walking Tour - The Rows and The Falcon: Chester’s first ghostly clues
Chester Tours, Ghost Tours, Self-Guided Tours, Tour Reviews, Tours, Walking Tours

Haunted Chester and its Ghosts: A Self-Guided Walking Tour

14.Haunted Chester and its Ghosts: A Self-Guided Walking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 19 reviews · 1 hour to 1 hour 30 minutes (approx.) · from $8

Use the VoiceMap app to follow a one-hour to 90-minute self-guided walk through Chester’s haunted past. Hear stories at The Rows, Falcon, Bear and Billet, the Anchorite Cell, St John’s Church, the Roman Amphitheatre, Eastgate Clock, and Chester Cathedral. Start whenever you like, pause for food, and use the tour offline.

“Fantastic. Well worth the money . accurate directions easy to follow and throughly enjoyed it . It was a great way to discover Chester and see things you wouldn’t usually notice .”

Check availability →Read our full review

Private Liverpool Self-Guided Tour - Memorials, theatres, and the city centre
Liverpool Tours, Private, Self-Guided Tours, Tour Reviews, Tours

Private Liverpool Self-Guided Tour

15.Private Liverpool Self-Guided Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 19 reviews · 2 to 4 hours (approx.) · from $12

Follow Jenny’s audio guide from St George’s Hall to Royal Albert Dock, with 18 Liverpool stops covering the Beatles, maritime trade, Hillsborough, theatres, museums, and local legends. You set the pace, pause for shelter, and receive three weeks of unlimited app access. Attractions and the Cavern Club cost extra.

“Tries to access the tour numerous times with the result that I could not get connected. Did not receive any. Will never try again”

Check availability →Read our full review

Scroll to Top

Where next in England

Start from a city, a castle or a pair of boots.