The 15 Best History Tours Worldwide

1.Venice: St. Mark Basilica Ticket, Audioguide+History Gallery

★★★★★★★★★★3.9 · 4,780 reviews · from $23Our pick

Visit St. Mark’s Basilica with priority entry, a downloadable audio guide, and an optional escorted visit. Then use VR to see Piazza San Marco across the centuries. Guides may include Andrea, Valentina, Elena, or Francesco, while the €23 ticket covers the ground floor only.

“The Basilica is absolutely gorgeous & small enough that it’s manageable. The agent at the tourist office beforehand where you go to pick up the info was super helpful & very nice. TIP: DOWNLOAD the app/audio beforehand in order to listen to the digital audio guide once in the church since there’s no connection there. Audio was very informative & interesting. Im glad we went with the audio instead of a guide because you can go at your own pace. However, taking one star off because the Skip-the-Line isn’t really skipping anything since you still stand on line for at least 15-30mins to do security (depending how early you go.)Read…”

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2.Maltese Islands History Audio-Visual Show and La Sacra Infermeria Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 344 reviews · 1 hour 15 minutes (approx.) · from $24

Start at The Malta Experience for a clear, multilingual audio-visual history of Malta, from its first settlers to World War II. Then join a professional guide inside the Knights of St. John’s Sacra Infermeria. Allow about 1 hour 15 minutes and bring your own transport to Valletta.

“The audio-visual show is outstanding. Because of another appointment, we skipped the Sacra Infermeria tour.”

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3.Valletta: Self-Guided Historical Walking Tour (Audio Guide)

★★★★★★★★★★3.7 · 251 reviews · 1 - 7 days · from $8

Use the PopGuide app to explore Valletta at your own pace, following a three to four hour route through bastions, gardens, palaces, churches, and historic streets. Commentary comes in five languages, works offline after download, and includes a free audio tour of Mdina.

“The information about each point was good and interesting.”

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4.Nizwa Heritage & Culture Full Day Tour with Audio Guiding

★★★★★★★★★★4.3 · 213 reviews · 9 hours · from $83

Travel from Muscat to Nizwa with hotel pickup, a driver, and GPS-linked audio commentary in five languages. Visit Birkat Al Mouz, Nizwa Souq, Jabreen Castle, and Bahla Fort, with lunch and Jabreen entrance included. Drivers such as Khaleel and Naseeb also add practical help along the way.

“My driver, Khalil was great! I would’ve liked to also be guiding at the stopping points on the tour. This the perfect way to see Nizwa!”

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5.Matera: Sassi di Matera Historical Self-Guided Audio Tour

★★★★★★★★★★3.6 · 183 reviews · 365 days · from $4Best value

Use the ITGUIDES app to explore Matera’s Sassi at your own pace. More than 30 geolocated points explain caves, rock churches, Byzantine frescoes, cisterns, and underground spaces in English, French, German, or Italian. There is no meeting point or fixed group.

“Ces deux endroits sont magnifiques et l’organisation de ce voyage était parfait”

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6.St. Mark’s Cathedral Priority Guided Tour & History Gallery

★★★★★★★★★★3.5 · 148 reviews · 1 hour (approx.) · from $33

Visit St. Mark’s Basilica in about an hour with skip-the-line entry, a mobile audio guide or live guide, and a VR history experience about St. Mark’s Square. You can choose a guided Basilica visit or a combined Basilica and Doge’s Palace option.

“excellent guide. She found us shade to stand in, encouraged to stay for golden hour. Would have liked more time in museum before or after vr, found it wonderful and informative on gondolas. I did like the vr. The check in should tell people to use the bathroom before.”

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7.Santa Fe Historic Downtown Smart Phone Audio App Self Guided GPS Walking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 112 reviews · 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes (approx.) · from $9

Use your phone and headphones to follow an English GPS audio tour from San Miguel Chapel to Santa Fe Plaza. Hear stories about Spanish rule, the Loretto staircase, the Manhattan Project, Billy the Kid, Georgia O’Keeffe, and local art. Pause, restart, and explore at your own pace.

“Great way to explore the city at your own pace. Informative and insightful without time constraints.”

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8.Istanbul: Hagia Sophia History Museum Entry with Audio Guide

★★★★★★★★★★4.1 · 102 reviews · 1 hour · from $29

Visit the Hagia Sophia History Museum in Sultanahmet with fast-track entry, a headset, and an audio guide in 23 languages. Interactive 3D displays trace the building’s Roman and Ottoman periods, while digital exhibits show how it changed from cathedral to mosque, museum, and mosque again.

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9.London: Natural History Museum Express Guided Tour & Audio Guide

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 100 reviews · 3 hours (approx.) · from $11

Explore London’s Natural History Museum with a 30-minute English introduction, reserved entry, digital map, and app-based audio guide in seven languages. Janet is one guide you may meet. Bring your own phone and headphones, and remember this is not a guided exhibit tour or skip-the-line ticket.

“I arrived at the museum and they would not honor my skip the line pass from pastor. They instructed me to ask for my money back.”

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10.Savannah’s Historical District: A Self-Guided Audio Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 69 reviews · 45 minutes to 1 hour (approx.) · from $11

Follow a private VoiceMap walking tour from Wright Square to Forsyth Park, with audio about Juliette Gordon Low’s home, historic squares, grand houses, and Savannah’s Forrest Gump connection. The app works offline and lets you pause, stop, or revisit the tour anytime.

“It was a great experience. Very informative and easy to use. The guide was excellent. I would highly recommend.”

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11.Seattle Downtown Quest: Self-Guided History Adventure

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 26 reviews · 1 hour 30 minutes (approx.) · from $7

You’ll follow a self-guided Seattle history quest from Union Station to Waterfront Park, solving 10 puzzles at places such as Pioneer Square, Smith Tower, the Seattle Art Museum, and Pike Place Market. Use your phone, pause when needed, and explore without a guide or GPS.

“Finding the glue pot and deciphering the code was intriguing. It was fun working with new people to problem solve.”

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12.Astounding Scavenger Hunt: Historic Savannah Adventure

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 25 reviews · 1 hour 30 minutes (approx.) · from $14

Use the Let’s Roam app to solve clues across central Savannah, from Owens-Thomas House and Chippewa Square to Riverfront Plaza. This private, self-guided hunt takes about 90 minutes and mixes local history, photo challenges, and outdoor sightseeing for $14.99 per person.

“The kids really enjoyed looking for the landmarks and helping answer the questions. We all enjoyed the history and getting to see the area.”

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13.Self Guided “Historic Boston Downtown Freedom Trail” Audio/GPS Walking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 22 reviews · 50 minutes to 1 hour 40 minutes (approx.) · from $5

Use the WalknTours app to follow Boston’s downtown Freedom Trail from Boston Common to Haymarket. Hear stories at Granary Burying Ground, Faneuil Hall, the Boston Massacre site, Green Dragon Tavern, JFK’s former home, and more. Pause for food, weather, or extra sightseeing, then revisit the route with 360-degree photos.

“The tour was easy to download and use. And so informative! What a great way to not spend a lot of money, but still learn a lot about Boston! And at your own pace. I highly recommend it!”

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14.Alicante’s History and Highlights: Self-Guided Walking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 20 reviews · 2 to 3 hours (approx.) · from $11Top rated

Use your smartphone and headphones to follow an English GPS audio tour from El Adivinador through Alicante’s promenade, old town, market, museums, and historic squares. Pause for coffee, replay details, and explore at your own pace. Museum entry is not included.

“I booked this after being let down by a couple of guided tours that I’d booked through Viator being cancelled at the last minute. I didn’t have high expectations, as it was only a few euros, but it was exceptionally good. The directions were really accurate and easy to follow, the narrator obviously knew and loved Alicante and communicated his enthusiasm, and the pace of the walk really suited me. I have restricted walking ability, but there were frequent pauses for explanation of what I was looking at, and I thoroughly enjoyed the whole experience.”

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15.Historic Cannery Row: A Self-Guided Audio Tour of John Steinbeck’s Monterey

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 20 reviews · 1 hour 15 minutes (approx.) · from $8

Use the VoiceMap app to follow a 75-minute, self-guided walk from the Sardine Factory to Steinbeck Plaza. Hear about John Steinbeck, Ed Ricketts, the old canneries, Monterey Bay Aquarium, and San Carlos Beach. The $8.99 tour works offline and never expires after download.

“We tried for several hours to log on and get the your including on the phone with one of your representatives. It DIDNT WORK.”

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