PRESS PLAY · SELF-GUIDED WALKING TOURS IN CANADA
The 15 best self-guided walking tours in Canada you can book today, with what each costs, how long the commentary runs and who it suits. Number one is first for a reason; start there.
Drive to a former fish hatchery near Mont-Tremblant and follow a nearly one-kilometre forest path to a 40-meter observation tower. The full 2.7-kilometre walk takes about two hours, with gentle slopes, wildlife and flora information, mountain views, and optional access to a circus show.
“Awesome I’m not great with heights so this was challenging for me but well worth it.”
Walk Halifax at your own pace with a GPS-guided audio tour covering Victoria Park, the Public Gardens, Citadel Hill, historic churches, and old graveyards. Commentary starts near each stop, and an optional trivia game adds a playful touch. Download it on Wi-Fi before you go.
“I liked the audio guide overall, good information and it’s a great way to visit the city. My only complain is that the app would often crash and I needed to reopen it all the time, very annoying!”
Use your phone to walk Halifax’s 2.5 km waterfront from Pier 21 to Historic Properties. GPS-triggered audio explains ships, statues, markets, museums, and harbour landmarks, while a trivia game adds a playful touch. Download on Wi-Fi first, then stop, start, and visit attractions on your own schedule.
“This is a really great quality tour, esp if you like travelling solo. I got a very complete lay of the Land with their boardwalk and city tours. It’s self guided yes, but really well done”
Use your phone to follow three self-guided Halifax walks with more than 85 audio stories. Hear guide Jeff explain the 1917 Explosion, meet Samuel Cunard in character, and explore churches, graveyards, gardens, the boardwalk, Pier 21, and the seaport.
“Awesome app. Even with airplane mode on the gps let’s you know when you are at a stop. Beware the city is very hilly. Loved hearing about all the stops and being able to do the toile at your own pace. Highly recommended.”
Follow the Questo app from the Marine Building to Gastown’s Gassy Jack statue and Maple Tree Square. You’ll solve 14 puzzles, uncover stories about Vancouver’s buildings and Gold Rush past, and pause or resume whenever you like. No live guide is included.
“Super cute tour. It was a grand way to see Gastown and learn a little bit of history. The riddles get a little weak in the middle puzzles, we liked when they included the environment we’d walked to. We stopped by a couple of shops during the tour and it only took us an hour and thirty. It worked well on one phone and three people. All in all, a fun tour and a good way to kill some time.”
Use Tripvia Tours’ smartphone app to walk a 5-kilometre return route through Banff, with commentary from guide Don, automatic GPS-triggered audio, and location-based trivia. Start anytime, download the tour over Wi-Fi, and pause whenever you like. Attraction admission is separate.
“Good descriptions, but it would have been very helpful to have had a map with the streets. One map, all the stop buttons, but not helpful to be sure we were in the right place. Like the concept and would use again in another city.”
Use your phone to explore downtown Regina at your own pace with automatically triggered English audio, local trivia, and 30 heritage-focused stops. Begin at City Hall, pass Victoria Park, Mosaic Stadium, Union Station, and historic churches, then finish near 11th Avenue. Download the tour before you go.
“Worked well. Liked the geolocation. Could just walk down the street and when I passed a site, the audio would automatically start playing. The details for each place were brief, but interesting. Only complaint I have was that the tour did lead me down a street that was under construction and I wasn't sure how to get around it, so I ended up missing about 5 of the sites on the list. In addition, it routed me down a street with a bunch of homeless people and drug addicts, but probably can't blame the app for that.”
Use the VoiceMap audio guide to walk Charlottetown with narrator Josh L, stopping at Confederation Landing, Great George Street, Province House, Victoria Row, Rochford Square, and Beaconsfield. Pause whenever you like, add a shoreline stroll, and finish where you began.
“Excellent tour map and narrative are great. Many details and some nice extra things including a side trip. Easily worth the money. I am a cruiser but if visiting by car I’d love to try others.”
Use Action’s self-guided audio app to walk 2.2+ miles around Banff’s Cave and Basin. Hear stories about First Nations, the Castle Mountain Internment Camp, the Bow River marsh, and Sulphur Mountain. The $9.99 tour is not an admission ticket, so you must pay the site entry fee separately.
“The self guided walking tour was very helpful because there were not very many staff members or maps available on the walking tour.”
Use your phone to explore Moose Jaw at your own pace with GPS-triggered commentary, optional trivia, and more than 30 historic stops. See Crescent Park, old churches, murals, the Tunnels of Moose Jaw, and downtown landmarks. Download over Wi-Fi before you go.
“This was a great way to see the sights of Moose Jaw. We took a leisurely walk all around the downtown area. Lots of interesting sights to look at. Lots of history.”
Use your phone to explore Calgary through three self-guided audio walks covering Downtown, the Beltline District, and the Bow River. GPS triggers commentary at more than 75 stops, with offline maps, optional trivia, and flexible access. Bring your own device and download everything on Wi-Fi first.
“The Devonian Gardens, The Famous Five and the Olympic Park were my favorite parts of tour. The narrator was very informative and witty. I liked the quizzes after each stop.”
Discover downtown Calgary at your own pace with a self-guided audio tour covering 30 points of interest. Hear stories about Calgary Tower, Stephen Avenue, City Hall, Olympic Plaza, historic churches, old banks, modern towers, and public art. Download it on Wi-Fi before you go.
“Nice to be able to listen or read at each stop. Also nice to go at your own pace. Covered lots of downtown sites.”
Walk about 5 km through Canmore with an English audio guide, automatic GPS commentary, and optional trivia. See Policeman’s Creek, the Miners’ Union Hall, NWMP Barracks, Mount Rundle views, and the Big Head Sculpture at your own pace.
“Loved hearing about the history and loved walking the trails. Good length and beautiful Sights. The commentary was funny.”
You’ll explore downtown Sydney, Cape Breton, with a self-guided smartphone hunt from Tourist Scavenger Hunt. Follow clues past the Big Fiddle, historic churches, old houses, City Hall, and waterfront memorials while solving 12 challenges at your own pace.
“My husband and I enjoyed running around town solving fun problems as we answered several questions about the place. It gave us great opportunities to talk to people along the way which made the experience even richer. We learned odd things at every stop. People were so friendly and curious about the scavenger hunt that it really increased our enjoyment. Would love to do this again in other towns and cities.”
Follow Jeff’s English audio tour through Halifax’s North End on a 5-kilometre route covering the Explosion Memorial Bell Tower, Fort Needham, Vincent Coleman, Ashpan Annie, Billy Wells, and the Hydrostone District. GPS triggers each story, with optional trivia and flexible stop-and-start access.
“Unfortunately, the weather was miserable the only day we had to walk the Halifax Explosion Experience. I'm sure the information on the audio walk was informative.”
Pick a walk, a drive, a ticket or a game.
