Top 8 San Francisco Audio Tours

1.Alcatraz, Ferry & Audio Tour w/ Night Option

★★★★★★★★★★4.4 · 617 reviews · 3 hours · from $78Our pick

Take the official ferry from Pier 33 to Alcatraz for a self-guided visit with two audio layers: an exclusive companion guide covering Indigenous history, gardens, protests, and island life, plus the official Cellhouse audio tour. Choose the night option for evening ferry service, ranger introductions, and limited-access areas.

“I enjoyed the experience on Alcatraz - I think I had thought I may learn more about the inmates on the Audio. The extra talk we listened to about the escapes was really good and worth stay for. The boat trip over was easy and the views were fabulous”

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2.Alcatraz Inside Access Ferry and Audio Tour with Night Option

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 138 reviews · 2 to 4 hours (approx.) · from $90

Take the ferry from Pier 33 to Alcatraz Island, then explore the former prison, gardens, ruins, and Cellhouse at your own pace. Your ticket includes the official Cellhouse audio tour plus a companion guide from ferry departure through the return trip. Choose a daytime visit or a darker, quieter night departure when available.

“Really neat experience. Highly recommend! Book ahead of your trip because it is very popular and sells out. Self guided audio tour around and inside Alcatraz. Definitely recommend if you’re in the area. Easy pick-up at one of the piers at fisherman’s wharf area. Took the 4:45pm tour. The time of day and the fact that it was dark outside totally added to the spooky feel of this experience. Eerie and pretty spooky there, but really cool to see!! Had the option to stay on Alcatraz island till 6:25pm or 7:25pm.”

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3.Muir Woods Self-Guided Driving and Walking Audio Tour

★★★★★★★★★★3.5 · 10 reviews · 1 to 2 hours (approx.)

Drive the Panoramic Highway and Muir Woods Road while an app-led narrator explains Mount Tamalpais, the old railway, coastal redwoods, and conservation. Then continue on foot near the Muir Woods Visitor Center. The seven-mile route takes about one to two hours, works offline, and covers your whole car for $16.99.

“If you want an experience of nature in all is splendor and magnificence, this wonderful self guided tour through Muir Woods is for you!”

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4.Food, History, and Resistance: A Self-Guided Audio Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 10 reviews · 50 minutes to 1 hour (approx.) · from $11Top rated

Walk from Osakaya Restaurant through San Francisco Japantown and toward Fillmore Street with an English audio guide in the VoiceMap app. Hear about manju maker Benkyodo, Japanese American resistance, wartime internment, and Bop City’s jazz legacy. The tour takes about 50 minutes to an hour and includes offline audio, maps, and geodata.

“It’s perfectly paced, and there were times when you could pause and explore the spots she covered more in-depth.”

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5.Point Reyes National Seashore Self Guided Driving Audio Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 9 reviews · 2 to 3 hours (approx.)

Drive more than 21 miles from Bear Valley to the Point Reyes Lighthouse with a GPS-triggered audio guide. You’ll hear 53 stories about shipwrecks, ranches, radio history, beaches, elephant seals, and coastal wildlife. The tour costs $16.99 per car group of up to four, works offline, and offers lifetime access.

“I could not get on the tour. I am 75 years old and it was not user friendly I will never waste my money with your company again.”

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6.San Francisco Self-Guided Audio Drive: Explore at Your Own Pace

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 9 reviews · 3 to 4 hours (approx.) · from $16

Use Action’s self-guided app to drive more than 17 miles through San Francisco in about three to four hours. Hear 43 location-based stories as you pass the Painted Ladies, City Hall, Chinatown, Fisherman’s Wharf, Crissy Field, and the Golden Gate Bridge. Pause, skip stops, or continue later, with one purchase covering your whole car.

“It was a rocky start to the tour as it assumed we had approached the starting point from the opposite direction. It wasn’t always clear how to find the next stop as we were wanting to do it all in order. The audio that did play when we were in the right place was excellent.”

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7.Self-Guided Audio Tour of the Golden Gate Bridge

★★★★★★★★★★3.5 · 3 reviews · 1 hour to 1 hour 30 minutes (approx.) · from $7

Use the VoiceMap app to walk from the Golden Gate Bridge Welcome Center across the bridge to H. Dana Bowers Memorial Vista Point. An English narrator explains the bridge’s cable system, Depression-era construction, and San Francisco history as you go. Plan for about 60 to 90 minutes, bring headphones, and download the tour for offline use.

“Never received information. Never opened the tour. Got absolutely nothing for my money. Horrible experience for all of my San Francisco tours. Total waste of money.”

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8.The Ghosts of San Francisco Haunted Audio App Walking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 2 reviews · 1 hour to 1 hour 30 minutes (approx.) · from $6Best value

Use your phone to follow a GPS audio tour from the Westin St. Francis to Chinatown’s Dragon Gate. A British narrator guides you through Union Square, Nob Hill, and old Chinatown, linking haunted hotels, Gold Rush history, earthquake stories, and tragic tales of the Barbary Coast. Plan for about 60 to 90 minutes at your own pace.

“It was a fantastic experience to get to know the history and feel of San Francisco! I love getting to walk around and seeing the area! I highly recommend this tour!”

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