Canada · SELF-GUIDED TOURS
The good self-guided tours fill weeks ahead and the great ones go first. Below: the 15 to book early, what each includes and how they differ.
Private, self-guided Bow River rafting in Calgary. Gear included, calm float from West Baker Park to Prince’s Island area.
“Great way to be outdoors! Excellent customer service from all the staff we interacted with. Highly recommend.”
Self-guided Vancouver bike or e-bike rental with maps, helmet, lock, and scenic stops at Stanley Park, Gastown, and Granville Island.
“Great way to see town! The e-bike got us around the city! Easy to rent and a great group of peeps to help get you on your way.”
GPS smartphone audio for Icefields Parkway between Jasper and Lake Louise. 45 stops, trivia, no data after download, about 3 hours.
“We enjoyed all the facts around the lakes and naming of the peaks. The quizzes were fun. Suggestion— add music between narratives with Canadian artists. It would be better than dead air”
A GPS-triggered smartphone audio drive of the Cabot Trail with offline-friendly narration, history stops, and scenic pull-offs for your whole car.
“When the audio files played out of sequence it took awhile to correct. Most of it played properly. It adds a great deal to a driving trip to play a GPS triggered guide app.”
Self-guided bike ride from Sparks Street with helmet, lock, and map, hitting Rideau Canal and Ottawa River paths.
“Very amazing experience. The way they explain the route to you really helps, plus they provide a map that guides through it. Although our map flew in water, but they explained well enough. Overall very memorable experience.”
Skip the hassle bundle for Niagara Falls, Skylon Tower, and Tesla audio on your phone, with e-voucher entry and ponchos.
“Guide was not at the meeting place, was given instructions to go to a different location and no guide there either. Called company only to get voicemail and no return call”
Round-trip seaplane from Vancouver to Whistler with Green Lake landing, free shuttle to town, and hours to explore at your pace.
“Great flight and a fun, active day in Whistler . The pilot up and back was fantastic. Friendly and very professional. They were wonderful hikes to do, and the gondola rides are amazing. The downtown areas were shopping and restaurants also made for an easy day.”
Rent a city bike or e-bike near Parliament Hill and ride self-guided bike paths through Ottawa and Gatineau with a mapped route.
“Great bikes for a 4-hour trip. A bit on the pricey side for the rent for 4 hours. Good explanation, but for a route you have to create an account, all this takes you 15 minutes if you are not familiar with it. The area is beautiful!!!”
Self-guided bike ride along Ottawa’s Rideau Canal with bike fitting, included helmet and lock, plus a brief 200th anniversary stop.
“Magnifique balade en velo le long du canal Rideau, meilleur moyen de déplacement pour découvrir ces sites bucoliques.”
Self-guided Sea to Sky audio drive from Vancouver to Whistler. GPS-triggered narration, 28 stops, lifetime app access.
“Great way to learn a little whilst being in charge of your schedule. We enjoyed the commentary style - a mix of informative and corny humour.”
Kelowna e-bike wine tour with smartphone navigation, 3 winery tastings and a farm-to-table lunch at Meadow Vista Honey Wines.
“We loved our day! The bikes were so easy to use and had lots of power! The app for routing was fabulous! Highly recommend this tour!”
VoiceMap audio tour of Downtown Charlottetown: 75-min self-guided walk to Province House, St Dunstan’s Basilica, and local legends, $11.99.
“The walking tour was easy to use and informative. The GPS tracking made it very easy to navigate since the audio would automatically start once you arrive at a stop. The tour took around 2 hours without stopping. There is some construction at the Province House which caused some confusion. You need to cross Grafton and take a left and the tour will resume. Highly recommend if you want a self guided tour option.”
Smartphone audio driving tour between Banff and Calgary with offline stories, GPS-triggered narration, and flexible stops for 2 hours.
“The whole tour was excellent made only better by Kady our excellent host. The most memorable part was when we saw a grizzly bear, the first of the season spotted by our host.”
A self-paced smartphone audio walk through Halifax churches, gardens, and graveyards, with GPS guidance and optional location trivia.
“Enjoyed learning more about the amazing history of Halifax! Seeing the sights and finding more out about the people and events that shaped Halifax was wonderful. We enjoyed the leisurely pace we could explore the city with the audio walking tour app.”
Self-guided GPS audio tour along Alberta’s Icefields Parkway with offline narration, glacier viewpoints, and flexible stops for up to 8.
“This audio guide worked brilliantly on our recent trip. I'd downloaded it all before hand (app and tour) and it worked seamlessly once we arrived at the start of the tour and throughout. We learnt lots more about the area from 'The Dude' that really added to our experience - made a couple of stops that we might otherwise have driven past. Would definitely recommend and a bargain at £10. We used it both heading North and then again the next day when driving back South down the parkway.”
Six time zones of days out, sorted by the kind of day.
