Frequently Asked Questions
How does TourGuide.live work?
Open a tour on your phone, go to the first stop and press Play. Each stop has narration you can listen to or read, a route map and a one-tap link for walking directions in Google Maps. Tap Next stop when you’re ready to move on.
Do I need to download an app?
No. Tours run in your phone’s web browser, so there’s nothing to install. Open a tour link and start walking.
How do the 2 free stops work?
On every tour, the first 2 stops are free to hear and read, with no sign-up. If you enjoy them, you can unlock the rest of that tour.
How much is a full tour, and how do I pay?
A full tour is $4.99 at our launch price. The price goes to $9.99 after the first 100 buyers. Checkout is handled securely by Payhip, and after you pay you get a link to the full tour.
Which cities can I explore?
There are walks in 50 cities, including Portland, New York, Chicago, New Orleans, London, Paris, Rome, Barcelona, Amsterdam, Dublin, Tokyo, Sydney, Toronto and Vancouver. See all cities.
How long are the walks?
Most walks are about 1.5 to 4 miles with 8 to 10 stops, and take roughly 1 to 2 hours including time at each stop. Each tour page shows its own distance and time.
What is walking mode?
Tap Start walking mode on a tour and allow location access. The tour shows where you are, a line to the next stop and the distance in feet or miles, and it plays each free or unlocked stop by itself when you get within about 100 feet. You can turn it off any time and just tap Play instead.
Will it drain my battery?
Walking mode uses your phone’s GPS and, where your phone supports it, keeps the screen on, so it uses more battery than usual. Start with a charged phone, or bring a small battery pack for a long walk. Without walking mode, a tour works like any other web page.
Can I use it offline?
Partly. After you open a tour once, your phone keeps a copy of the site’s pages, the free preview audio and the map areas you’ve already viewed. For the smoothest walk, open the tour on Wi-Fi before you head out and keep mobile data on if you can. Walking directions in Google Maps and Ask the guide need a connection.
What is “Ask the guide”?
Each stop has an Ask the guide box. Type a question about that stop (or use voice input, where your browser supports it) and the guide answers from that tour’s notes. If it doesn’t know, it says so instead of guessing. You can ask up to 20 questions a day.
Is it accessible?
Every stop has its full narration as text as well as audio, plus a Read aloud button that uses your phone’s own voice. Routes follow city sidewalks. We don’t yet list step-free or surface details for every route, so check the route map before you go. See Accessibility & Safety.
Can I use it with a group?
Yes. One phone can play the narration for a small group through its speaker or a portable speaker, and everyone can open the free stops on their own phone.
What languages are the tours in?
English only for now.
Who writes and narrates the tours?
The stories are written from public sources such as Wikipedia, Wikidata and OpenStreetMap, and narrated by an AI voice. Routes are planned from map data and haven’t all been walked in person yet, so always follow local signs and stay aware of traffic.
Need help or spotted a mistake?
Email hello@tourguide.live, or use the Report a problem link on any stop.