Best Audio Guide Apps in 2025

Traveling through Europe is an adventure filled with historic landmarks, cultural treasures, and picturesque landscapes. But how do you truly connect with the places you visit?

Audio guide apps are the modern traveler’s secret weapon, offering engaging narratives and practical guidance, all from the convenience of your smartphone. In 2025, several apps stand out for their unique features, catering to a range of travel styles. Let’s dive into the best options and what sets them apart.

1. StoryHunt: High Quality Audio Walks across Europe

StoryHunt is quickly becoming a favorite for travelers looking to go beyond the surface. What makes StoryHunt special is its focus on immersive storytelling. The app offers self-guided audio walks curated by local experts, blending history, culture, and daily life into narratives that feel personal and enriching. As you walk through cities like Copenhagen, Malaga, or Berlin, you can unlock stories relevant to your exact location, letting you explore at your own pace.

Unlike traditional guides, StoryHunt doesn’t just recount facts. Instead, it’s like walking through a city with a local friend who knows all the fascinating tales—from quirky legends to the events that shaped the area today. With multilingual options and a focus on balancing the past and present, StoryHunt is perfect for travelers who want meaningful insights while staying flexible.

What sets StoryHunt apart:

• StoryHunt has gamified quizzes where users can test their knowledge in a fun and engaging way.
• StoryHunt offers a rich database of articles that cover the main European destinations and sights. The best part: it's 100 % free.
• StoryHunt’s tours are often available in multiple languages – and they even offer translations upon request.

2. izi.TRAVEL: Extensive Coverage but Mixed Quality

izi.TRAVEL boasts the largest library of audio tours, covering thousands of cities worldwide, including a vast array of European destinations. From iconic landmarks to hidden gems, you’ll likely find a tour for your destination on this app. However, the platform’s focus on quantity can be a drawback. Many of its tours lack the depth and engaging storytelling that travelers crave, making experiences feel generic.

While the sheer availability of content is a major advantage, the quality of the stories can’t always compete with platforms like StoryHunt or VoiceMap, which prioritizes locally crafted and thoroughly researched narratives.

What sets izi.Travel apart:

• The largest collection of tours
• Be aware of low-quality tours

3. Rick Steves Audio Europe: For the History Buffs

Rick Steves is becoming a trustworthy source for guided audio tours in Europe. His audio app contains lots of cultural and historical knowledge, offering free downloadable tours of Europe’s iconic landmarks. With a focus on history, Rick Steves’ curated content dives deep into the significance of the covered locations.

The main drawback seems to be the app itself which is quite old-school and requires some getting-used-to. Other apps like StoryHunt is easier to use and offers better guidance between stops.

What sets Rick Steves apart:

• High-quality audio tours built over many years
• The app experience in itself is a little outdated

4. VoiceMap: Authentic Stories but Limited Languages

For those who crave authenticity, VoiceMap delivers audio tours crafted by locals, journalists, and storytellers. Covering over 450 destinations worldwide, with a strong focus on European cities, VoiceMap’s GPS-triggered tours offer a diverse array of perspectives. However, the app’s content is primarily in English, which may limit its appeal to non-English-speaking travelers.

Its standout feature is the variety of creators, which means you can find niche tours tailored to your interests, from foodie adventures to off-the-beaten-path explorations. The app is designed around the idea that the phone should stay in the pocket. This is a good idea but unfortunately the GPS can be unprecise which sometimes leads you off-track, making the experience clunky.

What sets VoiceMap apart: 

• Being able to leave the phone in the pocket (which unfortunately may lead you off-track)
• Lots of local Creators contribute to the platform

5. SmartGuide: Quantity Over Quality

SmartGuide offers a vast collection of tours across Europe, with a focus on providing broad accessibility to various destinations. However, the app has prioritized quantity over quality, and the storytelling often lacks the engaging, immersive narratives that many travelers seek. For those looking for a richer and more polished experience, platforms like StoryHunt or VoiceMap may be a better fit.

SmartGuide also has a generous free tier which allows you to listen to individual stories at no cost. The quality is not always the best but it can give you a good overview of the destination.

• Lots of audio tours in Europe
• Generous free tier

Bonus: Questo

Questo takes a unique approach to city exploration which adds lots of gamification into the travel experience. The app offers self-guided tours that feel like immersive treasure hunts, with puzzles and challenges to solve as you explore cities. Designed to turn any destination into an adventure, Questo transforms sightseeing into an engaging game. However, many of its tours lack audio content, relying instead on text-based challenges. This diminishes the immersive experience for travelers who prefer hands-free exploration.

While Questo’s gamification adds a fun and interactive layer, it may not provide the depth of storytelling found on apps like StoryHunt. It’s a great option for those who enjoy solving challenges and exploring in a playful way.

What sets Questo apart: 

• High levels og gamification
• Not always includes audio

Choosing the Right App for Your Journey

Each of these audio guide apps offers something unique. For travelers who want a deeply personal and immersive experience, StoryHunt stands out with its blend of local expertise and engaging storytelling. If history and art are your passions, Rick Steves Audio Europe provides unparalleled depth. For those who value local voices and authentic perspectives, VoiceMap delivers—though primarily in English. If you’re looking to gamify your travels, Questo’s treasure-hunt-style tours add excitement to your exploration, albeit without much audio. And if you want to test the waters for free in a given destination, SmartGuide may be your choice.

No matter which app you choose, audio tours transform your travels, helping you connect more deeply with the places you visit. With their ability to turn a walk into an unforgettable experience, audio guide apps are the perfect travel companion in 2025.

If you want to learn more about the destinations we offer at StoryHunt, see All Destinations.