But those travellers still want to explore new places, see the sights, and hear the stories behind them. So a self-guided tour is how you sell to them. You plan the route and record the audio for it once, and guests take the tour whenever it suits them, without you or your guides leading it.<\/p>\n
It takes some work to set up, but you get a lot back:<\/p>\n
- \n
- You reach travellers who would never book a group tour. They\u2019re planning to visit (or are already in your area) and looking for something to do \u2014 but right now you have nothing to offer them.<\/li>\n
- You take bookings when your guides are busy or off. A self-guided tour can sell on a fully booked Saturday or on a quiet weekday when running a guided departure for two people isn\u2019t worth it.<\/li>\n
- You can offer more languages than your guides speak. Translate the script and record it again, and the same tour works for a whole new set of visitors.<\/li>\n
- You give guests a reason to come back. Someone who enjoyed one of your self-guided routes is likely to book another, whether that\u2019s a different neighbourhood on the same trip or a new route on their next visit.<\/li>\n
- You build it once and keep selling it. After you test the route and record the audio, each new booking takes very little time.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
This guide covers everything you need to know about creating and selling self-guided tours, including how B\u00f3kun helps you win bookings for them:<\/p>\n
- \n
- Types of self-guided tours<\/a><\/li>\n
- How to create self-guided tours<\/a><\/li>\n
- How to deliver your self-guided tour<\/a><\/li>\n
- How to sell & manage your self-guided tours with B\u00f3kun<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
To learn more about B\u00f3kun, keep reading or <\/em>start a 14-day free trial<\/em><\/a>\u00a0\u2014 no credit card required.<\/em><\/p>\n
Types of self-guided tours<\/h2>\n
The type of tour you choose decides how you write it, record it, and get it to guests, so settle this first.<\/p>\n
- \n
- Self-guided site tours<\/strong> take guests around a museum, historic site, or tourist attraction at their own pace, with audio or an app explaining each room or exhibit.<\/li>\n
- Self-guided walking tours<\/strong> take guests through a neighbourhood or old town on foot, with a map + audio or an app leading them from stop to stop. It\u2019s the closest swap for a guided walking tour, so it\u2019s the easiest place to start if you already run one.<\/li>\n
- Self-drive tours <\/strong>use an app on the guest\u2019s phone to play GPS-triggered audio as they drive. They suit scenic routes and sights outside the centre that are too spread out to walk.<\/li>\n
- Self-guided cycling tours <\/strong>pair a bike (usually one that guests rent from you) with a mapped route and audio, typically through an app, so the audio plays as they ride.<\/li>\n
- Gamified tours & scavenger hunts <\/strong>have guests solve clues and complete challenges along the route, usually through an app. They\u2019re popular with families and groups of friends who want something more playful than a history walk.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
How to create self-guided tours<\/h2>\n
1. Choose your theme & audience<\/h3>\n
Start with what you already know works. The stories your guides get the best reactions to, and the questions guests ask most often, tell you what a self-guided version should cover.<\/p>\n
Then decide who it\u2019s for. A couple on a weekend break, a family with young children, and a first-time visitor who wants the main sights all need different routes, lengths, and tones. Pick one and build the tour around them.<\/p>\n
2. Map your route & stops<\/h3>\n
Start by listing the points of interest you want to cover, then plan a route between them that guests can follow without help.<\/p>\n
Your route needs a start point that\u2019s easy to find, an end point preferably near transport or somewhere to eat, and a path that doesn\u2019t double back on itself.<\/p>\n
For a walking tour, we typically recommend 8 to 12 stops. Build in places to pause, and point out a caf\u00e9, a viewpoint, or a good photo spot along the way.<\/p>\n
Plotting the stops in Google Maps is a quick way to double-check your route and see the distance and walking time between them.<\/em><\/p>\n
3. Write your script<\/h3>\n
Write for the ear. Keep sentences short, cover one idea at a time, and leave out anything guests would need to see written down to follow, like strings of dates.<\/p>\n
Give directions between every stop, and tie them to things guests can see (\u201cturn left at the fountain\u201d, \u201ckeep the river on your right\u201d). Then confirm they\u2019ve arrived (\u201cyou should now be standing in front of a red door\u201d), because there\u2019s nobody there to tell them they\u2019re in the right place.<\/p>\n
And don\u2019t just paste in your guided tour script, even if the self-guided version follows the same route. A guide reads the group, answers questions, and waits for everyone to catch up, and a recording can\u2019t do any of that. You need a modified version of your primary script for a self-guided tour.<\/p>\n
4. Record your audio & gather your visuals<\/h3>\n
Choose a narrator first. One of your own guides is often the best option because they already know the stories and how to tell them. A voice actor or AI narration will also work if nobody on your team wants to record.<\/p>\n
Add a photo of each stop so guests can check they\u2019re in the right place (and only use photos and text you actually own or have licensed).<\/p>\n
If you plan to offer other languages, check that each translated track still fits the time it takes to get between stops, since some languages run longer than others.<\/p>\n
5. Choose how guests will get the tour<\/h3>\n
Decide how the tour reaches guests: a printed map, a headset they collect from you, a web guide, or an app. We go through each option in the next section.<\/p>\n
6. Test the route yourself<\/h3>\n
Follow the full route with the audio playing in the same way guests will (on foot, by bike, or in the car) and at the pace of someone seeing it for the first time. During this test run, check that:<\/p>\n
- \n
- Each track finishes before you reach the next stop.<\/li>\n
- The directions make sense from stop to stop.<\/li>\n
- The audio is clear \u2014 even on busier, louder streets.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
For an extra layer here, we recommend giving the tour to someone who doesn\u2019t know the area and going along with them to see if they run into any hiccups. If they have questions, hesitate, or take a wrong turn, that tells you the script needs some reworking.<\/p>\n
7. Price it & put it on sale<\/h3>\n
Decide whether to charge per person or per group. Per person matches how most tours are priced. Per group suits couples and families who\u2019ll share one phone or one set of clues.<\/p>\n
Then, you\u2019re ready to list your new self-guided tour everywhere your other tours are sold: on your website, the OTAs you work with, and partner sites. We explain how B\u00f3kun helps with this below.<\/em><\/p>\n
How to deliver your self-guided tour<\/h2>\n
You have a few options here \u2014 they differ in what they cost to run and how much guests have to do before they set off:<\/p>\n
- \n
- A printed map or guidebook <\/strong>is the simplest to produce. Guests follow a marked route and read about each stop.<\/li>\n
- An audio guide <\/strong>requires a headset and map that you hand out to guests at your shop or meeting point.You can get handheld players from an audio guide supplier (like Tourguide-SYSTEMS<\/a> or Retekess<\/a>) and load your recordings onto them. Guests follow your route and key in a number at each stop to hear the track. Self-guided audio tours suit guests who\u2019d rather not use their own phone, but you need enough charged devices for every booking and somewhere for guests to collect and return them.<\/li>\n
- A web-based guide or tour app<\/strong> runs on the guest\u2019s own phone. Guests follow a map, listen to the audio at each stop, and see photos or video along the way. Many even use GPS to play each track automatically as guests reach a stop. And most work offline and in several languages. (You can check out TouringBee<\/a>, STQRY<\/a>, VoiceMap<\/a>, Clio Muse Tours<\/a>, Nubart<\/a>, or Loquiz<\/a> to create these.)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
After you\u2019ve built your tour and chosen the best delivery method, the next step is to sell it online and manage the bookings that come in, which is where B\u00f3kun plays a role.<\/p>\n
How to sell & manage your self-guided tours with B\u00f3kun<\/h2>\n
B\u00f3kun<\/a> is an all-in-one booking, operations, and distribution management system for tour operators. We\u2019re a Tripadvisor and Viator brand, and we\u2019ve worked with operators across 80+ countries for over 10 years.<\/p>\n
Our system includes everything you need to create listings for your self-guided tours, manage your resources (like handheld players or bikes), promote and sell your experiences across dozens of online sales channels, and handle everything behind the scenes, like bookings, customer communications, and reporting.<\/p>\n
Create listings for your self-guided tours<\/h3>\n
Each self-guided tour gets its own listing in B\u00f3kun\u2019s Experiences module<\/strong>. Our product builder walks you through all the steps here so it\u2019s super simple. (You can also create listings from templates, or pull in listings from your website or Viator with our AI product importer.)<\/p>\n
In each listing, you\u2019ll include:<\/p>\n
- \n
- The main details, like the start point, itinerary, duration, and what\u2019s included (the audio guide, the map, a handheld player).<\/li>\n
- Photos of the route and stops for travellers to get a sneak preview of what to expect.<\/li>\n
- Availability rules, including start days and hours, capacity per slot, booking cut-offs, and blackout dates.<\/li>\n
- Pricing per person, by adult and child, or at a group rate, with group discounts or dynamic pricing if you want them.<\/li>\n
- When guests pay (in full upfront, with a deposit, or on arrival).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
![\"Self](\"https:\/\/www.bokun.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/self-guided-tour-recommendations-and-availability.png\")
<\/p>\nYou can also sell add-ons (like a snack pack for the walk or a ticket for a drink at a caf\u00e9 along the route), combo products (like two tours together), and gift vouchers (so people can purchase your tours for friends or family).<\/p>\n
Assign handheld players & bikes to bookings automatically<\/h3>\n
If your self-guided tours require handheld players or bikes, you can add those items to B\u00f3kun\u2019s <\/strong>resource management module<\/strong><\/a> and link them to your self-guided listings.<\/p>\n
- \n
- B\u00f3kun assigns them automatically when a booking comes in and locks them to that time slot.<\/li>\n
- When they\u2019re all booked, the listing shows as sold out on every channel.<\/li>\n
- You can set buffer time between slots for charging and cleaning.<\/li>\n
- You can take anything that needs repairing out of rotation.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Sell your self-guided tours everywhere you sell your other tours<\/h3>\n
Not all tour companies offer self-guided experiences \u2014 you need to let travellers know you do by promoting your tours where they\u2019re planning trips and things to do.<\/p>\n
- \n
- Your website. <\/strong>Add booking widgets to your existing site, or launch a new one with our one-click website builder. Guests can browse your tour catalogue, check available days and times, and book in one fell swoop. We integrate with dozens of online payment processing tools<\/a> \u2014 Stripe, PayPal, Apple Pay, Google Pay, Venmo, and more \u2014 so guests can easily check out and confirm their booking.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Read more:<\/strong> How to add a booking system to an existing website<\/a>
\n& How to create a booking website<\/a><\/p>\n- \n
- OTAs & online marketplaces.<\/strong> B\u00f3kun has 70+ OTA connections and is the #1 restech partner across all major sites. (We even have advanced partnerships with Viator<\/a> and Google Things to do<\/a> so our operators can easily get listed on those platforms.) You can browse all sales channels and add as many as you wish to sell your self-guided tours everywhere travellers are searching.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Read more:<\/strong> The tour operator\u2019s guide to OTA bookings<\/a><\/p>\n
- \n
- B\u00f3kun Marketplace<\/strong><\/a>.<\/strong> Our in-built partner network features thousands of travel industry businesses \u2014 accommodation providers like hotels and resorts, travel agents<\/a>, DMCs, transportation services, rental companies, and other tour and activity providers like yourself. Here, you can connect with others who can resell your tours to their audiences. You can also create packages with partners<\/a> or resell their services or experiences to earn commissions. All contracts are managed in B\u00f3kun.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
- \n
- B\u00f3kun Referral Tracking<\/strong><\/a>. This lets you extend partnerships beyond the Marketplace and win bookings from any business or professional who can send travellers your way \u2014 like other businesses in your area, social media influencers, bloggers, tourism boards, local interest groups, you name it. You can get as creative as you like here, and there are no caps on how many affiliates you can add.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Read more: <\/strong>Travel affiliate networks for tour guides to connect with partners<\/a><\/p>\n
![\"B\u00f3kun](\"https:\/\/www.bokun.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/discover-partners-gif.gif\")
<\/p>\nManage self-guided bookings in the same calendar as your other tours<\/h3>\n
Every booking lands in B\u00f3kun\u2019s central calendar<\/strong>, whether it came from your website, an OTA, a partner, or an affiliate. You can also add offline bookings, like phone or walk-up reservations, here (for free).<\/p>\n
![\"B\u00f3kun](\"https:\/\/www.bokun.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/bokun-departure-details-screen.png\")
<\/p>\nThis calendar also powers real-time availability updates so you never oversell. Once a new booking rolls in, the calendar sends updated availability and inventory back to all your connected sales channels. If you sell out a time slot on Viator, it\u2019ll close on your website, other OTAs, and partner sites at once.<\/p>\n
You can also adjust availability, modify bookings, and schedule staff from this central view.<\/p>\n
Send guests everything they need to start<\/h3>\n
B\u00f3kun\u2019s <\/strong>CRM<\/strong><\/a> creates a customer record as soon as a booking starts \u2014 storing travellers\u2019 contact details and booking history. From there, automated communications<\/strong> take care of all the standard guest emails:<\/p>\n
- B\u00f3kun Referral Tracking<\/strong><\/a>. This lets you extend partnerships beyond the Marketplace and win bookings from any business or professional who can send travellers your way \u2014 like other businesses in your area, social media influencers, bloggers, tourism boards, local interest groups, you name it. You can get as creative as you like here, and there are no caps on how many affiliates you can add.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
- B\u00f3kun Marketplace<\/strong><\/a>.<\/strong> Our in-built partner network features thousands of travel industry businesses \u2014 accommodation providers like hotels and resorts, travel agents<\/a>, DMCs, transportation services, rental companies, and other tour and activity providers like yourself. Here, you can connect with others who can resell your tours to their audiences. You can also create packages with partners<\/a> or resell their services or experiences to earn commissions. All contracts are managed in B\u00f3kun.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
- OTAs & online marketplaces.<\/strong> B\u00f3kun has 70+ OTA connections and is the #1 restech partner across all major sites. (We even have advanced partnerships with Viator<\/a> and Google Things to do<\/a> so our operators can easily get listed on those platforms.) You can browse all sales channels and add as many as you wish to sell your self-guided tours everywhere travellers are searching.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
- Your website. <\/strong>Add booking widgets to your existing site, or launch a new one with our one-click website builder. Guests can browse your tour catalogue, check available days and times, and book in one fell swoop. We integrate with dozens of online payment processing tools<\/a> \u2014 Stripe, PayPal, Apple Pay, Google Pay, Venmo, and more \u2014 so guests can easily check out and confirm their booking.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
- An audio guide <\/strong>requires a headset and map that you hand out to guests at your shop or meeting point.You can get handheld players from an audio guide supplier (like Tourguide-SYSTEMS<\/a> or Retekess<\/a>) and load your recordings onto them. Guests follow your route and key in a number at each stop to hear the track. Self-guided audio tours suit guests who\u2019d rather not use their own phone, but you need enough charged devices for every booking and somewhere for guests to collect and return them.<\/li>\n
- A printed map or guidebook <\/strong>is the simplest to produce. Guests follow a marked route and read about each stop.<\/li>\n
- Self-guided walking tours<\/strong> take guests through a neighbourhood or old town on foot, with a map + audio or an app leading them from stop to stop. It\u2019s the closest swap for a guided walking tour, so it\u2019s the easiest place to start if you already run one.<\/li>\n
- How to create self-guided tours<\/a><\/li>\n
- Types of self-guided tours<\/a><\/li>\n
![\"Reporting](\"https:\/\/www.bokun.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/reporting-dashboard.png\")
<\/p>\n