Cape Ann Self-Guided Driving Tour in Gloucester and Rockport
Overview
Available languages
Mobile ticket
Recommended: Purchase one tour per car, not per person. Everyone listens together!
Discover the natural beauty of New England’s most picturesque coastline with this narrated driving tour. Hear the tragic tale of the Perfect Storm and how that fateful day still reverberates along this coast. Cruise past perfect beaches, explore the history of quaint fishing towns, visit iconic lighthouses, and learn why the locals find the call of the sea so impossible to resist.
After booking, check your email/text to download the separate Audio Tour Guide App by Action while connected to WiFi or mobile data. Enter the password, download the tour, and enjoy it offline. Follow the audio instructions and route from the designated starting point.
New, Lifetime access, no expiry. Use it anytime, on any trip, as many times as you want.
This isn't an entrance ticket. Check opening hours before your visit.
Additional Info
Public transportation options are available nearby
Suitable for all physical fitness levels
How To Access: After booking, you’ll get an email and text with setup instructions and password (search “audio tour” in emails and texts). • Download the separate tour app by Action • Enter the password sent by email and text. • MUST download the tour while in strong wifi/cellular. • Works offline after download.
How to start touring: Open Action’s separate audio tour guide app once onsite. • If there is just one tour, launch it. • If multiple tour versions exist, launch the one with your planned starting point and direction.
Go to the starting point No one will meet you at the start. This tour is self-guided Enter the first story’s point and the audio will begin automatically Follow the audio cues to the next story, which will also play automatically. Enjoy hands-free exploring. If you face audio issues, contact support. Stick to the tour route & speed limit for the best experience.
Travel worry-free: Use the tour app anytime, on any day, and over multiple days. Start and pause the tour whenever you like, taking breaks and exploring side excursions at your own pace. Skip anything you don’t care about or explore bonus content for everything that interests you
Some stops on this tour are not fully wheelchair or mobility accessible. The route includes cobblestone streets, uneven sidewalks, stairs, narrow paths, and historic sites with limited accessibility. Travelers with mobility concerns should review each stop in advance and choose the locations that best fit their comfort level.
New, Lifetime access, no expiry. Use it anytime, on any trip, as many times as you want.
Audio Setup: Connect your phone to your car's stereo system using Bluetooth, USB, or AUX. For the best experience, consider using headphones for walking tours. Audio playback is compatible with Apple CarPlay, with navigation features coming soon. Support for Android Auto is also on the way.
The tour requires a supported mobile device for navigation. Please use an iPhone with iOS 15 or later, an Android device with Android 9 or later, or an iPad/tablet with GPS and cellular service.
Savings tips: Driving tours: purchase just one tour for everyone in the car
What To Expect
Our Cape Ann excursion begins at the Gloucester Visitor Information Center. We'll get our view breathtaking views of the waterfront from this point. Note: The tour is over 23.5 miles long, with more than 43 audio stories, and takes about 2-3 hours to complete. New, Lifetime access, no expiry. Use it anytime, on any trip, as many times as you want.
Instead of setting off on our drive right away, we'll first check out the most striking feature of the scenery: the massive Tablet Rock. In 1907, the plaque the rock was unveiled to Commemorate the first settlers in this area.
Options
Cape Ann Self-Guided Driving Tour in Gloucester and Rockport
What‘s Included
Text transcripts of audio narration & Self-paced format (start/pause/resume anytime)
Pre-recorded audio commentary (downloadable or streamable)
This is a GPS-powered, self-guided audio tour that works through an app
Lifetime access (no expiration) with Customer support (chat/email)
Suggested walking/driving itinerary with stop-by-stop directions
This tour is NOT a ticket or in-person guided tour
Offline GPS-enabled route map
NO in-person guide or physical equipment (bring your own device & headphones)
Entrance fees, in-person guide, headphones, transport, parking, food,Wi-Fi or cellular data, rentals
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Reviews
106 reviews
Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor
Great adventure!
Tammy C,Jun 21, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00This was a great way to see the Cape Ann area. The ladies at the “Glosta” Visitors Center were also very helpful. I liked the way the tour told us to drive past certain signs to see hidden gems.
A relaxing coastal drive with surprising hidden gems
X532QCjamest,Jun 9, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00My wife and I did this self-driving audio tour while visiting Cape Ann, and it was one of the best parts of our trip. The narration was engaging, easy to follow, and felt like having a local guide along for the ride. We loved being able to explore Gloucester and Rockport at our own pace, stopping whenever we wanted to enjoy the coastal views and take photos. The stories added just the right amount of history and local insight, making the experience much more meaningful. If you're looking for a relaxing and scenic way to discover Cape Ann, this tour is absolutely worth it.
Lovely sites and shops
FormosaJane,Jun 8, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
4.00The whale watching tour we had booked was canceled due to "heavy fog and high seas." Tripadvisor/Viator refunded our money, no problem, but we had spent the night in Rockport and still were looking to get something out of the trip. Rockport is very cute -- filled with artisan shops selling original paintings, prints, ceramics, glassware and jewelry, which was much more interesting than tourist shops filled with dreck made in China. We followed the tour around the island, and it was fun, interesting and beautiful, with the azaleas, rhododendrons and other spring trees in full bloom. One of the lighthouses was no longer open to the public, which was disappointing. The only other downside I would note was that my sister uses a walker and has pretty serious mobility issues, and most of the shops, the cobblestone streets and tour sites were not handicapped friendly, much less truly accessible.
Great Tour
amyj605,May 9, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
4.00We’ve done other self-guided tours in different areas. This Cape Ann guided tour was probably the best- the hardest part for us has been the directions and accuracy with what the tour guide is saying and where we’re are on the tour. But this one was so very easy to use- the gps set up aligned with the stories. We never got off track. It was fun!
Review of Cape and tour
Joanne T,Mar 2, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00It is super easy and super fun and very informative. We could not finish the tour the first day, but we easily picked it up on day two. That was a great feature
Great self guided driving tour
JAMES M,Nov 20, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00This self guided tour exceeded our expectations. It was easy to download and setup. The app provided turn instructions in addition to lots of great info about the sights we were seeing. Whenever we made stops and quit the app, it easily picked right back up where we left off and continued the tour. Would highly recommend.
Worth it
Ankit C,Nov 8, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00Very organized and easy to follow. Led us to very scenic roads that we would not have found otherwise
Great tour, easy to use
Leslie N,Sep 30, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00Very easy to use, we’d have never taken the path to see all the beautiful scenery without this tour.
Great App
U8332HZdavidd,Sep 24, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
4.00This tour was great!! Gave us a lot information about the area and we saw things we wouldn't have seen. I would recommend it to anyone who wanted to do a relaxing tour driving on their own
Fantastic scenery!
Larry C,Aug 31, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00Great drive hugging the coast. Amazing views of the sea along the cape. The directions were excelkent
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