Private Tour
Minneapolis River Walk: A Self-Guided Audio Tour
Overview
Available languages
Mobile ticket
Welcome to Minneapolis, the home of Nerf Balls, the singer and songwriter Prince, and, yes, Zubaz pants. On this self-guided audio tour, you'll stroll along the Mississippi River. Along the way, you’ll hear about:
• The history of the milling industry in Minneapolis
• The massive Washburn A Mill explosion of 1878
• The 35W Bridge collapse of 2007
• The secret history of "Funkytown"
• An ugly mansion with 86 TVs
• Cougar attacks
• The untimely death of Tiny Tim
• The hiring of a hitman in St. Paul
• ”Untalented but adventurous” German artists, to quote the author Jonathan Raban
• How long it takes a single drop of water to travel down the Mississippi – and how long it takes a person to make the same journey
This walking tour can be enjoyed on location or even virtually at home with VoiceMap's Continuous Play function which disables the GPS playback.
PHOTO CREDITS: Meet Minneapolis
Additional Info
Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
What To Expect
Open Book
The tour starts outside the Open Book Literary Center. Here you'll learn about how VoiceMap works, be introduced to the city and hear about the Open Book Literary Center, and all before the walk begins.
Guthrie Theater
You'll pass by the Guthrie Theatre and learn about its history and its role as one of Minnesota’s core cultural institutions.
What‘s Included
VoiceMap App for Android and iOS
Lifetime access to this tour in English
Offline access to audio, maps, and geodata
Tickets or entrance fees to any museums or other attractions en route
Smartphone and headphones
Food and drink
Transportation
Options
Minneapolis River Walk: A Self-Guided Audio Tour
Reviews
68 reviews
Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor
Learn some Mn history.
LAURA F,Feb 17, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
3.00I picked this as I had an offer to use. Today was close to 50 degrees outside in Mn. There was times the wind was right in your face. We tried to do with the car - hard to follow walking path. The very start of the video was not very clear where you were to be on the stone bridge, possible on walking path below. So the video kept repeating the same statement like 3 times. I would really like to know next time how many miles total for the walk, I believe this one was about a 5 mile walk.
Breathtaking river views and captivating stories.
mrza74,Oct 30, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00I really enjoyed the tour. Thank you so much. The stories were endearing and interesting and made me want to read the book Under Purple Skies and sail down to New Orleans. I took way too many photos but posted the best ones here. Thanks again.
Interesting walk
Carol H,Sep 30, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00Fun self guided walking tour of this beautiful, historic and interesting part of the city along the river. Nice narrative, easy to follow and good humor kept it enjoyable and informative. Open Book is a great starting place (go in) and parking was easy on the street. I grew up here and am happy I finally got to spend some time in this area!
Excellent workout. Not leisurely.
W1796DKstevep,Jul 30, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
4.00Great walk. This is for people who are prepared for a huge urban hike. Be sure the weather is good and dress comfortably and have water. My only complaint is the end point was a big distance from the starting point. Long walk back. Tiring, but looked good on my pedometer.
Fantastic
Rebecca O,Jul 1, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00The narration was fantastic. So fun! The theater over the river was fabulous. The extension that went straight out toward the river overlooking the river was so cool.
Great self guided walkabout
susandV7114KO,Jun 15, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
4.00Easy to follow walkabout, picked up some historical tidbits and great views of the river and the city. Took about an hour, across one bridge and back another....
Highly recommend
kelly m,Apr 20, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00Excellent tour of the City. I learned a lot about its history and enjoyed the jokes in between. I didn’t mind that it ended in a different spot that it started as it wasn’t a super long walk back to where it began and the narrator gave you directions back
Excellent self-guided tour!
Neelee,Nov 24, 2024
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Excellent self-guided tour. Took about 1.5 hours to complete. Just walking around without this tour would not give a person the chance to appreciate the history of the areas covered.
Great pricing and audio to follow and I keep the audio to hear later
Esmeralda F,Oct 27, 2024
- Review from Viator
4.00I loved how it was at my own pace. Also, when I was out of direction, the audio redirected me to return to the map and follow it. Also it was at a decent price.
Pleasant and worthwhile
Uranio P,Oct 21, 2024
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Pleasant walk, nice narration. Just bear in mind it is not totally comprehensive of the main tourist points of the city - and they offer other walks as complements.
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