Private Tour

Wisconsin's Madtown: A Madison Self-Guided Walking Tour

Overview

Available languages

English

Mobile ticket

Travel between two lake-side terraces and enjoy some of Wisconsin's best cultural sites along the way with this self-guided and self-paced walking tour!

• Visit some of Madison historically rich architectural gems such as the State Capitol, Der Rathskaller, Bascomb Hill, Memorial Union and much more

• Hear from producer Frank Burge, an award-winning writer, essayist and midwestern local

• Do it all in an hour or linger at stops along the way with complete control over when you start and finish

• Get unlimited use before your booking date and after it

• Use the virtual tour option at home

Once you’ve booked, you’ll receive a ticket with instructions and a unique code listed under “Before You Go”. Then simply install the VoiceMap app and enter your code.

The app displays directions to the starting point, and when you’re in the right place, just pop in your headphones and tap start. VoiceMap has automatic GPS playback, with turn-by-turn directions. It also works offline.

Additional Info

Suitable for all physical fitness levels

Please note: You won't be guided through any museums or other attractions mentioned en route. If you choose to enter and visit such places, you'll need to pay for it independently of this tour.

Cancellation Policy

All sales are final. No refund is available for cancellations.

What‘s Included

Lifetime access to this tour in English

VoiceMap app for Android and iOS

Offline access to audio, maps, and geodata

Transportation

Smartphone and headphones

Food/Drink

What To Expect

This tour starts on Monona Terrace overlooking Lake Monona. From here, you will step back in time and relive the city’s rich history and hear stories about the area's first inhabitants to civil war and civil rights.

Admission Not Applicable

Wisconsin State Capitol

Along the way, you'll visit the Wisconsin State Capitol which is also the tallest building in Madison with a dome of 187ft.

Admission Not Applicable

Options

Wisconsin's Madtown: A Madison Self-Guided Walking Tour

Reviews

4.40

15 reviews

Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor

Not a good day for a walking tour
marksZ9444VQ,
Aug 17, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
4.00
We started the walking tour at 11am. It was very hot day. No fault of the tour but it was just too hot to be walking around outside. So we never finished.
Milwaukee tour
Carol B,
Aug 4, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00
Great guide and tour. A few good stops along the way. My sister in law lives in Milwaukee and saw things and learned things she didn't know before. Highly recommend.
Interesting walking tour
Jasmine8534,
May 17, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
I enjoyed this self-guided tour around Madison. It was an easy way to explore the city at my own pace. The walking route was simple to follow and took me through some interesting spots I might’ve missed otherwise. The info on the historical sites was interesting without being too long or boring, and I liked learning a bit more about the city’s past. It felt like the perfect mix of a nice walk and a bit of local history. I’d recommend it to anyone looking to get outside and see more of Madison on their own time.
Fun Facts about Madison
Josielucia62,
Mar 3, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
4.00
It was an informative tour. We learned quite more than we thought. It took a bit to figure out the route as we are not very familiar with the area. The starting point was difficult to find but once we did it was a very good tour!
Great Self Guided Tour
richo567,
Jan 12, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
Great way to learn about an area and history walking on your own. We will try many more such tours in new cities as we travel.
User friendly
George S,
Sep 8, 2024
- Review from Viator
5.00
First time to use Vistor self guided tour, very easy to follow. Interesting historical information about the city. Recommended provide local parking information if possible.
I enjoyed the very clear...
Rebeka M,
Jan 26, 2024
- Review from Viator
5.00
I enjoyed the very clear voice directions that allowed me to put my phone away and leave it there. Learning more about the sights and history of a new city is always fun!
Good way to see Madison on your own schedule
travelman,
Nov 12, 2023
- Review from Viator
5.00
A good way for a first time visitor to see Madison. Plus, you can pause the tour at any time, as I did to visit thru Capitol and MONONA terrace. No personally guided tours were available, so this was a good alternative.
Not user friendly
Roam39541605808,
Nov 12, 2023
- Review from Tripadvisor
1.00
Not user friendly app - couldn’t find to enter code to start the audio so gave up- no guidance or troubleshooting available
Great self-guided walking tour
jenniferkM1399UO,
Oct 23, 2023
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
This is one of the best self-guided tours I've experienced. The app uses your GPS location to figure out where you are, and when you reach a spot where there is recorded information, the app automatically starts talking to you. Then it gives you very good directions on where to head next. This allows you to walk at your own pace without having to watch a map along the way on your phone. We even stopped for lunch along the way. The narrator has an unusual voice - at the end of most of his sentences, it sounded like he was just slightly disappointed - but I think that is just his speaking style. He did have a few dry, dead-pan statements that we found very amusing. The information was good overall - walked from one lake to the other via State St. We actually used one phone and connected 2 sets of earbuds to it so that (a) we didn't have to buy 2 tickets, and (b) we were always listening to the same thing at the same time. Definitely would recommend.