For a few years I’ve been working on audio tours for a company called VoiceMap. The process has been a blast. I’ve learned a ton, and people seem to enjoy them. Here are the three I have out so far, with more in the pipeline.

Minnehaha Falls Walking Tour
In the Footsteps of Prince
Minneapolis River Walk

Now you can also buy them as a bundle, with a small discount: Explore Minneapolis with Frank Bures

The process of getting the tour onto your phone, however, can be challenging for those of us with one foot in the analog era. So I compiled this list of steps to get the tour onto your phone and to get started. Here they are:

1) Download the VoiceMap App. (Annoying, yes, but worth it)
2) Create an account with your payment information. (Also annoying, but necessary)
3) If you have a Tour Code (which you purchase somewhere else, like TripAdvisor or Viator), click “Tour Code” at the bottom. (If you purchased your tour directly through the app, skip to Step #4.)
    a) Enter the code
    b) This should take you to your tour. If so, skip to Step #7.
4) In the App, search for the location or tour you’d like to take.
5) Find the tour, and click the big red “Purchase” button at the bottom that shows the price.
6) Go to your account. Along the bottom of the App, click the “Library” tab.
7) In your “Library” (this is confusing) click on the “Library” tab at the top on the right. Now you’re really in your library.
8) Scroll down to the tour you want to take, and click “Download.”
9) Once you are on this tour (again, confusing) click the red “Download” button to actually download it. This will pull the audio files and photos onto your phone.
10) Once the files are finished downloading, The App should bring to you the front page of the tour.
    a) Put your headphones in if you have them.
    b) If you are physically at the start of the tour, click “Start Tour”
    c) If you need help finding it, click “Tips for Getting there” or click “Directions” at the top of the page.
    d) If you already started the tour, and took a break, click “Resume”
    e) If you want to do the tour remotely, click “Virtual.”
    f) If you are totally confused, go back to the home page, click “Library”, then choose the “Downloaded” tab. If the tour is there, start it. If not, go back to your “Library” and download it again.
11) Now that that’s all over, enjoy your tour!