We begin our journey into America's distant past at the Cape Cod Visitor Center. Prepare to dive into the Pilgrims, the nation's origins and the long history of the Cape. As we begin our drive through picturesque Massachusetts towns, we'll learn about the Nauset tribe, their legends and traditions, and why they were wary when strange ships appeared on the eastern horizon. Note: This 65+mile-long tour covers the essentials of Cape Cod in 2-3 hours. New, Lifetime access, no expiry. Use it anytime, on any trip, as many times as you want.
An optional detour takes us past the fish-shaped Scargo Lake. According to Nauset legend, this lake was built by a great chieftain to comfort his daughter, who could not stop weeping over three dead fish. We'll also learn about the Nauset party who first spotted the Mayflower, and the fears they had about its approach.
Another optional detour takes us to Harwich, a quaint Cape town known for its numerous beautiful beaches. If you fancy a swim, this is one of the best places on the Cape for it!
While in Harwich, we'll visit the Cape Cod Lavender Farm, a secluded estate that's just as gorgeous and fragrant as it sounds. Walk any of the woodland trails for free, soak up the smell of lavender, and pick up a few souvenirs!
Next, our Harwich detour will take us to Bank Street Beach, the perfect place to relax or dip your toes into the Atlantic.
As we continue our drive, we'll enter Eastham, a perfectly picturesque little Colonial town. We'll also hear about the embattled first encounter between the Pilgrims and the Nauset, the daring assistance offered by Squanto, and the very first Thanksgiving, where the Pilgrims and Nauset celebrated a truce.
Continuing down the Cape, we'll arrive at First Encounter Beach, where that dramatic skirmish between Nauset and Pilgrims took place. The beach now bears a plaque commemorating the encounter and the eventual truce.
A little farther on, we'll arrive at the Salt Pond Visitor Center. This miniature museum is the perfect opportunity to catch up on some extra Cape history, use the bathroom, or just stretch your legs.
As we continue our drive up the Cape, we'll spot the Nauset Light, the quaint little lighthouse that features in every quintessential Cape Cod photograph. We'll also learn about its importance, and how the Cape's rough waters earned the nickname of "ocean graveyard" before the lighthouse was built.
As we continue our drive up the Cape, we'll spot the Nauset Light, the quaint little lighthouse that features in every quintessential Cape Cod photograph. We'll also learn about its importance, and how the Cape's rough waters earned the nickname of "ocean graveyard" before the lighthouse was built.
Continuing our drive, we'll come to three squat white lighthouses called the Three Sisters Lighthouses. What's peculiar about these lighthouses is that they're not on the coast at all! They're actually nestled among a thicket of trees pretty far inland. Hear about why that is, and how they came to be there. We'll also learn about how the Cape transformed from Nauset land to Colonial fishing towns, and then from fishing towns to a tourist hotspot.
Another optional detour takes us to the Audubon Wildlife Sanctuary. With five miles of trails through four different biomes, and more species of birds and other critters than you can count, this stop is bound to delight nature enthusiasts, bird watchers, and avid hikers alike.
As we continue driving, we'll pass Marconi Station, the first radio station to ever send a wireless message across the Atlantic! The station also played a pivotal role in an infamous oceanic tragedy: the sinking of the Titanic in 1912. Learn how a radio station hundreds of miles away saved lives on that fateful day!
The next optional detour takes us to the Atlantic White Cedar Swamp Trail, a perfect spot for hikers of all experience levels to stretch their legs and take in Cape Cod's varied terrain. Within a single, short mile lies a beach, a freshwater marsh, a deciduous forest, and a salt plain! Continuing our drive, we'll also hear about Cape Cod's former whaling industry.
As we continue driving, we'll pass the Pilgrim Spring Trail, a short hike which leads to one of the first places the Pilgrims came after landing on the Cape. Here, the weary travelers found their first freshwater spring--an essential find in helping them survive. Afterward, we'll continue on toward Provincetown.
As we drive through P-Town, we'll arrive at Macmillan Pier, where thousands of ships have launched over the years. Here, we get to see how past and present really intermingle on the Cape. These days, the pier is mostly used to launch whale watching expeditions.
Our penultimate stop is the Pilgrim Monument: the tallest all-granite monument in the entire country! Every year since its completion in 1910, thousands of tourists climb the steps of this 250-foot colossus to get a panoramic view of the ocean from the top. It's well worth the trek! Next, we'll hear about the Mayflower Contract, the rough set of laws the Pilgrims set for themselves upon landing in the New World.
Finally, we'll end up where it all began: the site where the Mayflower first struck land. Explore the park and imagine what it must have been like for the settlers, after ten harrowing weeks at sea, to step onto Nauset soil right here on November 11th, 1620. Our tour officially ends at this historic stop.
On that corner, you’ll notice the beautiful town hall with its striking clock tower right away. I’ll come to that in a minute. If you look farther to the right of the town hall, you’ll see the most striking tower in the entirety of Cape Cod: the Pilgrim Monument.
In service from 1875 until 2009, the Pharmacy was the oldest business operating in the same Provincetown location. With twirling stools and a soda fountain, this joint didn’t just dole out prescriptions -- it was also a popular hangout spot. Allegedly, the pharmacy’s most famous customer was playwright Tenneesee Williams. If you’ve heard of “A Streetcar Named Desire”, you’re heard of Tenneesee Williams.
Through this entrance is a collection of fun souvenir shops and local restaurants. If it’s not too crowded and noisy, you should walk through as you listen. It actually leads all the way out to the beach. *
This is a historic Freemason lodge! Paul Revere, the mythic American revolutionary, established this local charter of Freemasons in 1795. He was grand master at the time. Now, Revere didn’t use this building back in 1795. The story really begins in 1826, when the town turned against them. Let’s turn back the clock….
As you can likely guess from its name, this is the location where the Mayflower first touched land after its journey across the Atlantic. Proud descendants of the pilgrims paved the memorial circle in 1917, and P-town residents have found other ways to mark the space since.
It was a great experience. Very informative and entertaining. Would do it again. GPS worked great, no glitches at all. Province town walking tour was great as well. Really enjoyed it.
Or trip was wonderful! The driving directions and map on my mobile phone were very easy to follow. When we stopped to see additional sites, it picked up right where we left off. Everything about the trip was wonderful, and I would definitely recommend it to all my friends and family.
It was fabulously narrated - we all enjoyed it!
Driving guide through Cape Cod is worthwhile, gives you a history lesson of the Pilgrims and accurately knows where you are and tells you when to turn to see tourist attractions. Doesn't necessarily describe what the detour entails. The walking tour of Ptown didn't work well for us, we started at Pilgrim's landing and the tour didn't follow.
Very easy driving tour. We saw everything of importance on the Kings Road and liked having the flexibility to stop when we wanted and stay as long as we wanted at each point o interest. No problems at all with internet. Would highly recommend.
It took us in circles for 1.5hrs trying to find the starting point which was not right. There is no skip button if you don’t want to stop at a place. If you paused it would get off track when restarting.
Difficult to follow narrative. It didn’t follow the driving agenda. Used it about 1/2 way from Hyannis to Provincetown then found what we were interested in seeing and used Waze or Google Maps.
Tour was good narrator informative. Issue was the map could not be displayed on car screen carplay/amazon auto. I was with perdon with sight issues so no one could follow map while driving
Guide was interesting and informative. Unusual and beautiful“ side” trips. One big glitch: we couldn’t turn off apps ( Google Maps) in the background. Guy on the phone had no idea what to do. After about 15 minutes of bad advice, he told me to turn off my phone. Finally, the right suggestion
The whole experience was great, but you should let people know that if they're the first ones at Scargo Tower detour (number 4), they will have to call the local police at the number on the sign to come and unlock the gate (10-15 minutes).
Great driving tour. We loved the information and the tips for places to stop. Made our drive from Yarmouth to Provincetown truly enjoyable! We didn't have any problem with the GPS synching up to our location (as I had seen complaints in other reviews) - even when we stopped or went "off course" the audio tour would pick right up as soon as we were back on track.
We chose this tour because we wanted to explore Cape Cod at our own pace, and it ended up being one of the highlights of our trip. The driving tour was easy to follow, with interesting stories and local history that brought the area to life and led us to places we might have otherwise missed. When we reached Provincetown, we got the walking audio tour as well, which was a fantastic addition and helped us discover charming streets, hidden spots, and the town’s unique character. The flexibility to stop whenever we wanted made the whole experience feel personal and stress-free. Highly recommended for anyone visiting Cape Cod for the first time.
Great activity for a rainy day. Just can’t get out to look at the sights. Wish there was flexibility to start at other locations-we had to drive 20 minutes to start.
This was a great buy. We were able to go all over Cape Cod and as we approached another site, the narrator would come on and tell us new information. The history lesson we learned about how the natives americans interacted with the "Pilgrims" and vica versa. It was eye opening.
I appreciate the info given and was easy to follow. And like that I can replay any segment at any time
A few glitches. It couldn't keep up while even slowed down or stopped. We missed 4 lighthouses, circled around routes, and went to "alternate routes".
The walking tour was very descriptive and easy to follow. It provided the highlights of downtown and offered good suggestions.
This tour was excellent. We chose the start near Provincetown's MacMillan Pier and loved the local insights we got while driving. It's a perfect self-paced road trip, giving you the freedom to explore every beach.
Very difficult to navigate while using app. Talking during navigating should be going on. Got lost. Gave up. Did enjoy what we did hear
The tour was very informative and enjoyable. The only issue was that after we stopped for lunch at MacMillan Wharf the audio tour would not start again!
Tour was great , we loved the ability to stop at different locations and not felling rushed. Directions were very clear and easy to follow . Very easy to pick and skip attractions depending on personal choice.
Enjoyed the commentary. Found the system somewhat annoying if we left the route and when we retraced the route. Length was fine.
After the app was loaded, we had to check which direction on Cape Cod we were going in. Unfortunately, before beginning the narrative, we decided to change the direction and were unable to do so. I checked all the help aids on the app and nothing addressed this., so it became useless. I also noticed while looking around in the app for help that it doesn't cover the entire Cape. Ther were two major tourist towns not included: Hyannis and Chatham
The tour was interesting and hit the highlights along the way. The explanation of the history of the cape was of added significance.
This was a great guided tour. We all enjoyed it and would especially recommend it to those who prefer time with your own family, in the comfort of your own vehicle, maybe with elderly parents for example so you can go at your own pace. My mother loved it and thanked me for the great day together.
So glad that I purchased this guided tour. Narrated history and information. While it has some glitches, this tour made our trip to Cape Cod so much more fun and informative. We were no longer just looking for stuff to see, as this took us around the whole Cape see the amazing sites.
Excellent! Informative and the stops were really beautiful. The gps was slow a couple of times, so follow the road signs if you experience the same issue...otherwise it was a lovely way to spend the day!
I downloaded the app prior as advised. However, often it was not connected an I was driving “blindly”. I did not like having to hold my phone for the map. The talking came through CarPlay, it would be safer if the map did too.
Although we've been to the Cape many times, this tour took us to many sites we had never visited. We thoroughly enjoyed this driving tour!
More notice needed before turns.Wampanoque music explanation definitely needed a sample to understand the sound. OK
Be prepared for a full day. Make time to stop in Providence town at the end for a while. It was very interesting.
The tour is difficult to follow. The narration is full of historical and geographical sound bites, but the audio tour does not navigate you to the actual spots if you willingly or inadvertently veer off path, nor does it appear to give you enough warning when you are approaching some of the landmarks. My wife and I selected the landmarks we wanted to visit, created an itinerary in Google Maps and then followed the narration while the navigation system would guided us along the way. It’s very helpful that you can preview offline, prior to the actual tour, the narration of the various spots.
I had a very difficult time downloading this tour and when I finally downloaded it and tried to begin it did not work at all. I got no voice commentary.
A great way to get the most out of a driving trip. The historical stories were informative and interesting and made the driving on the highway less tedious. It would have gotten five stars except that it doesn't get you back on track if you take an unintended detour. The car GPS was used in conjunction. The prompts to turn could have been a little earlier as well, and it tended to repeat some stories. When staying on route it was great! Would definitely do it again!
I purchased a self driving tour, and I still can't access it. The money was taken from my account, but there is no tour. Thanks for nothing.
Good history and narration but map is not visible on phone while story narrative is playing. Map does not display on in-car map while other audio-tours do. Turn directions are delayed from physical car position which caused us to go off route and have to turn around. Poor directions at critical times when we needed to know entering on route, east or west for example... We've done several audio tours in the past and the technical portion of this one was not as good.
Sometimes the directions to the app are confusing and the tour takes a while but it totally enjoyable and we loved it!
Very informative tour. Really loved the off the route suggestions. I would definitely never found on my own.
This was definitely worth the money. A few stops I would not have seen and lots of background historical information. There were some quiet times I would have loved to have more stories or even some background music. Quiet times made me think I’d lost contact with the app. But no, the app knew where we were at and it was a good day. My third trip to Provincetown and I saw more today than the prior trips due to the App. Thanks. Great day!
If you stop and enjoy the sights it will take more time. Would like to see the archeological stuff. Enjoyable. Information given in a interesting way. Both a 12 and 14 year old enjoyed it. The walk to the top of the lighthouse was exhilarating! The tour guide at the lighthouse was knowledgeable. Well worth the money.
Very useful and informative. Made the drive very interesting and meaningful for us. Very easy to use. We visited a lot of sites we never would have done on our own.
It did point out things I would have surely missed . Nice historical fillers in between stops. For some reason the first word was always skipped so that was a bit frustrating when it gave directions . I enjoyed the fact there was also a walking tour for Provincetown included in the price .
Very relaxed way to explore. Met others following the ap and had enjoyable conversations. Worth every penny spent. Full day of entertainment. Highly recommend, removes the route decision making yet allows flexibility to explore something off the route as well. Perfect day.
I grew up in New England, Massachusetts specifically, and just about 50 miles north of Hyannis, so I thought I new quite a bit about Cape Cod. Well, this Cape Cod & Provincetown Self-Guided Driving & Walking Audio Tour taught me an awful lot of things I didn't know! The narration is appropriate, pleasant, and not too long for each destination. We drove to the starting point, turned the app on, and easily followed the route to each destination. Along the way we were able to admire the scenery as well as our various destinations - several of which I didn't even know existed! When we stopped for lunch or to look around a destination, or just grab a coffee, the app patiently awaited us at the same point we paused it. It's like having your own private tour guide in your car, who doesn't talk too much or make silly jokes ;-) We especially appreciated the information regarding the American Indian population at the time of the Pilgrims. Their input into what has now become America is duly and respectfully noted. The Cape Cod & Provincetown Self-Guided Driving & Walking Audio Tour is well worth the small price to purchase it, and we look forward to using more of these tours in other US destinations.
I recommend this tour. Helps guide you to your destination and gives you the history and landmarks on the way. You don’t have to worry about reading a map as the guide is very helpful.
It was very informative. I appreciated the history. At times it was delayed at telling when to turn. Hopefully, it is able to connect to Android auto soon.
Cool stories! Great narration. The directions were also very thorough and I love how it picked up immediately where we left off if we took a detour. We would definitely use this program again. It did take a while to download initially, but the recommendation to download at home with WiFi was helpful. The only small glitch we ran into is that it would stop a story to tell us to turn then not finish the story. We wish that the story could have been continued after we made the turn… but we did like that we could go back to any of the stories at anytime after we parked.
Don't use this app unless you want to get countless follow-up emails asking for a review to be posted. And just to be sure - there are better apps anyway that do this sort of thing.
This was easy to use and interesting. Lots of information about the area. Your allowed for stopping or not, then would pick up wherever you wanted.
I took this tour with 2 adults and a 9-year old. It was nice to be able to sit back in the comfort of our car and listen to the enjoyable and informative tour narration as we followed the directions at our own pace. There was factual information about places we were passing by and why sites on Cape Cod were important and options for detours. The app was easy to use to stop and start the tour when we stopped along the way to check things out. I like that there are audio tours available with the app in other cities we might visit on future trips.
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