Outer Banks Self-Guided Driving Audio Tour
20 Reviews
4.45 out of 5 stars Based on 20 reviews collected by City Boat Tours and TripAdvisor
|
Recommended by 90% of reviewers
|
Badge of Excellence |Badge of Excellence This experience is highly rated by travelers and has met our top quality standards.
Outer Banks, USA
2 to 3 hours (approx.)
Mobile ticket
Instant confirmation
Overview
Explore North Carolina's Outer Banks on this self-guided car tour. First, see the majestic Bodie Island Lighthouse and the peaceful Coquina Beach, where nature and history merge. Continue to Chicamacomico Life-Saving Station Historic Site, a maritime hero attraction. Next, see the Currituck Beach Lighthouse, a coastal landmark. Last stop: the Wright Brothers National Memorial, where flight dreams were realized. Explore maritime history and pioneering spirit in stunning coastal scenery.
After booking, check your email to download the separate Audio Tour Guide App by Action, enter your unique password, and access your tour. These steps require good internet/Wi-Fi access. From there, follow the audio instructions and the route.
Buy once, use for one year! Ideal for extended visits and return trips over the next 12 months.
This isn't an entrance ticket. Check opening hours before your visit.
What's Included
- Engaging storytelling: Uncover unique tales and thrilling history for a memorable journey!
- Perfect narrator: nothing can beat listening to a great voice. Proven with tons of rave reviews!
- Offline maps: no signal, no problem! Works perfectly without cellular or wifi.
- Comprehensive route and stops: See it all, miss nothing, leave no stone unturned!
- Go at your own pace: Start anytime, pause anywhere, enjoy breaks for snacks and photos freely!
- Hands-free: audio stories play on their own based on your location. Easy to use!
- Great value: purchase per car, not per person. More affordable than bus or guided tours!
- Easy-to-use app: download Action’s Tour Guide App onto your phone
- Attraction passes, entry tickets, or reservations
Meeting Location
Meeting point
Cape Hatteras National Park Road
Nags Head, NC 27959, USA
Detailed check-in instructions, including the exact address, are provided with your booking confirmation.
End point
Museum Drive
Hatteras, NC 27943, USA
What To Expect
Whalebone Junction Information Center - Outer Banks Visitors Bureau
Welcome to The Outer Banks and Cape Hatteras National Seashore! This stretch of picturesque coastline is packed with stories of lost colonists, shifting sands, and of course… pirate ghosts! So let’s get started!Note: This 97-mile-long tour covers the essentials of the Outer Banks in 3-4 hours.Buy once, use for one year! Ideal for extended visits and return trips over the next 12 months.
5 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
Bodie Island Lighthouse
In 1921, the four-masted schooner Laura Barnes was sailing from Massachusetts to South Carolina to pick up a load of cargo. But the weather turned foul. A dense fog rolled in and the waves grew treacherous. Unable to see, the captain didn’t spot this shore… until it was too late! The ship crashed into the beach and broke apart. The entire crew made it out alive, but the ship stayed stuck! Salvagers scavenged most of it, but some of the ship’s remains are still lodged in the sand here to this day!
5 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
Oregon Inlet
In a few minutes we’ll cross over the Oregon Inlet. This waterway unites the Pamlico Sound with the Atlantic Ocean. And speaking of storms, it didn’t exist until 1846, when a huge hurricane hit! A ship called the Oregon was in Pamlico Sound during that storm. As the story goes, the Oregon was sailing back to Edenton, North Carolina from Bermuda. It was right next to the Outer Banks when the hurricane hit. The rough, stormy seas lifted the entire ship up… and deposited it safely on a sandbar! Talk about luck!
5 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
Herbert C. Bonner Bridge
That huge body of water to the right of the bridge is the Pamlico Sound. It measures 80 miles long and about 18 miles wide, though it never gets any deeper than 26 feet! The rivers from the mainland flow down and into the sound too, creating the second largest estuary in the US, after Chesapeake Bay. The shallow water makes for some great fishing. Pamlico Sound is where 90% of North Carolina’s commercial fishermen catch their crabs, oysters, and clams!
5 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
Oregon Inlet Life Saving Station
Coming up on our left is the Oregon Inlet Life-Saving Station from 1874. It’s the only structure we’ll see when the bridge meets land again; you can’t miss it.
Can you imagine being on a ship in the dark, trying to find a dock along this coast? Before there was radar, GPS, or sonar, sailors didn’t have an easy time navigating this cape or the Oregon Inlet. Shipwrecks were incredibly common. So common, in fact, that the Outer Banks earned the nickname “The Graveyard of the Atlantic.”
5 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge
We’re now driving through 13 miles of nature preserve! It’s the Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge, and it stretches from the bottom of the Oregon Inlet to the northern border of the community of Rodanthe. And it’s part of what scientists call “the Atlantic Flyway.” This is a corridor that migratory birds use to travel up and down the coast, sort of like a highway in the sky! Birds use these beaches as pit stops along their way.
5 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
Pea Island Beach
Coming up in a moment will be parking for Pea Island Beach. This is a popular beach, but it’s so big you wouldn’t guess it! So even if you don’t go out in the water, take some time to sit on the sand and take in the gorgeous view.
5 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
Jughandle Bridge
We’re driving along Jughandle Bridge. But why does this bridge actually exist? After all, we’re not traveling from one island to the next, we’re just traveling next to the island!
5 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
Chicamacomico Life-Saving Station Historic Site and Museum
Off to our left is another life-saving station, the Chicamacomico US Life-Saving Station. Like the Oregon Inlet Life-Saving Station, this served as a hub for rescue crews to live, observe the coast, and conduct training exercises with the peculiar device known as a beach apparatus. But what on earth is that?
5 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
The Mother Vine
The Outer Banks are home to some fascinating pieces of history, but one of the most unusual can be found on Roanoke Island. It’s known as the Mother Vine, and it’s the oldest grapevine on the continent still producing grapes! The vine is about 400 years old, though no one is sure of its exact date of origin.
5 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
Kite Point
We’re approaching a little spot on our right that locals call “kite point.” It’s just a strip of sand beach, but it’s become a mecca for kitesurfing! The beaches near here have been popular with windsurfers since the 1970s. And Kite Point is the perfect spot to watch this high speed sport in action. But where exactly did kitesurfing come from?
5 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
Cape Hatteras Lighthouse
Do you remember that the Bodie Lighthouse was so poorly built that it leaned like the tower of Pisa? Well, you’re about to see the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse, and it had a tough time starting out too.
5 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
Cape Point
Cape Point in North Carolina isn't just a location; it's where nature and history meet. Its ever-changing sands and maritime stories connect visitors to a rich maritime heritage and the relentless shaping of the Outer Banks. Cape Point offers a unique blend of natural beauty and historical significance.
5 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
Hatteras
We’re entering the small village of Hatteras. If you love fishing, this little village is the place for you! Locals and visitors alike make their money and spend their free time with a rod and reel in their hands. It’s got a population of around 400 people, so it’s as quiet and as quaint as a small town can get. The roads snake and meander around with no grids and no official plots. Everything here feels connected to nature.
5 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
Teach's Lair Marina
We’re coming up on Teach’s Lair Marina. It’ll be the collection of boats off to our right in just a minute. As you’ve probably already guessed, the marina and plenty of other landmarks around here are named after Edward Teach, otherwise known as Blackbeard.
5 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
Hatteras Ferry Terminal
Soon after that, we’ll also see the Hatteras Ferry Terminal. From there, you can take a ferry over to Ocracoke Island, if you’re in the mood to see those horses or look for Blackbeard’s ghost. Ferries depart three or four times a day, depending on the season. You can walk or take your car on the ferry.
5 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
WWII British Sailor Cemetery
Do you remember the story of all those German U-Boats sitting out in a line near the Outer Banks, blowing up any cargo ship that was trying to leave North Carolina? Well, what I didn’t tell you was that a few Allied forces were sent over from Europe to help battle those Germans here in North Carolina. Those who perished ended up here, at the WWII British Sailor Cemetery.
5 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
Jockey's Ridge State Park
In just a moment we’ll see huge sand dunes off to our left. Those belong to Jockey’s Ridge State Park, the tallest sand dune system in the Eastern United States! But why are there sand dunes in the middle of this island? Aren’t the islands themselves sand dunes? Well, scientists believe that over many years, storms and hurricanes wash sand inland. Meanwhile, the winds from the mainland blow in the other direction.
5 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
Wright Brothers National Memorial
To visit the Wright Brothers National Memorial, turn left onto Wright Memorial Drive. It’s got full-scale models of the brothers’ planes, markers of the distances of each flight the Wright Flyer took, and more.
10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
Avalon Pier
If you’d like to visit Avalon Pier, turn right onto E. Sportsman Drive ahead. It’s a 440-foot-long wooden pier that has a fantastic view of the ocean and lots of restaurants and shops. The fishing is great from there too!
5 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
Wright Brother's Garage Monument
Want to see where the Wright Brothers built one of their earliest gliders? Like all great American inventors, they got their start in a garage! I’ll tell you where to turn in a moment to see the site of the garage where it all began.
5 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
Kitty Hawk Woods Reserve
We’re driving through the town of Kitty Hawk. You’ve probably heard the name before. After all, historians credit this town with being where Wilbur and Orville took their first flight. But technically, the brothers took their flight a few miles south of the town line, in a place called Kill Devil Hills. Quite a name, I know! Since that wasn’t an official town in 1903, Kitty Hawk gets the credit for Orville and Wilbur!
10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
Duck Town Boardwalk
Coming up on our left is the Duck Town Park Boardwalk. This scenic park features waterfront trails, shops, restaurants, and more. If you’d like to visit and stretch your legs, turn left at the sign that says, “Town of Duck.” Otherwise, continue straight.
10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
Pine Island Audubon Sanctuary
Coming up is the Pine Island Audubon Sanctuary, containing 2,600 acres of preserved land. This land is home to hundreds of species of birds, but it would have been home to many more if not for the hunting craze that took over this part of the Outer Banks over a century ago.
5 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
Corolla
We’re entering the town of Corolla. Off to our right, beyond the houses, stretches the seemingly infinite expanse of sand known as Corolla Beach. The locals here number around 500, but in the summer, the population surges into the thousands! Vacationers come here from all over to enjoy the small-town feel, the watersports, and that herd of wild horses.
5 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
Currituck Beach Lighthouse
Currituck Beach Lighthouse is coming up in a few minutes. I’ll let you know when to turn if you want to see it.
On December 1, 1875, engineers finished construction on this “first-order” lighthouse. “First order” means the biggest kind of lighthouse. The Fresnel lens at the top of the tower stands about eight and a half feet tall and stretches to around six feet wide! Its light can be seen from 21 miles away! The lighthouse itself stands 162 feet tall.
5 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
Whalehead Club
Just before the lighthouse, you’ll also have the chance to see the historic Whalehead Club. In the late 1800s and early 1900s, this area became the go-to place for wealthy Americans who wanted to do a little hunting. Edward Collings Knight, Jr. was heir to so many fortunes—sugar, railroads, and steamships! And he and his second wife bought a huge tract of land here in 1920 and started building a house on it. The resulting house is called the Whalehouse Club. It’s a 22,000 square foot home designed in the Art Nouveau style. The Knights used it and offered it up to their friends as a hunting lodge.
5 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
Additional Info
- Confirmation is instant and will be received at time of booking
- 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
- Savings tips: Driving tours: purchase just one tour for everyone in the car
- Buy once, use for one year! Ideal for extended visits and return trips over the next 12 months.
Frequently Asked Questions
(6)Q: What is the cancellation policy for the Outer Banks Self-Guided Driving Audio Tour?
Cancellation Policy
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the tour for a full refund.
Still have questions?
We're here to help.
Activity code: C-267535P41
Traveler Photos
Reviews
4.45
20 reviews
Average 4.45 out of 5 stars based on 20 traveler reviews collected by City Boat Tours and partner sites such as Cool Destinations and TripAdvisor
5 stars
14
4 stars
4
3 stars
0
2 stars
1
1 star
1
Additional Info
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Frequently Asked Questions (6)
The answers provided below were previously given in response to questions from City Boat Tours customers.
Filter by:
Q:
What is the cancellation policy for the Outer Banks Self-Guided Driving Audio Tour?
A:Apr 2025
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the tour for a full refund.
- For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the tour start time.
- If you cancel less than 24 hours before the tour start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.
- Any changes made less than 24 hours before the tour start time will not be accepted.
- Cut-off times are based on the tour local time (EDT).
Q:
What's included in the price?
A:
Apr 2025
The following is included:
- Engaging storytelling: Uncover unique tales and thrilling history for a memorable journey!.
- Perfect narrator: nothing can beat listening to a great voice. Proven with tons of rave reviews!.
- Offline maps: no signal, no problem! Works perfectly without cellular or wifi.
- Comprehensive route and stops: See it all, miss nothing, leave no stone unturned!.
- Go at your own pace: Start anytime, pause anywhere, enjoy breaks for snacks and photos freely!.
- Hands-free: audio stories play on their own based on your location. Easy to use!.
- Great value: purchase per car, not per person. More affordable than bus or guided tours!.
- Easy-to-use app: download Action’s Tour Guide App onto your phone.
The following is NOT included:
- Attraction passes, entry tickets, or reservations.
Q:
What is the minimum age for this tour?
A:
There is no minimum age for this tour, so bring your wee one along for an adventure..
Apr 2025
Q:
My date is not available in the calendar, I am just checking to see if it is available?
A:
If a date or time is not listed on the calendar, it’s sold out or unavailable for another reason. Support cannot assist further if a date or time is not on the calendar.
If you find a date and time that works for you, book it NOW because things always sell out at this time of year.
Apr 2025
Q:
Is this an accessible tour?
A:Apr 2025
Accessibility information for the Outer Banks Self-Guided Driving Audio Tour is as follows:
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Q:
Where is the meeting point for this activity?
A:
Detailed check-in instructions – including meeting point address, Google map, and parking information – for Outer Banks Self-Guided Driving Audio Tour will be included in your confirmation email from City Boat Tours. Please be sure to double and triple check your email address is correct at checkout so this important email makes its way to you!
Mar 2024What's Included
- Engaging storytelling: Uncover unique tales and thrilling history for a memorable journey!
- Perfect narrator: nothing can beat listening to a great voice. Proven with tons of rave reviews!
- Offline maps: no signal, no problem! Works perfectly without cellular or wifi.
- Comprehensive route and stops: See it all, miss nothing, leave no stone unturned!
- Go at your own pace: Start anytime, pause anywhere, enjoy breaks for snacks and photos freely!
- Hands-free: audio stories play on their own based on your location. Easy to use!
- Great value: purchase per car, not per person. More affordable than bus or guided tours!
- Easy-to-use app: download Action’s Tour Guide App onto your phone
- Attraction passes, entry tickets, or reservations
Additional Info
- Confirmation is instant and will be received at time of booking
- 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
- Savings tips: Driving tours: purchase just one tour for everyone in the car
- Buy once, use for one year! Ideal for extended visits and return trips over the next 12 months.
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