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Cape Hatteras National Seashore Self-Guided Audio Driving Tour

8 Reviews 4.75 out of 5 stars Based on 8 traveler reviews collected by Cool Destinations and TripAdvisor |
Recommended by 100% of reviewers
100% of reviewers gave this experience a rating of 4 or higher.
| Outer Banks, USA
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from $15.49 per group (up to 4)

Lowest Price Guarantee
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On average, this is booked 17 (7) days in advance.
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2 to 3 hours (approx.)
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Offered in: English

Overview

Embark on a captivating drive along the Cape Hatteras National Seashore with this self-guided tour of North Carolina's Outer Banks. Dive into a rich tapestry of history, from tales of the Lost Colony to the legendary pirate Blackbeard as you marvel at stunning oceanside scenery. Visit the majestic Cape Hatteras Lighthouse, encounter the unique marine wonders of the Pamlico Sound, and so much more. This tour ends at the Hatteras Ferry in case you want to keep the adventure going on the remote island of Ocracoke. The barrier islands await!

After booking, check your email/text to download the separate Audio Tour Guide App by Action while connected to WiFi or mobile data. Enter the password, download the tour, and enjoy it offline. Follow the audio instructions and route from the designated starting point.

New, Lifetime access, no expiry. Use it anytime, on any trip, as many times as you want.

This isn't an entrance ticket. Check opening hours before your visit.

What's Included

  • Text transcripts of audio narration & Self-paced format (start/pause/resume anytime)
  • Pre-recorded audio commentary (downloadable or streamable)
  • Lifetime access (no expiration) with Customer support (chat/email)
  • Entrance fees, in-person guide, headphones, transport, parking, food,Wi-Fi or cellular data, rentals
See 5 moreSee 4 more

Meeting Location

Meeting point

Cape Hatteras National Park Road
Nags Head, NC 27959, USA

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Detailed check-in instructions, including the exact address, are provided with your booking confirmation.

End point

59200 Museum Drive
Hatteras, NC 27943, USA

What To Expect

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Our secure website provides real-time availability, instant confirmation, and free, no-hassle cancellations up to 24 hours before your tour begins.
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Safe & secure • Easy breezy • Hassle-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!Note: The tour is over 59 miles long, with more than 49 audio stories, and takes about 4-6 hours to complete.New, Lifetime access, no expiry. Use it anytime, on any trip, as many times as you want.
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20 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Bodie Island Lighthouse (pass by)

In a moment we’ll come to Coquina Beach and the Bodie Island Lighthouse. Coquina Beach gets its name from the coquina clams found here, but it’s famous for something totally different: The wreck of an old ship!
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Whalebone Junction Information Center - Outer Banks Visitors Bureau (pass by)

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!
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Herbert C. Bonner Bridge

Just ahead stands the Herbert C. Bonner Bridge, built in 1963. 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!
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20 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".
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10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Pamlico Sound

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!
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10 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.
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10 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.
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10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Jug Handle 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!
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10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Chicamacomico Life-Saving Station Historic Site & 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?
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10 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.
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10 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?
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10 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.
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10 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.
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10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Show 13 more stops

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
  • 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
  • New, Lifetime access, no expiry. Use it anytime, on any trip, as many times as you want.

Frequently Asked Questions

(6)

Q: What is the cancellation policy for the Cape Hatteras National Seashore Self-Guided Audio Driving Tour?

A: 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). Read more Apr 2025

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-267535P42

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Reviews

4.75
8 reviews

Average 4.75 out of 5 stars based on 8 traveler reviews collected by Cool Destinations and partner sites such as Trustpilot, Viator, and TripAdvisor

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On average, this is booked 17 (7) days in advance.
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Frequently Asked Questions (6)

Activity name

The answers provided below were previously given in response to questions from Cool Destinations customers.

Filter by:

Q: What is the cancellation policy for the Cape Hatteras National Seashore Self-Guided Audio Driving Tour?
A:
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).
Apr 2025
Q: What's included in the price?
A:
The following is included:
  • Text transcripts of audio narration & Self-paced format (start/pause/resume anytime).
  • Pre-recorded audio commentary (downloadable or streamable).
  • Lifetime access (no expiration) with Customer support (chat/email).
  • Suggested walking/driving itinerary with stop-by-stop directions.
  • Offline GPS-enabled route map.
  • NO in-person guide or physical equipment (bring your own device & headphones).
  • This tour is NOT a ticket or in-person guided tour.
  • This is a GPS-powered, self-guided audio tour that works through an app.
The following is NOT included:
  • Entrance fees, in-person guide, headphones, transport, parking, food,Wi-Fi or cellular data, rentals.
Apr 2025
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:

Accessibility information for the Cape Hatteras National Seashore Self-Guided Audio Driving Tour is as follows:

  • Public transportation options are available nearby
  • Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Apr 2025
Q: Where is the meeting point for this activity?
A:

Detailed check-in instructions – including meeting point address, Google map, and parking information – for Cape Hatteras National Seashore Self-Guided Audio Driving Tour will be included in your confirmation email from Cool Destinations. 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 2024

What's Included

Activity name

  • Text transcripts of audio narration & Self-paced format (start/pause/resume anytime)
  • Pre-recorded audio commentary (downloadable or streamable)
  • Lifetime access (no expiration) with Customer support (chat/email)
  • Suggested walking/driving itinerary with stop-by-stop directions
  • Offline GPS-enabled route map
  • NO in-person guide or physical equipment (bring your own device & headphones)
  • This tour is NOT a ticket or in-person guided tour
  • This is a GPS-powered, self-guided audio tour that works through an app
  • Entrance fees, in-person guide, headphones, transport, parking, food,Wi-Fi or cellular data, rentals

Additional Info

Activity name

  • 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
  • New, Lifetime access, no expiry. Use it anytime, on any trip, as many times as you want.
  • Audio Setup: Connect your phone to your car's stereo system using Bluetooth, USB, or AUX. For the best experience, consider using headphones for walking tours. Audio playback is compatible with Apple CarPlay, with navigation features coming soon. Support for Android Auto is also on the way.
  • The tour requires a supported mobile device for navigation. Please use an iPhone with iOS 15 or later, an Android device with Android 9 or later, or an iPad/tablet with GPS and cellular service.
  • Operated by a business

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  • If you find a lower retail or prepaid rate for the same tour, offered on the same date, time and priced in the same currency as your original purchase, on any other website between the time you book on Cool Destinations and 48 hours before your trip starts, we will refund the difference.
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  • Cool Destinations reserves the right to verify the lower price details. Examples of acceptable forms of verification include a web screenshot or a web address.
  • All refund decisions will be made at the sole discretion of Cool Destinations.
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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).

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  • Cool Rewards is a loyalty program operated by Cool Destinations. Rewards may be earned by any eligible person holding a Cool Destinations account, subject to the Cool Destinations customer Terms of Use.

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