Cape Hatteras National Seashore Self-Guided Audio Driving Tour
Travel with Action
4.7
Carla H
209 days ago
The narration is excellent with lots of relevant information and great history and stories. Very enjoyable as you are driving through the area!
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. 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.
Departure Point
- Start at the Whalebone Junction Information Center lot on Cape Hatteras National Park Rd, Nags Head, NC 27959, heading south on NC-12 toward Hatteras. Suggested start; we’re not affiliated and staff won’t have tour info. Audio auto-starts—check email/text for setup and download.
- Audio guide - English
Points of Interest
Stop At: Bodie Island Lighthouse8210 Bodie Island Lighthouse Road, Nags Head, North CarolinaIn 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! Duration: 20 minutesStop At: Whalebone Junction Information Center - Outer Banks Visitors BureauCape Hatteras National Park Road, Nags Head, NC 27959In 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! Duration: Not AvailableStop At: Cape Hatteras Lighthouse46379 Lighthouse Rd, , Buxton, North CarolinaWelcome 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: The tour is over 59 miles long, with more than 49 audio stories, and takes about 4-6 hours to complete. Buy once, use for one year! Ideal for extended visits and return trips over the next 12 months.Duration: Not AvailableStop At: Chicamacomico Life-Saving Station Historic Site & Museum23645 NC Hwy. 12, , Rodanthe, North CarolinaJust 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! Duration: 20 minutesStop At: Oregon Inlet Life Saving StationNorth Carolina Hwy 12, Rodanthe, North CarolinaComing 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". Duration: 10 minutesStop At: Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge14500 NC Highway 12, Rodanthe, North CarolinaThat 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!Duration: 10 minutesStop At: The Mother VineMother Vineyard Road, Manteo, North CarolinaWe’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.Duration: 10 minutesStop At: Pea Island BeachRodanthe, NC 27968Coming 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. Duration: 10 minutesStop At: Jug Handle BridgeJug Handle Bridge, Rodanthe, NCWe’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!Duration: 10 minutesStop At: Kite PointNorth Carolina Highway 12, Buxton, NC 27920Off 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? Duration: 10 minutesStop At: Teach's Lair Marina58646 North Carolina Highway 12, Hatteras, NC 27943The 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.Duration: 10 minutesAdditional Information
- 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.
- 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.
- For the best experience, please use an iPhone running iOS 15 or later, an Android device running version 9 or later, or an iPad/tablet with GPS and cellular connectivity, as these are recommended for navigation.
- Easy-to-use app: download Action’s Tour Guide App onto your phone
- Great value: purchase per car, not per person. More affordable than bus or guided tours!
- 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!
- Attraction passes, entry tickets, or reservations
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. 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.
Departure Point
- Start at the Whalebone Junction Information Center lot on Cape Hatteras National Park Rd, Nags Head, NC 27959, heading south on NC-12 toward Hatteras. Suggested start; we’re not affiliated and staff won’t have tour info. Audio auto-starts—check email/text for setup and download.
- Audio guide - English
Points of Interest
Stop At: Bodie Island Lighthouse8210 Bodie Island Lighthouse Road, Nags Head, North CarolinaIn 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! Duration: 20 minutesStop At: Whalebone Junction Information Center - Outer Banks Visitors BureauCape Hatteras National Park Road, Nags Head, NC 27959In 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! Duration: Not AvailableStop At: Cape Hatteras Lighthouse46379 Lighthouse Rd, , Buxton, North CarolinaWelcome 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: The tour is over 59 miles long, with more than 49 audio stories, and takes about 4-6 hours to complete. Buy once, use for one year! Ideal for extended visits and return trips over the next 12 months.Duration: Not AvailableStop At: Chicamacomico Life-Saving Station Historic Site & Museum23645 NC Hwy. 12, , Rodanthe, North CarolinaJust 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! Duration: 20 minutesStop At: Oregon Inlet Life Saving StationNorth Carolina Hwy 12, Rodanthe, North CarolinaComing 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". Duration: 10 minutesStop At: Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge14500 NC Highway 12, Rodanthe, North CarolinaThat 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!Duration: 10 minutesStop At: The Mother VineMother Vineyard Road, Manteo, North CarolinaWe’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.Duration: 10 minutesStop At: Pea Island BeachRodanthe, NC 27968Coming 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. Duration: 10 minutesStop At: Jug Handle BridgeJug Handle Bridge, Rodanthe, NCWe’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!Duration: 10 minutesStop At: Kite PointNorth Carolina Highway 12, Buxton, NC 27920Off 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? Duration: 10 minutesStop At: Teach's Lair Marina58646 North Carolina Highway 12, Hatteras, NC 27943The 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.Duration: 10 minutesAdditional Information
- 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.
- 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.
- For the best experience, please use an iPhone running iOS 15 or later, an Android device running version 9 or later, or an iPad/tablet with GPS and cellular connectivity, as these are recommended for navigation.
- Easy-to-use app: download Action’s Tour Guide App onto your phone
- Great value: purchase per car, not per person. More affordable than bus or guided tours!
- 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!
- Attraction passes, entry tickets, or reservations
Need To Know Info
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours in advance of the start date of the experience.
Merchant is solely responsible to purchasers for the care and quality of the advertised goods and services. Offer is not eligible for our promo codes or other discounts. Learn about Strike-Through Pricing and SavingsCustomer Reviews
4.7
based on Groupon 7 reviews
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Carla H
The narration is excellent with lots of relevant information and great history and stories. Very enjoyable as you are driving through the area!
G4601LKjoyceh
Very very educational, loved every minute of it. We stopped and walked the areas and then the tour would start up again. It ended at the ferry so we took the ferry. Awesome experience.
Joyce_H
Very Educational and awesome stops. Everything was explained and you can stop and enjoy the views, map starts right back up where you left off. No time limit.
Beatlbug
Tour guide is pretty good and has lots of information. It was pretty cool. It was fairly easy to follow and we didn’t get confused at all.
Elenore_B
The App started as we came into each new area. We appreciated the explanations of what was available in the area, the history and legends, advice on activities that we hadn't heard of. It really enriched our time tremendously. We highly recommend this.