Glasgow Audio Tour: Merchant City Gems

Explore Glasgow at your own pace

Beneath Merchant City's polished stone, Glasgow's old nerve still twitches. A theatre whisper away from a riot. A tolbooth that once decided who walked free.

This self guided audio tour threads past Tron Theatre, Glasgow Tolbooth, St Andrew's by the Green and more. Hear the stories on the move and spot the corners most visitors never notice.

What happened when power turned brutal behind the Tolbooth doors and the city held its breath. Which secret bargains and scandals slipped through Merchant City's closes after dark. Why does St Andrew's by the Green keep turning up in records so oddly specific it reads like a warning.

Photo: Stephen O'Donnell, Unsplash

Tour details

Duration: 1 hour 21 minutes, entirely at your own paceDistance: around 3.5 km (2.2 miles)Stops: 13 landmarks, including The Egyptian Halls, The Lighthouse, Glasgow, St George's Tron ChurchAudio: up to 33 minutes of narrationStarts at: The Egyptian Halls

Map data by Mapbox and OpenStreetMap contributors

How it works

Book here and a redemption code arrives by email within minutes.Download the free AudaTours app on your phone and enter the code.Download the tour once and the whole thing works offline.Walk to the first stop and press play. The audio for each landmark starts automatically as you approach it, so your phone can stay in your pocket.

There is no fixed date and no start time. The date you pick at checkout does not matter, and the tour stays on your phone permanently, so you can use it whenever you next visit and walk it again as often as you like.

What is included

Professionally narrated audio that plays automatically at each stopAn interactive map showing the walking route between landmarksFull offline access once downloaded, so you need no data or signalFreedom to start, pause and resume whenever you likeLifetime access - your code never expires

Where you will stop

The Egyptian HallsThe Lighthouse, GlasgowSt George's Tron ChurchGallery of Modern Art, GlasgowEquestrian statue of the Duke of Wellington, GlasgowGeorge SquareGlasgow City ChambersThe RamshornBritannia Music HallTron TheatreGlasgow TolboothSt Andrew's Cathedral, GlasgowThe Arches

Image: AudaTours

What is AudaTours?

AudaTours turns a walk through a city into a story. Our guides bring landmarks to life with the history, the scandals and the detail you would never get from a plaque.

Immersive: real stories about the places in front of you, not a dry commentaryOffline: download once and use it with no data, anywhereAt your own pace: start, pause and resume whenever you wantAccurate: every story is built from verified historical sources and checked before release

Good to know

This is a self-guided audio tour on your own phone. There is no in-person guide.It does not include entry to any building or site along the route.The landmarks on the tour are not affiliated with AudaTours.You need a smartphone with Android 7.0 or later, or iOS 16 or later.Bring headphones and start with a charged phone.

Who it suits

Solo travellers, couples, families and small groups who would rather explore on their own schedule than follow a guide and a fixed departure time. It suits a first visit, and it suits anyone who has already seen the famous sights and wants to know what actually happened in them.

Image credits

Photos: Stephen O'Donnell, Focus Pictures (Unsplash); AudaTours.