Echoes of Ages: The Reading Revelation Tour

Explore Reading at your own pace

Hidden beneath Reading's bustling streets lies a city shaped by royal secrets, lost treasures and centuries-old intrigues. The ancient stones of Reading Abbey have witnessed more drama than many capitals, while the Minster's shadowed corners guard stories rarely told.

Unlock these mysteries on a self-guided audio tour designed for curious explorers. Move beyond the obvious as you trace unexpected twists and meet characters left out of guidebooks.

Who plotted deadly rebellions in Reading's heart and vanished without a trace? Which scandal shook the corridors of power inside the Abbey's ruins? Why do locals whisper about a strange artifact that disappeared from Reading Museum one stormy night?

Photo: Marco Zuppone, Unsplash

Tour details

• Duration: 1 hour 17 minutes, entirely at your own pace
• Distance: around 2.9 km (1.8 miles)
• Stops: 15 landmarks, including Reading Museum, St Laurence's Church, Reading, Forbury Gardens
• Audio: up to 38 minutes of narration
• Starts at: Reading Museum

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 stop
• An interactive map showing the walking route between landmarks
• Full offline access once downloaded, so you need no data or signal
• Freedom to start, pause and resume whenever you like
• Lifetime access - your code never expires

Where you will stop

• Reading Museum
• St Laurence's Church, Reading
• Forbury Gardens
• St James's Church, Reading
• HM Prison Reading
• Holy Brook
• Reading Abbey
• Abbey Gateway, Reading
• Simeon Monument
• High Bridge, Reading
• Heelas of Reading
• Broad Street Independent Chapel, Reading
• Reading Minster
• St Mary's Church, Castle Street, Reading
• Greyfriars Church, Reading

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 commentary
• Offline: download once and use it with no data, anywhere
• At your own pace: start, pause and resume whenever you want
• Accurate: 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: Marco Zuppone, Kafai Liu (Unsplash); AudaTours.