Hot Springs National Park Self Guided Audio Tour

Overview

Unwind and explore the historic charm of Hot Springs National Park with our engaging audio tour! Stroll along Bathhouse Row, discover the soothing thermal springs, and learn about the park’s fascinating history as America’s first federal reserve. Our guides share captivating stories about the healing waters, unique geology, and cultural significance of this iconic destination. Perfect for families, history buffs, and wellness seekers, this tour offers a relaxing and educational experience. Simply download, plug in your headphones, and soak in the wonders of Hot Springs National Park!

*Download the Shaka Guide app to access the purchased tours*

City: Arkansas

Thu 24 Jul

Other dates

You can choose the date already on the booking website

Starting at $13.59

Make a reservation

Thu 24 Jul

Starting at $13.59

Make a reservation

Arkansas Tours

Excellent Quality (6498) Best Conversion (1182) Seasonal & Special Occasions (2051) Tours, Sightseeing & Cruises (3520) Food & Drink (766) Outdoor Activities (2067) Audio Guides (59)

What's Included

Tours NEVER expire

Freedom to explore at your own pace

Offline map (no wifi or data needed)

Turn-by-turn directions using GPS

Hours of audio narration with stories, travel tips and music

Audio narration that plays automatically as you drive

Additional Info

Wheelchair accessible
Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
Service animals allowed
Public transportation options are available nearby
Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Get Started Easily: • Book Your Tour: Receive a confirmation and easy instructions via email. • Download the App: Follow the simple steps in your email. • Redeem the Tour: Use the redeem code in your email to redeem the tour in the app. • Prepare Ahead: Download the tour using strong Wi-Fi.
Begin Your Journey: • Select Your Tour: Go to the My Stuff tab in the Shaka Guide app to launch the tour. • Start the Tour: Select the tour starting point and follow the GPS instructions. • Follow Shaka Guide: Stick to the suggested route and speed for the best experience.
Why Choose Our Audio Tour: • Cost-Efficient: One tour for the entire vehicle—no per-person fees! • Ultimate Flexibility: Start, pause, and resume on your schedule. • Convenience: Use the tour any day, over multiple days if needed.
Top Features: • Hands-Free: The tour works automatically - GPS-activated stories, directions, and music play as you drive for a seamless experience. • Works Offline: No need for continuous wifi or data. • Reliable Support: Get help via call, chat, or email.
Private and Personalized: • Crowd-Free: Enjoy a private tour with just your group. • Customizable Stops: Pick the stops you want and skip the ones you don’t!
The Ultimate Guided Tour: • Detailed Itinerary: Includes travel tips and recommendations. • Engaging Narration: Captivating stories and history.
What Our Users Say: • “A fantastic way to explore! Easy to use and very informative.” • “Loved the flexibility to stop and go as we pleased. Highly recommend!”

What To Expect

Hot Springs Village Area Visitor Center

This is not to be confused with the National Park Visitor Center, further up Bathhouse Row. If the City Visitor Center is open, you can step inside and get a map of historic downtown Hot Springs. There are also restrooms inside, as well as brochures on area activities, and helpful staff on hand to answer your questions.

Bathhouse Row

The current Lamar Bathhouse was built in 1923, and now serves as the National Park Emporium gift shop. Inside, you can sample the spring water, take your picture in an old bathtub, and shop for souvenirs. What you might not see, is that the building also houses offices for the park's Resource Management employees, the park archives, museum collection storage spaces, and a small research library.

Buckstaff Bathhouse

The Buckstaff was built in 1911, and has been in continual operation ever since. Today, you can step inside and make reservations for a hot mineral water soak, a relaxing massage, and other spa treatments. Services inside the Buckstaff haven't really changed since the heyday of Bathhouse Row, a hundred years ago.

Quapaw Baths & Spa

The Quapaw Bathhouse is named after the Native Quapaw Tribe, and along with the Buckstaff, is one of two bathhouses still in operation. But while the Buckstaff has been in constant operation, the Quapaw sat empty for more than 20 years, from 1984 until it was purchased for renovations in 2007. It has a gift shop, and a simple cafe with light fare if you’re hungry.

Display Springs

Between the Maurice and Hale Bathhouses, you can find the Maurice Historical Display Springs. Set into the natural tufa rock is the Dripping Spring. Up the stairs to the left of the Dripping Spring, you can find the Tunnel Spring. These were the first two display springs in the National Park. All of this stonework, designed to display the springs to visitors, was completed in 1903.

Grand Promenade

Technically, this is a shortcut up to the Grand Promenade. If you'd prefer to avoid stairs, the truth north end of the Hot Springs Grand Promenade is about 500 feet further up Fountain Street, past the Arlington Hotel.

Grand Promenade

At the top of the Grand Staircase, there used to be a Bandstand. While the bandstand is long gone, you can imagine what it might have looked like. Imagine a big band playing music, and crowds gathered below. This is also the opposite, or southern end of the Tufa Terrace Trail. At the bottom of the Grand Staircase, you can access the Fordyce Visitor Center.

Hot Springs Mountain Tower

The Hot Springs Observation Tower, a 216-foot tall structure, opened to the public in 1983, and is actually the third observation tower in that location. Not only are the views of Hot Springs and the Zig-Zag mountains incredible from the top of the tower, but this is also an excellent place to learn a lot of fun facts and trivia about Hot Springs! Y’see, there are actually two levels at the tower’s peak. The lower level is fully enclosed, and there are signs and displays all about the city’s fascinating history. From there, you can move up a level for some outdoor, and depending on the weather, some very windy views of the surrounding area. There’s a small per-person fee to ride the elevator to the top. And the ground floor has a decent little gift shop if you wanna do some souvenir shopping.

West Mountain Overlook

From the West Mountain Lower Overlook, you can see downtown Hot Springs, the Army Navy Hospital, and the Hot Springs Mountain Tower.

West Mountain Overlook

At the Loop Overlook, you can see over the southwestern part of Hot Springs, out toward the Ouachita River Valley. And just behind the Loop Overlook, there’s a large outcropping of Arkansas Novaculite where you can see just how fractured and angled the rock is that makes up the mountain. These fractures, and the steep angle of the rock layers, are due to all the tectonic activity that created these mountains. And they’re also what allow water to seep down into the mountain, so that it can come out later as spring water. The Loop Overlook is also where you’ll find the Trailhead for the longest trail in the park. The Sunset Trail is 10 miles long, one-way. But just half a mile up the trail, you can reach the forested peak of West Mountain.

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