Monterey & Carmel

Historic Cannery Row: A Self-Guided Audio Tour of John Steinbeck's Monterey

Monterey, United States

From $7.99

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Non-refundable
You will not receive a refund if you cancel.
Monterey & Carmel Tours
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Kid-Friendly
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Private and Luxury
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  • 1 hour 15 minutes (approx.)
  • Mobile ticket
  • Offered in: English

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Overview

A history-saturated neighborhood and a literary landmark, Monterey’s Cannery Row is a must-see for fans of John Steinbeck and American literature—and this self-led walking tour offers a seamless, flexible way to discover. Upon purchasing, download the audio tour and use when and as often as you’d like. You’ll learn about the rise and fall of the local fishing industry, Steinbeck’s work, the neighborhood’s revival, and more.
  • Once downloaded, this good-value audio tour never expires
  • This self-led tour is perfect for independent-minded travelers
  • Bring the literary history of Monterey’s Cannery Row to life
  • Learn the stories behind the sights from the in-depth audio commentary

What's Included

  • Lifetime access to this tour in English
  • VoiceMap App for Android and iOS
  • Offline access to audio, maps, and geodata
  • Tickets or entrance fees to any museums or other attractions en route
  • Smartphone and headphones
  • Transportation
  • Food and drink

Meeting And Pickup

Meeting point

  • The Sardine Factory
    701 Wave St, Monterey, CA 93940, USA

    The starting point is at the corner of Prescott Avenue and Wave Street. Before arrival, install the VoiceMap app and use the code provided on your ticket. This is a self-guided audio tour that you can start, pause, or restart any time and complete at your own pace.

Start time

Confirm time with the local provider in advance of your experience.

Opening hours

  • 2/25/2020 - 6/19/2024

    Monday - Sunday : 12:00 AM - 11:59 PM

End point

  • Steinbeck Plaza
    Prescott Ave, Monterey, CA 93940, USA

    The tour ends in front of the bust of Steinbeck. It is a short distance from the start location.

What To Expect

The Cannery Row Monument (Pass By)

Monterey Canning Company (Pass By)

Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. (Pass By)

InterContinental the Clement Monterey, an IHG Hotel (Pass By)

Doc Rickett's Pacific Biological Laboratories (Pass By)

Monterey Bay Aquarium (Pass By)

Bechtel Family Center for Ocean Education and Leadership (Pass By)

Monterey Plaza Hotel & Spa (Pass By)

San Carlos Beach (Pass By)

Additional Info

  • Confirmation will be received at time of booking
  • Not wheelchair accessible
  • Near public transportation
  • Infants must sit on laps
  • Most travelers can participate
  • This is a private tour/activity. Only your group will participate
Operated by VoiceMap

Cancellation Policy

This experience is non-refundable and cannot be changed for any reason. If you cancel or ask for an amendment, the amount you paid will not be refunded.

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      Reviews

      5.0
      11 reviews
      Total review count and overall rating based on Viator and Tripadvisor reviews
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      Reviews by Viator travelers.
      Showing 1-2 of 11 reviews
      A satisfying audio-tour, adding more texture to Monterey than the Aquarium and the corrugated buildings.
      HongEng_N, May 2023
      The coastal access paths off Cannery Row, specifically to Ed Rickett's backyard, are a must see and do, yet would have been easily missed if not for the audio tour by Voice Maps. Yeah so there were corrugated cannery buildings that burned down at some point or other, but who would have known there's still an old ice box in a "general" store (with a Chinese sign) to look at. Sort of an intimate peek or we would just have mindlessly walked between the parking garage and the Aquarium, weaved around other visitors, stuck to Cannery Row with the usual foot traffic for a touristy town. We only had time to do the tour north of the Sardine Factory because published closing times (and re-entry opportunity!) for the Aquarium and the hotel pool had not been updated, or miraculously just generously extended for Mother's Day weekend. The Foam Street Garage is best for starting the tour and or doing the Aquarium - but our hotel is 20 minutes away and an alternate Start at San Carlos Beach would have been a cheaper less-harried choice. Anyway, it's not VoiceMap's fault that the free trolley was not running yet. However, now, we know when to come back, to do the last half of the tour from a less expensive parking lot, without need for a 1-night hotel booking or to re-enter the Aquarium for a 4th time in our lives. Parking cost is prohibitive STILL, but after prior visits of parking outside of town practically in the days before GPS and young children needing a stroller or a nap, we felt it was high time to know the area a bit better rather than just drive through and walk till we drop in the Aquarium. The Voice Map app, though half-used made this a more meaningful visit without tourists crowding the sidewalks unnecessarily, straining to hear above motor-bikes that decided to convene in Monterey on Mothers' Day weekend too. We look forward to other VoiceMap audio tours in future. The tour or app is a tiny bit glitchy, but narration well worth what we could get out of it in 1 hour, with 1 hour left to go, that maybe we could listen but "walk" by Google Maps if we dread 1-hr delays on highways in an out of Monterey. The traffic delays were the most wasteful energy-sucking portion of our weekend.
      New Discoveries
      Michelle_R, Oct 2022
      Great to see new things in Monterey that we hadn’t seen before! This tour took us to places we hadn’t been. Little nook and crannies. Didn’t even know there were murals here.

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      Historic Cannery Row: A Self-Guided Audio Tour of John Steinbeck's Monterey
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