French History Tour of Detroit A Self-Guided Audio Tour App
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September 2026
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Adults
Age 13 and over
Children
Age 12 and under
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Non-refundable booking. Same price on Viator, Outty earns a commission.
Traveler rating
4.0/5
Based on 3 traveler reviews. Ratings and reviews provided by Viator and Tripadvisor.
Quick answer
Is French History Tour of Detroit A Self-Guided Audio Tour App worth booking?
French History Tour of Detroit A Self-Guided Audio Tour App is a 6-hour experience in Detroit, United States, from $20 per person. It scores 47 out of 100 on the Outty Ranking, which we label “Worth a Look”, based on a 4/5 rating across 3 reviews. This booking is non-refundable, so pick your date carefully. Same-day spots are currently showing.
- Outty Ranking
- 47 / 100
- Rating
- 4/5 (3)
- Duration
- 6 hours
- From
- $20 per person
Tour the vestiges of French Detroit, an American City, that began as a French colonial outpost. It was founded as Fort Pontchartrain and as a trading post in 1701. It remained an outpost of the French Empire through 1760
What you get
About this experience
Tour the vestiges of French Detroit, an American City, that began as a French colonial outpost. It was founded as Fort Pontchartrain and as a trading post in 1701. It remained an outpost of the French Empire through 1760, when it became a part of the British Empire. It remained British until 1795, when it became American. Throughout those changes, Detroit retained its French identity and remained a French speaking city into the 1840's. Most of that French history is lost, forgotten, and seldom taught in history books. On this tour you will learn of the preservation efforts of what remains of the cultural heritage of French Detroit. This tour brings that history to life. After you download this tour, you can listen to the narration in the comfort of your home or hotel room. You can then decide if you want to visit all of the places in one day, or to focus on a few. Once you are close to each of the points of interest, the SmartGuide app will alert you and begin to play the narrative.
What's included
Included
- You will receive the SmartGuide App and the French History of Detroit Audio Tour.
What you'll see and do
Basilica of Sainte Anne of Detroit
Take a private auto tour through the forgotten history of French Detroit. Discover what remains of Detroit when it was a distant outpost on the fringe of Louis XIV’s French Empire. Learn what makes the history of Detroit unlike that of any other. See where more than a thousand Fox Indians were slaughtered (and why) in an epic battle for control of the straits. See the river whose water turned red with the blood of more than a hundred British Redcoats, ambushed crossing the bridge over it! See the second oldest continuously operating Catholic parish in the US, founded by Antoine Cadillac and Father Constantin De L’Halle. See the resting place of Father Gabriel Richard. Find out why the history of French Detroit is a history of the French and of Native American Indians. A fun and informative tour!
15 minutes here · Admission not included
Hart Plaza
After leaving Ste Anne's, we stop at nearby Riverside Park, before driving on to Hart Plaza. Learn about the Wendat, who lived at this location, and other Native American Indians who lived in relative peace and harmony with the French. At Hart Plaza, see about Fort Pontchartrain and why it was built there. After leaving Hart Plaza, we stop briefly at two of the oldest houses built in Detroit, dating to 1826 and 1840. Learn about ribbon farms and some of the streets named for the farms they ran alongside.
15 minutes here
Visit the remains of the 1,800 original settlers originally buried in Ste Anne’s cemetery and re-interred here. Learn the tragedy of the lost markers. Stop at the tombs, and family plots of other notable French settlers and notable Detroiters.
20 minutes here
See Bloody Run where the water in Parent's Creek turned red with the blood of more than one hundred British redcoats ambushed and slaughtered in the Indian uprising led by Chief Pontiac. Stop at the tombs, and family plots, of other notable French settlers.
15 minutes here
Belle Isle Park
Visit the location of the first victims of the 1763 Indian Uprising led by Chief Pontiac. Learn the french history of the island once called Swan Island, then Hog Island, and now called, Belle Isle. The island will be circumnavigated and notable sites pointed out along the way. There may be time to stop and enjoy the beautiful island on the border of two great nations.
30 minutes here
Mariner Park
Stop alongside Windmill Pointe Lighthouse, one of Michgan's oldest lighthouses. Running alongside Altar Road is Fox Creek. Named for the Fox Indian tribe, learn the stories of the Grand Marais and Fox Run. After leaving the park, we drive through the Grand Marais area on our way to the final stop, the Provensal House.
10 minutes here
Stop at the Provençal House, the oldest house in Grosse Pointe, built long before "Grosse Pointe" existed. Learn the remarkable story of Pierre Provençal and his wife Euphemia St Aubin and their loving, generous, and charitable, work with the many orphans of the 1832 and 1834 cholera epidemics. Admission is not included and likely not available.
10 minutes here
Detroit Historical Museum
Visit the "Where the River Bends" exhibit to see and learn about the French Era of Detroit.
60 minutes here · Admission not included
Detroit Institute of Arts
Visit the "Fashionable Living" exhibit to see the furniture and furnishings of French citizens in the 1700s. Be sure to enjoy this museum rated as #1 in the United States by USA Today!
120 minutes here · Admission not included
Detroit Public Library
Visit the Burton Collection the largest collection of books, documents, and maps of the French Era in Detroit, in the world!
60 minutes here
Where it starts and ends
Meeting point
Detroit
This is the tour starting point. Transportation is NOT included in this tour, it is a self-guided audio tour. A tour of the Ste Anne Basilica is not included in this tour but you can arrange a tour of Ste Anne.
Hotel pickup
No pickup: everyone meets at the start point.
Ends at
This is the tour starting point. Transportation is NOT included in this tour, it is a self-guided audio tour. A tour of the Ste Anne Basilica is not included in this tour but you can arrange a tour of Ste Anne.
Options you can book
French History Tour of Detroit
SmartGuide AI Interpretation
AI Translation: The internationally acclaimed SmartGuide app can translate the tour into most major languages.
Before you book
- Cancellation
- All sales are final. No refund is available for cancellations.
- Languages
- en
- Ticket
- Mobile Only
- Runs on
- Every day
- Group size
- Up to 6 travelers per booking
- Operated by
- French Detroit History Tours
Know before you go
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Photos
What travelers are saying
Outty’s summary of the themes that recur across 3 traveler reviews. Written by us, not quoted from reviewers.
Knowledge and storytelling
3 mentionsReviewers describe the commentary as informative rather than scripted.
The guide
1 mentionTravelers single out the guide as the reason the experience works.
Good for families
1 mentionReviewers traveling with kids report it landed well with their group.
Traveler reviews
3 verified traveler reviews for French History Tour of Detroit A Self-Guided Audio Tour App. Ratings and reviews provided by Viator and Tripadvisor.
Deserves a lot more than 2 stars!!
I wanted to offer a different perspective than the sole review on this tour- especially if you like history. We recently took the audio tour of Detroit and found it very interesting. The narrator is a Detroit historian who has written books on the settling of Detroit and its' early and more recent growth. You learn a lot about the French and Catholic roots of the city. We plugged the downloaded audiotour into our car and had no trouble with the audio. The stops were interesting and the only one we were parking stressed was the Hart Plaza. But you can see the river from your car. You learn a lot about the founding families as well as the role of the water to the growth of the city. Interesting French and Indian War and Revolutionary War history. It ends with cultural settings- and we thought the Detroit History Museum was excellent. Parking downtown was not an issue. We paid $10 and had access to all the downtown venues. The audiotour fee was $20 - a deal for our carful of people. I would give it between 4-5 stars. The final stops are museums- so you can draw out the tour to last all day. Or you can compact it to 2-3 hours. A good foundation to the history of the city!
via Tripadvisor
A fun educational & cultural day in Detroit
My sister and I spent a day in Detroit learning about the little known 200 years of Detroit as a French city. The influences of the French and various Native American tribes were a story unto themselves. Add the conflicts with the British and there is a riveting mosaic of history that we fully enjoyed learning about. The audio tour takes you across multiple parts of the city, with the river being a central feature. We loved Belle Isle and strolling around the Elmwood Cemetary. The guide challenged us to reimagine Detroit during the 1700-1800s when the grand marais was a swamp, when furs constituted a major US asset, and when the French, British and native Americans fought savagely for land and dominance. He was a wealth of information and communicated well. We hooked our phone up to the car audio system and had no trouble hearing. A delightful day in Detroit!
via Tripadvisor
Disappointed
The narrator was very knowledgeable about French history in the Detroit area. The app was difficult to use and did not coordinate well with GPS. I would advise thoroughly studying the route before starting this tour. Also, parking was near impossible at several sites. Chose the day of the week too. Many sites are not open on Monday and Tuesday.
via Tripadvisor
Good to know
- Duration
- 6 hours
- Free cancellation
- Non-refundable
- Minimum age to book
- All ages
- Availability
- Bookable today
- Runs on
- Every day
- Hotel pickup
- No pickup, meet at start point
- Booked in 30 days
- 1
- Verdict
- Worth a Look
Why this scores 47
The Outty Ranking is a weighted composite. Here is how this experience performed on each component.
French History Tour of Detroit A Self-Guided Audio Tour App: questions travelers ask
Practical detail on this experience, plus the wider planning questions for Detroit.
How much does French History Tour of Detroit A Self-Guided Audio Tour App cost?
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Prices start at $20 per person. The final price depends on the date, the time slot and the number of travelers, and peak weekends in Detroit usually price higher than midweek mornings. Live pricing and remaining availability are confirmed on the booking screen before you pay.
How long does French History Tour of Detroit A Self-Guided Audio Tour App take?
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Plan for about 6 hours from start to finish, not counting travel to the meeting point. Most travelers leave another 30 minutes on either side so the rest of the day in Detroit is not rushed.
Is French History Tour of Detroit A Self-Guided Audio Tour App worth it?
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It holds an Outty Ranking of 47 out of 100, which we label "Worth a Look". That score blends traveler sentiment (4/5 across 3 reviews), the depth of that review evidence, recent booking momentum, value for money against comparable culture & history in Detroit, and how flexible the cancellation terms are.
Can I cancel or reschedule French History Tour of Detroit A Self-Guided Audio Tour App?
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No. This experience is sold on a non-refundable basis, so only book a date you are confident about. Similar experiences in the city do offer free cancellation if flexibility matters more than price.
Is French History Tour of Detroit A Self-Guided Audio Tour App suitable for kids and families?
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Yes, all ages are welcome. Families should still weigh the 6-hour running time, and strollers are easier on the earlier, quieter departures.
How far in advance should I book French History Tour of Detroit A Self-Guided Audio Tour App?
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Around 1 people booked this in the last 30 days, so popular slots go early. Two to three weeks ahead is comfortable in shoulder season, while summer weekends and holidays in Detroit can sell out a month out. Same-day spots do open up when other travelers cancel, so it is worth checking if you are already in town.
What should I bring or wear?
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Bring photo ID, your booking confirmation on your phone, a refillable water bottle and comfortable shoes. Dress for the weather in Detroit and add a light layer if any part of the 6-hour experience runs outdoors or after sunset.
Where does French History Tour of Detroit A Self-Guided Audio Tour App start and how do I get there?
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The exact meeting point and directions are on your voucher once you book, and they sit in central Detroit within reach of public transport. Arrive 15 minutes early: late arrivals are treated as no-shows by most operators.
What are the best things to do in Detroit?
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Detroit tours cover Motown Museum and music history, Eastern Market murals, Ford factory and auto heritage, riverfront cycling and Belle Isle, plus a strong food-tour scene. On Outty we rank every Detroit experience on the same 0 to 100 scale, and alongside this one the highest scorers right now include Best Detroit Architecture Walking Tour: Inside Access & Landmarks, Detroit Sweet Treats Food Tour: Donuts, Coffee, Pastries & More, Detroit's Hidden History Guided Walking Tour. The city page groups everything into most popular, highest reviewed, last minute and family-friendly so you can build a day around what actually delivers.
When is the best time to visit Detroit?
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May to October. Booking patterns follow the same curve: prices and queues climb in peak weeks, while shoulder season gives you better availability on the top-ranked experiences and more room to change plans.
How many days do you need in Detroit?
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Three full days covers the headline sights without sprinting. A workable rhythm is one anchor experience each morning, such as this one, an unhurried afternoon in a single neighborhood, then a food or nightlife booking in the evening. Five days lets you add a day trip outside the city.
Do I book through Outty or through the operator?
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Outty ranks and explains the experiences, then hands you to Viator to complete the booking with the operator directly. The price is the same as booking on Viator yourself, and Outty earns an affiliate commission on the referral, which is how the rankings stay free to read.
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