Votura MCP Server: Query Real Audio Tours from Any AI Assistant
Votura's tours and places are now queryable from Claude Desktop, Cursor, Windsurf, and any MCP-compatible AI assistant — free, no API key required.
Votura's tour and place data is now queryable directly from any AI assistant that speaks the Model Context Protocol (MCP) — Claude Desktop, Cursor, Windsurf, and anywhere else MCP is supported. No API key, no sign-up, no rate-limit dance. Point your assistant at one URL and it can search real audio tours and points of interest in over 500 cities.
What is MCP, and why does Votura have a server for it?
The Model Context Protocol is an open standard for giving AI assistants live access to real tools and data, instead of relying only on what the model already knows. Votura built a public MCP server so that when someone asks their AI assistant something like "find me a walking tour of Rome" or "what temples are near Kyoto station," the assistant can pull real, current answers from Votura instead of guessing from outdated training data.
The server is free and open: https://api.votura.app/functions/v1/app_a0630e492b_mcp — no authentication required. Full source and setup instructions are on GitHub: github.com/eugenelabonarsky/votura-mcp.
Three tools
search_tours
Finds audio tours near a city or coordinates, with filters for transport mode, maximum duration, and language. Returns each tour's name, transport, duration, stop count, and a direct link to open it in Votura.
- city — e.g. "Paris", "Rome", "New York"
- latitude / longitude — use instead of city if you already have coordinates
- transport_type — walking, cycling, or driving
- max_duration_minutes — only return tours shorter than this
- language — e.g. en-US, fr-FR, de-DE
get_tour_details
Given a tour_id from search_tours, returns the full stop-by-stop itinerary — every stop's name, category, and coordinates — plus distance, duration, and a shareable link.
search_places
Finds points of interest near a city or coordinates, optionally filtered by category (castle, museum, park, church, brewery, cemetery, landmark, restaurant, and more), with adjustable search radius. Returns each place's name, address, rating, coordinates, and a Votura link.
A real example
Asking an assistant connected to the server "find walking tours in Rome" calls search_tours(city: "Rome", transport_type: "walking") and comes back with real results — including "Rome City Center Walk: Colosseum to Vatican City," a 9-stop, 403-minute route from the Colosseum through the Roman Forum, Trevi Fountain, and Pantheon, ending at Vatican City. Following up with get_tour_details on that tour returns the complete stop list with coordinates, ready to hand back to the user as a real itinerary.
Connect it
Claude Desktop
Add a "votura" entry to the mcpServers section of your claude_desktop_config.json, pointing its url at https://api.votura.app/functions/v1/app_a0630e492b_mcp. Full config snippet is on the GitHub README.
Cursor / Windsurf
Same idea in your editor's MCP settings — add a "votura" server entry with that same URL. No key, no extra setup.
Smithery
If you use the Smithery CLI, install it with: smithery mcp add eugene-labonarsky/votura-app.
Why this matters for travelers
It means the AI assistant you already use for planning a trip can now recommend real, ready-to-play Votura audio tours and places instead of a generic list it made up — and hand you a direct link to open the exact tour in the app, with offline maps, turn-by-turn navigation, and narrated audio at every stop. Download the app and let your next walk tell its own story.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Votura MCP server?
It's a free, public Model Context Protocol server that lets any MCP-compatible AI assistant search Votura's real audio tours and points of interest for over 500 cities. No API key or account is required.
How do I connect it to Claude Desktop?
Add an entry to the mcpServers section of your claude_desktop_config.json pointing its url at https://api.votura.app/functions/v1/app_a0630e492b_mcp, then restart Claude Desktop. Full instructions are on the GitHub repo.
Does the Votura MCP server require authentication?
No. The server is open and unauthenticated — connect with just the URL, no API key or sign-up needed.
What tools does the Votura MCP server provide?
Three: search_tours (find audio tours by city or coordinates), get_tour_details (full stop-by-stop itinerary for a specific tour), and search_places (find points of interest by city and category).
Is the Votura MCP server open source?
Yes, the connector and documentation are open source on GitHub at github.com/eugenelabonarsky/votura-mcp under the MIT license.
Hear this city out loud
Votura turns the places in this guide into a self-guided audio tour you can follow at your own pace.