Southampton Self-Guided Walking Tour: Riddles & History

Solve riddles through 500 years of Southampton's layered past

This self-guided walking tour of Southampton uses riddles and trivia delivered through the Explorial app to guide you from one landmark to the next on foot. You start whenever you want at General Gordon's Memorial, download the game code to your smartphone, and navigate the old town without a guide or fixed schedule. The tour takes around two hours and covers Tudor House and Garden, the Watergate Ruin and Southampton City Art Gallery, with scoring and leaderboards built in so your group can compete.

The Experience

You arrive at General Gordon's Memorial on Queens Terrace with a smartphone, open the Explorial app and enter the six-digit code you received by text. From there, the riddles take over—no guide, no fixed start time, just your group and the city on your terms. The app marks your location on a map and feeds you clues as you walk, so you always know where you are and what to solve next. You can pause whenever you want, take breaks, loop back or move faster; the only rule is that your phone stays charged and connected.

The route threads through Southampton's oldest quarters. Tudor House and Garden opens the hunt—a timber-framed survivor from 800 years ago with riddles layered into every era of its crooked facade. The Watergate Ruin follows, a fragment of the medieval walls where cargo and kings once entered the town; trivia rebuilds the ramparts in your imagination. At the Southampton City Art Gallery, clues linger over the columned Civic Centre facade and the collection behind it. Expect around two hours from waterfront to walls, and when the last answer lands, the leaderboard decides bragging rights.

The app includes a points and scoring system so your group competes against each other and against the city's high score. All puzzles relate to public areas of the sights, so no entrance fees are required. The game is available in 24 languages—English, Spanish, Italian, French, German and 20 more—so you choose your language when you start. Groups can be up to 15 people per booking; larger groups make multiple bookings. If bad weather or illness prevents you from starting, you can reschedule for another day, switch to a different city or request a refund.

What’s included

• Free download of the Explorial app (iOS or Android).
• self-guided walking tour with interactive riddles, trivia challenges and photo tasks.
• points and scoring system so your group competes against each other and the city's high score.
• live location map so you always know where you are.
• total flexibility to start anytime, walk at your own pace and take as many breaks as you want.
• access to stories, history and local legends about each landmark.

Good to know

Easy physical levelPets welcomePublic transport nearby

Operated by Explorial

Is this one for you?Pick this if you speak a language other than English and want to solve riddles and navigate landmarks at your own pace—the app works in 24 languages, and you start whenever you're ready.

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Top questions

What is the Tudor House and Garden and why does it matter in Southampton's history?

Tudor House and Garden is Southampton's finest surviving timber-framed building, layering 800 years of stories behind one crooked facade. The riddles in the game dig into every era of its past, making it the opening landmark of the walking tour.

Do I need to pay entrance fees to visit the landmarks on this tour?

No entrance fees are required. All the puzzles relate to public areas of the sights, so you can complete the entire game without paying to enter any building.

Can I start the tour whenever I want, or is there a fixed departure time?

The tour is fully self-guided with no fixed start time. You begin whenever you choose at General Gordon's Memorial, download your game code to the app and set your own pace throughout the two hours.

What is the Watergate Ruin and where is it on the route?

The Watergate Ruin is a fragment of Southampton's medieval walls where cargo and kings once entered the town. It appears as the second major stop after Tudor House and Garden, and trivia clues in the app rebuild the ramparts in your imagination.

What languages is the game available in?

The tour is available in 24 languages including English, Spanish, Italian, French, German and 20 others. You choose your language when you open the app and start the game.

What do I need to bring to start this tour?

Bring a fully charged smartphone with an active mobile data connection. iOS or Android is required to download the Explorial app. Disable any VPN and avoid city Wi-Fi before you start, as these will cause the app to malfunction.