Avignon Walking Tour: Riddle Hunt Through Papal City

Solve riddles on your phone and unlock Avignon's secrets at your own speed

This self-guided scavenger hunt takes you through Avignon on foot using app-based riddles to navigate from one landmark to the next. You download the Explorial app, enter your game code, and follow clues through the Quartier des Teinturiers, past the Palais des Papes, and around the Hôtel de Ville on Place de l'Horloge. There's no guide, no fixed start time, and no entrance fees required. You move at your own pace and pause whenever you like, with the flexibility to reschedule if weather or illness strikes.

The experience

The Quartier des Teinturiers sets the tone: water wheels still turn in the Sorgue canal where dyers and weavers worked for centuries, and the riddles here reward sharp eyes. You'll crack clues in the shadow of the Palais des Papes, the fortress-palace where nine popes held court and guarded the papal treasury. The Hôtel de Ville on Place de l'Horloge adds a newer chapter: a 19th-century city hall built around a 14th-century clock tower, with details hiding in plain sight. The whole hunt takes around 2 hours at an easy pace, and you can stop for a café whenever you want.

You'll need a fully charged smartphone with an active mobile data connection. The Explorial app is free to download from iOS or Android. After booking, you receive a text message and booking-platform message with your 6-digit game code. Open the app, enter the code, and you're ready to start from 45 Rue des Teinturiers: no waiting, no guide meeting you, just your group and the city. The app keeps score as you solve riddles and complete photo tasks, so you can compete with others in your group or try to beat the city's high score. Available in 24 languages including English, French, German, Spanish and Italian. Choose yours when you start the game.

What’s included

• Free download of the Explorial app for iOS or Android.
• self-guided walking tour with interactive riddles, trivia challenges and photo tasks.
• live location map showing where you are in the city.
• points and scoring system so you can compete within your group or against the city high score.
• learn about Avignon's stories, history and local legends.
• total flexibility to start anytime, walk at your own pace and take breaks whenever you want.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery day

AgesAdult (10 to 90 years) · Child (under 10): free

GroupPrivate

Live guideEnglish, Spanish, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Cantonese, Chinese, Czech, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, Greek, Hindi, Hungarian, Japanese, Korean, Norwegian, Polish, Romanian, Russian, Swedish, Turkish and Ukrainian

Meeting point and pickupNo hotel pickup: you go to the meeting point. Ends back at the starting point.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.

Prices and times updated 15 days ago

Good to know

Low physical effortPets welcomePublic transport nearby

Operated by Explorial

Is this one for you?Pick this if you want to solve riddles at your own pace through Avignon's landmarks. Choose a live guide if you'd rather hear the history of the Palais des Papes and dyers' district explained as you walk.

Traveler reviews

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Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

Live guide in English, Spanish, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Dutch, Romanian, Danish, Polish, Chinese, Japanese, Ukrainian, Czech, Norwegian, Hungarian, Cantonese, Greek, Chinese, Korean, Russian, Finnish, Swedish, Hindi and Turkish.

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (under 10): free.

What is the Quartier des Teinturiers and why does the hunt start there?

The Quartier des Teinturiers is Avignon's old dyers' district on Rue des Teinturiers, where water wheels still turn in the Sorgue canal: a remnant of centuries of textile work. The hunt begins here because the riddles reward sharp observation of these atmospheric details and the cobbled street itself.

Do I need to pay entrance fees to visit the Palais des Papes and other landmarks?

No entrance fees are required for this game. All the riddles and photo tasks relate to public areas of the sights, so you can complete the hunt without buying tickets to any attraction.

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

You start whenever you want. There's no fixed start time. After you download the app and enter your game code, you can begin the hunt at any hour that suits your day, walk at your own pace, and take as many breaks as you like.

What do I need to bring to do this scavenger hunt?

Bring a fully charged smartphone with an active mobile data connection and comfortable walking shoes. Disable any VPN before you start, as it can cause the app to malfunction. The hunt takes around 2 hours of light walking, so weather-appropriate clothing is recommended.

Can I reschedule if the weather is bad or I get sick?

Yes. If bad weather or illness prevents you from starting the tour, you can reschedule it for another day, rebook to a different city, or request a refund.

What happens when I solve all the riddles?

When the last riddle is solved, you'll have uncovered secrets most visitors walk right past: the hidden details and stories of why Avignon, not Rome, was the centre of the Catholic world for seventy years in the 1300s.