Coimbra Self-Guided Walking Tour: Riddles & Landmarks

A Renaissance cloister sketched on a sleeve holds the first riddle.

This self-guided scavenger hunt takes you through Coimbra on foot using app-based riddles and trivia to navigate between landmarks. You download the Explorial app, enter a game code, and solve puzzles at the Jardim da Manga, Mosteiro de Santa Cruz and Paço das Escolas over around two hours. No guide meets you, no fixed start time. You walk at your own pace and take breaks whenever you want.

The experience

You arrive at the Jardim da Manga with a fully charged smartphone and open the Explorial app. The yellow Renaissance cloister-fountain (one of Portugal's oddest monuments, said to have been sketched on a sleeve) opens the hunt with its first riddle. From there, the app guides you through riddles and trivia challenges as you move between stops, competing against your group and the city's leaderboard. The route climbs student-worn streets to the Paço das Escolas, the hilltop courtyard where black-caped students have graduated for seven centuries, and passes the Mosteiro de Santa Cruz, which guards the tombs of Portugal's first two kings.

The whole walk covers around two hours of slopes and scholarship. You set the pace. There's no waiting, no fixed schedule, and you can take as many breaks as you need. The app provides clear hints and map guidance so you never get stuck, and all puzzles relate to public areas of the sights, so no entrance fees are required. The leaderboard posts final grades when you finish. The experience works for any group size up to 15 people, and service animals are allowed.

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 to compete within your group.
• live location map with marked sites so you always know where you are.
• clear hints and map guidance to keep you on track.

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 14 days ago

Good to know

Low physical effortPets welcomePublic transport nearby

Operated by Explorial

Is this one for you?Available in 24 languages including English, French, German, Spanish and Italian. Choose your language when you start the app. If you speak one of these languages and want to explore at your own pace without a guide, this works for any group size up to 15 people.

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.

Can I start the scavenger hunt whenever I want, or is there a set time?

The hunt is entirely self-guided with no fixed start time. You download the Explorial app, enter your game code, and begin whenever suits your schedule. You walk at your own pace and take breaks as you need them.

What is the Jardim da Manga and why does the hunt start there?

The Jardim da Manga is a lemon-yellow Renaissance cloister-fountain, one of Portugal's oddest monuments, said to have been sketched on a sleeve. It opens the hunt with its first riddle at the arches of the cloister itself.

Do I need to pay entrance fees to visit the sites on the route?

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

What do I need to bring to start the game?

Bring a fully charged smartphone with an active mobile data connection and the Explorial app downloaded from your appstore. Disable any VPN and avoid city Wi-Fi, as these will cause the app to malfunction. Wear comfortable walking shoes and weather-appropriate clothing.

What happens if bad weather or illness stops me from starting?

You can reschedule the hunt for another day, rebook to a different city, or request a refund if the weather or illness prevents you from starting the tour.