Tarragona Self-Guided Walking Tour: Riddles & Roman Ruins

Riddles lead you through two thousand years of Tarragona in a single afternoon.

A self-guided walking tour of Tarragona using app-based riddles and photo tasks to navigate from the Roman walls to the cathedral and the Balcón del Mediterráneo. You download the Explorial app, enter a game code, and solve puzzles at landmarks across the old town: no guide, no fixed start time, and no entrance fees required. The route takes around 2 hours at your own pace, with optional stops and full flexibility to linger or move on.

The experience

The tour starts at the Portal del Roser, a gateway in the old Roman walls on Via de l'Imperi Romà. You open the Explorial app on your smartphone, enter a 6-digit game code sent by text and booking-platform message, and step into the old town on your own. There's no guide waiting, no group to keep up with, and no set departure time. You walk when you're ready, at whatever pace suits you. The app marks your location on a map and feeds you riddles, trivia challenges and photo tasks that point you toward the next landmark.

The route moves through the Plaça dels Sedassos, where a famous trompe-l'oeil mural painted on a building facade holds clues locals have been spotting for years. From there you climb to the Catedral de Tarragona at the city's highest point, where Romanesque and Gothic stonework sits layered over a Roman temple site: the cloister and carvings contain answers you'll hunt for. Then the path rolls downhill to the Balcón del Mediterráneo, an iron-railed lookout above the Roman amphitheatre where the tradition of touching the railing, tocar ferro, is said to bring luck. The whole walk takes around 2 hours in the Mediterranean sun, and you can pause for vermut or a meal whenever you want.

You'll need a fully charged smartphone with an active mobile data connection and the Explorial app downloaded before you arrive. The app is free. No entrance fees apply because all the puzzles relate to public areas outside the monuments. The game works in 24 languages, so you choose your language when you start. Groups can be up to 15 people, and you compete against each other and the city's high score as you move through the landmarks.

What’s included

• Free download of the Explorial app (iOS or Android).
• self-guided walking tour with interactive riddles, trivia challenges and photo tasks.
• live location navigation on the app map.
• points and scoring system to compete within your group and against the city's high score.
• learn about Tarragona's stories, history and local legends.
• total flexibility to start anytime, walk at your own pace and take as many breaks as 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 10 days ago

Good to know

Easy physical levelPets welcomePublic transport nearby

Operated by Explorial

Is this one for you?Start at the Portal del Roser on foot with no guide to meet you, so you're free to begin whenever you're ready and walk at your own rhythm: ideal if you're staying in the old town or arrived without a car and want to explore on your own terms.

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Top questions

What languages is the guide 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 Tarragona walking tour whenever I want, or is there a fixed departure time?

The tour is 100% self-guided with no fixed start time. You download the app, enter your game code, and begin whenever you're ready. You walk at your own pace and can take as many breaks as you want.

Do I need to pay entrance fees to visit the cathedral and amphitheatre on this tour?

No entrance fees are required. All the riddles and photo tasks relate to public areas outside the monuments, so you can solve the puzzles and see the sites without paying for entry.

What is the Plaça dels Sedassos and why does the tour stop there?

The Plaça dels Sedassos is a square in Tarragona's old town home to one of the city's most beloved painted facades: a trompe-l'oeil mural that looks like a painted balcony scene. The app sends you there to crack codes hidden in the mural as part of the scavenger hunt.

How long does the Tarragona scavenger hunt take, and is it a lot of walking?

The tour takes around 2 hours and involves light walking through the old town. You set the pace, so you can move faster or slower depending on how long you want to linger at each landmark.

What do I need to bring to start this self-guided tour?

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

Is the Balcón del Mediterráneo part of the tour route?

Yes. The route ends at the Balcón del Mediterráneo, an iron-railed lookout above the Roman amphitheatre where you can see the sea view. The tradition of touching the railing, tocar ferro, is said to bring luck.