Appenzell Self-Guided Walking Tour with Riddle Game

Painted houses, riddles, and Swiss democracy in two hours

This self-guided walking tour of Appenzell uses phone-based riddles to lead you through the village on foot, with no guide and no fixed start time. You download the Explorial app, enter your game code, and move through landmarks at your own pace — the Landsgemeindeplatz where citizens still vote by raised hand, the Löwendrogerie's medicinal-plant facade, and the Rathaus frescoes — solving trivia challenges and photo tasks as you go. The app keeps score, marks your location on a map, and works in 24 languages. Around 2 hours of light walking; suitable for all fitness levels, and you can pause, break or reschedule if weather or illness gets in the way.

The Experience

What makes Appenzell worth a detour? The village still holds its annual vote in the open air — thousands of citizens gathering on the Landsgemeindeplatz to raise their hands, one of the last places on earth where democracy works this way. This tour plants you there first, and the app's riddles turn that living history into the frame for everything else you'll see. The painted facades around the square aren't decoration; they're the village talking back.

You start at Poststrasse 12 in the centre, open the Explorial app on your phone, enter the 6-digit code you received by text, and begin. No guide arrives, no group forms, no fixed time waits. The riddles pull you from one landmark to the next — the Löwendrogerie, where medicinal plants and local motifs cover the entire painted surface; the Rathaus, where frescoes wrap the town hall in scenes from Appenzell's history, each one hiding details the app will ask about. You decode facades, answer trivia, take photos of specific details, and compete against your group's score or the city's high score. The app shows you where you are on a map and lets you move at village pace, with time for an Appenzeller cheese or a Biber pastry whenever you want to stop.

Two hours of walking covers the route, but the day is entirely yours to shape. You can start at 9am or 4pm, take breaks whenever the mood strikes, and walk as slowly as the riddles demand. If weather turns or someone gets sick, you can reschedule for another day, switch to a different city in the app, or request a refund. The only real requirement is a fully charged smartphone with active mobile data — bring your own, disable any VPN, and avoid city Wi-Fi so the app stays connected.

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 map showing where you are in the village.
• points and scoring system to compete within your group or against the city's high score.
• flexibility to start anytime, walk at your own pace, and take breaks whenever you want.
• access to the tour in 24 languages including English, French, German, Spanish and Italian.

Good to know

Easy physical levelPets welcomePublic transport nearby

Operated by Explorial

Is this one for you?The tour moves at village pace over about 2 hours of light walking, which suits anyone comfortable on their feet for that length of time. Because you control the start time and can pause whenever you want, it works around your schedule and energy — there's no group waiting and no fixed rhythm to keep up with.

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Top questions

How do I start the Appenzell walking tour?

After booking, you receive a text message and Viator message with your 6-digit game code. Download the Explorial app from your phone's app store (iOS or Android), open it, enter the code, and begin whenever you're ready — no guide, no fixed start time, just you and the riddles.

What is the Landsgemeindeplatz and why does the tour start there?

The Landsgemeindeplatz is the village square where Appenzell's citizens still gather every April to vote by raised hand — one of the last places on earth where democracy happens this way in the open air. The tour uses it as the entry point to Appenzell's living history.

Can I do this tour with a large group?

The app supports groups up to 15 people per booking. If your group is larger, you can make multiple bookings and have each group compete on the same scoreboard or play separately.

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

The tour includes a weather and health guarantee: if bad weather or illness prevents you from starting, you can reschedule for another day, rebook to a different city in the app, or request a refund.

What do I need to bring to play this tour?

Bring your own fully charged smartphone with an active mobile data connection. Disable any VPN and avoid city Wi-Fi before you start, as these will cause the app to malfunction. Wear weather-appropriate clothing and comfortable walking shoes for about 2 hours of light walking.

Does the tour include entrance fees to the landmarks?

No entrance fees are required. All the riddles and photo tasks relate to public areas of the sights, so you can solve them from the street or plaza without paying to enter any buildings.