Montreux Self-Guided Walking Tour: Freddie Mercury & Jazz History

Riddles and trivia lead you through Montreux's music landmarks on your own schedule

This self-guided walking tour of Montreux uses an app-based scavenger hunt to lead you through the city on foot, solving riddles and trivia challenges at landmarks including the Freddie Mercury statue, the Place de l'Eurovision and the Jardin du Montreux Palace. You download the Explorial app, enter a game code, and walk at your own pace with no fixed start time or guide. Around two hours of walking along the flower-lined promenade. Available in 24 languages and suitable for all fitness levels.

The experience

Download the Explorial app to your smartphone, enter the 6-digit game code you receive by text and booking-platform message, and start from Rue du Pont 25 in the old town whenever you're ready. The riddles guide you downhill toward Lake Geneva's shoreline, where the Statue de Freddie Mercury strikes his iconic pose against the water: fans still leave flowers for the Queen frontman who recorded in Montreux and made it his home. The app marks each location on a map so you always know where you are, and you move through the city on your own timeline, taking breaks whenever you want.

The route hits three major stops: the Place de l'Eurovision, where trivia recalls the 1971 casino fire that inspired Deep Purple's "Smoke on the Water"; the Jardin du Montreux Palace, where Belle Époque elegance, palm trees and the Alps share one frame; and the flower-lined promenade that connects them. Photo tasks and trivia challenges unlock points as you go, and a leaderboard lets your group compete against each other and the city's high score. The whole walk takes around two hours at a comfortable pace.

You'll need a fully charged smartphone with an active mobile data connection and the ability to download the free Explorial app from your device's app store. Disable any VPN before you start, as it will cause the app to malfunction. Wear comfortable walking shoes and weather-appropriate clothing. 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.
• live location map so you always know where you are.
• points and scoring system to compete within your group and against the city's high score.
• stories, history and local legends about each landmark.
• 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 3 days ago

Good to know

Low physical effortPets welcomePublic transport nearby

Operated by Explorial

Is this one for you?Starting from the old town at Rue du Pont 25, this tour works whether you're staying elsewhere in Montreux or arriving without a car. You're on foot the whole way along the lakeside promenade, with no transport to arrange. The self-guided format means you move at your own speed and set your own schedule, so it fits around the rest of your day without locking you into a group departure time.

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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 Montreux scavenger hunt whenever I want, or is there a fixed 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. Walk at your own pace and take breaks as you like. There's no guide or group to keep up with.

What is the Statue de Freddie Mercury and why is it in Montreux?

The statue stands lakeside and shows Freddie Mercury in his iconic pose. Mercury recorded with Queen in Montreux and loved the town. Fans still leave flowers there as a tribute to the Queen frontman.

Do I need to pay entrance fees to visit the places on the scavenger hunt?

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

What happens if I can't complete the tour on the day I book it?

The Weather & Health Guarantee lets you reschedule for another day if bad weather or illness prevents you from starting. You can also rebook to a different city or request a refund.