Thun Self-Guided Walking Tour: Medieval Castle & Lake Views

Solve riddles through a 12th-century castle town at your own pace

Thun self-guided walking tour uses an app-based scavenger hunt to lead you through the medieval old town on foot, solving riddles at landmarks like the arcaded Rathausplatz, the white-towered Schloss Thun, and the octagonal Stadtkirche overlooking the Aare. No guide, no fixed schedule, and available in 24 languages. The whole route takes around 2 hours with breaks encouraged.

The experience

You download the Explorial app before you arrive, enter a 6-digit code sent by text, and start whenever suits your group: no guide waiting, no clock ticking. The game begins on the Rathausplatz, the arcaded square at the foot of the castle hill, where riddles and photo tasks pull you from one landmark to the next. The app marks locations on a map so you always know where you are, and you move at whatever pace works: linger in the flower-decked facades, take breaks by the Aare, or push straight through.

The route climbs to Schloss Thun, the 12th-century Zähringen keep whose four corner towers anchor the skyline, then reaches the Stadtkirche with its rare octagonal tower and views across the river to the Alps. Around 2 hours of light walking covers the castle, the church, and the riverbanks. The riddles teach local history and legends as you go, and you can compete against your group's score or beat the city's high score if you want the game to push harder. By the last riddle, the gateway to the Bernese Oberland opens up completely: Thun becomes the perfect first chapter of a bigger trip.

You need a fully charged smartphone with active mobile data and no VPN running. The app works in iOS or Android. Groups stay under 15 people per booking. If weather or illness stops you before you start, you can reschedule for another day, switch to a different city, or request a refund. All the puzzles use public areas, so no entrance fees are required.

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.
• learn about Thun's stories, history and local legends.
• points and scoring system to compete within your group or against the city high score.
• 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 15 days ago

Good to know

Low physical effortPets welcomePublic transport nearby

Operated by Explorial

Is this one for you?The 2 hours of light walking suits any fitness level, and the self-guided format means you set the pace: linger at views, skip ahead through riddles, or take breaks whenever the Aare-side benches call. If you want a guide narrating the history or a fixed group schedule, this app-led route is not the fit. If you want to explore Thun on your own terms with your phone as the only companion, this one unlocks the whole old town.

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 landmarks does the Thun scavenger hunt take me through?

The route covers the Rathausplatz with its arcaded facades at the castle's foot, Schloss Thun itself with its four corner towers and knight's hall, and the Stadtkirche whose octagonal tower overlooks the old town and the Aare.

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

You start anytime you choose. There's no fixed departure or guide meeting you. Download the app, enter your game code, and begin whenever your group is ready.

Do I need to pay entrance fees to visit the landmarks on the tour?

No entrance fees are required. All the riddles and photo tasks use public areas and viewpoints outside the sights.

How long does the walking tour take, and how much walking is involved?

The route takes around 2 hours of light walking across the castle hill, the old town, and the riverbanks, with breaks encouraged wherever you want to stop.