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Activity Gatlinburg, USA

Gatlinburg Self-Guided City Walking Tour & Scavenger Hunt

5.0 (one review) 2 hours Free cancellation Private tour
Photos: the activity supplier, via Viator

Gatlinburg Self-Guided City Walking Tour & Scavenger Hunt

About this activity

Gatlinburg sits at the gateway to the Smokies, but its own story is worth staying in town for.

This app-led scavenger hunt takes you through Gatlinburg on foot, using phone-based riddles to guide you from one landmark to the next. No guide, no fixed start time.

  • Visit the Martha Jane Ogle Cabin, Anakeesta, and the Gatlinburg Space Needle — pioneers, panoramas, and peaks in one walk
  • Start when you're ready and walk at your own speed through a town packed with character
  • A fun activity for families, couples, and groups exploring the Smoky Mountain gateway

Available in 24 languages including English, French, German, Spanish, Italian — see the full list when booking and choose yours when you start the game in the app.

Around 2 hours - any group size.

All the altitude, none of the cable car queue.

Self-guided Tours Walking Tours Fun & Games Scavenger Hunts Low Supplier Cancellation Rate Low Last Minute Supplier Cancellation Rate New Product Short term availability

At a glance

Duration
2 hours
Confirmation
Instant confirmation
Ticket
Mobile or paper ticket accepted
Group
Your group only
People per booking
1–15
Guide
Norwegian, German, Hindi, Swedish, Finnish, Russian, Korean, Portuguese, Chinese, Greek, Cantonese, English, Italian, French, Hungarian, Spanish, Czech, Ukrainian, Japanese, Polish, Danish, Romanian, Dutch, Turkish
Operated by
Explorial

Ages: Children (0–9 years) · Adults (10–90 years)

What is included

Included

  • Included: Free download of the Explorial App from your appstore (iOS or Android smartphone required)
  • Included: Points and scoring system: Compete between players of your group and beat the cities high score.
  • Included: Live Location: navigate within the map with marked locations. Always know where you are.
  • Included: Learn about the cities stories, history, and local legends
  • Included: Total flexibility: no waiting, start anytime, walk at own pace and do as many breaks as you want.
  • Included: Self-guided walking tour with interactive riddles, trivia challenges and photo tasks.

Not included

  • Not included: Live-Guide: 100% self-guided; no one will meet you or join your group. Start anytime you want.
  • Not included: Entrance fees are not required for this game. All puzzles relate to the public areas of the sights
  • Not included: This is not an audio guide but an sightseeing, gaming and learning experience

Itinerary

Starting at 520 Parkway, Gatlinburg, TN 37738, USA, open the Explorial app and enter the 6-digit game code that you received by text and Viator chat message. The riddles take you through Gatlinburg's most storied spots from the very first clue. Your first stop is the Martha Jane Ogle Cabin, one of the oldest surviving structures in the area — a tangible connection to the original settlers who carved a life out of these mountain hollows. Next, the app leads you to Anakeesta, a mountaintop destination with rides, treetop walks, and views across the Great Smoky Mountains that earned their name long before the tourist trade arrived. From there you head to the Gatlinburg Space Needle, a retro-futurist tower that has watched over the Parkway since 1970 and still delivers panoramic views worth every step. Allow around 2 hours for the route. Perfect for all ages, and the game can be paused whenever you want to explore further.

  1. Stop 1

  2. The Spice & Tea Exchange Of Gatlinburg

  3. Anakeesta

  4. Fannie Farkle's Family Fun Parlor

  5. Treasure Quest Miniature Golf

  6. Gatlinburg First United Methodist Church

  7. Ripley's Believe It or Not! Gatlinburg

  8. Gatlinburg Space Needle

Meeting point and pickup

Everyone meets at the meeting point.

Meeting point

  • Book your Explorial tour today - Start whenever you want

    *** After booking, you’ll receive your game code via text message and a Viator message

    *** Download the Explorial app for free

    *** Head to the meeting point and enter the game code provided (6 digits) to start the tour

End point

  • Book your Explorial tour today - Start whenever you want

    *** After booking, you’ll receive your game code via text message and a Viator message

    *** Download the Explorial app for free

    *** Head to the meeting point and enter the game code provided (6 digits) to start the tour

Using your ticket

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*** Thank you for your trust by choosing EXPLORIAL.

*** The next steps are:

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*** 1. DOWNLOAD THE APP ***

Download the Explorial app from your app store, or from: https://s.explorial.com/T3SE3

(copy URL in your internet browser)

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*** 2. GET YOUR GAME CODE ***

Your game code is sent by text message to the phone number from your booking. Additionally:

  • Viator: under your booking -> "Help & support" -> "Message activity provider"
  • Tripadvisor: under your booking -> "Contact Tour Operator"

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*** NO CODE after 3 minutes? Then look it up at: https://support.explorial.com/

(copy URL in your internet browser)

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*** 3. HOW TO START ***

  • Go to the meeting or start point and open the app
  • Tap "Enter code", type your game code, tap "Join game"
  • Confirm you're at the start, or tap the map for directions
  • Tap "Create team" and name it (required even if playing solo)
  • Or tap "Join team" if a teammate already created a team
  • Enter your player name

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*** IMPORTANT: Don't press "Start game" until all players have joined the team in the app. Once pressed no one can join anymore

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*** GOOD TO KNOW ***

  • Language: each player picks their own at game start (EN, DE, FR, ES, PT, IT)
  • Start anytime on booked date
  • Want to start on a different day? Change your date within your booking - free of charge in less than 30 seconds

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*** SCORE & RANKING ***

Finish the tour and all tasks in the app to see your score and full statistics

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*** REMEMBER ***

This is not an audio tour. It's fully self-guided — no guide will meet or wait for you

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Cancellation

Free cancellation

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

If you cancel You get back
At least one day before 100%
Less than a day before 0%

Good to know

  • Service animals allowed

  • Public transportation options are available nearby

  • Suitable for all physical fitness levels

  • Max 15 people per booking. For larger groups, make multiple bookings.

  • After booking you receive a text message and a Viator message with your game code. Download the Explorial app from your appstore. Open the app, enter your 6 digit game code

  • Weather & Health Guarantee: If bad weather or illness prevents you from starting the tour, you can simply reschedule it for another day. You can also rebook to a different city or request a refund

  • Smartphone required: Bring your own fully charged smartphone with an active mobile data connection to the start of the tour. Please disable any VPN and avoid city Wi-Fi, as these will cause the app to malfunction or disconnect.

  • Recommended attire: It’s best to wear weather-appropriate clothing and comfortable walking shoes — approx. 2 hours of light walking

Traveller ratings

5.0 out of 5 · one review
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Activities, prices and reviews are from Viator. Booking and payment happen on Viator; Vacantier may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

Gatlinburg Self-Guided City Walking Tour & Scavenger Hunt

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