Switzerland · SELF-GUIDED TOURS
Every trip has one free day too few. These 15 self-guided tours justify the slot, priced and timed so you can decide in minutes and get back to the fun part.
Ride Zurich’s reinvented trolley for about two hours from Sihlquai Bus Terminal. You’ll pass Bahnhofstrasse, Paradeplatz, Old Town churches, Zürichberg villas, and Lake Zurich, with audio commentary in 11 languages, Wi-Fi, and two photo stops.
“Had an accident and no one form yourself or the bus operators company contacted us to check if we fine. We didn’t get to complete the tour.”
You’ll cruise Lake Lucerne, ride the historic cogwheel train to Rigi Kulm, use the mountain railways and cable car, then relax at Rigi Kaltbad Mineral Baths. The self-guided format gives you freedom, but you must track boat, train, bus, and cable-car times yourself.
“This was an outstanding day. Everything was easy to figure out, plenty of time for each portion of the tour and a great mix of activities. The walk to the spa took a full hour but the snow was deep and we took our time. Beautiful scenery!!!”
Travel from Geneva to Chamonix by air-conditioned vehicle, then explore independently. Choose the Aiguille du Midi cable car or Montenvers cogwheel train to Mer de Glace. Expect maps and activity tickets from KeyTours, limited guiding, mountain weather, and a long but rewarding day.
“The views and scenery from Chamonix & Aiguille du Midi is absolutely stunning and picturesque. Temp at Aiguille du Midi was around 3⁰C in July 2022 and needed a light jacket. Beautiful views and plenty of phot ops. However, the cable car ride (two for ascent and descent each) needs a lot to be desired. Absolutely uncomfortable for 40+ pax to be stuffed into one cable car. No regard to C19 precautions; more than half of pax unmasked ! Poor show. Toilets available at the top as well - a word of caution for men (pls sit and empty gently or else U may feel dizzy at that level of…”
Travel from Geneva to Chamonix by air-conditioned coach, then explore independently with optional tickets for the Aiguille du Midi cable car and Mer de Glace train. You get about 10 hours away, with help from Swisstours staff and guides such as Chris, Maria, Neil, or David on some departures.
“Real feeling 🔝 of the nature. Mixed feelings of excitement. Had real experience of decreasing the oxygen of my body I felt the pressure through my body muscles and head. One of the best feelings and experienced worth to visit and I will come back again one day 🙏❤️”
Start at Marktplatz and follow a one-hour to 90-minute VoiceMap walk through Basel’s historic center. In English, GPS-guided audio leads you past the Town Hall, Middle Bridge, Basel Minster, Pfalz, Tinguely Fountain, Theater Basel, and Stadtcasino before ending at Barfüsserplatz.
“I used this as an “Intro to Basel” and it was perfect! Showed me around to major cultural areas and gave good suggestions for coffee or things to do during my stay.”
Follow a paper-voucher food route from Bäckerei KULT to Spalenberg, stopping for bakery treats, a zero-waste snack, global dishes, and four Läckerly samples. You set the pace, but start around 11 a.m. and follow the stated order to avoid closed vendors.
“First, access to the actual 'details' were not available on or through the voucher / texted link. You need to print the details from a PC. Second, there was no indication that there is a 'formal order' that we were supposed to visit the 4 sites in. We had our concierge at the hotel help us locate these 4 spots according to the PC details, and she outlined a 'route' that helped us see the city, but that route was apparently different than what the 'official' route was supposed to be. So, when we got to 'our' 2nd stop, the woman in the store tried to keep our 'new' vouchers…”
Follow an Einstein-inspired story through central Zurich using the Questo app. Solve 11 interactive puzzles, find landmarks such as Münsterbrücke and Paradeplatz, and finish at Polyterrasse. The self-guided route takes about 1 hour 40 minutes, works in English, and can be paused and resumed.
“It is a fun way to see the city. There is a story and you learn some science on the way. You go to places you might not otherwise see.”
Follow an English audio guide from Lucerne’s Jesuit Church to the Lion Monument in about two hours. You’ll hear stories of frescoed houses, old prisons, an executioner’s home, medieval churches, and the city’s famous bridges while walking at your own pace with your phone and headphones.
“Wonderful to have an audio self-guided tour at our own leisure – it gave us the opportunity to stop and have a coffee or a glass of wine and to talk about what we experience without having a live guide and interrupting the group”
Follow a self-guided English audio walk through Bern’s Old Town, beginning at Zytglogge and ending at Ryfflibrunnen. You’ll use your phone, internet connection, and headset to explore 21 named sights, with photos, directions, and extra audio segments you can pause or skip.
“The instructions on the tour were very good and clear. I liked that you could go to the next section if you did not feel you wanted to hear the minute details if every stop.”
Follow a zombie-themed mystery through Geneva using the Questo app. Solve clues at 12 city sights, including Frankenstein’s Monster, Tavel House, the Flower Clock, and Rousseau Island. You set the pace, can pause as needed, and play privately in English with no physical guide.
“C'était bien sympa, mais avec le temps depuis 2020, des travaux on fait que certains points son compliqué à deviner. Et si vous voulez utiliser le même compte (tablette et téléphone) cela n'est pas possible.”
Use the World City Trail app to guide yourself through Bern’s key sights, from the Parliament Building and Zytglogge to the Cathedral and Einstein Museum area. Solve location-based riddles, hear short stories, and pause whenever you like. Bring a charged phone, mobile data, and comfortable shoes.
“Hallo Wir haben unsere Tour abgeschlossen. Können sie uns eine Rangliste unserer Teams zusenden? Danke, Lieber Gruss Rahel Stuber”
This self-guided Bern walk starts at Käfigturm and uses your smartphone to lead you to the Bundeshaus, Zytglogge, Rathaus, and other city sights. Solve questions, complete photo tasks, and move at your own pace for about two hours. It is private, flexible, and available in five languages.
“Positive: A great idea to get to know the city in an entertaining way, especially for the little ones. We all liked it a lot. The negative: only one person in the group was on the Internet and the others could not even enter the application, however I think it was not necessary because one person downloading it is enough and in the end it would have been cheaper. Maybe they should set a price for the app and always charge the same regardless of the number of people. I also think they should include the river in some way. Maybe visiting the spa.Auto-translated”
Follow an English audio guide from Empress Sissi’s statue to the Escalade Fountain, passing Geneva’s Jet d’Eau, cathedral, Reformation Wall, and Flower Clock. The 1 to 2 hour walk uses mobile directions, photos, and stories about virtues, sins, religion, and Geneva’s past. Bring data service and headphones.
“It was very informative and fun walking through the city! Good directions with pictures help. Hot day so we took some breaks and then kept going.”
Use the Explorial app to explore Zurich on foot with your private group. Starting at town hall, you’ll solve sight-based questions, complete creative photo tasks, and visit places such as Grossmünster, Sechseläutenplatz, and Paradeplatz. The route takes about one to two hours and can be paused anytime.
“Zurich has so many beautiful spots. It was a beautiful walk and will use Explorial again. The app is really cool and you learn a lot with the riddles. All loved it and we have lots of pictures to share.”
Discover Fribourg on foot with an English-language app and self-guided scavenger hunt. Follow map clues to Saint-Nicolas Cathedral, Samson’s Fountain, Fribourg Centre, and the bridge, then solve questions and complete creative photo tasks at your own pace.
“varied and worthwhile tour. The tour brought a Fribourg closer and there was an interesting insight into the city.Auto-translated”
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