Switzerland · SELF-GUIDED TOURS

Top 15 Self-Guided Tours in Switzerland

31 tours  ·  from $8

This is the shortlist you would send a friend: 15 self-guided tours worth the money, each with its price, its traveller verdict and the one thing to know before you commit.

Zurich City Tour with Audio Commentary - Bahnhofstrasse and Paradeplatz: Zurich’s polished center
Audio Tours, City Tours, City Tours in Zurich, Self-Guided Tours, Tour Reviews, Tours, Zurich Tours

Zurich City Tour with Audio Commentary

1.Zurich City Tour with Audio Commentary

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 372 reviews · 2 hours (approx.) · from $44Our pick

Ride Zurich’s eco-friendly reinvented Trolley from Sihlquai Bus Terminal past Bahnhofstrasse, Paradeplatz, Old Town, Zurichberg, and Lake Zurich. You’ll hear recorded commentary in 11 languages, stop for photos at Hafen Enge and Fraumünster, and return to the starting point in roughly 90 minutes to two hours. It is an easy city overview, not a walking tour.

“Excellent service. Kind and well mannered staff and bus driver. Will certainly book other tours again. Very very good mix of information from the audio system as well as the tour guide.”

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Mt. Rigi Self-Guided Tour: Lake Lucerne Cruise and Mountain Spa - Walking, eating, and finding your way to Kaltbad
Cruises & Boat Tours, Guided, Lake Cruises in Lucerne, Lucerne Tours, Mount Rigi Tours, Self-Guided Tours, Spa & Hot Springs, Tour Reviews, Tours

Mt. Rigi Self-Guided Tour: Lake Lucerne Cruise and Mountain Spa

2.Mt. Rigi Self-Guided Tour: Lake Lucerne Cruise and Mountain Spa

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 83 reviews · 7 to 10 hours (approx.) · from $211

Build your own Swiss mountain day from Lucerne with a second-class Lake Lucerne cruise, unlimited Mt. Rigi trains and cable cars, and admission to Rigi Kaltbad Mineral Baths & Spa. You set the pace, but you must watch the transport timetable and bring swimwear. The spa provides tea and spring water.

“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!!!”

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Self-Guided Chamonix with Aiguille du Midi or Mer de Glace - Montenvers and the Mer de Glace
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Self-Guided Chamonix with Aiguille du Midi or Mer de Glace

3.Self-Guided Chamonix with Aiguille du Midi or Mer de Glace

★★★★★★★★★★3.5 · 35 reviews · 8 to 10 hours (approx.) · from $112

Travel by air-conditioned vehicle from Geneva to Chamonix, then explore independently. Choose the Aiguille du Midi cable car at 3,842 meters, the Montenvers cogwheel train to Mer de Glace, or both when available. Expect maps and tickets from KeyTours, limited guiding, mountain weather, and a long but memorable day.

“The trip up to Aiguille du Midi was not quite as we expected. You're crammed into the cable cars like sardines the same, if not worse, as being on the London underground. Not comfortable. You can't relax and enjoy the views. And if you're not keen on confined spaces you won't like it - you simply have no space to move. But the views at the top are - of course - fantastic. Having read the previous reviews we were looking forward to meeting the local host Neil. That was a bit disappointing too. He was both patronising, impatient and quite rude. I'd be amazed if any of the overseas…”

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Chamonix Self-guided Sightseeing Tour from Geneva - Aiguille du Midi: the high point of the day
Chamonix Mont Blanc Tours, Geneva Tours, Guided, Self-Guided Tours, Tour Reviews, Tours

Chamonix Self-guided Sightseeing Tour from Geneva

4.Chamonix Self-guided Sightseeing Tour from Geneva

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 34 reviews · 10 hours (approx.) · from $104

Travel from Geneva to Chamonix by air-conditioned coach, then explore independently with optional rides on the Aiguille du Midi cable car and Montenvers train to Mer de Glace. You get about 10 hours in the Alps, with basic guidance from the Swisstours team and free time to choose your own pace.

“Although the weather wasn’t sunny, the cable cars were closed, our guide was very nice and we went up to mer de glace by train. Which was magical nonetheless. It was snowing and very cold. After returning to town Chamonix, the guide did a quick show of the main spots, food tips, and let us do and go wherever wanted. Indeed a very well, easy and enjoyable experience.”

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The Best of Basel’s Hidden Treasures: A Self-Guided Audio Tour - Starting at Marktplatz and Basel Town Hall
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The Best of Basel’s Hidden Treasures: A Self-Guided Audio Tour

5.The Best of Basel’s Hidden Treasures: A Self-Guided Audio Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 32 reviews · 1 hour to 1 hour 30 minutes (approx.) · from $11

Follow a one-hour to 90-minute VoiceMap audio walk through Basel, from Marktplatz past the Town Hall, Rhine, Basel Minster, Tinguely Fountain, and Stadtcasino. English narration, GPS directions, maps, text, and offline access let you pause, detour, or continue at your own pace. Admission to museums and attractions is not included.

“Very easy to understand but one person lost voice recording and could not get it back halfway through tour”

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Basel: Self Guided FoodTour - Basel unverpackt turns a refill shop into a tasting stop
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Basel: Self Guided FoodTour

6.Self Guided FoodTour

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 29 reviews · 3 to 4 hours (approx.) · from $51

Follow a paper voucher through four Basel food stops, beginning at Bäckerei KULT and ending at Jakob’s Basler Leckerly. You receive a drink or snack at every location, including bakery treats, a refill-shop sample, three international delicacies at Klara, and four traditional Läckerly cakes. Start independently, but plan the route and opening times carefully.

“We enjoyed to see parts of the town we wouldn’t have seen without this tour. Every shop, bakery, cafe was special and recommendable.”

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Einstein in Zurich: Walk in Time Exploration Game and Tour - The seven-stage walk through central Zurich
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Einstein in Zurich: Walk in Time Exploration Game and Tour

7.Einstein in Zurich: Walk in Time Exploration Game and Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 25 reviews · 1 hour 40 minutes (approx.) · from $7Best value

Follow an Einstein-inspired storyline from Rathausbrücke to Polyterrasse while solving 11 phone-based puzzles. You will pass central Zurich sights such as Münsterbrücke and Paradeplatz, learn bits of science and local history, and move at your own pace. This private, self-led activity suits families and curious first-time visitors more than serious Einstein scholars.

“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.”

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Revealing Lucerne: Self-Guided Audio City Tour - Quiet churches and the first bridge
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Revealing Lucerne: Self-Guided Audio City Tour

8.Revealing Lucerne: Self-Guided Audio City Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 20 reviews · 1 to 2 hours (approx.) · from $13

Follow an English audio tour from Jesuit Church to Lucerne’s Lion Monument in about two hours. You’ll hear stories behind painted façades, medieval bridges, churches, former prisons, and old civic buildings while using your own phone, internet connection, and headphones. Explore privately and pause whenever you wish.

“Very disappointing. We were not able to use the link that was sent to us. We tried on 4 different phones. We wasted 30 mins trying to figure this out. We were so looking forward to this tour. On the upside the tour company is refunding our money. However I used my Viator credits and not sure I will receive those back.”

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Self-Guided Audio City Tour in Bern - City Hall, churches, and medieval power
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Self-Guided Audio City Tour in Bern

9.Self-Guided Audio City Tour in Bern

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 17 reviews · 2 to 3 hours (approx.) · from $13

Follow an English audio tour through Bern’s Old Town, from the Zytglogge clock to Ryfflibrunnen. You get step-by-step directions, photos, and detailed commentary on 21 named sights, with extra audio segments along the way. Bring a charged phone, internet access, and headphones. Plan closer to five hours if you listen to everything and take breaks.

“There is quite a bit of walking. The full-time for the tour would probably be approaching five hours. However, they go into a lot of detail for certain sculptures or stain glass windows. That’s easy to skip through if you’re not interested. The walking directions are excellent.”

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Geneva Virus Run: Stop the Infection Exploration Game - Frankenstein, Place de Neuve, and Gandhi
Geneva Tours, Self-Guided Tours, Tour Reviews

Geneva Virus Run: Stop the Infection Exploration Game

10.Geneva Virus Run: Stop the Infection Exploration Game

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 17 reviews · 1 hour 20 minutes (approx.) · from $7

Follow a zombie-themed trail through Geneva using the Questo app. Solve clues at 12 city stops, including the Frankenstein monument, Old Arsenal, Tavel House, Flower Clock, and Rousseau statue. You explore privately, set your own start time, and can pause as needed. Plan for a short setup with internet before playing offline.

“Great way to explore Geneva with a family that likes to play mysteries together! Easy to sign up and use. No problem downloading the program, using the application or using it.”

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Self-Guided Audio City Tour in Zurich - St. Peter’s, the Roman baths, and Zurich’s civic center
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Self-Guided Audio City Tour in Zurich

11.Self-Guided Audio City Tour in Zurich

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 15 reviews · 2 to 3 hours (approx.) · from $13

Use your phone and headphones to explore Zurich from Bahnhofplatz through the Old Town and along the Limmat. The English audio guide covers 111 landmarks, including Lindenhof, Grossmünster, Cabaret Voltaire, Lenin’s former apartment, Fraumünster, and the Roman baths. Allow two to four hours, and bring a charged phone with internet.

“The tour is self-guided & self-paced almost equivalent to having a personal guide. The instructions are clear & easy to follow. One feels like he/she is on a Scavanger hunt looking for clues & shapes while learning about the rich history of the city. We should have such tours for every city! This was one of the best experiences during my Europe trip.”

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Bern Scavenger Hunt and Highlights Self Guided Audio Tour - Starting at the Church of the Holy Spirit
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Bern Scavenger Hunt and Highlights Self Guided Audio Tour

12.Bern Scavenger Hunt and Highlights Self Guided Audio Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 14 reviews · 2 hours (approx.) · from $11

Use the World City Trail app to guide yourself through Bern’s Parliament Building, Zytglogge, cathedral, fountains, and Einstein Museum area. Solve observation-based riddles, hear short historical stories, and pause whenever you like. The route covers about 3.2 kilometers and usually takes around two hours, though you can finish faster or spread it across the year.

“Hallo Wir haben unsere Tour abgeschlossen. Können sie uns eine Rangliste unserer Teams zusenden? Danke, Lieber Gruss Rahel Stuber”

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Lausanne (City Center) Scavenger Hunt and Sights Self-Guided Tour - Starting at Château St-Maire
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Lausanne (City Center) Scavenger Hunt and Sights Self-Guided Tour

13.Lausanne (City Center) Scavenger Hunt and Sights Self-Guided Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 14 reviews · 2 hours (approx.) · from $18

Use the Explorial app to explore Lausanne on foot, solve questions at city sights, and complete creative photo tasks for points. The private, English-language game starts at Château St-Maire, takes about one to two hours, and lets you pause whenever you like.

“We did not go on the self guided tour. We could not find the place to go and did not know the time. Wasted money.”

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Lucerne Scavenger Hunt and Sights Self-Guided Tour - Chapel Bridge: the postcard sight with a task attached
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Lucerne Scavenger Hunt and Sights Self-Guided Tour

14.Lucerne Scavenger Hunt and Sights Self-Guided Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 14 reviews · 2 hours (approx.) · from $18

Use an app and access code to explore Lucerne at your own pace, solving questions, finding landmarks, and completing creative photo tasks. The route starts and ends at Lucerne Train Station and takes about one to two hours. You will see Chapel Bridge, Fritschibrunnen, and St. Leodegar Church, with breaks allowed along the way.

“We just did it with my husband and myself and it was a lot of fun and I enjoyed it and it was a great way to get to know the city and play a game at the same time”

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Self-Guided Audio Tour to the Dark Side of Zurich - Wasserkirche, Grossmünster, and religious punishment
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Self-Guided Audio Tour to the Dark Side of Zurich

15.Self-Guided Audio Tour to the Dark Side of Zurich

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 14 reviews · 1 to 2 hours (approx.) · from $13

Follow a professional English-language audio guide from Paradeplatz to Herkulesbrunnen in about one to two hours. Along the way, hear stories of witches, executioners, drownings, public punishment, and Zurich’s medieval courts while seeing Fraumünster, Grossmünster, the Limmat, and Old Town lanes at your own pace. Bring a phone, internet, and headphones.

“We had to ask for assistance for the link to work and took long time to load . If Rick Steves would have been available would have done his tour.”

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New in Self-Guided Tours

★ 5.0Appenzell Scavenger Hunt and Sights Self-Guided TourFrom $84 reviews
★ 4.5Aarau Scavenger Hunt and Sights Self-Guided TourFrom $183 reviews
★ 3.0Locarno Scavenger Hunt and Sights Self-Guided TourFrom $185 reviews
★ 5.0The Lives and Legends of Lucerne: A Self-Guided Audio TourFrom $96 reviews
★ 5.0Attraction Ticket: Jungfraujoch Top of Europe self-guided tripFrom $4467 reviews
★ 4.5A Self-Guided Audio Tour of Geneva’s Old TownFrom $117 reviews
★ 5.0Zug Scavenger Hunt and Sights Self-Guided TourFrom $185 reviews
★ 5.0Thun Scavenger Hunt and Sights Self-Guided TourFrom $83 reviews
★ 4.5Beautiful Bern’s Legends: A Self-Guided Audio TourFrom $117 reviews
★ 4.5Basel Scavenger Hunt and Sights Self-Guided TourFrom $187 reviews

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