Bern scavenger hunt
The Bern Historical Museum, Switzerland's second-largest history museum, houses half a million cultural artifacts alongside the integrated Einstein Museum, which showcases Albert Einstein's life and groundbreaking work during his time in Bern.
The Bern Historical Museum is one of Switzerland's most significant cultural institutions, housed in a magnificent 19th-century building designed in the historicist style.
The Käfigturm is a medieval tower that served as a city gate and a prison, now standing as a prominent landmark within the UNESCO World Heritage site of Bern.
The Federal Palace is the majestic seat of the Swiss government and parliament, standing as a grand Neo-Renaissance landmark overlooking the vibrant Bundesplatz.
Nydeggkirche stands as a historic sentinel at the edge of Bern's Old Town, marking the site of a former ducal castle where the city was founded.
Bern scavenger hunt
The Bern Historical Museum, Switzerland's second-largest history museum, houses half a million cultural artifacts alongside the integrated Einstein Museum, which showcases Albert Einstein's life and groundbreaking work during his time in Bern.
The Bern Historical Museum is one of Switzerland's most significant cultural institutions, housed in a magnificent 19th-century building designed in the historicist style.
The Käfigturm is a medieval tower that served as a city gate and a prison, now standing as a prominent landmark within the UNESCO World Heritage site of Bern.
The Federal Palace is the majestic seat of the Swiss government and parliament, standing as a grand Neo-Renaissance landmark overlooking the vibrant Bundesplatz.
Nydeggkirche stands as a historic sentinel at the edge of Bern's Old Town, marking the site of a former ducal castle where the city was founded.

Bern Scavenger Hunt and Self-Guided Tour

Rated 4.61 out of 5 based on 46 customer ratings
(46 customer reviews)

Explore the city at your own pace with a self-guided experience.
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Make a day of itInteractive guides by World City Trail, delivered with your tickets.

What is a city guide?

Your own guide to Bern on your phone: hand-picked places, each with why to go, what to order and a practical tip.

  • Tick places off
  • Your own notes
  • One tap to Maps
  • Open now, near me
  • Works offline
  • Print it or save as PDF
See the guides, a short video and all the details →
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  • No time limit – use your ticket whenever you want
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Included: your personal Trail Map with every city you finish, the kilometres you walk and your flag collection. See an example →

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Everything you need for a flexible self-guided city experience

Explore the city at your own pace

✔ Discover hidden gems & highlights
✔ Enjoy a flexible self-guided experience
✔ Explore freely with no schedule
✔ Perfect for couples, students, companies, friends & families

How your city experience works

✔ Instant ticket purchase
✔ Easy access via the World City Trail app
✔ Quick setup with your booking details
✔ Start anytime and explore freely
✔ Pause and resume anytime

Why travelers choose this tour

✔ Instant access after purchase
✔ Optional AI voice narration — listen instead of read
✔ Discover top attractions & food spots
✔ Customize your route anytime

Arcades, bears and Einstein: Bern as a puzzle

The Bern scavenger hunt is a self-guided city game you play on your phone: you walk from landmark to landmark, solve a riddle at each one by looking closely at what is in front of you, and unlock the stories and legends behind it. Under the arcades and over the Kirchenfeld Bridge you walk about 44 minutes over 3.5 km and 10 stops, and with riddles, stories and the odd fountain break the whole game takes around 3 hours, starting whenever you open it.

Highlights include the Federal Palace, the armoured bear of the Zähringerbrunnen, the late Gothic Rathaus, Bern Minster with the tallest church tower in Switzerland and the Einstein Museum, a reminder that Einstein lived in Bern. The old town sits on a loop of the Aare and its long streets are lined with covered arcades, so much of the walk is sheltered from sun and rain.

  • Durationabout 3 hours
  • Walkingabout 44 min · 3.5 km
  • Stops10
  • LanguagesEnglish, German, French, Italian, Spanish, Chinese

Riddles along the arcaded streets of the Swiss capital

A bear in armour, a Judgement in stone

Each stop hides one riddle in what you can see: the armoured bear on the Zähringerbrunnen, the figures of the Last Judgement above the Minster portal, the covered double staircase of the Rathaus. Careful eyes and a little logic are all it takes, with no Swiss German required.

Founders, prisoners and a physicist

Answers unlock the city's stories: how Duke Berthold V of Zähringen founded Bern on a loop of the Aare in 1191, why the Käfigturm is called the cage tower, and how a young Albert Einstein published his special theory of relativity here in 1905. The audio narration tells it all while you shelter under the arcades.

3.5 km, down to the Aare and back up

Walking adds up to around 44 minutes over 3.5 km. The route drops towards the river at the Nydeggkirche, climbs back to the Minster and crosses the Kirchenfeld Bridge at the end, with Google Maps showing every turn.

Arcades for rainy days

With about 6 kilometres of covered arcades, much of the old town stays dry in a shower, and nothing in the game is timed, so a coffee or a look into a cellar shop fits in whenever you like. Arriving by train? The first riddle is at the Heiliggeistkirche, right beside Bern's main station.

See the route and attractions →

How it works

  1. Book online Choose the number of players. Your booking reference arrives by email straight away.
  2. Get the app Download the World City Trail app from the App Store or Google Play and enter your booking reference.
  3. Play when you like Start whenever you are ready, walk at your own pace and pause any time. No guide, no fixed schedule.

Day-trippers, families and teams in the federal city

Day trips from Zurich, Basel or Interlaken

Bern's old town is compact and begins at the station, so a day trip easily fits the game's 3 hours and 3.5 km. The riddles make you look up at towers and fountains that are easy to walk past.

Children who go looking for bears

Kids enjoy the armoured bear and the grape-eating cub on the Zähringerbrunnen, the 26 water jets on the Bundesplatz and, a short walk beyond the Nydeggkirche, the live bears of the Bear Park. An adult plays in every team.

Teams who finish with Einstein

Up to 5 players form a team, each on their own phone, and several teams can leave the Heiliggeistkirche at intervals and meet again on Helvetiaplatz, in front of the museum that tells the story of Einstein's years in Bern.

Good to know

  • Bring a charged smartphone with mobile data; a power bank helps.
  • No entry tickets needed: everything happens outside the buildings. Going inside is optional and paid separately.
  • Family friendly; children must be accompanied by an adult.
  • Not suitable for wheelchair users and difficult with strollers.
  • Teams of up to 5 work best; bigger groups split into several teams, one ticket per player.
  • Every purchase helps support stray cats and dogs in Greece.

The route: from the Heiliggeistkirche through the arcaded old town to the Einstein Museum

10 stops · about 44 min walking · start: Heiliggeistkirche · finish: Bern Historical Museum and Einstein Museum

The hunt starts at the Heiliggeistkirche next to the main station and passes the Käfigturm and the Federal Palace to the Stadttheater on Kornhausplatz. From there you explore the arcaded old town, the Zähringerbrunnen on Kramgasse and the Rathaus, then walk down to the Nydeggkirche above the Aare. You climb back to Bern Minster and cross the Kirchenfeld Bridge to finish at the Bern Historical Museum with the Einstein Museum on Helvetiaplatz. Fountains, façades and portals hold every answer, so no ticket desk stands between you and the next riddle, and if the Bear Park end of town suits you better, the app can start you at the Nydeggkirche and reorder the stops from there.

Open the route map ↗

  1. Heiliggeistkirche

    1HeiliggeistkircheStart

    The Church of the Holy Spirit stands right beside Bern's main railway station and was built between 1726 and 1729. It is one of the largest Protestant baroque churches in Switzerland, with a bright, hall-like interior. Its sandstone façade faces Spitalgasse, where the long main street of the old town begins.

  2. Käfigturm

    2Käfigturm

    The Käfigturm, or Prison Tower, marks the western edge of Bern after the town grew in the 13th century. The present tower was built in the 17th century and served as a prison until the late 19th century, which explains its name, cage tower. Look up at the clock and the small bell turret on its roof.

  3. Federal Palace

    3Federal Palace

    The Federal Palace, completed in 1902 to designs by Hans Wilhelm Auer, houses the Swiss parliament and the Federal Council. Its green dome rises high above the Aare valley. On the Bundesplatz in front of it, 26 water jets spring from the paving, one for each Swiss canton.

  4. Stadttheater Bern

    4Stadttheater Bern

    Bern's municipal theatre opened in 1903 on Kornhausplatz and stages opera, drama and dance. Its neo-baroque façade with columns and sculptures faces the square. Next to it stands the Kornhaus, the city's former granary, now used for events and dining.

  5. Bern Old Town

    5Bern Old Town

    Founded in 1191 by Duke Berthold V of Zähringen on a loop of the river Aare, Bern's old town has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1983. Its sandstone houses line streets with around 6 kilometres of covered arcades, the Lauben. Look down for the cellar doors opening onto the pavement, many of them now shops and bars.

  6. Zähringerbrunnen

    6Zähringerbrunnen

    This fountain on Kramgasse was set up in 1535 in honour of Berthold V of Zähringen, the founder of Bern. Its figure is a bear in full armour holding a banner and a shield. At its feet a little bear cub is eating grapes.

  7. Rathaus

    7Rathaus

    Bern's Town Hall was built between 1406 and 1417 in late Gothic style and is still the seat of both the cantonal and the city parliament. Look at the covered double staircase leading up to the entrance, a typical feature of late Gothic town halls.

  8. Nydeggkirche

    8Nydeggkirche

    The Nydeggkirche stands on the site of Nydegg Castle, the Zähringer fortress from which the town was founded. The church dates from the late Middle Ages and overlooks the Nydegg Bridge over the Aare. From here it is only a short walk across the river to the Bear Park.

  9. Bern Minster

    9Bern Minster

    Bern Minster, the city's great late Gothic church, was begun in 1421, but its tower was only completed in 1893. At just over 100 metres, it is the tallest church tower in Switzerland. Above the main portal, the Last Judgement is carved in stone with more than 200 figures.

  10. Bern Historical Museum and Einstein Museum

    10Bern Historical Museum and Einstein MuseumFinish

    The Bern Historical Museum fills a castle-like building from the 1890s on Helvetiaplatz, just across the Kirchenfeld Bridge from the old town. It is one of the largest history museums in Switzerland and also houses the Einstein Museum. Albert Einstein lived in Bern from 1902 to 1909 and published his special theory of relativity here in 1905.

    Read the full story →

46 reviews for Bern Scavenger Hunt and Self-Guided Tour

  1. Rated 5 out of 5

    Daniela R. (verified owner) –

    Tolle Rätsel und die wichtigsten Sehenwürsigkeiten. Man könnte es noch ausbauen mit dem Bärengraben und Kohlekeller aber im Grossen und ganzen. Eine tolle Tour mit vielen spannenden Informationen.

  2. Rated 5 out of 5

    Switzerland –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

  3. Rated 5 out of 5

    Alice– Italy –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

    Molto carina, interessante e divertente!!

  4. Rated 5 out of 5

    Switzerland –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

  5. Rated 5 out of 5

    Fabricio– Brazil –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

    Bem legal, uma maneira divertida de conhecer o centro de Berna

  6. Rated 5 out of 5

    Jamison– United States –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

  7. Rated 5 out of 5

    Janine Pollien– Switzerland –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

    Ein sch?ner Tagesspass mit den Kindern !

  8. Rated 4 out of 5

    Ecuador –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

    The map is a mess, most of the time the suggested route end up in the back of the buildings or it make you come and go from like the same zone several times..and I couldn’t found the Rathouse Maybe you could (the traveller) take some time to check the names of the places and see them in Google maps in order to make your own route

  9. Rated 5 out of 5

    Stefanie– Germany –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

    Das man im eigenem Tempo sich alles anschaut und die Stadt mal anders kennenlernt

  10. Rated 5 out of 5

    United States –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

    We really enjoyed the activity – a great way to see the area!

  11. Rated 5 out of 5

    C?line Di Venuto– Switzerland –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

    Un bon moyen de voir l’essentiel de la ville tout en s’?cartant du parcours au gr? des envies

  12. Rated 4 out of 5

    Carrie– United States –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

    My spouse and I had a good time walking around Bern finding the locations of the scavenger hunt. It was the perfect amount of sites to see everything we wanted and a loose enough schedule to take a break when we needed it.

  13. Rated 5 out of 5

    Florian– Germany –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

    tolle Aussicht, tolle Stadt,sehr zu empfehlen

  14. Rated 5 out of 5

    Joao– Switzerland –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

    Ideal pour petit groupe, ideal pour cr?er des liens, et une bonne fa?on de d?couvrir l’histoire de la ville et des lieux historiques tout en s’amusant.

  15. Rated 5 out of 5

    Petra– Switzerland –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

    Die R?tsel sind gut mit Kindern zu l?sen. Gute Hintergrundinformationen.

  16. Rated 4 out of 5

    Juan– Spain –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

    Hemos pasado un buen rato con los hijos, que era el objetivo. Estar?a mejor si los contenidos estuviesen m?s adaptados a ellos y las preguntas m?s divertidas. En cualquier caso, nos gust? y ha sido una forma original de conocer un poco la cuidad. Recomendable.

  17. Rated 5 out of 5

    Elodie –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

    Moment amusant

  18. Rated 5 out of 5

    Switzerland –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

    Viel interessantes zu Geschichte und Geb?uden in Bern erfahren.

  19. Rated 4 out of 5

    Switzerland –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

    It was perfect for us – some questions very easy but we did not need more.

  20. Rated 4 out of 5

    Switzerland –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

    Tolle Sache um Bern kennenzulernen. Die Wege sind teils nicht so optimal gew?hlt, f?hren ?ber Seitengassen zum Objekt, statt die sch?nen belebten Strassen, auch f?hren sie auf die Hinterseite des Objekts statt Vorne.

  21. Rated 5 out of 5

    Sylvie– Switzerland –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

    Tr?s bonne activit?, les explications sont toutefois un peu trop longue

  22. Rated 5 out of 5

    Sweden –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

    Ok

  23. Rated 3 out of 5

    Vanessa– France –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

    On se disperse trop dans la ville Il faudrait faire plus d’anecdotes sur la ville et moins guide touristique

  24. Rated 4 out of 5

    Switzerland –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

    Es war eine gute Idee damit Bern zu entdecken. R?tsel waren nicht so schwer. Einzig war die GoogleMaps-F?hrung zu den Attraktionen etwas m?hsam (nicht die sch?nsten Wege und teilweise die R?ckseite der Geb?uden als Endpunkt). Preis-Leistung passt gut.

  25. Rated 5 out of 5

    Jorge– Mexico –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

    Excelente porque marcas tu ritmo

  26. Rated 4 out of 5

    Irina– Germany –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

    Wir haben ca. 2 Stunden gebraucht – das war genau die richtige Zeit f?r sie Schnitzeljagd. Sie hat auch alle wichtigen Sehensw?rdigkeiten abgedeckt.

  27. Rated 4 out of 5

    Switzerland –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

    C’est une belle d?couverte de la ville. Cependant, la manipulation sur l’?cran n’est pas si instinctive et ?vidente. Si on se trompe, ?a avance tr?s vite dans le lieu suivant. Pour revenir en arri?re, c’est compliqu?. Les descriptions des lieux sont parfois longues et les nombreuses dates font que l’on ne retient pas grand chose. C’est tr?s agr?able d’entrer dans des batiments connus alors que d’habitude on les ignore! L’avantage est la gestion du temps pour parcourir la chasse. Au rythme des envies!

  28. Rated 5 out of 5

    Camelia– United States –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

    Great and fun way to see the city of Bern

  29. Rated 5 out of 5

    Switzerland –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

    Super … Kann ich sehr empfehlen .. Werde ich wieder machen????

  30. Rated 4 out of 5

    Raul– Estonia –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

    The objects and audio descriptions did match so overall experience was confusing.

  31. Rated 5 out of 5

    Hugo– United Kingdom –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

    Very enjoyable trail lots of information about the sites and made more fun with the challenges/quizzes at each place. A great way to see the city at your own pace.

  32. Rated 4 out of 5

    Josefina– Chile –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

    Pense que iba a ser m?s de lo que presentaban en la aplicacion, no pagaria lo mismo por ella

  33. Rated 4 out of 5

    Switzerland –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

    Hat Spass gemacht!

  34. Rated 5 out of 5

    Austria –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

    Es ist eine sch?ne und entspannte Art interessante Pl?tze von Bern kennenzulernen.

  35. Rated 4 out of 5

    Switzerland –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

    anmeldung etwas m?hsam

  36. Rated 5 out of 5

    United States –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

    Great way to see the highlights of Bern at your own pace.

  37. Rated 5 out of 5

    Austria –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

    Es war sehr sch?n habe sehr sch?ne Erfahrungen gemacht. W?rde jeden empfehlen. Alle sehr freundlich.

  38. Rated 5 out of 5

    Austria –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

    Es war seher sch?n

  39. Rated 4 out of 5

    United States –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

    The clues were sometimes random or didn’t make sense. They also didn’t have anything to do with the city much. It was nice to walk around though with friends

  40. Rated 5 out of 5

    Italy –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

    Bellissima esperienza, un modo originale per visitare la bella citt? di Berna. Divertente e coinvolgente, consigliatissimo!

  41. Rated 5 out of 5

    United States –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

    Fantastic experience, one of the must things to do, under my opinion, so you can enjoy the city and the highlights that you have to see.

  42. Rated 5 out of 5

    Greece –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

    We could explore hidden treasures in the beautiful city center of Bern!

  43. Rated 3 out of 5

    Switzerland –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

    Seltsame R?tsel die zu l?sen sind. Macht keinen Spa?. Navigation gut.

  44. Rated 5 out of 5

    Switzerland –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

    Es hat Spass gemacht!

  45. Rated 4 out of 5

    Katia –

    Good selection of attarctions, nice and easy to use app, little difficult riddles but we enjoyed it with the use of hints everything is solvable!

  46. Rated 5 out of 5

    AntonySOlf –

    Good and smart riddles, very nice spots in the total route. We took many photos. My daughter( 10 years old) enjoyed it even she was not able to solve the riddles, she was participating her on way 🙂

Only logged in customers who have purchased this product may leave a review.

Frequently asked questions

Is half a day in Bern enough for the hunt?

It fits comfortably: the game takes about 3 hours, of which some 44 minutes is walking over 3.5 km and 10 stops. The rest goes on riddles, stories and looking up at towers and fountains, and if the weather turns, the arcades give you shelter while you carry on.

Does the Bern hunt start at the station, and where is the last riddle?

The first riddle is at the Heiliggeistkirche, the baroque church right next to Bern's main station, and the last on Helvetiaplatz, outside the Bern Historical Museum and its Einstein Museum, across the Kirchenfeld Bridge. If you are staying near the Bear Park, the app can begin at the Nydeggkirche instead.

Do we have to book a time slot in Bern?

No slot and no guide. Once your booking reference arrives by email and is entered in the World City Trail app, the day and the hour are yours to choose, and you can wait under the arcades whenever it rains. Count one ticket per person; after that, everyone in the group follows the game on a phone of their own.

Do we pay to climb the Minster tower or see the Einstein Museum?

Only if you choose to, because the game itself is played outside, from squares, fountains and façades. Climbing the Minster tower and visiting the Bern Historical Museum with its Einstein Museum are separate visits with their own tickets.

Will our kids find bears on the Bern hunt?

Plenty, with an adult on the team: the armoured bear on the Zähringerbrunnen with its cub eating grapes, the bears in the city's coat of arms, and a short detour from the Nydeggkirche to the live bears of the Bear Park. The route is not suitable for wheelchairs, and the climb from the Nydeggkirche back up to the Minster is hard work with a pushchair.

Can we play the Bern hunt in Italian or Chinese?

Both, yes. The Bern game also comes in English, German, French and Spanish, and each player sets the language in the World City Trail app before the riddle at the Heiliggeistkirche.

Could our office play the Bern hunt as an afternoon away from the desk?

It works well: book a ticket per colleague, form teams of up to five and let them leave the Heiliggeistkirche at intervals, then gather on Helvetiaplatz at the end. Everything happens in the public streets and squares of the old town, so no room has to be hired.

What do we need for Bern's paving and climbs?

Comfortable shoes for 3.5 km of paving, with one climb from the river back up to the Minster, plus a light jacket, although the arcades keep much of the route dry. Each team needs a charged phone with mobile data, and a power bank is a sensible extra.

The first riddle waits at the Heiliggeistkirche

Get your group booked online, a ticket per person, and keep an eye on your email for the reference. Then pick a day, step out of Bern station, cross to the baroque church and open the first riddle.

Book your tickets →

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