About this experience
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.
At a glance
- Duration: 2 hr
- Private experience
Plan your experience
Set aside 2 hr for the experience itself, with additional time to reach your meeting or pickup point.
Before you go
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- 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
What is included
- Free download of the Explorial App from your appstore (iOS or Android smartphone required)
- Points and scoring system: Compete between players of your group and beat the cities high score.
- Live Location: navigate within the map with marked locations. Always know where you are.
- Learn about the cities stories, history, and local legends
- Total flexibility: no waiting, start anytime, walk at own pace and do as many breaks as you want.
- Self-guided walking tour with interactive riddles, trivia challenges and photo tasks.
Not included
- Live-Guide: 100% self-guided; no one will meet you or join your group. Start anytime you want.
- Entrance fees are not required for this game. All puzzles relate to the public areas of the sights
- This is not an audio guide but an sightseeing, gaming and learning experience
Itinerary and highlights
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.
See the overview, available options and booking details for the experience schedule.
Meeting and pickup information
- 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
Languages and tickets
- no — Guide
- German — Guide
- hi — Guide
- sv — Guide
- fi — Guide
- ru — Guide
- Korean — Guide
- Portuguese — Guide
- cmn — Guide
- el — Guide
- yue — Guide
- English — Guide
- Italian — Guide
- French — Guide
- hu — Guide
- Spanish — Guide
- cs — Guide
- uk — Guide
- Japanese — Guide
- zh-CN — Guide
- pl — Guide
- da — Guide
- ro — Guide
- Dutch — Guide
- tr — Guide
- Mobile Only
Tour operator
- Explorial
Accessibility and practical details
- 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
Cancellation policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Questions about this experience
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