Salvador Pelourinho Self-Guided Walking Tour

Duration2h

Free cancellationFull refund up to 24 hours before

Instant confirmationYour booking is confirmed right away

TicketMobile or paper ticket accepted

LanguagesNorwegian, German, Hindi, Swedish, Finnish, Russian, Korean, Portuguese, Chinese, Greek, Cantonese, English, Italian, French, Hungarian, Spanish, Czech, Ukrainian, Japanese, Chinese, Polish, Danish, Romanian, Dutch, Turkish

Private tourOnly your group will participate

Overview

Salvador's Pelourinho is the heart of Afro-Brazilian culture — a UNESCO-listed hillside neighbourhood where every wall, church, and square tells a story.

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

• Stand at Praça Castro Alves, the grand square named for Brazil's abolitionist poet and still a living stage for the city's cultural life
• Visit the Igreja Nossa Senhora do Rosário dos Pretos, a church built by enslaved Africans in the 18th century
• Step into the Fundação Casa de Jorge Amado, dedicated to Brazil's most beloved novelist and the man who put Bahia on the literary map

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.

Pelourinho is where Brazil's soul lives — and this tour takes you right to it.

What's included

Learn about town stories, history, and local legends
Total flexibility: no waiting, start anytime, walk at own pace and do as many breaks as you want
Free download of the Explorial App from your appstore required (iOS and Android supported)
Points and scoring system — compete with your group
Self-guided city tour with interactive riddles, trivia challenges and photo tasks
Clear hints and map guidance — so you never get stuck or lost

A Smartphone is required and not provided. Fully charged with active data connection (internet)
No live guide: The tour is 100% self-guided – no one will be meeting you at the starting point
This is not an audio guide

What to expect

Starting at Rua Castro Alves in Salvador's Pelourinho district, Bahia, Brazil, you'll open the Explorial app, enter the 6-digit game code that you received by text and Viator chat message, and follow the riddles through one of Latin America's most powerful UNESCO World Heritage sites. No guide, no fixed start time.

Your first stop is Praça Castro Alves, named after the 19th-century abolitionist poet Antônio Castro Alves. The riddles connect his legacy to the broader story of Salvador's fight against slavery.

From the square, the route leads to the Igreja Nossa Senhora do Rosário dos Pretos. Built in the 18th century by enslaved Africans on their days off, it stands as a testament to faith and resistance — and the riddles explain exactly what it represents.

The hunt finishes at the Fundação Casa de Jorge Amado, the museum dedicated to Bahia's most famous novelist. Jorge Amado's work put Salvador on the world literary map, and the museum brings his world to life.

Allow around 2 hours at an unhurried pace. Pelourinho moves to its own rhythm — the best way to experience it is on foot, with a story to follow.

Meeting and pickup

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.

Additional information

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.