The 6 Best Scavenger Hunts in Canada

1.Street Art Exploration Game and Self-Guided Tour in Ottawa

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 20 reviews · 50 minutes to 1 hour 20 minutes (approx.) · from $7Our pick

Use the Questo app to follow clues through Ottawa’s city center and nearby neighborhoods, finding murals such as The Living Room, BLM, DaVinci, and KindComments. There is no guide, so you control the pace. Plan extra time if walking, since the route may take about three hours on foot.

“A very fun way to explore the city! Plenty of art and cardio... Killing 2 birds with 1 stone :) Tip: Wear comfortable shoes.”

Check availability →Read our full review

2.Old Town Quebec Secrets: Private Exploration Game and Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 13 reviews · 1 hour 30 minutes (approx.) · from $9

Explore Old Quebec with a self-guided Questo puzzle walk. For about 90 minutes, solve clues at fountains, gates, churches, monuments, and historic squares. The game works offline, can be paused, costs $9.29 per person, and is free for kids.

“This was my favorite thing we did in Quebec City. I love architecture and sight-seeing, my husband loves history, and we both love solving riddles and puzzles. This was the PERFECT was for us to see the city and this game took us to locations we might not have seen otherwise!”

Check availability →Read our full review

3.Vancouver Old Town Treasure Hunt: Self-Guided Walking Game

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 12 reviews · 1 hour 30 minutes (approx.) · from $7

Follow the Questo app from the Marine Building to Gastown’s Gassy Jack statue and Maple Tree Square. You’ll solve 14 puzzles, uncover stories about Vancouver’s buildings and Gold Rush past, and pause or resume whenever you like. No live guide is included.

“Super cute tour. It was a grand way to see Gastown and learn a little bit of history. The riddles get a little weak in the middle puzzles, we liked when they included the environment we’d walked to. We stopped by a couple of shops during the tour and it only took us an hour and thirty. It worked well on one phone and three people. All in all, a fun tour and a good way to kill some time.”

Check availability →Read our full review

4.Ottawa Mystery Quest: Self-Guided Detective Adventure

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 11 reviews · 3 hours 20 minutes to 3 hours 50 minutes (approx.) · from $8

Use your phone to follow a private detective story through central Ottawa. You will solve 10 puzzles at landmarks including City Hall, Parliament Hill, the Rideau Canal, and the Museum of History. The self-guided route lasts about 3 hours 20 minutes to 3 hours 50 minutes, with no guide or attraction admission included.

“we indicate to go to an address on departure for pick-up. No precise time and no one on site when we could just start the puzzle. the address was not easy to find. Why not simplify by saying city hall. The number of kilometres to cover would have been good information to know for someone like me who is mobility impaired. When I saw that the end ended on the side of gatineau. We did the part that was getting closer to the byward market and we finished it there.Auto-translated”

Check availability →Read our full review

5.An Epic Scavenger Hunt: Calgary Culture

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 6 reviews · 2 hours (approx.) · from $12

Use the Let’s Roam app for a self-guided Calgary hunt through downtown. Solve riddles, answer trivia, complete photo challenges, and visit 12 landmarks, including Stephen Avenue, The Bow, City Hall, and the Famous Five statues. You start and finish near 228 8 Ave SE.

“It was fun and easy to walk to. The start and finish points are close to each other which meant we had to walk back. If it was intentional, ok, I don’t understand the intention though. We didn’t know it’s a timed tour. We mad it without paying for extra time. I thought I could have a coffee in between, good we didn’t. With a kid it needs more time or a different line up.”

Check availability →Read our full review

6.Sydney Cape Breton Self-Guided Walking Tour and Scavenger Hunt

★★★★★★★★★★3.0 · 3 reviews · 1 hour 30 minutes to 2 hours 30 minutes (approx.)

You’ll explore downtown Sydney, Cape Breton, with a self-guided smartphone hunt from Tourist Scavenger Hunt. Follow clues past the Big Fiddle, historic churches, old houses, City Hall, and waterfront memorials while solving 12 challenges at your own pace.

“My husband and I enjoyed running around town solving fun problems as we answered several questions about the place. It gave us great opportunities to talk to people along the way which made the experience even richer. We learned odd things at every stop. People were so friendly and curious about the scavenger hunt that it really increased our enjoyment. Would love to do this again in other towns and cities.”

Check availability →Read our full review