Antwerp Scavenger Hunt and Self-Guided Tour

Rated 4.50 out of 5 based on 108 customer ratings
(108 customer reviews)

4.75 out of 5 from 4 verified bookings

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 Antwerp 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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⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Loved by thousands of travelers and locals

  • 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 →

On a cruise? See how to get from the ship to the start and how it fits your port day.Port day guide →

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

From the railway cathedral to Brabo's fountain, riddle by riddle

The Antwerp scavenger hunt is a self-guided city game you play on your phone: you walk a 3.5 km route through the historic centre, solve a riddle at each of 10 landmarks by looking closely at what is in front of you, and unlock the stories and legends behind them. Allow roughly 3 hours for the whole game: the walking itself adds up to only about 44 minutes, and the rest belongs to the riddles, the stories and whatever catches your eye along the way.

Highlights include the domed Central Station, Saint James' Church, where Rubens married and is buried, the Cathedral of Our Lady with its 123-metre tower, the Plantin-Moretus printing house, Het Steen on the Scheldt and the Brabo Fountain on the Grote Markt. The route runs from the station quarter into the old town and down to the river, so you see how the port city grew.

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

Riddles in Rubens' city, from the station to the Scheldt

Look up at domes, saints and stripes

Every stop sets one riddle, and the answer is somewhere in front of you: on the dome of the station, the carved front of the Jesuit church, the striped walls of the Vleeshuis. Sharp eyes and some reasoning crack each one, and no reading on the Duchy of Brabant is required in advance.

Giants, painters and a severed hand

Each solved riddle opens a story: how Rubens married in Saint James' Church and lies buried there, why lightning in 1718 cost the Jesuit church 39 of his ceiling paintings, and how, according to legend, Silvius Brabo threw a giant's hand into the Scheldt. The audio narration reads them aloud if you prefer to keep your eyes on the buildings.

3.5 km from the station quarter to the river

In all you walk about 44 minutes, west from Antwerpen-Centraal through the old town, down to Het Steen on the Scheldt and back to the Grote Markt. Google Maps points the way between stops, and the streets around the cathedral are largely cobbled.

Time out for fries or a coffee

No clock runs during the game, so stop for a cone of fries or a coffee near the Groenplaats whenever you feel like it. You can also put the game away and pick it up later that day or on another one.

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.

Rail travellers, young legend-hunters and office teams

Off the train, straight into the game

The game begins at the station itself, so you can step off a train from Brussels or Amsterdam and open the first riddle right away. In about 3 hours you see the cathedral, the Plantin-Moretus house, Het Steen and the Grote Markt before heading home.

Kids who want giants

Young players get a giant's severed hand, a statue of the giant Lange Wapper at the castle gate, a butchers' hall striped like bacon and a station grand enough to be called a cathedral. Every team needs an adult, and the cobbles make a pushchair hard work.

Office outings that end on the Grote Markt

Split into teams of no more than 5, one phone per player, and send them out from under the station dome a few minutes apart; Brabo and his fountain mark the finish. Everything happens on public streets, so beyond one ticket per person there is nothing to arrange.

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 Antwerpen-Centraal via the cathedral and Het Steen to the Grote Markt

10 stops · about 44 min walking · start: Antwerp Central Station (Antwerpen-Centraal) · finish: Grote Markt and Brabo Fountain

The hunt starts at Antwerp Central Station and heads west to Saint James' Church and Saint Charles Borromeo Church. It continues to the Cathedral of Our Lady and the Groenplaats, passes the Plantin-Moretus Museum on the Vrijdagmarkt and reaches the Scheldt at Het Steen, then turns to the Vleeshuis and City Hall and finishes on the Grote Markt at the Brabo Fountain. All ten riddles are read from squares, quays and façades, so you never queue for a ticket, and if you are staying near the river, the app can open the game at Het Steen instead of the station and rearrange the remaining stops.

Open the route map ↗

  1. Antwerp Central Station (Antwerpen-Centraal)

    1Antwerp Central Station (Antwerpen-Centraal)Start

    Antwerp's main station was built between 1895 and 1905 to designs by Louis Delacenserie, and the great dome over its waiting hall earned it the nickname railway cathedral. Behind it, Clément Van Bogaert's iron and glass train hall is 185 metres long, and since 2007 trains also run on two levels below the street.

    Read the full story →

  2. Saint James' Church (Sint-Jacobskerk)

    2Saint James' Church (Sint-Jacobskerk)

    Built in Brabantine Gothic style between 1491 and 1656, Saint James' Church was meant to have a tower of about 150 metres, but work stopped at around a third of that height. Peter Paul Rubens married Helena Fourment here in 1630, and he is buried in his own memorial chapel beneath one of his paintings.

  3. Saint Charles Borromeo Church

    3Saint Charles Borromeo Church

    The Jesuits built this Baroque church on the Hendrik Conscienceplein in 1615–1621, inspired by the Gesù in Rome, and it has carried the name of Charles Borromeo since 1779. Lightning set it on fire on 18 July 1718, and 39 ceiling paintings by Rubens were lost, but the richly carved façade still faces the square.

  4. Cathedral of Our Lady

    4Cathedral of Our Lady

    Built from 1352 to 1521, the Cathedral of Our Lady has a 123-metre tower, the tallest church tower in the Benelux, and its belfry is on the UNESCO World Heritage list. Inside hang Rubens' Raising of the Cross and Descent from the Cross, both taken to France under Napoleon and later returned.

  5. Groenplaats

    5Groenplaats

    For centuries the Groenplaats south of the cathedral was a churchyard, and the square was laid out from 1803, first under the name Place Bonaparte. In its centre stands Willem Geefs' statue of Peter Paul Rubens, designed in 1840 and put up in 1843.

  6. Plantin-Moretus Museum

    6Plantin-Moretus Museum

    Christophe Plantin founded his printing house in 1555 and moved it to the Vrijdagmarkt in 1576, where the family of his son-in-law Jan Moretus carried it on. The house and its preserved workshops are a UNESCO World Heritage Site, with historic printing presses still in their original place.

  7. Het Steen

    7Het Steen

    Het Steen on the bank of the Scheldt is Antwerp's oldest building: its surviving part was built around 1200–1225 as the gateway of a larger castle of the Dukes of Brabant. It served as a prison from 1303 to 1827, and at its entrance stands a statue of Lange Wapper, a giant from local legend.

    Read the full story →

  8. Museum Vleeshuis (Butchers' Hall)

    8Museum Vleeshuis (Butchers' Hall)

    The Vleeshuis was built in 1501–1504, probably to designs by Herman and Domien de Waghemakere, as the hall of the butchers' guild, the oldest trade guild in Antwerp. Its walls of red brick and white stone form stripes often compared to layers of bacon, and the building is home to a museum of music and sound in the city.

  9. Antwerp City Hall

    9Antwerp City Hall

    Antwerp City Hall on the west side of the Grote Markt was built from 1561 to designs by Cornelis Floris de Vriendt, blending Flemish and Italian Renaissance styles. It was burned out in the Spanish Fury of 1576 and restored, and it is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site of the Belfries of Belgium and France.

    Read the full story →

  10. Grote Markt and Brabo Fountain

    10Grote Markt and Brabo FountainFinish

    The Grote Markt is lined with guild houses and the City Hall, and in its centre stands the Brabo Fountain by Jef Lambeaux, inaugurated in 1887. According to legend, the Roman soldier Silvius Brabo cut off the hand of the giant Druon Antigoon and threw it into the Scheldt, and the city's name is said to come from hand werpen, throwing the hand.

    Read the full story →

108 reviews for Antwerp Scavenger Hunt and Self-Guided Tour

  1. Rated 5 out of 5

    United States –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

    Great way to discover the city center 🙂 Did have some issues to login in the app but helpdesk responded immediately.

  2. Rated 5 out of 5

    Germany –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

    Man sieht die Sehenswürdigkeiten durch die Fragen mit anderen, intensiveren Augen. Macht die Schnitzeljagd in eigenem Tempo. Tolle Idee. Hoffe, dass wir das in anderen Städten so auch mal umsetzen können.

  3. Rated 5 out of 5

    Germany –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

    Het zijn leuke puzzels om op te lossen en interessante weetjes over de geschiedenis van Antwerpen.

  4. Rated 4 out of 5

    Mark– Netherlands –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

    Super. Je ziet veel van de stad en je wordt geprikkeld om je ook te verdiepen in wat je ziet. Doe je dat niet dan kun je de vragen ook niet beantwoorden. Zeer de moeite waard!

  5. Rated 4 out of 5

    Monique– Netherlands –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

    Leuke wandeling. We kwamen op plekken waar we anders nooit komen. Opdrachtjes zijn eenvoudig maar grappig om te doen.

  6. Rated 4 out of 5

    Netherlands –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

    Was erg leuk, leuke manier om de stad te verkennen maar sommige opdrachten misschien wat kinderachtig voor een stel van 50+.

  7. Rated 4 out of 5

    Netherlands –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

    Leuke speurtocht om de stad te leren kennen.

  8. Rated 4 out of 5

    Germany –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

    Leider war nicht alles zugönglich

  9. Rated 5 out of 5

    Belgium –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

    Zit goed in mekaar, efkes wennen en dan wordt het leuk

  10. Rated 4 out of 5

    Belgium –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

    Het installeren van het spel kostte enige moeite, gelukkig zijn tieners iets handiger met die dingen… Toffe puzzels om op te lossen. Wij hebben dit met de fiets gedaan, ongeveer 1,5u. Te voet vrij ver en lang voor met kleine kinderen…

  11. Rated 5 out of 5

    Philippines –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

    It was a very fun and interesting way to learn about the city’s history! We especially love solving the puzzles and challenges. A good way to go around the city 🙂

  12. Rated 4 out of 5

    Spain –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

    No había freetour y a falta de ello no estubo mal como alternativa. Conseguimos recorrer la ciudad enterándonos de cosas interesantes.

  13. Rated 3 out of 5

    Netherlands –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

    De route was leuk en gevarieerd. Het is fijn dat je het in je eigen tempo kan lopen en een pauze kan nemen wanneer je wil. De raadsels vielen tegen. Het waren allemaal raadsels met getallen/rekensommen en niet informatief. Dit laatste hadden wij meer verwacht.

  14. Rated 4 out of 5

    Sindy – Germany –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

    Mit den Rätseln kommt man schön durch die Stadt, auch mal an Ecken die man nicht direkt sieht. Ohne zeitliche Bindung ist man sehr flexibel

  15. Rated 5 out of 5

    Germany –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

    Wenn man keinen genauen Plan hat was man anschauen möchte, ist dies genau das Richtige. Man besucht die schönsten Sehenswürdigkeiten und wird dazu noch mit netten Rätseln unterhalten. Kleine Infos zu den Sehenswürdigkeiten gibt es auch noch dazu. Hat uns viel Spaß bereitet.

  16. Rated 5 out of 5

    Belgium –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

    Hat Spass gemacht.

  17. Rated 5 out of 5

    France –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

    Bonne chasse au trésor dans la ville

  18. Rated 5 out of 5

    Nicole – Germany –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

    Hat sehr viel Spaßgemacht! Eine tolle Art die Stadt zu entdecken!!! Gerne mit anderen Städten wieder!

  19. Rated 4 out of 5

    Netherlands –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

    Leuke manier om de stad te verkennen

  20. Rated 3 out of 5

    Belgium –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

    mooi initiatief alleen is de omschrijving van de opdrachten te vaag.

  21. Rated 5 out of 5

    Germany –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

    Es ist eine gute Idee, Antwerpen zu Entdecke. Wir hatten nur einen Nachmittag Zeit und am trödel, daher sind wir nicht ganz durchgekommen. Das war aber nicht weiter schlimm. Daumen hoch :0)

  22. Rated 4 out of 5

    Belgium –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

    Mooie stadswandeling met leuke opdrachten

  23. Rated 5 out of 5

    Germany –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

    Mit der App war es möglich Antwerpen in unserer individuellen Geschwindigkeit zu erkunden. Optimal war, dass wir mit Fahrrädern unterwegs waren. Wünschen würden wir uns, dass die Information zu den Sehenswürdigkeiten nach dem Spiel noch zur Verfügung stehen.

  24. Rated 3 out of 5

    Germany –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

    Leider waren die Rätsel oftmals nicht verständlich. Auch konnte ich nicht zurückblättern, um noch einmal die Infos zur Station zu lesen.

  25. Rated 4 out of 5

    Netherlands –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

    De puzzels waren op een leuke manier gedaan. Het was soms even puzzelen, maar prima te doen. De weg was ook goed te vinden.

  26. Rated 5 out of 5

    Norway –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

    A fun and exciting way to see the city! Perfect that we could do it in our own pace and even spread it over multiple days. The riddles gave the tour an extra dimension and made it come alive.

  27. Rated 3 out of 5

    Belgium –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

    Het was leuk om te doen. Interessante info om te lezen. De raadsels zelf vond ik minder geslaagd.

  28. Rated 3 out of 5

    Germany –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

    Die Schnitzeljagd hat uns zwar – gefühlt – zi allen wichtigen Punkten der Stadt geführt, doch die Rätsel waren nicht klar und intuitiv zu lösen. (Möglicherweise sind die Hilfen auch schlecht übersetzt.) Im Großen und Ganzen eine Basis für einen selbst zu organisierenden Rundgang.

  29. Rated 5 out of 5

    Netherlands –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

    Duidelijke uitleg, en je ziet de stad die je kiest is van een hele andere kant, de gebouwen etc zou je normaal niet zo snel naar toe gaan

  30. Rated 5 out of 5

    Switzerland –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

    Great tour to plan with friends or family, keeps you interested to see more and more sightseeings.

  31. Rated 5 out of 5

    Germany –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

    Die Beschreibung der Geschichte der Stadt war wirklich gut

  32. Rated 4 out of 5

    Jacques– France –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

    Bonjour Bien que j’ai choisi l’application en français tous les indices et commentaires étaient en allemand

  33. Rated 4 out of 5

    Netherlands –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

    Leuke manier om Antwerpen te verkennen

  34. Rated 5 out of 5

    Greece –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

    E stato un modo molto divertente per conoscere la cita

  35. Rated 5 out of 5

    Netherlands –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

    Hele leuke route door de stad waardoor je in een keer alle highlights hebt gezien. De opdrachten maken dat je net naar andere dingen kijkt dan als je er gewoon langs loopt. Fijn dat je gewoon in eigen tempo kan lopen en evt tussenstops kan maken, maar toch zonder na te denken langs alle mooie dingen door Antwerpen loopt. Zeker een aanrader!

  36. Rated 3 out of 5

    United States –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

    It’s overall good guide once you get the handle on how to navigate the app. The link took me to a webpage, not to download link for an app which threw me off a bit because the design is a bit wonky. I’d recommend a design change in order to make the experience more seamless and integrate the map function into the guide since that’s what I was expecting.

  37. Rated 5 out of 5

    Belgium –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

    Une façon sympathique de découvrir la ville, un agreable moment !

  38. Rated 3 out of 5

    Netherlands –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

    Zeer summier en weinig interactie. Zeker voor kinderen niet aan te bevelen

  39. Rated 5 out of 5

    Netherlands –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

    Hierbij onze terugblik op de leuke, succesvolle ervaring die we hadden in Antwerpen afgelopen weekend. We boekten de World City Trail speurtocht door Antwerpen. Het boeken ging erg makkelijk, we kregen snel de benodigde informatie via de mail om het spel te spelen. Vanaf het startpunt gingen we met z’n vieren op stap (2 volwassenen en 2 kinderen van 8 en 10 jaar). De puzzels waren uitdagend maar goed op te lossen. Vanwege de tijd hebben we de speurtocht in 2 delen gedaan, wat erg makkelijk was. Al met al een hele leuke uitdaging om op deze manier de stad te verkennen. We zijn al weer aan het kijken voor de volgende City Trail! Groet, Fam. Dessing

  40. Rated 5 out of 5

    Netherlands –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

    Leuk om zo de stad te ontdekken. Al is de tijd veel langer als je alles gaat lezen maar dat neemt niet weg dat het erg leerzaam en leuk is.

  41. Rated 4 out of 5

    United States –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

    Loved the tour. Just did the basic version which is fine since I was able to use Google maps. Only but if annoyance was had to reload the guide from the email link. It did still keep track of where we were.

  42. Rated 4 out of 5

    France –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

    Activité très sympa à faire en petit groupe. Elle nous fait voyager dans les rues du centre ville. Cependant certains endroits de la visite manquent de commentaires sur le bâtiment/lieu/place. Cela reste un bon moyen de visiter de manière ludique les rues d’Anvers.

  43. Rated 5 out of 5

    France –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

    We explored the city beautifully. We worked our minds in a pleasant way. Highly recommended

  44. Rated 5 out of 5

    Greece –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

    Great fun !

  45. Rated 5 out of 5

    Germany –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

    Es war super!

  46. Rated 3 out of 5

    Netherlands –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

    Op zich een leuke activiteit om zelfstandig te doen en de stad een beetje te leren kennen, echter vonden wij de puzzelvragen aan de moeilijke kant en de vertaling niet optimaal.

  47. Rated 5 out of 5

    Greece –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

    Nice puzzles and route .. We all enjoyed it!!!

  48. Rated 5 out of 5

    Netherlands –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

    Fijne activiteit. De start vonden wij een beetje moeilijk. We dachten dat we ergens de qr code moesten scannen om te starten. Niet nodig dus. Enkel sms gegevens gebruiken en je kan starten! Daarna verliep alles vlot! Fijn amusement.

  49. Rated 4 out of 5

    Netherlands –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

    Die Idee ist gut, manche Hinweise sollten überarbeitet werden

  50. Rated 5 out of 5

    DannyS –

    Super activity super walk! We learned so many things and took photos! The riddles were hard but smart. Not all of them, good balance of easy and hard ones.

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

Frequently asked questions

How long are we out between Antwerpen-Centraal and the Grote Markt?

Roughly 3 hours, of which the walking is the smallest part. The 10 stops are spread over 3.5 km, yet the walking between them takes only around 44 minutes, so most of the time goes on the riddles, the stories and the views. Stop for lunch in the old town whenever hunger strikes, and the game waits at the stop where you paused.

Do we start at the station and end on the Grote Markt?

The first riddle waits at Antwerp Central Station, the domed building often called the railway cathedral, and the last one on the Grote Markt beside the Brabo Fountain. If the station is out of your way, the app lets you begin at another stop, the cathedral for example, and change the order.

Do we have to meet a guide at Antwerpen-Centraal at a fixed hour?

Neither. Once you have booked, the reference comes to your inbox; type it into the World City Trail app and the station riddle unlocks whenever your group is ready. Every member of the group needs a ticket of their own, and the riddles about Rubens, Brabo and the rest appear on each person's screen.

Are the cathedral and the Plantin-Moretus Museum part of the game, or separate tickets?

They are separate: the game itself keeps you outdoors, reading façades, squares and the Scheldt bank for its answers. Seeing Rubens' paintings inside the Cathedral of Our Lady or the historic presses of the Plantin-Moretus Museum are visits with their own admission, which you can add before or after the hunt.

Will our kids get bored on a 3-hour hunt in Antwerp?

Rarely, provided a grown-up plays along in each team. Children tend to love the legend of Brabo and the giant Antigoon, the statue of Lange Wapper outside Het Steen and the red-and-white striped Vleeshuis. Wheelchairs cannot manage the route, and between the cathedral and Het Steen a pushchair bumps over cobbles most of the way.

Are the Antwerp riddles available in Flemish Dutch or French?

Yes, both, and also in English, German, Italian and Spanish. Each player chooses in the World City Trail app before the first riddle at the station, and because everyone has their own phone, one team can mix languages.

We are a group of colleagues; how would a team event in Antwerp work?

Very simply, because the old centre is compact. Book one ticket per person, split into teams of up to five and let them set off from Antwerpen-Centraal a few minutes apart; the Grote Markt, with its guild houses and café terraces, is an easy place to regroup at the end. Nobody has to rent a meeting room or fix a kick-off time.

What should we pack for a few hours on Antwerp's cobbles?

Each player needs a phone with charge and mobile data, a power bank is a sensible extra, and soft-soled shoes make the cobbled lanes between the cathedral and the Scheldt easier. Showers blow in off the Scheldt with little warning, so pack a light rain jacket; earphones are worth bringing too, since the Groenplaats is rarely quiet enough to hear the narration well.

Start under the dome of Antwerpen-Centraal

Each player needs a ticket, bought online, and your booking reference arrives by email within moments. Pick your day, stand in front of the station's domed façade and open the first riddle there, with the cathedral, the Scheldt and Brabo still ahead of you.

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