Barcelona scavenger hunt
Located in the heart of the Gothic Quarter, the 14th-century Cathedral of Barcelona is a soaring example of Catalan Gothic architecture, celebrated for its intricate gargoyles, secluded cloister garden with thirteen white geese, and sweeping rooftop views over the city.
Standing proudly at the lower end of La Rambla in Plaça del Portal de la Pau, the 60-meter-tall Christopher Columbus monument was built for the 1888 Barcelona Universal Exposition and features an ornate Corinthian column topped with a bronze statue pointing out toward the sea.
Connecting the foot of La Rambla with the Maremagnum complex across Port Vell, the wavy wooden footbridge of Rambla de Mar offers panoramic harbor views and swings open to allow boats to navigate the harbor waters.
El Cap de Barcelona is a majestic surrealist sculpture where vibrant mosaic tiles and bold abstract shapes create a colorful pop-art tribute to the creative spirit of the city.
Plaça de Catalunya is a majestic central square where grand sculptures and rhythmic fountains create a vibrant crossroads between the historic heart and modern elegance of Barcelona.
Barcelona scavenger hunt
Located in the heart of the Gothic Quarter, the 14th-century Cathedral of Barcelona is a soaring example of Catalan Gothic architecture, celebrated for its intricate gargoyles, secluded cloister garden with thirteen white geese, and sweeping rooftop views over the city.
Standing proudly at the lower end of La Rambla in Plaça del Portal de la Pau, the 60-meter-tall Christopher Columbus monument was built for the 1888 Barcelona Universal Exposition and features an ornate Corinthian column topped with a bronze statue pointing out toward the sea.
Connecting the foot of La Rambla with the Maremagnum complex across Port Vell, the wavy wooden footbridge of Rambla de Mar offers panoramic harbor views and swings open to allow boats to navigate the harbor waters.
El Cap de Barcelona is a majestic surrealist sculpture where vibrant mosaic tiles and bold abstract shapes create a colorful pop-art tribute to the creative spirit of the city.
Plaça de Catalunya is a majestic central square where grand sculptures and rhythmic fountains create a vibrant crossroads between the historic heart and modern elegance of Barcelona.

Barcelona Scavenger Hunt and Self-Guided Tour

Rated 4.63 out of 5 based on 494 customer ratings
(494 customer reviews)

Explore the city at your own pace with a self-guided experience.
Buy your ticket, download the app, and start instantly.

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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 Barcelona 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
  • Secure checkout - Instant confirmation

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

What is the Barcelona scavenger hunt?

The Barcelona 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 behind it. It takes about 3 hours at a relaxed pace, with around 51 minutes of actual walking over 4.1 km with 10 stops, and you start whenever you like.

Highlights include the Palau de la Música Catalana, Barcelona Cathedral, the Liceu opera house and Gaudí's Palau Güell, then the Columbus Monument, the Rambla de Mar and Roy Lichtenstein's El Cap de Barcelona on the waterfront, and the Gothic basilica of Santa Maria del Mar. The old town is compact and mostly flat, so the walk moves easily from medieval streets down to the sea and back.

  • Durationabout 3 hours
  • Walkingabout 51 min · 4.1 km
  • Stops10
  • LanguagesEnglish, German, French, Italian, Spanish, Dutch, Portuguese

How the game runs from Plaça de Catalunya to La Ribera

A riddle at each stop

One riddle stands at each of the 10 stops, and its answer is on the building, the pavement or the monument in front of you. Nothing has to be known in advance, only noticed.

What the stop was hiding

The solution releases the background: why thirteen geese live in the cathedral cloister, what Miquel Blay's figures on the corner of the Palau de la Música stand for, how the bastaixos are said to have carried the stones of Santa Maria del Mar on their backs from Montjuïc. If reading on the move is a nuisance, the audio narration takes the text over.

Downhill to the sea and back

Google Maps keeps you on course over 4.1 km and 51 minutes of walking, from the Eixample edge of Plaça de Catalunya down La Rambla to the harbour and back up into La Ribera. The old town is flat, and the only open stretch is the quayside.

Your own clock

The game waits while you do something else. Sit down for a vermouth, carry on in the evening or on the next day, and use the app to put the stops in an order that fits your hotel.

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.

Who the Barcelona hunt suits best

One day in the old town

Ten stops string the Palau de la Música, the cathedral, Gaudí's Palau Güell, the harbour and the Picasso Museum onto a single 4.1 km line. It is a way of seeing the Gothic Quarter without spending the afternoon deciding where to turn next.

Playing with children

Children are the ones who find the thirteen geese in the cathedral cloister, the comic-strip dots on Lichtenstein's Barcelona Head and the chimneys on the roof of Palau Güell. An adult has to be in the team, and nobody needs to know any Catalan history to win a round.

An office outing

A team holds five players and all of them read the same riddle on their own screens, so a department can race in parallel and settle the result on Carrer de Montcada. Apart from the tickets there is nothing to reserve, because every riddle stands in a public street, square or quayside.

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: Plaça de Catalunya, La Rambla, the waterfront and La Ribera

10 stops · about 51 min walking · start: Plaça de Catalunya · finish: Picasso Museum (Museu Picasso)

The hunt starts at Plaça de Catalunya and heads into the old town past the Palau de la Música Catalana to the Cathedral. From the Liceu you walk down La Rambla past Palau Güell to the Columbus Monument and cross the Rambla de Mar, then follow the waterfront to El Cap de Barcelona, turn into La Ribera for Santa Maria del Mar and finish at the Picasso Museum. Every answer can be read from the street side of these buildings, which keeps the game free of entry tickets, and the app will move the starting point and rearrange the stops if the old town is not where your day begins.

Open the route map ↗

  1. Plaça de Catalunya

    1Plaça de CatalunyaStart

    Barcelona's central square links the old town, via La Rambla and Portal de l'Àngel, with the Eixample grid of the 19th-century city extension. It took its present form in the late 1920s, before the 1929 International Exhibition, and on one side stands Josep Maria Subirachs's monument to Catalan president Francesc Macià, installed in 1991.

  2. Palau de la Música Catalana

    2Palau de la Música Catalana

    Lluís Domènech i Montaner built this concert hall in 1905–1908 for the Orfeó Català choral society, and it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Look up at the corner of the building, where a sculpture group by Miquel Blay stands for Catalan song.

  3. Barcelona Cathedral

    3Barcelona Cathedral

    The Cathedral of the Holy Cross and Saint Eulalia was begun in 1298 on the site of earlier churches, but its neo-Gothic main façade was only completed in the early 20th century. Thirteen white geese live in the cloister, a number linked to the belief that Eulalia, the city's co-patron saint, was 13 when she was martyred.

  4. Gran Teatre del Liceu

    4Gran Teatre del Liceu

    Barcelona's opera house opened on La Rambla in 1847. It was rebuilt after fires in 1861 and 1994 and reopened in 1999, and in 1893 an anarchist threw bombs into the stalls on the opening night of the season.

  5. Palau Güell

    5Palau Güell

    Antoni Gaudí built this town palace in 1886–1890 for his patron Eusebi Güell, and it is part of the UNESCO World Heritage listing of Gaudí's works. Look at the two wrought-iron gates shaped as parabolic arches, wide enough for horse-drawn carriages, and at the mosaic-covered chimneys on the roof.

  6. Columbus Monument (Mirador de Colom)

    6Columbus Monument (Mirador de Colom)

    The Columbus Monument at the bottom of La Rambla is 60 metres tall and was completed for the 1888 Universal Exhibition, after a competition won by Gaietà Buïgas. Columbus stands on top with his right arm stretched out towards the sea, and a lift inside the column goes up to a viewing platform.

  7. Rambla de Mar

    7Rambla de Mar

    This wooden walkway, designed by the architects Helio Piñón and Albert Viaplana, continues La Rambla across the water of Port Vell to the Moll d'Espanya. It began operating in 1994, when the old harbour was being turned into a public waterfront.

    Read the full story →

  8. El Cap de Barcelona (Barcelona Head)

    8El Cap de Barcelona (Barcelona Head)

    The American pop artist Roy Lichtenstein created this giant head for the 1992 Olympic Games, and it stands on the waterfront near the old port. It is made of concrete and glazed ceramic tiles, with the comic-strip dots and bold outlines typical of his work.

  9. 9Basilica of Santa Maria del Mar

    Santa Maria del Mar in the La Ribera district was built between 1329 and 1383 and is one of the finest examples of Catalan Gothic. Inside, slender octagonal columns hold up a wide, open nave. According to local tradition, the harbour porters, the bastaixos, carried its stones on their backs from Montjuïc.

  10. Picasso Museum (Museu Picasso)

    10Picasso Museum (Museu Picasso)Finish

    The Picasso Museum opened in 1963 on Carrer de Montcada and now occupies five adjoining medieval palaces. Its collection is especially strong on Picasso's early years, and it holds his complete Las Meninas series from 1957.

494 reviews for Barcelona Scavenger Hunt and Self-Guided Tour

  1. Rated 5 out of 5

    France –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

  2. Rated 5 out of 5

    Belgium –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

  3. Rated 4 out of 5

    Germany –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

  4. Rated 4 out of 5

    Germany –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

  5. Rated 5 out of 5

    Germany –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

    Es war Super

  6. Rated 5 out of 5

    Spain –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

    genial

  7. Rated 4 out of 5

    Hans-Jürgen –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

    Der Einstieg beim Treffpunkt war etwas holprig und der Hinweis auf die zusätzliche App zum Spiel war nicht so richtig zu finden. Ansonsten war es ein schönes und interessantes Spiel. Hat Spaß gemacht.

  8. Rated 4 out of 5

    Germany –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

  9. Rated 4 out of 5

    Germany –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

  10. Rated 5 out of 5

    Switzerland –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

    Ich empfehle den World City Trail als eine tolle Familienaktivität.

  11. Rated 4 out of 5

    Germany –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

    Soweit bietet die Tour einen ersten kleinen Einblick in die Stadt. Wie man zum nächsten Ziel gelangt, bleibt bleibt einem selbst überlassen: direkter Weg oder doch lieber die kleinen Seitengassen erkunden? – in Google Maps wird einem das nächste Ziel angezeigt. Von der Sagrada Familia abgesehen, ist innerhalb der Stadt auch alles dabei. Für Punkte „außerhalb“ der Stadt ist die Tour zu klein, unserer Meinung nach aber völlig ausreichend. Bei 2€ pro Person tut man sich auch kein Beinbruch. Einzig unschön: eine Frage konnte aufgrund einer Baustelle nicht beantwortet werden. War schade, wir hätten gern alles gelöst.

  12. Rated 4 out of 5

    Switzerland –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

  13. Rated 4 out of 5

    Switzerland –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

  14. Rated 5 out of 5

    Gianna– Germany –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

    Uns hat die Schnitzeljagd sehr gut gefallen. Sie war kurzweilig und wir haben einige neue Spots in Barcelona entdecken können.

  15. Rated 4 out of 5

    France –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

    Très bien. Permet de se faire une première approche de la ville, de repérer certains monuments, rues animées etc… tout cela de manière ludique. Les énigmes sont faciles permettant à toute la famille de jouer.

  16. Rated 5 out of 5

    Germany –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

    Coole Sache!

  17. Rated 2 out of 5

    Netherlands –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

  18. Rated 2 out of 5

    Netherlands –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

  19. Rated 5 out of 5

    Germany –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

    Tolle idee

  20. Rated 5 out of 5

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    Collected on GetYourGuide

  21. Rated 5 out of 5

    Netherlands –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

  22. Rated 4 out of 5

    Anke– Germany –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

    Eine schöne Art Barcelona zu entdecken. Ich hatte nur das Gefühl kreuz und quer geschickt zu werden, etwas mehr Struktur wäre schön.

  23. Rated 5 out of 5

    Switzerland –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

  24. Rated 5 out of 5

    Switzerland –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

  25. Rated 4 out of 5

    Belgium –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

  26. Rated 3 out of 5

    Germany –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

  27. Rated 4 out of 5

    Belgium –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

  28. Rated 3 out of 5

    Germany –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

  29. Rated 5 out of 5

    Germany –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

  30. Rated 5 out of 5

    Germany –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

  31. Rated 4 out of 5

    Emily– United Kingdom –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

    Saw lots of areas and enjoyed solving the puzzles, but would have been amazing to also have recommendations of places to stop on the way for food or drinks! Overall great experience!

  32. Rated 5 out of 5

    Belgium –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

  33. Rated 5 out of 5

    Belgium –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

  34. Rated 5 out of 5

    Belgium –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

  35. Rated 5 out of 5

    Belgium –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

  36. Rated 4 out of 5

    Belgium –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

    Het was zeer leuk om te doen. We hebben mooie plekke gezien langs de route.

  37. Rated 4 out of 5

    Netherlands –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

  38. Rated 4 out of 5

    Netherlands –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

  39. Rated 5 out of 5

    Italy –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

  40. Rated 5 out of 5

    Italy –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

  41. Rated 5 out of 5

    Germany –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

  42. Rated 5 out of 5

    Germany –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

  43. Rated 5 out of 5

    Germany –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

  44. Rated 5 out of 5

    Germany –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

  45. Rated 5 out of 5

    Spain –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

  46. Rated 5 out of 5

    Spain –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

  47. Rated 5 out of 5

    Spain –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

  48. Rated 5 out of 5

    Spain –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

  49. Rated 5 out of 5

    Greece –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

    Καταπληκτική δραστηριότητα

  50. Rated 5 out of 5

    Germany –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

    Nice infi about the city- interactive puzzles.

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

Frequently asked questions

How long should we set aside for the Barcelona scavenger hunt?

About 3 hours is right for the Barcelona scavenger hunt. The walking comes to 51 minutes, the route is 4.1 km long and holds 10 stops, and the remaining time goes on the riddles and on stopping to look. The game can be paused and taken up again whenever you like.

Which stop opens the hunt, and where does it end?

The first riddle is set on Plaça de Catalunya, where the old town meets the Eixample grid, and the last one on Carrer de Montcada outside the Picasso Museum. Should your hotel sit nearer the sea, the app can open the hunt at another stop instead.

Is a guide included, or do we book a starting time?

Neither is part of it. You book online, the reference arrives by email, and typing it into the World City Trail app opens the game on the day you pick. Tickets are counted per player, and each phone carries the whole game.

Will we have to pay to get in anywhere?

No. All ten riddles are solved from the outside, on façades, squares and the quay, so no entry ticket belongs to the hunt. The Picasso Museum, Palau Güell, the Palau de la Música, the Liceu and the lift inside the Columbus Monument all charge their own admission, which you can arrange before or after the game.

Does the hunt work with kids?

It does, with an adult in the team. The clues are things to spot rather than facts to recall, and the stops hand children the geese of the cathedral cloister, the mosaic chimneys of Palau Güell and a giant head made of concrete and glazed tiles. A wheelchair cannot follow the route, and a pushchair is awkward in the narrow lanes of the Gothic Quarter.

Which languages can the game be played in?

Choose between English, German, French, Italian, Spanish, Dutch and Portuguese in the World City Trail app, and the riddles, stories and narration all follow that choice.

Can we play it in a big group or as a team event?

Yes. Count a ticket for every head and keep a team at five players or fewer. A larger company sends out three or four teams over the same ten stops and meets again outside the Picasso Museum, and since the game is played in the street there is no venue to book and no starting time to agree.

What do we take with us?

Per team one charged phone with mobile data, a power bank, and shoes for 4.1 km of pavement and cobbles. Bring something against the sun as well, because the stretch from the Columbus Monument along the Rambla de Mar to the Barcelona Head has no shade at all, and earphones if you want the stories read to you.

The first riddle is set on Plaça de Catalunya

One ticket goes into the basket for each player, and the reference is in your inbox before you have shut the laptop. You then pick the day you stand on Plaça de Catalunya, open the first riddle and let the game take you down towards the sea.

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