Helsinki scavenger hunt
Facing Central Railway Station Square, the neo-Renaissance Ateneum museum houses Finland's most extensive collection of classical art from the 18th century through the modern era.
Helsinki Old Church is a majestic wooden landmark where a grand white facade and the serene Old Church Park create a monumental oasis.
St. John's Church is a majestic Gothic Revival landmark where twin red-brick spires and grand decorative gables create a monumental presence in Helsinki’s Ullanlinna district.
Helsinki Cathedral is a majestic neoclassical landmark where a grand white facade and iconic green domes create a monumental presence overlooking the city’s Senate Square.
The Finnish National Theatre is a majestic National Romantic masterpiece where a grand granite facade and elegant red roofs create a monumental landmark in the heart of Helsinki.
Helsinki scavenger hunt
Facing Central Railway Station Square, the neo-Renaissance Ateneum museum houses Finland's most extensive collection of classical art from the 18th century through the modern era.
Helsinki Old Church is a majestic wooden landmark where a grand white facade and the serene Old Church Park create a monumental oasis.
St. John's Church is a majestic Gothic Revival landmark where twin red-brick spires and grand decorative gables create a monumental presence in Helsinki’s Ullanlinna district.
Helsinki Cathedral is a majestic neoclassical landmark where a grand white facade and iconic green domes create a monumental presence overlooking the city’s Senate Square.
The Finnish National Theatre is a majestic National Romantic masterpiece where a grand granite facade and elegant red roofs create a monumental landmark in the heart of Helsinki.

Helsinki Scavenger Hunt and Self-Guided Tour

Rated 4.43 out of 5 based on 35 customer ratings
(35 customer reviews)

5 out of 5 from 2 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 Helsinki 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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Total:
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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 →

Download on the App Store Get it on Google Play

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

Granite, harbour and design: Helsinki as a puzzle

The Helsinki 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 and legends behind it. The walking adds up to around 53 minutes over 4.1 km, from Railway Square down to the harbour and back through the Design District, and with riddles and stories on top the game fills about 3 hours, beginning whenever you choose.

Highlights include the Ateneum art museum, the white Helsinki Cathedral above Senate Square, Market Square and the Old Market Hall on the South Harbour, the twin spires of St John's Church and the wooden Old Church. Central Helsinki is compact and close to the sea, so the walk links Engel's neoclassical centre, the waterfront and the Design District with ease.

  • Durationabout 3 hours
  • Walkingabout 53 min · 4.1 km
  • Stops10
  • LanguagesEnglish, German, French, Italian, Spanish, Dutch

Riddles from Railway Square to the South Harbour and back

Apostles on the roof, caryatids on the wall

Every stop sets one riddle, and the clue is in the scene: the zinc apostles on the cathedral roof, the caryatids holding up the Ateneum balcony, the castaway waving from his raft on Observatory Hill. Look carefully, think it through, and you need no Finnish at all.

A tsar's church, a plague park and a bomb dent

The answers open Helsinki's stories: why the cathedral was called St Nicholas' Church until 1917, why locals still call the green around the Old Church Plague Park, and what left the dent in the base of the Three Smiths in 1944. The audio narration can read them to you on the windy harbour front.

4.1 km with one hill

Walking adds up to about 53 minutes over 4.1 km, with one short climb up Observatory Hill. Google Maps leads you from Railway Square to the harbour, up the hill, through the Design District and back towards Mannerheimintie.

A snack in the Old Market Hall

The game never runs against the clock, so try the Finnish specialities in the Old Market Hall, warm up in a café and finish another day if you like. Arriving at Helsinki Central Station? The National Theatre stands on the north side of Railway Square, right beside it.

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.

Ferry passengers, families and colleagues by the Baltic

Day visitors off the ferry from Tallinn or Stockholm

Many people see Helsinki in a single day, and this game links the station, the cathedral, the harbour and the Design District in about 3 hours. The riddles make sure you notice the details in between, not just the postcard views.

Raft, smiths and apostles for young detectives

Kids enjoy counting the apostles on the cathedral roof, spotting the man waving from the raft of The Shipwrecked and finding the dent in the Three Smiths' plinth. An adult plays in every team, and the market stalls on the way make good snack stops.

Colleagues on a Helsinki offsite

Teams of up to 5, each player on their own phone, can leave Railway Square at intervals and gather again at the Three Smiths, one of the city's favourite meeting points. Streets, parks and the market square are public, so the tickets are the only thing 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 the National Theatre via the harbour and the Design District to the Three Smiths

10 stops · about 53 min walking · start: Finnish National Theatre · finish: Three Smiths Statue

The hunt starts at the Finnish National Theatre on Railway Square and passes the Ateneum on the way to Helsinki Cathedral. You then head down to Market Square and the Old Market Hall, climb Observatory Hill to The Shipwrecked and continue through the Design District to the Design Museum and St John's Church. The last part leads to the Old Church and its park and finishes at the Three Smiths Statue. The answers are all on façades, statues and the open market square, so nobody along the way asks for an entry ticket, and should the harbour suit you better as a beginning, the app lets you start at Market Square and puts the remaining stops in order.

Open the route map ↗

  1. Finnish National Theatre

    1Finnish National TheatreStart

    The granite building on the north side of Railway Square was designed by Onni Tarjanne in the National Romantic style and opened in 1902. The company itself was founded in 1872 as the first professional theatre performing in Finnish. In front of it sits a statue of the writer Aleksis Kivi.

  2. Ateneum

    2Ateneum

    This neo-Renaissance palace on Railway Square was completed in 1887 to a design by Theodor Höijer and is now part of the Finnish National Gallery. Look at the facade, where caryatids carry the balcony and busts of great artists of the past decorate the walls. Inside hang classics of Finnish art by painters such as Akseli Gallen-Kallela and Helene Schjerfbeck.

  3. Helsinki Cathedral

    3Helsinki Cathedral

    Carl Ludvig Engel designed the white Lutheran cathedral with its green dome as the crowning piece of Senate Square, and it was built from 1830 to 1852. Until Finland's independence in 1917 it was called St Nicholas' Church, after Emperor Nicholas I. Zinc statues of the twelve apostles stand on its roof.

  4. Market Square (Kauppatori)

    4Market Square (Kauppatori)

    Until the early 19th century this was a muddy bay with fishing piers, and it was filled in after Helsinki became the capital of Finland in 1812. Today stalls sell fresh food and souvenirs by the South Harbour, and ferries leave for the sea fortress of Suomenlinna. The Presidential Palace and the City Hall face the square.

    Read the full story →

  5. Old Market Hall

    5Old Market Hall

    Helsinki's oldest market hall, Vanha kauppahalli, opened in 1889 on the waterfront next to Market Square. Gustaf Nyström designed it in red brick on a cast-iron frame. Its stalls sell fish, cheese, bread and Finnish specialities, and it is a good place to try local food.

    Read the full story →

  6. The Shipwrecked

    6The Shipwrecked

    Robert Stigell's bronze group The Shipwrecked, Haaksirikkoiset in Finnish, was unveiled in 1898 on Observatory Hill above the South Harbour. It shows castaways on a raft, one of them waving desperately for rescue. From the park around it you look out over the harbour and the islands.

  7. Design Museum

    7Design Museum

    Founded in 1873, the Design Museum collects Finnish design and applied art, from glass and ceramics to furniture and fashion. It occupies a neo-Gothic former school building from the 1890s in the Design District, the area of studios, galleries and design shops in the southern centre.

  8. St John's Church

    8St John's Church

    With its two spires 74 metres high, St John's Church is one of the tallest buildings in central Helsinki and, with seats for about 2,600 people, the largest church in Finland. The Swedish architect Adolf Melander designed it in the Gothic Revival style, and it was completed in 1891.

    Read the full story →

  9. Old Church

    9Old Church

    Carl Ludvig Engel designed this wooden church, built from 1824 to 1826, to serve the parish while the cathedral was being built, and it is the oldest surviving church in central Helsinki. The park around it was once a cemetery where victims of the plague of 1710 were buried, which is why locals call it Plague Park.

  10. Three Smiths Statue

    10Three Smiths StatueFinish

    Felix Nylund's bronze of three smiths hammering on an anvil was unveiled in 1932 at the corner of Aleksanterinkatu and Mannerheimintie. It is one of the best-known meeting points in Helsinki. A dent in the granite base was left by a bomb fragment during the Soviet air raids of 1944.

    Read the full story →

35 reviews for Helsinki Scavenger Hunt and Self-Guided Tour

  1. Rated 5 out of 5

    Jo A. (verified owner) –

  2. Rated 5 out of 5

    Anonymous (verified owner) –

  3. Rated 4 out of 5

    Sarah– Canada –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

    It has a lot of great info about everything! We would’ve liked to see the answers of some of the riddles, like the differences one at the theater!

  4. Rated 5 out of 5

    Germany –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

    top

  5. Rated 5 out of 5

    United States –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

  6. Rated 5 out of 5

    France –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

  7. Rated 4 out of 5

    Austria –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

  8. Rated 4 out of 5

    Germany –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

  9. Rated 5 out of 5

    Germany –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

    Es waren auch kleine, in keinem Reiseführer genannten Sehenswürdigkeiten, wie z.B. die Schmiedestatue, dabei. Die Rätsel waren alle relativ schnell zu lösen, gerade kleinere Kinder haben bestimmt Spaß daran. Durch die Stories erfährt man auch mehr über Helsinki und Finnland im Allgemeinen. Etwas Durchhaltevermögen ist allerdings gefragt, die 2,5 Stunden benötigt man mindestens- ohne größere Pausen.

  10. Rated 5 out of 5

    Sylvère– France –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

    Ludique et plein d’informations, 5 à 10 minutes entre les 10 destinations. Attention, certaines réponses sont en anglais.

  11. Rated 4 out of 5

    Cendrine– France –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

    En week end découverte d’une capitale européenne avec nos amis et nos ados, nous avons opté pour cette formule chasse au trésor qui nous a permis de découvrir les endroits incontournables de la ville et de garder nos ados connectés. Un audio des informations entre chaque lieu serait un plus plutôt que les longs textes.

  12. Rated 5 out of 5

    Nguyen– France –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

    Very good 👍

  13. Rated 4 out of 5

    Jurjen –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

    Leuk rondje door Helsinki. Achtergrond informatie is interessant

  14. Rated 5 out of 5

    daniel– Switzerland –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

    Das zweitletzte Rätsel – der Pestgarten – ist zu ungenau: es hat zwei Schilder mit Buchstaben, die für die Aufgabe in Frage kommen. Zusätzlich ist unklar, ob durchgezählt werden oder ob jedes Mal neu gestartet werden muss … alles andere ist witzig informativ und unterhaltsam _ ☺️

  15. Rated 4 out of 5

    Spain –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

    Bellissima esperienza

  16. Rated 5 out of 5

    France –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

    J’ai trouvé ça très sympa ! Tout est prévu pour se repérer, l’audio en français, rien à dire ! Mes enfants sont eu moins de mal que moi avec les enigmes

  17. Rated 3 out of 5

    Tom– Germany –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

    Das Positive: Die Rätsel waren gut für Familie mit Kindern. Die Navigation funktioniert mit Google Maps ok. Das Negative: Die Info-Texte sind zu kurz, inhaltsarm und teilweise falsch. Die Übersetzung war mäßig. Es war hilfreich, dass diese vorgelesen wurden (durch KI), aber ein professioneller Sprecher wäre deutlich besser. Insgesamt kann man sagen, dass das Angebot deutlich zu teuer für den Inhalt ist. Die App kann ein guter Programmierer in 2 Wochen zusammenklöppeln. Die Texte können maximal einen Tag Aufwand für einen mäßigen Texter gemacht haben. Dafür, dass man ab dann fast keinen personellen Aufwand hat, sind 10 € pro Gruppe und Stadt viel zu teuer.

  18. Rated 4 out of 5

    Germany –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

    Hat Spaß gemacht. Schöne Tour. Die Aufgaben hätten etwas interaktiver sein können. Die Geschichten und Hintergrundinformationen waren toll. Die Audiofunktion war nicht ausgesprochen und entsprechend platt anzuhören. Hier könnte die App mit einem Sprecher aufgewertet werden.

  19. Rated 5 out of 5

    Yvonne– Germany –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

    Sehr kurzweilig, interessante Infos, Laufstrecken zwischen den Sehenswürdigkeiten waren genau richtig. Die Übersetzungen könnten teilweise etwas besser sein 😉 Eine tolle Alternative zu klassischen Stadtführungen. Wir hatten viel Spaß.

  20. Rated 4 out of 5

    Julia– Estonia –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

    For older kids&adults, be ready to walk! Great for finding local gems! Overall, we couldnt finish- our 10y old was too tired but we only had 1 day.

  21. Rated 3 out of 5

    Stéphanie– Finland –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

    Questions of the quiz were not clear and interesting but the info related to each stops were. No Time schedule necessary so i took the Time to have a peek at some stops, Therefore I know wich museum I want to go back to with the kids.

  22. Rated 5 out of 5

    Lauraine– France –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

    Un excellent moyen pour découvrir la ville et une partie de son histoire. J’aime beaucoup cette activité.

  23. Rated 5 out of 5

    Julia– Austria –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

    cool

  24. Rated 5 out of 5

    Italy –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

    L’inizio è stato difficoltoso perché non avevamo capito di dover scaricare una specifica app. Una volta risolto il problema, l’avventura è stata all’altezza di ogni aspettativa! Divertente, interessante, curiosa, abbiamo visitato punti della città che sicuramente avremmo perso!

  25. Rated 4 out of 5

    Germany –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

    Schöne Idee, um die Stadt eigenständig zu erkunden. Infos zu entsprechenden Sehenswürdigkeiten müssen leider häufig separat gelesen werden, stattdessen poppen nette kleine Geschichten zu völlig anderen Sehenswürdigkeiten auf. Die Antwort für den Kauppatori ist leider falsch (1888 anstatt 1889). Wird für 6,50 € angeboten, kostet beim Bezahlvorgang aber trotzdem 13 €. Wir können das Spiel trotzdem empfehlen

  26. Rated 3 out of 5

    Belgium –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

    Je ne sais pas si c’est parce que c’était une version fr mais les questions n’étaient pas claires. Cela dit j’ai quand même vu de beaux monuments incontournables et j’ai lu les histoires

  27. Rated 5 out of 5

    Austria –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

    wunderschön

  28. Rated 5 out of 5

    Austria –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

    Es wäre schön

  29. Rated 3 out of 5

    Germany –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

    die rätsel hatten mit der geschichte helsinkis zum großen teil gar nichts zu tun. im gegensatz zur schnitzeljagd in venedig (bei der man viel über die geschichte der stadt lernen konnte), war diese hier eher aus dem knobelteil der wochenendzeitung. rumgekommen ist man trotzdem und funktioniert haben die rätsel auch. der spass hat mich 13 euros gekostet und erhlich gesagt habe ich nach der hälfte keine richtige lust mehr gehabt, zu ende zu spielen.

  30. Rated 5 out of 5

    Germany –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

    Gutes Spiel mit tollen Stationen. Teilweise sind die Aufgaben ungenau beschrieben, sodass wir Hinweise benötigten. Dennoch eine klare Empfehlung

  31. Rated 5 out of 5

    Greece –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

    Nice activity. I could roam through the most interesting sites of the city.

  32. Rated 4 out of 5

    United Kingdom –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

    It was fun. Some of the sites were under construction/renovation, so couldn’t answer the question. One level was a statue that was very hard to find. But reasonably priced and fun.

  33. Rated 4 out of 5

    Germany –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

    The experience was well put together and provided lots of information about the sites included in the experience, however, it is definitely not an experience meant for families with young children. I choose this experience for our time in Helsinki as a way for our young children to explore and learn more about the city, it’s history and it’s famous landmarks. However, the challenges at each location are far too advanced for young children. The rating loses stars as the description is not clear with regard to the advanced nature of the puzzles at each location. We used hints for most of the the puzzles and found the info sections of the activity engaging and interesting. I would not again pay the 27 Euro for the activity, knowing that it is not age appropriate for our family. My suggestion is to change the description of the activity to be clear that this activity is really meant for ages 12 and up.

  34. Rated 4 out of 5

    joar –

    Thank you it was a beautiful walk through the city !

  35. Rated 5 out of 5

    litm22 –

    Very nice idea, we enjoyed it!

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

Frequently asked questions

Can we finish the Helsinki hunt before an evening ferry?

Most likely, since the game takes about 3 hours. Around 53 minutes of that is walking, over 4.1 km and 10 stops from the National Theatre to the Three Smiths, and the rest goes on riddles and stories about the cathedral, the harbour and the Old Church's Plague Park. If the boat is due sooner than expected, break off and save the rest for your next trip.

Is the first riddle at the station, and does the game end near the shops?

Close: the first riddle is at the Finnish National Theatre on the north side of Railway Square, beside Helsinki Central Station, and the last at the Three Smiths Statue on the corner of Aleksanterinkatu and Mannerheimintie, right in the main shopping district. Staying by the harbour? The app can open the game at Market Square or any other stop.

Does someone meet us on Railway Square?

Nobody does, and the hour is yours to pick. The booking reference comes by email; once you enter it in the World City Trail app, the game is ready on whatever day suits you, from long summer evenings to short winter afternoons. Every player has a ticket of their own, and the riddles about tsars, smiths and castaways appear on each phone in the group.

Is there anything to pay for between the theatre and the harbour?

Only the ones you choose to go inside, since the game itself is solved entirely outdoors. The Ateneum and the Design Museum are museums with admission tickets, and the ferry from Market Square to the sea fortress of Suomenlinna is a separate trip you can add.

Which Helsinki details do children enjoy most?

With an adult on their team, they tend to love the twelve zinc apostles on the cathedral roof, the castaway waving from his raft on Observatory Hill, the dent left by a bomb fragment in the Three Smiths' base and the stalls of Market Square. Wheelchair users will find the route impossible, and Observatory Hill turns pushing a pushchair into a workout.

Is there a Dutch or Spanish version for Helsinki?

Both exist: the Helsinki riddles come in English, German, French, Italian, Spanish and Dutch, though not in Finnish or Swedish. Pick yours in the World City Trail app while standing by the National Theatre, before the opening riddle appears.

Can a company turn the Helsinki hunt into a team event?

Easily: buy a ticket for each participant, form teams of up to five and let them leave Railway Square a few minutes apart, then regroup at the Three Smiths. Everything happens in streets, parks and squares open to all, so there is nothing else to organise.

How should we dress for Helsinki's sea wind?

Bring a windproof layer for the harbour and Observatory Hill, comfortable shoes for 4.1 km and, in winter, gloves that work on a touchscreen and soles that grip on ice. Per team, one phone with a full battery and mobile data does the job, though a power bank is wise when it freezes.

Start in front of the Finnish National Theatre

Once everyone in the group has a ticket, booked online, the reference arrives by email. Then choose your day, cross Railway Square from the station and open the first riddle by the statue of Aleksis Kivi.

Book your tickets →

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