Madrid scavenger hunt
The Plaza de Oriente is a regal open-air museum of Spanish history, featuring beautifully manicured gardens and an impressive collection of statues representing the nation's early monarchs.
Enclosed by uniform red-brick Habsburg architecture and grand porticoes, Plaza Mayor is Madrid's iconic 17th-century central square, centered around a bronze equestrian statue of King Philip III.
The Metrópolis Building is a stunning architectural icon of Madrid, celebrated for its French-inspired Beaux-Arts design and the magnificent winged victory statue that crowns its gold-leafed dome.
Boasting over 3,400 rooms, the Royal Palace of Madrid is Western Europe's largest functioning royal residence, famed for its grand Baroque and Neoclassical architecture and lavishly decorated state halls.
Completed in 1928 near Plaza de España, the Church of Santa Teresa y San José is an eye-catching Neo-Byzantine and Neo-Mudéjar complex renowned for its soaring dome and elaborate tilework.
Madrid scavenger hunt
The Plaza de Oriente is a regal open-air museum of Spanish history, featuring beautifully manicured gardens and an impressive collection of statues representing the nation's early monarchs.
Enclosed by uniform red-brick Habsburg architecture and grand porticoes, Plaza Mayor is Madrid's iconic 17th-century central square, centered around a bronze equestrian statue of King Philip III.
The Metrópolis Building is a stunning architectural icon of Madrid, celebrated for its French-inspired Beaux-Arts design and the magnificent winged victory statue that crowns its gold-leafed dome.
Boasting over 3,400 rooms, the Royal Palace of Madrid is Western Europe's largest functioning royal residence, famed for its grand Baroque and Neoclassical architecture and lavishly decorated state halls.
Completed in 1928 near Plaza de España, the Church of Santa Teresa y San José is an eye-catching Neo-Byzantine and Neo-Mudéjar complex renowned for its soaring dome and elaborate tilework.

Madrid Scavenger Hunt and Self-Guided Tour

Rated 4.61 out of 5 based on 178 customer ratings
(178 customer reviews)

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

5 € - 11 €

1 ticket = 1 person

  • Buy 1 ticket
    11 €
  • Buy 2 tickets and save 36%
    11 €
    7 €
  • Buy 3 tickets and save 45%
    11 €
    6 €
  • Buy 4+ tickets and save 55%
    11 €
    5 €

Make a day of itInteractive guides by World City Trail, delivered with your tickets.

What is a city guide?

Your own guide to Madrid 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 →
- +
Total:
Each:

See players in action on Instagram

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 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

What is the Madrid scavenger hunt?

The Madrid 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. It takes about 3 hours, with around 50 minutes of actual walking over 3.9 km and 10 stops, and you start whenever you like.

Highlights include the Prado Museum and the Monument to Goya, the Puerta de Alcalá, the Cibeles Fountain, the Metropolis Building on Gran Vía, Puerta del Sol, Plaza Mayor and Plaza de Oriente. The route takes you from the wide boulevards around the Retiro into the narrow streets of the old Habsburg town, so you see both sides of Madrid in one walk.

  • Durationabout 3 hours
  • Walkingabout 50 min · 3.9 km
  • Stops10
  • LanguagesEnglish, German, French, Italian, Spanish, Dutch

How the hunt goes from the Prado to the Royal Palace

Ten riddles, ten landmarks

Each of the 10 stops puts one riddle in front of you, and the answer is written somewhere on the façade, the pedestal or the pavement where you are standing. Nothing is asked of your memory, only of your eyes.

What the riddle unlocks

The stop then explains itself: the plaque on the Real Casa de Correos that marks Kilometre Zero of Spain's roads, the triumphal gate built in 1680 for the first wife of Charles II and still carrying the inscription left by his second, the story that Galileo worked out how Tacca's rearing horse could stand on two legs. Switch to the audio narration and the stories are told to you instead.

A short 3.9 km

Google Maps links the stops, and the walking adds up to only 50 minutes, from the boulevards by the Retiro into the tight streets of the Habsburg town. It is the shortest walk of the route, which leaves room for a long stop somewhere.

Pause as you like

Nothing counts down and nobody waits. Take churros in the alley behind San Ginés, carry on an hour later or on another day, and reorder the stops in the app if you would rather finish near the Prado.

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 should take the Madrid hunt

A first look at Madrid

Prado, Puerta de Alcalá, Cibeles, Gran Vía, Sol, Plaza Mayor and the Royal Palace line up over 3.9 km in an order that makes sense of the city. By the end you know which Madrid belongs to the Bourbons and which to the Habsburgs.

Family on the route

Children look for the bear and the strawberry tree on Puerta del Sol, the two lions pulling Cybele's chariot and the horse that stands on nothing but its hind legs, and they can count the five openings of the Puerta de Alcalá. One adult plays with them.

Workmates competing

Five players to a team, each with the riddle on their own phone, means a department can split up at the Prado and argue the scores out on the Plaza de Oriente. There is no venue to hire and no departure to coordinate, since every riddle is outdoors.

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: the Prado, Cibeles, Puerta del Sol, Plaza Mayor, Plaza de Oriente

10 stops · about 50 min walking · start: Prado Museum · finish: Plaza de Oriente

The hunt starts at the Prado Museum and the Monument to Goya beside it, then passes the Puerta de Felipe IV at the edge of the Retiro on the way to the Puerta de Alcalá and the Cibeles Fountain. From there you follow Calle de Alcalá to the Metropolis Building and Puerta del Sol, cross Plaza Mayor, visit the Church of San Ginés on Calle del Arenal and finish at Plaza de Oriente. Not one riddle sends you through a door, so the whole walk is free of entry tickets, and the app lets you choose which landmark goes first and in what order the other nine follow.

Open the route map ↗

  1. Prado Museum

    1Prado MuseumStart

    Juan de Villanueva designed this neoclassical building in 1785 for King Charles III as a natural history cabinet. It opened as a royal museum of paintings and sculpture in 1819 and is now one of the world's great art museums, with works by Velázquez, Goya and El Greco. A statue of Velázquez stands in front of its main façade.

  2. Monument to Goya

    2Monument to Goya

    This bronze statue of Francisco de Goya by the sculptor Mariano Benlliure stands outside the north side of the Prado, by the entrance named after the painter. Unveiled in 1902, it honours the artist from Aragon whose works, including his late Black Paintings, fill many rooms of the museum behind him.

  3. Puerta de Felipe IV

    3Puerta de Felipe IV

    Melchor de Bueras built this baroque granite gate in 1680 as a triumphal arch for the arrival of Marie Louise of Orléans, first wife of Charles II. In 1690 it welcomed his second wife, Maria Anna of Neuburg, whose inscription it still bears. Moved from its first site, it now marks an entrance to the Retiro gardens.

  4. Puerta de Alcalá

    4Puerta de Alcalá

    King Charles III commissioned this neoclassical gate from Francesco Sabatini, and it was inaugurated in 1778 as a gate in the old city wall on the road to Alcalá de Henares. It has five openings, three arches and two rectangular passages. Today it stands in the middle of the Plaza de la Independencia, beside the Retiro Park.

  5. Cibeles Fountain

    5Cibeles Fountain

    Ventura Rodríguez designed this fountain around 1780: the goddess Cybele, carved by Francisco Gutiérrez, rides a chariot pulled by two lions by Roberto Michel. In mythology the lions are Atalanta and Hippomenes, turned into animals by the gods. Real Madrid fans gather here to celebrate their team's titles.

    Read the full story →

  6. Metropolis Building

    6Metropolis Building

    This domed building on the corner of Calle de Alcalá and Gran Vía was designed by the French architects Jules and Raymond Février and inaugurated in 1911 for the insurance company La Unión y el Fénix. The winged Victory on its dome has stood there since 1977, replacing the original statue of the Phoenix with Ganymede.

    Read the full story →

  7. Puerta del Sol

    7Puerta del Sol

    In front of the Real Casa de Correos, the 18th-century post office that now houses the regional government, a plaque marks Kilometre Zero of Spain's national roads. On New Year's Eve, Spaniards eat twelve grapes to the chimes of its clock. Nearby stands the Bear and the Strawberry Tree, the symbol of Madrid, unveiled in 1967.

    Read the full story →

  8. Plaza Mayor

    8Plaza Mayor

    Madrid's arcaded main square was completed in 1619 under Philip III by Juan Gómez de Mora and rebuilt by Juan de Villanueva after a fire in 1790. In the centre stands the bronze equestrian statue of Philip III by Giambologna and Pietro Tacca, placed here in 1848. The painted façade of the Casa de la Panadería dates from 1992.

  9. Church of San Ginés

    9Church of San Ginés

    San Ginés on Calle del Arenal is one of the oldest parishes in Madrid; the present church dates from 1645, while the bell tower survives from an earlier building. Lope de Vega married here and Francisco de Quevedo was baptised here. In the alley behind it, the Chocolatería San Ginés is known for hot chocolate with churros.

  10. Plaza de Oriente

    10Plaza de OrienteFinish

    This square between the Royal Palace and the Teatro Real took its present form in the 1840s. In the centre rides Philip IV in a bronze by Pietro Tacca, sent to Madrid in 1640: the rearing horse rests only on its hind legs, and Galileo Galilei is said to have calculated its balance. Statues of Spanish kings line the gardens.

178 reviews for Madrid Scavenger Hunt and Self-Guided Tour

  1. Rated 4 out of 5

    Germany –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

    Super! Hat spa? gemacht! Falss man nicht weiss was man machen soll und eine g?nstige Sightseeingtour machen m?chte ist die Tour zu empfehlen.

  2. Rated 5 out of 5

    Germany –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

    Nice infi about the city- interactive puzzles.

  3. Rated 5 out of 5

    Netherlands –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

    Self-paced and well organised.

  4. Rated 5 out of 5

    Netherlands –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

  5. Rated 5 out of 5

    Spain –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

    Nos ha encantado.

  6. Rated 4 out of 5

    Australia –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

  7. Rated 4 out of 5

    Germany –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

  8. Rated 5 out of 5

    Netherlands –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

  9. Rated 4 out of 5

    Belgium –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

  10. Rated 5 out of 5

    Croatia –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

  11. Rated 5 out of 5

    Greece –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

    Great experience to get to know the best sights of the city up close

  12. Rated 5 out of 5

    Italy –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

  13. Rated 5 out of 5

    Belgium –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

  14. Rated 5 out of 5

    Luxembourg –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

  15. Rated 4 out of 5

    Lydiane– France –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

    il nous restait un jour sur place et nous avons d?cid? de faire une chasse au tr?sor piur d?couvrir d’autres endroit zncore non explor?! Ce fut int?ressant et ludique et les ?nigmes sont tout ? fait abordable m?me en famille.

  16. Rated 5 out of 5

    Italy –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

  17. Rated 5 out of 5

    Germany –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

    Die Tour hat uns Spass gemacht. Die Fragen fanden wir eher komisch. Es w?re besser wenn man einfach ohne Code weiter gehen kann. Es wird in der ?berschrift eine Stadtrundfahrt erw?hnt. Die gibt es aber nicht. Sollte man berichtigen.

  18. Rated 5 out of 5

    Switzerland –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

    😉

  19. Rated 4 out of 5

    Germany –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

  20. Rated 5 out of 5

    Brazil –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

  21. Rated 4 out of 5

    Germany –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

  22. Rated 5 out of 5

    Canada –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

    C est une fa?on unique de visiter la ville ! Ces endroits ne se voient pas en bus. Des petits joyaux cach?s et tr?s bien expliqu?s!

  23. Rated 5 out of 5

    Switzerland –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

  24. Rated 5 out of 5

    Belgium –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

  25. Rated 4 out of 5

    France –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

  26. Rated 3 out of 5

    Greece –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

    La idea es muy buena, pero hay que mejorar los acertijos, incluidas las pistas.

  27. Rated 5 out of 5

    United Kingdom –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

    Very nice route through some important attractions of Madrid.

  28. Rated 5 out of 5

    Germany –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

    Es ist super gewesen!

  29. Rated 5 out of 5

    Germany –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

  30. Rated 5 out of 5

    United Kingdom –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

    Amazing experience! Very amusing way to explore the city whilst solving smart riddles! Prompt and politer customer service! Thank you! Highly recommended!

  31. Rated 5 out of 5

    France –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

    Adore

  32. Rated 4 out of 5

    Slovenia –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

    Excellent way to explore a city

  33. Rated 5 out of 5

    Germany –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

  34. Rated 5 out of 5

    Netherlands –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

  35. Rated 4 out of 5

    France –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

    moin

  36. Rated 5 out of 5

    United Kingdom –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

    Thank you!

  37. Rated 4 out of 5

    Germany –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

  38. Rated 4 out of 5

    Greece –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

  39. Rated 4 out of 5

    Belgium –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

  40. Rated 4 out of 5

    Belgium –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

    Leuk speurtocht

  41. Rated 5 out of 5

    Germany –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

  42. Rated 5 out of 5

    Italy –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

  43. Rated 5 out of 5

    Ireland –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

  44. Rated 4 out of 5

    Belgium –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

  45. Rated 5 out of 5

    Netherlands –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

    We enjoyed it at maximum.

  46. Rated 5 out of 5

    Switzerland –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

  47. Rated 4 out of 5

    Belgium –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

  48. Rated 5 out of 5

    jorjeS –

    Super walk, super city. Very smart game

  49. Rated 5 out of 5

    France –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

  50. Rated 4 out of 5

    U.S –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

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

Frequently asked questions

What is the total time for the Madrid scavenger hunt?

Set aside about 3 hours. Walking takes only 50 minutes and the 10 stops are spread along 3.9 km, so most of the afternoon belongs to the riddles, the photographs and a stop for coffee. The hunt can be broken off and finished later.

Where is the starting point and where is the finish?

It starts in front of the Prado Museum, beside the statue of Velázquez, and ends on the Plaza de Oriente between the Royal Palace and the Teatro Real. If you would rather walk the other way, the app moves the first riddle to any other stop.

Is anybody guiding, and is a time fixed?

Nobody is guiding and no time is fixed. The emailed reference goes into the World City Trail app, and nothing begins until you press start. Each player buys a ticket and plays from their own screen.

Do any of the stops charge for entry?

None of them. The riddles are read off gates, fountains, façades and pavements, so the hunt costs nothing beyond the ticket to play. The Prado, the Royal Palace and the Teatro Real all sell their own admission for anyone who wants to go inside afterwards.

Will children enjoy the hunt?

Children take to it quickly, as long as one adult is on the team. The clues are objects to find, and Madrid offers a bronze bear, a chariot pulled by two lions, a winged Victory on a dome and twelve grapes eaten under a clock every New Year's Eve. Wheelchair access is not possible on this route, and a pushchair means lifting at kerbs and steps.

Which languages does the game come in?

English, German, French, Italian, Spanish and Dutch are all in the app, and the one you pick before the first riddle carries the whole hunt.

Could a company group play it together?

Easily. Buy per person and divide the group into teams of five or fewer; a larger firm fields several teams over the same stops and meets again on the Plaza de Oriente. No room is booked, and no two teams need the same starting minute.

What do we need to carry?

Very little is needed. Give each team a phone with battery and data to spare, tuck a power bank into the bag and wear something that copes with 3.9 km of pavement. Between the Retiro gates and Plaza Mayor the sun is unobstructed in summer, so water and a hat help, and earphones turn the stories into listening.

The first riddle is in front of the Prado

Checkout takes a minute: one ticket for every player, and the reference lands by email. After that you choose the morning you stand in front of the Prado with Velázquez in bronze beside you and open the first riddle of the Madrid scavenger hunt.

Book your tickets →

Related products

Shopping Basket
Scroll to Top