From City Hall to the river Maas, clue by clue
The Rotterdam 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. Count on roughly 2 hours for the whole game: 54 minutes of it is walking, some 4.2 km from the Coolsingel down to the Maas, and the 10 stops fill the rest with riddles and stories.
Highlights include City Hall and the Laurenskerk, two survivors of the 1940 bombing, Piet Blom's tilted Cube Houses, the Witte Huis, one of Europe's first high-rise office buildings, the harbour ships of the Leuvehaven and the Erasmus Bridge over the Maas. Rotterdam's centre is flat with wide pavements, so the route mixes history, bold modern architecture and river views on foot.
- Durationabout 2 hours
- Walkingabout 54 min · 4.2 km
- Stops10
- LanguagesEnglish, German, French, Italian, Spanish, Dutch
A game through Rotterdam's rebuilt centre and its harbours
Glazed brick, bronze and yellow cubes
Each riddle hides in what stands in front of you: the white glazed brick of the Witte Huis, the bronze Erasmus that Hendrick de Keyser cast in 1622 outside the Laurenskerk, the yellow cubes tilted at 45 degrees above Blaak. Look closely, think it through, and you have the answer without any knowledge of Dutch history.
May 1940 and the city that rose again
Solved riddles open the stories behind the skyline: why City Hall, the Laurenskerk and the Witte Huis are among the few survivors of the bombing of May 1940, what Piet Blom meant by a forest of houses, and how Pieter Caland's waterway opened the port to the North Sea. Between Blaak and the Willemskade the audio narration can tell each one, so your eyes stay on the skyline.
4.2 km along havens and quays
About 54 minutes of the game is spent walking, from the Coolsingel past the Oude Haven and along the Leuvehaven to the foot of the Erasmus Bridge and the Willemskade. The centre is flat with wide pavements, and Google Maps leads the way between stops.
A break by the harbour boats
No clock runs in the game, so stop for a coffee at the Oude Haven or watch the historic ships in the Leuvehaven, then continue later or on another day. Arriving at Rotterdam Centraal? City Hall is a short walk down the Coolsingel, or pick any other stop as your first in the app.
See the route and attractions →
How it works
- Book online Choose the number of players. Your booking reference arrives by email straight away.
- Get the app Download the World City Trail app from the App Store or Google Play and enter your booking reference.
- Play when you like Start whenever you are ready, walk at your own pace and pause any time. No guide, no fixed schedule.
Architecture fans, families and teams in Rotterdam
First-timers who want the skyline explained
In about 2 hours you link the survivors of 1940 with the bold buildings that replaced the old town and finish by the river, which makes a good start to a Rotterdam visit or a day trip from Amsterdam or The Hague. The riddles slow you down where a quick walk would rush past.
Children who like tilted houses and big ships
Kids enjoy the Cube Houses that look ready to topple, the old ships and cranes of the Leuvehaven and the white bridge locals call The Swan. Every team includes an adult, and the open-air harbour museum is a good spot to pause halfway.
Teams who meet again by the Maas
Up to 5 players share a team, each with the game on their own phone, so a group can set off from City Hall in several teams and regroup on the Willemskade by the river. From the Coolsingel to the riverfront the game uses only public ground, so nothing needs reserving except the tickets.
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.
Iris De –
Collected on GetYourGuide
Claudia Oyanedel– Spain –
Collected on GetYourGuide
muy entrenido, es una de las mejores formas de conocer una ciudad
Germany –
Collected on GetYourGuide
Germany –
Collected on GetYourGuide
Ireland –
Collected on GetYourGuide
Some of the clues were a little cryptic and would have helped to show a full solution. Nice way to see the city and easy to walk
Patrice– United States –
Collected on GetYourGuide
This was my first experience with a self guided tour and I would definitely recommend it. It’s a great way to see the “highlights” of an area you’re not familiar with. It allows you to go at your own pace; if you want to spend more or less time at a particular stop you can. It’s affordable. We decided that morning to go to Rotterdam so we didn’t have time to plan. I didn’t know what there was to see or do. This self guided tour allowed us to make the most of our day and see there city. My kids loved it too, using our gps to guide us to the next attractions and help figure out the clues.
Netherlands –
Collected on GetYourGuide
United Kingdom –
Collected on GetYourGuide
Expensive for what it is
Sandra– Germany –
Collected on GetYourGuide
Es war super sch?n. Meine Kinder sind sehr gern von Station zu Station gelaufen sind und hatten viel Spass an den R?tseln. Es k?nnte noch etwas ?bersichtlicher sein da manches echt schlecht zu sehen ist (Baumkronen, schlechte Sicht) aber trotzdem sch?n. Auch die tolle Erkl?rung der Sehensw?rdigkeiten war klasse und auch f?r Kinder verst?ndlich
Kristin– Germany –
Collected on GetYourGuide
Sch?ne Strecke, viele wissenswerte Infos
Oceane– France –
Collected on GetYourGuide
Nous avons fait les ?nigmes dans un autre ordre et l’application a cesser de fonctionner
Jens– Germany –
Collected on GetYourGuide
Die R?tsel sind teils schwierig aber l?sbar. Alleine daf?r, dass man nicht planlos in der Stadt umher geirrt ist hat es sich gelohnt. Es hat viel Spa? gemacht.
Germany –
Collected on GetYourGuide
Grunds?tzlich nicht schlecht, aber das System hat sich nach einigen Stunden aufgeh?ngt. Wir bekamen es nicht mehr ans laufen. Damit haben wir den gef?hrten Rundgang beendet.
Maria– Germany –
Collected on GetYourGuide
Die Schnitzeljagd in Rotterdam ist eine lustige Idee und bewegt sich auf jeden Fall relativ viel dabei, um die Sehensw?rdigkeiten zu erreichen. Es ist aber keine typische Tour der bekanntesten Sehensw?rdigkeiten, sondern zum Teil eher etwas unbekannte Sehensw?rdigkeiten stehen auf dem Programm. Ein paar wenige R?tsel sind etwas knifflig gewesen, aber mit den Hinweisen klappt es ganz gut. Diese Schnitzeljagd ist auf jeden Fall zu empfehlen und macht sicher noch mehr Spa?, wenn es mit mehreren bzw. ins Teams spielt.