A canal, a tower and ten Utrecht riddles
The Utrecht 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. Between the old almshouse on the Oudegracht and the Joods Monument you are on your feet for only about 46 minutes, covering 3 km and 10 stops, while riddles, stories and canal-side breaks stretch the game to roughly 3 hours, starting at a moment of your choosing.
Highlights include the two-level wharves of the Oudegracht, the musical clocks of Museum Speelklok, the Dom Tower, the tallest church tower in the Netherlands, the hall where the Union of Utrecht was signed, De Letters van Utrecht, a poem that grows in the pavement, and St Catherine's Cathedral. Utrecht's compact old centre is laced with canals, so it is easy and pleasant to explore on foot.
- Durationabout 3 hours
- Walkingabout 46 min · 3 km
- Stops10
- LanguagesEnglish, German, French, Italian, Spanish, Dutch
How the game plays out between the Oudegracht and Domplein
Look up at the Dom, look down at the paving
Riddles in Utrecht are solved by noticing things: the tower soaring above Domplein, the lines in the pavement that trace a nave lost in 1674, a word carved into one stone of De Letters van Utrecht. Patience and common sense are enough, and no Dutch is required.
A walled-up sister and a treaty in the Aula
Behind each answer comes a story, such as Sister Bertken, who spent 57 years in a cell beside the Buurkerk, or the Union of Utrecht, signed in 1579 in the room that is now the university's Aula. The audio narration can read these tales to you as you stroll along the canal.
3 km on a canal with two levels
Around 46 minutes of the game is walking, over 3 km: beside the Oudegracht, whose wharves lie at water level below the street, across Domplein and on to St Catherine's Cathedral. Google Maps leads the way, and the streets are flat, though bikes come at you from every side.
A wharf-cellar coffee whenever it suits you
There is no timer, so go down to one of the wharf cellars by the water for a coffee, or sit for a while on Domplein, and carry on later the same day or on another one. The Oude Mannen- en Vrouwenhuis, where the first riddle waits, stands right on the Oudegracht.
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.
Day trippers, families and colleagues in Utrecht
A day out by train
Utrecht is a short train ride from Amsterdam, and in about 3 hours the game shows you the Oudegracht, Domplein, the tallest church tower in the Netherlands and two cathedrals. It fits a day trip as neatly as a first afternoon before an evening by the canal.
Young fans of bells, barrel organs and tall towers
Children enjoy craning their necks at the Dom Tower, following the paving-stone poem letter by letter and peeking at Museum Speelklok, home to musical clocks and Dutch street organs. Every team includes an adult, and the flat streets are kind to young legs.
Colleagues who regroup on Domplein
Groups of up to 5, each person on a personal phone, can start from the Oudegracht a few minutes apart and meet again on Domplein or at the finish. All the stops are in public space, so the event itself needs no venue.
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 Oudegracht past the Dom to the Joods Monument
10 stops · about 46 min walking · start: Oude Mannen- en Vrouwenhuis · finish: Jewish Monument (Joods Monument)
The hunt starts at the Oude Mannen- en Vrouwenhuis on the Oudegracht and continues to Museum Speelklok in the Buurkerk and along the canal to Domplein. There you find the Academy Building of Utrecht University, St Martin's Cathedral and the Dom Tower. You then walk to the Expo of Het Utrechts Archief, follow De Letters van Utrecht and pass St Catherine's Cathedral, and finish at the Joods Monument. None of the riddles needs you to step inside, whether at the Buurkerk, under the Dom Tower or at the cathedral, so you pay no admission anywhere, and if you would rather begin on Domplein or near St Catherine's, the app rearranges the stops to suit you.
Open the route map ↗
1Oude Mannen- en VrouwenhuisStart
From the 18th century, Huis Oudaen was home to the Oude Mannen- en Vrouwenhuis, a charitable home where elderly men and women of Utrecht were cared for. Foundations like this, run by regents from leading families, were an important part of social care in the Dutch Republic.
2Museum Speelklok
Museum Speelklok collects self-playing musical instruments, from musical clocks and music boxes to Dutch street organs, and plays them for visitors. It is housed in the Buurkerk, one of Utrecht's oldest parish churches. Here Sister Bertken lived walled up in a small cell beside the church for 57 years, until her death in 1514.
3Oudegracht
The Oudegracht is Utrecht's main canal, dug in the Middle Ages right through the old city. Its special feature is the two levels: wharves at water level with cellars that run under the street, once used to unload and store goods. Many of these wharf cellars now house cafés and restaurants.
Read the full story →
4Academy Building of Utrecht University
Utrecht University's Academy Building on Domplein was built in neo-Renaissance style at the end of the 19th century. Its Aula was once the chapter house of the cathedral, where the Union of Utrecht, the alliance of the northern provinces that laid the foundation of the Netherlands, was signed in 1579. The university itself dates from 1636.
5St Martin's Cathedral (Domkerk)
Work on this Gothic cathedral, dedicated to St Martin, began in 1254 and went on into the 16th century. The nave collapsed in the storm of 1674 and was never rebuilt, and lines in the paving of Domplein now mark where it stood. Since the Reformation it has been a Protestant church, with the Pandhof cloister garden beside it.
Read the full story →
6Dom Tower
At about 112 metres, the Dom Tower is the tallest church tower in the Netherlands. It was built between 1321 and 1382 as the bell tower of St Martin's Cathedral. Since a storm destroyed the nave in 1674, the tower has stood apart from the church, with the open Domplein in between.
Read the full story →
7Het Utrechts Archief
Het Utrechts Archief is the regional historical archive of the city and province of Utrecht. It keeps centuries of records, from medieval charters and city accounts to maps, drawings and photographs. In its exhibition space, the Expo, you can see parts of this collection that tell the story of Utrecht and its people.
8De Letters van Utrecht
De Letters van Utrecht is an endless poem laid into the pavement one stone at a time. Since 2012 a stonemason has carved a new letter into a paving stone every week and added it to the line, so the text grows slowly through the city. Look down and try to read the words as you follow them.
Read the full story →
9St Catherine's Cathedral
St Catherine's Cathedral (Sint-Catharinakathedraal) is the Roman Catholic cathedral of the Archdiocese of Utrecht. The late Gothic church was begun in the 15th century as a monastery church and became a cathedral after the Catholic hierarchy in the Netherlands was restored in 1853. Its neo-Gothic west front was added around 1900, and next door is the Museum Catharijneconvent.
10Jewish Monument (Joods Monument)Finish
This monument commemorates the Jewish residents of Utrecht who were deported and murdered during the German occupation of 1940 to 1945. It is a place of quiet remembrance, a reminder of the neighbours and families who once lived in these streets.
Only logged in customers who have purchased this product may leave a review.
Jürgen Bergner (verified owner) –
Mal eine andere Möglichkeit eine Stadt zu entdecken, war spannend, informativ und hat Spaß gemacht
Michael– Germany –
Collected on GetYourGuide
Die Beschreibung, die genauen Standorte, die Wegweisung
Belgium –
Collected on GetYourGuide
Ik heb deze wandeltocht gemaakt met mijn dochter van 15j en we hebben zo Utrecht ontdekt op ons eigen tempo. Af en toe een stop om iets te knabbelen of drinken. De puzzels zijn niet te moeilijk maar je moet soms toch even goed nadenken. Mijn dochter vond de puzzels heel leuk om te doen.
Simon– Netherlands –
Collected on GetYourGuide
Top
Germany –
Collected on GetYourGuide
war sehr unterhaltsam um einen Eindruck für die wunderschöne Stadt zu bekommen
Netherlands –
Collected on GetYourGuide
De vragen hadden een tandje moeilijker gemogen. Maar dit is heel leuk om als date te doen.
Netherlands –
Collected on GetYourGuide
Annemieke– Netherlands –
Collected on GetYourGuide
De activiteit was erg leuk. De app op de telefoon werkte op zich goed. Alleen bij opdrachten waarbij foto’s uit de app gebruikt moesten worden, was het lastig: de foto’s waren klein en onduidelijk.
Michael– South Africa –
Collected on GetYourGuide
Great way to learn about the city. Only possible improvement is avoiding ambiguity with answers to 1 or 2 clues. No big deal though
Dorothea– Germany –
Collected on GetYourGuide
Sehr gut, passend für uns als Familie! Kurzweilig
Belgium –
Collected on GetYourGuide
Super leuk
Olga– Ukraine –
Collected on GetYourGuide
I liked it a lot. I wish there was audio content instead of reading, that would make the experience even more fun and wholesome. But it’s definitely worth the money and I do recommend it if you like riddles
Netherlands –
Collected on GetYourGuide
Fun app and activity to discover the city. It stopped me from aimlessly walking around – which I love to do, but is not practical when short on time. I recommend this app to make the most of your time. Interesting bits of information about the sights, and the riddles are fairly easy and doable. I think it would be a good activity to do with kids too.
Netherlands –
Collected on GetYourGuide
Leuk maar niet snel duidelijk hoe we bij de app moesten komen. Met snelle hulp via whats app meteen wel gelukt en leuke rondleiding gehad. Fotopuzzel was lastig omdat er blad aan de bomen zat.
Netherlands –
Collected on GetYourGuide
Heel leuk, alleen opstarten is door de 2 verschillende apps lastig omdat je eerst niet doorhebt dat je een 2de app nodig hebt.
Derek– United Kingdom –
Collected on GetYourGuide
This self guided walking tour was very interesting and we found out a lot of facts. Also took us parts of Utrecht we may not have known about.
Petra-Germany –
Collected on GetYourGuide
Die Erklärungen zu den verschiedenen Sehenswürdigkeiten waren gut verfasst, nur gelegentliche Dopplungen. Man lernt Utrecht zu Fuß kennen, sieht die wichtigsten Plätze. In Verbindung mit den Rätseln sehr kurzweilig. Uns hat es sehr gut gefallen
France –
Collected on GetYourGuide
C était très sympa !!! Ma fille a adoré
Meghna– Netherlands –
Collected on GetYourGuide
This was really fun with my two kids!
Greece –
Collected on GetYourGuide
The scavenger hunt was intersting and it took us through the city, but the riddles were childlike, and they didnt require much thought. The activity was really cheap though and it provided some insight to the story of the city (that can be found with some simple research). Overall I would say that it was worth it.
Gilles– Belgium –
Collected on GetYourGuide
Heel leuk, veel bijgeleerd over de stad! Ruby Rose is een aanrader voor drank en spijs tussen de wandeling!
Germany –
Collected on GetYourGuide
Der Start war sehr holprig, da die App widersprüchliche Angaben machte, aber ab der 2. Station lief alles rund. Nette unterhaltsame Tour!
Brigitte– Netherlands –
Collected on GetYourGuide
Het was een leuke manier om iets meer van een stad te keren kennen. De uitstraling van de app zou iets moderner en efficiënter mogen.
Paola– Spain –
Collected on GetYourGuide
Greeat activity to get to know the city. Highly recommended
Belgium –
Collected on GetYourGuide
Het was een leuke activiteit. Een leuke manier om te stad te leren kennen.
France –
Collected on GetYourGuide
Very interesting and fun with some anecdotes,
Germany –
Collected on GetYourGuide
Kids hadden geen wifi, kon niet ofline
Claudia– Germany –
Collected on GetYourGuide
Alles hat uns sehr gut gefallen.
Johanna– Sweden –
Collected on GetYourGuide
Good activity when you are just passning the city for a few hours. Good solo activity.
Claire– Netherlands –
Collected on GetYourGuide
It was really good my family and I really enjoyed the tour around the city. We all agreed that we saw parts of the city we would not have seen had we not been doing the tour. That said a couple of the clues were impossible like the spot the difference question and the photos of the cathedral. However we just skipped and it made no difference to our day. I would definitely recommend.
Peter– Germany –
Collected on GetYourGuide
Beautiful way to discover a new city. Utrecht is it worth to get explored!!! And whilst walking through these lovely places we had a lot of chances for got glass of wine and fantastic food. Visit “Ruby Rose”, it was our favourite for this tour on 13th Oct 2023
Germany –
Collected on GetYourGuide
We had a great time exploring Utrecht with this scavenger hunt! We saw and learned so much more than we would have without it, plus it was great fun for both kids and grandparents!
Greece –
Collected on GetYourGuide
Excellent way to explore the city.
Nicole– Germany –
Collected on GetYourGuide
Hat viel Spaß gemacht. So sieht man viel von der Stadt und kann viel über diese erfahren.
Jacob Jansen (verified owner) –
In Den Haag heb ik zoveel verhalen geleerd dat ik ze nog eens wil lezen, de puzzels waren zo moeilijk als ze moesten zijn om onze reis soepel en plezierig te laten verlopen, ik zal nog eens spelen!