How does the Warsaw scavenger hunt work?
The Warsaw 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 47 minutes of actual walking over 3.8 km and 10 stops, and you start whenever you like.
Highlights include the New Town where Marie Curie was born, the Barbican, the Old Town Market Square with the Warsaw Mermaid, the Royal Castle and Sigismund's Column, the Grand Theatre, home of the Polish National Opera, and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. The Old Town was rebuilt almost from scratch after 1944, and walking it shows how a whole historic centre came back to life.
- Durationabout 3 hours
- Walkingabout 47 min · 3.8 km
- Stops10
- LanguagesEnglish, German, French, Italian, Spanish, Polish
A city game through a rebuilt old town
Riddles written in brick and bronze
Every one of the 10 stops holds one riddle, and its answer can be read on the spot: a date on a church wall, a figure on a column, a detail of the Mermaid's shield. You need sharp eyes and logic, not a history degree.
A city that came back
Behind the answers lie Warsaw's stories: the Old Town destroyed in 1944 and rebuilt from the rubble, the Royal Castle raised again between 1971 and 1984 largely with donations from Poles, the Constitution of 3 May 1791 adopted within its walls. Turn on the audio narration if you would rather keep your eyes on the façades.
From the escarpment to the Saxon Garden
Google Maps steers you over 3.8 km and about 47 minutes of walking, from the edge of the Vistula escarpment through the New Town and the Old Town to the wide streets and the park beyond. The old quarters are cobbled, while the second half runs on broad pavements.
Pierogi in between
No clock is running. Stop for pierogi or a coffee on the Old Town Market Square, pick the game up later or the next day, and change the order in the app if you are staying closer to the Saxon Garden.
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.
Who plays the Warsaw hunt
A weekend in Warsaw
The New Town, the Old Town, the Royal Castle and the Saxon Garden lie along one 3.8 km line, and each riddle makes you notice how carefully the rebuilt streets were put back together. It is a good start before the museums and the rest of the city.
Families
Children are quick to spot what the riddles ask for: the Mermaid with her sword, a king on top of a tall column, the soldiers standing guard by the eternal flame. An adult needs to be part of the team.
School classes and office outings
A class or an office can be divided into teams of up to 5, every player with the game on their own phone, and all of them can be out on the same route at once. The Saxon Garden is an easy place to gather at the end.
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 New Town through the Old Town to the Saxon Garden
10 stops · about 47 min walking · start: Church of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary · finish: Obelisk Drogowskaz
The hunt starts at the Church of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary above the Vistula and crosses the New Town Market Square to Krasiński Garden. It then enters the Old Town through the Barbican, reaches the Old Town Market Square and the Royal Castle on Castle Square, and continues to the Grand Theatre, the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and the Saxon Garden, finishing at the Obelisk Drogowskaz. Because the riddles are all solved on squares, streets and garden paths, you will not need an entry ticket at any of the ten stops, and in the app you can make another stop your starting point or walk them in a different order.
Open the route map ↗
1Church of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin MaryStart
Founded in 1409, this is one of the oldest churches in Warsaw. Its Gothic brick walls and free-standing bell tower stand on the edge of the Vistula escarpment in the New Town, and after its destruction in 1944 it was rebuilt in its medieval form.
2New Town Market Square
The New Town grew up around 1400 as a separate town north of the old walls, with its own market square and town hall. Today the square is framed by rebuilt burghers' houses and the baroque Church of St Casimir, designed by Tylman van Gameren, and Marie Curie was born a few steps away on Freta Street.
3Krasiński Garden
Krasiński Garden was laid out in the late 17th century behind the baroque Krasiński Palace, designed by Tylman van Gameren, and opened to the public in 1768. On Krasiński Square next to it stands the Warsaw Uprising Monument, unveiled in 1989, with its bronze insurgents emerging from the ruins.
4Warsaw Barbican
The Barbican is a semicircular brick fortification built in 1540 to guard the northern gate of the Old Town walls, designed by Jan Baptysta of Venice. It later lost its military role and was partly demolished, and its reconstruction in the 1950s restored the link between the Old Town and the New Town.
5Old Town Market Square
The Old Town Market Square was laid out in the late 13th century, and almost all of its burghers' houses were destroyed in 1944 and rebuilt after the war. In the centre stands the Warsaw Mermaid, the city's symbol, cast in bronze by Konstanty Hegel in 1855, and the Old Town has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1980.
6Royal Castle
The Royal Castle became the residence of Polish kings after the court moved from Kraków around 1600, and here the Constitution of 3 May 1791 was adopted. German troops blew it up in 1944, and it was rebuilt between 1971 and 1984, largely with donations from Poles; in front of it rises Sigismund's Column, erected in 1644.
7Grand Theatre – Polish National Opera
The Grand Theatre on Theatre Square was designed by Antonio Corazzi and opened in 1833, and today it is home to the Polish National Opera. Burnt out in 1939, it was rebuilt and reopened in 1965 with one of the largest stages in Europe, and statues of Stanisław Moniuszko and Wojciech Bogusławski stand in front of its colonnade.
8Tomb of the Unknown Soldier
The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier lies beneath the surviving arcades of the Saxon Palace, which German troops blew up in December 1944. It was created in 1925 for an unknown soldier who fell in the defence of Lwów, and a guard of honour stands watch by its eternal flame.
9Saxon Garden
The Saxon Garden was opened to the public in 1727 under King Augustus II the Strong, making it one of the first public parks in Poland. Look for the baroque sandstone statues along its paths, the fountain and the water tower designed by Henryk Marconi in the form of a round classical temple.
10Obelisk DrogowskazFinish
The Obelisk Drogowskaz stands close to the Saxon Garden. Drogowskaz is Polish for signpost, and the obelisk is a reminder of how travellers once found their way along the main roads leading in and out of the city.
Only logged in customers who have purchased this product may leave a review.
DANIELE F. (verified owner) –
Bella esperienza. Un modo divertente di scoprire la città.
Poland –
Collected on GetYourGuide
Gra
Denis– France –
Collected on GetYourGuide
Jennie– Sweden –
Collected on GetYourGuide
Anonymous (verified owner) –
Austria –
Collected on GetYourGuide
Denmark –
Collected on GetYourGuide
Kom rundt i byen og hørte om Warszawa historie
Poland –
Collected on GetYourGuide
Spoko
Celine– Norway –
Collected on GetYourGuide
Tipsene og oppgavene.
Germany –
Collected on GetYourGuide
Leider Rätsel ohne Fragen, manche Stationen gingen gar nicht abzuarbeiten weil zb an der Meerjungfrau eine Eiskunstbahn drumherum ist und selbst als wir nach einer Stunde eine Lösung gefunden haben, war die Lösung mit den Tipps nicht lösbar. Am besten wären tatsächlich ein paar Fragen statt nur einem Bild.
Aglaia– Italy –
Collected on GetYourGuide
I liked some of the games, which were a bit challemging but very funny and interesting, considering it’s the third/fourth time I bought and played with World City Trails
Poland –
Collected on GetYourGuide
It was great. It’s our second time doing such a tour and we love it. Next time I will use the opportunity to skip location that are too far away. With two kids, the 9 mins walk for the second clue was a tough sell.
Estonia –
Collected on GetYourGuide
ok
Germany –
Collected on GetYourGuide
Es total viel Spaß gemacht. Die ganze Tour war nicht zu lang und nicht zu kurz. Alle Rätsel waren lösbar, auch wenn wir ab und zu einen Hinweis brauchten.
Netherlands –
Collected on GetYourGuide
Erg moeilijk als het niet je moedertaal is. En het mag duidelijker of je letters of cijfers zoekt.
eleanor –
Beautiful places, nice walk, good riddles