The 7 Best City Exploration Games in Canada

1.Street Art Exploration Game and Self-Guided Tour in Ottawa

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 20 reviews · 50 minutes to 1 hour 20 minutes (approx.) · from $7Our pick

Use the Questo app to follow clues through central Ottawa, from Ottawa Mural and The Living Room to BLM, DaVinci, and KindComments murals. You set the pace, solve story-based challenges, and explore with only your own group. Plan for much longer on foot than the advertised 50 to 80 minutes.

“I'd say this activity is best done by bicycle or scooter, unless you want a very long walk. The estimated time given is definitely for bicycle or scooter, not for walking time. We walked it, and it took about four hours. Lovely way to explore some neighborhoods we would not otherwise have seen as tourists, and the murals are amazing!”

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2.Old Town Quebec Secrets: Private Exploration Game and Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 13 reviews · 1 hour 30 minutes (approx.) · from $9

Explore Old Quebec with the Questo app, solving location-based clues at fountains, gates, churches, monuments, and Place Royale. This private, self-guided game takes about 90 minutes, works offline, costs $9.29 per person, and lets you start or pause when convenient.

“This was my favorite thing we did in Quebec City. I love architecture and sight-seeing, my husband loves history, and we both love solving riddles and puzzles. This was the PERFECT was for us to see the city and this game took us to locations we might not have seen otherwise!”

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3.Ottawa Mystery Quest: Self-Guided Detective Adventure

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 11 reviews · 3 hours 20 minutes to 3 hours 50 minutes (approx.) · from $8

Use your phone to play a private detective game through central Ottawa. You will solve 10 clues at City Hall, Parliament Hill, the War Memorial, Rideau Canal, and more, moving at your own pace. The route ends across the river at the Tessouat sculpture in Gatineau.

“we indicate to go to an address on departure for pick-up. No precise time and no one on site when we could just start the puzzle. the address was not easy to find. Why not simplify by saying city hall. The number of kilometres to cover would have been good information to know for someone like me who is mobility impaired. When I saw that the end ended on the side of gatineau. We did the part that was getting closer to the byward market and we finished it there.Auto-translated”

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4.Rockcliffe Ottawa: Exploration Game and Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 9 reviews · 1 hour to 1 hour 30 minutes (approx.) · from $7

Use the Questo app to follow a one-hour to 90-minute clue trail through Ottawa’s Rockcliffe Park. You’ll pass ambassadorial residences, Stornoway, Rockeries, and Rockcliffe House. It is self-guided, English-only, and best done in daylight with a charged phone.

“This was a great experience, we loved the walking, the story and the facts. I would even do it again.”

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5.Toronto Distillery District: Whisky Exploration Game and Tour

★★★★★★★★★★3.5 · 4 reviews · 1 hour 5 minutes to 1 hour 35 minutes (approx.) · from $7

Use the Questo app to follow a self-guided clue game from Cherry Street through Toronto’s Distillery District and onward to Saulter Street Brewery. You will solve challenges at 15 stops, including Spirit of York, SOMA Chocolatemaker, galleries, breweries, and cider houses. No guide or attraction admission is required.

“Awesome experience; however, the responses were two restrictive. One answer was double pumps, yet the number 2 and not two was the only acceptable response. Also, it would have been nice if the game ended closer to where it began and not down a potentially dark alley way if you played closer to dusk.”

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6.Edmonton City Scavenger Hunt Excursion by Operation City Quest

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 3 reviews · 2 hours (approx.) · from $10

You’ll explore Edmonton in a private group using a smartphone app, completing photo challenges and finding listed objects in any order. A remote host chats with you during the two-hour game, offers help, and adds challenges. Bring your own phone, and begin and end at 9930 102 Ave NW.

“I loved seeing my kids explore and have fun doing the challenges. They loved the competitive challenge but also being allowed to act a bit crazy for some of the clues.”

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7.Scavenger Hunt Adventure in Fredericton by Operation City Quest

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 3 reviews · 2 hours (approx.) · from $10

Use your smartphone to explore Fredericton for two hours with riddles, photo-friendly challenges, and a remote host available by chat. Find items in any order, collect points, and compare your final score on the app leaderboard. The game is flexible but not tailored specifically to Fredericton.

“When I selected this for a specific city, I thought it would actually be specific to that city - instead, all the scavenger finds were very generic. A little too long for my taste - better suited to large groups that can split up.”

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