Quebec City Scavenger Hunt and City Highlights Walking Tour

Quebec City becomes a playful puzzle on this self-guided walking tour. Instead of following a guide’s fixed script, you use the Explorial app to find landmarks, answer questions, and complete photo challenges around Old Quebec. Petit-Champlain, Place Royale, and the city’s murals give the route plenty of visual interest.

I like the freedom to start, stop, and take breaks whenever you want. I also like the way the tasks give children and teens a reason to pay attention, rather than simply trailing behind an adult while someone talks.

The main catch is that you need a phone with mobile data to play. The route is in English, and the app-based format offers less personal context than a live guide. Still, at $15.90 per person, it can be a useful, low-cost way to see major sights with your own group.

Key points at a glance

• App-led and self-paced: Start at the Samuel-De Champlain Monument, pause whenever you need, and return to the same meeting point.
• A game for families: Find sights, answer questions from signs and pictures, and earn points through creative photo tasks.
• Old Quebec highlights: The route includes Petit-Champlain, Place Royale, the Champlain Monument, and two large city murals.
• Private group format: Only your own group participates, so you can set the pace and decide how seriously to take the score.
• About two hours: The activity usually takes one to two hours, though the experience is not limited by a strict time window.
• Plan for mobile data: The app is central to the activity, and one family found that a participant without phone data could not play.

A sightseeing game instead of a standard walking tour

This experience works best when you want to see Quebec City without committing to a formal group tour. You receive an access code after booking, download the Explorial app, go to the starting point, and begin the game from there.

The app helps you navigate from one location to the next. At each stop, you look for clues in the surroundings, then answer questions about what you see. Signs, pictures, and public details often provide the answers, so you are not expected to memorize a lecture or know Quebec City in advance.

The photo tasks add a social element. You may need to create a particular snapshot or pose in a certain way, then submit it for points. That makes the activity especially useful for families with children or young teens who may lose interest during a conventional history walk.

I would treat the score as a bonus, not the main event. The real value is that the game nudges you toward places you might otherwise pass by. You can compete within your group, cooperate, or simply use the challenges as prompts to look more closely.

Starting at the Samuel-De Champlain Monument

The route begins at the Monument Samuel-De Champlain on Escalier Frontenac. This gives you a clear central starting point in Quebec City and places you near several major sights in the old town.

The monument honors Samuel de Champlain, the founder of Quebec City. Here, the app begins its pattern of navigation, observation, and questions. You will likely spend a little time working out how the game operates before moving on, so do not rush the opening task.

Starting in this area is practical for first-time visitors because the monument sits near other well-known parts of Old Quebec. It also means you are not beginning at an obscure outlying location. Public transportation is nearby, and the activity ends back at the meeting point.

Because this is not a live tour, nobody will be waiting for you at the monument. Your group needs to open the app, enter the access code, and manage the route yourselves. That independence is convenient, but it also means you should arrive with the technology ready.

Parc de la Chute-Montmorency on the itinerary

Parc de la Chute-Montmorency appears as one of the listed stops. The park is associated with the famous Montmorency Falls, one of the best-known natural sights near Quebec City.

The supplied tour details do not explain how much time is spent at this stop or whether the activity takes you through the full park. For that reason, you should not book this experience as a substitute for a dedicated Montmorency Falls visit. Think of it as one point included in the app’s sequence, not as a full excursion focused on the falls.

This is also a useful reminder to check the route in the app before setting out. The activity is designed to be completed on foot, and the listed Old Quebec stops are compact urban sights. If you expect a separate trip to the park, confirm the practical details before relying on this activity to cover it.

Walking through Quartier Petit Champlain

Quartier Petit-Champlain is one of the most enjoyable parts of the route. Its narrow streets, old buildings, shops, and strong visual character give the photo challenges plenty to work with.

The game format makes sense here. You can move slowly, look for the next clue, and let children take the lead with the map. One family used the activity this way, allowing three children, ages 10, 13, and 13, to guide the group. That is a good approach: hand the phone to the youngest participants and let them solve the route while adults follow along.

Petit-Champlain can be busy, so the app format gives you an advantage over a fixed walking group. You can pause when you want to look at a shopfront or take photographs. You can also stop the activity for a meal or a rest without losing the rest of your tour time.

The tradeoff is that app instructions cannot react to the street around you. A live guide might point out a detail that is not part of the game, answer a question on the spot, or adjust the route for the group. Here, your curiosity has to do more of the work.

Finding the Fresque du Petit-Champlain

The Fresque du Petit-Champlain is one of the route’s strongest stops for visual learners. Large public murals reward careful looking, and they create a natural setting for questions based on details you can see directly.

This is where the activity’s design is most useful. Instead of giving you a block of information to read, it asks you to examine the artwork and surroundings. You may find yourself noticing figures, scenes, and small features that you would have walked past during a quick stroll.

The mural also gives families an easy way to split responsibilities. One person can read the task, another can search the artwork, and someone else can handle the photo challenge. Since the tour is private, you can work together without worrying about holding up a larger group.

Keep your expectations realistic. The game offers information and prompts, but it is not a full art-history lesson. If you want detailed interpretation of the mural, you may need to explore further on your own.

Place Royale and the city’s oldest-feeling corners

Place Royale brings the route into one of Quebec City’s most important historic squares. It is closely tied to the city’s early development and offers a different feel from the narrower streets of Petit-Champlain.

The app’s questions help turn the square into an observation exercise. You may be asked to find a detail on a sign, examine a building, or identify something visible in the space. This is a better fit for people who enjoy learning through discovery rather than standing still for a long explanation.

Place Royale is also a sensible stop for a mixed-age group. Adults can take in the architecture and setting, while children focus on the next task. The format keeps everyone moving and gives younger participants a clear job.

The limitation is familiar: you will receive only the information built into the app. A local guide could explain how the square connects to wider events in Quebec City, but this tour keeps the experience light and game-based.

The Fresque des Quebecois as a final visual stop

La Fresque des Quebecois is another large mural on the route. Like the Fresque du Petit-Champlain, it turns a public artwork into a place for close observation and questions.

Having two murals in the activity adds variety. The route is not only a checklist of monuments and squares. It mixes formal landmarks with public art, which helps you see a broader slice of Quebec City.

The mural stops are also a good test of how your group likes to travel. If you enjoy pausing, searching, taking pictures, and comparing answers, you will probably get more from the game. If you prefer a guide to explain every detail, the app may feel thin.

The activity’s photo challenges can be particularly fun here. They encourage playful pictures rather than only standard snapshots of buildings. That makes the experience memorable for families and friends, though some adults may prefer to skip the more theatrical tasks.

What the two-hour format really means

The advertised duration is about two hours, with an average range of one to two hours in the experience details. The activity is not limited to a strict timed session, so you can pause and continue at your own pace.

That flexibility matters in Quebec City. You may want to stop for a snack, take photographs, browse in Petit-Champlain, or wait out rain. One group had poor weather and completed the route quickly, even though they would have preferred to take more time. Your experience will be better if you plan around the conditions rather than treating the game like a race.

The route is described as manageable on foot, and a family with three children found that it was not too much walking. Still, you should expect regular movement through the old city, along with the usual slopes and stairs associated with Quebec City. The starting point on Escalier Frontenac is a useful clue that this is not a flat, effortless stroll.

The flexible timing also lets you make the tour shorter if the children tire or the weather turns bad. You can focus on the main tasks and return to the start rather than forcing the full experience.

Is $15.90 a good value?

At $15.90 per person, this is priced below many live guided walking tours. The value comes from combining a route through major sights with an activity that keeps your group involved.

For a family, the cost can make sense because you are paying for both sightseeing and entertainment. Children and teens get a game, while adults get a structured path through Old Quebec. The private format also means you are not sharing the experience with strangers.

The price is less compelling if you only want historical detail. A live guide usually offers more explanation, answers questions immediately, and adds local stories that an app cannot match. This activity is best viewed as a budget-friendly way to explore, not as a replacement for a specialist guide.

You should also factor in phone readiness. The app is essential, and one participant could not take part because they lacked mobile data. If your group is buying several tickets, make sure the people who need to play can access the app during the walk.

Who will enjoy this most?

I would recommend this activity to families with school-age children, young teens, and groups of friends who enjoy friendly competition. It gives younger participants control over the map and creates simple reasons to stop, look, and discuss what is around them.

It also suits independent visitors who dislike fixed departure times. You can begin any time within the listed opening period, from 12:00 AM to 11:30 PM daily, and pause as needed. The exact late-night practicality will depend on conditions and your comfort walking through the city, but the listed schedule is unusually broad.

The tour may not suit you if you want a detailed architectural or historical lecture. It is also a weaker choice if your phone has no data, your battery is low, or your group dislikes taking pictures and solving tasks.

Service animals are allowed, and most people can participate. Since the activity is private, you can set a pace that works for your own group rather than keeping up with strangers.

Should you book the Quebec City scavenger hunt?

Book it if you want an inexpensive, flexible way to cover major Old Quebec sights while keeping children or teens involved. The best features are the self-guided pace, private group setting, visual stops, and mix of questions and photo tasks.

Skip it if your first priority is expert narration or a detailed account of Quebec City’s past. Also skip it if you cannot provide mobile data for the app.

For most families, I would use this as a first look at the old city, then return to the places that deserve more time. At $15.90, it is a reasonable way to get your bearings, turn sightseeing into a shared game, and discover a few corners you might otherwise miss.

FAQ

How long does the Quebec City scavenger hunt take?

The activity takes about one to two hours on average. It is not limited to a strict time period, so you can pause and continue at your own pace.

Where does the tour start?

It starts at the Monument Samuel-De Champlain on Escalier Frontenac in Quebec City.

Where does the activity end?

The activity ends back at the meeting point.

What language is the tour offered in?

The tour is offered in English.

What sights are included?

The route includes the Monument Samuel-De Champlain, Parc de la Chute-Montmorency, Quartier Petit-Champlain, the Fresque du Petit-Champlain, Place Royale, and La Fresque des Quebecois.

How does the scavenger hunt work?

You use the Explorial app to find sights with map hints, answer questions about what you see, and complete photo tasks to earn points.

Do I need a phone with mobile data?

Yes. The app is needed for the activity, and mobile data is required to play. Make sure each person who wants to participate can access the app.

Is this a private tour?

Yes. Only your own group participates.

Are service animals allowed?

Yes. Service animals are allowed.

Can I cancel for a full refund?

Yes. You can receive a full refund if you cancel at least 24 hours before the experience starts. Cancellations within 24 hours are not refunded, and changes within that period are not accepted.