England · TREASURE HUNTS & GAMES

The 15 Best Treasure Hunts & Outdoor Games in England

39 tours  ·  from $6 a head

A city walk with a puzzle attached, played on a phone and paid for once per team. The 15 below compare difficulty, length and which cities they run in, with prices per group where that is how they sell.

Fun, Flexible Treasure Hunt Around Manchester with Cryptic Clues & Hidden Gems - Starting at Manchester Piccadilly
Tour Reviews, Tours in Manchester, Treasure Hunts & Games, Treasure Hunts & Games in Manchester

Fun, Flexible Treasure Hunt Around Manchester with Cryptic Clues & Hidden Gems

1.Fun, Flexible Treasure Hunt Around Manchester with Cryptic Clues & Hidden Gems

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 253 reviews · 2 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $20Our pick

Start at Manchester Piccadilly and follow Captain Bess through St Peter’s Square, Castlefield, St John’s Gardens, the John Rylands Library, and Chinatown. You’ll solve phone-based clues, hear city stories, and explore at your own pace. The private hunt lasts about 2.5 hours, costs $20.80 per person, and needs no app, paper, or printed ticket.

“Didn’t expect to learn so much in such a fun way and get 15K steps without realising it into the bargain”

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Fun, Flexible Treasure Hunt Around York with Cryptic Clues & Hidden Gems - Holy Trinity Church and Barley Hall
Tour Reviews, Tours in York, Treasure Hunts & Games, Treasure Hunts & Games in York

Fun, Flexible Treasure Hunt Around York with Cryptic Clues & Hidden Gems

2.Fun, Flexible Treasure Hunt Around York with Cryptic Clues & Hidden Gems

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 248 reviews · 2 hours (approx.) · from $20

Use your smartphone to join Captain Bess on a self-guided treasure hunt through York. Solve clues at Museum Gardens, York Minster, the Shambles, and lesser-known lanes. Start any time from 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM, follow the route at your own pace, and ask for hints when a clue has you stumped.

“Quite good, bit tricky finding some of the locations especially when the city is really busy , missed some clues because big groups were in the way.”

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Fun, Flexible Treasure Hunt Around Bath with Cryptic Clues & Hidden Gems - Parade Gardens and Pulteney Bridge
Tour Reviews, Tours in Bath, Treasure Hunts & Games

Fun, Flexible Treasure Hunt Around Bath with Cryptic Clues & Hidden Gems

3.Fun, Flexible Treasure Hunt Around Bath with Cryptic Clues & Hidden Gems

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 208 reviews · 2 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $20

Explore Bath with Captain Bess guiding your private group by smartphone. Follow maps, solve cryptic clues, and hear short stories at eight city sights, from Bath Abbey and Pulteney Bridge to the Roman Baths. Start anytime from Abbey Churchyard, pause for shops or a drink, and complete the hunt in about two and a half hours.

“Super fun and flexible. We had a great time. Make sure to wear your walking shoes. Highly recommend.”

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Fun, Flexible Treasure Hunt Around Oxford with Cryptic Clues & Hidden Gems - The Turf adds a useful pause point
Tour Reviews, Tours in Oxford, Treasure Hunts & Games

Fun, Flexible Treasure Hunt Around Oxford with Cryptic Clues & Hidden Gems

4.Fun, Flexible Treasure Hunt Around Oxford with Cryptic Clues & Hidden Gems

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 202 reviews · 2 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $20

Captain Bess guides your private group around Oxford by phone, sending maps, cryptic clues, hints, and short stories. Begin at Oxford Castle, then reach Radcliffe Camera, The Turf, the Sheldonian Theatre, Bodleian Library, and Carfax Tower. Allow about two and a half hours, but pause whenever you like.

“We found it fun to look for the answers, thought the duration was a good length, and discovered things about oxford that we didn’t know about, and we have visited oxford a few times now.”

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Shepton Mallet Prison Escape Room - The Cell - Why the former prison setting matters
Tour Reviews, Tours in Bristol, Treasure Hunts & Games

Shepton Mallet Prison Escape Room – The Cell

5.Shepton Mallet Prison Escape Room – The Cell

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 187 reviews · 1 hour 15 minutes (approx.) · from $38

Spend 60 minutes solving puzzles, handling darkness and handcuffs, and escaping a real former prison cell at Shepton Mallet Prison. Your group of up to five has private use of the room, plus time to explore the historic jail before or after. The experience is in English and may include a guard such as Tia.

“Great fun. The dark and handcuffs added an additional element of complexity! Tia was an excellent guard. All in all a lot of fun and a legit location for an escape room”

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Fun, Flexible Treasure Hunt Around Birmingham with Cryptic Clues & Hidden Gems - Starting at Birmingham School of Art
Tour Reviews, Tours in Birmingham, Treasure Hunts & Games

Fun, Flexible Treasure Hunt Around Birmingham with Cryptic Clues & Hidden Gems

6.Fun, Flexible Treasure Hunt Around Birmingham with Cryptic Clues & Hidden Gems

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 167 reviews · 2 hours (approx.) · from $20

Captain Bess leads your private group through Birmingham with maps, cryptic clues, and local facts. Starting at Birmingham School of Art, you’ll reach Town Hall, Centenary Square, the Library of Birmingham, the Jewellery Quarter, and St. Paul’s Church before returning to the meeting point. Use your own phone, take breaks, and ask for hints when needed.

“We spent a thoroughly enjoyable day exploring Birmingham while doing this treasure hunt. A great way to see the city and parts of it that we would otherwise have missed. This is about the 5th one of these types of hunts that we've done and there will be more! Highly recommended!”

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Fun, Flexible Treasure Hunt Around Chester with Cryptic Clues & Hidden Gems - Walking Chester’s ancient walls
Tour Reviews, Tours in Chester, Treasure Hunts & Games

Fun, Flexible Treasure Hunt Around Chester with Cryptic Clues & Hidden Gems

7.Fun, Flexible Treasure Hunt Around Chester with Cryptic Clues & Hidden Gems

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 162 reviews · 2 hours (approx.) · from $20

Captain Bess sends your group maps and cryptic clues by phone around Chester. Follow a route from Town Hall Square to the cathedral, Roman sites, River Dee, Storyhouse, and Chester Rows. Take about two hours, pause for lunch, or finish over several days. Hints help when a clue proves stubborn.

“Loved this. The clues were challenging but manageable. We had a good wander around. Chester and saw things were probably wouldn’t have seen otherwise. You have the flexibility to take your time & we stopped several times and ended up finishing on a second day. Thoroughly enjoyed it and will definitely look to do another one in a different city.”

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Fun, Flexible Treasure Hunt Around Brighton with Cryptic Clues & Hidden Gems - Royal Pavilion and Brighton Dome
Tour Reviews, Tours in Brighton, Treasure Hunts & Games

Fun, Flexible Treasure Hunt Around Brighton with Cryptic Clues & Hidden Gems

8.Fun, Flexible Treasure Hunt Around Brighton with Cryptic Clues & Hidden Gems

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 154 reviews · 2 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $20

You and your private group follow treasure maps and cryptic clues on your phones with help from Captain Bess. The roughly 2.5-hour route links the Royal Pavilion, North Laine, the piers, Theatre Royal, and The Lanes. Start when you like, ask for hints, pause for shops or pubs, and finish back at India Gate.

“The whole experience was absolutely wonderful! My boyfriend and I had a blast during the treasure hunt. The hunt summarized all the major places in Brighton. It was a perfect thing to do during one day trip.”

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Fun, Flexible Treasure Hunt Around Cambridge with Cryptic Clues & Hidden Gems - King’s College Chapel starts the treasure hunt in grand style
Tour Reviews, Tours in Cambridge, Treasure Hunts & Games

Fun, Flexible Treasure Hunt Around Cambridge with Cryptic Clues & Hidden Gems

9.Fun, Flexible Treasure Hunt Around Cambridge with Cryptic Clues & Hidden Gems

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 142 reviews · 2 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $20

Captain Bess guides your private group by phone through Cambridge on a roughly 2.5-hour treasure hunt. Follow digital maps, solve cryptic clues, ask for hints, and pause when you like. The route includes King’s College Chapel, Trinity College, The Backs, Corpus Clock, Market Square, and the Round Church.

“Getting to walk along back streets which wouldn’t have seen otherwise and learning their history. Great way to see a city and have fun!”

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Fun, Flexible Treasure Hunt Around Liverpool with Cryptic Clues & Hidden Gems - Starting at Liverpool Cathedral
Tour Reviews, Tours in Liverpool, Treasure Hunts & Games

Fun, Flexible Treasure Hunt Around Liverpool with Cryptic Clues & Hidden Gems

10.Fun, Flexible Treasure Hunt Around Liverpool with Cryptic Clues & Hidden Gems

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 141 reviews · 3 hours (approx.) · from $20

Follow Captain Bess and her smartphone treasure maps on a flexible 3.5-mile walk through Liverpool. Solve cryptic clues at the cathedral, Albert Dock, Mathew Street, Bold Street, and the Three Graces. Start when you like, ask for hints, and stop for food or a pub along the way. Captain Bess guides you through WhatsApp-style messages.

“6 of us in the group, we’d underestimated how cold it was and we started later than planned but despite that had a fabulous time. As everyone has said in the reviews you see parts of your own city you’ve never noticed. Clues were easy enough to be able to find without too much difficulty, but cryptic enough to spark some lively debates in the group! The step by step interactive clues were great and easy to follow. The only suggestion is maybe somehow indicating how far to the next clue (most clues did or there was a map). We missed one and had to backtrack but it was only…”

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Fun, Flexible Treasure Hunt Around Bristol with Cryptic Clues & Hidden Gems - Castle Park is a practical starting point
Tour Reviews, Tours in Bristol, Treasure Hunts & Games

Fun, Flexible Treasure Hunt Around Bristol with Cryptic Clues & Hidden Gems

11.Fun, Flexible Treasure Hunt Around Bristol with Cryptic Clues & Hidden Gems

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 101 reviews · 2 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $20

Use your phone to follow Captain Bess through central Bristol on a self-guided treasure hunt lasting about two and a half hours. Solve clues at Castle Park, Saint Nicholas Market, Bristol Cathedral, Queen Square, and Bristol Old Vic while learning local facts. Start when you like, ask for hints, pause for shops or pubs, and play privately with your own group.

“What a lovely way to see and learn about this area of Bristol. Great clues and lots of titbits of info. Been to Bristol many times, but still learnt more about it.”

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Fun, Flexible Treasure Hunt Around Leeds with Cryptic Clues & Hidden Gems - Victoria Leeds and the city’s shopping side
Tour Reviews, Tours in Leeds, Treasure Hunts & Games

Fun, Flexible Treasure Hunt Around Leeds with Cryptic Clues & Hidden Gems

12.Fun, Flexible Treasure Hunt Around Leeds with Cryptic Clues & Hidden Gems

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 63 reviews · 3 hours (approx.) · from $20

Captain Bess guides your private group around central Leeds by phone, sending maps, clues, hints, facts, and stories through an easy chat-style app. Start at Leeds Art Gallery, visit eight city sights, pause for shops or pubs, and finish back at the gallery. No printing or app download is needed.

“Really clever and fun way to do a self guided walking tour. Really liked the fact it was completely at our own pace and the riddles were really fun.”

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Fun, Flexible Treasure Hunt Around Sheffield with Cryptic Clues & Hidden Gems - Kelham Island Museum and Sheffield’s industrial character
Tour Reviews, Tours in Manchester, Treasure Hunts & Games, Treasure Hunts & Games in Manchester

Fun, Flexible Treasure Hunt Around Sheffield with Cryptic Clues & Hidden Gems

13.Fun, Flexible Treasure Hunt Around Sheffield with Cryptic Clues & Hidden Gems

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 61 reviews · 3 hours (approx.) · from $20

You and your private group follow maps and cryptic clues from Tudor Square, with Captain Bess sending hints, facts, and stories to your phones. The roughly three-hour route visits Sheffield Cathedral, Kelham Island Museum, the Crucible, Peace Gardens, City Hall, and more. Stop for food, coffee, or a pub along the way.

“Had a really good time! We stopped for lunch and coffees along the way and really explored the city. The treasure hunt focuses on general observation and you don't need to have knowledge of the city to do it as it tells you snippets along the way. We really enjoyed it, thank you!”

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One-Hour Private Capital Caper Escape Room Gaming in London - Why the private format matters
Private, Tour Reviews, Tours in London, Treasure Hunts & Games

One-Hour Private Capital Caper Escape Room Gaming in London

14.One-Hour Private Capital Caper Escape Room Gaming in London

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 58 reviews · 1 hour (approx.) · from $54

Take on a private escape room in Camden with your own group. The Capital Caper casts you as Hatton Garden jewel thieves planning a getaway to a Caribbean island. You have about one hour to solve puzzles, claim the jewel, and escape unnoticed. The experience costs $54.84 per person and ends where it begins.

“Unfortunately I had a family emergency last minute and couldn’t make the trip to London, I asked for a refund under the circumstances but was told to wait and see if the tour operator would accept it. 3 days later and not heard a thing. Sorry but I feel very let down by this service.”

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Immersive Murder Mystery in York, A City Treasure Hunt Experience - Walking York’s walls and smaller streets
City Tours, City Tours in York, Tour Reviews, Tours in York, Treasure Hunts & Games, Treasure Hunts & Games in York

Immersive Murder Mystery in York, A City Treasure Hunt Experience

15.Immersive Murder Mystery in York, A City Treasure Hunt Experience

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 54 reviews · 2 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $20

Start near Clifford’s Tower and follow a 4-kilometre trail through York using Telegram on your phone. Solve 19 riddles tied to a 1491 murder, visit tucked-away streets and optional pub stops, and race your friends on a leaderboard. The private game takes about 2.5 to 3.5 hours and finishes back near the starting point.

“We got to see streets of York that we would never have seen without the experience. The riddles were really fun to try and decipher, very cleverly thought up! We would have enjoyed having a few more pub stops if we were to do it again”

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★ 3.5Cambridge Quest: Self Guided City Walk & Immersive Treasure Hunt3 reviews
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