London is too big to see. That is not a complaint, it is a planning fact: no route, tour or weekend covers it, so the only sensible approach is to pick one small area and go deep. The good news is that any small area of London, chosen at random, has two thousand years of stuff in it.
A quest is a way of doing that deliberately. It is a route on your phone, played in teams, where each stop holds a question you can only answer by standing there. London is unusually rich territory for it, because so much of the city’s history is bolted to walls at head height.
What is hiding in plain sight
Blue plaques. Hundreds of them, marking who lived where. They are the single easiest way to discover that the street you are standing on has an unexpected history.
Dragon boundary marks. Cast-iron dragons on plinths mark the edges of the City of London. Once you know they exist, you start noticing them at roads you have crossed for years.
Coal tax posts and ghost signs. Faded painted advertisements for companies that closed a century ago are still visible on brickwork all over the city, and small iron posts once marked where a tax on coal entering London began.
Bits of Roman wall. Fragments of the original city wall survive near Tower Hill and in the courtyards of office buildings, usually with nobody looking at them.
How a quest runs
You choose the start point and time. The story loads on one phone per team and sends you to the first location, where the app asks something the place answers: a date on a plaque, the number of figures on a gate, a name on a wall.
Correct answer, next stop unlocks. Wrong answer costs points, not the game. Two hours later everyone reaches the same finish with a score. Practical detail on the how it works page.
Choosing an area
The City for density of history: Roman wall, the Monument, alleys between glass towers. Best at the weekend, when the square mile empties out and you have it to yourselves.
Covent Garden and Soho for street life and short distances, though busy from midday onwards.
Southbank and Bankside for a river route with wide pavements – the easiest option for a large group.
Greenwich if you want a route that feels like a day out rather than a city walk, with the river journey there as part of it.
Pick one. A route that spans two of these becomes an afternoon on the Underground.
Practical notes
Weekends and weekdays are different cities in the City. Weekday lunchtimes are crowded with office workers; Sunday morning is nearly deserted.
Have contactless payment or an Oyster card for anyone who might need to skip a leg by tube or bus.
Rain is usually light and passing. Every area listed above has cover within a minute, so a route rarely needs cancelling.
For a group, split into teams of four to six all playing the same route. Our groups and companies page covers larger bookings, and our piece on group activities has more on choosing by size.
Frequently asked questions
What is a quest in London?
A self-guided route through part of the city played on a phone in teams, where each location holds a puzzle that must be solved on the spot before the next unlocks. No guide, no fixed departure.
How long does it take?
Around two hours of play covering two to four kilometres within one area. Allow three hours in total with gathering and a finish.
Which area is best for a first visit?
Westminster and the river if you want the famous silhouette, or the City if you would rather have the history without the crowds. The City is much better at the weekend.
Is it suitable for children?
From about eight years old with an adult in the team. Choose an area with wide pavements – Southbank rather than Soho.
What about the weather?
London rain is usually brief. Take a jacket, keep going, and duck into a doorway if it gets serious. Only heavy rain is worth moving a game for.
Do you need to know London?
No. The answers are things you look at rather than things you remember, which puts residents and visitors on the same footing.
Playing in London
See what is currently running on our locations page, or tell us about your group through the contact page.
