Secrets of · Scavenger hunt

Secrets of Hoorn Self-Guided Scavenger Hunt & Walking Tour

4.4 on Google (23 reviews)

  • 1.5–2 hours
  • 1–4 players per team
  • In the free Loquiz app on your phone
  • Start any time within 12 months
  • Free cancellation until you start

Explore Hoorn on a self-guided walking tour with puzzles, photo tasks and stories about the Roode Steen, the Hoofdtoren and the harbour.

An outdoor scavenger hunt through Hoorn, run from your own phone and finished whenever you decide you are finished. Secrets of Hoorn turns the streets themselves into the game.

Everything runs off your location. Stand somewhere that matters in Hoorn and the game opens that spot's riddle, puzzle or photo task — and the only way through is to look up. Nothing is solvable from the screen. Two hours later you are the one in the group explaining the place to everyone else.

Roode Steen, Standbeeld Jan Pieterszoon Coen and Westfries Museum come up along the way. The stretches between the stops are where most of the looking gets done, at things that are hidden only by being ordinary.

Timmermansgildehuis and Theater Het Pakhuis are also on the route, and nobody needs telling twice to examine a doorway.

A Self-Guided Walking Tour of Hoorn, With Riddles Instead of a Guide

Everything a self-guided tour of Hoorn gives you, minus the narration. The route is real and so is the history behind it — but you get at it by solving rather than listening, and nobody is standing at the front of a group. You walk, you look, you work it out. Intermediate difficulty, so most things fall and the rest makes for a decent argument. Riddles, code-breaking, and photographs you would not have taken.

Want to Plan a Fun Scavenger Hunt in Hoorn?

Right here. Organising it means booking a date, download the Loquiz app and then starting when it suits you. Nothing to print, nothing to plant beforehand, no clues to invent: the route through Hoorn and everything on it is already built, about two hours across 3 to 4 km. One ticket covers up to four people on one phone for €19.95.

A Scavenger Hunt for Adults, Teams and Families in Hoorn

Adults. As a scavenger hunt for adults it has real bite — this is not a printable list of things to spot. The difficulty is intermediate, the riddles reward looking at what is in front of you, and the two hours hold up for a group that came to be entertained.

Teams. Nothing to facilitate, nowhere to book, no start time to enforce. One ticket per four colleagues, every group loose in Hoorn on the same route, and a comparison at the end. Several teams at once is what makes it a team scavenger hunt rather than a walk.

Couples and friends. A self guided tour with nobody to follow and nothing to keep up with. You choose the pace and the stops, and you come away with facts about Hoorn that would surprise a local.

Families. Children walk it without trouble and are usually the fastest at the photo tasks. The riddles are the part you solve together, which is what makes it work for a group with a wide spread of ages.

Frequently Asked Questions

How does the Secrets exploration game work?

It runs in the Loquiz app. After booking you get a link, walk to the starting point in Hoorn and begin. The game reads your location, gives you that spot's riddle, puzzle or photo task, and unlocks the next one when you have it.

Is this a walking tour or a game?

Both, and that is the point. It follows a walking route through Hoorn the way a self-guided walking tour does, and you pick up the history as you go — but instead of a commentary in your ear you get riddles to solve. Nobody walks in front of you holding a sign.

What do we need to bring?

A charged phone and shoes you can walk 3 to 4 km in. You get a link when you book and open the game in the Loquiz app at the starting point — there is nothing to print, nothing to hide in advance and no equipment to collect.

How long does it take?

Roughly two hours across 3 to 4 km of walking. Nothing counts down. The date is set at booking and the hour is yours, so a group that stops for lunch just finishes later.

How many people can play on one ticket?

Between one and four people share a single phone on one €19.95 ticket. Beyond four, take a second ticket — two groups on the same route can race each other, which is the better way to do it anyway.

Is it hard?

The difficulty is intermediate. The riddles need looking and lateral thinking rather than local knowledge, and nothing is so obscure that a group gets stuck for good.

Is it suitable for children?

Yes. Children manage the 3 to 4 km easily and are usually the quickest at the photo tasks. The riddles are intermediate, so most families work through them together — which is how the game is meant to be played anyway.

Do we need to book a time slot?

Not a slot, just a date. When you start on that date is entirely up to you, and there is nowhere to assemble and nobody to find.

What happens if it rains?

You decide when to play and you can pause whenever you like. If a shower comes over, step inside somewhere, wait it out and pick up where you left off — you pause whenever you like and there is no clock running.

Will we actually learn something about Hoorn?

Yes, and not as a side effect. The riddles are made from the history and the characters of Hoorn and from details most people never notice, so the learning is the solving. Anyone who would rather follow a story can take one of the other city games in Hoorn.

  1. Roode Steen
  2. Standbeeld Jan Pieterszoon Coen
  3. Westfries Museum
  4. RK Kerk H.H. Cyriacus- en Franciscus (Roman Catholic Church)
  5. VOC Area (Near Grote Noord)
  6. Theater Het Park
  7. Timmermansgildehuis
  8. Theater Het Pakhuis
Show all 15 stops
  1. Westfries Museum (Exhibit Area)
  2. Kerkplein Fountain
  3. Oosterkerk
  4. Oude Doelenkade
  5. Veermanskade
  6. Hoge Brug
  7. Hoofdtoren

How it works

  1. BookYour ticket arrives by email.
  2. Go to the startThe start point is in your email. Any day within 12 months.
  3. PlayOpen the link on one phone per team and press start.

What players in other cities say

4.4 on Google (23 reviews)

  • ★★★★★

    Had great fun playing secrets of Haarlem!

    Martin M.March 2026 · via google
  • ★★★★★

    Game in Amsterdam was fun!

    Enzo L.March 2026 · via google
  • ★★★★★

    Had So much fun playing while exploring the city

    Philip C.March 2026 · via google
  • ★★★★★

    I had a fantastic experience with CityGame! The concept is creative, engaging, and a great way to explore a city in a completely new way. The games are well-designed, combining puzzles, storytelling, and adventure so you’re constantly discovering something interesting around every corner. What I especially love is how CityGame turns a normal walk through the city into an interactive experience. It’s perfect for friends, families, or team outings, and it makes sightseeing much more exciting than the usual tours. Everything was easy to use, the challenges were fun and clever, and it really encouraged us to look closer at the city and its hidden details. Highly recommended if you’re looking for a unique and memorable way to explore!

    Jessica S.March 2026 · via google
  • ★★★★★

    This is an interesting way to conduct a self-guided Amsterdam city tour. It used the GPS on your phone to guide you to stops on a route. There are mini quizzes once you arrive at the stops on the path. The quizzes draw your attention to features in front of you or to a brief history of the place. In many cases, we visited a spot that would not have been obvious as a regular passer by. The tour as a whole was interesting to us as newcomers, but I would have liked more information on many locations we visited - a few links outside of the app for each place would have been helpful. Beyond that, the interface was a bit clunky and sometimes awkward to navigate. We definitely don't regret trying this out and feel like we got our money's worth on the experience.

    JaibhijaiJune 2024 · via google
  • ★★★★★

    This was a fun game! It had a few challenges which was good and surprises. It got me to go around and explore Queenstown, New Zealand. I got to places in Queenstown, New Zealand I hadn’t been to before while on holiday here. Thank you for that and it gave a feel what it would be like to be the actual Sherlock Holmes!

    Dylan J.February 2024 · via google
How we check reviews

These reviews were left by players on Google and other review sites and are copied from there as they are, with their source.

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