Secrets of · Scavenger hunt

Secrets of Valkenburg Self-Guided Scavenger Hunt & Walking Tour

4.4 on Google (24 reviews)

Natural travelers playing a self-guided City Game at Geul River, Valkenburg, Netherlands.

Friends enjoy a self-guided City Game at Geulpoort in Valkenburg, Netherlands.

Friends enjoy a self-guided City Game at Grendelpoort in Valkenburg, Netherlands.

Friends enjoy a self-guided City Game at Grotestraat Centrum in Valkenburg, Netherlands.

Friends enjoy a self-guided City Game at Theodoor Dorrenplein in Valkenburg, Netherlands.

1.5–2 hours
A different story in every city, with its own characters: every city is a new game.
1–4 players per team
On your own phone, no app
Language of the game: English +2
Start any time within 12 months
Free cancellation until you start

Explore Valkenburg on a self-guided walking tour from the castle ruins to the Velvet Cave, solving puzzles and photo tasks as you walk.

On the route

9 places, in this order

Den Halder Castle
Grendelpoort
Grendelplein
Gemeentegrot
Kasteelruïne & Fluweelengrot
Berkelpoort
Onze-Lieve-Vrouw van Altijddurende Bijstandkerk
H.H. Nicolaas en Barbarakerk
Geulpoort

Secrets of Valkenburg Self-Guided Scavenger Hunt & Walking Tour

Step into the story

Find the seals. Beat him to the box.

Before the powder went off, my miners carried one box down into the marl and walled it in. I meant to come back for it. I never did.

1.5–2 hours
1–4 players per team

Start the mission

It begins
Willem Hendrik, Prince of Orange. Stadtholder at twenty-one, in 1672, the year of disaster, when the French marched into the Republic.
It goes wrong
They left eleven lead seals in the walls of the town: the way back.
Your move
The Marquis came through ten minutes ago. He says the box holds my reward, the three thousand guilders this town voted me in 1672. Let him.

Secrets of Valkenburg hands you the streets themselves as a puzzle. It is a self-guided scavenger hunt on your own phone, no guide, no group, no departure time.

Everything runs off your location. Stand somewhere that matters in Valkenburg 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.

Valkenburg Castle Ruins, Velvet Cave Entrance and Grendelpoort City Gate are among the places you reach. The finding mostly happens in between, and none of it can be answered without actually standing there.

Grendelplein Bridge and Walram Square are also on the route, and nobody needs telling twice to examine a doorway.

The Walking Tour of Valkenburg Where Nobody Talks at You

A self-guided tour with the guide replaced by riddles. The route through Valkenburg is real, the history is real, and the difference is that you dig it out instead of being handed it, no commentary, no umbrella to follow, nobody held up at the back. Intermediate difficulty: most groups solve most of it, and the rest is a good argument. Riddles, code-breaking, and photographs you would otherwise never have taken.

Had great fun playing secrets of Haarlem!

Martin M.

Looking for a Scavenger Hunt to Do in Valkenburg?

You have found one. It takes a minute: book a ticket, open the link from the email, start when you want. No printing, no hiding things in advance, no list to compile, the route, the riddles and the photo tasks are already laid out across Valkenburg, roughly two hours and 3 to 4 km of walking. A single ticket at €19.95 covers four people sharing one phone. Anyone who has tried to build one of these knows how long that takes.

A Scavenger Hunt for Adults, Teams and Families in Valkenburg

Adults. A scavenger hunt for adults in the sense that the puzzles actually resist you. Intermediate difficulty, riddles built on detail you have to go and look at, and two hours that hold a group that came out to enjoy itself.

Couples and friends. A self-guided walking tour that does not involve following an umbrella. You set the pace, stop where you want, and end up knowing things about Valkenburg that most people who live there do not.

Teams. A corporate scavenger hunt that needs no facilitator, no room booking and no scheduled start. Buy one ticket per four people, send the teams into Valkenburg on the same route, and compare who found what. Running several groups at once is what turns it into a competition.

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?

Book a ticket and a link arrives by email. Your phone's browser does the rest. You start it at the first location in Valkenburg, and from there your position drives everything, each stop brings a riddle, a puzzle or a photograph to take, and answering it opens the next stop.

Is this a walking tour or a game?

It is both at once. The route through Valkenburg is the route a self guided tour would take and you learn the same things, except nothing is narrated, you get riddles instead of commentary, and there is no one at the front with a raised umbrella.

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 your phone's browser 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. Day and hour are yours, so a group that stops for lunch just finishes later.

How many people can play on one ticket?

One ticket covers a group of 1 to 4 people playing on one device, at €19.95 in total. Groups larger than four buy a second ticket, which also lets them play against each other.

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. The distance is ordinary walking for them and they are normally first through the photo tasks. Intermediate riddles mean the family works them out together, which is how it is designed.

Do we need to book a time slot?

No. You choose no date or time when booking: start on any day, at whatever time you like. There is no meeting point, no guide and no group to join.

What happens if it rains?

Rain is a pause, not a problem. Duck inside, let it pass, and carry on from the stop you were at, nothing is counting down.

Will we actually learn something about Valkenburg?

Yes, and not as a side effect. The riddles are made from the history and the characters of Valkenburg 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 Valkenburg.

More City Games: city games across the Netherlands · Secrets of Hellevoetsluis

How it works

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

What players in other cities say

4.4 on Google (24 reviews)

★★★★★
Wir (Mein Mann, unsere 9-jährige Tochter und ich) haben heute ganz spontan das Spiel "Moordmysterie Düsseldorf" gebucht und gespielt. Die Buchung verlief schnell und reibungslos. Es hat super viel Spaß gemacht! Die Story, die Rätsel, das Konzept, die Route, die Gestaltung der App... richtig gut!!! Das Spiel würde ich vor allem Familien mit Kindern empfehlen. Für Erwachsene waren die Rätsel (meiner Meinung nach) zu einfach. Aber trotzdem wegen der schönen Route durch Düsseldorf, der Story, den lustigen Anweisungen zwischendurch eine schöne Aktion, die man zusammen machen kann.
Lingling Z.October 2026 · via google
★★★★★
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

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.