Secrets of · Scavenger hunt
Secrets of Schoonhoven Self-Guided Scavenger Hunt & Walking Tour
1.5–2 hours · 1–4 players per team · no appfrom €4.99 per person1 player €8.95 · 4 players €19.95
Secrets of · Scavenger huntSecrets of Zaanse Schans Self-Guided Scavenger Hunt & Walking Tour
- 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 +31
- Start any time within 12 months
- Free cancellation until you start
Explore the Zaanse Schans on a self-guided walking tour past the windmills, wooden houses and riverside workshops.
On the route
3 places, in this order
- Museum Zaanse Tijd
- In de Gecroonde Duyvekater
- Zaans Museum
Step into the story
Find the tubes. Beat him to the canvas.
The record says I painted twenty-five canvases here, and nine sketches.
- 1.5–2 hours
- 1–4 players per team
It beginsPainter. Born in Paris, 1840.
It goes wrongThere was a twenty-sixth canvas. I never took it home. Before we left on 8 October, I hid it by the Zaan, behind twelve tubes of paint.
Your moveInside this museum hangs one of my Zaan paintings: the Voorzaan, ships and sawmills. Its sister is still out there.
The place itself is the board and your phone is the only equipment. Secrets of Zaanse Schans is a self-guided outdoor scavenger hunt, played at whatever pace suits you.
The game reads your position, so each location arrives with its own riddle, puzzle or photograph to take. None of it can be answered from a screen, what you need is in front of you in the Zaanse Schans, in whatever happens to be standing there. You finish knowing a set of things most residents never picked up.
Expect Zaandam Time Museum, Site of the First Albert Heijn Store and Zonnewijzerspad (Sundial Path) on the route. Most of what you need is not at the stops at all but on the way to them, and it rewards anyone who slows down.
Other stops include Indie's Welvaren Spice Warehouse and Windmill Viewpoint, enough of them that the group ends up arguing about answers rather than asking what to do next.
The Walking Tour of Zaandam Where Nobody Talks at You
A self-guided tour with the guide replaced by riddles. The route through the Zaanse Schans 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!
Looking for a Scavenger Hunt to Do in Zaandam?
This is one, and it takes about a minute to set up: book a date, open the play link from your email and start whenever you are ready. There is nothing to print, nothing to hide in advance and no list to write, the route, the riddles and the photo tasks are already built around the Zaanse Schans, 3 to 4 km on foot, about two hours, and one ticket covers a group of up to four on a single phone for €19.95. If you were about to spend an evening making one yourself, this is the version where somebody else did the work.
An Outdoor Scavenger Hunt That Works for Any Group in Zaandam
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.
Teams. One ticket covers four people, so a department divides straight into groups running the identical route through the Zaanse Schans. No host to hire, no venue to reserve, no departure time. Put three or four teams on it together and the competition takes care of itself.
Couples and friends. No umbrella to follow, no group to stay with, no fixed pace. Stop where you like, take as long as you like, and finish knowing things about the Zaanse Schans that most residents never learned.
Families. The distance bothers no child, and the photo tasks are where the youngest players get ahead of everyone. The riddles end up being a joint effort, which is exactly why a group of mixed ages works here.
Frequently Asked Questions
How does the Secrets exploration game work?
You book a date, get a link by email and open the play link from your email. At the starting point in the Zaanse Schans you open the game on your phone. It is GPS-based: it knows where you are, and each location holds a riddle, a puzzle or a photo task. Solve one and the next location unlocks.
Is this a walking tour or a game?
It is both at once. The route through the Zaanse Schans 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 phone with battery and shoes that handle 3 to 4 km. You get a link when you book and open the play link when you get there, no printing, no hiding things in advance, no kit to collect from anyone.
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?
Intermediate. Observation and sideways thinking do the work; you do not need to know the city, and nothing on the route is built to stop you permanently.
Is it suitable for children?
Yes, the 3 to 4 km is no obstacle and the photo tasks are where younger players get ahead. The riddles sit at intermediate, so families tend to solve them as a group, which is the intended way round.
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 play when it suits you and stop when it suits you, so a shower just means a coffee. No timer is running, and the route is exactly where you left it.
Will we actually learn something about the Zaanse Schans?
It is the whole design. Every riddle sits on something real, the history of the Zaanse Schans, the people in it, the details nobody points out, so you come away with more than a visitor normally does. If a plot appeals more than a route, the other city games in Zaandam have one.
More City Games: city games across the Netherlands · Secrets of Zwolle
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
- ★★★★★
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.
Leaderboard
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Leaderboard: Zaanse Schans
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No team has played in this period yet.
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