15 British Escape Games Worth Booking

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’s smartphone maps and clues through St Peter’s Square, Castlefield, St John’s Gardens, John Rylands Library, and Chinatown. Paul and Ian’s self-guided hunt takes about 2.5 hours, runs privately for your group, and lets you pause, ask for hints, and start anytime during opening hours.

“I had a great time with my 10 year old daughter walking all over Manchester to find the clues. Clues are of moderate to low difficulty and a great way to learn the history of the city. Will do in other walkable cities. Definitely recommend.”

Check availability →Read our full review

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

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

Follow Captain Bess through York on a self-guided smartphone hunt using maps, clues, hints, and local stories. The route links Museum Gardens, York Minster, the Shambles, and quieter snickleways. Start when you choose, pause for food or a pub, and finish with a useful sense of what to explore next.

“We really enjoyed finding our way around York using back alleys and snickleways. We found some places we hadn't seen before, even though this was our third visit to the city. Some of the clues were more tricky but that made it challenging and enjoyable.”

Check availability →Read our full review

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

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

This private, self-guided Bath treasure hunt uses your smartphone and Captain Bess to lead you from Bath Abbey through Parade Gardens, Pulteney Bridge, the Royal Crescent, Thermae Bath Spa, and the Roman Baths. Expect cryptic clues, maps, history, hints, and plenty of freedom to pause for coffee, shopping, or a drink.

“It took us to all the places of interest and provided historical facts about each place, it was good fun”

Check availability →Read our full review

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

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

Explore Oxford by phone with Captain Bess, solving cryptic clues between Oxford Castle, the Radcliffe Camera, the Bodleian Library, and other city sights. You set the pace, pause for food or a pub, and ask for hints when needed. The private hunt takes about 2.5 hours and starts and ends at Oxford Castle.

“Very educational and a great way to see parts of the city you would otherwise miss. Some lovely little gems of pubs on the way! Highly recommend!”

Check availability →Read our full review

6.Shepton Mallet Prison Escape Room – The Cell

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

You have 60 minutes to solve puzzles and escape a real cell at Shepton Mallet Prison. The experience lasts about 75 minutes and includes a self-guided visit to the former prison before or after your challenge. A guard such as Tia may add to the role-play, while darkness and handcuffs can make the puzzles harder.

“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”

Check availability →Read our full review

7.Interactive Jack the Ripper Night Walk: London’s Murder Mystery

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 171 reviews · 2 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $22

Join an English-speaking guide such as Tyson, Lisa, Sadie, or Jess for a 2.5-hour night walk through Whitechapel and Spitalfields. Follow the case from Brick Lane to Mitre Square, study old reports and clues, and hear the women’s stories behind the murders. The group size is capped at 25, with a private upgrade available.

“It is a two and a half hour walking tour. You do not return to the departure point meaning you have to orient yourself wrt your return journey. Lisa was helpful in all areas. You get a fair bit of history and a nice download of old pics and reports.”

Check availability →Read our full review

8.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 by phone, sending maps, clues, and directions. Solve puzzles at Town Hall, Centenary Square, the Library, the Jewellery Quarter, and St. Paul’s Church. You set the pace, request hints when needed, and use a web link rather than an app download.

“This might not look much but it really is enjoyable and at times challenging. It shows hidden parts of Birmingham's past and the impressive and very visible new parts. It is great if you don't like following a group.”

Check availability →Read our full review

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

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

Captain Bess guides you by phone through Chester’s cathedral, Roman sites, city walls, river, Rows, and more. Solve clues at your own pace, ask for hints, and pause for food or drinks. The route takes about two hours, but you can split it over several days. No app download or printing is required.

“Great fun. Completed at our own pace with lunch stop and ice cream break. Clues were challenging whilst not impossible.”

Check availability →Read our full review

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

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

Captain Bess guides your private group around Brighton by phone, sending maps, clues, facts, and optional hints. The roughly 2.5-hour route visits the Royal Pavilion, Brighton Dome, North Laine, both piers, Theatre Royal, and The Lanes. Start anytime between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m., with no app, printing, or guide-led group to follow.

“It took a while to understand how the clues work. Once we understood the first one we knew what to look for.”

Check availability →Read our full review

11.The Anatomist – Award Winning Historical Escape Room Experience

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 151 reviews · 1 hour (approx.) · from $50

Enter a basement study near Edinburgh’s old surgical district and search for Dr. Malcolm’s journal before he returns from Surgeons’ Hall. This private, English-language escape room uses touch, smell, and period storytelling to bring 1829 grave robbing and medical malpractice to life. Groups of 2 to 8 solve the mystery together.

Check availability →Read our full review

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

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

Use WhatsApp-style messages from Captain Bess to solve clues and follow maps through Cambridge. This private, self-guided hunt takes about two and a half hours and visits King’s College Chapel, Trinity College, the Backs, the Corpus Clock, and more. Start anytime between 8 AM and 6 PM, pause when you like, and ask for hints if a clue leaves you stuck.

“We took our 12 yr old Grandson and we all thoroughly enjoyed the morning, there is a bit of going back and forth over the same ground at the beginning but necessary. A tip I would give is, look behind sometimes ! Great fun”

Check availability →Read our full review

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

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

Use your phone to follow Captain Bess through Liverpool on a self-guided treasure hunt from Hope Street to the waterfront. Solve cryptic clues at nine stops, including the Cathedral, Royal Albert Dock, Mathew Street, Bold Street, and the Three Graces. Start between 8 AM and 6 PM, ask for hints when needed, and set your own pace.

“Absolutely loved this. Great way to learn about the city. Few testing questions. Will definitely be doing another city soon.”

Check availability →Read our full review

14.Private Escape Room with a Zombie in London

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 128 reviews · 1 hour 30 minutes (approx.) · from $45

At Bunker 51 in southeast London, your private group has one hour to solve clues while a live zombie adds pressure. Arrive 30 minutes early for briefing and sign-in. Hosts such as Sam, Neil, and Molly have helped create memorable sessions, with a digital team photo sent afterward.

Check availability →Read our full review

15.Colombia’s Finest Outdoor Murder Mystery London

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 122 reviews · 2 hours (approx.) · from $26

You become a private investigator in central London, following an interactive map and virtual contacts from Gunpowder Square. Race to each location, gather clues, and piece together a comic mystery through streets linked with Dickens, Samuel Pepys, and Dr Johnson. Plan on two to three hours, with optional breaks and no shared group.

“Really simple and fast setup and experience before starting the hunt. Great fun and slick treasure hunt experience.”

Check availability →Read our full review