Quebec City Scavenger Hunt and City Highlights Walking Tour

Quebec City becomes a game board on this self-guided walking tour. You follow clues from the Samuel-De Champlain Monument through Petit-Champlain, Place Royale, and several city murals, solving questions and taking creative photos along the way. I like the freedom to start, pause, and continue whenever you wish, and I like that your group explores privately rather than keeping pace with a guide.

The format works especially well with children and teens, who can handle the map and clues while adults enjoy the setting. At $15.90 per person, it is an inexpensive way to add structure to a walk through Old Quebec. The main catch is practical: you need mobile data on your phone, and the app-based format gives you less spoken history than a traditional walking tour.

Key points at a glance

• A game-led route through Old Quebec: Follow map clues to the Samuel-De Champlain Monument, Petit-Champlain, Place Royale, and city murals.
• Flexible timing: The activity takes about one to two hours, but you can pause for food, photos, shopping, or a break.
• Strong choice for families: Children and teens can navigate, answer questions, and earn points through photo challenges.
• Private by design: Only your own group participates, so you are not tied to strangers or a fixed guide schedule.
• Bring working phone data: The app is essential, and one party found that a phone without data could not take part.
• Good low-cost add-on: At $15.90 per person, it costs less than many guided city tours, though it provides less personal storytelling.

How this Quebec City game works

After booking, you receive an access code for the Explorial app. Download the app, go to the Samuel-De Champlain Monument, enter the code, and begin the route. The map points you toward each location, while the game gives you tasks to complete once you arrive.

The challenges use what you can see around you. Answers may be found on signs, pictures, or details at the site itself. That makes the activity less like a quiz pulled from a textbook and more like a city walk that asks you to pay attention.

You also earn points through photo tasks. These require creativity rather than simple sightseeing snapshots, which gives children and teens a reason to stay involved. If you split into teams, you can add a little friendly competition. The supplied experience supports private participation, so only your group takes part.

The route lasts about one to two hours on average. There is no strict time limit, which matters in Quebec City, where steep streets, cafés, shops, and viewpoints can easily slow your pace. You can stop the game, take a break, and continue later.

The activity is offered in English. Its listed hours run daily from midnight to 11:30 p.m. between April 23, 2022 and December 10, 2026. That wide window gives you plenty of scheduling freedom, although daylight and weather will affect how pleasant the walk feels.

Starting at the Samuel-De Champlain Monument

The meeting point is the Monument Samuel-De Champlain at Esc. Frontenac in Quebec City. This gives you a central Old Quebec starting place and puts the first clue in an area already suited to walking and sightseeing.

You should arrive with the app installed and your access code ready. Since the game depends on the phone’s map and task system, check that your battery is charged and that your phone has mobile data. This is not a small detail. One person in a two-ticket party could not join because their phone lacked data, turning a paid ticket into a wasted seat.

The monument also makes a sensible orientation point. From here, you begin with a major city reference before moving into smaller streets and public art. The game asks you to look closely, so do not rush through the first stop simply because you recognize the name.

The unusual Montmorency Falls stop

Parc de la Chute-Montmorency appears as the second stop in the route information. That name normally suggests the major waterfall site outside central Quebec City, but the supplied details do not explain whether this activity includes transportation there, uses a related clue, or simply identifies a point in the game.

That uncertainty is worth flagging before you buy. The stated activity is a walking tour beginning and ending at the Samuel-De Champlain Monument, and its average length is about two hours. You should check the app or the provider’s current instructions if this stop matters to your plans, especially since no separate transfer is included in the information provided.

Do not assume you will be taking a separate excursion to the falls. The confirmed format is a self-guided city game, not a full-day waterfall visit.

Petit-Champlain and its picture-perfect clues

Quartier Petit-Champlain is one of the most appealing parts of the route. Its narrow streets and strong visual character give the photo tasks plenty to work with. The game format can help you notice details you might otherwise pass while concentrating on shops, façades, or the next stop.

The route also includes the Fresque du Petit-Champlain, a large mural that adds a different kind of sightseeing stop. Here, the questions may ask you to inspect the artwork or nearby information rather than simply admire the scene. That small shift is useful: you are not just collecting landmarks, you are learning to read them.

Petit-Champlain can also be a place where the route takes longer than expected. You may want to stop for pictures or browse, and the flexible format allows that. If you are visiting with children, give them the lead on the clue. The game has been especially well suited to groups with young people because it turns a pretty but potentially passive walk into an active task.

Place Royale and the city’s public art

Place Royale is another major stop. It provides a strong sense of Old Quebec’s character and gives the route a clear historic center. The game’s questions encourage you to use signs and visible details, so you can learn as you go without sitting through a formal talk.

La Fresque des Quebecois rounds out the public-art side of the walk. Including two murals makes the route more varied than a simple parade of monuments. You move from a named monument to a neighborhood, then to art and public spaces, with questions tying each stop together.

The route is best understood as an introduction rather than an exhaustive survey of Quebec City. It gives you a useful first look at several important places, but it does not cover every major area. A family noted that adding the Citadel and Plains of Abraham would make the route broader. That is a fair limitation to keep in mind if you want a full city tour.

Why the self-guided format works for families

A traditional guide sets the pace and controls the story. That can be helpful, but it can also be hard on younger children. This experience lets the group move at its own speed, and the tasks give children a job beyond simply following adults down the street.

You can let the kids read the map, choose the next direction, answer questions, and arrange the photo challenges. Young teens can compete for points, while adults can help with the history and navigation. The format has kept children aged 10 and 13 engaged during the walk, and another family used separate teams for two young teens, a mother, and a father.

That setup works best when your group enjoys games. If your children dislike phones, puzzles, or competition, the appeal may fade. The activity also asks everyone to share attention between the surroundings and the screen. I would use the phone for each task, then put it away while walking to the next stop.

What you get for $15.90

At $15.90 per person, this is priced as a modest activity rather than a major sightseeing investment. The value comes from combining a route, map, questions, and photo tasks in one low-cost package.

You are not paying for a live guide, a long lecture, or private historical commentary. You are paying for a structured way to explore on your own. That makes the cost attractive for families, couples, and friends who would otherwise wander without a plan.

The price works best if you use the flexibility fully. Take a break in Petit-Champlain, pause for lunch, or stop when a mural deserves more time. A rushed two-hour sprint would waste part of the point. The activity can also help you find places you might miss on a casual walk, which adds practical value beyond the app itself.

Still, compare it honestly with a guided walk. A guide can answer follow-up questions, adjust the story to your interests, and explain context in the moment. This game gives you independence and entertainment, but its information is delivered through tasks rather than conversation.

The phone and data issue you should plan for

The most important preparation is technical. You need the Explorial app and a phone with mobile data. The app supplies the access code, map, clues, questions, and photo tasks, so a phone that cannot connect may prevent a participant from playing.

If you are booking more than one ticket, do not assume every person can participate without checking their phone access. Make sure the people who want to play can use the app before reaching the starting point. A group can probably share a device for some tasks, but the supplied information does not promise how many people can use one phone or how the scoring works in that situation.

You should also plan for Quebec City weather. One group had to hurry because rain made it unpleasant to take time with the route. Since photo tasks are part of the game, wet weather can affect more than comfort. A dry forecast will give you a better chance to enjoy the walk at a relaxed pace.

Who should book this experience?

I would choose this for families with school-age children or teens, friends who enjoy light competition, and independent visitors who want a route without a fixed guide. It also suits people who like to pause often and make their own sightseeing decisions.

It is a good first activity in Quebec City because it links several well-known places and gives you a broad orientation. You can use the route to decide which areas deserve a second visit later.

I would hesitate if you want detailed historical interpretation, a live local guide, or a route that includes every major city district. The activity is in English only, and the app, not a person, delivers the experience.

The private format is useful for couples and family groups who prefer not to join strangers. It also lets you set your own rhythm. You can move quickly if the children are eager to finish, or slow down when a stop catches your interest.

Booking, timing, and cancellation

Confirmation arrives at booking, and the experience ends back at the starting point. Most people complete it in one to two hours, but the activity itself is not limited to a fixed play period.

Service animals are allowed, and the meeting point is near public transportation. Most people can participate, and only your group takes part. Free cancellation is available if you cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled start. Cancellations inside that window are not refunded, and changes made within 24 hours are not accepted.

The average booking lead time is about 20 days. That does not mean you must reserve exactly that far ahead, but it suggests you should avoid leaving a popular travel-date plan until the last moment.

Should you book the Quebec City scavenger hunt?

Book it if you want a low-cost, flexible walk with puzzles and photo challenges, especially if children or teens are in your group. The route covers memorable parts of Old Quebec, the private format avoids a rigid group schedule, and the pause-anytime design fits a relaxed day.

Skip it if you want a guide’s voice, deep historical explanation, or a clearly documented excursion to every named stop, particularly Parc de la Chute-Montmorency. Bring mobile data, allow time for weather, and treat the game as a playful introduction to Quebec City rather than a complete history tour.

FAQ

How long does the Quebec City scavenger hunt take?

It lasts about one to two hours on average. The activity is not limited in time, so you can pause and continue at your own pace.

Where does the tour start?

It starts at the Monument Samuel-De Champlain on Esc. Frontenac in Quebec City, Quebec.

Where does the activity end?

It ends back at the meeting point.

Is the activity guided?

No. It is a self-guided mobile experience using the Explorial app, map clues, questions, and photo tasks.

What language is available?

The experience is offered in English.

Do I need mobile data?

Yes. The app requires phone access for the game, and mobile data is needed to participate. A person without data was unable to play.

What places are included?

The named stops include the Samuel-De Champlain Monument, Parc de la Chute-Montmorency, Quartier Petit-Champlain, Fresque du Petit-Champlain, Place Royale, and La Fresque des Quebecois.

Is this a private activity?

Yes. Only your group participates.

Can I cancel for a refund?

Yes, if you cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled start time. Cancellations within 24 hours are not refunded.