Lille self-guided scavenger hunt: Riddles through Vieux Lille

Riddles lead you through Vieux Lille's hidden corners and brick-lined squares

A self-guided scavenger hunt through Lille using the Explorial app to solve riddles, trivia and photo challenges at landmarks like Place aux Oignons, Îlot Comtesse and Colonne de la Déesse. You download the app, enter your game code, and navigate the old city on foot at your own pace with no fixed start time or guide. Around two hours of walking through Flemish gables and secret courtyards.

The experience

You start at Place du Général de Gaulle, the Grand Place, download the Explorial app to your phone, enter the 6-digit game code you receive by text, and begin solving riddles that pull you through Vieux Lille on foot. Each clue points you to a landmark, and you work through trivia, photo tasks and local history at stops like Place aux Oignons, a pocket square of brick and cobbles whose name the riddles help explain. The Îlot Comtesse explores the old Hospice Comtesse quarter with stories of a countess and her guilty conscience. At Colonne de la Déesse, the goddess who defended Lille against an Austrian siege, you answer more clues while learning the city's defiant history. No guide meets you, no fixed schedule constrains you. You walk when you want, stop as long as you like, and compete for points within your group.

The app marks your location on a map so you always know where you are, and all the puzzles relate to public areas with no entrance fees required. You need a fully charged smartphone with active mobile data, and the game works in 24 languages including English, French, German, Spanish and Italian. You choose your language when you start. The walk covers around two hours of light movement through the city, and you can pause, backtrack or linger at any stop without losing your place in the game.

What’s included

• Free download of the Explorial app for iOS or Android.
• self-guided walking tour with interactive riddles, trivia challenges and photo tasks.
• live location mapping so you always know where you are.
• points and scoring system to compete within your group.
• stories, history and local legends about each landmark.
• total flexibility to start anytime, walk at your own pace and take breaks whenever you want.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery day

AgesAdult (10 to 90 years) · Child (under 10): free

GroupPrivate

Live guideEnglish, Spanish, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Cantonese, Chinese, Czech, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, Greek, Hindi, Hungarian, Japanese, Korean, Norwegian, Polish, Romanian, Russian, Swedish, Turkish and Ukrainian

Meeting point and pickupNo hotel pickup: you go to the meeting point. Ends back at the starting point.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.

Prices and times updated 15 days ago

Good to know

Low physical effortPets welcomePublic transport nearby

Operated by Explorial

Is this one for you?The app guides you through the city with riddles and trivia rather than a live guide, so you move at your own speed and can pause or explore longer at any stop without holding up a group. This works best if you enjoy solving puzzles and learning history through clues rather than listening to a guide's narration.

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Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

Live guide in English, Spanish, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Dutch, Romanian, Danish, Polish, Chinese, Japanese, Ukrainian, Czech, Norwegian, Hungarian, Cantonese, Greek, Chinese, Korean, Russian, Finnish, Swedish, Hindi and Turkish.

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (under 10): free.

Can I start the scavenger hunt whenever I want, or is there a set time?

The hunt is fully self-guided with no fixed start time. You download the app, enter your game code, and begin whenever you're ready: morning, afternoon or evening. You walk at your own pace and take breaks as you need them.

What is Place aux Oignons and why is it part of the tour?

Place aux Oignons is Vieux Lille's most charming corner, a small brick and cobbled square in the old city. The riddles guide you there early in the hunt, and the clues reveal the story behind its unusual name.

Do I need to pay entrance fees to visit the landmarks on this scavenger hunt?

No entrance fees are required. All the puzzles relate to public areas and outdoor landmarks like the Colonne de la Déesse and the streets around Îlot Comtesse, so you explore them freely without paying to enter any buildings.

What do I need to bring to start the hunt?

Bring a fully charged smartphone with an active mobile data connection. The app requires a working internet connection to navigate and receive clues, so avoid using a VPN or connecting to city Wi-Fi, as these can cause the app to malfunction.