Self-Guided Walking Tour with Puzzles in Haarlem

Walk the city at your own pace and crack the puzzle of the missing portrait

A 90-minute self-guided walking tour of Haarlem where you solve puzzles about the city's landmarks while hunting for a hidden portrait left by Pieter Teyler, the merchant who founded the Teylers Museum. Start whenever you choose, pause whenever you need, and use the Discovery Trips app to navigate and track your score. Museum entry is not required or included.

Step-by-step itinerary

Self-guided walking tour in Haarlem

• Start at Haarlem railway station
• View Molen De Adriaan across water
• Walk past a beautiful hofje
• Pass by Teylers Museum
• Walk past the old Waag of Haarlem
• Solve puzzle at Frans Hals museum
• Visit Thee Vleeshal exposition centre
• See Church of St. Bavo at Grote Markt
• End at Grote Markt city centre

The experience

You download the Discovery Trips app, pick your start time (morning, afternoon, whenever suits your schedule), and begin at Haarlem's railway station. The app guides you through the city's most recognizable spots: past the Molen De Adriaan mill across the water, through one of Haarlem's quietest hofjes (a traditional courtyard housing), and along streets where you'll pass the Teylers Museum, the old Waag where merchants once weighed goods, and the Church of St. Bavo in the Grote Markt. The puzzles are woven into what you see around you: clues about the environment, details of the buildings, the history embedded in the streets themselves.

The puzzles have been updated to be more challenging than earlier versions, so even if you've heard about the tour, the difficulty has shifted. You solve them with your group (friends or family), and the app keeps a running score, turning the walk into a game where you're competing against your own best performance or against other groups who've done the same route. You can stop and linger at any point, duck into a café, or step inside one of the museums you pass (the Teylers Museum, the Frans Hals Museum, or the Vleeshal exposition centre) if something catches your eye: none of these entries are included in the tour, but the puzzles don't require you to go inside them either.

The route ends at the Grote Markt, the city's central square, after roughly 90 minutes of walking and puzzle-solving. Because there are no fixed start times and no guide waiting for you, you control the rhythm entirely. You need a smartphone with the app downloaded and a data connection to play, but beyond that, the tour is self-contained.

What’s included

• Access to the Discovery Trip "The Missing Portrait of Pieter Teyler".
• use of the Discovery Trips app to navigate, solve puzzles and track your score.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery day

GroupPrivate

Meeting point and pickupNo hotel pickup: you go to the meeting point. Ends at a different place from where it starts.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Prices and times updated 12 days ago

Good to know

Easy physical levelStroller friendlyPets welcomePublic transport nearbyNot for heart conditions

Operated by Discovery Trips

Is this one for you?The route covers several kilometers on foot at your own pace, so it suits walkers comfortable with a steady 90-minute stroll through a city. Because you control when you start and stop, it works well for groups with different energy levels or interests. Someone can linger at a puzzle while others move ahead, and you regroup whenever you choose.

Traveler reviews

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Top questions

What happens if it rains?

It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund. Free cancellation up to 24 h before the start.

Can I start the walking tour whenever I want, or are there set times?

Discovery Trips has no fixed starting times. You pick whenever you want to begin and can pause at any point. Download the app before you arrive in Haarlem, and you're ready to start on your own schedule.

What exactly is the puzzle game about during the walk?

You're hunting for the missing portrait of Pieter Teyler, a wealthy Haarlem resident whose inheritance built the Teylers Museum and the Teylers Hofje. The puzzles are clues hidden throughout the city that help you solve the mystery of where he hid the painting.

Do I need to go inside the museums to complete the tour?

No. You'll walk past the Teylers Museum, Frans Hals Museum, and the Vleeshal exposition centre, and the puzzles reference them, but entry to any of these is not required or included in the Discovery Trip. You can visit them afterward if you choose.

How long does the walking tour actually take?

The tour is designed for 90 minutes of walking and puzzle-solving, though your actual time depends on how quickly you solve the puzzles and how often you pause to explore or rest.

What do I need to bring to play the Discovery Trip?

You'll need a smartphone with the Discovery Trips app downloaded, plus an active internet connection and data to use the app while you walk. The app tracks your location and displays the puzzles and clues.