Leiden self-guided city game tour: Solve puzzles, a short route

Solve riddles across Leiden's landmarks and uncover a stolen-files mystery

This self-guided city game tour takes you through Leiden on a 2.5-kilometer walk where you solve puzzles at real landmarks (the Put windmill, Rembrandtplaats, Doelenpoort gate, Pieters cemetery, Van der Werf Park and Koornbrug) to track down a police officer and recover sensitive files. You start whenever you want using only a smartphone with data, and the whole route takes around two hours. Teams of up to five or six players aged 15 and older work through the riddles together. Younger players need supervision.

Step-by-step itinerary

Self-guided walking puzzle tour in Leiden

• Start at the Put windmill
• Solve riddle at Rembrandtplaats square
• Solve riddle at Doelenpoort gate
• Solve riddle at Pieters cemetery
• Solve riddle at Van der Werf Park
• Solve final riddles at Koornbrug bridge

The experience

You start at any time that suits your day, armed with nothing but a smartphone and a mobile data plan. The game sends you to six stops across Leiden, each one a real historical site: the Put windmill (a 1987 replica of a 17th-century mill), the Rembrandtplaats square honoring the painter's birthplace, the Doelenpoort gate from the 1600s, Pieters cemetery, Van der Werf Park with its statue of a city hero, and the Koornbrug stone bridge over the Nieuwe Rijn. At each stop, you solve a riddle that advances the story of a missing police officer and stolen files.

The route covers 2.5 kilometers on foot and takes around two hours to finish. Your smartphone delivers the riddles and hints as you go: no printed materials, no guide, no surprises beyond what you and your team solve. The story is crafted to pull you toward lesser-known corners of the city, so even if you know Leiden, the game surfaces details locals skip. Teams work best with two to six players. Anyone under 15 needs an adult with them.

All the walking paths and stops are wheelchair accessible, and the route works for any fitness level. You can pause, restart, or come back to finish another day: the game stays in your phone until you solve it. Public transport runs near the starting points if you need it.

What’s included

• Detailed online instructions with riddles and hints delivered to your smartphone throughout the tour.
• access to the full story and all six puzzle locations.
• the ability to start and pause whenever you want.

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.

Prices and times updated 6 days ago

Good to know

Easy physical levelWheelchair accessibleAccessible transportStroller friendlyPets welcomePublic transport nearby

Operated by Outside Escape

Is this one for you?Pick this tour if you want to explore Leiden on your own schedule with a group of friends or family, using only your phone to navigate a mystery that pulls you through the city's real history and hidden corners. The self-guided format means no waiting for a group to gather or following a guide's pace. You move at your own speed and solve the puzzles together.

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Top questions

Can I start the Leiden city game tour whenever I want, or is there a set time?

You start whenever you choose. Download the game to your phone, and you can begin the tour at any hour that fits your day. There are no fixed departure times or group schedules.

What do I need to bring to play the city game in Leiden?

You need a smartphone with a working mobile data connection. The game sends you riddles and hints to your phone at each of the six stops, so no printed maps or guides are required.

What is the Put windmill, and why do I visit it on the tour?

The Put is a replica of a 17th-century mill built in 1987, standing as one of the landmarks where you solve a riddle as part of the mystery story. It's the first stop on the 2.5-kilometer route.

How many people can play the Leiden city game together?

Teams work best with up to five or six players aged 15 and older. Players under 15 can join with adult supervision, and you can tackle the riddles as a group or split up and regroup at each stop.

How long does the Leiden city game tour take to complete?

The tour takes around two hours to finish, covering 2.5 kilometers on foot across six historical sites. You can pause and resume another time if you need to break it up.

Is the Leiden city game route accessible for wheelchairs?

Yes, all walking areas and surfaces on the route are wheelchair accessible, and transportation options near the stops are also wheelchair accessible. The tour is suitable for all fitness levels.