Boston Freedom Trail Scavenger Hunt: 3-Hour Game Tour

Turn Boston's History Into a Puzzle You Solve on Your Phone

You navigate Boston's Freedom Trail and North End using smartphone clues, solving puzzles at your own pace over three hours. Your team of 2–5 people sets the rhythm, stops where you want, and learns history as you hunt. No guide, no fixed start time, one group price, and you need your own phone with data service.

Step-by-step itinerary

Boston Freedom Trail scavenger hunt

• Start at Boston Common
• Use smartphone to guide tour
• Solve clues and complete challenges
• Explore historic landmarks and cemeteries
• Visit famous meeting halls
• Walk key sections of the Freedom Trail
• Experience sights and smells of North End
• Stop for lunch or Italian pastry

The experience

What if the Freedom Trail wasn't just a walking tour, but a game you had to win? That's the setup here. You and your group get a smartphone, a set of clues, and three hours to move through Boston solving challenges and spotting both the famous landmarks and the places most people walk past. The scavenger hunt starts at Boston Common and pulls you through the city's oldest corners: the Italian North End with its bakeries, the historic cemeteries, the meeting halls where things actually happened. You're not following a guide's pace. You're setting your own, which means if you want to stop for an Italian pastry or grab lunch along the Freedom Trail, that time comes out of your three hours and nobody's waiting.

The smartphone does the guiding. It feeds you the clues, tracks your progress, and keeps the game moving. No printed map, no earpiece, no person talking at you. That freedom to wander and choose your rhythm is the whole point, especially for families or groups of friends who'd rather play than listen. You'll learn the local history as you go (the app weaves it in), but the real draw is the hunt itself: figuring out where to go next, spotting details you'd miss on a regular tour, and the small rush of getting a clue right. The catch is you need a smartphone with cellular data: the tour doesn't provide one, so make sure your phone is charged and your plan covers the time you'll be out.

Pricing works per person, but your whole team books together so you stay in the same game. Teams run 2 to 5 people, and the group price stays fixed no matter the size, which is why it lands as good value if you're splitting the cost. The tour operates rain or shine, so dress for the weather and go anyway. You can start whenever you want. There's no fixed departure time, which means you pick the morning or afternoon that works, and the three hours begin when you hit play on your phone.

What’s included

• Your scavenger hunt includes the smartphone app with all clues and challenges, access to the three-hour game across Boston Common, the Freedom Trail, and the North End, and the flexibility to set your own pace and stops.
• You'll need your own smartphone with cellular data service.
• The tour does not provide one.
• Lunch, snacks, and drinks are on you, though the route passes cafes and bakeries where you can pause and eat.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery day

GroupUp to 5

Live guideEnglish

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 4 days ago

Good to know

Moderate physical effortWheelchair accessibleStroller-friendlyPets welcomePublic transport nearby

Operated by Urban Adventure Quest

Is this one for you?Right for groups of friends or families who'd rather solve puzzles than listen to a guide talk, and who want to explore Boston at their own speed without paying per person. Plan for a moderate amount of walking over three hours. The pace is yours, but the distance covers the Freedom Trail and North End, so comfortable shoes matter.

Traveler reviews

3.80★★★★★★★★★★

10 verified traveler reviews

Read all the reviews ›

Top questions

Do I need my own smartphone?

Yes. The tour uses your phone to guide you through clues and challenges. The app requires cellular data, so make sure your plan covers the time you'll be out.

Can I start whenever I want?

Yes. There's no fixed departure time. You choose when to begin your three-hour hunt, and the timer starts when you activate the app on your phone.

How many people can be on one team?

Between 2 and 5 people. Your whole team books together so you stay in the same game. Pricing is per person, but the group price is fixed regardless of team size.

What if the weather is bad?

The tour operates in all weather conditions. Dress appropriately and go anyway: the hunt doesn't stop for rain or cold.

Do I have to follow the exact route?

No. The smartphone guides you through clues and challenges, but you set your own pace and can stop for lunch or explore side streets without a guide rushing you along.

Is this wheelchair accessible?

The tour is wheelchair accessible, and strollers are fine for infants and small children. Service animals are allowed.

What's included in the price?

One scavenger hunt adventure for your team of 2–5 people. The smartphone app, clues, and challenges are included. Food and drinks are not.