Durham Self-Guided City Walking Tour & Scavenger Hunt
Overview
Durham's cathedral and castle share a peninsula above the Wear — and the city that grew up between them has stories to match both.
This app-led scavenger hunt takes you through Durham on foot, using phone-based riddles to guide you from one landmark to the next. No guide, no fixed start time.
• Follow clues to St Nicholas' Church, Durham Castle, and the atmospheric Sewer Lamp — medieval faith, Norman power, and Victorian ingenuity in one compact walk
• Start when you arrive and go at whatever pace suits the group
• Great for families, history lovers, and groups of any size
Available in 24 languages including English, French, German, Spanish, Italian — see the full list when booking and choose yours when you start the game in the app.
Around 2 hours - any group size.
Durham Cathedral is one of the great buildings of the world. The Sewer Lamp is arguably more memorable.
What's Included
- Free download of the Explorial App from your appstore (iOS or Android smartphone required)
- Points and scoring system: Compete between players of your group and beat the cities high score.
- Live Location: navigate within the map with marked locations. Always know where you are.
- Learn about the cities stories, history, and local legends
- Total flexibility: no waiting, start anytime, walk at own pace and do as many breaks as you want.
- Self-guided walking tour with interactive riddles, trivia challenges and photo tasks.
- Entrance fees are not required for this game. All puzzles relate to the public areas of the sights
- This is not an audio guide but an sightseeing, gaming and learning experience
- Live-Guide: 100% self-guided; no one will meet you or join your group. Start anytime you want.
Meeting Location
8 Millennium Place
Durham DH1 1WA, UK
Detailed check-in instructions, including the exact address, are provided with your booking confirmation.
This activity ends back at the meeting point.
What To Expect
Starting at 8 Millennium Pl, Durham DH1 1WA, UK, open the Explorial app and enter the 6-digit game code that you received by text and [BRAND] chat message. The riddles take you from the modern city gateway into streets that have barely changed in outline since the Norman Conquest.
Your first stop is St Nicholas' Church, the parish church on the Market Place whose 19th-century Gothic tower dominates the square where Durham's commercial life has gathered since the medieval period.
From there the app takes you to Durham Castle, the Norman fortress built in 1072 that has formed an unbroken line of occupation with the cathedral on the peninsula above the River Wear for nearly 950 years — now part of Durham University and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The route then leads to the Sewer Lamp, a unique Victorian gas lamp on Drury Lane that is fuelled by gas produced by the decomposition of sewage in the pipes below — still lit, still functioning, and one of the most genuinely peculiar landmarks in Britain.
Around 2 hours on foot. The riverside paths and cathedral close are beautiful extensions if you want to keep exploring.
Additional Info
- Confirmation is instant and will be received at time of booking
- Service animals allowed
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Weather & Health Guarantee: If bad weather or illness prevents you from starting the tour, you can simply reschedule it for another day. You can also rebook to a different city or request a refund
- Smartphone required: Bring your own fully charged smartphone with an active mobile data connection to the start of the tour. Please disable any VPN and avoid city Wi-Fi, as these will cause the app to malfunction or disconnect.
- Recommended attire: It’s best to wear weather-appropriate clothing and comfortable walking shoes — approx. 2 hours of light walking
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- Max 15 people per booking. For larger groups, make multiple bookings.
- After booking you receive a text message and a [BRAND] message with your game code. Download the Explorial app from your appstore. Open the app, enter your 6 digit game code
Frequently Asked Questions (7)
Q: What is the cancellation policy for the Durham Self-Guided City Walking Tour & Scavenger Hunt?
Cancellation Policy
Still have questions?
We're here to help.
Activity code: C-298466P209
Traveler Photos
Reviews
Average 3.75 out of 5 stars based on 4 traveler reviews collected by City Balloon Tours and partner sites such as Cool Destinations and TripAdvisor
Additional Info
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Frequently Asked Questions (7)
The answers provided below were previously given in response to questions from City Balloon Tours customers.
Filter by:
- For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the tour start time.
- If you cancel less than 24 hours before the tour start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.
- Any changes made less than 24 hours before the tour start time will not be accepted.
- Cut-off times are based on the tour local time (GMT).
- Free download of the Explorial App from your appstore (iOS or Android smartphone required).
- Points and scoring system: Compete between players of your group and beat the cities high score.
- Live Location: navigate within the map with marked locations. Always know where you are.
- Learn about the cities stories, history, and local legends.
- Total flexibility: no waiting, start anytime, walk at own pace and do as many breaks as you want.
- Self-guided walking tour with interactive riddles, trivia challenges and photo tasks.
- Entrance fees are not required for this game. All puzzles relate to the public areas of the sights.
- This is not an audio guide but an sightseeing, gaming and learning experience.
- Live-Guide: 100% self-guided; no one will meet you or join your group. Start anytime you want.
There is no minimum age for this tour, so bring your wee one along for an adventure..
Apr 2025If a date or time is not listed on the calendar, it’s sold out or unavailable for another reason. Support cannot assist further if a date or time is not on the calendar.
If you find a date and time that works for you, book it NOW because things always sell out at this time of year.
Apr 2025Accessibility information for the Durham Self-Guided City Walking Tour & Scavenger Hunt is as follows:
- Service animals allowed
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Weather & Health Guarantee: If bad weather or illness prevents you from starting the tour, you can simply reschedule it for another day. You can also rebook to a different city or request a refund
- Smartphone required: Bring your own fully charged smartphone with an active mobile data connection to the start of the tour. Please disable any VPN and avoid city Wi-Fi, as these will cause the app to malfunction or disconnect.
- Recommended attire: It’s best to wear weather-appropriate clothing and comfortable walking shoes — approx. 2 hours of light walking
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Detailed check-in instructions – including meeting point address, Google map, and parking information – for Durham Self-Guided City Walking Tour & Scavenger Hunt will be included in your confirmation email from City Balloon Tours. Please be sure to double and triple check your email address is correct at checkout so this important email makes its way to you!
Mar 2024Once your refund is processed, it usually shows on your card statement within 5–10 business days. The exact timing depends on your bank or card issuer.
Want it sooner? When you cancel, choose Receive a refund to my wallet instead. The credit is in your Wallet straight away and is applied automatically at checkout on your next booking when you’re signed in with the same email. You can see your balance any time in My Wallet.
If you paid part of your booking with Wallet credit, that part always goes back to your Wallet. Trip protection isn’t refundable.
Oct 2026What's Included
- Free download of the Explorial App from your appstore (iOS or Android smartphone required)
- Points and scoring system: Compete between players of your group and beat the cities high score.
- Live Location: navigate within the map with marked locations. Always know where you are.
- Learn about the cities stories, history, and local legends
- Total flexibility: no waiting, start anytime, walk at own pace and do as many breaks as you want.
- Self-guided walking tour with interactive riddles, trivia challenges and photo tasks.
- Entrance fees are not required for this game. All puzzles relate to the public areas of the sights
- This is not an audio guide but an sightseeing, gaming and learning experience
- Live-Guide: 100% self-guided; no one will meet you or join your group. Start anytime you want.
Additional Info
- Confirmation is instant and will be received at time of booking
- Service animals allowed
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Weather & Health Guarantee: If bad weather or illness prevents you from starting the tour, you can simply reschedule it for another day. You can also rebook to a different city or request a refund
- Smartphone required: Bring your own fully charged smartphone with an active mobile data connection to the start of the tour. Please disable any VPN and avoid city Wi-Fi, as these will cause the app to malfunction or disconnect.
- Recommended attire: It’s best to wear weather-appropriate clothing and comfortable walking shoes — approx. 2 hours of light walking
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- Max 15 people per booking. For larger groups, make multiple bookings.
- After booking you receive a text message and a Viator message with your game code. Download the Explorial app from your appstore. Open the app, enter your 6 digit game code
