Top 9 Washington DC Scavenger Hunts Tours

1.The Escape Game DC: Epic 60-Minute Adventures in Penn Quarter

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 169 reviews · 1 hour 15 minutes (approx.) · from $43Our pick

At The Escape Game in Penn Quarter, you and your team get 60 minutes to solve clues and finish a mission, with a game guide on hand to help. Choose Prison Break, Special Ops: Mysterious Market, The Heist, or The Depths. Plan on about 75 minutes total, including the briefing and debrief.

“Great fun - however, my partner and I both got very sick with stomach bug 6 hours after doing the escape room. Neither of us had gone outside for over a day other than the Escape room event (we both work from home). So time have been germs picked up while hitting buttons in the escape room.”

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2.The Escape Game DC: 60-Minute Adventure in Georgetown

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 135 reviews · 1 hour 15 minutes (approx.) · from $38

At The Escape Game DC in Georgetown, you and your team get one 45- or 60-minute mission, plus a guide-led briefing and debrief. Choose from six scenarios, from a Titanic rescue to a cursed tomb. Guides named Star and Matt have been praised for friendly, helpful hosting, though your guide may differ.

“Escape game was so fun! Staff was so friendly and helpful. Building was clean and organized. We loved our experience”

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3.Awesome Scavenger Hunt: Annapolis Red Bricks & Blue Views

★★★★★★★★★★3.5 · 17 reviews · 2 hours (approx.) · from $14

Explore Annapolis with a private, self-guided scavenger hunt that starts at State Circle and visits the Kunta Kinte-Alex Haley Memorial, James Brice House, and Maryland State House. The Let’s Roam app supplies clues, trivia, and photo challenges for about two hours. You set the pace, but bring a charged phone and be ready to troubleshoot check-ins.

“Nothing really memorable. Similar to many others but not as user friendly. When we arrived at our destination it never pickup that we were there. Always had to “check in anyways”.”

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4.Family Treasure Hunt River Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 8 reviews · 1 hour · from $27

Board the Boomerang Pirate Ship at Washington Harbour for a one-hour, English-language family adventure. Friendly pirates lead a hunt for stolen treasure-chest keys, with water cannons, face painting, pirate tattoos, music, and Potomac views of DC landmarks. Drinks and snacks are sold onboard. A crew member named Marr has been praised for being kind and welcoming, though crew may vary.

“We had an incredible time on the Family Treasure Hunt River Cruise! Marr was so polite and kind, and the whole crew made the experience unforgettable. It was our first time, and my kids and mom had an absolute blast. So much fun, laughter, and great memories. Highly recommend it to families looking for a unique adventure!”

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5.Amazing Annapolis Scavenger Hunt

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 7 reviews · 2 hours (approx.)

Set off from Brown Mustache Coffee for an approximately two-hour Annapolis scavenger hunt led by a remote host. Follow clues to places such as Blue Crab Antiques and the Maryland State House, take on playful challenges, and send photos as you go. You can walk or drive, bring a dog, and choose a morning or afternoon start.

“We really enjoyed the experience, it was so fun and we discovered a lot from the city in a very small period pf time.”

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6.Awesome Scavenger Hunt: Old Town Made New

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 7 reviews · 2 hours (approx.) · from $12Best value

This two-hour, self-guided hunt from Let’s Roam takes you through Old Town Alexandria using an app for maps, riddles, photo challenges, and a leaderboard. Expect stops tied to local history, including Friendship Firehouse, Carlyle House, and Gadsby’s Tavern. There is no live guide, and attraction admission is extra.

“Most memorable about this activity was to seek history about the city. The Toroedo museum was awesome and the ice well was very interesting. Visiting the Christ Church has so much history.”

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7.Washington DC Monuments self-guided walking tour & scavenger hunt

★★★★★★★★★★3.5 · 6 reviews · 3 hours (approx.)

Explore the west side of the National Mall on a private, self-guided phone tour for your group of up to six. Follow a roughly three-hour route from the Ellipse past the White House, war memorials, the Lincoln and Jefferson memorials, and the Washington Monument. You get 20-plus challenges and four movie-location stops, but you need internet access.

“We did the scavenger hunt as part of a bachorette party activity and it was definitely fun and learnt new things along the way. Visited multiple war memorials, the lincoln memorial. Will be a good activity for children as well.”

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8.Washington DC Museums self-guided walking tour & scavenger hunt

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 4 reviews · 3 hours (approx.)

This private, self-guided hunt leads your group of up to six across the east half of the National Mall, from the National Museum of African American History and Culture past Smithsonian museums, the Capitol, and the Botanic Garden. Expect 30+ puzzles, six film locations, and about three hours on foot. You need internet access, and some clues may be inaccurate or hard to solve.

“The hunt had my teen quickly engaged while we worked the clues. Even though we got off track around the FBI building clue, we found our way back to continue on. For an adventure that keep my teen engaged, you get four stars. Minus one for typos through out the clues.”

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9.Pirate Ship Treasure Hunt Cruise with Face Painting

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 3 reviews · 1 hour (approx.)

Set sail on the Boomerang Boat from Georgetown for a one-hour pirate-themed cruise on the Potomac. Kids get face painting, pirate tattoos, a vocabulary lesson, treasure-chest goodies, and water-cannon battles. Along the way, look for the Lincoln and Jefferson memorials, the Washington Monument, Georgetown, and more. The boat returns to the Potomac Paddle Club.

“It is excellent for children from 5 years to 10, younger children cry and is annoying to others. The ship team are great, they work the magic of the pirate shipAuto-translated”

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