School trip to Ottawa: a city quest for your class.

Six to eight teams, one phone each, 60 to 120 minutes on foot. €5 per pupil, teachers free.

Choose a questPay by invoice

More than 3,000 classes and groups have played Questo together.

  • 11 quests for schools
  • ages 8 to 18
  • start points shown in the app
  • 1 to 8 km
Ottawa, where a class plays a Questo quest on foot
A group of teenagers on a quest in the old town of SighișoaraPlaying in Sighișoara

What teachers and students say

More than 3,000 classes and groups have played Questo together.

We are a group of language students and we played the game with our teacher: a great and fun way to practise, and learn interesting stuff about our city that we didn't know.
A language class and their teacherAlgeciras, 2023★★★★★
Perfect with a group of A Level pupils. Loved it.
A teacher with an A Level groupLyon, 2025★★★★★

Quests for classes

Quests a class can play in Ottawa

A field trip with Questo in Ottawa centers on Parliament Hill and the downtown blocks of Queen, Kent, Albert and Elgin streets, with further quests in the ByWard Market, the Glebe and the ambassadors' residences of Rockcliffe. For 3rd to 5th grade, The Oz Escape in Ottawa and Lucky Treasure Hunt: The Golden Shamrock both pass the House of Commons, the Bank of Canada Museum and Lord Stanley's Gift Monument. Middle school classes can infiltrate a secret society starting at the Famous Five Statue, and high school groups can solve the ByWard Market murder mystery around Major's Hill Park. Quests cover ages 8 to 18, and several can be played in French.

Teams, supervision and logistics

  • Teams and supervision

    Teams of 3 to 5 share one phone.

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    For under-14s, have one chaperone per 2 to 3 teams with agreed checkpoints; for ages 14 to 18, follow your school's policy.

  • Getting around

    OC Transpo buses and O-Train Line 1 serve downtown.

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    Children 10 and under ride free; ages 11 to 12 pay $2.05 and 13 to 18 pay $4.10 per ride. Central sights are mostly short walks apart.

  • Toilets

    There are only a few street-level public toilets: in the ByWard Market building, in Major's Hill Park and on the east side of Parliament Hill.

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    Some close in winter. Fallbacks are the Rideau Centre, City Hall, the main library and museums.

  • Lunch

    Major's Hill Park, between the ByWard Market and Parliament Hill, has large lawns with shade and space for big groups.

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    Take all litter away and keep students off the tulip beds in spring.

  • Wet weather

    The Bank of Canada Museum is free.

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    Tours of the House of Commons and the Senate on Parliament Hill are also free, but groups of 10 or more must book ahead. The quest can be replayed free within 30 days.

Caution: Police say the ByWard Market is generally safe but admit some areas are a problem, with recent assaults near Cumberland and George Streets. Brief chaperones to keep teams on the main market streets.

What they learn

History

Canadian Confederation and parliamentary government at the House of Commons, the Confederation Building and the Centennial Flame; Lt. Col. John By and the Bytown era; the Famous Five and women's rights; Prime Minister William Lyon Mackenzie King; Indigenous history through the Tessouat sculpture and the Kwakiutl totem pole.

Geography

Map reading and orientation on foot in the downtown street grid, and comparing districts: the government core, the ByWard Market, the Glebe around Lansdowne Park and the diplomatic residences of Rockcliffe.

English and French

Reading and following multi-step instructions and clues in English. In the Eyes of a Street Artist and The Cardinal Disappearance can be played in French, and the Kid Quest in French or Spanish, for a world language class.

Civics and teamwork

How Parliament and the Official Opposition work (Stornoway), embassies and diplomacy, City Hall and Marion Dewar Plaza, plus teams sharing one phone, dividing roles and agreeing on answers.

Price and terms

€5 per student.

No minimum group, no time slot.

  • Pay by card when you choose a quest: €5 per student, as many as you need
  • Or ask for an invoice and pay by bank transfer
  • Free teacher preview from home
  • Rain on the day: replay free within 30 days
  • Teachers and chaperones play free

A class of 30 on one quest: €150.

Choose a quest

Prefer to pay by bank transfer?

Tell us the quest or city, the class size and the dates. We send an invoice to the school.

We reply by email from finance@questoapp.com.

Teacher FAQ

Questions about Ottawa

Which Ottawa quest suits which grade?
For 3rd to 5th grade: The Oz Escape, The Golden Shamrock or The Cardinal Disappearance (the longest, at 6.2 km). For middle school: the Secret Society quest from the Famous Five Statue, or the Rockcliffe Riddle Ride. For high school: the three Murder Mystery quests in downtown, the ByWard Market and the Glebe.
How long does a quest take and how many students share a phone?
Most Ottawa school quests take about 90 minutes and cover 2 to 2.7 km. The Cardinal Disappearance is longer, about 100 minutes and 6.2 km. Teams are 3 to 5 students with one phone per team, so a class of 30 needs six to ten phones, and teams can start a few minutes apart.
Where do we start and how do we get there?
Most downtown quests start on or near Parliament Hill: the Confederation Building, the Famous Five Statue or the Bank of Canada Museum at 30 Bank Street. Take O-Train Line 1 to Parliament station at Queen and O'Connor streets. For the ByWard Market quest, use Rideau station, which exits onto William Street at the market.
How much does it cost?
5 euros per student. Teachers and chaperones play free. You can pay by card or by invoice, and you can preview the quest for free from home before the trip to check the route and the content.
What happens if it rains?
You get a free replay within 30 days if the weather spoils the day. On the day itself, the Bank of Canada Museum on the downtown routes is free and runs free school programs, so check its opening days and book ahead. The ByWard Market Building is an indoor stop with food vendors and washrooms nearby.
Do students need accounts or mobile data?
No accounts are needed for students. Each team's phone needs mobile data during the quest, or the quest downloaded beforehand on school or hotel Wi-Fi. A charged phone and a small power bank per team are sensible.
Can my French class play in French?
Yes, for some quests. In the Eyes of a Street Artist and The Cardinal Disappearance: Shadows of Downtown Ottawa are available in French, and the Kid Quest: Solve the case of the lost senses runs in French and Spanish as well as English. The other Ottawa school quests are in English only.
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