School trip to Washington, DC: 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.

  • 20 quests for schools
  • ages 8 to 18
  • start points shown in the app
  • 1 to 5 km
Washington, DC, 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 Washington, DC

A field trip with Questo in Washington, D.C. can stay in the monumental core or move to the older streets of Georgetown. On Capitol Hill, Washington National Mall Mystery: The Philip Reid Time Capsule leads elementary students from Columbus Circle past the Library of Congress, the Supreme Court and the Capitol. Middle school classes can start at the National Museum of Natural History for The T.Rex that Vanished from Washington, which crosses the National Mall to the National Archives. High school groups can play Murder Mystery: Death in the Shadows among Georgetown's churches and the C&O Canal. Quests cover ages 8 to 18 and take about 60 to 120 minutes.

Teams, supervision and logistics

  • Teams and supervision

    Teams of 3 to 5 students 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

    WMATA Metrorail has no group ticket; each student aged 5 and over needs their own SmarTrip card, which groups can order by mail.

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    The DC Circulator ended in 2024, so walk the Mall.

  • Toilets

    Free National Park Service restrooms are at the Lincoln, Jefferson, King, FDR and WWII memorials, Constitution Gardens and the Washington Monument Lodge.

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    Away from these, Smithsonian museums are the reliable fallback.

  • Lunch

    The National Mall has no designated picnic areas but plenty of open lawn, so eat on the grass and take all litter away.

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    Federal law bans eating and drinking inside memorial spaces.

  • Wet weather

    Smithsonian museums on the Mall are free; Natural History needs no pass, but Air and Space needs a free timed ticket.

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    If rain spoils the day, replay the quest free within 30 days.

Caution: The Mall is wide open with little shade and long walks between memorials, and summers are hot and humid. Carry water, take breaks inside museums and avoid the hottest midday hours.

What they learn

History

The Civil War and its aftermath at the Ulysses S. Grant Memorial, the Peace Monument and Ford's Theatre, where President Lincoln was shot in 1865. Philip Reid and the building of the Capitol. World War II on the home front at the National Japanese American Memorial. Colonial and early Georgetown at the Old Stone House and along the C&O Canal.

Geography

The planned layout of the monumental core, from the Capitol along the National Mall to the Washington Monument and the Jefferson Memorial. This compares well with Georgetown's older street grid, canal and waterfront. Students practice map reading and orientation as they find each stop.

English language arts

Teams read clues and instructions closely, sort out relevant details and agree on answers. For world language classes, Kid Quest: Solve the case of the lost senses is also available in Spanish and French.

Civics and government

Students see where the three branches sit, at the Capitol, the Supreme Court and the White House, along with the Library of Congress, the National Archives, the Department of Justice and the FBI Building.

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 Washington, DC

Which quest suits which grade?
For about 3rd to 5th grade: The Philip Reid Time Capsule on Capitol Hill, FBI vs Bank Robbers & Art Thieves, and the two Oz Escape quests in Georgetown and Penn Quarter. For middle school: The T.Rex that Vanished from Washington, Underwood's Heir and the Georgetown Secret Society mystery. For high school: the Death in the Shadows murder mysteries and Ghosts of Washington D.C.
How long does a quest take?
Between about 60 minutes and 2 hours. FBI vs Bank Robbers takes about 62 minutes over 3.5 km (2.2 miles). The Philip Reid Time Capsule takes about 100 minutes over 4 km (2.5 miles). Ghosts of Washington D.C. is the longest at about 2 hours and 4.4 km (2.7 miles). Most Georgetown quests take about 90 minutes and cover 2 to 2.5 km.
How many students share a phone?
Teams of 3 to 5 students share one phone, which can be a teacher's, a chaperone's or a student's. A class of 30 needs 6 to 10 phones. Teams can start a few minutes apart from the same point, so they don't crowd each other at the first stops.
Where do the quests start?
The Philip Reid quest starts on Columbus Circle outside Union Station (Red Line). The T.Rex quest starts at the National Museum of Natural History, near Federal Triangle, Archives/Navy Memorial and Metro Center. The Georgetown Oz Escape starts at the C&O Canal on 30th Street NW, about a 15-minute walk from Foggy Bottom-GWU, since Georgetown has no Metro station.
What does it cost?
5 euros per student. Teachers and chaperones play free. You can pay by card or by invoice. You can preview the quest free from home before the trip, so you know the route and the stops before you choose it for your class.
What happens if it rains?
There is no booked slot, so you can start later or pause and continue. If the weather ruins the day, the class can replay free within 30 days. Smithsonian museums are free, and the National Museum of Natural History is on several Mall routes, so it makes an easy indoor fallback.
Do students need accounts or mobile data?
Students don't need accounts. Each team's phone needs mobile data, or the quest downloaded beforehand on Wi-Fi. International groups should check roaming costs and download the quest at the hotel before leaving.
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