LisbonAges 8+
Old Town Lisbon: Strange Events
81 min · 3.2 km · 11 stops
Starts at Old Convent of the Holy Trinity
What they learn
Roman and medieval Lisbon at the Teatro Romano museum, Lisbon Cathedral and Castelo de São Jorge
4.5 (112 reviews)
School trip to Lisbon: a city quest for your class.
Six to eight teams, one phone each, 60 to 120 minutes on foot. €5 per pupil, teachers free.
More than 3,000 classes and groups have played Questo together.
- 6 quests for schools
- ages 8 to 18
- start points shown in the app
- 2 to 4 km
Real students playingWhat 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.
Perfect with a group of A Level pupils. Loved it.
Quests for classes
Quests a class can play in Lisbon
A school day in Lisbon with Questo centres on the riverside Praça do Comércio, the grid of the Baixa and the steep lanes of Alfama and Castle Hill. Belém, a tram or train ride west, makes a second outing. Teams of three to five follow one phone past the Rua Augusta Arch, the cathedral, the Roman Theatre or the Jerónimos Monastery, solving a puzzle at each stop. For classes, the strongest choices are Old Town Lisbon: Strange Events for Key Stage 2, Secrets and Hidden Meanings in Masonic Lisbon for Key Stage 3, and the Fado Murder Mystery in Alfama for Key Stage 4 and sixth form. Quests cover ages 8 to 18.
- LisbonAges 11+
Secrets and Hidden Meanings in Masonic Lisbon
120 min · 2.3 km · 13 stops
Starts at Cais das Colunas
What they learnReading symbols on buildings, from the Museu Maçónico to the Casa do Ferreira das Tabuletas and the Edifício dos Leões
4.4 (110 reviews) - LisbonAges 8+
Historical Belem: Mysterious Map Hunt
130 min · 3.5 km · 15 stops
Starts at Belem Defensive Tower
What they learnThe Age of Discoveries at the Jerónimos Monastery, the Padrão dos Descobrimentos and Belém Tower
4.2 (49 reviews) - LisbonAges 11+
Lisbon Iconic Pictures Tour
72 min · 3.9 km · 14 stops
Starts at Epic novels: the Portuguese resilience
What they learnThe Carnation Revolution of 1974 and what it changed in Portugal
4.3 (40 reviews) - LisbonAges 14+
Highlights of Lisbon: Fado Murder Mystery in Alfama
110 min · 3.4 km · 11 stops
Starts at Portal da nossa senhora da conceição velha
What they learnFado and Amália Rodrigues, through Rua dos Cegos and the Vhils cobblestone portrait
4.3 (177 reviews) - LisbonAges 14+
Murder Mystery: Death in the Shadows in Baixa de Lisboa, Lisbon
90 min · 2.2 km · 12 stops
Starts at Statue Of John I
What they learnDeduction and evidence across 12 stops in the Baixa
4.4 (26 reviews)
Teams, supervision and logistics
Teams and supervision
Teams of 3 to 5 share one phone.
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For under-14s, one adult per 2 to 3 teams with agreed checkpoints; for 14 to 18, follow the school's policy. Baixa's flat grid makes regrouping easy.
Getting around
Each pupil needs their own Navegante card for Metro de Lisboa and Carris trams and buses; ask the operators about group fares.
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Rossio to the river is a flat 10-minute walk; Alfama and Chiado are steep.
Toilets
Public toilets in the centre are few and some are coin-operated, so do not rely on them.
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Plan stops at Rossio or Cais do Sodré stations, museums, Armazéns do Chiado shopping centre or cafes.
Lunch
Classes picnic on the riverside lawns and steps of Ribeira das Naus or in Jardim de São Pedro de Alcântara.
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Keep pupils off the Cais das Colunas steps, which are slippery and tidal.
Wet weather
The Banco de Portugal's Money Museum (Museu do Dinheiro) in the Baixa is free, as is the Igreja de São Domingos near Rossio.
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If rain spoils the day, replay the quest free within 30 days.
Caution: Pickpockets work the crowded Tram 28 and the Largo das Portas do Sol viewpoint in Alfama. Teams should keep the quest phone in a front pocket or zipped bag, never held out loosely.
What they learn
History
Roman Olisipo at the Roman Theatre, the Termas dos Cássios and the Roman Galleries. Medieval Lisbon at the cathedral and Castelo de São Jorge. The Age of Discoveries at the Jerónimos Monastery, the Padrão dos Descobrimentos and Belém Tower. The rebuilding of the Baixa after the 1755 earthquake. The Carnation Revolution of 1974.
Geography
Urban geography of a hilly river city. Pupils compare the planned Baixa streets with the winding lanes of Alfama, read the city from the Santa Luzia and Portas do Sol viewpoints, and practise map reading and compass points at the Rose Compass in Belém.
English and modern languages
Pupils read instructions and short local stories, and older pupils weigh evidence in the murder mysteries. Some quests can be played in a foreign language: Portuguese (Fado, Strange Events, Iconic Pictures), Spanish (Fado, Masonic), French (Masonic) and Italian (Iconic Pictures).
Citizenship and teamwork
Monuments to kings, the National Pantheon and the 1974 revolution all raise questions about who a city chooses to honour. Teams share one phone and take turns as navigator, reader and puzzle-solver.
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 questPrefer to pay by bank transfer?
Tell us the quest or city, the class size and the dates. We send an invoice to the school.
In short
Lisbon for a school group, in short
A school trip to Lisbon with Questo is a self-guided city quest. Pupils in teams of 3 to 5 follow a route of 11 to 15 stops on foot, solving a puzzle at each, in 70 to 130 minutes. 6 quests suit classes aged 8 to 18. There is no guide and no time slot: the class starts when it arrives. The price is €5 per pupil, and teachers play free.
- 4.3
- average rating, from 514 reviews
- 100,000+
- pupils have played in class groups
- 6
- quests for schools in this city
- 70 to 130
- minutes on foot, by quest
Pupils are an estimate: groups of four or more teams starting one quest together, at about four pupils a team, across all cities since 2018. Ratings are from players of these quests.
What the research says about trips like this
One trip changes how pupils think
In a randomised study of 10,912 students, a single cultural trip raised critical thinking, tolerance and interest in culture weeks later.
History learned where it happened
458 Amsterdam pupils walked the medieval city in teams, solving tasks on phones at real locations. They learned more than classmates taught the same topic in lessons.
Source: Huizenga et al., Journal of Computer Assisted Learning, 2009
Games with a story teach
Across hundreds of studies, game-based learning beats non-game teaching on knowledge and retention; story and playing together are what make the difference.
Source: Sailer and Homner, Educational Psychology Review, 2020
Questo or a guided tour
| A Questo quest | A guided walking tour | |
|---|---|---|
| Who is active | Every pupil, in a team | 30 pupils listening to one guide |
| Start | When you arrive | 10:00 sharp |
| Pace | Each team at its own, pause for lunch | The group moves on |
| What the teacher gets before | Plays the whole route free | A confirmation email |
| Price | €5 per pupil, teachers free | €12–€25 per pupil, teachers often charged |
01 / 05
Who is active
- A Questo quest
- Every pupil, in a team
- A guided walking tour
- 30 pupils listening to one guide
02 / 05
Start
- A Questo quest
- When you arrive
- A guided walking tour
- 10:00 sharp
03 / 05
Pace
- A Questo quest
- Each team at its own, pause for lunch
- A guided walking tour
- The group moves on
04 / 05
What the teacher gets before
- A Questo quest
- Plays the whole route free
- A guided walking tour
- A confirmation email
05 / 05
Price
- A Questo quest
- €5 per pupil, teachers free
- A guided walking tour
- €12–€25 per pupil, teachers often charged
Teacher FAQ
Questions about Lisbon
Which Lisbon quest suits which age group?
For Key Stage 2 (ages 8 to 11), choose Old Town Lisbon: Strange Events, Historical Belem: Mysterious Map Hunt, The Disappearing Codex or Alfama and Castle Hill: A City of Layers. For Key Stage 3, choose the Masonic Lisbon quest or Lisbon Iconic Pictures Tour. For Key Stage 4 and sixth form, choose the Fado Murder Mystery in Alfama or Death in the Shadows in the Baixa.
How long does a quest take?
Most take between about 50 minutes and 2 hours of walking and puzzles. The Disappearing Codex takes about 50 minutes over 1.9 km, Strange Events about 80 minutes over 3.2 km, and the Masonic quest about 2 hours over 2.3 km. The Belém Map Hunt is the longest, at a little over 2 hours. Add time for toilet and snack stops.
How many pupils share a phone, and do they need accounts?
Teams of 3 to 5 pupils share one phone, which can be a staff phone or a pupil's. Pupils do not need accounts. Each phone needs mobile data, or the quest downloaded beforehand on wifi. A charged battery or power bank helps on the longer routes.
Where do the quests start and how do we get there?
Several central quests start around Praça do Comércio, served by Terreiro do Paço station on the Blue Line. The Masonic quest starts at Cais das Colunas and City of Layers at the statue of King José I. The Belém Map Hunt starts at Belém Tower, reached by tram 15E or by Cascais Line train from Cais do Sodré.
How much does it cost?
It costs 5 euros per pupil. Teachers and chaperones play free. Schools can pay by card or invoice. There is no guide to book and no time slot, so teams can start whenever the class is ready. Staff can preview a quest free from home before the trip.
What happens if it rains?
Teams can pause and carry on later, and the quest can be replayed free within 30 days if the weather spoils the day. Nearby, the Money Museum in the Baixa is free, open Wednesday to Sunday from 10:00 to 18:00, and works well as an indoor alternative.
Is Lisbon walkable for younger pupils?
The Baixa and the riverside are flat, but Alfama and Castle Hill are steep, with stairs and uneven cobbles. For Key Stage 2, The Disappearing Codex is short, and the Belém Map Hunt follows the waterfront. Allow extra time on the Alfama routes and bring water and sun hats in warm months.
