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 quest

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 SighișoaraReal students playing

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.

In short

Ottawa for a school group, in short

A school trip to Ottawa with Questo is a self-guided city quest. Pupils in teams of 3 to 5 follow a route of 10 to 15 stops on foot, solving a puzzle at each, in 65 to 105 minutes. 11 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.

4.4
average rating, from 865 reviews
100,000+
pupils have played in class groups
11
quests for schools in this city
65 to 105
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

Questo or a guided tour

A Questo questA guided walking tour
Who is activeEvery pupil, in a team30 pupils listening to one guide
StartWhen you arrive10:00 sharp
PaceEach team at its own, pause for lunchThe group moves on
What the teacher gets beforePlays the whole route freeA 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 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.
Other school trip cities in CanadaTorontoAll school trip cities

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