Exploring new places has completely changed in the digital age. Who needs bulky guidebooks or those massive paper maps anymore? If you're like me, you love discovering hidden gems, but sticking to a strict group tour schedule? No thanks.
Now, our smartphones do all the work, turning any walk into an adventure. Whether you’re a history lover, a scavenger hunt fanatic, or just someone who enjoys wandering with a purpose, there’s a self-guided tour app out there waiting to make your next trip even more exciting!
If you’re looking for a scavenger hunt mobile app that’s interactive, fully customizable, and perfect for both small groups and large-scale events, PlayTours is your go-to platform. Unlike other apps that lock you into pre-made routes, PlayTours allows you to build and personalize your own adventure from scratch. Whether you’re planning a corporate scavenger hunt, an educational tour, or a city-wide game, PlayTours gives you full creative control; no set templates, no limitations. It's no wonder major organizations like Malaysia’s MOH, Save The Children, and Make-A-Wish have trusted PlayTours for their large-scale events.
Imagine a self guided scavenger hunt exploring Central Park in NYC, an interactive team challenge in Chicago's bustling downtown, or a cool history walk along Boston's famous Freedom Trail.
For example: As you approach the charming Belvedere Castle overlooking the Turtle Pond, the app prompts you to capture a stunning photo, turning your casual walk into an engaging, interactive adventure. How does the app know you’re there? Because of its location-based feature which only allows you to complete a task when you are in the radius of the location!
Out of its many features, what is unique is that to manage participant flow and prevent overcrowding at specific locations, this scavenger hunt app offers an automatic crowd prevention feature. This function dynamically guides teams to less crowded stations in real time, maintaining a balanced distribution of participants across the event area. It operates on a task-by-task level as well.
Planning a self-guided tour or scavenger hunt can feel like a lot, but with PlayTours' AI-powered assistant, it’s easier:
Smart Challenge Suggestions – The AI automatically generates location-based tasks, trivia, and scavenger hunt challenges tailored to your event type.
Seamless Content Integration – Easily add multimedia elements (images, videos, and clues) with AI-powered formatting assistance.
Adaptive Difficulty Levels – The assistant adjusts challenge complexity based on your audience, whether it's for kids, corporate teams, or history buffs.
Real-Time Adjustments – Need to tweak a task last minute? The AI suggests on-the-fly modifications to improve engagement.
One of the best parts? The customization is next-level which makes it one of the best scavenger hunt apps out there! You can brand the entire experience from the welcome page and backgrounds to buttons and typography to match your event’s theme or corporate identity perfectly.
But customization isn’t just about visuals; real-time updates make PlayTours truly stand out. As players complete challenges, they can see live progress, updated leaderboards, and instant feedback, making the experience more interactive and competitive. Organizers can spice up their tours by adding location check-ins, audio snippets, photos, and videos, giving participants a rich, immersive experience at each stop. With GPS-based challenges, folks get real-time navigation, making it a breeze to find and enjoy each designated spot.
Now, let’s talk pricing. PlayTours keeps things simple and transparent with a tiered pricing structure based on active devices. Instead of charging per tour or per user like some other platforms, PlayTours charges based on how many devices are active at the same time during an event. This makes it scalable and cost-effective, whether you're running a small team-building session or a large corporate event with hundreds of participants.
If you're just getting started, you can test out all the features for free. The free trial allows you to build and explore the platform at your own pace, ensuring it’s the right fit before making a commitment.
If you’re looking for a fun, customizable, and effortless way to create scavenger hunts, PlayTours is one of the better options. Whether it’s for corporate events, classrooms, or just a weekend adventure with friends, this app has everything you need to make the experience both engaging and unforgettable!
If you love a good mystery and enjoy uncovering hidden historical gems, Questo might be just the tour app for you. Unlike traditional walking tours, Questo turns city exploration into an interactive adventure, where you follow themed quests, solve puzzles, and uncover real-life urban legends, historical events, and folklore. Instead of just walking from point A to point B, you're piecing together a storyline; kind of like stepping into a real-life escape room that’s spread across an entire city!
One of its biggest advantages? You can start anytime, pause when you want, and explore at your own pace like solving puzzles in historic neighborhoods in New Orleans' French Quarter, or uncovering secrets hidden along San Francisco’s winding streets. This flexibility makes it great for solo travelers or couples who want to take things slow, stop for a coffee, or detour along the way.
However, if you're looking for a real-time interactive or competitive scavenger hunt, Questo may not be the best fit, as it lacks multiplayer features that allow teams to track each other’s progress live. Another big limitation? You can’t create your own tours. Unlike PlayTours, which gives users full creative control over their scavenger hunts and games, Questo is strictly pre-designed content, so if you're an educator, event planner, or business looking for a customized experience, you'll find it quite restrictive.
One thing to keep in mind with Questo is its pay-per-tour model, which can get pricey if you plan on using it frequently. Take a look at the pricing below for a pre-made tour:
While the group discounts are nice, the cost adds up quickly, especially if you travel often. And unlike PlayTours, Questo doesn’t offer a free trial, which means you have to pay upfront without testing the experience first. That can be a dealbreaker for cautious users who want to make sure the app meets their expectations before committing.
If you're a solo traveler, a couple, or someone who enjoys immersive storytelling, Questo can be a fun way to experience a city. The mix of history, puzzles, and self-paced exploration makes it engaging and educational, and the pricing might be worth it for a unique experience. At the end of the day, it depends on what kind of experience you’re after. If you just want to follow a great story, Questo is solid.
If you're the kind of traveler who loves exploring at your own pace but still wants a guided experience, Stray Boots is a great option. This app offers pre-designed, self-guided tours based on various themes, whether you're into art, food, history, or local culture, there's a tour for you! Unlike Questo, which leans heavily into storytelling, Stray Boots keeps things structured yet flexible, you can pause, explore, and pick up where you left off whenever you like.
Another fun element? Challenges and point-based competition! While it's not as interactive as a full multiplayer scavenger hunt, you can compete against yourself or friends, making the experience feel like a light, casual game rather than just a standard walking tour.
The first step? Fill out a request form (as shown in the image below). You’ll need to provide details like your event location, number of participants, and any special requests. Their team will then work with you to design a personalized experience that fits your needs. Pricing isn’t fixed, as every event is custom-made. That means whether you're hosting a small company outing or a large-scale event, they’ll tailor the pricing accordingly. While this flexibility is great, it does mean you can’t just check a price list, you’ll need to reach out to their team for a quote.
Before booking, you also get a free consultation call (5–10 minutes) to discuss your event goals, followed by a free in-depth demo (20 minutes) so you can see how the experience works before committing.
Stray Boots isn’t just a tour, it’s a mobile game interface designed to keep participants engaged. Some cool features include:
If you're looking for a casual, structured, and engaging way to explore a city, Stray Boots is a solid pick. It’s great for tourists, small groups, and companies that want a fun but guided experience. However, keep in mind that you can’t create your own tours like you can with PlayTours, so if full customization is a must-have, this might not be the best fit. Still, with custom event options, competitive elements, and interactive features, Stray Boots offers a fun and easy way to explore, learn, and play, all at your own pace.
If you're looking for a structured, educational tour experience, STQRY is a strong choice, especially for museums, cultural institutions, and historical sites. It offers multiple ways to create and manage digital tours, including options for digital signage, and mobile apps. One of its standout features is real-time content updates, allowing administrators to tweak tour details instantly without needing a full re-publish. Another useful feature is advanced user permissions, making it easy for organizations to manage multiple users across different locations. It also supports geofenced alerts and iBeacon technology, meaning visitors can receive automatic notifications or interactive content when they reach specific locations.
However, when it comes to real-time interaction, competitive features, or live multiplayer experiences, STQRY falls short. It’s built for static, structured tours rather than team-based activities or dynamic scavenger hunts. This makes it less ideal for corporate team-building events or interactive city-wide games where real-time engagement is key.
One plus for STQRY is that it does offer a free trial, so you can test it out before committing. But when it comes to pricing, things get expensive fast as the standard plan starts at $199 per month ($2,388 per year), and if you need a more tailored experience, you’ll have to request a custom quote, which can be pricey depending on your needs.
If you’re a museum or an institution looking to create audio-guided tours or someone who enjoys structured historical experiences, STQRY can get the job done!
Loquiz is your go-to app for crafting fun, self-guided tours across the USA. Whether you're designing a walking tour through historic neighborhoods like Philadelphia's Society Hill, a nature hike in Yellowstone National Park, or a city exploration in bustling urban centers, Loquiz offers a suite of features to enhance the experience for your audience:
Rich Content Integration: Spice up your tours with audio guides, images, and videos. Throw in some quizzes and challenges to keep things lively.
Offline Access: No signal? No problem. Once downloaded, your tours work offline, perfect for those remote spots.
Customization: Make your tour uniquely yours with custom logos, colors, and map pins. Plus, it supports multiple languages, even the made-up ones!
Analytics and Feedback: See how folks are interacting with your tour and gather feedback to keep improving.
Loquiz transforms any smart device into a virtual tour guide, allowing participants to navigate at their own pace and engage with content-rich stops along the way. The platform's flexibility supports various tour types, from city guides to nature trails, all enhanced with interactive and educational elements.
Below is an example of how participants can answer questions, earn points and will be able to reach a higher position on the leaderboard:
Loquiz offers a 14-day free trial, allowing you to explore its features without any commitment. Each plan is based on active devices, so whether it's a small group or a big event, there's a fit for you.
While Loquiz is packed with features, some users have noted a learning curve, especially when diving into its advanced customization options. However, with a bit of time and exploration, you'll be crafting unique, interactive tours that captivate your audience.
Ultimately, selecting the best app for self-guided tours and events depends on personal preferences and the type of experience desired. Each platform offers unique strengths, from structured educational tours to interactive, customizable adventures. Whether you're seeking storytelling explorations, casual competition, or fully personalized events, these innovative scavenger hunt apps can enhance your experience, making self-guided tours more accessible, engaging, and enjoyable.
That's it! If you need help, do email us at hello@playtours.app
