Adults: GPS Scavenger Hunt Ideas and Ready-Made Tasks

A scavenger hunt for adults works for birthdays, stag and hen weekends, team outings and reunions because it gives a group something to do together without anyone having to lead the conversation. You need a route of eight to twelve GPS points, one charged phone per team, and a few things from the kitchen drawer: a pen, a length of string, a coin and a piece of paper. The tasks below are written so that a team of three to five can complete each one in five to ten minutes. When building the route, walk it yourself first and check that each point is on a public spot where a small group can stand without blocking anyone. Keep at least one task where local knowledge helps, so the person who grew up nearby gets a moment as well.

At a glance

At a glance
Group size	6-30 adults, in teams of 3-5
Duration	60-120 minutes
Age	18 and up
Where	town centre, neighbourhood or park
Preparation	45-60 minutes, plus walking the route once

Tasks you can use right away

Tasks you can use right away
No.	Task	How it works
1	Recreate the Picture	At the checkpoint the team receives an old photo or painting of a group scene. They recreate the pose as accurately as they can in front of a nearby landmark and upload the result.
2	Read the Building	A question about the spot itself: the year on the facade, the number of windows on the top floor, the name on the plaque. The answer is only visible if they actually look up.
3	Local Voice	The team asks a passer-by or shopkeeper to say the team name and the name of the street into a short voice recording. Points for the recording, bonus if the stranger adds one fact about the area.
4	Paces and Bearings	The map view is switched off for this leg. The team gets instructions such as '60 paces north, then left at the second lamp post' and must arrive within 20 metres of the next point using only the phone compass.
5	Sound Collection	Within five minutes the team records five different sounds from a list: church bell, bicycle bell, running water, a foreign language, a dog. Each confirmed sound scores a point.
6	Sign Cipher	A code refers to a street sign or shop front: 'third letter of the second word, first digit of the house number'. The combined characters form the password that unlocks the next checkpoint.
7	Pocket Tower	Using only items from their own pockets and bags, the team builds the tallest free-standing tower they can. They photograph it next to a shoe for scale and take everything with them afterwards.
8	Memory Check	At the final point the team answers five questions about things they passed earlier: the colour of a door, how many benches were in the square, the name of the café at checkpoint three. Nobody is warned in advance.

Turn this into your own hunt

Tips for the day

Put the hardest thinking task at the start and the photo or building tasks near the end; energy for puzzles drops after an hour of walking.

Give every team a different starting point on the same loop so they do not walk in one long line and can not copy each other at the checkpoints.

Set a hard finish time in the app and announce it at the start. Teams arriving late lose points, which keeps the group together for drinks afterwards.

Write answers that can be checked in under a minute per team. Photo tasks get a simple yes or no; avoid tasks where you have to judge quality.

Carry a paper copy of the route and answers yourself. If a phone dies or the signal drops between tall buildings, you can keep that team moving.

Frequently asked questions

Plan 60 to 120 minutes of walking and tasks, plus 30 minutes for a drink and results afterwards. Longer than two hours and attention drops, especially if people have to be somewhere later. Eight to twelve checkpoints spaced 300 to 500 metres apart fits that window.

Three to five people per team works best. With two, one person does all the work; with six or more, some just tag along. If your group is large, run several teams at the same time along different routes that meet at the finish.

Yes, and it often helps the pace. Put the stop roughly two-thirds of the way through and set a maximum time of 20 minutes so teams keep moving. Make one task there that does not require alcohol, such as a quiz question about the building, so nobody feels left out.

It does, provided you mix departments in the teams and keep tasks skill-neutral. Avoid tasks that need running or climbing, and include at least two tasks where talking to each other matters more than speed. A short debrief at the end works better than a long speech.

One phone per team is enough. The team leader opens the hunt in oppatt.io and the GPS points unlock as they get close. Check that the phone is charged and ask a second team member to carry a charger or power bank as backup.

Most tasks below work in light rain if people bring a jacket. For heavy rain, swap the outdoor checkpoints for indoor ones: a shopping arcade, station hall, museum lobby or your own office. Keep the route shorter and shift the emphasis to the quiz and memory tasks.