We often get asked about our Treasure Hunts. We’ve actually designed several over the years. In addition, several of our events and guided walking tours feel like Treasure Hunts. This is particularly true of our How to Read a Painting Tour in the National Gallery, because of the way we look for evidence and for symbols in the paintings. It’s also perhaps especially true of our beautiful Medieval Walls of Dublin Tour, where we follow maps, and point out clues.
However, if you are looking for a true, traditional Treasure Hunt, where people hunt in teams and follow clues to win a race, then we currently run just one activity of that sort, our Great Temple Bar Treasure Hunt.
We only very rarely run it as a public event, to which everyone can buy tickets, just once or twice a year (maximum) The last time was Sunday 13th October, in 2019! However, it is always possible to your own Temple Bar Treasure Hunt privately, whether as a team-working event, or a large group company outing.
Booking the Temple Bar Treasure Hunt as Private Event,
If you would like to book your own Temple Bar Treasure Hunt as Private Event, please read all of the key information below first. If you then wish to book then please send us an email to dublindecoded@gmail.com with the words “Treasure Hunt” + your preferred date in the subject header please. In your email, please include:
1- your type of group (company, private etc, name of firm?)
2- your preferred times and preferred day & date please.
3- your approximate number of guests and..
4- do you want the standard format or de luxe format Treasure Hunt? (Please see below)
But before you contact us to ask about times, dates, prices or practicalities, here’s the fun stuff you need to know first ..
First, sounds obvious, but to avoid misunderstandings: this is not a guided walking tour. Because we don’t guide it! As it’s a hunt, you and your groups search the area, using the clues we provide, to locate and find the Treasures. A treasure hunt, in other words!
Is it real treasure then?
There are no Pieces of Eight or Spanish Gold. Sorry! In true Dublin Decoded style, our treasures are objects, or details. A symbol etched into a granite flagstone; an object or sculpture on the street; a detail on a historic shopfront; a decorative animal or Roman Goddess carved onto a building.
As you make your way around the route, guided by the map and clues, you’ll discover harps and crowns, swords and dragons, windmills and bicycles, horses and fish, even a famous elephant; all hiding in plain sight.
Is it a Public or Private Event?
Currently the Dublin Decoded Temple Bar Treasure Hunt is usually available only as a activity privately booked for your own group. We don’t currently run it as a public scheduled event. So you provide your own group, make the booking with us and we’ll lay it on for you, specially for your private group. We don’t run many public walking tours in general, but there are normally 1 to 3 each month. To see all and any of our public tours currently scheduled , please go here.
Where and when?
Where: As the name suggests, the activity takes place all around Temple Bar. This is a safe, fun central district of Dublin, with little or no traffic, and packed full of amazing architecture and history.
When? Because the Temple bar district is full of bars and nightlife, please note that we don’t run the Treasure Hunt starting anytime after 4.45PM on Thursday to Sunday, nor after 6.45pm on Monday- Wednesday.
What about Daylight? Good point. You need to be able to ready the clues, to read the map, and to spot the treasures.
So we always advise booking your Treasure Hunt at times with good daylight and good visibility. For that reason we won’t run the event if/when sunset falls before the half-way point of the tour.
We also do not currently run the event any weekday mornings, due to other commitments and scheduling clashes.
So with all these factors combined: – our availability, your safety and comfort and good daylight and visibility: the best time options for your Treasure Hunt tour are either:
Option 1– start 3PM or 4PM Monday to Wednesdays (Any time of year)
We can also start later Mondays to Wednesdays right up to 6PM if there’s sufficient light, so depending on the season of the year. (See below)
Option 2- Start at 11.30 or 12.30 Saturdays or Sundays.
(Available any time of year; weekend supplements apply)
Option 3- April to August only, when the later daylight allows, starting after work at 5.30 or 6pm. (evening supplement applies)
Please note the 5.30 and later start-times are available on Mondays- Wednesdays only and on summer evenings only (mid April to late-August)
For obvious reasons weekday evening start times are a popular option with companies and organizations planning company outings, team-building exercises or an end of quarter treat for colleagues and employees. But please bear in mind you’ll need to book them to run mid-April to late-August.
If your planned excursion takes place September-March, please consider one of our other activities, such as our How to Read a Painting Tour in the National Gallery, or our Medieval Walls Tour. The later activity is a particularly good substitute for the Treasure Hunt as it involves we we follow maps, and pointing out clues in the landscape.
How many people is best, to participate in the Treasure Hunt?
We find that anything from 12 to 30 people works very well. But , if we place you working in teams of 4 people per team (rather than 3 per team) then we can accommodate all the way up to 40!
How Does the Treasure Hunt Work in Practice?
Here is the procedure:
you and your group meet me and my team in Meeting House Square, right in the middle of Temple Bar, at the agreed time.
There we brief you on the rules, the time limit and give you the top three tips for a winning performance.
Unless you have already made up the teams in advance, we’ll also divide the group into teams, ideally 3-4 people per team.
There we brief you on the rules, the time limit and give you the top three tips for a winning performance.
Unless you have already made up the teams in advance, we’ll also divide the group into teams, ideally 3-4 people per team.
We will then give each of your teams a kit.
This kit contains 1- a map of the area on a clip board; 2- a question & answer sheet, and 3- a set of 17 to 18 clues.
The clues guide you to the locations, where the “treasures” are.
Once each team has found each location, they read the relevant clues to identify the treasure.
Once they’ve looked around and successfully identified it, the team has answer a question (on the question and answer sheet) to prove they’ve found it!Each of the treasures, by the way, is
Once each team has found each location, they read the relevant clues to identify the treasure.
Once they’ve looked around and successfully identified it, the team has answer a question (on the question and answer sheet) to prove they’ve found it!Each of the treasures, by the way, is
So you learn quite a lot about local history and architecture, particularly in the second half of the activity.
The first half of the activity is the pure treasure hunt, running around the streets, working in teams of 3-4, searching for the treasures. All against the clock.
For this main stage of the event, we can set the time limit – in consultation with you, prior to us meeting, at anything from 1 hour (fast!) to 1 hour 12 minutes (medium) to 1.5 hour (leisurely!)
At the agreed end-time, we all rendezvous at the end point.
From here and at this point, you have two format options:
Standard Format (A)- the simple option – once we meet at the rendezvous point- is to go through all the answers together, and score the sheets together. We give a little prize for the team with the highest score.
This option usually works best usually at a local bar or hotel bar (which we can book for you if required) Some groups actually prefer this way, as at this point they often want to socialize and have fun.
De Lux Format-
Another, more time-consuming but luxury option is, instead of marking the scores together, instead leave your answer sheets and clue sets with my assistant at the end-point, and now walk the route again, all together this time, as one big group.
This time we do the stops and answer all the questions together, learning a bit about the history behind the buildings along the way.
In other words this optional add-on second half is more like a traditional (guided) tour, with the twist of finding the clues, and answering the questions together.
We find this stage works best for groups with a genuine interest in history, heritage, architecture and the built environment. This stage usually takes anything from 55 -75 minutes.
How else does this de lux version differ? While you’re walking and talking around this route with me, my assistant meanwhile marks your answer sheets and scores the teams. He or she will reappear at the end of the second-stage tour, to announce the scores and winners.
Again, we give prizes to all the team members with the highest scores.
How Much does it all Cost?
Our Treasure Hunts are our most expensive activities to run by far. It took several months work to design, test, print and produce the materials we’ve developed specially for this activity. We move equipment and the treasure hunt kits into into place for the beginning of the activity. In the de lux version we employ an extra person or people to act as assistants, and to correct and score your answer sheets.
Here are the prices for two types of group. Type 1 is company / corporate (including events companies and tour companies) Type 2 is everyone else, including privately booked groups of family and friends; educational groups; registered charities and/or NGOs.
There are also two categories and price bands of time you can do the tour. Band 1 Mon-Thurs, if the activity commences prior to 4.45PM. Band 2 covers Weekends (Fri- Sun) at any time of Day And/or b- if the activity commences after 4.45PM (regardless of what day of the week) and/or if the activity commences after 4.45PM (regardless of what day of the week. Based on this table you should be able to calculate approximate costs, based on your time of tour, your type of group (private or corporate)
| Minimum
Maximum number of participants: |
Minimum group number: 9 people/ 9 participants
Maximum group number 40 people/ 40 participants
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| Time/day of Activity? – | Time band rate if starting before 4.45PM and on a Monday to Thursday.
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Time bands if Starting after 4.45PM on a Mon to Thursday or if run any time at a weekend.
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Type of Group |
Privately booked family/
friends group; educational groups; Charities/NGs |
Rates for Corporate /Company group. | Privately booked family/friends group; educational groups; Charities/NGOs: | Rates for Corporate /Company group |
| Rates for Standard Format-A type Treaure Hunt
All figures include booking fee & also cover first 9 participants. |
€275 |
€375
|
€350 |
€475 |
| Rates per additional person (after your first 9 people) – | + €15 pp each extra person: | + €20 pp each extra person: | + €20 pp each extra person: | + €25 pp each extra person: |
| Rates for de Lux Format B Treaure Hunt & Guided “answer” walking tour booking fee: (fee also covers first 9 participants) |
€375
|
€425
|
€425
|
€575 |
| Price per person (after first 9 people) –
|
+ €15 pp each extra person: | + €20 pp each extra person | + €20 pp each extra person: | + €25 pp each extra person: |
How to Book your group or corporate Treasure Hunt:
Once you’ve read all of the above information, please send us an email to dublindecoded@gmail.com with the words “Treasure Hunt” + your preferred date in the subject header please? eg “Treasure Hunt for approx 18 ppl, Sat 09/03/19? “
Within the body of your email please include the following 5 pieces of information.
1- your type of group (company, private etc?)
(with the name of your company, if applicable)
2- your preferred day & date to enjoy the event.
3- your preferred start times.
4- your approximate number of guests? (It is not necessary to give an exact number in a preliminary inquiry)
and finally…
5- do you want the standard format or de luxe format Treasure Hunt, as explained above?
We will revert to you with an estimate and with provisional confirmation of your date, subject to availability and payment of a booking deposit.
