How do you add even more fun to an escape room in London with kids – by setting it aboard a replica of the Tudor galleon in which Sir Francis Drake sailed around the world, for Escape from the Golden Hinde.
review visit*
Invited along to review the brand new Golden Hinde escape room, it was the first time we’d returned since sleeping on board overnight for the Golden Hinde Night Voyage, and my daughter was thrilled to be walking up the gangplank once more, from the Thameside path in Southwark where it’s docked.
While I’m a big fan of escape rooms, it was also the first time my nine-year-old was attempting one – and it’s no spoiler to reveal it was a big hit with both of us.
Speaking of spoilers, I won’t be sharing all the secrets (or the answers to the puzzles!) in this review of Escape from the Golden Hinde, but you will obviously get a peek at what lies in store – so if you don’t want any clues at all, click here to book. Otherwise, read on to find out if we made it out within 60 minutes…
Need to know: Escape from the Golden Hinde with kids
Designed by Secret Studio, the team behind London’s top-rated escape room, The Golden Hinde escape room is aimed at kids aged 10+ but if you’re visiting as a family with younger ages, it’s definitely still an option.
A few weeks short of her tenth birthday, I had worried my daughter might get bored if the adults in the group solved all the puzzles without her, but she not only got involved, she had her own very strong opinions, and even spotted a few things before the rest of us.
Having confidently announced that I didn’t think something was important, I was forced to eat my words when it turned out to be vital – good job we had her along really!
She also got into the spirit of the race against time, reminding us that the ship would sink if we failed in our task: while she was never seriously concerned we would be consigned to a watery doom if we didn’t crack the challenges, it was fun to see her embracing it.
So while a group of younger kids would struggle on their own, if your family includes a seven or eight-year-old who loves puzzles, definitely don’t write it off.
There is a kids version due to be launched, and until then, children under 10 are welcome to play the adult version for free. Tickets normally cost £43 – although there are discounts of up to 24% until mid September – with a maximum of two kids per crew, minimum age four, and you need to have at least three paying players per crew.
It’s worth knowing that while your crew on Escape from the Golden Hinde are all ‘ghosts’, as you take a voyage through time as well as through the ship, we wouldn’t actually have known unless they told us – there’s no spooky wails or spectres jumping out at you, if you’re worried about kids having nightmares.
There are some steep steps on board, but you won’t be racing up and down them and you’re also provided with protective headgear before you start.
Tudor galleons don’t have a lot of headroom, and distracted by the task of trying to work out the clues, I think we all managed to bump our heads at least once, so these came in very handy – if anything, kids are less at risk here than taller adults!
One word of warning: there are no toilets on board, so you’re advised to go before you arrive (as it were). There are cafes nearby in Southwark, including right next to the ship though.
Escape from the Golden Hinde review
We’d been primed to appear on the gangplank precisely on time, and boldly declare ‘We pledge to save the captain’ – if you’re too cool for that, you do also have the option of calling out ‘Let me in’.
Much to my daughter’s disgust, I am not remotely cool, so having caught the eye of one of the members of the ghost crew, who later introduced himself as Stinky Pete (such an unfair nickname, he’d had a bath at Christmas!), we boarded, watched with interest by the crowd on St Mary Overie Dock enjoying the June sunshine by the Thames.
Warned not to get there early, to avoid spoiling the surprise, you also can’t get there late as there are specific time slots – allow around 90 minutes for the whole experience, depending (obviously) how fast you solve it all.
That includes the briefing beforehand, a chance to chat about how it went afterwards, and the 60 minute challenge to Escape from the Golden Hinde (and maybe a few extra minutes if you’re really close and your crew are feeling generous).
We’d also been warned that less than 50% make it out in less than an hour. Challenge accepted!
With our protective headgear in place (a very non-Tudor approach to health and safety), Stinky Pete taught us a Tudor salute before filling us in on some background.
The ship has actually sailed around the world twice: once back in the 16th century when the original set out under Sir Francis Drake in 1577, and again in the 1970s when this reconstruction was built and retraced its course.
These warring time periods have landed the ship in its current predicament, so only an hour remains to voyage through time on a quest to save Sir Francis and stop the Golden Hinde from sinking.
Armed with a lantern and one piece of advice to start us off, the door was unlocked and we headed into the shadow of the ship…
It’s pretty evident once you squash into the first space, that you won’t be spending all 60 minutes in there (unless you can’t solve the first puzzle of course) so it’s not giving too much away to reveal that our hour’s challenge also took us through the different decks and rooms of the Golden Hinde.
Along the way, there are red herrings galore, a chance to have a tot of rum (actual rum if you’re expecting apple juice, although there’s Coke and water too…) and some surprises in store.
You’ll also need to ponder the question of whether Sir Francis Drake is the seafaring hero of history or far more of a pirate than the stories tell.
While the focus is firmly on the puzzles rather than a history lesson, you’ll definitely learn a few things along the way, which is a lovely bonus, as is the treasure you’ll find – chocolate coins dotted about.
You’ll be faced with symbols and diagrams, ancient parchments and almost equally ancient tape players, and have a chance to get hands on with maps, ropes and puppets – and the crew are always nearby if you need the occasional hint (and make you laugh), though don’t expect anyone to give you the answers.
Needless to say, there will be a few moments where you can’t believe you missed the obvious as well as plenty of a-ha! moments.
Then suddenly, we were at the end. Success! We emerged on deck once more, blinking in the light, to the news that we had escaped in 52 minutes. Smug? Absolutely.
The Golden Hinde escape room: my verdict
So should you try Escape from the Golden Hinde with kids? A resounding yes! If you’re already a fan of escape rooms, being aboard a Tudor ship just adds to the fun, and it’s a great theme for families too.
If you’ve never tried an escape room, this is a really memorable one to start with, and the puzzles meant kids could easily get hands on as part of a team.
There’s slightly more of an interactive element here with the ghost crew involvement, rather than the standard ‘locked in a room’ experience, as well as the twist of experiencing two very different time periods.
And while you’re challenged along the way, there’s a chance for younger team members to tackle the different tasks so they won’t be standing around watching as the older players do all the work.
After having to close for most of the past two years (Tudor ships are not well designed for social distancing!), it was fantastic to be back on board again too – you can also visit once more when the escape room game isn’t running.
One of the more unusual things to do in London with kids, this should definitely be on your list for summer.
For more great escape rooms in London with kids, check out this wizard-themed option that’s a perfect day out for Harry Potter fans
Disclosure: We were given a free session of Escape from the Golden Hinde in exchange for this review – all opinions and failure to spot at least one really obvious clue for ages are my own
Images copyright MummyTravels
