Some of the best escape rooms in the Basque Country are in Bilbao, with mystery, horror and strategy in them. The sets are built with real care and the challenges are genuinely demanding. Here are the best of them.
Escape rooms in Bilbao
There is a range of them in the city, and each one tests you differently.
Escape Mania
As a team we went to Escape Mania in Bilbao to see what it had. Here is what we found, and why we think these are among the best rooms in the city.
1. The Van Landen Family Mystery
- Theme: private detective, mystery, a 1930s investigation.
- Who it suits: groups of friends, families or company events. Any age, though 14 and over is recommended.
- Group size: two to six.
- Price: from €15 per person.
This one puts you in the 1930s, and the set is authentic and detailed enough that you feel like an actual detective. The puzzles are properly built into the plot, so each discovery means something. The difficulty is moderate, which makes it right at any level of experience. We got out just in time, which only made it better.
- Set: 9
- Difficulty: 7
- Excitement: 8
- Value: 8
- Story: 9
2. Harrison Jones and the Sixth Element
- Theme: adventure, in the manner of Indiana Jones.
- Who it suits: anyone who likes an adventure, and Indiana Jones fans in particular. Any age.
- Group size: two to six.
- Price: from €16 per person.
This one is a proper Indiana Jones adventure. The room is full of detail, and the challenges hold you through the hunt for the lost treasure. It is harder than the previous room, which only adds to it. We got out with a few minutes to spare.
- Set: 9
- Difficulty: 8
- Excitement: 9
- Value: 7
- Story: 8
3. Lilith’s Doll Shop
- Theme: horror.
- Who it suits: the brave, and anyone who wants controlled frights. Recommended for 14 and over.
- Group size: two to five.
- Price: from €16 per person.
This one has an atmosphere of genuine dread . The macabre detail and the carefully timed frights keep you on edge throughout. The difficulty is much the same as the other rooms, but the tension makes every puzzle feel harder. We got out in time, in a mixture of relief and adrenaline.
- Horror: 8
- Set: 9
- Difficulty: 7
- Excitement: 9
- Value: 8
- Story: 8
4. Aliens
- Theme: space adventure, science fiction.
- Who it suits: science-fiction fans. Any age.
- Group size: two to six.
- Price: from €16 per person.
This one puts you in a lost scientific colony. The futuristic set and the intricate puzzles hold you completely. It is hard, particularly given the sheer number of clues to follow, but the immersion carries it. We were caught in the last minute — and the whole thing was still worth it.
- Set: 9
- Difficulty: 8
- Excitement: 8
- Value: 7
- Story: 9
On the practical side, Escape Mania is accessible to everyone, with reasonable prices that vary by group size and room.
- It is one of the most popular in Bilbao, with a range of themes.
- Mystery, horror and intrigue, all of it right for a group of friends or a family.
- Each room sets its own challenges.
Coco Room
We also went to Coco Room to see what they had. Here is what we made of each room, and why we think they are an exceptional option for a group.
1. Ambar: The Visit
- Length: 75 minutes
- Difficulty: 7/10
- Players: 2-5
The first beer-themed escape room in Spain. From the moment you walk in you are in the atmosphere of the place — the Ambar brewery. You have 75 minutes, and the puzzles need careful teamwork to get at the brewmaster’s secret recipe. We got out just in time, and rather thirsty.
- Set: 8
- Difficulty: 7
- Excitement: 9
- Value: 8
- Story: 9
2. Armageroom
- Length: 75 minutes
- Difficulty: 7/10
- Players: 2-5
The biggest challenge so far: saving the planet from a meteorite. The room is tense from the start, and the puzzles are intricate enough to need a sharp mind and a working team. It is hard, but saving the world keeps you at it. We came out with the adrenaline still going.
- Set: 9
- Difficulty: 8
- Excitement: 10
- Value: 7
- Story: 8
3. Expedition Zero
- Length: 75 minutes
- Difficulty: 7/10
- Players: 4-16
Smugglers and mysteries in the Valley of the Kings. The Hall Escape format was new to us , and the challenges need logic, observation and teamwork. The variety keeps it fresh to the last second.
- Set: 8
- Difficulty: 7
- Excitement: 9
- Value: 8
- Story: 8
4. Explorers in Cairo (for children)
- Length: 60 minutes
- Difficulty: 5/10
- Players: 4–16 (children aged 9 to 12)
An archaeological adventure built for children, in search of lost treasure. The difficulty is lower, but the puzzles are just as good. An excellent option for a birthday or a family outing.
- Set: 7
- Difficulty: 5
- Excitement: 8
- Value: 9
- Story: 7
5. Cadet School (for children)
- Length: 60 minutes
- Difficulty: 5/10
- Players: 4–8 (children)
The young recruits face a new threat to humanity. Adapted for children, with puzzles that are enjoyable and demanding for their age. The difficulty is low, but saving the world keeps them at it to the end.
- Set: 7
- Difficulty: 5
- Excitement: 8
- Value: 9
- Story: 7
The Rombo Code
Less than 500 metres from the Guggenheim, The Rombo Code offers something the other rooms in Bilbao do not.
There are three rooms, from surviving the Los Plomos prison to escaping the most dangerous enemies of The White Cube. Here they are:
1. Casanova: the escape from Bilbao
You are caught in the plot of the Los Plomos prison, where Mr Rombo has been taken by the agents of The White Cube. The set puts you in eighteenth-century Bilbao, with meticulous detail throughout. From the cold prison walls to the puzzles hidden in the corners, every detail is designed to keep you on edge.
- Set: 9
- Excitement: 8
- Value: 9
- Story: 9
2. Behind the Mirror
A room with no padlocks, where the technology and the set together make for something genuinely immersive. From the moment you wake up in the interrogation room you are inside an atmosphere of tension. Every element is designed to keep you there, as though the story were happening in real time.
- Set: 10
- Excitement: 9
- Value: 8
- Story: 9
3. The Secret of the Camino
A hunt for the board of the Game of the Goose in the Posada del Cuerno, which puts you on the thirteenth-century Camino de Santiago. The set is meticulously detailed, from the old corridors of the inn to the puzzles hidden in its corners. Every element adds to it, and it holds you from beginning to end.
- Set: 9
- Excitement: 9
- Value: 8
- Story: 10
