Finding Raids and Routes Near You

Two features reward exploring your area more deliberately: raids at Gyms, and Routes, which guide you along a set path between two points. Here's how to actually find active raids and useful Routes near you.

Finding active raids

Raids are tied to Gyms, and any Gym can host a raid once a raid egg appears above it, hatching into a battle after a countdown. The in-game map shows raid eggs and active raids at nearby Gyms directly, including a rough indicator of the raid's difficulty tier before it hatches. Zooming out on the map lets you scan a wider area for active raid eggs if nothing is happening at your closest Gym.

Reading a raid before you commit

Before spending a raid pass, it's worth checking the boss's difficulty tier and, once hatched, its type, so you can decide whether you can realistically take it on solo, need a small group, or should wait for a larger group of trainers to arrive. Our legendary raids FAQ covers this decision-making in more depth for higher-tier raids specifically.

What are Routes?

Routes are a feature that lay out a specific path between two points, usually connecting notable PokéStops or landmarks, encouraging you to walk that path rather than wander freely. They often reward you for completing them and can be created by other players as well as appearing as official suggestions. Routes are a good option when you want a guided walk with a bit of extra incentive, rather than open-ended exploring.

Using Routes to plan a play session

Because Routes connect real points of interest, they can double as an efficient way to hit several PokéStops and Gyms in one walk, which is useful if you're specifically trying to accumulate Field Research tasks or check several Gyms for raid activity in a single outing. Our Field Research and Special Research guide covers how those tasks fit into a normal walking route.

Finding raid groups along the way

Busy Routes and Gym-dense areas naturally attract more players, which can make it easier to find a group for a raid you couldn't tackle solo. If you'd like a more reliable way to coordinate with other local trainers rather than relying on chance encounters, our guide on finding local events and meetups covers community groups built around exactly this.

Do Routes change over time?

Which Routes are available in an area can shift as new ones are added and older ones are retired, and player-created Routes depend on that feature remaining active in your region. Because availability varies by location and can change, the in-game map is the reliable way to see what Routes currently exist near you rather than assuming a specific one is still there.

Rewards for completing a Route

Completing a Route generally rewards some combination of items and experience, sometimes with a bonus the first time you complete a specific Route versus repeat completions. Exact reward contents are the kind of detail that's adjusted periodically, so treat any specific figure you've heard elsewhere as unconfirmed and check your own results in-game instead.

Creating your own Route

Where the feature is available, players can create and submit their own Routes for others to walk, typically by recording a walk between two notable points of interest. This has turned Routes into something of a community feature in areas where local players actively map out interesting paths connecting parks, landmarks, and PokéStop-dense streets.

Exploring safely

Whether following a Route or just wandering toward raid eggs on the map, normal outdoor safety habits apply: staying aware of your surroundings, sticking to public and well-lit areas, especially after dark, and not treating the game as a reason to ignore traffic or your immediate environment. None of this is specific to Pokémon GO — it's the same common sense that applies to any activity that has you looking at a phone while walking.

Combining raids and Routes in one outing

A productive outing often blends both: following a Route for its structured rewards while keeping an eye on the map for raid eggs at any Gyms it happens to pass. This way, a single walk can contribute to research progress, Route completion, and a chance at a raid, rather than treating each as a separate trip.

A simple approach for new explorers

1. Open the map and zoom out slightly to scan for raid eggs at nearby Gyms.
2. Check whether a suggested Route in your area connects several useful stops.
3. Head out, spinning stops and checking Gym activity as you go.
4. If you find a raid worth joining but can't solo it, look into local groups for backup.

Once you've found a raid, the battle mechanics that decide it are explained on Trainer Hub; our other pages on raids, events, and playing with other trainers are on this hub.