How to Find Your Way Through a Maze

Co-authored by wikiHow Staff

Last Updated: February 21, 2023

Mazes can be great fun, as long as your sense of direction isn’t too lacking. Otherwise you might find yourself stuck. There are a few tricks you can use to easily get through a maze, though they do take away from the challenge of finding your way out. You can use the right-hand rule for simple mazes, which are mazes where all walls are connected. On the other hand, Trémaux’s Algorithm is a method suited for any other maze.

Method 1

Method 1 of 2:

Following the Right-Hand Rule

1
Place your hand on the right wall at the maze’s entrance. For this technique to work, it’s important to begin at the entrance. Too often, people will try to use this technique only once they’ve gotten lost inside a maze. Trying to do this in the middle of a maze will keep you lost.^{[1]
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2
Start walking, following the right wall. Always keep your hand along the wall for guidance. Walk ahead, away from the exit, until you reach an intersection or a dead end.

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3
Keep following the right wall through intersections and around dead ends. With this method, you don’t even have to think your way out of an intersection or back through a dead end. At intersections, you’ll usually be taking the closest path to your right. At a dead end, following the right wall will have you loop around it until you exit the dead end.
- As long as you keep your hand on the right wall and walk forward, you will find the exit.

Method 2

Method 2 of 2:

Using Trémaux’s Algorithm

1
Find an item you can use to mark each path. It’s important that the marking tool you use is appropriate to the maze’s floor. For example, you can use chalk on a hard surface like wood or concrete. For other surfaces, consider using objects you can leave behind, like bread crumbs or some rocks. Make sure that you place it near the wall and not in the middle so that people won’t accidentally kick it around.
- Whatever item you use, you have to be able to make two distinct kinds of markings; you need to differentiate between paths you’ve taken once or twice.
2
Pick a random path and follow it to the next junction. Each maze will have a different layout at the start; some may start with an intersection and others will have only one path. In either case, choose any path and start walking forward until you either reach an intersection or a dead end.
3
Mark paths as you follow them. It’s crucial to keep track of what paths you’ve already taken for Trémaux’s Algorithm to work. Make sure to mark both the beginning and end of each path using whatever marker you’ve chosen.
- If you take a path for the first time, you’ll want to mark it once. With chalk, a simple line will suffice. If you’re using objects like a pile of rocks, leave a rock at the beginning and end of the path.
- If you follow a path for the second time, mark it again. Using chalk will mean drawing a second line, while with objects you’ll just leave a second behind.
- If you reach a dead end, mark the path so you’ll recognize it as such. For instance, if you’re using chalk, mark the path with a “D”. Make this marking close to the intersection the path leads to.
4
Prioritize unmarked paths at intersections. Whenever you arrive at an intersection, take a moment to note the markings on each path. Some might be unmarked while others will show that you’ve taken them once (or twice) already. You should prioritize paths that are unmarked, as following these gives you a better chance of moving forward. If all paths are marked once, pick one at random.
5
Avoid taking paths that are marked twice. If you have to follow a path that you’ve already marked once, you should mark it a second time. Under Trémaux’s algorithm, marking a path twice means it won’t take you to the exit. If you find an intersection where a path is marked twice, always choose another path, even if that means going back the way you came.^{[2]
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Backtrack out of dead ends. If you reach a dead end, you want to return to the last intersection you crossed. Make sure to mark the path to remember that it leads to a dead end. Once you arrive at the intersection, pick among the remaining paths and continue crossing the maze.^{[3]
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7
Keep following paths that aren’t marked more than once. If you consistently do this, you should eventually find the exit. Note that you won’t necessarily find the easiest or most direct path out of a maze, but you are guaranteed to find the exit. Trémaux’s algorithm essentially gives you the ability to test a larger number of paths, using a system to determine the ones that definitely don’t lead to the exit. It will beat any maze eventually.

Community Q&A

Question

Should I go left or right in a maze?

Community Answer

It does not matter as long as you stick to whichever you pick initially. Both will get you to the end eventually.
Question

What is the secret of finding your way out of the labyrinth?

Community Answer

Keep your hand on the right side of the maze as you go through the entire thing-- eventually it will lead you out.
Question

What is the best way to get through a loops and traps type maze?

Community Answer

The best way to get through a loop and trap in a maze is to keep your hand on the right side of the wall.