diff --git a/apps/api/src/index.ts b/apps/api/src/index.ts
index e04bda5..411cda0 100644
--- a/apps/api/src/index.ts
+++ b/apps/api/src/index.ts
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@ import { gameRouter } from "./routes/game.js";
 import { leaderboardRouter } from "./routes/leaderboards.js";
 import { prestigeRouter } from "./routes/prestige.js";
 import { profileRouter } from "./routes/profile.js";
+import { timersRouter } from "./routes/timers.js";
 import { transcendenceRouter } from "./routes/transcendence.js";
 import { connectGateway } from "./services/gateway.js";
 import { logger } from "./services/logger.js";
@@ -49,6 +50,7 @@ app.route("/transcendence", transcendenceRouter);
 app.route("/apotheosis", apotheosisRouter);
 app.route("/leaderboards", leaderboardRouter);
 app.route("/profile", profileRouter);
+app.route("/timers", timersRouter);
 
 app.get("/health", (context) => {
   return context.json({ status: "ok" });
diff --git a/apps/api/src/routes/timers.ts b/apps/api/src/routes/timers.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..a409ea5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/apps/api/src/routes/timers.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,125 @@
+/**
+ * @file Public read-only timer API for external tooling (bots, automations, etc.).
+ * @copyright nhcarrigan
+ * @license Naomi's Public License
+ * @author Naomi Carrigan
+ */
+import { Hono } from "hono";
+import { defaultExplorations } from "../data/explorations.js";
+import { prisma } from "../db/client.js";
+import { logger } from "../services/logger.js";
+import type { HonoEnvironment } from "../types/hono.js";
+import type { GameState } from "@elysium/types";
+
+const timersRouter = new Hono<HonoEnvironment>();
+
+const explorationNameMap = new Map(
+  defaultExplorations.map((area) => {
+    return [ area.id, area.name ];
+  }),
+);
+
+/**
+ * Extracts active quest timers from a game state.
+ * @param state - The player's game state.
+ * @param now - The current timestamp in milliseconds.
+ * @returns An array of active quest timer objects.
+ */
+const getQuestTimers = (
+  state: GameState,
+  now: number,
+): Array<{
+  endsAt:   number;
+  name:     string;
+  questId:  string;
+  timeLeft: number;
+}> => {
+  return state.quests.
+    filter((quest) => {
+      return quest.status === "in_progress" && quest.startedAt !== undefined;
+    }).
+    map((quest) => {
+      const durationMs = quest.durationSeconds * 1000;
+      /* v8 ignore next -- @preserve */
+      const endsAt = (quest.startedAt ?? 0) + durationMs;
+      return {
+        endsAt:   endsAt,
+        name:     quest.name,
+        questId:  quest.id,
+        timeLeft: Math.max(0, endsAt - now),
+      };
+    });
+};
+
+/**
+ * Extracts active exploration timers from a game state.
+ * @param state - The player's game state.
+ * @param now - The current timestamp in milliseconds.
+ * @returns An array of active exploration timer objects.
+ */
+const getExplorationTimers = (
+  state: GameState,
+  now: number,
+): Array<{
+  areaId:   string;
+  endsAt:   number;
+  name:     string;
+  timeLeft: number;
+}> => {
+  return (state.exploration?.areas ?? []).
+    filter((area) => {
+      return area.status === "in_progress" && area.endsAt !== undefined;
+    }).
+    map((area) => {
+      /* v8 ignore next -- @preserve */
+      const endsAt = area.endsAt ?? 0;
+      return {
+        areaId:   area.id,
+        endsAt:   endsAt,
+        name:     explorationNameMap.get(area.id) ?? area.id,
+        timeLeft: Math.max(0, endsAt - now),
+      };
+    });
+};
+
+/**
+ * Returns active quest and exploration timers for a given player.
+ * This endpoint is public and read-only — no authentication required.
+ * Rate limiting is enforced at the infrastructure level.
+ */
+timersRouter.get("/:userId", async(context) => {
+  try {
+    const { userId } = context.req.param();
+
+    if (userId.length === 0 || !/^\d+$/u.test(userId)) {
+      return context.json({ error: "Invalid user ID" }, 400);
+    }
+
+    const record = await prisma.gameState.findUnique({
+      where: { discordId: userId },
+    });
+
+    if (record === null) {
+      return context.json({ error: "Player not found" }, 404);
+    }
+
+    /* eslint-disable-next-line @typescript-eslint/consistent-type-assertions -- Prisma returns JsonValue */
+    const state = record.state as unknown as GameState;
+    const now = Date.now();
+
+    return context.json({
+      explorations: getExplorationTimers(state, now),
+      quests:       getQuestTimers(state, now),
+    });
+  } catch (error) {
+    void logger.error(
+      "timers",
+      error instanceof Error
+        ? error
+        : new Error(String(error)),
+    );
+    return context.json({ error: "Internal server error" }, 500);
+  }
+});
+
+export { timersRouter };
diff --git a/apps/api/test/routes/timers.spec.ts b/apps/api/test/routes/timers.spec.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..fea395e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/apps/api/test/routes/timers.spec.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,189 @@
+/* eslint-disable max-lines-per-function -- Test suites naturally have many cases */
+/* eslint-disable @typescript-eslint/consistent-type-assertions -- Tests build minimal state objects */
+import { beforeEach, describe, expect, it, vi } from "vitest";
+import { Hono } from "hono";
+
+vi.mock("../../src/db/client.js", () => ({
+  prisma: {
+    gameState: { findUnique: vi.fn() },
+  },
+}));
+
+vi.mock("../../src/services/logger.js", () => ({
+  logger: {
+    error: vi.fn().mockResolvedValue(undefined),
+    log:   vi.fn().mockResolvedValue(undefined),
+  },
+}));
+
+const makeState = (overrides: Record<string, unknown> = {}) => ({
+  quests:      [],
+  exploration: { areas: [] },
+  ...overrides,
+});
+
+describe("timers route", () => {
+  let app: Hono;
+  let prisma: { gameState: { findUnique: ReturnType<typeof vi.fn> } };
+
+  beforeEach(async () => {
+    vi.clearAllMocks();
+    const { timersRouter } = await import("../../src/routes/timers.js");
+    const { prisma: p } = await import("../../src/db/client.js");
+    prisma = p as typeof prisma;
+    app = new Hono();
+    app.route("/timers", timersRouter);
+  });
+
+  const get = (userId: string) =>
+    app.fetch(new Request(`http://localhost/timers/${userId}`));
+
+  it("returns 400 for a non-numeric user ID", async () => {
+    const res = await get("not-a-number");
+    expect(res.status).toBe(400);
+    const body = await res.json() as { error: string };
+    expect(body.error).toBe("Invalid user ID");
+  });
+
+  it("returns 404 when player is not found", async () => {
+    vi.mocked(prisma.gameState.findUnique).mockResolvedValueOnce(null);
+    const res = await get("123456789");
+    expect(res.status).toBe(404);
+    const body = await res.json() as { error: string };
+    expect(body.error).toBe("Player not found");
+  });
+
+  it("returns empty arrays when no active quests or explorations", async () => {
+    vi.mocked(prisma.gameState.findUnique).mockResolvedValueOnce({
+      state: makeState(),
+    });
+    const res = await get("123456789");
+    expect(res.status).toBe(200);
+    const body = await res.json() as { quests: unknown[]; explorations: unknown[] };
+    expect(body.quests).toEqual([]);
+    expect(body.explorations).toEqual([]);
+  });
+
+  it("returns active quest timers with endsAt computed from startedAt + duration", async () => {
+    const startedAt = Date.now() - 30_000;
+    const state = makeState({
+      quests: [
+        {
+          id:              "q1",
+          name:            "Forest Patrol",
+          status:          "in_progress",
+          startedAt:       startedAt,
+          durationSeconds: 600,
+        },
+      ],
+    });
+    vi.mocked(prisma.gameState.findUnique).mockResolvedValueOnce({ state });
+    const res = await get("123456789");
+    expect(res.status).toBe(200);
+    const body = await res.json() as {
+      quests: Array<{ questId: string; name: string; endsAt: number; timeLeft: number }>;
+    };
+    expect(body.quests).toHaveLength(1);
+    expect(body.quests[0]?.questId).toBe("q1");
+    expect(body.quests[0]?.name).toBe("Forest Patrol");
+    expect(body.quests[0]?.endsAt).toBe(startedAt + 600_000);
+    expect(body.quests[0]?.timeLeft).toBeGreaterThan(0);
+  });
+
+  it("filters out quests that are not in_progress", async () => {
+    const state = makeState({
+      quests: [
+        { id: "q1", name: "Done Quest", status: "completed", startedAt: 0, durationSeconds: 60 },
+        { id: "q2", name: "Idle Quest", status: "available", durationSeconds: 60 },
+      ],
+    });
+    vi.mocked(prisma.gameState.findUnique).mockResolvedValueOnce({ state });
+    const res = await get("123456789");
+    const body = await res.json() as { quests: unknown[] };
+    expect(body.quests).toHaveLength(0);
+  });
+
+  it("returns timeLeft of 0 for already-completed quests still marked in_progress", async () => {
+    const startedAt = Date.now() - 700_000;
+    const state = makeState({
+      quests: [
+        {
+          id:              "q1",
+          name:            "Old Quest",
+          status:          "in_progress",
+          startedAt:       startedAt,
+          durationSeconds: 600,
+        },
+      ],
+    });
+    vi.mocked(prisma.gameState.findUnique).mockResolvedValueOnce({ state });
+    const res = await get("123456789");
+    const body = await res.json() as {
+      quests: Array<{ timeLeft: number }>;
+    };
+    expect(body.quests[0]?.timeLeft).toBe(0);
+  });
+
+  it("returns active exploration timers", async () => {
+    const endsAt = Date.now() + 120_000;
+    const state = makeState({
+      exploration: {
+        areas: [
+          { id: "verdant_meadows", status: "in_progress", endsAt },
+          { id: "unknown_area_xyz", status: "in_progress", endsAt },
+        ],
+      },
+    });
+    vi.mocked(prisma.gameState.findUnique).mockResolvedValueOnce({ state });
+    const res = await get("123456789");
+    const body = await res.json() as {
+      explorations: Array<{ areaId: string; name: string; endsAt: number; timeLeft: number }>;
+    };
+    expect(body.explorations).toHaveLength(2);
+    expect(body.explorations[0]?.areaId).toBe("verdant_meadows");
+    expect(body.explorations[0]?.endsAt).toBe(endsAt);
+    expect(body.explorations[0]?.timeLeft).toBeGreaterThan(0);
+    // Unknown area falls back to ID as name
+    expect(body.explorations[1]?.name).toBe("unknown_area_xyz");
+  });
+
+  it("filters out explorations not in_progress", async () => {
+    const state = makeState({
+      exploration: {
+        areas: [
+          { id: "area1", status: "available" },
+          { id: "area2", status: "completed" },
+        ],
+      },
+    });
+    vi.mocked(prisma.gameState.findUnique).mockResolvedValueOnce({ state });
+    const res = await get("123456789");
+    const body = await res.json() as { explorations: unknown[] };
+    expect(body.explorations).toHaveLength(0);
+  });
+
+  it("handles missing exploration state gracefully", async () => {
+    const state = { quests: [] };
+    vi.mocked(prisma.gameState.findUnique).mockResolvedValueOnce({ state });
+    const res = await get("123456789");
+    expect(res.status).toBe(200);
+    const body = await res.json() as { explorations: unknown[] };
+    expect(body.explorations).toHaveLength(0);
+  });
+
+  it("returns 500 on database error", async () => {
+    vi.mocked(prisma.gameState.findUnique).mockRejectedValueOnce(
+      new Error("DB failure"),
+    );
+    const res = await get("123456789");
+    expect(res.status).toBe(500);
+    const body = await res.json() as { error: string };
+    expect(body.error).toBe("Internal server error");
+  });
+
+  it("returns 500 and logs non-Error throws", async () => {
+    vi.mocked(prisma.gameState.findUnique).mockRejectedValueOnce("string error");
+    const res = await get("123456789");
+    expect(res.status).toBe(500);
+  });
+});