The Haunted Pubs of Old London: Small Group Tour
Description
Explore London's most chilling haunted pubs! Hear the stories behind centuries-old boozers and imbibe the atmosphere, as we take a walk through historic London. Discover some of the most stunning traditional pubs that London has to offer, escorted by a qualified historian, who grew up in the area. Make new friends and taste great beers, in this fun, yet informative journey back in time! Hear tales of the infamous resurrection men, who snatched bodies from local graveyards. See the site of some of London's bloodiest executions. Learn about gruesome murders, apparitions and Faustian pacts. Visit a medieval plague pit, dating back to the Black Death. Check out filming locations from Four Weddings and a Funeral, Brave heart, Shakespeare in Love, V for Vendetta, Skyfall, Closer, Snatch, Sherlock and Poirot. See the City of London's oldest house and its oldest surviving parish church
Tour Options
Itinerary
Hear the story of the Barbican, from Roman times until today and find out about the secret that lies deep beneath its walls!
Visit our first haunted pub and enjoy a complimentary half-pint of the beer of your choice N.B. On Sundays, we will only visit the pub from outside and will have a drink at the Fox & Anchor instead.
Hear about the Black Death and its devastating impact on medieval London
This beautiful Art Deco building once served as the residence for legendary detective, Hercule Poirot
Discover the City of London's last surviving monastic building and hear of the gruesome fate of its monks!
This street was once home to the notorious Bartholomew Fair, as well as the pub where condemned criminals were given their last pints before execution. It is also home to London's oldest house.
Visit London's oldest surviving parish church, which is haunted by the ghost of its founder, Rahere. This church has appeared in numerous films, including Four Weddings and a Funeral, Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, Shakespeare in Love, Elizabeth: The Golden Age, The Other Boleyn Girl, Sherlock Holmes, Avengers: Age of Ultron and Transformers: The Last Knight. Admission is free, but donations are welcome.
Visit one of London's most notorious haunted pubs, where the 'Resurrection Men' used to ply their trade in human bodies. You will be expected to purchase a beverage of your choice (not included)
Visit Smithfield Market (outside of operating hours), one of the world's oldest markets, tracing its history back over a millennium. This was one of London's most popular execution sites, where traitors were hung, drawn and quartered, heretics were burnt at the stake and poisoners were boiled alive!
Visit this small, yet beautiful church
Visit the beautiful Baroque courtyard of the oldest hospital in England, home to three different ghosts
Hear the stories of this fascinating historic lane, such as that of the ghost, Scratching Fanny
Hear about how the Old Bailey emerged from the ruins of the notorious Newgate Prison and learn about the story of the Black Dog of Newgate.
Visit what is considered by many to be London's most haunted pub, built on the ruins of Newgate Prison. You will be expected to buy a beverage (not included). N.B. On Sundays, we will only visit the pub from outside and will have a drink at Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese, on Fleet Street, instead.
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Reviews(39)
Arthur is a very knowledgeable, experienced and enthusiastic guide. The whole tour and a pint of two as well was really enjoyable and I would definitely look forward to Arthur being my tour guide in the future!
Arthur was great guide and lovely person. You can tell how much he loves history and he is a great story teller. The tour wound up being a private tour as nobody else had booked which allowed I think more freedom to do some different things and also lots more conversation instead of just standard tour guide stuff. We learned so much - I actually wish I had taken notes!! And the tour was in a part of the city I had not been to which was nice to explore a new area. Arthur also generously took the time to give us a bunch of restaurant recommendations, share general societal history, and more. It was just an all around good time.
We had an amazing Haunted Pub Tour in London yesterday, and a big part of that was thanks to Arthur. What a fantastic guide! He has an incredible amount of knowledge, tells his stories with genuine enthusiasm, and brings such great energy to the tour. From the very beginning, he really drew us into the story of London. The tour took us to four different pubs, all with great atmosphere and well worth visiting. But what really made this tour special were the moments in between the pubs. Along the way, we passed several fascinating historical locations, and Arthur had so many interesting stories to share about them. You can truly tell that he knows London inside and out and loves sharing its history. This tour is perfect if you want to learn more about the city, its history and haunted stories, while also enjoying a good beer in beautiful, authentic pubs. We would absolutely give this tour a 9 out of 10 and highly recommend it to anyone visiting London who wants to explore the city in a fun, relaxed and engaging way. — Esmée & Sas
We had an absolutely fantastic experience on the haunted pub crawl in London, especially around the historic Smithfield area. From the very start, Arthur, the guide stood out for his deep knowledge of both the documented history and the darker folklore tied to the neighborhood. His storytelling brought Smithfield’s past vividly to life, blending facts, legend, and atmosphere in a way that was engaging without ever feeling exaggerated. The neighborhood itself was the perfect setting. Smithfield’s narrow streets, ancient buildings, and centuries-old pubs radiate old world charm, and learning about its macabre history, public executions, plague tales, and lingering legends, added a fascinating layer to every stop. Each pub felt carefully chosen, not just for a drink, but for its role in the area’s long and often unsettling past. What made the crawl especially memorable was how seamlessly Artgur connected the stories to the physical spaces around us. Standing in places where history truly happened gave the experience an authenticity that you cannot replicate in a book or museum. It was equal parts eerie, educational, and entertaining. If you enjoy history with a darker edge and appreciate expertly told stories in atmospheric settings, this haunted pub crawl is a must-do. It is a brilliant way to experience London’s past while enjoying some of its most character-filled pubs.
Arthur was amazing and so knowledgeable! The haunted pub information was great and so was his knowledge about London in general. I feel like the tour went on for way longer than we paid for and I wish it could’ve gone on for our whole trip. He should offer his services as a private tour guide around London. He will give you great commentary on where ever you are, show you how to get around quickly and telling you where to get the best food and drinks! I would 100% recommend this tour to anyone going to London
Our guide was amazing, we really enjoyed it. The entire tour was so well thought out and our guide took the time to answer all off our questions
A journey full of surprises — fun eye opening, and unforgettable from start to finish. He was Very knowledgeable. We had a great time thank you!!
Fantastic tour. Very interesting and enjoyable. Our guide (sorry do not remember his name) very very personable and engaging.
Interesting historical inputs. The guide has studied history and knew lots about all kinds of topics. Not just reciting, but "living" the stories. We loved it.
My husband and I (we're from Chicago) were visiting our friend who lives in london and the three of us were looking for something that was unique, took us to some pubs and where we could learn something, this was everything. We got to go into a lot of places that are not full of tourist, but oddly, should be, very beautiful old buildings that are original London (our friend that lives here, works near these spots but didn't know they existed or that you could even enter them, so it was really fun for him). The pubs were cool. The guide is so informative beyond the tour that we took food recommendations from him and the places were great, he really knows London. Also, while you go to a lot of spots you don't actually walk too far. Its definitely a great tour and we plan on finding another one of his tours when we visit again.
