The Best Ghost Tours in London
London has been accumulating ghost stories for 2,000 years. The city has survived plague, fire, Blitz, and several monarchs with a habit of executing people in public — so there's no shortage of material. The best ghost tours make that history vivid rather than cartoonish. Here's how the main options compare.
Our top pick
Top pick Ghosts, Ghouls & Gallows: The Original Ghost Walk
Running since 1982, this is London's original ghost walk — through the dark alleyways of the City and Southwark, with a guide who makes 400 years of hauntings feel immediate. The pace is slow, the atmosphere is thick.
Book The Original London Ghost Walk →The full list
London by Night: Haunted Ghost Tour
More history-focused than scare-focused — covers the plague pits, execution sites, and the architectural bones of a city that has repeatedly destroyed and rebuilt itself. Well-researched and genuinely educational.
Book London Haunted Ghost Tour →
Jack the Ripper Night Walk — Whitechapel
The Whitechapel murders remain London's most famous unsolved case. This tour walks the actual streets, explains the evidence, and reviews the suspects — without sensationalising the victims. Sober, well-researched.
Book Jack the Ripper Night Tour →
Comedy Horror Ghost Bus Tour
A theatrical double-decker bus tour combining genuine ghost stories with comedy performances from actors. Deliberately campy — not for those who want a serious history tour, but enormously fun for mixed groups and hen parties.
Book Comedy Horror Ghost Bus Tour →October is ghost tour season — book early
Halloween period tours sell out weeks in advance. Year-round tours also fill up fast on weekend evenings.
London Ghost Tours: Frequently Asked Questions
That depends on the tour. Walking ghost tours — especially the Original Ghost Walk — build genuine atmosphere through storytelling and location. The Comedy Horror Bus is theatrical rather than frightening. The Jack the Ripper tour is more historical than spooky. None of them use jump scares.
Most ghost tours run in the evening, typically starting between 7:00pm and 9:00pm. The Jack the Ripper tours often start at 7:30pm when it's fully dark. Some tours run year-round; demand peaks in October around Halloween when booking in advance is essential.
The Comedy Horror Bus Tour is the most family-friendly option — it's theatrical and fun rather than frightening. The walking ghost tours and Jack the Ripper tour are better suited to teenagers and adults given the themes (executions, murders, plague). Check the specific tour's age recommendation.
Most ghost walking tours concentrate on the City of London (the Square Mile), Southwark, and the East End — areas with the densest accumulation of history and the narrowest, most atmospheric streets. The Jack the Ripper tour focuses specifically on Whitechapel in East London.