When I was planning our trip to London this year, I didn’t want to do all of the same old tours and sightseeing as I did on my last visit when I was 16. I had already done all of the standard London-y things like a ride on the London Eye, a walk around Westminster Abbey, a visit to Buckingham Palace, and a theatre show in the West End. This time, 20 years later, I was traveling with my husband, Chris, who had never been to London. I didn’t need a repeat of the same trip I took when I was 16, so I scoured the internet for unique tours and experiences, and was so excited when I saw the Ghosts, Ghouls and Gallows Tour with a guided boat ride with Viator. It was a great way to see of the sites, squeeze in a boat ride, and hear a few spooky ghost stories about the history of London. It was the perfect tour for us. We love taking ghost tours in new cities and I had no doubt that a London ghost tour would be particularly haunting and intriguing. We’ve been on quite a few ghost tours in places like Savannah, Georgia, Williamsburg, Virginia and my hometown, Richmond, Virginia. We have one planned in Louisville, Kentucky in the fall that I’m really excited about too.
I have to say, this was probably one of my favorite ghost tours I’ve ever been on. There was so much included for the price, and the stories were incredibly spooky and interesting. Sometimes, I’ll zone out on tours if the guide isn’t very engaging or if the stories are too historical and informative. But our tour guide was great at blending history with theatrics, and the stories were honestly a bit scarier than I even expected! I probably wouldn’t take children on this tour because the stories were quite gory and descriptive at times, but as an adult, it was a blast. I always find ghost tours to be more fun when there are lots of people in the group, and this tour had probably around 30 people on it, which was perfect. It seems to help bring the stories to life a bit more when the group is larger and more interactive. I’ve been on a few ghost tours with only 5 or 6 people in the group and it’s just not the same!
Our tour started out with a stunning walk through the park near Buckingham Palace. Chris and I actually picked up the most delicious panini-like sandwiches from a bakery called Chestnut Bakery Picadilly, right near the meeting point. The sun was starting to set as we walked along a beautiful bridge and caught a glimpse of the London Eye. Our guide told us a few stories along the way and then led us through the city streets a bit to catch glimpses of a few famous London landmarks. We truly experienced the most incredible sunset on our walk, and the sun was reflecting off of Big Ben and Westminster Abbey and we got the most amazing photos! Honestly, if you were in London for only one day, this tour is the perfect way to see all of the iconic London sites without having to search it all out on your own.
As we headed closer to the Thames River, we’d stop every once in a while for our guide to elaborate on the stories. The walk was leisurely and allowed for time for photos in front of the sites too. When we made it to the boat, the guide handed us a ticket and we all hopped on board. I couldn’t stop taking photos because the city skyline just looked so picturesque. I definitely recommend taking the tour because watching the sun set over the Thames was magical.
There were drinks available on board and we scoped out a spot on the back of the boat for views of Big Ben and Westminster Abbey as the boat tutted up the river towards the Tower Bridge.
As the night went on, the stories got spookier. Especially when we got to the historic Tower Bridge and eventually the Tower of London. If you know anything at all about London, you know their were lots of beheadings, power struggles, rumors, and scandals about the Romans and the royal families that have filtered through over the last 2000 years. My husband particularly enjoyed the historical aspect of the stories, while I enjoyed the gorgeous views and exciting drama of the potential ghosts that haunt the city.
SO, WOULD I RECOMMEND THIS TOUR?
Yes, 1000%! I’d probably rate this ghost tour a 9/10. I’m not sure how it could be any better! I don’t want to give away too much by sharing every tiny bit of excitement during the tour, but I will say this; the Ghosts, Ghouls, and Gallows tour is a perfect way to experience the darker side of London and learn quite a bit of history along the way. I was pleasantly surprised by how the tour really covered just about everything in London that you need to see as a visitor. And I recommend arriving early to the tour before it starts and strolling around The Green Park nearby beforehand. It’s a great time to visit Buckingham Palace too, because the Palace is a bit out of the way from some of the other sites, so you can check it off your list while you’re over there. So, head to the area an hour or two early to make the best use of your time while in London. And make sure to stop by a historical British pub on your way home after the tour. Our tour guide recommended a few in the area and we popped in for a quick beer on the way back to our hotel. It felt like a full London experience in only a few hours, which is exactly what I was looking for. Plus, it was super memorable, we took amazing photos, and I felt like it really was a great way to make my second visit to London not feel too repetitive.
We also went on the Harry Potter Warner Bros. Studio Tour while we were in London too, and that was absolutely INCREDIBLE. It was one of the highlights of our trip, for sure. Even if you’re not a major Harry Potter fan, it’s a great tour that really takes you behind the scenes of moviemaking. We were incredibly impressed by that tour. I’d even go on that one again next time I’m in London! You can read more about it on my blog here!
I hope this helped you kick off your London itinerary! If you’d like to book this exact tour, you can find it here or check out all of my recommended tours on my Viator shop page! If you’re planning on booking this for a large group, I’d make sure to book decently far in advance just to make sure it doesn’t sell out. If you’d like to read more about my travels, check out my travel blog, C’est Le Brie, that I run with my sister! And if you’re looking for more tips while planning your trip, I’ve included a few hotel, restaurant, and museum recommendations below. :)
If you have any questions/comments/thoughts please feel free to leave them below! I’ll be posting a full video about this tour soon too, so stay tuned!
Have a magical day!
<3 Myles Katherine
LONDON RECOMMENDATIONS
BUDGET HOTELS:
Montcalm Piccadilly Townhouse, London West End - 4-star
Athena Hotel - 3-star
LUXURY HOTELS:
Hazlitt’s Hotel - 4-star
The Resident Soho - 4-star
The Soho Hotel, Firmdale - 5-star
THINGS TO DO & SEE:
Big Ben
Westminster abbey
Trefalger square
Tower bridge
Tower of London
London Eye
The Beatles crosswalk & gift shop
Buckingham Palace
RECOMMENDED LONDON TOURS:
Harry Potter Warner Bros. Tour - One of the highlights of our trip! You can check out my full blog post about this tour here!
Ghost Ghouls & Gallows Boat Tour - A great way to incorporate a boat ride and spooky stories about London. Check out my full blog post about this tour here!
River Cruise on the Thames
RESTAURANTS:
Dishoom - Indian - A great spot for breakfast, the chai tea and bacon naan roll are delish!
The German Gymnasium - Amazing food and drinks!
The Golden Union Fish & Chips - Soho - Delicious and affordable fish & chips!
Caffe Concerto - Piccadilly - Great for breakfast, lunch, tea & desserts
Chestnut Bakery - Piccadilly - Great coffee, sandwiches, and baked goods
BARS:
Cahoots Speakeasy - Soho - Make a reservation ahead of time
Black Parrot Bar - Amazing cocktail bar with a specialty in rum
City of London Distillery - If you like gin, this is the place to go!
ART MUSEUMS:
Tate Modern - Free for the main exhibitions
National Gallery - Houses Van Gogh’s famous “Sunflowers” painting
The NOW Building at Outernet - Wraparound screens & interactive art space
The Photographer’s Gallery - Soho
House of MinaLima - Graphic designers for Harry Potter
The Courtauld Gallery - Monet, Van Gogh, Degas
Hunterian Museum - Oddities museum
Sir John Soane's Museum - Bizarre museum
Twining’s Tea Museum
SHOPPING:
Soho District
Camden Market - Food, vendors, tons of things to do!
COFFEE:
Hideaway Coffee
Chestnut Bakery - Piccadilly - Great coffee, sandwiches, and baked goods
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