Ghost Tours · THE UK

The 15 Dark History Tours in the UK Worth a Late Night

23 tours  ·  from $8 a head

The good dark history tours in the UK sell out on the nights you actually want. Below: the 15 to book early, what each includes and how they differ.

Edinburgh: Dark Secrets of the Old Town Ghost Walking Tour - The Old Town lanes and stories of everyday fear
Dark History & True Crime Tours, Dark History Tours in Edinburgh, Dark History Tours in the UK, Edinburgh Ghost Tours, Ghost Tours, Ghost Walking Tours, Ghost Walking Tours in Edinburgh, Ghost Walking Tours in the UK, Tour Reviews, Tours, UK Ghost Tours

Edinburgh: Dark Secrets of the Old Town Ghost Walking Tour

1.Dark Secrets of the Old Town Ghost Walking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 1,671 reviews · 2 hours · from $24Our pick

Follow a local English, German, or French-speaking guide through Edinburgh’s old lanes, Canongate Kirkyard, and Old Calton Cemetery. Hear the grim story of Burke and Hare, learn how witch trials shaped Scotland, and pick up myths, plague tales, and local jokes along the way. Guides such as Jen, Sonia, Gavin, Tommy, and Niamh bring plenty of personality.

“it was amazing, really interesting our tour guide was called Ignas, he was brilliant, full of some amazing history and facts, and was very funny too! Overall a brilliant experience”

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Edinburgh - Dark History - Canongate Kirk brings the stories to the graves
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Edinburgh – Dark History

2.Dark History

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 814 reviews · 2 hours (approx.) · from $22Top rated

Follow an English-speaking guide from Parliament Square to Canongate Kirk for a two-hour walk through Edinburgh’s darker past. Hear about executions, plague, notorious criminals, body snatchers, and the city’s strange old customs. Guides including Robert, Joe, James, Kieran, Lydia, and Chris bring a lively, often funny touch to the stories.

“Joe was a wonderful guide! He was knowledgeable, funny, and accommodating. Would definitely recommend.”

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Edinburgh Ghost Tour: Mysteries, Legends and Murders - Old Calton Cemetery and the story of Burke and Hare
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Edinburgh Ghost Tour: Mysteries, Legends and Murders

3.Edinburgh Ghost Tour: Mysteries, Legends and Murders

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 762 reviews · 1 hour 45 minutes (approx.) · from $22

Walk Edinburgh’s Royal Mile, Old Calton Cemetery, and Canongate Kirkyard with guides such as Jen, Sonia, Gavin, or Joe. Expect stories of Burke and Hare, serial murder, witches, burial fears, and old city life. The tour costs $22.19, runs in English for about 1 hour 45 minutes, and finishes on the Royal Mile.

“Excellent, informative and passionate tour guide Sonia, whose love for the subject and Edinburgh too was clear for all to see! Keep us intrigued and interested on what was a bitterly cold evening. I’d highly recommend both the tour and tour guide. Just to prove it, I’m currently on the train home reading ‘How to kill a witch’ following the tour guides recommendation 😉”

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Edinburgh: Dark History Royal Mile Walking Tour - Reading the Royal Mile beyond its grand façades
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Edinburgh: Dark History Royal Mile Walking Tour

4.Dark History Royal Mile Walking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 271 reviews · 2 hours · from $20

Meet your English-speaking guide under the white All-Star Guides umbrella by St. Giles Cathedral. Walk Edinburgh’s Old Town and Canongate for two hours, hearing factual stories of murder, witch trials, plague, executions, cannibalism, and the city’s notorious characters. Guides including James, Robert, Lydia, Joe, and Kieran bring the past alive without costumes or cheap ghost-tour theatrics.

“Learnt lots on tour and were made aware of things that you would otherwise walk past and take for granted . Great factual content delivered in a way that kept us engaged.”

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Dark History Walking Tour in Warwick - Starting at the Lord Leycester
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Dark History Walking Tour in Warwick

5.Dark History Walking Tour in Warwick

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 196 reviews · 1 hour 30 minutes (approx.) · from $15

Walk Warwick after dark with a storytelling guide, visiting Castle Hill, Mill Street, St Mary’s Church, and the old courts. Hear tales of murder, executions, ghosts, witchcraft, and the hellhound Moll Bloxham. The tour costs $15.28, runs about 90 minutes, and suits adults and older children who enjoy theatrical history.

“The switch blade that had a comb instead of a blade that the tour guide took out. I thought it was very funny and I learnt lots from the tour.”

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Interactive Jack the Ripper Night Walk: London's Murder Mystery - Brick Lane and the neighborhood behind the headlines
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Interactive Jack the Ripper Night Walk: London’s Murder Mystery

6.Interactive Jack the Ripper Night Walk: London’s Murder Mystery

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 171 reviews · 2 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $22

Follow guides such as Tyson, Lisa, Sadie, and Jess through Whitechapel and Spitalfields on a 2.5-hour evening walk. Study crime clues, Victorian poverty, and the stories of the women connected to the case, from Brick Lane to Mitre Square. Groups reach 25 people, with private upgrades available.

“Jess was funny and smart , she was patient, and talk about all scene. It was a great tour. My husband enjoyed and also learn”

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Jack the Ripper: Night Murder Mystery Walking Tour in London - Brick Lane and the poverty behind the headlines
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Jack the Ripper: Night Murder Mystery Walking Tour in London

7.Jack the Ripper: Night Murder Mystery Walking Tour in London

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 79 reviews · 2 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $22

Walk through Whitechapel with guides such as Tyson, Kory, Dougal, and Hadi, tracing the murders in chronological order. You’ll visit Brick Lane, Gunthorpe Street, Goulston Street, and the Ten Bells, hear competing theories, and finish near Mitre Square. Expect serious history, dark atmosphere, and about 2.5 hours on foot.

“The tour guide was very knowledgeable and it was interesting. The only thing I would say negatively was that it was sometimes very hard to hear him. He looked away a lot while talking and at those times we missed the commentary.”

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Warwick: Ghost, Crime & Murder Walking Tour - Thomas Oken’s Tudor home and Warwick’s older streets
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Warwick: Ghost, Crime & Murder Walking Tour

8.Warwick: Ghost, Crime & Murder Walking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 57 reviews · 1h 30m · from $13

Meet costumed guide Warrane Worthington outside Lord Leycester Hospital for a 90-minute English-language walk through Warwick’s darker past. Visit Thomas Oken’s Tudor home, a secret viewpoint below Warwick Castle, the old courts, St Mary’s Church, and the market square, with tales of ghosts, murder, executions, and the Great Fire.

“Tour was excellent and do was our guide , really enjoyed everything . the locations we went to were very interesting and our guide Westbury was very knowledgeable with a good sense of humour. Would definitely recommend it to others .”

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Edinburgh's Dark History Walking Tour - Meeting Rob at the National Museum of Scotland
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Edinburgh’s Dark History Walking Tour

9.Edinburgh’s Dark History Walking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 55 reviews · 1h 30m · from $21

Join Rob for a 90-minute English walking tour through Edinburgh’s darker past. Starting at the National Museum of Scotland, you’ll visit Greyfriars Graveyard, Grassmarket, Victoria Street, Edinburgh Castle, and the Royal Mile while hearing about witches, executions, plague, Burke and Hare, and Old Town tragedies. A digital guide is available in English, French, Spanish, and Italian.

“Excellent. I had the best time on this tour learning all about the dark side of Edinburgh as well as so many historical and local information. Rob the guide was really fantastic and easy to follow and relatable. I can’t recommend this tour enough. Well worth it, book now!”

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Jack the Ripper Tour: Murder, Mystery, & the Women of Whitechapel - A closer look at the two-hour route
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Jack the Ripper Tour: Murder, Mystery, & the Women of Whitechapel

10.Jack the Ripper Tour: Murder, Mystery, & the Women of Whitechapel

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 40 reviews · 2 hours (approx.) · from $27

Join a small-group walking tour from Shoreditch High Street through Whitechapel and Brick Lane. Your guide covers the five women linked to the 1888 murders, major suspects, possible official concealment, and surviving buildings. The walk ends at Mitre Square, five minutes from Aldgate station. Guide Matt is praised for using photos and local details.

“It was a very nice walk in the neighborhood where Jack the Ripper ran rampant. Our guide Matt was excellent and knows his subject. They gave us a host of interesting details he also had pictures and anecdotes about the surroundings. I recommend this tour to anyone who loves history and truecrime.Auto-translated”

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Jack the Ripper: Solve the Crime Walking Tour (Kids Free!) - Police photographs and the case evidence
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Jack the Ripper: Solve the Crime Walking Tour (Kids Free!)

11.Jack the Ripper: Solve the Crime Walking Tour (Kids Free!)

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 36 reviews · 2 - 2.5 hours · from $29

Meet your English-speaking guide at Whitechapel Gallery for a 2 to 2.5-hour evening walk through East London. You will follow the 1888 murder sequence, view police photographs and evidence, see the letter that created Jack the Ripper’s name, and examine the doorway linked to his only clue. Children join free.

“De tour was echt heel vet, de gids bracht Jack weer tot leven, terug in de tijd van 1888 in Whitechapel. Echt een aanrader!”

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Jack The Ripper Tour : Solve The Crime - The East End after dark
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Jack The Ripper Tour : Solve The Crime

12.Jack The Ripper Tour : Solve The Crime

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 28 reviews · 3 hours (approx.) · from $41

Meet at Whitechapel Gallery at 7:30 pm for an evening walk through East London with a guide such as Alan, Rob, Jamie, or Mick, depending on the date. You will visit murder sites, hear lesser-known evidence, view historical images, and weigh theories about Jack the Ripper. Expect plenty of walking and a group that may be larger than advertised.

“Excellent tour. Fun entertaining. Guide was terrific. Kept our attention the whole time - did you feel like you were back in the days of jack the ripper.”

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Dark History and Ghost Tour of Edinburgh - Advocates Close and the power of a narrow lane
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Dark History and Ghost Tour of Edinburgh

13.Dark History and Ghost Tour of Edinburgh

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 15 reviews · from $22

Join Kieran, a professional storyteller, paranormal investigator, and podcast host, for a two-hour evening walk through Edinburgh’s Old Town. Hear grim tales of murder, torture, grave robbing, and ghosts at St Giles’ Cathedral, Victoria Street, Grassmarket, and Greyfriars Kirkyard. The tour is for ages 12 and up, with groups capped at 18.

“I got everything I was looking for in a Dark History & Ghost tour, and 10 times more! Kieran is a super guy. His storytelling is immersive, compelling, suspenseful, yet never over-the-top. He does not shy away from the grisly details of tortures, puRead more”

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Cardiff Private Dark History Tour - Cardiff Market, where daily life meets darker stories
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Cardiff Private Dark History Tour

14.Cardiff Private Dark History Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 12 reviews · 2 hours (approx.)

Join Eugene of Fogo’s Free Cardiff Walking Tours for a private two-hour walk through Cardiff’s darker past. You’ll hear stories of disease around The Hayes, executions at House of Fraser, crime on Womanby Street, and hauntings at Cardiff Castle and St John’s Church. The tour is in English and costs $191.98 for up to 15 people.

“Eugene was excellent, took a group of 7 of us who live in Cardiff around the city and we all learned a lot about Cardiffs history that wed never heard about before. would recommend”

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Haunted Coventry Ghost Walk & Dark History - Coventry Cathedral ruins: five minutes with a powerful setting
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Haunted Coventry Ghost Walk & Dark History

15.Haunted Coventry Ghost Walk & Dark History

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 10 reviews · 1 hour 30 minutes (approx.) · from $17

Follow Spooky Jo through central Coventry for 90 minutes of ghost stories and dark local history. The walk visits Coventry Cathedral’s ruins, Holy Trinity Church, and the Priory ruins before ending near County Hall. Expect an English-language tour for up to 25 people, with outdoor stops and a weather-dependent schedule.

“A really interesting and enjoyable walk with Spooky Jo. Her amazing knowledge of Coventry and it's history was brilliant. Was great finding out about all the ghosts and the buildings they haunt. Will definitely join her again.”

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