10 Dark History Tours in the UK Worth Staying Up For

1.The Deathly Dark Tour of York: Experience of the Year 2024

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 3,609 reviews · 1 hour 30 minutes (approx.) · from $19Our pick

Follow The Deathly Dark Tours through York’s shadowy lanes for 90 minutes of ghost stories, grim history, and dark comedy. Guides such as Dalton, Daria, Dafydd, and David bring the walk to life with theatrical storytelling. Expect a relaxed pace, family-friendly options, and a few genuinely eerie moments.

“Kids loved it especially our 10 year old son. He was very interested in the story's & enjoyed the walk around York”

Check availability →Read our full review

2.Dark Secrets of the Old Town Ghost Walking Tour

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

Walk Edinburgh’s Old Town with a live English, German, or French guide. Hear about Burke and Hare, witch trials, the Black Death, Scottish faeries, and haunted graveyards including Canongate Kirkyard and Old Calton Cemetery.

“Loved Tommy the guide’s enthusiasm and his story telling Took my grandson he really enjoyed it”

Check availability →Read our full review

3.The Dark Side Walking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 1,405 reviews · 2 hours · from $35

Follow an English-speaking guide from the Royal Mile through Edinburgh’s dark past, with tales of Burke and Hare, witch trials, grave robbing, murders, and Canongate Kirkyard. Guides such as G, Niamh, Alasdair, and James Stewart are known for lively storytelling, humor, and useful city tips.

“hidden places, nice little tales, ironical coty facts… just great”

Check availability →Read our full review

4.Dark History

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

Walk Edinburgh’s Royal Mile with guides such as Robert, Joe, James, Kieran, Lydia, or Chris, hearing true stories of executions, plague, crime, body snatching, and old burial grounds. This is a history-led walk, not a ghost tour, with plenty of atmosphere and some grisly detail.

“A historical walk through Edinburgh's past, learning about how they took law and order to a very dark and disturbing level. James was a very knowledgeable guide to the twisted, torturous past lurking around every corner of the old town.”

Check availability →Read our full review

5.Dark History Royal Mile Walking Tour

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

Walk from St. Giles Cathedral through Edinburgh’s Old Town and Canongate with an English-speaking guide. Expect factual stories of murder, witchcraft, plague, executions, crime, and ghost lore, plus overlooked details at Canongate Graveyard. Guides include James, Robert, Lydia, Joe, and Kieran.

“A very captivating and thorough tour, with cute and gory details abour Edinburgh's history. We walked the Royal Mile with Kieran who is a fantastic person and a great guide - he was equal parts funny and knowledgeable. One of the highlights of our visit for sure!”

Check availability →Read our full review

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

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

Join an English-speaking guide for a 2.5-hour night walk from St Mary’s Whitechapel Church to Mitre Square. Explore Brick Lane, Ten Bells, Goulston Street, and other Ripper sites while examining old reports, police clues, and the lives of the women involved.

“Very interesting and informative tour. Tyson did a great job keeping it interesting. Remembered everyone’s name and information, using it to keep everyone engaged. He really knew the subject and answered everyone’s questions. But who was Jack the Ripper?”

Check availability →Read our full review

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

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

Join guides such as Tyson, Kory, Hadi, or Dougal for a 2.5-hour evening walk through Whitechapel. Visit Brick Lane, Gunthorpe Street, Goulston Street, and the Ten Bells, then follow the clues to Mitre Square.

“Korhan our guide was very knowledgeable about this subject and made the experience very real and informative. He added details about London at the time of Jack the Ripper that bought the lives of Jack’s victims to life.”

Check availability →Read our full review

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

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

Spend about two hours walking from Shoreditch High Street through Whitechapel to Mitre Square. Your English-speaking guide covers the five women killed in 1888, major suspects, possible official concealment, original buildings, and the changing streets around Brick Lane. Guide Matt has earned special praise for his detail and storytelling.

“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”

Check availability →Read our full review

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

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

Meet Harry or another English-speaking guide at Whitechapel Gallery for a 2 to 2.5-hour evening walk through East London. Follow the murders in sequence, view police images and the infamous letter, and examine the doorway tied to the case. Children join free.

“Very interesting and atmospheric, liked the use of images on the walk.”

Check availability →Read our full review

10.Birmingham Ghost Walk & Dark History

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 5 reviews · 1h 30m · from $16Best value

Meet Spooky Jo outside St. Philip’s Cathedral for a 90-minute walk through Birmingham’s haunted quarter. Expect English storytelling, researched tales of restless souls and tragic events, an offbeat city route, and a wheelchair-accessible experience. Pay $16 per person.

“Spooky Jo was fantastic! All stories were interesting and engaging. She doesn't just tell you a script, she is the one who does the research and finds out about all the scary things around Birmingham. She cares for those stories and that is what makes the tour fun and authentic.”

Check availability →Read our full review