Historic London Tours Review (2026): What to Expect & Prices

Is Historic London Tours worth it? Our verdict

Historic London Tours is worth booking for a deeper grasp of how London responded to its most violent and challenging eras: it explores how the city managed mass burials during the Black Death and explains the execution methods used in the Middle Ages.

At Smithfield Market, visitors hear how it became both a centre for meat trading and the site of public executions.

On Booking Wolf it costs £18 per person against Viator's £20, a saving of £2 (10%). A live guide leads a shared group of up to 15, meeting outside Barbican Station.

Skip it if you want a private experience or prefer a tour that includes more than just guiding.

For something different, there is Liquid History Tours' London Small Group Tour of Historical Pubs (£31.50 per person, 10/10 on our own popularity score), covering a different subject on a similar outing and lasting 3 hours 30 minutes.

Its tours pick up about 4 new reviews a month on the sites we track (roughly 40 bookers a month, our own estimate) - 5/10 on the Booking Wolf popularity scale.

What is Historic London Tours?

Operating from London, Historic London Tours is a walking tour company with four tours taking in London's Bloody Past, Fiery History, Bawdy Borough and Squalor and Splendour. Its tours pick up about 4 new reviews a month on the sites we track - roughly 40 bookers a month if about 1 in 10 bookers leaves a review (our own estimate, from how many reviews they gained between March and October 2026). That puts the operator at 5/10 on the Booking Wolf popularity scale.

Its other tours include a walking tour of London's Fiery History and a walking tour of London's Bawdy Borough and a walking tour of London's Squalor and Splendour.

How much do tours with Historic London Tours cost?

On Booking Wolf, every Historic London Tours tour priced here costs £18 per person.

Its most-reviewed tour, the Burnings, Butchery & Black Death A Walking Tour of London's Bloody Past.

What to expect on its most popular tour

On the Burnings, Butchery & Black Death A Walking Tour of London's Bloody Past, guests spend 2 hours walking through historical areas, exploring sites like The Charterhouse, Smithfield Market, and learning about medieval executions and the Black Death.

The stops, in the order the listing gives them:

• The Charterhouse - a visit to a medieval monastery and burial site (about 10 minutes).
• Smithfield Market - a visit to a market that has operated for a millennium (about 10 minutes).
• St John's Gate - once the headquarters of the medieval Knights Hospitallers (about 10 minutes).
• Cloth Fair - a peaceful alley known for its lively past (about 10 minutes).
• WIlliam Wallace Memorial - a memorial to WIlliam Wallace, aka braveheart (about 10 minutes).
• Golden Boy of Pye Corner - the location where the Great Fire of 1666 came to an end and of ghost hysteria (about 10 minutes).
• Holborn Viaduct - the location of the River Fleet, a historic Victorian sewer (about 10 minutes).
• Ye Olde Mitre (about 10 minutes).
• St Bartholomew's Hospital Museum (about 10 minutes).

Is Historic London Tours good value?

Historic London Tours' Burnings, Butchery & Black Death A Walking Tour of London's Bloody Past is priced at £18 per person - £3.67 more than the nearest like-for-like tour on Booking Wolf, Carpe Diem Tours' Interactive Jack the Ripper Night Walk London's Murder Mystery (longer, at 2 hours 30 minutes), at £14.33. The price does not cover gratuities.

Three of the five comparable tours from other operators on Booking Wolf cost less.

How Historic London Tours compares

The Interactive Jack the Ripper Night Walk: London's Murder Mystery from Carpe Diem Tours is a longer experience at 2 hours 30 minutes, focusing on Ripper history with an interactive twist. Each tour suits those interested in a specific narrative: the former for a detailed murder mystery and the latter for a broader historical context.

Who should skip Historic London Tours?

• Families with children under 13 - its most-reviewed tour has a minimum age of 13.

Before you book: practical information

The tour does not end where it starts: it finishes at On Ely Place, around the corner from Farringdon Station. It suits all fitness levels, and service animals are allowed.

Background & Highlights

Smithfield Market, established in the 12th century, became a central hub for meat trading and public executions. In 1305, Scottish rebel William Wallace was executed at Smithfield Market.

Cloth Fair, adjacent to Smithfield, was named after the Bartholomew Fair and was historically a centre for cloth trading.

Historic London Tours: frequently asked questions