Serial killers, courtrooms, and odd little puzzles. This 2-hour walk through London’s evening streets is run by author Declan McHugh, and it mixes real cases with interactive profiling that keeps you thinking.

I also love that you do not just hear about famous suspects. You get to stand in lesser-seen places around the East End and Central Criminal Court area, then connect the dots street by street.

One possible drawback: the pace is brisk, and you cover about 2 miles (3.2 km) in a fast window. Add possible Underground delays, and you will want to build in extra time.

If you are a horror fan, a true crime fan, or you just like history you can actually smell in the air, this tour can feel like a strange, entertaining form of field research.

Key things I’d circle before you book

• Declan McHugh, from book author to on-foot storyteller: he leads with big energy, plus jokes that do not erase the grim facts.
• Interactive moments baked into the walk: horror-movie voting, profiling-style questions, and a psychic experiment.
• Old Bailey and Central Criminal Court focus: you hit multiple trials and cases tied to London’s most famous criminal court.
• Not just Jack the Ripper: Jack’s story shows up, but the tour spreads across a wider map of killers and eras.
• Small-group vibe: limited to a maximum of 20 per booking, so questions and group engagement stay manageable.
• All-weather, night-time walking: it runs in all weather, so your shoes and jacket matter.

Price and Logistics

At $27.74 per person for about two hours, this is priced like a “do it tonight” London activity, not a fancy museum day. You are paying for two things that are harder to replicate on your own: a guide who can tell the stories with pace and atmosphere, and a route that forces you to move from one key site to the next while things are still fresh in your head.

The session starts at 7:00 pm. You meet near Aldersgate Street by the Barbican area, then you end at the Princess Louise pub near Holborn. You are also told to add about 20 extra minutes for Underground delays, which is wise. This is a walk with a set rhythm, and arriving late can cut into the experience.

Tickets are mobile, and you get confirmation when you book. The tour runs in all weather, so plan for rain, wind, and darker evenings. You will also want to come ready for a bit of walking pressure. The tour covers roughly 2 miles and moves at a fairly brisk pace to fit ten killer stories into a two-hour window.

What the tour feels like on the ground

This is not a passive sightseeing walk. I like that it has a “conversation plus stories” rhythm. You get called into the moment, especially during the interactive sections. That is also why the small-group size matters. When the group is capped, it feels less like a lecture and more like you are all in on the same night’s game.

You will likely feel a quick shift from place to place. One stop is heavy and courtroom-dark. Another stop throws in a lighter moment like a horror-movie ranking vote. Then you get pulled back into the grim reality of what happened. That mix is a big part of why people call it fun and riveting rather than just disturbing.

Also, the guide is guided by a writer’s instincts. Declan McHugh leads from the kind of storytelling style you usually only get in a book or a stage performance. Expect humour, quizzes, and a strong sense of timing.

The route starts with St. Bartholomew’s and a grim pattern

You begin at Church of St. Bartholomew the Great, a place where the story opens with two murders separated by years. The tour frames it as an uncaught case, with the guide pointing out similarities between two crimes involving young victims. Then you are asked to think like a profiler, not in a superhero way, but in a practical way: what details rhyme, what details break the pattern, and why investigators might see connections.

Even though the facts are unsettling, this start is smart for your brain. You are learning how the tour’s comparisons work before you move on to louder, more public sites like courts and alleyways.

One small practical note: you should be ready to stand and listen for stretches. This is not a “sit down every five minutes” tour.

Holy Sepulchre, then Old Bailey: where London’s cases lived

Next comes Holy Sepulchre London, where the focus turns to the economics of death. You get stories that link grave-robbing and serial killing, and the guide makes connections to the institutions nearby, including what was said about people working at St Bartholomew’s Hospital. The angle here is not just crime. It is the system around the crime, the incentives, and the human weakness that made certain outcomes more likely.

Then you move to the Old Bailey, London’s Central Criminal Court. This is one of the most important stretches of the whole walk, because it gives you the “how did justice work?” context. You hear about multiple serial killers who had trials there, and the guide lays out the pattern of courtroom terror across years.

Two trials get laid out early: one killer who appeared twice and whose case is tied to an innocent man being sent to his death before the killer later confessed to multiple murders of women. Another killer is described as causing terror for over five years and murdering 13 women.

Later in the tour, the Old Bailey and Central Criminal Court theme returns with more examples, including a killer connected to 15 boys and men, plus a final case described in the tour as possibly the most dangerous woman in the world. Even if you do not know these stories already, the repeated emphasis on court sites helps you understand that London’s criminal history is layered, not a single headline.

Printer Street: horror movie ranking and a crowd quiz

Printer Street is the “lighter moment,” and it matters more than you might think. After court and graveyard tone, the tour uses humour and audience interaction to reset your energy without skipping the topic.

At this stop, Declan asks for your vote on the scariest horror movies of all time. He then shares a Top Ten created from votes collected over 23 years of the tour. One fun detail is that a particular movie in the Top Ten is described as unknown to many people, and the guide adds a striking gender contrast: the movie has been recommended by about 2,000 men, but not one woman.

It is playful. But it also tells you something about the tour itself. The guide is not trying to bully you into being shocked. He is using entertainment psychology to keep you engaged while the night stays grounded in real crimes.

Red Lion Court: Victorian twists, two continents, and an unmade film

Red Lion Court shifts you into Victorian-era territory. Here you hear an immersive account of a little-known serial killer who murdered on two continents and lived in the area. The guide emphasizes twists in the story, and the big punchline is that it feels made for a movie, yet the movie never happened.

This stop is a good example of how the tour balances two goals. You get London place facts. You also get narrative shape. The guide tells it like a story arc, not like a list of dates.

If you are going because you want something more than the usual famous suspects, this is one of the moments that makes that promise feel real.

Hare Place and Jack the Ripper profiling at the edge of Fleet Street

Then you hit the Jack the Ripper segment near Fleet Street. The tour goes to a place just off Fleet Street where Declan’s Jack the Ripper suspect is said to have lived. He explains, in detail, why he thinks this man was Jack the Ripper, and he frames it like a profiling puzzle tied to the clues in the pattern.

This is also where the tour gets toughest. The guide describes a specific question at this part of the walk, and he says only one person out of every 500 gets it right. People who answer correctly are placed on a Roll of Honour.

You can treat that like a party game. But you also get a useful takeaway: the tour encourages you to practice thinking from limited details, the same way investigators and authors do when they build theories.

If you hate quizzes, you might find this stressful. If you enjoy a mental challenge, this is a highlight.

St. Dunstan in the West: the psychic experiment stop

St. Dunstan in the West is the creepiest stop on the tour, based on the tone set before you arrive. The tour moves into a narrow, dingy, isolated alley and the guide warns it can feel shaken, even for “tough men,” especially in dark months.

This stop includes a psychic experiment. You are told it is like stepping into a murder scene, and you hear about a pair of devious serial killers connected with the area.

I cannot promise you will feel anything supernatural. But I can tell you why this stop works. The guide sets expectations. The location is described as physically isolated. Then the story ties that atmosphere to a crime narrative. That combination is what makes people say they felt it, not just heard it.

Royal Courts of Justice and Portugal Street: trial stories that hit hard

After St. Dunstan’s, you move to the Royal Courts of Justice. The guide does not spoil what is coming, but he promises a section that is interesting enough to be jaw-dropping. In practice, this reads like another institutional contrast to the alley and church stops. You are seeing how London’s legal architecture sits next to street-level nightmares.

Then you reach Portugal Street, where the tour brings up two additional serial killers tied to the Central Criminal Court trials. One murdered 15 boys and men. The other is described as possibly the most dangerous woman in the world. The point of these repeats is not to overwhelm you with names. It is to show how the Central Criminal Court became a stage for multiple eras of terror.

If you are coming in with only partial true crime knowledge, this is where the tour can really expand your mental map of London’s criminal history.

Ending at the Princess Louise pub: the last story and the book signing

You finish at the Princess Louise pub near Holborn Underground. On the outside, it is a Victorian decor landmark. But the tour ends with a final serial killer story that the guide says many people will not know, even if they have read books and watched documentaries.

The tour frames this final detail as coming from the Head of Forensics involved in the case, who joined the guide’s tour. Then you get a last moment of dark humour and discomfort, with the sense that you might think twice before stepping into that pub like it is just another place to grab a pint.

After the final story, the guide sells copies of his best-selling book, Bloody London, for £10 cash or PayPal. He signs each book with a personal message.

If you like the vibe, this is a good “take it home” moment. If you hate sales talk, you can still enjoy the tour without buying. The book is optional.

Walking pace, weather, and who should think twice

This tour is not built for slow shuffling. You should plan for a fairly brisk pace and about 2 miles walked over roughly two hours. The guide also tells you in plain terms that the tour may not be suitable for mobility issues, significant health problems, or older travellers in their 70s.

That said, some people describe the walking as fairly flat, and that the pace can still feel manageable for older walkers who are used to city strolling. The key is not the slope. It is the tempo.

If you struggle with timing, or you need frequent breaks, this is the kind of tour where you might get frustrated. The route includes multiple story pauses, but it is still a “move with the group” experience.

Weather is another real factor. It runs in all conditions, so rain can make it harder to take photos and can make cobblestones slippery under low light. Bring a waterproof layer and wear shoes with grip.

Is the price worth it?

For $27.74, the value comes from how much you get packed into a short time and how much of it is live, in-person storytelling. You are not paying for entry fees. The stops are presented as free admissions, which matters when you compare it to tours that quietly tack on museum costs.

You are paying for:

• A structured route around major London sites tied to serial killer cases
• A guide who uses humour and audience interaction instead of monotone lecturing
• Multiple distinct story segments, including the interactive profiling moments and the horror-movie vote

If you love true crime and enjoy live storytelling with quizzes, it is a strong buy for a night activity.

If you want a calm stroll with minimal conversation and no quizzes, you will probably find it too active.

Should you book London Serial Killers: The Blood and Tears Walk?

Book it if you:

• Want a true crime walk that is more interactive than most
• Like the Jack the Ripper story but do not want it to be the only focus
• Enjoy the mix of humour and horror that keeps the night moving
• Are comfortable walking 2 miles on a brisk schedule starting at 7:00 pm

Skip it (or choose another option) if you:

• Have mobility or health limits that make faster walking hard
• Prefer slow, contemplative tours with lots of sitting and photo time
• Feel anxious about quizzes, profiling-style questions, or psychic-themed moments

If you fit the first group, this is one of those London nights that gives you a route you would not naturally stitch together on your own, plus stories with enough structure and interaction to keep you engaged the whole way.

FAQ

How long is the London Serial Killers – The Blood and Tears Walk?

It lasts about 2 hours.

What time does the tour start, and where do I meet?

It starts at 7:00 pm. You meet at Underground Ltd, Aldersgate St, Barbican, London EC1A 4JA.

Where does the tour end?

It ends at 125 High Holborn, London WC1V 6AN, and specifically near the Princess Louise pub.

What does the tour cost?

The price is $27.74 per person.

Is the tour in English?

Yes, it is offered in English.

How many people are in a booking?

A maximum of 20 people per booking.

What is the minimum age?

The minimum age is 12, and this is strictly enforced. Children must be accompanied by an adult.

Is the tour suitable for people with limited mobility?

The tour covers about 2 miles at a fairly brisk pace, and it is not recommended for people with mobility or significant health issues.

Does it run in bad weather?

Yes, it operates in all weather conditions. You should dress appropriately.

Can I bring a service animal?

Yes, service animals are allowed.

Do I get a ticket on my phone?

Yes, the tour uses a mobile ticket.