Variously used as a warning to naughty children, by writers tapping into the fear of death, or as a symbol of faceless tyranny, Jack the Ripper has also inspired many London tours.
(Photo: Getyourguide.com)
Jack the Ripper terrorised women across London after a series of horrendously mutilated bodies were discovered between 1888-1891. The assailant, responsible for at least five killings during that time, was never caught by the police, and so the nickname lives on. Most Jack the Ripper tours explore the streets and buildings in East London where the menace accosted and murdered his victims. These five tours shed some light on the lives of those he murdered and, despite a little light walking through the streets of London, ensure the general health and safety of those taking part.
Jack the Ripper Interactive Guided Tour
What makes this excellent interactive walking tour so popular is the true crime facet to the evening. Guests are invited to follow the trail, see the locations where Jack the Ripper committed his crimes, as well as seeing photographic evidence from the real crime scenes themselves. In so doing you are invited to try and crack the case, which includes being handed ‘suspect cards’ to look into the potential villains. This tour is so in-depth that the guide has assumed the title of ‘Ripperologist’, so you know you’ll be in expert hands over the two-hour walking excursion. From £16 per person.
(Photo: Getyourguide.com)
Jack the Ripper Walking Tour
Another innovative way of delving into Victorian Britain is provided in the form of handheld projectors, known as Ripper-Vision, on this long-standing and ever-popular tour. Donning period attire, your guides will display photographs from the era of Jack the Ripper on the walls of old buildings. This gives you a great sense of what the slums of East London once looked like, bringing Jack the Ripper’s world into clearer focus. It provides a chilling way to learn about both the horrendous crimes and the ensuing web of investigation and conspiracy that ultimately failed in apprehending anybody. From £18 per person.
Jack the Ripper 2-Hour Evening Walking Tour
Leaning more towards the salacious grit and dark deeds that swirled around the impoverished streets of East London, this popular night tour is as much about your guide as the subject matter. Peel away the layers of fiction to look at the known facts surrounding who Jack may really have been and who his victims most assuredly were in life. This two-hour tour is a great way to discover Victorian-era London. It usually runs from Wed-Sun. From £20 per person.
(Photo: Getyourguide.com)
Haunted Jack the Ripper Tour with Fish and Chips
Now, we know what you’re probably thinking, and yes, you’re right, one does not ordinarily associate food, let alone fish and chips, with grisly murders. But then again, a walking tour can be very hungry work. Over three hours you’ll come to learn about the Whitechapel haunts not only of Jack the Ripper, but also the hauntings around London’s East End, including the legend of Sweeney Todd, the Demon Barber of Fleet Street. The tour concludes with a portion of fish and chips at a traditional chippie. From £28 per person.
Solve the Crime Jack the Ripper Tour
It’s London’s greatest whodunnit. The Jack the Ripper murders have mystified and chilled generations of sleuths and this tour gives you a chance to crack the case. This tour pulls no punches either, diving headlong into the gruesome reality of these murders most foul (NB: the clue is in the ‘Ripper’ part of the nickname). See the places where the victims breathed their last; discover the evidence at the spot where it was found (only a single clue was found at the time, but it could still prove illuminating). This tour lasts two hours. From £30 per person.