Serial killer stories, told on London streets. This 2-hour London Serial Killers – The Blood and Tears Walk swaps shiny tourist stops for grim places tied to real cases, guided by Declan McHugh of Bloody London.

I love how interactive it is—there are short quizzes and profile-style moments that keep you awake and thinking. You also get to see East End corners and courtroom landmarks that most regular London walks never touch.

One thing to consider: it’s brisk. You cover about 2 miles in roughly two hours, with narrow spots and fast walking between stops—so it’s not a fit for everyone, especially if mobility is an issue.

Key highlights worth planning around

• Declan McHugh leads the stories, including Jack the Ripper profiling from his own Bloody London chapter
• Interactive profiling + horror-movie voting make the tour feel like a game, not a lecture
• Old Bailey + Royal Courts of Justice give you courtroom geography tied to multiple serial-killer cases
• Eerie alleyway psychic experiment at St. Dunstan in the West is the tour’s most atmospheric moment
• Quick stops in unusual places like Printer Street, Red Lion Court, and Portugal Street
• End at Princess Louise pub with a final, forensics-connected detail and book signings

A 7pm serial-killer walk that feels like a story session, not a museum

This is the kind of tour that gets under your skin—in a controlled, factual way. You meet in central London and spend the evening moving through the city’s darker legal and street-level history, with Declan McHugh setting the tone from the start: spooky, thoughtful, and never only about the headline names.

Two things help it work so well. First, the route is built around specific sites where real trials and real crimes intersected—so the stories have physical weight. Second, Declan keeps you involved. You’re not just watching and listening; you’re answering questions and doing small profiling-style exercises that make you pay attention.

And while the subject matter is heavy, the structure prevents it from turning into straight grimness. There are lighter “break” moments on purpose, including a voted list of classic horror films that shows up in the middle of the case stories.

Price and value: what you’re paying for (and what you’re getting)

At about $27.74 per person for roughly two hours, this isn’t a budget for “private guide and car.” This is the value play: you’re paying for a small-group evening with a specialist storyteller and multiple stops tied to major criminal cases.

You also get good “per hour” content density. Ten serial-killer stories (in short, distinct segments) sounds like a lot because it is—but it’s paced with transitions, quizzes, and at least one planned mood-shift. If you’re a true-crime fan who likes variety within a single evening, that pacing is a big part of the value.

The stops themselves don’t require you to buy site entries (the tour notes free admission tickets for the listed church and related stops). So you’re mostly paying for narration, local guidance, and the experience design—exactly where tour pricing matters.

If you’re new to London’s criminal history, you’ll likely feel like you’re buying context as much as entertainment. The tour links courtroom history, street geography, and “how cases were tried and understood,” which makes the stories stick.

The walking pace and the 2-mile reality check

Plan for a fairly brisk pace. You cover about 2 miles (around 3.2 km) over the two hours, with constant movement between stops. There’s also a specific note to add about 20 minutes of extra travel time because Underground delays are common.

This isn’t a relaxed stroll where you can drift and stop for photos whenever you want. It’s more like a guided run-through of landmarks—though it’s still a walking tour, so you’re on foot, just with a schedule.

So here’s the practical advice I’d give you:

• Wear shoes you trust on uneven pavement, especially if rain hits.
• If you’re coming from another part of London, add extra transit buffer; arriving late can ruin your night.
• If you have significant mobility limits or fatigue quickly, you should seriously consider a different option.

In summer, it can also feel warmer all the way through the full walk, so light layers help. The tour operates in all weather conditions, and the guide keeps things moving whether it’s damp or bright out.

Stop by stop: what each location adds to the story

St. Bartholomew the Great and the early-case pattern

You begin at the Church of St. Bartholomew the Great. Declan uses this stop to frame a key theme: killers weren’t operating in a vacuum. He walks you through an uncaught serial-killer story that starts with a 6-year-old victim, then returns years later with another murder involving a 7-year-old.

What makes this stop more than just “a sad story” is the way Declan talks about similarities and case profiling. You’re learning to compare patterns, not just memorize names.

If you don’t like child-murder topics, this may be emotionally hard early in the night. The tour doesn’t shy away from that, even though it keeps segments relatively brief.

Holy Sepulchre London: the economics of death and stolen bodies

Next comes Holy Sepulchre London, where the tone shifts slightly into the darker “business” around death. Grave-robbing and the exploitation of bodies show up as part of the setting, and Declan ties it back to serial-killing themes.

This stop is useful because it expands the story world beyond the killer’s footsteps. It’s not only about who did the crimes; it’s also about what the era allowed, tolerated, and profited from.

Old Bailey: courtroom geography you can actually point to

Then you reach the Old Bailey, London’s famous Central Criminal Court. Declan uses it like a map—because once you see where trials happened, you start understanding why certain stories sound the way they do.

Two trials are highlighted clearly. One involves a serial killer trial with a “came back twice” twist, where an innocent man was sent to death before later confessions about multiple murders of women. Another case involves a figure who murdered 13 women and caused terror for more than five years.

Declan also mentions additional serial killers with trials at the Old Bailey later in the tour, which keeps the court from feeling like a one-off stop. It becomes a hub.

A nice side effect: even if you don’t remember every detail, you come away with a stronger mental picture of how courtroom history overlaps with street history in London.

Printer Street: the lighter intermission that makes the scary bits land

Printer Street is the tour’s controlled breather. Declan turns the group into a quick voting pool for the scariest horror movies of all time.

You’ll hear the results from votes tracked over many years, including a curious detail: one film makes the top list with a surprising split—recommended by thousands of men but, in the vote history, by no women. He also has his personal recommendation: a cult classic horror film about 60 years old that’s free to watch on YouTube.

This stop works because it resets your attention without removing the true-crime vibe. It also gives you something to discuss with your group, which can make the evening feel less “heavy” while still staying on theme.

Red Lion Court: a Victorian story with twists across continents

At Red Lion Court, you get a lesser-known Victorian serial-killer story. Declan frames it as a lived-location case: the killer murdered on two continents and lived here.

This stop feels like it belongs in a film because the story structure is built around twists, and Declan ends with a question that you’re meant to answer after hearing the details. The guide says only a very small number of people get it right, which gives you a real reason to focus.

Hare Place off Fleet Street: Jack the Ripper profiling with a tough question

Next you go to a place just off Fleet Street: Hare Place. Declan walks you through his Jack the Ripper suspect and the reasoning he uses for why he believes this particular person fits.

He also notes that the suspect gets an entire chapter in his book Bloody London. This is a key reason why fans of his work say the tour feels more personal than generic “Ripper walks.”

And yes, the tour includes a particularly tough Jack-the-Ripper question. Declan even frames it as the hardest of the entire walk, with only one person out of every 500 getting it right. Whether you’re a true-crime expert or just curious, it’s a fun pressure test.

Even if you don’t answer correctly, you’ll get the bigger takeaway: profiling is about how details line up—not about chasing a single famous name.

St. Dunstan in the West: the psychic experiment alley

St. Dunstan in the West is the stop people remember later. Declan describes the narrow, dingy, isolated alley as potentially the creepiest place you’ve been in. Then he leads a psychic experiment that he treats as a “murder scene” activity.

This isn’t a cheap gimmick. It’s staged as atmosphere plus instruction, and Declan says even tough men have been shaken by the setting, especially in darker months. Whether you believe in it or not, you’ll feel the intent: the tour wants you to take the location seriously.

Practical tip: if you get claustrophobic or easily startled, think about this stop before you book.

Royal Courts of Justice: the tour’s “don’t spoil it” segment

You then reach the Royal Courts of Justice. Declan won’t spoil what that section means, but the way he frames it tells you the information will be interesting and possibly jaw-dropping.

This is one of the places where London’s “boring official building” label doesn’t apply. You’re basically learning how law, fear, and media attention can tangle together when serial cases hit.

Portugal Street: two more Central Criminal Court trials

At Portugal Street, Declan returns to another set of serial killers tied to the Central Criminal Court. Here, he highlights one killer connected to the murder of 15 boys and men, plus another serial killer he describes as perhaps the most dangerous woman in the world.

This stop matters because it reinforces the tour’s core idea: the court isn’t just a story stage. It’s part of the investigative and public reaction system.

Also, having multiple killer stories connected to the same legal sites helps you keep track. You start seeing patterns in where and how these cases played out.

Ending at the Princess Louise pub: the final, forensics-connected detail

The tour ends at the Princess Louise pub, known for Victorian decor. You may feel reluctant to step inside after the last serial-killer story, because Declan saves a grim final note: a well-known British serial killer’s horrible behaviour that he claims isn’t in the books and documentaries people usually see.

He says this detail comes from the head of forensics involved in the case, who attended his tour. After that final story, Declan sells copies of his bestseller Bloody London for £10 cash or PayPal and signs each book with a personal message.

This ending works well because it gives you a natural “off-ramp” from the story world. Pub lighting and Victorian interiors reset the atmosphere without fully breaking the mood. And if you want more, you can go straight to the book.

Who this tour suits best (and who should skip it)

This is a strong match if you:

• Like true crime and want a London route that isn’t just the usual checklist
• Enjoy interactive moments, especially short quizzes and profiling-style exercises
• Want a guide who keeps the stories moving and varies the tone (fact, tension, then a break)
• Are curious about courtroom history and how it connects to real-world geography

You should think twice if you:

• Have mobility issues or fatigue quickly (it’s brisk and about 2 miles in two hours)
• Get stressed in narrow, dark alleys (St. Dunstan in the West is a major atmosphere moment)
• Don’t handle child-murder themes emotionally, even if the segments are short

If you’re traveling with teenagers, note that the minimum age is 12, and children 12–14 must be accompanied by an adult. Declan’s tone is engaging for mixed groups, and the interactive segments tend to keep younger people from zoning out.

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

If you want a true-crime London evening that’s more active than a typical walking tour, book it. This one has a strong specialist voice, a fast-moving route with real historical anchors, and interactive pieces that make you participate instead of just endure.

I’d say it’s especially worth it if you already know the big-name stories but want unfamiliar details and lesser-seen locations in London. The Old Bailey focus, the Jack-the-Ripper profiling segment at Hare Place, and the psychic alley experiment are the kind of moments that separate it from generic “serial killer” walks.

Just don’t treat it like a casual stroll. Dress for weather, plan extra transit time, and go in knowing the pace is part of the design. If that works for you, you’re in for a memorable, slightly unsettling night—and you’ll leave with London’s darker geography in your head, not just on your camera roll.

FAQ

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

It runs for about 2 hours.

What language is the tour offered in?

The tour is offered in English.

What is the minimum age to join?

The minimum age is 12, and it’s strictly enforced. Children 12–14 must be accompanied by an adult.

How much walking is involved?

The tour covers about 2 miles (around 3.2 km) at a fairly brisk pace.

Do I need to pay for admission at the stops?

The listed stops include free admission tickets.

What if the weather is bad?

It operates in all weather conditions, so you should dress appropriately for rain and cold or heat.