Witchcraft and spy secrets in London?

This 3-hour time-travel tour threads ancient cults and later shadowy stories through real streets and off-the-main-path stops, with your guide keeping the pace tight and the details sharp.

What I like most is the focus on places you’d usually miss—like the underground Mithras connection at the London Mithraeum area—and the fact you’re not competing with a crowd. I also love that it’s a true on-foot history walk, so you can pick up on small changes in street level and architecture.

The only drawback to consider: a couple stops have admission not included, so you’ll want to budget a bit extra beyond the tour price.

Key Highlights Worth Your Attention

• A time-travel theme that links witchcraft, ancient cults, and MI15 spy secrets into one walk
• Underground Mithras atmosphere tied to the myth of Mithras and the bull
• Two-thousand-years-on-the-same-site worship clues at St. Mary Woolnoth
• Cornhill House’s terracotta devils and the story of nearby St Peter upon Cornhill
• Smithfield Market’s public-execution context paired with the Bloody Mary thread
• Private-group attention with a guide devoted to just your group

A Three-Hour Time-Travel Walk That Moves at Street Speed

London’s big attractions are great, but they don’t teach you how the city actually “layers” over itself. This tour is built for that. The idea is simple: instead of one monument, you get a chain of locations tied to religion, myth, and rumor—then you walk between them so the story makes sense on the ground.

You start at Bleeding Heart Yard (EC1N) at 12:00 pm, and the tour ends near Monument Station (EC4R) at King William Street. It’s designed as a roughly 3-hour experience on foot, and the walking is part of the value. You’ll notice the kinds of changes that don’t show up in photos—street-level shifts, neighboring buildings sitting where older sacred spaces once mattered, and the way London’s history keeps reusing the same geography.

There’s also a practical upside: it’s described as a private tour/activity, so it’s only your group with a professional guide. That tends to make questions easier and pacing more comfortable, especially if you like to linger at specific details.

Start at Bleeding Heart Yard and Step into Centuries of Belief

Before you even hit the first major site, the tour starts you in a part of London that feels like a hinge between eras. The meeting point at Bleeding Heart Yard is close enough to the city’s older core that the transition to Roman and medieval stories feels natural, not forced.

One big reason this setup works for you: the guide can keep the narrative rolling without long detours. On a short tour, detours steal time from what matters, and this one is built around frequent, quick stops—each around 10 minutes. That style is great if you like learning fast and then using the rest of your day to explore on your own.

If you’re the type who’s already checked off the usual top sights, this tour makes sense as a second pass. It doesn’t try to compete with London’s headline museums. Instead, it gives you a different lens: how cults, superstition, and power played out in places you can still stand in today.

London Mithraeum Bloomberg SPACE: The Mithras Cult and Its Underground Power

Stop one is London Mithraeum Bloomberg SPACE, and it’s where the tour really grabs the theme and turns it into a place you can understand. The area is presented as a center of London going back a couple thousand years, with the note that Romans built a temple tied to the mythic storyline associated with Mithras.

This is the Mithras cult connection. Mithras first appears in Rome in the 1st century AD and then spreads across the empire over the next 300 years. What I find compelling here is who the cult seems to have appealed to—merchants, soldiers, and imperial administrators. That’s not just trivia. It helps you imagine the temple spaces as places for networking, identity, and shared belief, not simply worship in the modern sense.

The tour also emphasizes a core feature: meetings in temples that were often below ground, private, dark, and windowless. In other words, it wasn’t built for public spectacle. It was built for mood and secrecy. The centerpiece image is the story of Mithras killing a bull (called tauroctony), and the tour notes that scholars still debate its full meaning. That uncertainty actually makes the stop more fun—it gives you something to think about after you leave rather than a closed, one-size-fits-all explanation.

Practical note: entry at this stop is not included. So if you’re budget-minded, plan for additional admission here.

St. Mary Woolnoth Church: Two Millennia of Worship in One Spot

Next up is St. Mary Woolnoth Church, where the time-travel feeling turns from mythology to continuity. The tour frames the site as having been used for worship for at least 2,000 years, and it adds that traces of Roman and pagan religious buildings have been found under the foundations of the present church.

That’s the kind of detail that makes a walking tour worth it. You’re not just seeing a pretty church. You’re seeing the proof of how faiths layered over earlier beliefs. Even without a long museum-style explanation, the concept lands quickly: when London’s sacred geography stayed useful, people kept reusing it.

This stop also works well as a breather in a shorter walking experience. It’s only around 10 minutes, so you won’t get stuck waiting out a long time commitment. And importantly, admission here is free.

The tradeoff is that because the tour time is tight, you’ll want to pay attention to what the guide points out. This kind of site rewards curiosity, so go in ready to ask a question if something catches your eye.

Cornhill House and the Terracotta Devils: Mischief with a Message

At Cornhill House, the tone turns slightly darker and more mischievous. The tour highlights three devilish terracotta figures—a striking, unusual example of long-lasting revenge.

Here’s the story thread: the terracotta figures were intended to mock worshippers next door at St Peter upon Cornhill. That adjacent church is described as having been virtually submerged at street level by office blocks. Whether you’ve studied London’s changing cityscape before or not, that contrast is vivid. It’s hard not to feel the irony: mockery carved in terracotta survives, while the older church space gets swallowed by later development.

This is the kind of stop that makes you slow down even when the tour schedule is only 10 minutes. Look for how the building context tells the story. The characters aren’t there for decoration. They’re part of a conflict that spilled into architecture.

Admission at this stop is not included, so again, plan to budget for a bit extra if you want to fully access what’s there.

Church of St. Bartholomew the Great: Surviving the Great Fire

The Church of St. Bartholomew the Great is the medieval anchor of the walk, and the tour’s framing hits a real historical nerve. It notes that this is one of the few medieval churches to survive the ravages of the Great Fire in 1666.

That survival matters more than it sounds. When a building persists after a major city disaster, it becomes a physical link to an older London that most of the city no longer has. For you, that means the time-travel concept isn’t just about stories—it’s about stone that made it through.

Since this is also a free admission stop, it’s an efficient use of time. You can focus on what the guide points out without worrying about extra ticket steps. Still, because it’s only 10 minutes, don’t treat it like a slow church visit. Use the time to absorb the guide’s key takeaways and then decide whether you want to return later on your own for a longer look.

Smithfield Market: Executions, Bloody Mary, and Power in Public

The last stop is Smithfield Market, and it’s built for atmosphere. The tour includes places of execution and connects the history to a story about Bloody Mary.

This is one of those London locations where the past isn’t abstract. Execution sites turn the concept of power into something physical—space, crowds, and punishment in the open. The guide’s job here is crucial: in a short time, they can connect the location to the political and religious tensions implied by the Bloody Mary thread.

Practical plus: admission at Smithfield Market is included. That makes it easy to finish the tour without surprise costs at the end. It’s also described as a 10-minute stop, so you’ll likely move on quickly—good if you have dinner plans, but it also means you may want to continue exploring nearby afterward if the topic grabbed you.

If you’re the sort of person who likes history that has consequences—not just dates—this is the stop that tends to feel most memorable.

MI15 Spy Secrets: The Theme That Keeps the Weird Stories Cohesive

The tour title promises witchcraft, ancient cults, and MI15 spy secrets. The itinerary itself focuses on specific historical sites, but the theme is what ties them together for you: it sets you up to look at London not as a timeline in neat boxes, but as a city where secrecy, rumor, and authority keep showing up in different forms.

Even if you don’t know anything about MI15 before, the way the tour frames its stops can make you more alert to details: who had power, who met in private, what stories were used to control beliefs, and how superstition and myth can map onto real social roles.

That’s a real value for a short tour. It gives you a lens to interpret what you see afterward, not just a list of facts.

Private Guide Attention Makes a Big Difference on a Tight Schedule

One of the best parts of this experience is how it’s structured around undivided attention. With a private group format, your guide can tailor the emphasis—maybe you want more on Mithras myth imagery, or maybe you’re more interested in why street level changes can hide earlier churches.

This matters because the tour is short, about 3 hours, with multiple stops. When time is limited, you don’t want a guide splitting attention across a large crowd. Here, your guide can keep the pace moving while still being present. The review note you have to hold onto is that the guide was very nice and knew a lot in the field—your guide is named Elvira in the feedback, and that matters because it signals consistency in who’s leading.

So if you like asking questions, or you prefer a guide to explain what you’re looking at instead of letting you figure it out alone, this tour format is a solid fit.

Price and Value: What You’re Really Paying For

At $371.59 per person, this isn’t a budget walking tour. But it’s also not just a basic group stroll. You’re paying for:

• A private format where your group gets the guide’s attention
• A tight 3-hour plan with a clear storyline connecting religion, myth, and later spy-era intrigue
• A professional guide
• A location mix that includes both free stops and paid-entry stops (with at least one entry included at Smithfield)

The value question for you comes down to how you like to travel. If you’re happy spending a little more for better pacing, more conversation, and less waiting, this can feel worthwhile—especially if you’ve already done the big-name sights and want something more specific.

If you’re price-sensitive and you mainly want outdoor sightseeing, you might decide it’s too steep. But if you’re the kind of person who likes guided context—who wants the why behind the stone and the symbolism—this price can start to make sense.

One practical angle: the tour is described as commonly booked about 54 days in advance, which suggests people plan it ahead. If you have travel dates locked, don’t wait until the last minute.

Who This Tour Suits Best (And Who Might Skip It)

This tour is a strong match if you:

• Have already seen the headline London highlights and want something different
• Enjoy the spooky side of history—cults, folklore, superstition, and power plays
• Like walking tours where you can stop, look, and move on without a long slog
• Prefer a private guide or at least a calmer experience than a large group

It might be less ideal if you:

• Hate paying extra admission on top of the base price (since some stops aren’t included)
• Want a slow, museum-style deep read (the stops are brief by design)
• Are hoping for a long, detailed focus on only one era (this walk blends multiple themes fast)

Practical Tips for Getting the Most From It

• Wear shoes you trust for short-city walks. This is an on-foot experience with several quick stops.
• Bring a curious mindset. The tour leans into symbols, myths, and odd details, and those pay off when you engage.
• If you’re sensitive to cold or damp, check the weather. The tour includes references to underground, dark temple-style spaces, even if you aren’t literally underground the whole time.
• Plan your day for a 12:00 pm start and an end near Monument so you can continue exploring right away.

Also, service animals are allowed and the start and end points are near public transportation, which is a helpful setup if your day is busy.

Should You Book Witchcraft, Ancient Cults & MI15 Spy Secrets?

I’d book it if you want a London history experience with personality and structure—one that goes beyond landmarks and gives you a storyline you can carry into the rest of your trip. The best reasons to choose it are the Mithras cult connection, the smart mix of free and paid stops, and the fact you get private guide attention on a tight schedule.

If the price makes you hesitate, be honest about what you value: guided context and a themed walk cost more than independent wandering. But for the right traveler—especially someone who likes the strange, the secret, and the layered city—this tour is a very workable use of an afternoon.

FAQ

How long is the tour?

The tour is approximately 3 hours.

What time does it start, and where do I meet?

It starts at 12:00 pm. The meeting point is Bleeding Heart Yard, London EC1N, UK.

Where does the tour end?

The tour ends near Monument Station (King William St, London EC4R 9AA, UK).

Is this a private tour?

Yes. It’s listed as a private tour/activity, meaning only your group participates.

Is admission included for all stops?

Admission is not included for every stop. The London Mithraeum Bloomberg SPACE and Cornhill House are listed as not included, while St. Mary Woolnoth Church and Church of St. Bartholomew the Great are free, and Smithfield Market is included.

What is included besides the guide?

The tour includes a professional guide. It also includes group discounts and a mobile ticket.

Can I get a refund if I cancel?

Yes. Cancellation is free up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund. If you cancel less than 24 hours before the start time, the amount paid is not refunded.