The legend that surrounds Jack the Ripper has long fascinated true crime fans.
That’s as true now as it was in 1888, when the gruesome murders took place across the neighbourhoods of Aldgate, Shoreditch and Whitechapel in east London.
Even after more than 100 years there’s still a lot of speculation about the true identity of Jack the Ripper, as well as how many victims he actually had.
It’s one reason why Jack the Ripper tours are among the most popular walking tours in London, with several providers offering daily tours in English and other languages.
I’ve been living in London since 2010 and have always wanted to go on a Jack the Ripper tour.
So when Empire Tours & Productions reached out to offer me a spot on an upcoming Jack the Ripper tour, I jumped at the chance.
Jack the Ripper tour overview
You’ll find dozens of Jack the Ripper tours on the likes of Viator and Get Your Guide, and many more when you do a Google search.
It gets confusing because all of the tours have pretty similar names so you need to make the effort to double check the tour provider when reading reviews.
The tour I went on was with Empire Tours & Productions, which was originally founded in Chicago and has been operating in London since 2023.
They do a few versions of the Jack the Ripper tour, including a small group tour, one that includes stops in historic pubs, and a comprehensive one that tags on entry to the Jack the Ripper museum.
I went on the small group tour, which costs £19 for around two hours – and this is the tour I’m reviewing here.
You can book it direct with Empire Tours & Productions on their Tours of London website or via Get Your Guide. The price is generally the same although it’s worth checking if Get Your Guide has a sale on.
Here are the other things you should know.
Tour details
- Rating: 8/10
- Type: walking
- Best for: true-crime fans, history lovers, couples, solo travellers
- Duration: 2 hours.
- Price: £19 on Tours of London and Get Your Guide
- Group size: group size not specified
What’s included
- A “Ripperologist” guide for the duration of the tour
- Tours in English, but also available separately in French and German
What’s not included
- Entry to any buildings, like the Ten Bells Pub
- Gratuities, which are optional but appreciated
The tour itinerary
The meeting point for this Jack the Ripper tour is outside 65A Whitechapel High Street, where Empire Tours & Productions is based in London.
It happens to be one of the exits for Aldgate East station, so it’s pretty easy to find.
The actual starting point of the tour is a short walk away, next to the Jack the Ripper plaque on Gunthorpe Street.
From there, our group visited the locations where each of the “canonical five” were found before finishing outside the Saint Botolph Without Aldgate church.
The canonical five, by the way, were the five women that most experts agree were killed by Jack the Ripper: Mary Ann Nichols, Annie Chapman, Elizabeth Stride, Catherine Eddowes and Mary Jane Kelly.
All of the stops were quite close to each other, so it was a fairly leisurely walk but it’s worth noting that it’s a busy part of London so we were navigating walkways packed with pedestrians and crossing roads with heavy traffic.
It’s also worth noting that most of the buildings where the bodies were found have long been demolished as this part of London was heavily bombed during the WWII Blitz attacks.
What I liked
Unlike some of the other guests on my Jack the Ripper tour, I hadn’t read extensively on the subject so there were definitely moments where I felt like I was missing a key part of the story.
But there were only seven of us on the tour so there were plenty of opportunities to ask questions.
And my guide, Sandra, seemed to have a genuine interest in the subject.
Rather than simply regurgitating from a script, she was happy to discuss facts and speculations with guests.
She also had photographs to show us, which added to the storytelling – but be warned, some were very graphic.
I think the fact that I left the tour feeling disturbed was a good (?) sign the tour did its job bringing the full horrors of the killings to life.
What could be better
Because there was one very knowledgeable guest on my Jack the Ripper tour, it felt like some of the details were missed.
It wasn’t always clear which location related to which victim, especially because we occasionally stopped in places that were unrelated to Jack the Ripper.
Similarly, because there were so many different names thrown into the mix – from the victims to the suspects to the investigators – it would have been helpful to have clearer labelling of these characters.
For fans of the Jack the Ripper legends, that won’t be an issue.
But if you only have a passing interest, or if you’re just looking for something to do in London, it can be a little confusing.
Some tips on ways to explore further would also have been nice, like where else to go.
Our guide did recommend reading The Five by Hallie Rubenhold, which focuses on the stories of the women rather than simply their untimely deaths.
Is it worth the money?
The Jack the Ripper tour I went on was only £19, which is pretty good value for a two-hour, small-group London walking tour.
Most walking tours, in London and elsewhere in the world, generally cost substantially more.
The quality of the guide is everything on these group tours, though, and I was pretty lucky with Sandra.
Is this tour for you?
As I said at the beginning of this review, there are dozens of Jack the Ripper tours on the likes of Viator and Get Your Guide.
You should only book a Jack the Ripper tour if you’re interested in true crime, quirky London history or want to explore the city in a different way.
You should also be pretty comfortable hearing gory details and gruesome murders (the women were disemboweled), so almost definitely not one for those travelling with children.
It’s worth considering Empire Tours & Productions’s Jack the Ripper small group tour in particular if you’re looking for an intimate group tour that’s conducted at a fairly leisurely pace and that’s also fairly affordable.
Other tours to consider
Judging by their descriptions, there are a lot of very similar Jack the Ripper tours out there.
But if you’re looking for something different among the bunch, there are two tours worth considering.
One is the Jack the Ripper night walking tour from Carpe Diem Tours.
You’re still visiting the same locations but obviously it’s a lot more atmospheric in the dark.
This part of London still has some of the highest crime rates in the city, and has a gritty, rough and ready atmosphere that feels even more sinister when the sun goes down.
It’s not so dangerous that you should avoid the area – I’ve been out here on my own in the evenings before – but you should definitely have your wits about you.
The other option is the Jack the Ripper tour with Ripper Vision from Secret Chamber Tours Ltd.
Again, you’ll visit more or less the same places but this time your journey is enhanced with projections of Victorian London from a handheld device.
FAQs
Here are a few frequently asked questions that might help you decide whether the Jack the Ripper tour I went on is for you.
How difficult is the tour?
The tour is a leisurely two-hour walk through the city.
It gets pretty busy so you’ll be navigating traffic and other pedestrians, and of course uneven ground.
I wouldn’t recommend it to anyone with limited mobility as there aren’t really any rest stops and the cobblestones can be tricky to navigate if you’re unsteady on your feet or you’re using a mobility aid.
Is it suitable for children?
Empire Tours & Productions doesn’t specify minimum ages on its website although on Get Your Guide it does say children under nine aren’t permitted.
As the tour involves hearing about really gruesome murders and seeing graphic photographs of dead people (optional), I would say older teens and adults only for this one.
What do you need to bring?
Wear comfortable shoes and weather-appropriate clothing. And bring some water if you’re touring on a hot day.
How about bad weather?
Weather conditions in London are rarely extreme so you should expect the tour to go ahead in most scenarios.
It’s up to you to have sun cover, bring an umbrella and dress for the cold if these conditions apply.
Can you cancel or reschedule?
You can cancel for a full refund if you do so at least 24 hours before the tour, which is helpful if weather conditions do end up turning for the worse.
