The walking tour links these stories to the area's past as a site of animal and human slaughter; gratuities are extra. 4.98 from 287 reviews at €24 per person for 2h.
In our comparison: #6 of 92 in Walking Tours, by rating weighted by review volume (see the comparison).
One price for every traveller: €24 per adult.
Child prices by age band are shown at checkout. Option texts and prices come from the operator's listing; prices checked on Viator on 3 October 2026.
100% of ratings with a star breakdown are 4★ or 5★: 287 of 287
Star breakdown of all 287 ratings
Reviewers praise the local history, clear storytelling and comfortable pace; cold or rain can make the walk uncomfortable.
Written by Guidekin from the 100 most recent English reviews on Viator & Tripadvisor (4 February 2024 to 28 September 2026). Refreshed as new reviews arrive; last checked 4 October 2026.
Reviews are shown as the platforms publish them and removed when they disappear there.
Ratings collected from Guidekin, Viator & Tripadvisor.
A fourteenth century monastery and plague pit
10 minA one thousand year old meat market
10 minThe home of the medieval Knights Hospitallers
10 minA quiet alley with a noisy history
10 minThe memorial to William Wallace, aka Braveheart
10 minLondon's oldest surviving parish church
10 min · Admission includedThe site where the Great Fire of 1666 died out, and of eighteenth century ghost hysteria
10 minThe site of the River Fleet, Victorian London's largest open air sewer
10 minA hidden gem of a pub, hidden down an alleyway
10 minThe oldest surviving hospital in the country
10 minTravel through a thousand years of history, meeting medieval knights, body snatchers, Charles Dickens, an eighteenth century ghost, and William Wallace - aka Braveheart (and learn how he was in no fit state to shout "Freeeedoooommmm!" whilst being executed!)
On our walking tour we'll visit the areas around Smithfield, for centuries London's site of both animal and human slaughter. We'll learn about how the city disposed of the tens of thousands of Black Death corpses in the fourteenth century, the execution methods used in the Middle Ages, and how the area became a notorious slum which Dickens used as the setting for Oliver Twist.
The walking tour begins outside Barbican Station, ends near to Farringdon Station, and will take around two hours. Total distance is about two miles.
Ticket sales will be limited to fifteen attendees, to ensure maximum enjoyment for everybody on the tour.
The operator's own notes, grouped by topic. Nothing here is added by Guidekin.
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
| Tour | Price | Duration | Rating | Group |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| This tour · #6 of 92 | €24 | 2h | 4.98 (287) | shared |
| The Great British Rock and Roll Walking Tour | €38 | 2h | 4.99 (2075) | shared |
| London Sightseeing Walking Tour with 30+ sights | €23 | 5h | 4.97 (865) | shared |
| Drag Queen Disco Diva Tour - Silent Disco Walking Tour | €46 | 1h 30m | 4.98 (433) | shared |
Ranked #6 of 92 in Walking Tours by Guidekin score (rating weighted by review volume). Prices here run from €17 to €717, median €31; typical length 2h. 11 of 92 are private. Figures are live from the tour cards; the rubric is our handpicked set, not the whole market. Compare all 92 Walking Tours