Private Crimes & Cocktails Walk, London

Trace the footsteps of Golden Age detectives and East End gangsters on this private walk led by an entertaining historian guide. Setting off from the birthplace of modern policing at Great Scotland Yard, you'll dive into the capital's murky underworld as you track down sites linked to infamous criminals, legendary investigations, and historic prisons. Stop by the Old Bailey to learn more about the UK's ancient justice system, and end in style back at the Great Scotland Yard Hotel, sipping themed cocktails at an Art Deco bar named for London's most notorious all-female crime ring.

Grab your walking shoes and meet your private historian guide at Great Scotland Yard, an address synonymous with London's greatest detectives. Now a luxury hotel, this is the site where the Metropolitan Police established the world's first professional police force in 1829, and a fitting starting point for a three-hour walk devoted to the capital's long history of crime and punishment. 

As you loop through the streets of Westminster and The City, you'll walk in the footsteps of infamous figures like Jack the Ripper and the Kray Twins, and learn about the bloodcurdling Victorian cases that inspired Penny Dreadful tales like Sweeney Todd. You'll also visit key sites like the Old Bailey (the country's highest criminal court and the site of the former Newgate Gaol), and swing by the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom, where you'll have the chance to step inside if the courts aren't in session. 

Duck down hidden alleys to track down locations connected to famous investigations and criminal cases, and see ancient execution grounds and once-notorious neighborhoods known for their colorful casts of pickpockets and thieves. After about 1.5 hours of walking, you'll wind up back where you began at the Great Scotland Yard Hotel, where you'll take a seat at the 40 Elephants bar, named for an all-female crime ring. Here you'll sip a themed cocktail while you hear larger-than-life stories of the charismatic Alice Diamond and Rose Kendall (also known as the "Bobbed Hair Bandit").