Having had a very substandard experience in a similar attraction in London, I was quite hesitant to go to the London Dungeon as I thought it would be just as bad. So even if I already have tickets for it, it wasn’t in my intention to visit it anymore.
I went to the Southbank area for the London Eye a few weeks ago but the line was horrendously long so instead of spending hours on the line, I decided to use my ticket for the Sea Life London Aquarium instead. On my way there, I passed by the London Dungeon without any queue and with a sign that the next group will be accepted in 5 minutes. My feet made a u-turn and the next thing I knew, I was inside the London Dungeon waiting for the walk-through show to start.
I’m not so sure if it was because I was expecting that it would be as bad as my previous experience in a similar attraction or if the London Dungeon was actually THAT good. I enjoyed every single minute that I was in it, I found it a lot more informative (than the other attraction) in a very entertaining way.
For those of you who have no idea what the London Dungeon is, think educational tour about the history of London combined with theatrical acts and special effects in a slightly gruesome way. I was quite surprised that they allowed kids in there but I guess the kids loved all the gore.
I also loved how the storytelling of the whole experience was arranged, it’s a journey through London’s 1000 years of history. And unlike the other attraction, I can actually understand the actors in the London Dungeon (I’m a foreigner, I’d need subtitles for heavy British accent lol).
The London Dungeon experience starts with the descent where you are made to take a centuries-old elevator (at least by special effects) down to the dungeon. You are then met by Guy Fawkes himself (or a part of him) as he tells you about the Gunpowder plot and what he went through during the 10 days of his torture when he was captured. Next, you meet the torturer and all the apparatus that he uses for his “job”. That bit was pretty unpleasant to be completely honest but I enjoyed it still.
The Plague Doctor comes next, a surprise came to all of us during this part. Hint: leeches! Quite gross. The year 1666 comes next, the Great Fire of London which I think had one of the most impressive special effects. Mrs Lovett herself will meet you on the next part to show you how her pies are made with the help of her very special and skillful friend, Sweeney Todd.
The Whitechapel Labyrinth comes next where a lot of us got lost. The landlady of The Ten Bells Pub guided us through the maze and told us about the stories of Jack The Ripper’s victims. Tip: Make sure to hold on to your mates when the power goes out of this pub.
Next comes the Judge, a very interactive part of the tour. Everyone’s guilty in his eyes but the entertaining part is what of? I was personally sent to the gallows for being a Filipino. Lol. Onto the next part, we met the original escapologist – Jack Sheppard, who apparently escaped 4 prisons by breaking through ceilings and picking on locks.
The last part of the London Dungeon experience was the drop which I was not expecting at all. I didn’t see the signs and the warnings before I went inside the last room. If I had known, I wouldn’t have gone in. It was quite obvious though from the name of the ride itself, the DROP.
At the end of the tour, you get to enjoy one free drink at the Dungeon tavern. Sounds like a treat after being scared to wits from that drop.
Unfortunately, one of the rides in the London Dungeon wasn’t working when I visited. The Tyrant Boat Ride was closed for planned maintenance and will reopen on the 23rd of March. It’s actually the bit of London’s history that I’m most interested in – the wrath of King Henry VIII so I guess I will have to go back there to try out the whole experience with the tyrant boat ride but I will probably skip the drop. :p
The London Dungeon is definitely a MUST visit in London specially if you’re up for something educational and entertaining. It’s great for kids too as they definitely won’t get bored but that’s not to say that the adults won’t enjoy it because I think we all did too.
Plan your visit to the London Dungeon:
Standard Opening Hours:
Dates Opening Time Last Entry
Monday – Wednesday 10:00am 4:00pm
Thursday 11:00am 5:00pm
Friday 10:00am 4:00pm
Saturday – Sunday 10:00am 6:00pm
Note: The tours last 110 minutes.
Nearest underground/train station: Waterloo
Ticket price: £21 per person
Note: As photography is not allowed inside the London Dungeon, ALL photos used in this blog post are taken from their website.
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15 Comments
looks fun!
Oh my….this looks like some experience…everybody is totally dressed up. I am not sure if I have the guts to go here…will I get nightmares after I come back. I am glad you are courageous enough to go there…though I know many of my friends would like to visit this place, I would be so scared!
well, I don’t think I can’t pass up this! It looks very scary. like very very scary. can’t understand how you passed it. Thanks for sharing your experience! Cheers.
That actually sounds like a lot of fun! I kind of love and hate scary stuff but I am fascinated by history! 🙂 The drop, whatever it might be sounds scary haha!
It sounds a little terrifying but, thrilling and interesting as well! I would freak out in the landlady of the Ten Bells Pub with stories of Jack the Ripper being told and then the lights turning off! Scary! As well, I may just opt out of the Drop now that I have been forewarned. Definitely sounds like an interesting activity to experience in London. Thanks for the post.
What a fun and interesting way to take in London’s history! I didn’t know something like this existed in London but I guess there are several. I always like to learn interactively as I find I remember things better that way. I will keep this in mind for when I visit London next but I might skip the drop too!
I’ve seen the flyers for the London Dungeon but I never actually knew what went on inside. Your pictures are very clear and it’s good that it tells the story f the history of London. My daughter would be super scared in here!
It’s always fun to be educated and learn stuff when it is presented in an entertaining way, particularly if they stick to the actual historical facts. From what you have described here, it certainly looks as if they have done this, which would be of value to all. I have visited London a couple of times but must admit I didn’t know about this attraction. When I get back there, this is something I will definitely want to experience.
Now I am totally regretting not doing the Dungeon Tour while I was in London last year, it looks like a lot of fun. I miss London terribly, and I am sure I will return. I was having trouble finding convincing blogs on non-traditional tours but your photos makes it seem very interesting. When I find myself in London in the future, I am definitely doing this tour.
Wow some of these pics look really scary. I never considered a visit, but now I definitely will. Very useful post on a London attraction
I’ve lived here for almost six years, and still have yet to visit! It sounds like so much fun! I’ll probably go when I have guests visiting from out of town!
I’ve never been to any of the Dungeons around but I always thought they looked like fun!
I’ve been there and truly loved it.
Amazing shots 🙂
This looks super fun! It seems like one of those kind of weird things that I couldn’t pass up. I’ve never seen anything like this, but like I said, it looks pretty cool!
Yep! Truly entertaining! 🙂