Despite having lived in London for a long time I can sometimes be a reluctant tourist. I’m always interested in visiting new exhibitions, going to the theatre and discovering the city’s many hidden gems but I have tended to shy away from the bigger tourist attractions, including the London Dungeon.
I tended to think that it was something of a tourist gimmick, an attraction that only out-of-towners would enjoy, but not local Londoners.
But then I visited and I realised that there’s a reason why some tourist attractions are so popular. This is a really fun experience and one that is well worth adding to your London itinerary. Hopefully, this London Dungeon review will help convince you to visit.
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What is the London Dungeon?
Located in the County Hall building on the banks of the River Thames, near the London Eye, the London Dungeon is an immersive walk-through experience that covers some of the city’s most gruesome history.
It uses live actors, elaborate sets and special effects to recreate significant moments in London’s dark and sinister history. These include the infamous gunpowder plot and the Great Plague of London that killed an estimated 100,000 people in the course of 18 months.
You enter the experience as a group of up to 35 people and move as a unit from scene to scene with actors guiding you along the way. Audience participation is standard and the fewer people there are in your group, the more likely you will be called upon to take part. When I visited with my eighteen-year-old, there were only nine of us in the group and, as such, I was singled out three times to take part.
The actors are excellent and really commit to their roles – even if children are present – but they never touch you (and you are forbidden from touching them). They will, however, make you jump!
The London Dungeon Experience
The London Dungeon has timed slots and we arrived on a Wednesday afternoon for our 2pm booking. We were actually early and because the attraction wasn’t busy, we were allowed to enter half-an-hour ahead of our allocated time.
After having some photos taken – the staff will encourage you to perform various poses in front of a green screen – you’re directed to the start where the dungeon key master is waiting.
This set the tone for the rest of the experience, a combination of ark comedy and nervous anticipation about what lies ahead.
Once it was time to enter, we were met by a creepy court jester who explained the rules and then led us into a large, and very dark, elevator. I still can’t work out if the lift actually moved or not but at one point the lights flickered and the elevator shook and then doors opened and we were on our way.
That’s one thing to be aware of, the London Dungeon can be very dark in places. At times, such as in the Sweeney Todd barber shop experience, you are in pitch darkness. This is something to consider if you are of a nervous disposition, suffer from claustrophobia or panic attacks.
The London Dungeon experience travels through 1,000 years of London’s darkest history and introduces you to a cast of infamous characters. Our first stop was the Gunpowder Plot, in the bowels of the Houses of Parliament. This chapter of London history included a visit to the torture chambers where the executioner explained in graphic detail just how he made Guy Fawkes suffer with a demonstration of some terrifying torture instruments once used on prisoners.
Next, was a meeting with the plague doctor who led us through dimly lit corridors, delivering us to a rather terrifying nurse. The actors do an excellent job telling the stories behind each historical event so you do actually learn something while you’re waiting for the next jump scare, of which there are quite a few.
After watching the black plague nurse dissect a poor pustule-covered patient we travelled to 1621 and the peak of London’s with trials. It’s here, the bowels of Newgate Prison the two met Elizabeth Sawyer, who was accused and convicted of witchcraft. This was one of the best parts of the London Dungeon experience, but also one of the more terrifying.
From here we entered the pie shop of the fictional character Mrs Lovett and learned all about the Demon Barber of Fleet Street, Sweeney Todd. These are the only two fictional character in this dark history of London, but the experience is no less sinister!
The final chapters include Jack the Ripper and the Ten Bells pub where Mary Jane Kelly used to drink, and a London court rooms where a comedic judge encourages the group to “boo” suspected criminals.
The last part of the experience is the vertical free fall Drop Dead drop ride – although there is the option to opt out of this ride if you prefer. There is also a minimum height restriction of 1.4metres for this ride.
Is the London Dungeon experience scary?
As with all experiences, the London Dungeon is very subjective. As someone who avoids horror films and doesn’t typically enjoy jump scares, the experience had me on tenterhooks for the entire 90 minutes but it wasn’t what I would call frightening.
That said, there are lots of instances when you’re in pitch darkness, there are some serious heart-stopping moments, plenty of loud noises, and quite a few times where I yelped out loud.
If you don’t like audience participation then this might not be suitable for you either. The actors, who stay in character no matter what, do pick on individuals: I was singled out as being a witch and put in a cage and was also made to stand in the courtroom dock.
Is London Dungeon suitable for kids?
Again, this really depends on your child. I know that my 11-year-old would find it terrifying but other children of the same age might not. The official recommended age is 12 years and older but there is no strict age restriction and entry is left to parental discretion. That said, children under 5 are not permitted. Personally, I think it is best suited to teens.
In addition to the darkness, jump scares and dubious characters from London history, it’s worth noting that some of the storytelling is very gruesome. This is particularly true when it comes to the witch trials and the story of Jack the Ripper, which are not suitable for younger kids.
The London Dungeon: What you need to know
If you’re tempted to walk the corridors through London’s darkest history, here’s what you need to know about organising your visit.
Where is the London Dungeon located: The London Dungeon is located in the County Hall building on the South Bank, near to the London Eye. County Hall is also where you’ll find Shrek’s Adventure and SEA LIFE London Aquarium. The closest station is Waterloo station (the Bakerloo, Jubilee, Waterloo & City, and Northern line) followed by Westminster (the Circle, District and Jubilee lines).
London Dungeon Ticket Prices: The London Dungeon is part of Merlin experiences and there are lots of ticket options if you decide to visit some of the other Merlin attractions such as Madame Tussauds or the London Eye.
If you are going visit other Merlin attractions then it’s worth looking at the Merlin Pass, which gets you free admission to the London Merlin attractions as well as other experience such as LEGOLAND and Thorpe Park theme park. This is probably best suited to UK visitors, however, rather than international ones.
Whether or not you choose to combine this experience with any others, it’s worth buying your ticket online in advance as you will save money. A standard ticket, for example, which gives you a specific time to enter is £27 per adult if booked online but £35 if bought on the day. There is also an anytime ticket option, which allows you to arrive at any time on your chosen day.
London Dungeon Opening Times: The London Dungeon is open daily from 10am to 4pm every day of the year except for Christmas Day.
Food Options & Gift Shop: At the end of the tour there’s the Tavern, where you can order food and drinks (my favourite thing here was the self-playing piano!). There’s also a gift shop and the chance to buy photos that you had taken at the start of the tour.
