Highlights
- Follow a plague doctor instead of a guide with a flag
- Uses sound, scent and taste to bring the past to life
- Discover London’s only tour devoted entirely to the Great Plague
- Immerse yourself in storytelling that puts you inside the outbreak
- Explore London with a qualified City of London Guide
Description
Beginning in Aldgate, one of the districts most fiercely struck by the Great Plague of 1665, this tour follows the story of the pestilence as it spread through the City of London. It is devoted entirely to an event that killed more Londoners in a single year than any other in the city’s long history. As you walk, you will visit locations connected directly to the crisis, including sites of plague pits where thousands were buried, as well as the streets, alleys, churchyards and historic spaces that shaped the spread of the disease.
At each stop, the story unfolds. You’ll learn how the plague took hold, how it moved through the city, and how people attempted to cope and respond. Drawing on contemporary accounts, the tour explores the measures used to control the outbreak, from quarantine and record-keeping to the role of the plague doctor and some of the more bizarre cures and remedies the terrified citizens turned to.
This is not a theatrical performance, but it is an immersive storytelling experience. Alongside what you see, carefully used sound, scent and taste help recreate the atmosphere of the time, giving a clearer sense of what the city felt like as the crisis deepened.
You’ll remember the disruption of Covid. The Great Plague was on a very different scale: at its height, the dead were piling up faster than the city could bury them.
By the end, you won’t just know what happened, you’ll have a far clearer sense of what it meant to live through it.
Includes
Guided walking tour led by a qualified City of London Guide
Experience led in character by a plague doctor
Immersive storytelling using sound, scent and taste
Small group experience
Excludes
Transport to and from the meeting point
Important Information
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- A moderate amount of walking is involved (just under 2 miles/3 km). All participants must be able to walk this distance
- The tour operates in all weather conditions, so please dress appropriately
Easy cancellation
Cancel up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund
