Originally published September 2023. Updated for 2026, always check the relevant websites for current prices.
Not everyone’s into jump scares, but a spooky ghost walk with a frisson of fear is guaranteed to get the heart racing.
Here are 9 guided ghost walks, plus one ‘do it yourself’, that dare to scare.
And remember, ghost walks are for (after) life, not just Halloween!
Lincoln Ghost Walk
Our own visit to this one is a few years back now, but it stuck with us. Led by a guide in a long black cloak, we heard stirring tales of ghostly riders, marching Roman soldiers and the rolling, bouncing head of St Hugh, stolen from his shrine in Lincoln cathedral.
Delivery was pitch-perfect, entertaining and mildly spooky with a good dose of well-researched history thrown in. Suitable for all ages, atmospheric even on a light summer’s evening, it must be wonderfully chilling on a dark, autumnal night.
When: Wednesday to Saturday and Bank Holidays at 7pm.
Where: Meet outside the tourist information centre in the cathedral quarter.
Cost in 2026: Adults £10, children under 12 £5.00
Tickets: No need to book in advance, just turn up on the night 10 minutes before the start.
Norwich Ghost Walks
A city with a long history that lends itself to spooky tales and harrowing hauntings. Discover the oldest part of the city by walking the cobbled streets of Elm Hill at twilight, or take the River Walk after dark.
There’s also now a Castle Walk on offer if you fancy a change of route. Your ghost-hunter host takes you on a journey through the most haunted areas of the city, telling tales of the many lost spirits and poltergeists still seen, and heard, to this day.
Where: Leave from Adam and Eve pub
When: Tuesdays for the Elm Hill Walk, Thursdays for the River Walk. Both start at 7.30pm and last around 2 hours. The River Walk is wheelchair and mobility scooter-friendly, with just a few short cobbled stretches.
Cost in 2026: £12 adults, £10 concessions. Halloween special: From 23rd to 31st October (excluding Sunday 25th), a special Halloween walk runs nightly from 7.30pm to 9.30pm, meeting at the Cow Tower. Cost £18.
Tickets: Pre-booked only
Whitby Ghost Walk, Yorkshire
Join Dr Crank on a stroll around the streets and alleyways of Whitby and hear tales of headless horsemen, severed hands, the Witches of Whitby and, of course, Dracula.
This northern town inspired Bram Stoker to write the world’s most famous horror story, and few coastal towns carry as much history and heritage as Whitby. Expect pirates, whales, smugglers and plenty more along the way.
Where: Meet at the famous Whale Bone Arch on West Cliff (opposite the Royal Hotel).
When: The tour departs at 7.30pm. Check the diary on the day, as dates vary.
Cost in 2026: £7.00 adults, £4.00 for under 12s
Tickets: No need to book, just turn up
City of the Dead Tours, Edinburgh
Don’t believe in ghosts? You might after you hear the terrifying tale of the Mackenzie Poltergeist in the Covenanter’s Prison, visit the South Bridge Vaults, or explore Damnation Alley.
You’ll laugh, but expect a few jumps along the way. Weird history, wild stories and wicked humour combine on these walks, which take in underground passageways, bleak prison cells and spooky graveyards. Everything’s scary, even the gift shop, which sits inside a funeral parlour.
These tours are not suitable for anyone of a sensitive disposition, although a child-friendly daytime version can be booked for private parties.
Where: Tours now leave from the pavement at the side of St Giles’ Cathedral on the Royal Mile, not the front, so keep an eye out for the tree.
When: Year-round, though start times shift with the seasons, so check the website before you go. Halloween brings an expanded timetable from 29th October through to 1st November, with extra Underground and Double Dead slots added through the evening.
Cost in 2026: Underground Vaults Tour and Haunted Graveyard Tour, £16 adults, £14 students/retired. Double Dead Tour, £19 adults, £17 students/retired. No under 12s on any of these.
Tickets: Booking required
Ghost Walk of the Lanes, Brighton
The city’s longest running ghost walk takes in the oldest part of Brighton, where the houses are packed in tight and the walls close in. By day this shopping area is lively and cheerful, but after dark it has quite a different atmosphere.
A costumed guide leads you through macabre tales of brutal murders, hideous apparitions, boisterous poltergeists and even wandering nuns.
The emphasis is on family-friendly fun and humour, corny jokes and some cheesy props. More chuckles than scares. It’s been a while since we did this tour ourselves, but even though we’ve lived in Brighton for years, we still learned a few snippets we hadn’t heard before.
Where: Meet outside the Druid’s Head, Brighton Place.
When: Every Wednesday, Thursday, Friday & Saturday at 7.30 pm
Cost in 2026: Adults £12, concessions £8 (under 16s and students), family ticket £32 (based on two adults and two children). The walk lasts around 75 minutes.
Tickets: No need to book, just turn up
The Original Ghost Walk of York
Established in 1973 this is thought to be the first dedicated ghost walk anywhere in the world.
Promising a legendary and disturbing experience, it offers an evening of history, mystery and humour as you explore the spookiest corners of York at a leisurely enough pace that you’ll have plenty of time to face your fears.
Where: Leaves from outside the King’s Arms pub on Ouse Bridge (the pub that floods). During high water, the meeting point switches to Ouse Bridge itself.
When: Nightly at 8pm, excluding Christmas. Extra 6.30pm tours are sometimes added around Halloween.
Cost in 2026: £10 adults, £6 children and students. Online booking is now available, though there’s an 80p booking fee per ticket if you go that route, otherwise it’s still cash on the night.
Tickets: No booking required, just turn up and hand over the cash! Route is fully accessible and dogs are welcome.
Shiverpool Ghost Tour, Liverpool
Winner of a Visit England Award for excellence, these tours are full of energetic storytelling and immersive entertainment.
Discover the mystery of history, hear tales that are strange but true, and expect the unexpected.
There’s a choice of three routes, each offering an experience of life on the other side.
The Auld Street and Dead House Tour takes you down the city’s oldest streets and ends up underground.
Hope Street Shivers leads you from the cathedral through the Georgian Quarter to the Secret Garden and necropolis.
Or you can walk with the dead on a tour of the ancient St James cemetery.
Where: Various locations around Liverpool, starting points vary by route.
When: Wednesday to Sunday, times vary. Suitable for ages 9 and up.
Cost in 2026: Prices sit around £19.50 adults, £17.50 students and under 16s, though these do shift, so it’s worth double-checking on the website before you book. A booking fee is added on top.
Tickets: Pre-booking is strongly recommended
Bath Ghost Tours
Any city as steeped in history as Bath has to have a ghost tour!
On this one and a half hour experience you’ll hear gruesome tales of murder, horrors, witch burnings, tragic suicides and relentless hauntings from beyond the grave.
You might even bump into a Roman soldier or two.
The tone stays light-hearted throughout, and Bath looks spectacular after dark.
Where: Leaves from outside the main door of Bath Abbey
When: Weekends year-round, expanding to Wednesday through Sunday from March, and seven nights a week between May and late December.
Cost in 2026: £18 adults, £12 children and students. Tour lasts around 105 minutes.
Tickets: Pre-booking is advised
Worth a mention: Scented Ghost Tours Bath is a newer, separate outfit billing itself as the first scented ghost tour in the world, mixing dark comedy with interactive paranormal experiments. Step into Bath’s haunted streets where you don’t just hear the stories at key points on the tour you get to ‘scratch and smell’ them!
Different company, different vibe, but worth knowing it’s there if you fancy something a bit different.
When: Tours run nightly at 7pm from the main entrance of Bath Abbey and last around 2 hours.
Cost in 2026: £17 per person. Family-friendly (ages 10+)
Tickets: Choose your date and time online to receive instant confirmation and meeting details.
And finally
If you want a free ghost walk, one you can do in your own time, take a spooky stroll around Pluckley in Kent, England’s most haunted village. The route was written up by ghost-walk writer Richard Jones on the London Walking Tours website, and it’s still there for anyone who wants to go it alone.
It takes about 3 hours to complete and leads you to where you might meet a ghostly monk, an invisible woman, the watercress lady and a poltergeist at the Black Horse pub. You can find details of the route here
If you’d rather have a guide, paid ghost walks of the village have since sprung up too, starting from £21.20 for adults (16+) and £19.08 for children aged 8 to 15, with prices creeping up around Halloween. They promise a unique immersive ghost walk and paranormal experience in ‘The Most Haunted Village in England’.
Booking in advance for The Pluckley Ghost Walk is essential.
Worth noting that Pluckley is a real, lived-in village, so whichever route you take, tread lightly and be respectful of residents.
Where to next?
• Riverside Walk Norwich
• 7 unmissable things to do in Bath
• Seaside Stories, Brighton
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