· 4 min read · October 13, 2026

The best ghost tours in the UK

Do you love Halloween? Are you ready for a heckin' fright? Take a look at our ghastly guide to some of the greatest ghost tours in the UK. Boo!

Edinburgh's haunted underground city

Edinburgh has a bit of a reputation for its population of ghostly residents, many of which make their homes in the haunted vaults and chambers that lie abandoned beneath the city streets. As the city grew upwards and outwards over the centuries, new bridges and streets were built over the old, leaving whole warrens of chambers hidden underneath.

These quickly became the haunt of local criminals and overlooked members of Victorian society, with the dank, damp and dark chambers providing shelter. Nowadays these creepy underground areas lie eerie and empty, save for the brave few that venture down there on organised tours in search of paranormal activity.

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In Tips & Advice October 2026

Pluckley ghost walk

Pluckley has been billed as the most haunted village in England since 1950, so where better to go for a nice countryside ramble and see the setting for ITV's famously terrifying The Darling Buds of May. Hold on a minute…

The village and surrounding woodland are supposedly home to a colourful cast of ghostly characters, including a highwayman, a schoolmaster and a drifting monk. There are a number of walking routes through the village and surrounding areas, including one that starts and ends at the train station for added convenience.

It'll take you through Dering Wood, nicknamed the Screaming Wood for its startling, disembodied screams, the Church of St Nicholas and its idyllic graveyard, and Fright Corner, where the highwayman is said to have met his demise at the sharp end of a sword.

Check out what happened when we sent our very own paranormal expert to Pluckley to tell us some entirely true* ghost stories.

*By entirely true we mean completely fictional.

Chillingham Castle ghost hunt

From the most haunted village to the most haunted castle. Chillingham, in fact, has no chill when it comes to ghosts as it seems to have one for every occasion. Located in Northumberland close to the Scottish border, the castle is reputedly the most haunted in Britain, and has a long and bloody history of war and torture, providing the perfect conditions for a haunting.

A whole host of ghosts are said to stalk the halls, including the victims of the castle's resident torturer John Sage, who legend says tortured and killed thousands of prisoners during his career. You can still see the castle's torture chamber and all of his 'equipment', including an iron maiden and the rack, which was used to stretch victims until their joints popped.

Keep an eye out for the Blue Boy too. Legend has it that his remains were discovered in the walls of the Pink Room, along with fragments of blue clothing, and that he was bricked up while still alive. If this all sounds fabulous to you, you can book ghost tours or ghost hunts at the castle, or even stay in one of its self-catering apartments if you're brave enough. The castle itself closes for the winter after 1 November, but the ghost tours run all year.

Ghost punting in Canterbury

And no, that's not a typo! The medieval city of Canterbury has a long old history which is easy to see from its winding cobbled streets and ruined perimeter walls. But what about from the river?

The Great Stour river runs through the heart of the city, so why not take a punt by lantern light to see some of the city's historic landmarks? Snuggle under a blanket with a hot water bottle as you listen to local tales of ghosts and drift through spooky riverside areas, like the historic Blackfriars Dominican Priory. The evening ghost tours only run on selected dates in October, so check before you go.

You'll also glide past the Old Weavers' House and Greyfriars Chapel, which is built right over the river.

Jack the Ripper's East End

Jack the Ripper terrorised London's Whitechapel district in the autumn of 1888, leaving behind a trail of five brutally murdered women and endless unanswered questions. It's suspected that the unknown killer murdered more people but there are only five 'canonical' victims.

Explore the streets where the Ripper carried out their crimes with a visit to Whitechapel and Spitalfields. You'll find the pubs where the victims drank, the streets where they made their livings and even the alleys where their bodies were discovered. Explore the streets yourself or book a tour with an expert 'Ripperologist' to see the locations associated with the murders and, perhaps more importantly, learn about the lives of the victims. The walk we've linked leaves from Aldgate East station and lasts around two hours.