Eastern City Festive Dickensian Walking Tour
Step back into the fog-shrouded streets of Victorian London on a journey through the very alleyways that inspired Charles Dickens.
Long before the towering skyscrapers of the modern City, these cobblestone courts and hidden passages were home to the dark, ghostly tales that defined a Victorian Christmas.
On this complimentary atmospheric guided walk, we will weave through the labyrinth of alleys surrounding Bank, Cornhill, and the historic Leadenhall Market. Standing beneath the shadow of St Michael’s Cornhill—where the church clock once boomed through the freezing mist—you will hear the spectral tales that haunted Dickens’s imagination. From the redemption of Ebenezer Scrooge and the visitation of Marley’s ghost to lesser-known, Dickens’s ghost stories, you will discover why the winter solstice was traditionally a time for the supernatural.
We will visit the historic George and Vulture, a tavern Dickens knew intimately and visit Leadenhall Market. Here, we will conjure the warmer side of a Victorian winter, uncovering the fascinating history behind traditional Christmas feasts, forgotten parlour games, and the potent, steaming drinks—like Smoking Bishop—used to keep the winter chill at bay.
Whether you are a literary enthusiast, a lover of ghost stories, or simply looking to see the City through the eyes of Dickens, wrap up warm and prepare to see the City’s oldest streets in a hauntingly new light.
Walking Tour Dates
Date: Thursday 26th November
Time: 12:30 – 13:30pm
Meeting Point: 88 Gracechurch St, London EC3V 0DN (Leadenhall Market entrance next to the New Moon Pub).
Book now
Date: Wednesday 9th December
Time: 12:30 – 13:30pm
Meeting Point: 88 Gracechurch St, London EC3V 0DN (Leadenhall Market entrance next to the New Moon Pub).
Book now
The guide will be wearing a City of London Guides Badge and will have an EC BID Walk sign
Please arrive 10 minutes before the event start time.
****There may be photography taken throughout this event. By signing up for this event you are agreeing for your photograph to be taken****