Our Top 14 History Walking Tours in the UK

1.A History of Terror – Belfast City Centre Walking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 2,883 reviews · 2 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $36Our pick

Explore Belfast’s Troubles on a thoughtful 2.5-hour walking tour with local guides, key sites, personal stories, and a balanced view of the city.

“Incredible. To my shame I was originally dissapointed that our guide Mylie was an American but that changed within the first 30 seconds of her speaking. She really really knows her stuff and delivered it in a very engaging way. It’s the best city tour I’ve ever done anywhere. I grew up during the Troubles and quickly realised that being English I have only ever heard one side of the story. It was great getting both sides of it on the tour. I really appreciated hearing the individual stories of people as well as the political history. Belfast is a great city but this just put the icing on the…”

Check availability →Read our full review

2.Old Town History and Tales Walking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 2,361 reviews · 2 hours · from $24

Review of Edinburgh’s Old Town walking tour, with medieval tales, Harry Potter links, landmark stops, guide tips, price, and practical advice.

“Highly recommend! Graeme is an absolute Gem, i don‘t think i‘ve ever had a more welcoming tour guide! As a local (who loves Edinburgh) he is the perfect man to guide you through Edinburgh, open for all the questions possible, his knowledge of the city and it‘s history is insane. Funny too! Easily the best tour i‘ve ever been to thanks to Graeme! I‘ve seen places i would have struggled finding easily on my own! Lovely tour!!! Cheers Graeme 😁”

Check availability →Read our full review

3.Old Town Walking Tour History and Tales in Edinburgh

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 2,168 reviews · 2 hours (approx.) · from $24

Explore Edinburgh’s Old Town with a lively guide, historic closes, St Giles Cathedral, castle views, and useful local tips in two hours.

“We took the Historic Edinburgh tour on 06 12 25. Euan was our guide and he was excellent. Very knowledgeable and interesting with a dry sense of humour. Euan interacted well with the whole group and everyone appeared to feel included. There was a very pleasant, friendly atmosphere. At the end of the tour, the four us (husband and friends) all thought that we had a good overview of Edinburgh's history even if we southerners weren't entirely convinced that the English Civil War started in Edinburgh due to an ecclesiastical dispute with Charles I although we did admire Euan's patriotism and love of his home town.”

Check availability →Read our full review

4.Shadows of York: Ghost Walk and Horrible History.

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 1,403 reviews · 1 hour 30 minutes (approx.) · from $18Best value

Explore York after dark on a funny, spooky 90-minute walk through the Minster area, Shambles, and lesser-seen streets with lively local guides.

“Very entertaining and an opportunity to see some hidden parts of York and to listen to some well delivered ghostly tales”

Check availability →Read our full review

5.Private Historical Walking Tour of York

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 1,324 reviews · 2 to 3 hours (approx.)

Review of York’s private historical walking tour, with key sights, guide quality, pricing, practical tips, and who will enjoy it most.

“I loved this tour, my guide was very knowledgeable about the city and showed me lots of interesting things in York, along with the history behind the sites.”

Check availability →Read our full review

6.Witches & Haunted History Walking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 1,290 reviews · 1h 15m · from $24

Explore Edinburgh’s Old Town, witch trials, haunted closes, and Grassmarket executions on a lively 75-minute walking tour.

“Witch Hazel was our guide for this tour and it didn’t disappoint. This lady has a wealth of information, and provided us with so much insight into the witch trials of Edinburgh and North Berwick in a lighthearted but heartfelt manner. I would definitely recommend this tour to anyone who wishes to explore Edinburgh’s deeper past, points of interest and has a real interest in the witch trials”

Check availability →Read our full review

7.Historic Pubs of Central London Walking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 1,065 reviews · 3.5 hours · from $39

Explore four historic London pubs, hidden lanes, gin palaces, and Dickens-era stories on this lively 3.5-hour walking tour.

“Tim was our guide and he was very knowledgeable and friendly throughout the tour.”

Check availability →Read our full review

8.Edinburgh Old Town: Historical Guided Walking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 1,016 reviews · 2 hours (approx.) · from $24

Review of Edinburgh’s two-hour Old Town walking tour, covering medieval stories, key landmarks, guides, value, meeting point, and booking tips.

“Urs war super, unterhaltsam, gut auf die Gruppe acht gegeben. Weiß absolut Bescheid! Keine absolute mainstream Geschichte, achtet auf Details.”

Check availability →Read our full review

9.Witches and History Old Town Walking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 928 reviews · 1h 15m · from $22

Explore York’s witch trials, cobbled lanes, and famous sights on a lively 75-minute character-led walking tour.

“It was fun, informative and our guide was bewitching 😊”

Check availability →Read our full review

10.A Walk Through Time: History of Liverpool Walking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 911 reviews · 1 hour 50 minutes (approx.) · from $27

Explore Liverpool’s medieval roots, docks, trade, and waterfront on a lively 1-hour-50-minute history walk with a local guide.

“John did an excellent job of being the history of Liverpool to the moment now. His passion for Liverpool’s history and knowledge were evident throughout the entire tour. Would highly recommend if you want to build a fuller prospective of what made Liverpool what it is today.”

Check availability →Read our full review

11.A History of Terror Walking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 854 reviews · 2.5 hours · from $35

Review of Belfast’s History of Terror walking tour, covering The Troubles, local stories, key sites, practical tips, value, and who should book.

“very informative, great insight into the conflict, brilliantly delivered.”

Check availability →Read our full review

12.Soho Music and Historic Pubs Walking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 836 reviews · 2.5 hours · from $39

Explore Soho’s music legends, historic pubs, and wild nightlife tales on a lively 2.5-hour London walking tour.

“Tom was an excellent tour guide. He was very welcoming to the group from the outset, and ensured we were all included and involved. He was very knowledgeable about the subject matter, and we loved his funny anecdotes. I would definitely recommend this tour, especially with Tom as tour guide, and would certainly book other tours with your company in the future. All in all, a brilliant afternoon. Jane Ward”

Check availability →Read our full review

13.Royal Historic Pubs Walking Guided Tour in London

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 803 reviews · 2 to 3 hours (approx.) · from $44

Explore royal London through four historic pubs, local stories, and expert guides on this small-group walking tour from Piccadilly Circus.

“Great fun today on the historic pub crawl. Laughed and learned a lot. Our guide Henry was excellent! Knowledgeable and funny…big thumbs up!”

Check availability →Read our full review

14.Private Group: Historical Pub Walking Tour of London

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 660 reviews · 3 to 4 hours (approx.) · from $173

Explore London’s historic pubs, stories, and landmarks on a private walking tour with flexible timing, expert guides, and drinks at your own cost.

“Fantastic tour! John is the best and very knowledgeable and fun! We visited many pubs and enjoyed the historical aspect of each pub we went to. Definitely recommend this tour.”

Check availability →Read our full review