The London Bridge Experience: A Review of London’s Scary Attraction

London is a city steeped in history and The London Bridge Experience and Tombs brings the city’s darker and more gruesome past to life in a fun and scary way.

I visited with my 13 year old son in August 2024 and we had a great time.

Read about our experience and find the answers to all your questions by clicking on the links below:

What is the London Bridge Experience & London Tombs?
What’s It like to visit?
Is the London Bridge Experience and London Tombs scary?
How long does it last?
How much does it cost?
Would we recommend the London Bridge Experience?
Is it worth the money?
London Dungeons Vs London Bridge Experience – which is best?
What are some alternative attractions in London?

The London Bridge Experience and London Tombs – What Is It?

The London Bridge Experience is a walk through experience. Enter themed rooms where actors take you back in time through 2000 years of London history. The experience is interactive and immerses you in the backdrop of historical London. Storytelling and audience participation are part of the fun!

After your historical trip through London, you then embark on a trip through the Tombs – which the scary part. For the fearless only! Opt out of this part if you want to.

What’s It Like – Our Experience

We arrived to be greeted at the desk by a very friendly lady who was playing a character from London’s gruesome past which was fun!

We then waited in the “prison holding area”  for the next tour. Before you start your tour you are given a safety briefing with information about what is going to happen. Be careful not to smile during the briefing or you might be handcuffed!

At the beginning of the tour, you have your photo taken with the opportunity to purchase it at the end.

We then embarked on a five room tour, each one focusing on a different period from London’s past. Each room was also home to a character where through story telling and performance they told us about London’s gruesome history. We ventured back through Roman and Viking times and then into medieval London. Along the way we learned many gruesome facts including how they tortured people and what they did to witches. Unfortunately I smelled like a witch and was called to the front where I was told about the unfair trial I was subject to!

The experience is a great way to learn about the history of the area.

Once the part of the tour had finished we then walked through the Tombs, also known as the scare maze! I told my 13 year old son this was the scary part. He told me that there was no way they could scare him! But who was right?

Is the London Bridge Experience and London Tombs Scary?

Walking through the London Tombs was definitely a scary experience (in a very good way). 

My son and I were the first in our group to enter the Tombs. At times it was so dark we couldn’t see where we were going. We reached dead ends where we couldn’t find a way out and it took a while to work out where to go. 

Freaky characters appeared along the way, shouting at and scaring us with chainsaws and guns (must be fun for the actors!). 

There were stroble lighting effects and narrow parts we had to squeeze through too.

After a while another couple from the group went first which was good for us! However, after a while we couldn’t see them ahead anyway!

At the end, my son admitted it was certainly scary. But it was fun too. We both loved it and talked about it for quite a while afterwards.

You have a chance to opt out of the Tombs (at the end of the theatrical tour part) if you prefer not get too frightened. The London Bridge Experience (the first part) is dark and has gruesome details but is not scary (unless they call you to the front!!) However, the Tombs definitely earns it’s place as the scariest year round attraction in the UK.

How Long Does it Last?

The website states the experience lasts for 45 minutes. To me it felt longer than that (probably over an hour from start to finish).

How Much Does it Cost?

The tickets are on the high side £33 for an adult on the door.

However, you can save money by booking your ticket online in advance. At the time of writing booking in advance is a great option if you want to book for a family of four with 50% off.

If you travel to London by National Rail (like we did) you can get a 2 for 1 entry which makes the price much more reasonable.

Would you recommend the London Bridge Experience and the Tombs?

Yes, I would but predomiately for the second part of the attraction which is The Tombs. This was 100% my son’s favourite part. If you love being scared – this the part you will enjoy the most. This part of the attraction has been voted the Top Horror Attraction in the World by The Worldwide Attractions Awards and has been holder of the UK’s Scariest Attraction for the past 13 years.

However, the first part of the attraction is still good, especially if you like immersive theatre and learning about London’s gruesome history.

Is it worth the money?

If I had to pay full price for a ticket. it would seem like a lot of money for an hour’s attraction. However, London rents and actors are expensive so I can understand why it costs so much.

Look out for the 2 for 1 deals if you travel to London by train or the 50% discount on and advance family ticket on the website. Then the price feels much more reasonable.

London Dungeons Vs London Bridge Experience

The London Dungeon and the London Bridge Experience are both popular attractions in London. Part of the experience they offer is similar but there are a couple of big differences.

Both are theatrical, immersive attractions that take visitors on a walking journey through London’s dark history, with live actors, immersive backdrops and special effects. Both explore infamous events in London’s history such as Jack the Ripper, the Plague and the Great Fire of London.

London Bridge Experience takes visitors further back in time covering Roman times and Viking invasions as well as medieval times and the 18th century.

The London Dungeons has 19 live shows where you enter Mrs Lovett’s pie shop, meet Guy Fawkes and learn about The Gunpowder plot as well as the Demon Barber Sweeney Todd. None of these characters feature in the London Bridge Experience at the time of writing.

The experience at the London Dungeons is longer taking about 90 minutes compared to about 60 minutes at the London Bridge Experience.

The London Dungeons ends with a drop dead ride so is great for thrill seekers whereas the London Experience ends with a walk through The Tombs.  The scariest attraction is definitely the London Bridge Experience due to it’s haunted house style walk at the end.

Both attractions have different pricing. If you’re budget concious, it’s worth exploring both websites as there are often different offers available and the best value attraction will depend on the ticket type you want to purchase.

Both offer a 2 for 1 tickets if you travel to London by National Rail so that’s worth checking out too.

Alternatives to the London Bridge Experience.

There are plenty of scary or gruesome experiences you can enjoy in London. They often are fantastic ways to learn about London’s dark past. Here is a quick round up of some alternatives.

The Jack the Ripper Tour – For fans of dark history, this guided walking tour delves into the chilling story of Jack the Ripper, exploring the East End streets where the infamous murders took place.

The Clink Prison – Situated in the heart of Southwark, this museum offers a glimpse into the life of prisoners in what was one of England’s oldest and most notorious prisons. See actual torture devices from the past.

The Old Operating Theatre Museum – Located near London Bridge, this quirky museum offers a glimpse into the medical history of London, with a preserved 19th-century operating theatre and exhibits on surgery before modern anesthesia.

Jack the Ripper Museum – A small but compelling attraction dedicated to exploring the infamous crimes of the mysterious serial killer who terrorized the East End in 1888. Located in a Victorian townhouse in Whitechapel, the museum recreates key scenes from the era, including a police station, a morgue, and the living quarters of the victims.

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