Jack the Ripper tour London: The victims' stories, not the killer
Five women's lives in the streets where they lived and died
A two-hour walking tour of London's East End that reframes the Whitechapel murders by centering the voices of the five victims (Martha Tabram, Polly Nichols, Annie Chapman, Catherine Eddowes and Mary Jane Kelly), and the district that created the conditions for both their vulnerability and the killer's notoriety. You walk through Whitechapel, Spitalfields and Brick Lane, stopping at the actual sites where these women spent their final days and where their neighbours lived alongside them.
Step-by-step itinerary
Explore East End and Ripper sites
- Hear stories of Martha Tabram and Polly Nichols
- Learn about Victorian East End living conditions
- Visit pub site of Polly Nichols' final night
- Stop at Brick Lane Mosque for immigration story
- Visit old Truman Brewery and 29 Hanbury Street
- Hear about Annie Chapman at Ten Bells Pub
- Explore Old Spitalfields Market and Crispin Street refuge
- See former site of Mary Jane Kelly's residence
- Visit former textile industry heart
- Visit St Botolph's church and learn about Elizabeth Stride
- Finish at Mitre Square with Catherine Eddowes story
- Whitechapel 20m
- Brick Lane 15m
- Spitalfields 10m
- Old Spitalfields Market 15m
- Petticoat Lane Market 5m
- St Botolph's Aldgate 25m
What’s included
- An experienced guide who leads the entire walk in English.
- access to all five victim sites and the key locations in Whitechapel, Spitalfields and Brick Lane.
- Every day 18:30
Information
Two-hour walking tour through Whitechapel and Spitalfields with a guide who centers the five murdered women: their lives, their neighbours.
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The experience
The tour starts in Whitechapel and moves through the Victorian East End on foot, stopping at the places where these five women lived, worked and died. You'll hear about Martha Tabram and Polly Nichols first, learning what daily life looked like for working-class residents in dosshouses and workhouses: the poverty and desperation that shaped their circumstances. The guide shows you the pub where Polly Nichols spent her final night, then moves to Brick Lane to explain the waves of immigration that transformed the neighbourhood and the cultural diversity that defined it then and now.
From there you walk to Spitalfields, where you'll see the site of the old Truman Brewery (once the largest in the world) and 29 Hanbury Street, where Annie Chapman was found on the morning of September 8. At the Ten Bells Pub nearby, the guide tells Annie's story (her heartbreak and struggles), and explains how the Reclaim the Night movement forced the pub to reclaim its original name from the sensationalized "Jack the Ripper Pub" it had briefly become. You'll also learn about the Brick Lane Mosque and the area's ongoing cultural shifts.
The tour continues to Old Spitalfields Market, which opened in 1887, the year before the murders began. Here the guide dwells on the stark contrasts of the Victorian era. You walk to Crispin Street to see a refuge for working-class people that actually functioned: a rare success in an era of failed charity. Across the street is the former site of Mary Jane Kelly's residence, the last and most mysterious of the victims. The walk ends at St Botolph's without Aldgate, where you hear about Elizabeth Stride, originally from Sweden, and her traumatic past in Gothenburg before her life in London. The final stop is Mitre Square, where Catherine Eddowes' body was discovered, and the guide tells you about this "feisty Wolverhampton lass" and her own resilience.
Top questions
Can children come?
Yes. Ticket types: Youth (14 to 17 years). Children under 14 can't be included in the booking.
What happens if it rains?
It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund. Free cancellation up to 24 h before the start.
What was life actually like for working-class women in Victorian Whitechapel?
The tour opens with the harsh realities: dosshouses, workhouses, spikes and other forms of accommodation that trapped poor residents in cycles of poverty and instability. You'll see the actual sites where Martha Tabram and Polly Nichols lived and understand the desperation that made them vulnerable.
Where exactly did each of the five victims spend their final hours?
Polly Nichols was at a pub in Whitechapel on her last night; Annie Chapman was found at 29 Hanbury Street in Spitalfields; Elizabeth Stride's story is told at St Botolph's without Aldgate; Catherine Eddowes' body was discovered in Mitre Square; and Mary Jane Kelly's former residence is shown on Crispin Street. The guide takes you to each location in sequence.
How did the Brick Lane Mosque and immigration shape the East End?
Brick Lane became a centre of immigration into the East End, bringing waves of new residents and cultural diversity. The tour stops at the Brick Lane Mosque to explain this transformation and how it reshaped the neighbourhood's identity over time.
What does the tour say about the Reclaim the Night movement?
The Reclaim the Night movement played a hand in forcing the Ten Bells Pub to change its name back from the sensationalized "Jack the Ripper Pub" to its original name. The guide discusses how this reflects a broader shift in how the area reclaims its own narrative.
Is this tour suitable for teenagers?
Yes. The tour welcomes children from age 14 and up. Younger children can attend if they're in a pram or stroller, and service animals are allowed throughout.
Operated by Rebel Tours. Explorevia does not run this tour: we compare it with similar options, and you book it with our booking partner.
Prices and times updated 2 days ago
Jack the Ripper tour London: The victims' stories, not the killer
2h · EN
from £ 25 per person
≈ US$ 34 in your currency
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