London - Which London Walks/Pub Crawl
 

I will be in London in a couple of weeks, I have been to London a few times and seent he main toursits sites. I am interested in something different for sightseeing this time. I have looked at the London walks website I am overwhelmed with the different choices, which walks have fodorites done that they would recommend. I am looking at maybe doing the Jack the Ripper walk and I would also like to do a pub crawl and get off the beaten tourist track on this visit. Thanks in advance.

I'd go for the Inns of Court or Shakespeare and Dickens
It's really a case of what interests you.
I'd avoid Jack the Ripper myself.

I've done the Jack the Ripper & enjoyed it but it's disappointing that most of the sites are nothing like they were so the atmosphere is not the same.

Jack the Ripper walks are rubbish (abd I used to guide them so i know of which I speak).

There are some great pub walks on the London walks itinery - they're all good. Just pick one that takes your fancy. You go in two pubs on the walk and end up in a third usually.

I quite enjoyed the "Pub Walk along the Thames" - we went to several different pubs, all from a different century :)

I thoroughly enjoyed the Hampstead Heath walk.

It is perhaps worth noting that the London Walks pub walks are not "pub crawls". The pub walks are predominantly about the walks, with short breaks at a couple of pubs. Pub crawls are generally about drinking, with walking being nothing more than the means of transportation between drinking sessions.

The Along the Thames pub walk mentioned above is a good introduction to this kind of walk. Another that I particularly like is the Chelsea pub walk -- you get much more into local neigbourhood pubs than you do in other walks.

Personally, I like the JtR walks. I've done them by London Walks about eight times. I like to listen to the different takes on the stories. Every guide is different, and I always get a new piece of lore.

Some other good walks are the ghost tours by LW. I liked Haunted London, Ghosts of the Old City, and Ghosts, Gaslight, & Guinness. For pub walks I enjoyed Along the Thames Pub Walk.

There are the specialty ones also, if you want a bit more history.

Also I read a book a few years back about "three day walking tours" around London. It was broken up into categories such as Maritime, WWII, Princess Diana's Footsteps, Legal London, Pub Walks, etc. It was an easy pace starting in the morning and ending in the afternoon each day with places to rest, shop, and eat. This is a self-walk book, and was great. You could go at your own pace.

If you've never been to London, or want to learn a little about a part you've never been to, guided walking tours are great.

While the atmosphere has definitely changed from the time of the crimes, I thought the nightime Jack the Ripper walk was great (it ends at the Ten Bells Pub). My wife and I had a really good time on it. It was a group of about eight and I don't think anyone was disappointed.

We also enjoyed the Pub walk along the Thames.

=:)

Please be aware that a pub walk and a pub crawl are completely different animals.

A pub walk is basically a walk punctuated by a couple of pubs.

A pub crawl is an attempt to drink in a large amount of pubs with the intention of getting completely Brahms.

I really liked Alleyways, Apparitions and Ale (I think that's what it's called). Really good ghost stories and you cover some good ground.
But keep in mind that the pub stops are pretty fast, and also that you have to wait until the next stop to access a toilet... which everyone else is also trying to do!

Some people enjoy the JtR walk - but I have to agree - complete rubbish. (<b>eight</b> times?? Why on earth?)

IMO - Why spend some of your very limited time in this great city walking through people's neighborhoods standing on street corners while a book flogging guide yells (in order to be heard by the 150 other nearest and dearest along for the walk) about the pub that used to be where that car park is now, or which disemboweled woman was found under where that block of flats is now. None of the original sites still exist - the people who live around there really REALLY hate DR (the book flogging guide)

janisj, I absolutely agree but you're whipping that dead horse again.:) There's no accounting for taste.

I've taken at least 4. My favorites were the pub (Thames and chelsea) walks. The Chelsea may arguably take you to more areas/neighborhoods you wouldn't otherwise find yourself (my self) in. Pub walks provide a variety of info about the area, afford you a chance to sit down and enjoy refreshments, and also to meet some of your fellow walkers.

We also enjoyed a general crime walk (Blood Curdling London may be its current incarnation) and, I think, a &quot;hidden&quot; or &quot;secret&quot; london walk.

historytraveler: It's the evangelist in me - can't help myself :D

JTR walks and Tussauds are advice proof. You can tell 'em all you like and they'll still go there (see also; london dungeon and hard rock cafe)

I can't understand why anybody would want a guided pub walk or pub crawl. Pubs are very straightforward propositions. Find one (not difficult in London); look in; if you like what you see, stop and have a drink or several drinks; then find another pub and repeat until you are falling-down drunk, broke, bored, out of time, or in some other way finished.

I've been on several of these things and they're fun - they're not pub crawls. They are just like the usual guided walks - history, ghosts, etc but with a couple of pit stops in pubs for a BOOZE or BINGE.

I'm not aware of any guided pub crawls in London - but i did see one in Paris recently. It was Australians.

Which pub walks did you go on, padraig? I might want to sign up for one of those!