Ripper, Jack

We went on one such tour about 10 years, and it just wasn't that great. The path of the tour is now obviously redeveloped, since it been several hundred years, so you're standing next to a modern business, and the guide says this is the exact spot a specific murder happened - but there was no atmosphere or tension.
Contrast that with the haunted tours in Edinburgh, surrounded by medieval buildings, and you're going down into the basements and caverns beneath these old buildings- at night! Much more fun to be had!

I don’t think I have the language to describe how bad the Jack the Ripper tour was I went on a number of years ago. As well as the ethical question about whether we should be “celebrating” a mass murderer it was tedious in the extreme with little to see. We gave up well before the end.

I have to agree with the other posters. We went on this tour this past April with London Walks. Nothing from that time period still exists and there is no new news about the crime. If you have ever read anything about the case you know all the facts. A major disappointment for us.

I’ve always been fascinated by the investigation and theories of Jack the Ripper but i’ve never done a tour for the reasons already mentioned, the “places” where the murders took place 131-135 yrs ago are gone so what’s the point, and, i won’t learn anything new on a tour.

It’s not about “celebrating” the murders, it’s about being fascinated by the investigation and identity of JtR. .

The best ghost tours i’ve been on were in York, they were great. The famous-because-of-Rick tour in Rothenburg ob de Tauber was super boring and a waste of time and money.

Try the ghost tours in Quebec. Fabulous and very accurate. More a history tour of Louis XIV’s ladies and their fates once shipped over to the New France. Promenadesfantomes.com

Thanks Barbara, good tip

I'm not a big fan of Jack the Ripper and his tours either. I remain fairly sceptical about many of the "facts" of the case and I'm pretty sure all the talk of murdering women on a tour would be a bit much for me.

An alternative to a Jack The Ripper tour may be to take on of London Walks' tours in The City or Clerkenwell. I'm not sure which go as far as Whitechapel, but much of the same ground is covered geographically. There's a ton of absolutely fascinating history in this area.

Another true crime alternative might be learning more about The Krays. Whitechapel was their stomping ground too. Again, doesn't really float my boat, but some landmarks associated with their crimes still remain.

John Rogers' video on Whitechapel may be of some interest and give some pointers for a self-guided tour.

In a similar vein you could come out to Devon and visit Agatha Christie's residence, as well as the towns and villages which are the basis for some of the murders.

My niece and I joined the London Walks Jack the Ripper walking tour this past August and while it was somewhat interesting at the beginning, I found myself longing for it to be over after 30 minutes or so. It's not the type of walk I would have done if I hadn't been traveling with an 18 year old, but as I am a history teacher, I was interested in the historical context and details. London Walks does a pretty good job in this regard, but for me it was not enough to fill two hours. On the up side, it was our first day in London and it did keep us awake. Next time, I will do a different walk.

I should say I have not been on one of these, but can only agree that it does not surprise me if they were underwhelming. I mean, historically, what you have is some bodies popping up in the area, that has since been redeveloped over several times, so what you see bears no relation to what was.

Much the same as Sherlock Holmes tours, "here is the house the fictional character did not live in, because back then this was a completely different address?"

Maybe the guide has a good spiel that is interesting to listen to, but rather than walking around, let's just sit in a pub and discuss it over a pint or two.

We took the London Walks last month, and I didn't find it that interesting or enlightening. I could see at least three other tours operating that night, and so it's quite an industry. As others have noted, the redeveloped area of course bears no resemblance to what the old Whitechapel sites would have looked like. The tour was not expensive, but I really can't recommend it - maybe if you know nothing at all about the history, you will find some of the guide's story interesting. I probably knew too much going in.