London Dungeon Offering Scares, Cocktails and Escape Room Experiences

26th August 2021

I must confess it is many many moons since I’ve been to the London Dungeon … might have been back in the early ‘90s and WOW it’s changed, a lot.

Although the London Dungeon isn’t strictly a night time venue it’s still a brilliant place for a day out with your mates. The London Dungeon offers theatrical, immersive experiences which will terrify you, but it’s ok because you can grab a cocktail or three in the Dungeon Tavern once you’ve made it out alive.

The main event is a guided tour through the dungeons as you experience 1000 years of history. But this is unlike any tour you’ve ever experienced. This is 360° of sights, sounds, smells and feels. The fully theatrical tour offers a range of optional experiences including a boat ride with Anne Boleyn where you’ll be sentenced to death by a furious Henry VIII, an explosive visit to a rat-infested tunnel with Guy Fawkes, a frantic scramble through the Whitechapel Labyrinth with Jack the Ripper, and an opportunity to try out the long drop at Newgate Gallows.

If the main event gets your nerves jangling and you fancy a bit more then you should try out one of the seasonal events. Currently available is the Escape Execution experience and The Dentist.

The Escape Execution is a stand-alone activity. You’ve been sentenced to death and you’ve got 60 minutes to escape before the terrifying executioner comes back to carry out your sentence. The dungeon escape room costs £110 for up to 5 people (£22 each if you’ve a team of 5). As you’ll expect, you’ll have to work together with your comrades to solve a series of challenges, puzzles and riddles in order to conquer the room and escape.

Open until the end of August is the summer season show, The Dentist. This trip to the dentist will challenge the sturdiest of stomachs and the accompanying sound effects will penetrate and jangle your every nerve ending.  A graphic examination of Victorian age dentistry which will have you taking extra special effort to clean your teeth properly in the coming weeks.  However, to anesthetise you from your experience the London Dungeon have partnered with Beefeater Gin to create a bespoke cocktail – the Dentistry Special. So at least you can have something to look forward to once the dentist has finished your appointment.

Interestingly, the London Dungeon ran a survey into modern teeth cleaning habits. The results of which showed than over a quarter of Brits only clean their teeth once, or less, a day and 10% of people stopping cleaning their teeth altogether, during lockdown – urgh!

Although the dungeon closes at 5pm, you can book in for a 75-minute Dungeon Lates experience. Where you tour the dungeon at night, bolstered by a couple of drinks from the tavern and an enormous box of dressing up to help you get into the Victorian vibe. This experience isn’t currently available but hopefully will be back on offer in the near future. As one of their reviewers said, “Gin and dressing up, what’s not to like” @julietrowles.

In an effort to Back the Vacc, visitors who are aged 18-24 and are fully, double vaccinated, can bag themselves a complimentary alcoholic shot from the onside Cock and Beaver Tavern. This offer is available until 29th August.

A London Dungeon spokesperson said: “While the gruesome history of London is our bread and butter, we have no interest in history repeating itself. Our very own Plague Doctor hopes you take him up on his offer of free shots for vaccinated guests. And for any doubters, he’s confident one visit to his surgery to hear the horror stories of what happens without a vaccine will have you scared straight.”

Where: Riverside Building County Hall, Westminster Bridge Road, London, SE1 7PB
Cost: Dungeon from £27 per adult; Escape room from £22 per person
Age: 12+