London’s Millennia of Medical Progress Private Historical Tour
London, GB
100% of travellers recommend this
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Private Guided Tour
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Duration 4 hours
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Available in English
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Explore historic medical sites
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Admission not included for some stops
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Public transport options nearby
Discover London's rich medical history on a private tour, exploring historic sites and learning about healthcare's evolution over centuries.
Featured Reviews
Included
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Private guided tour
Excluded
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Underground tickets are not included (£7.40 per adult)
Discover London's rich medical history on a private tour, exploring historic sites and learning about healthcare's evolution over centuries.
Highlights
- Visit the sites that have helped change the world in medicine
- Explore the first operating theatres and hospitals in the western world
- Learn about the pioneers of medicine and their groundbreaking discoveries
- Discover the hidden history of medical disasters and underhand events
- Walk through centuries of medical progress in London
End Point
We end at the oldest hospital in the Western World with great onward connections by London Underground or bus.
57A W Smithfield, London EC1A 9DS , United Kingdom
Pickup
Check if pick-up is available from your location, you will select during checkout (providers may allow other pickup locations)
What to expect
Bloomsbury
We start off in beautiful Bloomsbury famed for its garden squares and creative spirit with a history of philanthropy
35 minutes
The Foundling Museum
Learn the incredible story of how this pioneering children's facility was created by a hardened Yorkshire sailor. (Entry availability able if you pick the relevant option).
5 minutes
Admission Not Included
Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children NHS Foundation Trust (GOSH Entrance A - Morgan Stanley Clinical Building)
The world leading children's hospital with its little known connection to Peter Pan.
5 minutes
Queen Square
This small garden square is where Florence Nightingale set up her pioneering company of nurses before the Crimean War.
5 minutes
St Giles-in-the-Fields Church
Sat in the midst of what was a terrible rookery, these are where the first cases of the Plague were recorded in London.
10 minutes
Admission Included
Soho Square
Whilst also the home of big names such as Paul McCartney and various showbiz offices it is here we will find the home of Mary Seacole.
10 minutes
John Snow Saloon
This wonderful old pub is named after the doctor who deduced how bacteria and germs were spreading through the water supply. His famous water pump survives in the street.
5 minutes
Carnaby Street
As we transition from one leg of the tour to the next, we will pass through the epitome of 60's London, Carnaby Street.
10 minutes
Statue of Edward Jenner
We will visit the Edward Jenner statue in the beautiful Italian gardens of Hyde Park and learn about the man who invented vaccines.
10 minutes
Paddington
We will walk through Paddington to see the spot where the first Antibiotics were discovered.
15 minutes
Old Operating Theatre Museum and Herb Garret
The oldest surviving operating theatre in the world is all that remains of this old hospital (Entry included if option booked).
5 minutes
Admission Not Included
London Bridge
Get a great view of the City of London as we move towards the next leg of our tour.
5 minutes
The Monument to the Great Fire of London
We will pass right by this impressive monument to the biggest disasters to ever hit London.
5 minutes
Admission Not Included
St Olave's Church
This church has an incredible history and was in a plague hotspot. The beautifully kept garden inside is full of old medicinal herbs that would have been used in the days before modern hospitals.
5 minutes
Aldgate Pump
This old water pump has an infamous history and sparked a major public health crisis in Victorian times. Don't get the hump!
5 minutes
Aldgate Square
It all looks hunky dory on top now after the recent landscaped gardens but underneath are countless bodies from the plague.
5 minutes
Soup Kitchen for the Jewish Poor
We will visit the outside of this pioneering old soup kitchen in the heart of the East End of London.
5 minutes
Admission Not Included
Norton Folgate Alms Houses
These ancient Alms Houses are still operating and helping those in need just as they have done for centuries.
5 minutes
Admission Not Included
Spitalfields Charnel House
These ruins were only found underground a few years ago and once contained the bones of thousands of victims of famine.
5 minutes
Old Spitalfields Market
It's long been a funky market but centuries ago this whole area was one of medical recuperation.
10 minutes
Liverpool Street Station
Before we pop on the tube to our final leg of the tour we will visit the spot of the first hospital for those suffering from mental health issues. It's bedlam!
5 minutes
Admission Included
St Giles Cripplegate
Cripplegate is a place where the infirm would gather as it was believed that they would be healed by divine powers. We will see the Tower Of St Elsyng Spital, the ruins of an early medieval hospital.
10 minutes
Postman's Park
On our way to our final destination we will pass through the beautiful and melancholic Postman's Park
10 minutes
Saint Bartholomew's Hospital Museum
We will visit parts of the oldest hospital in the Western World and if you book the optional entry at booking (only open some days) then we can look in this fascinating old hospital museum.
10 minutes
WIlliam Wallace Memorial
In this place of executions we will learn of the local body snatchers trade that though highly illegal helped doctors advance medical science.
10 minutes
Church of St. Bartholomew the Great
We end this tour inside the truly ancient and magnificent Church of St Bartholomew the Great and visit the tomb of Rahere, the man who having almost died on his travels, had a vision of Saint Bartholomew and keeping to the promise he made to the Saint, returned to London to found not just this beautiful church but our first hospital which will be 900 years old in 2023.
10 minutes
The experience can be subject to change due to bad weather or unforseen circumstances. We always endeavour to give you the best possible experience.
Additional Information
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Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller -
Service animals allowed
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Public transportation options are available nearby
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Participants should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
What our experts say
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Visit The Foundling Museum nearby. -
Enjoy lunch at a local pub after.
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Wear comfortable shoes for walking.
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Check transport options for easy access.
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Consider the Old Operating Theatre Museum.
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