Halloween in London by Tube: 11 Spookily Good Things to Do This October
London doesn’t need much encouragement to get theatrical about its own history, and Halloween is when that instinct really comes out to play. Plague pits, public executions, ghost ships, and a Tower with more resident spirits than any building has a right to — this city has centuries of material to draw on, and almost all of it sits within a short walk of a Tube station.
Here are 11 of the best Halloween things to do in London by Tube this year, organised the way this site always organises things: by the station that gets you there.
1. The London Dungeon: London’s Dark History, Live
For full theatrical commitment, the London Dungeon is hard to beat. Live actors, special effects, and a few genuinely startling rides walk you through the darker chapters of the city’s past — Jack the Ripper’s Whitechapel, the Great Fire, the odd public beheading. It’s loud, it’s silly in places, and it’s exactly the kind of thing that’s more fun with a group.
Nearest station: Waterloo (Bakerloo, Jubilee, Northern, Waterloo & City lines)
2. A Ghost Tour of the Tower of London
The Tower has clocked up a thousand years of history and, depending who you ask, a fair number of permanent residents who never quite left. Seasonal ghost tours dig into the darker stories — Anne Boleyn, the Princes in the Tower — with a lot more atmosphere after dark than during a standard daytime visit.
Nearest station: Tower Hill (Circle and District lines)
3. A Spooky Night at a West End Show
If actors and effects are more your speed than a real graveyard, the West End delivers. The Woman in Black is the standing October recommendation — a genuinely tense, atmospheric production that’s been quietly terrifying audiences for decades. Keep an eye on listings too, since a few venues run Halloween-specific screenings and events each year.
Nearest stations: Covent Garden (Piccadilly line) or Leicester Square (Northern and Piccadilly lines)
4. A Ghost Bus Tour Through London’s Sinister Side
Part ghost walk, part theatre, all on board a 1960s Routemaster: the Ghost Bus Tour pairs a genuinely creepy conductor with London’s most haunted addresses, from cursed theatres to old burial grounds. It’s a good option if walking a few miles after dark isn’t appealing.
Nearest station: Charing Cross (Bakerloo and Northern lines)
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5. Highgate Cemetery by Torchlight
Highgate is the atmospheric one — Gothic tombs, tilting headstones, ivy doing exactly what ivy does in a place like this. Seasonal torchlight tours let you explore after the gates would normally close, which is when the cemetery earns its reputation.
Nearest station: Archway (Northern line)
6. A Ghost Walk Through Greenwich
Greenwich’s maritime past comes with its own catalogue of ghost ships and haunted pubs. A guided ghost walk through the older streets and alleyways is the best way into those stories, and finishing at the Trafalgar Tavern — allegedly not without its own ghostly regular — is the obvious way to end the night.
Nearest station: Cutty Sark (DLR)
7. A Halloween Pub Crawl, London-Style
Plenty of London’s oldest pubs come with a haunted-house story attached, and around Halloween several tours turn that into the main event — history and ghost stories woven between stops. It’s a solid way to see a few classic pubs with a bit of extra atmosphere thrown in.
Nearest stations: Varies by tour; central options include Covent Garden (Piccadilly line) and Oxford Circus (Bakerloo, Central, and Victoria lines)
8. Family-Friendly Fun at London Zoo
Not every Halloween outing needs to be genuinely frightening. London Zoo runs family-friendly seasonal events — spooky-but-not-scary animal trails, pumpkin carving — that work well for younger kids who want in on the fun without the fright.
Nearest station: Camden Town (Northern line)
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9. A Halloween Maze at Hampton Court Palace
Henry VIII’s old residence has its own long-standing ghost stories, and around Halloween the palace typically adds a properly disorientating maze event on top. It’s further out than most of this list, but it’s a full day out in its own right.
Nearest station: Richmond (District line), then a South Western Railway service to Hampton Court
10. The Enchanted Forest at Kew Gardens
Kew’s Halloween trail leans more magical than macabre — illuminated pathways, seasonal displays, activities for most ages — which makes it a good pick if you want autumn atmosphere without anything actually trying to scare you.
Nearest station: Kew Gardens (District line)
Before You Go
Halloween events sell out, especially the ghost tours and torchlight walks, so book ahead where you can. And whichever stop you’re heading to, check the nearest station above first — a few of these (Hampton Court especially) need a bit more journey planning than a straight Tube ride.
Whatever your scare tolerance, London delivers at Halloween — from full theatrical horror to a fairly relaxed wander among Victorian tombs. Pick your station, pick your fright level, and go.
