London’s Millennia of Medical Progress Private Historical Tour

5.0 (2 reviews) 4 hours Free cancellation Private tour

out of 5

2 reviews

5.0

In the footsteps of the legendary John Snow — Photos: the activity supplier, via Viator

The first hospital for people suffering from mental health issues. — Photos: the activity supplier, via Viator

About this activity

Nowhere in the world has been quite so important in the field of medicine than London. Historically, if only for its long history filled with disasters and diseases, but in the last few centuries it has also been the home of science and some of the most incredible jumps in medicine and healthcare anywhere on Earth.

This tour will visit plenty of sites that have helped change the world as well as visiting some of the spots that were home to some of the countless medical and social problems in history. In many ways, this tour isn’t just a Medical History Tour but also a fabulous alternative tour of London.

We will see where vaccines and medicines were invented, visit the first operating theatres, orphanages, social care, mental institutions and hospitals in the western world. Follow in the footsteps of medical pioneers and visit the sights of some of the biggest healthcare disasters and underhand medical events as we go from the herbal medicine & crusaders to COVID-19 & the modern day.

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At a glance

Duration: 4 hours
Confirmation: Confirmed within 48 hours
Ticket: Mobile or paper ticket accepted
Group: Your group only
People per booking: 1–15
Guide: English
Operated by: Ye Olde England Tours

Ages: Youth (9–14 years) · Adults (15–99 years)

What is included

Included

Included: Private Guided Tour

Not included

Not included: Underground tickets are not included (£7.40 per adult)

Itinerary

Bloomsbury

35 min

We start off in beautiful Bloomsbury famed for its garden squares and creative spirit with a history of philanthropy
The Foundling Museum

5 min Admission not included

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).
Stop 3

5 min

The world leading children's hospital with its little known connection to Peter Pan.
Stop 4

5 min

This small garden square is where Florence Nightingale set up her pioneering company of nurses before the Crimean War.
St Giles-in-the-Fields Church

10 min Admission included

Sat in the midst of what was a terrible rookery, these are where the first cases of the Plague were recorded in London.
Soho Square

10 min

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.
John Snow Saloon

5 min

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.
Carnaby Street

10 min

As we transition from one leg of the tour to the next, we will pass through the epitome of 60's London, Carnaby Street.
Statue of Edward Jenner

10 min

We will visit the Edward Jenner statue in the beautiful Italian gardens of Hyde Park and learn about the man who invented vaccines.
Stop 10

15 min

We will walk through Paddington to see the spot where the first Antibiotics were discovered.
Old Operating Theatre Museum and Herb Garret

5 min Admission not included

The oldest surviving operating theatre in the world is all that remains of this old hospital (Entry included if option booked).
London Bridge

5 min

Get a great view of the City of London as we move towards the next leg of our tour.
The Monument to the Great Fire of London

5 min Admission not included

We will pass right by this impressive monument to the biggest disasters to ever hit London.
St Olave's Church

5 min

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.
Stop 15

5 min

This old water pump has an infamous history and sparked a major public health crisis in Victorian times. Don't get the hump!
Aldgate Square

5 min

It all looks hunky dory on top now after the recent landscaped gardens but underneath are countless bodies from the plague.
Soup Kitchen for the Jewish Poor

5 min Admission not included

We will visit the outside of this pioneering old soup kitchen in the heart of the East End of London.
Norton Folgate Alms Houses

5 min Admission not included

These ancient Alms Houses are still operating and helping those in need just as they have done for centuries.
Spitalfields Life

5 min

These ruins were only found underground a few years ago and once contained the bones of thousands of victims of famine.
Old Spitalfields Market

10 min

It's long been a funky market but centuries ago this whole area was one of medical recuperation.
Liverpool Street Station

5 min Admission included

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!
Stop 22

10 min

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.
Postman's Park

10 min

On our way to our final destination we will pass through the beautiful and melancholic Postman's Park
St Bartholomew's Hospital Museum

10 min

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.
WIlliam Wallace Memorial

10 min

In this place of executions we will learn of the local body snatchers trade that though highly illegal helped doctors advance medical science.
Church Of St. Bartholomew The Great

10 min

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.

Meeting point and pickup

You can be picked up from your accommodation or go straight to the meeting point.

Meeting point

We meet at the Russel Square

End point

We end at the oldest hospital in the Western World with great onward connections by London Underground or bus.

Pickup points

Zedwell Piccadilly Circus
The Hoxton, Holborn
The Langham, London
Avonmore Hotel
Claridge's
ME London
LSE Rosebery Hall Residence
Howard Winchester Hotel
Grosvenor House Suites
hub by Premier Inn London Westminster Abbey hotel
Hilton London Bankside
The Continental Hotel

and 402 more pickup points

We can usually pick up from any Central London (Zone 1 TFL Map) hotel and travel by Underground to the tour starting point.

Using your ticket

Just show your paper or e-ticket to your guide.

Cancellation

Free cancellation

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

If you cancel	You get back
At least one day before	100%
Less than a day before	0%

Good to know

Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
Service animals allowed
Public transportation options are available nearby
Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness

Options

London’s Millennia of Progress: A Medical History – Bodysnatchers to Vaccines!

Pickup included
Foundling Museum

Foundling Museum: The Foundling Museum which tells the story of the Britain's first home for children at risk of abandonment.

Pickup included
Old Operating Theatre Museum

Old Operating Theatre & Museum: In the attic of the 18thC church of the old St Thomas’ Hospital, this museum offers a unique insight into medicine & surgery.

Pickup included
St Bart's Hospital Museum

St Bart's Hospital Museum: The museum, based in a working hospital in the City of London, exhibits objects and archives dating back to the 12th century.

Pickup included