London Bridge Experience Vs The London Dungeon

History, horror and jump scares galore are the order of the day at two of London’s most frightening attractions.

By <a href="#author-bio">Stuart Bak</a>
By Stuart Bak
Published: July 18, 2024
London Bridge Experience

We’re talking about the spine-tingling London Bridge Experience and bone-chilling London Dungeon, where the city’s troubled history is brought to life via immersive stagecraft, scarily OTT acting, and even the occasional thrill ride. Step into London’s dark underbelly as we take a closer look at what to expect from these two popular attractions…

London Bridge Experience vs The London Dungeon: The Lowdown

Gruesome goings on at the London Bridge Experience
Image credit: The London Bridge Experience

The London Bridge Experience

Hidden away beneath the bustling streets of London Bridge and Borough, The London Bridge Experience is a rollicking sensory fiesta that transports you through London’s bloody history via a truly motley cast of villains; it truly is one of the best things to do in London. Your immersive journey will bring you face-to-face with notorious characters (both real and fictional), including Jack the Ripper, Mrs Lovett, William Wallace, and even the invading Romans. You’ll witness the Great Fire of London, Guy Fawkes’s Gunpowder Plot, and other key events from London’s past all, of course, accompanied by the disembodied cries of lost souls emanating from the attraction’s darkest corners.

A haunted house-style maze follows these initial theatrics, complete with evil clowns, giant spiders, chainsaw-wielding maniacs and other creepy characters. To make matters even more terrifying, the maze is located deep in the London Tombs, a former medieval plague pit. Lovely.

So: clearly not an attraction for the faint of heart. If you’re claustrophobic or easily frightened, this may not be for you. Unsurprisingly, it’s not recommended for very young kids, and children aged 5-15 must be accompanied by an adult. The scary maze section has a ‘guardian angel’ option for kids (and scaredy cats), allowing the little ‘uns to scare off the monsters (rather than be scared by them).

Jack the Ripper at London Dungeon
Image credit: Merlin

The London Dungeon

While lacking some of the bigger jump scares of its rival, London Dungeon is no shrinking violet in the horror stakes. You’ll be welcomed by a famously ‘cursed’ painting before a creepy court jester guides you on your descent beneath London’s South Bank, aboard a medieval elevator complete with grinding mechanisms and screaming chains. So far so terrifying. What follows is a similarly immersive experience, complete with set pieces featuring the good, bad and ugly from London’s bloody past. We’re talking all the usual suspects: Sweeney Todd and Mrs Lovett, Jack the Ripper, Guy Fawkes, plus torturers, witches, plague victims and other gruesome characters of yore.

What sets the London Dungeon apart from its rival is the inclusion of a thrill ride, which goes by the enticing name of the Drop Dead: Drop Ride. Leave your stomach at the door as you board this underground shocker, which is designed to simulate the sensation of… being hung for your crimes on the gallows of London’s notorious Newgate Prison. Yikes. Every wanted to know what happens to the human body during a hanging, or the sound a neck makes when it cracks? Then you’ve come to the right place!

Check out our ultimate guide to London Dungeon here.

London Bridge Experience vs The London Dungeon: Best Bits

The Drop Dead: Drop Ride at London Dungeon
Image credit: Merlin
  • There’s little to choose between the immersive theatrical sections of these horror attractions: both lean heavily on dark and macabre historical events, with set pieces that include Guy Fawkes, Jack the Ripper, Boudicca, the plague and the Great Fire of London. The London Bridge Experience probably just about edges it on fright factor though – there’s a reason they’ve won the Screamie award for London’s scariest attraction several years on the trot, you know!
  • The Tombs section of the London Bridge Experience is a highlight unique to this attraction: a terrifying haunted house-style fear-fest, in which various grim characters – medieval dentists and butchers, evil giggling clowns, zombies and more – emerge suddenly from the shadows and chase you along the corridors. An absolute joy for scare-seekers.
  • Meanwhile over at the London Dungeon, it’s the aforementioned Drop Dead: Drop Ride, based on the Newgate Prison gallows, that really sets the whole attraction apart. It’s a proper stomach-churner, so perhaps don’t pitch up straight after a big lunch. 

London Dungeon vs London Bridge Experience: Which is Better?

Creepy court jester at London Dungeon
Image credit: Merlin

These attractions are alike in many ways, not least their big-budget theatrical handling of events from London’s darker past. But here’s a quick guide to help you decide…

  • Best for scares. A close run thing, but the London Bridge Experience’s jump scares are more effective and its Tombs maze is utterly terrifying.
  • Best for families with kids. We advise caution when taking children to these attractions. Both are frightening so very young kids and those of a nervous disposition should swerve them. Though the London Bridge Experience is arguably the more frightening of the two, we’re voting this one best for families thanks to its ‘guardian angel’ option.
  • Best for adrenalin seekers. Easy: the Drop Dead ride at London Dungeon wins this round hands down.
  • Best for proximity to other attractions. The London Bridge Experience is conveniently located for The View from The Shard and bustling Borough Market. But the London Dungeon is housed in the same building as SEA LIFE London Aquarium, right next to the London Eye and opposite Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament. Chalk up another win for London Dungeon.

But why choose just one when you can visit both with the Go City London Explorer Pass? You can save up to 50% with the pass, which gives you 60 days to experience up to seven London tours, activities and attractions. As well as the London Dungeon and London Bridge Experience, the pass includes many other London heavyweights, including the London Eye, London Zoo, The View from The Shard, SEA LIFE London Aquarium, and many more.

Save on London Tours, Activities and Attractions

Save on admission to 100+ London attractions with an Explorer or All-Inclusive London pass from Go City. Check out @GoCity on Instagram for the latest top tips and attraction info.

Stuart Bak
Stuart Bak
Freelance travel writer

Stu caught the travel bug at an early age, thanks to childhood road trips to the south of France squeezed into the back of a Ford Cortina with two brothers and a Sony Walkman. Now a freelance writer living on the Norfolk coast, Stu has produced content for travel giants including Frommer’s, British Airways, Expedia, Mr & Mrs Smith, and now Go City. His most memorable travel experiences include drinking kava with the locals in Fiji and pranging a taxi driver’s car in the Honduran capital.

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Woman standing on Westminster Bridge in London
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Things to do in London for adults - outings for couples or friends

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Plus, there’s no other way to actually meet the King (unless you’re super famous yourself, that is!). Getting In: Madame Tussauds London admission is included with an All-Inclusive Pass. Hop-on Hop-off London Bus Tour New to the city? Try out a London Bus Tour to explore the many diverse neighborhoods and regions of this bustling metropolis. It can be really difficult to navigate your way around the city on your own, especially without a local’s knowledge of where to find what. Fortunately, a guided bus tour is a great way to see the city without worrying about the hassle of directions. It’s also an iconic London attraction – those double-decker buses just scream Britain! A hop-on hop-off option is perfect for those travelers who like to pick and choose on the go, too. Getting In: Big Bus London admission is available with all London passes. St. Paul’s Cathedral Pay a visit to one of the most beautiful and historic churches in all of England. Its instantly recognizable dome is just the beginning: the interior is gorgeously decorated, from the Cathedral floor to the crypts to the three major galleries housed within the dome. Join up with a guided walking tour to see the areas not typically open to the public. Or, if you have less time, take a shortened, self-guided tour. Getting In: admission to St. Paul’s Cathedral is included on all London passes. The London Dungeon This is one moderately scary and delightfully campy attraction. See a millennia of history brought to life in terrifying and enjoyable ways, as you glide past 19 live shows. See the plague-ridden streets of the early modern period, shudder at what might have been with Guy Fawkes’ Gunpowder Plot, and look behind you at every turn through Jack the Ripper’s Whitechapel. End it all with a visit to the Tavern, a delightful Victorian pub experience which serves up tasty (modern) beer. Getting In: The London Dungeon admission is included with the Explorer Pass. 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Katie Sagal

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