FAQs

A Ghastly Guide is a self-guided mystery walk that combines a ghost tour, treasure hunt and murder mystery. Using a printed booklet, you follow directions through historic streets while solving clues found on monuments, landmarks and plaques. Each correct answer helps eliminate suspects until only the culprit remains.

We design our routes to avoid staircases wherever possible. However, due to the historic nature of many cities, there may still be cobbled streets and hills which could pose challenges for those with limited mobility.

If you are concerned about accessibility on a specific route, please feel free to contact us and we will be happy to give more specific details about a route.

Ghastly Guides are primarily intended for adults. The historical stories featured in the guides involve themes such as ghosts, executions, and murder, which may not be suitable or could be distressing for younger audiences.

While the treasure hunt questions themselves are light-hearted and focus on finding information at public landmarks, the accompanying narratives are better suited to a mature audience.

No booking is necessary! Ghastly Guides are completely self-guided experiences.

Everything you need is included in the booklet, and all the information required to solve the mystery is located in public spaces.

You simply purchase a guide and set out on your adventure whenever it suits you.

PLEASE NOTE - The City of London Guide begins in Trinity Square Gardens, which is open from 8 am daily until half an hour before Dusk.

Most Ghastly Guides take around 1.5–2.5 hours to complete, covering roughly 2 miles (3–3.5km) of walking. Because the experience is completely self-guided, you can explore at your own pace and take breaks whenever you like.

We dispatch all guides using Royal Mail 48 Tracked delivery. Typically, delivery takes two to three working days after dispatch. You’ll receive tracking information once your order has been posted.

We do our best to ensure all the required information is available at public landmarks. However, occasionally temporary obstructions like building works or repairs may hide some clues. If you find a piece of information inaccessible, you can find a photograph of it at: https://ghastlyguides.co.uk/pages/hidden-evidence.

We advise completing your Ghastly Guide within 3 months of purchase. The questions in our guides rely on obtaining information from monuments, statues, landmarks, plaques and signs. We try to pick old and established sources which are unlikely to change. However, sometimes unforeseen changes do happen such as construction work, the removal of statues and changing of plaques. We try to keep our guides up to date. But the longer you leave between buying your guide and completing it, the higher the chance something may have changed. If you find a piece of information inaccessible, you can find a photograph of it at: https://ghastlyguides.co.uk/pages/hidden-evidence.

A self-guided ghost walk is a walking tour you complete on your own without a tour guide. Ghastly Guides combine ghost stories, dark history and a murder mystery treasure hunt so you can explore a city’s haunted locations at your own pace.

Ghastly Guides combine elements of a treasure hunt, scavenger hunt and murder mystery trail. Instead of searching for objects, you solve clues using information found on statues, plaques and historic landmarks.

No. Ghastly Guides are completely screen-free. Everything you need is inside the printed booklet, allowing you to enjoy the mystery without using a phone or downloading an app.

Yes. Ghastly Guides are fully self-guided, so there are no tour times or bookings. You can start the adventure whenever you like.

One booklet can be shared by a small group walking together. Many customers complete a Ghastly Guide as a couple or with friends while working together to solve the mystery.

We recommend bringing:

• The Ghastly Guide booklet

• A pen or pencil

• Comfortable walking shoes

• Curiosity about ghost stories and dark history

Each question is multiple-choice, which means you can still make progress if you are unsure. If a clue is temporarily inaccessible due to construction or repairs, you can find a photograph of it on our Hidden Evidence page. Or if you are REALLY stuck, answers can be found inside the back cover.

Ghastly Guides are currently available in London, York, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Manchester, Liverpool and Birmingham, with more haunted cities planned in the future.