Dickens’ Hidden City: Trials, Tales and Taverns

Fancy a drink where Dickens drank – and an exclusive glimpse inside the very rooms where The Pickwick Papers is set?
About this Event

This guided walk through the hidden City ends with a behind-the-scenes visit to the historic George and Vulture, a favourite haunt of Dickens and his descendants. We will visit the Pickwick Rooms upstairs and reveal their Dickens connections, memorabilia and stories.

But first, we’ll uncover the Victorian City that Dickens knew: a secret world of crooked alleyways, atmospheric churchyards, bustling markets and historic taverns. We’ll wander through the forgotten corners where Londoners met to drink, gossip, do business and exchange news. We will stop at the Old Bailey and the site of Newgate Pr*son, one of the darkest places in Dickens’ London, and will pass the Bank of England, the Royal Exchange and the wonderfully atmospheric Leadenhall Market.

Come for Dickens, discover hidden corners of the City, and finish with a drink (or even lunch) in one of his favourite pubs.

PLEASE NOTE - The upstairs rooms at the George and Vulture are reached via multiple flights of Victorian-era staircases.

Meeting point: Starbucks - 3 Fleet Place, on the corner with Holborn Viaduct. Closest transport: City Thameslink and St Paul’s Underground station. Please arrive 10 minutes prior to the scheduled tour start time.