London’s Millennia of Medical Progress Private Historical Tour
At a glance
London’s Millennia of Medical Progress Private Historical Tour is a 4h private experience in London, United Kingdom, operated by Ye Olde England Tours. Travellers rate it 5.0 out of 5 across 2 reviews on Viator and Tripadvisor. Prices start from $203.24 per person, and free cancellation is available. Included: Private Guided Tour.
Highlights
- Private experience — just you and your group
- Free cancellation for flexible planning
- 26 stops in one well-planned itinerary
Quick facts
- Duration
- 4h
- Group
- Private tour — only your group
- Languages
- English
- Pickup
- Hotel pickup or meet at the start point
- Confirmation
- Confirmed within 48 hours
- Ticket
- Mobile or paper ticket accepted
- Travellers
- 1–15 per booking
- Ages
- Youth 9–14 · Adult 15–99
- Cancellation
- Free cancellation (see policy)
Options & availability
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London’s Millennia of Progress: A Medical History – Bodysnatchers to Vaccines!
from $98.71
Pickup included
- Days:
- Every day
- Start times:
- 10:00
-
Foundling Museum
from $118.45
Foundling Museum: The Foundling Museum which tells the story of the Britain's first home for children at risk of abandonment. Pickup included
- Days:
- Tue, Wed, Thu, Fri, Sat, Sun
- Start times:
- 10:00
-
St Bart's Hospital Museum
from $118.45
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
- Days:
- Tue, Wed, Thu, Fri
- Start times:
- 10:00
-
Old Operating Theatre Museum
from $118.45
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
- Days:
- Thu, Fri, Sat, Sun
- Start times:
- 10:00
Times and prices come from the operator’s live schedule and are confirmed when you book.
Overview
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.
What's included
What's included
- Private Guided Tour
Not included
- Underground tickets are not included (£7.40 per adult)
Itinerary
-
Stop 1 · 35m
We start off in beautiful Bloomsbury famed for its garden squares and creative spirit with a history of philanthropy
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Stop 2 · 5m
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).
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Stop 3 · 5m
The world leading children's hospital with its little known connection to Peter Pan.
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Stop 4 · 5m
This small garden square is where Florence Nightingale set up her pioneering company of nurses before the Crimean War.
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Stop 5 · 10m
Sat in the midst of what was a terrible rookery, these are where the first cases of the Plague were recorded in London.
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Stop 6 · 10m
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.
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Stop 7 · 5m
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.
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Stop 8 · 10m
As we transition from one leg of the tour to the next, we will pass through the epitome of 60's London, Carnaby Street.
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Stop 9 · 10m
We will visit the Edward Jenner statue in the beautiful Italian gardens of Hyde Park and learn about the man who invented vaccines.
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Stop 10 · 15m
We will walk through Paddington to see the spot where the first Antibiotics were discovered.
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Stop 11 · 5m
The oldest surviving operating theatre in the world is all that remains of this old hospital (Entry included if option booked).
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Stop 12 · 5m
Get a great view of the City of London as we move towards the next leg of our tour.
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Stop 13 · 5m
We will pass right by this impressive monument to the biggest disasters to ever hit London.
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Stop 14 · 5m
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.
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Stop 15 · 5m
This old water pump has an infamous history and sparked a major public health crisis in Victorian times. Don't get the hump!
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Stop 16 · 5m
It all looks hunky dory on top now after the recent landscaped gardens but underneath are countless bodies from the plague.
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Stop 17 · 5m
We will visit the outside of this pioneering old soup kitchen in the heart of the East End of London.
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Stop 18 · 5m
These ancient Alms Houses are still operating and helping those in need just as they have done for centuries.
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Stop 19 · 5m
These ruins were only found underground a few years ago and once contained the bones of thousands of victims of famine.
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Stop 20 · 10m
It's long been a funky market but centuries ago this whole area was one of medical recuperation.
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Stop 21 · 5m
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!
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Stop 22 · 10m
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.
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Stop 23 · 10m
On our way to our final destination we will pass through the beautiful and melancholic Postman's Park
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Stop 24 · 10m
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.
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Stop 25 · 10m
In this place of executions we will learn of the local body snatchers trade that though highly illegal helped doctors advance medical science.
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Stop 26 · 10m
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
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.
Traveller ratings
5.0
2 reviews on Viator & Tripadvisor
- 5 ★ 2
- 4 ★ 0
- 3 ★ 0
- 2 ★ 0
- 1 ★ 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
Cancellation policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Frequently asked questions
How long does the London’s Millennia of Medical Progress Private Historical Tour take?
The experience lasts about 4h.
How much does it cost?
Prices start from $203.24 per person. The final price depends on the date, time and number of travellers, and is confirmed on Viator before you pay.
What's included?
Private Guided Tour.
Where does it start?
We meet at the Russel Square
Can I cancel?
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Which languages is it offered in?
It is guided in English.
Is it worth it?
Travellers rate it 5.0 out of 5 across 2 reviews on Viator and Tripadvisor, which places it among the top-rated experiences in London.
