Best murder mystery experiences and live interactive games to try in 2024
There’s been a murder and only you can solve it! Was it the butler with the candlestick or the person standing next to you? It's time to find out with this list of the best murder mystery experiences to try in the UK.
Is there anything better than a good old detective story? Thrilling twists, grisly murders and a brainy hero, as a nation we’re frankly obsessed with them. Whether it’s popping on the latest true crime documentary or queueing in the rain to see The Mousetrap, there’s an ever-so-slightly unsettling edge to the way we go after murder mysteries – but let’s not delve too deeply into that!
Murder mystery has many sub-genres, from classic crime novels like the Woman in White to police procedurals like Happy Valley and Line of Duty. But, at the end of the day, it all boils down to the simple whodunnit, where there’s a body, a list of suspects, and someone to solve the riddle.
Murder Mystery is thought to have started with The Murders in the Rue Morgue, by Edgar Allan Poe, a short story that has later been described as the first detective novel. Then in 1887, a certain writer came along to introduce the world to Sherlock Holmes. Once the game was afoot there, more writers tried their hand at crime stories, but none could ever compare to Dame Agatha Christie, who remains the best-selling novelist of all time with 66 novels and 15 collections to her name.
This guide has a marple-ous range of activities to try, taking place up and down the UK. We’ve got the more traditional murder mystery evening, which usually includes a three-course dinner with a side of corpse, or the more modern interpretations, which involve Law and Order-style forensics. These experiences can be set in remote hotels, luxury trains, or even on the River Thames. Oh, and just one more thing: these days out vary in price range, so you don’t have to worry about splashing out on an extravagant evening if you don’t want to.
So, if you fancy putting your own little grey cells to good use, we’ve put together the top murder mystery experiences to try in the UK. Let’s just hope you’re more a Poirot than a Clouseau. Now, you better get through this list before we can say “Elementary”!
For more spooky experiences, be sure to check out our guides on the best York ghost tours, best London walking tours, and the best Edinburgh ghost tours. Plus, find more of the best musicals on tour UK.
Jump to:
- Best murder mystery experiences at a glance
- What happens at a murder mystery experience?
- Best murder mystery experiences for 2024
Best murder mystery experiences at a glance:
- Agatha Christie London Tour, £39 for two
- Solve a Murder Mystery Experience with Tour, £39.99 for two
- CSI and Forensic Experience Days, from £69
- The Mousetrap tickets, from £28
- The Murdér Express: An Immersive Dining Experience, £79.60
- The Mind of Moriarty - The Escape Room Experience, from £98
- Murder Mystery with Dining on Railway Steam Train, £100 for two
- Comedy Murder Mystery Evening with Three Course Dinner, £120 for two
- Murder Mystery Evening, £174 for two
- River Thames Murder Mystery Cruise, £196.99 for two
- Murder Mystery Overnight Stay Experience, £480 for two
What happens at a murder mystery experience?
If you're nervous about gore, jump scares or potentially being thrown into the spotlight, then don't worry, we're here to tell you what you can expect from a murder mystery evening.
At the classic murder mystery experience, you'll arrive with plenty of other guests around you and be given your persona for the evening. Your character will usually be a background figure, like a foreign duchess or a stable boy. You'll have a bit of backstory and maybe sometimes a fun accent, but the main thing to know is you won't be made the murderer.
Instead, the evening will centre around a core group of characters played by actors, one of whom, yes, is the murderer. Over the course of the night, the actors will mingle in the crowds and you'll be encouraged to chat and ask them questions about the crime. There's also likely to be a few fights and reconciliations between the actors as certain secrets are revealed: 'They were having an affair with the murder victim!' for example.
At the end of the night, you'll have your chance to guess the criminal by writing it down on a card. Then, the big reveal!
Best murder mystery experiences and live interactive crime-solving games for 2024
Murder Mystery Evening for Two
To start us off, this murder mystery evening is exactly the kind event we described above. A traditional Cluedo board-style whodunnit complete with a line-up of suspects, a string of clues, and one murderer.
You'll be served up a three-course meal before getting the chance to cross-examine the actors over coffee and make your accusation. Dramatic and full of twists, this experience is available at 17 locations and is the perfect introduction to the world of murder mystery.
Buy Murder Mystery Evening for £174 at Virgin Experience Days
The Murdér Express: An Immersive Dining Experience
Pedley Street Station welcomes you aboard its luxury train, The Murdér Express. But don't worry, it's only called that because bound for the fictional town of Murdér in France... or is it? With a lavish set menu, access to the Seven Sins platform bar and a gorgeous journey ahead of you, there's absolutely nothing to worry about... nothing.
Taking place just outside of Spitalfields, this immersive experience (brought to you by Fever) is a spine-tingling and mouth watering treat rolled into one.
Buy The Murdér Express: An Immersive Dining Experience for £79.60 at Fever
Solve a Murder Mystery Experience with Tour for Two
Prefer to go it alone? Well, now you can unlock your inner vigilante with this Solve a Murder tour, available in London or Edinburgh. After being given a set of cryptic clues, you'll be free to take yourself around these historic cities and get up close to all the sites.
At the same time, you'll be trying to accomplish tasks and solve puzzles that will get you to the root of a case based on a real crime. Make sure you grab your magnifying glass and a pair of sensible shoes!
Buy Solve a Murder Mystery Experience with Tour for £39.99 at Buyagift
If you're a fan of adrenaline without a murder being involved, here's also how to get cheap Alton Towers tickets, how to get cheap Thorpe Park tickets, and how to get cheap Chessington World of Adventures tickets.
River Thames Murder Mystery Cruise for Two
If you want a slightly more dramatic setting, why not try this murder mystery evening set on the River Thames? Granted it's a bit chillier than the Nile, but on this three-hour cruise you'll be sailing into a thrilling crime story while enjoying the gorgeous views of London at night. Plus, you'll be given a three-course meal with a complimentary drink.
Buy River Thames Murder Mystery Cruise for Two for £196.99 at Red Letter Days
Like the idea of an evening on the water? Why not check out some of the other London boat tours and Thames river cruises you can try in 2024.
The Mousetrap tickets
Who doesn't love a good old night at the theatre, especially when there's a mystery to be solved? One of the most famous features of Agatha Christie's classic murder mystery play is that once you leave the theatre, you can never reveal the ending, meaning that you should be heading into the play with no idea whodunnit.
Going to see The Mousetrap is also allowing yourself to become a part of West End history, as it is the longest-running play on London's West End, having enjoyed more than 28,000 performances over the past 70 years.
Buy The Mousetrap tickets at TodayTix from £28
Murder Mystery Overnight Stay Experience for Two
With five fabulous hotels to choose from, you can step right into the world of a detective novel with this murder mystery overnight stay. Like characters in a book, you'll be the guests at this fateful hotel where a terrible thing is about to happen. The mystery starts to unravel during cream tea on the first day and will carry on right through dinner and to breakfast on day two – where you'll be served a Full English, by the way.
Buy Murder Mystery Overnight Stay Experience for Two for £480 at Virgin Experience Days
A murder mystery evening could make for a great date night, and for even more inspiration, be sure to take a look at the best London date ideas.
Murder Mystery on Embsay & Bolton Abbey Railway Steam Train
A sequel to Murder on the Orient Express, this dastardly deed takes place on theEmbsay & Bolton Abbey Railway Steam Train. Combining stunning views of the countryside with a three-course lunch, this train journey will have you feeling plucked out of time and transported back to the golden age of travel. But don't be too focused on the sights – there's still a murder to solve.
Buy Murder Mystery with Dining on Railway Steam Train for £100 for two at Virgin Experience Days
Choo Choo! Here are the best steam train experiences.
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CSI and Forensic Experience Day
In West Yorkshire, you can become a crime scene detective for the day and become an expert in forensics. At the start of the three-hour experience, you'll be briefed on the crime before having to go in and secure the scene.
Then, you'll use real-life techniques to search for DNA evidence as well as interviewing witnesses and looking at blood spatter patterns to determine the cause of death. This one isn't for the faint-hearted so think carefully about if you're ready to be in this kind of real-world setting.
Buy CSI and Forensic Experience Day for £69 at Into the Blue
Agatha Christie London Tour for Two
How could we make this list and not include Dame Agatha? Without her, none of this would be the same. Well, now you can learn all about the life and works of the Queen of Crime by taking a tour around London.
You'll see the spots that inspired some of her best stories and characters, and will stop outside the longest-running play in the world, The Mousetrap. With the help of an expert guide, you'll come away knowing so much more about this incredible lady.
Buy Agatha Christie London Tour for Two for £39 at Virgin Experience Days
The Mind of Moriarty - The Escape Room Experience
Sherlock fans will love this escape room experience in Shepherd's Bush. Whether you want to take the official Live Game puzzle in the detective's very own flat, or the more high-stakes Mind of Moriarty room, you'll need to put your mind palace and deduction skills to the test.
Buy The Mind of Moriarty - The Escape Room Experience from £98 at Indytute
Comedy Murder Mystery Evening with Three Course Dinner
If you consider yourself a bit of a scaredy-cat, this might just be the solution. Adding a splash of laughter to an otherwise bloody evening is this comedy murder mystery experience. Available at five UK locations with a three-course dinner in tow, this experience will make you laugh, scream and above all, solve!
Buy Comedy Murder Mystery Evening with Three Course Dinner for £120 at Virgin Experience Days
Now you’ve finished reading this article, why not check out some of our other thrilling activities, including the best zombie experiences, best London escape rooms, and best chocolate making experiences. Here's Bonnie Langford on the Les Misérables Arena tour.
