Everything on this site lives behind one of six doors. Each opens onto a comparison of every tour in its theme, a verdict for each, and a booking. Start with the door that sounds like your evening.
Which of the three are you actually buying?
The word ghost tour is doing three jobs. Tap a format and the comparison table below narrows to it. Each format has a pick and an honest cheaper alternative; none of them is the cheapest thing on the site by default.
the short answer
Best Salem ghost tour
For most people arriving for one evening, the best Salem ghost tour is the History and Hauntings Guided Walking Tour. It is the best rated of the Salem walks and the most reviewed of them, and it folds the hauntings and the 1692 record into the same two hours. It is also the one most likely to be full on an October weekend, which is the real argument for booking it from this page today rather than at the meeting point.
The cheaper alternative is Salem Night Tour: Haunt and History. Same streets, ninety minutes instead of two hours, stories rather than the record. If the evening is short or the group is tired, this is the one that still fits.
If what you want is the trial record rather than a scare, neither is right; go to the Salem witch trials tour hub, where the daytime documentary walks are compared on their own terms.
History and Hauntings Guided Walking Tour
from $30Rated 4.8 · 819 reviews · secured by our booking partner
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Salem ghost tours at night
Night changes the product. The same streets that host history walks at four become a different city at eight: quieter, colder, lit from windows. Night is also where the formats multiply. Pub crawls for adults, ghost hunts with equipment in a burying ground, a late start for empty streets. The one thing to know is that the latest slots are cold in October; the pub crawl is the warm alternative.
Every night tour compared →
every tour, one table
Salem ghost walking tour
A walking tour is the default format in Salem, and the table treats it as the baseline. Every listing we cover is here, colored by family, with a verdict that names the downside and the alternative in the same breath. Numbers are pulled live from the listing; what we write ourselves is the verdict column.
| Tour | Format | Access | Verdict | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| History and Hauntings Guided Walking Tourour pickfrom $36 · rated 4.8 | after darkWalk, stories + historystorieshistory | Starts SalemKids Not statedRain Rain or shine | Our pick. The most-reviewed ghost walk in Salem and the best rated of them, with the stories and the 1692 record in one walk. Downside: it covers more ground than the rest, so for a short first evening take the Salem Night Tour instead. | Book |
| Salem Night Tour: Haunt and Historythe cheaper alternativefrom $30 · rated 4.5 | after darkEvening walk, storiesnightstories | Starts SalemKids Not statedRain Rain or shine | The shorter evening, and our pick for a first night. Stories first, and it ends downtown. It is also the busiest, so October dates go early; History and Hauntings is the longer walk over the same streets. | Book |
| Witches & Wicked Whispersfrom $32 · rated 4.3 | after darkEvening walk, theatricalnighttheatrical | Starts SalemKids All agesRain Rain or shine | Most theatrical of the set, a costumed guide and staged moments. Not for anyone wanting the record; for that, cross to the 1692 walks. | Book |
| Boos and Brews Haunted Pub Crawlfrom $40 · rated 4.1 | after darkPub crawl, storiesnightpub | Starts SalemKids 21+Rain Rain or shine | Stories between bars. Adults only, so a family evening needs the Night Tour; a group of friends needs nothing else. | Book |
| Voodoo, Vampires and Ghostsfrom $25 · rated 4.8 | after darkEvening walk, legendsnightvampire | Starts SalemKids Not statedRain Not stated | Broader lore, vampires and voodoo alongside the ghosts. Thin on the trials; pair it with a daytime 1692 walk if you want both. | Book |
| Haunted Footsteps Ghost Tourfrom $25 · rated 4.1 | after darkEvening walk, storiesstories | Starts SalemKids Not statedRain Not stated | Quieter streets, mansions and gardens. Less downtown bustle, which also means fewer landmarks; the Night Tour covers more center. | Book |
| Ghosts of Salem Walking Tourfrom $29.99 · rated 4.0 | after darkEvening walk, storiesstories | Starts SalemKids Family-friendly, dark themesRain Rain or shine | Straightforward classic. Route overlaps heavily with the others, so pick it by time slot rather than by content. | Book |
| Ghosts of the Witch City Ultimate Extendedfrom $40 · rated 3.8 | after darkExtended evening walknightlong | Starts SalemKids Not statedRain Rain or shine | The longest of the after-dark walks, with props and costume. Long on foot; for tired legs the standard-length Night Tour is the alternative. | Book |
| Mysteries & Murder Guided Walking Tourfrom $36 · rated 4.5 | after darkWalk, true crimemurder | Starts SalemKids 13+Rain Rain or shine | Crime and court cases rather than hauntings. Darker subject matter; families with younger kids should take History and Hauntings. | Book |
| Edge of Twilight Dead of Night Ghost Tourfrom $34.75 · rated 4.3 | after darkLate-night walknightlate | Starts SalemKids Not statedRain Not stated | Latest start of the set, emptiest streets. Late means cold in October; the pub crawl is the warm late alternative. | Book |
| Specters and Apparitions Ghost Hunting Tourfrom $36 · rated 3.9 | after darkGhost hunt, equipmentnighthunting | Starts SalemKids Not statedRain Not stated | Equipment in hand, a burying ground at night. Slower and quieter than a stories walk; if you want narration, this is not it. | Book |
| Vampires and Ghosts Walking Tour with Haunted Objectsfrom $32 · rated 4.8 | after darkWalk, objects shownvampireobjects | Starts SalemKids Not statedRain Not stated | Objects passed around make it tactile. Runs in daylight slots too, which weakens the mood; take an evening slot. | Book |
| Requiem for Salem Walking Ghost Tourfrom $34.99 · rated 4.4 | after darkEvening walk, waterfrontnightharbor | Starts SalemKids 16+Rain Rain or shine | Only walk built around the waterfront. Wind off the harbor is real; dress for it or stay inland with the Night Tour. | Book |
| 1692 Witchcraft Trials Walkour pickfrom $25 · rated 4.2 | on the recordDaylight walk, documentaryhistory | Starts SalemKids Not statedRain Rain or shine | Our pick for the record. Names, dates, sites, no costumes. If you want a scare after, add an after-dark walk the same night. | Book |
| Secrets of Salem Hidden History Walking Tourfrom $35 · rated 4.5 | on the recordDaylight walk, side streetshistoryhidden | Starts SalemKids Not statedRain Rain or shine | Side streets and lesser-told episodes. Assumes you know the outline; first-timers start with the 1692 Walk. | Book |
| Witch Trial History and Salem Hauntsfrom $29 · rated 4.6 | on the recordWalk, history + hauntingshistorystories | Starts SalemKids Not statedRain Not stated | Both halves in one walk. Neither half is as deep as a dedicated tour; fine if you have one slot only. | Book |
| Ultimate Witches and Witchcraft of Salemfrom $35 · rated 3.9 | on the recordDaylight walk, witchcrafthistorywitchcraft | Starts SalemKids Not statedRain Rain or shine | Covers the trials and today's practicing community. Less courtroom detail; the 1692 Walk is stricter. | Book |
| Witch Trial Walking Tourfrom $29.99 · rated 4.3 | on the recordDaylight walk, documentaryhistory | Starts SalemKids Not statedRain Rain or shine | Compact version of the record. Skips outlying sites; Salem Village walk covers the Danvers side. | Book |
| Salem Witch Tourfrom $80 · rated 4.9 | on the recordDaylight walkhistory | Starts SalemKids Not statedRain Not stated | A plain walk of the sites. Nothing wrong, nothing distinctive; the 1692 Walk does the same with more depth. | Book |
| Historical & Witch Trials Walking Tour: SEE IT ALLfrom $63.75 · rated not rated yet | on the recordLong daylight walkhistorylong | Starts SalemKids Not statedRain Not stated | Aims at every site in one go. Long on foot; the Witch Trial Walking Tour is the compact alternative. | Book |
| The Official Hocus Pocus Movie Walking Tourour pickfrom $50 · rated 4.7 | on screenDaylight walk, film sitesfilm | Starts SalemKids With an adultRain Rain or shine | Our pick on screen. Walks the Salem locations used in the film. No ghosts, no trials; add either separately. | Book |
| Hocus Pocus Movies & More Walking Tourfrom $25 · rated 3.8 | on screenDaylight walk, several filmsfilm | Starts SalemKids Not statedRain Rain or shine | Adds other productions shot in town. Less time per location; the Official tour goes deeper on one film. | Book |
| Witch City Broom Making Workshopfrom $135 · rated 4.9 | not a walkIndoor workshopworkshop | Starts SalemKids Not statedRain Indoors | Indoors, hands busy, a broom to take home. Not a tour at all; pair with a walk before or after. | Book |
| Psychic Bewitched Tour With Tarot Readingfrom $140 · rated 5.0 | not a walkWalk + tarot readingpsychic | Starts SalemKids Not statedRain Rain or shine | A short walk that ends in a reading. The reading is the point; for the sites themselves take a 1692 walk. | Book |
| Immersive Costume Photography Experiencefrom $149 · rated 5.0 | not a walkStudio photoshootphoto | Starts SalemKids Not statedRain Indoors | Studio, costume, candles, photos. Nothing to do with the streets; a good rain plan. | Book |
| Discover Salem's History & Practice Authentic Witchcraftfrom $52 · rated 4.4 | not a walkWalk + practice sessionwitchcraft | Starts SalemKids Not statedRain Not stated | Half walk, half participatory session. Not for skeptics; the 1692 Walk stays on the record. | Book |
| Salem Ghost Tour, Audio Driving / Walkingfrom $10 · rated 3.5 | not a walkSelf-guided audioaudioself | Starts SalemKids Not statedRain Self-guided | Self-guided, on your own clock. No guide to ask; if you want questions answered, book a live walk. | Book |
| From Boston: Salem Witch Trials History Tourour pickfrom $190 · rated 4.8 | not a walkDay trip, coachboston | Starts BostonKids 5+Rain Not stated | Our pick from Boston. Transport in, the trial sites, time free, transport back. The train is the free-form alternative; we lay out both. | Book |
| Salem & Hammond Castle Semiprivate Day Tripfrom $225 · rated 4.6 | not a walkDay trip, two stopsboston | Starts BostonKids Not statedRain Not stated | Splits the day with Hammond Castle. Less Salem time; the History Tour stays in town. | Book |
| Boston to Salem by Trainfrom $120 · rated 4.6 | not a walkDay trip, train + walkbostontrain | Starts BostonKids Not statedRain Not stated | Commuter rail in, guided walk in town. Timetable-bound; the coach tours are door to door. | Book |
| Hammond Castle & Salem Private Day Tripfrom $157 · rated 5.0 | not a walkPrivate day tripbostonprivate | Starts BostonKids Not statedRain Not stated | Private, flexible, castle included. Priced accordingly; the small-group day tour is the shared alternative. | Book |
| From Boston: Small-Group Halloween Season Day Tourfrom $385 · rated not rated yet | not a walkDay trip, Octoberbostonoctober | Starts BostonKids Not statedRain Not stated | Built for the October crowds, small group. Seasonal only; outside October take the History Tour. | Book |
| Salem Witch Trials & History Private Tourfrom $365.36 · rated not rated yet | not a walkPrivate history tourbostonprivate | Starts BostonKids Not statedRain Not stated | Private guide, your pace. Costs more than a shared walk; the 1692 Walk is the public equivalent. | Book |
| Walk it yourself, freeno guide, no bookingFree | Self-guided, dusk or daylight | Starts SalemKids Yes | The memorial, the old burying ground and the Witch House exterior are open air. Go at dusk and you have the mood for free. You do not get the stories, the order, or a guide who knows which door to stop at. | Free route → |
on the record
Salem witch trials tour
The trials of 1692 are a documented event with names, depositions and sites you can still stand at. A witch trials tour walks that record in daylight. It is not a ghost tour and it does not try to be; nobody in costume, nothing jumps. If a group wants both, the pairing that works is a 1692 walk in the afternoon and an after-dark walk that same night.
Our pick on the record is the 1692 Witchcraft Trials Walk. The downside is that it stays in town and skips the Danvers side where the accusations began; the Salem Village walk covers that, at the cost of needing a ride out.
on screen
Hocus Pocus tour Salem
The film was shot in and around town, and the houses, the common and the old town hall are all walkable. A Hocus Pocus tour is a daylight walk between those locations with the scenes explained on the spot. It is the one format here with no ghosts and no trials in it at all, which makes it the easiest to bring children to and the one to skip if you have not seen the film.
Our pick on screen is The Official Hocus Pocus Movie Walking Tour; the alternative adds other productions filmed in town and spends less time at each stop.
Salem ghost tour price
Walking tours from $40 · pub crawls from $40 · day trips from Boston from $40
Every price on this site says from because the listing sets it and it moves with date and option. A weekday in September and a Saturday in October are not the same evening, and the price knows it. What we can tell you is the order: a walking tour costs less than a pub crawl, which costs less than a day trip that includes transport.
What an evening in Salem costs →Before you book
Is a ghost tour the same as a witch trials tour?+
No. A ghost tour is an evening walk of hauntings and stories. A witch trials tour is a daylight walk through the documented events of 1692. They are sold under the same word and booked on the same platform, which is why this site exists. If you want both, book one of each for the same day.
Do the walks run in the rain?+
Most run rain or shine; the listing states its own policy and we show it on each review page. October rain is cold rather than heavy. The indoor alternatives are the broom workshop and the costume photoshoot, both on the catalog page.
Can I bring children?+
It depends on the tour, and the review page for each one says so plainly. The pub crawl is adults only. The Hocus Pocus walk and the daytime history walks are the easiest with younger kids; the late-night and murder-themed walks are not.
Why do prices say from?+
The listing sets the price and it changes with date and option. We show the lowest current price with the word from, never a fixed figure, so the number you see here is the number you see on the booking page.
How early should I book for October?+
The pick sells out first, and weekends before weekdays. Book the evening walk as soon as you know the date; the daytime 1692 walks have more room. The Salem in October hub tracks which dates go first.
Still choosing? Back to the table or book the pick.