Sherlock Holmes, the brilliant detective created by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, continues to captivate readers and viewers over a century after his literary debut. Each year on May 22nd, fans worldwide celebrate Sherlock Holmes Day by honoring the detective’s legacy, remarkable deductive reasoning, and timeless appeal. For enthusiasts looking to make their celebration more immersive, traveling to locations connected to the great detective offers a perfect way to step into his world.
Here is a list of 20 travel destinations for celebrating Sherlock Holmes Day—each one sure to delight any fan of the iconic detective.
221B Baker Street
The most iconic address in detective fiction now houses the official Sherlock Holmes Museum. Visitors can explore the meticulously recreated Victorian-era apartment featuring Holmes’ violin, chemistry equipment, and the famous deerstalker hat.
The attention to detail makes you feel as though Holmes and Watson have just stepped out on a case momentarily.
The Sherlock Holmes Pub
Located near Trafalgar Square in London, this charming pub features a replica of Holmes and Watson’s sitting room preserved behind glass on the upper floor. The walls are adorned with memorabilia, illustrations, and photographs related to the famous detective.
Enjoying a pint here, surrounded by a Holmesian atmosphere, provides a quintessentially British way to celebrate the detective’s legacy.
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Reichenbach Falls
Journey to Switzerland to visit the dramatic waterfall where Holmes supposedly met his end in ‘The Final Problem.’ The majestic beauty of the falls contrasts sharply with the grim purpose of Holmes’ fateful meeting with Professor Moriarty.
A small memorial plaque marks the spot, making it a poignant pilgrimage for devoted fans.
Edinburgh’s Old Town
Arthur Conan Doyle was born in Edinburgh, and the city’s atmospheric Old Town helped inspire many elements in the Holmes stories. The narrow wynds, towering tenements, and mysterious atmosphere evoke the same Victorian ambiance that permeates the detective’s adventures.
Walking these streets offers insight into the environmental influences that shaped Doyle’s literary imagination.
Dartmoor National Park
The wild, misty moorlands of Dartmoor served as the setting for Holmes’ most famous case, ‘The Hound of the Baskervilles. The expansive landscape, with its granite tors, deep valleys, and ever-changing weather, creates an appropriately eerie backdrop.
Visitors can even stay at the Duchy Hotel (now the Duchy House), where Conan Doyle conceived the story while investigating a local legend.
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Portsmouth Historic Dockyard
Arthur Conan Doyle practiced medicine in Portsmouth before achieving literary fame. The city maintains a collection of Doyle memorabilia, and the atmosphere of this historic naval port provides context for the author’s life before Holmes.
The dockyard itself, with its Victorian maritime heritage, reflects the same era in which the detective stories are set.
University of Edinburgh Medical School
Explore the institution where Conan Doyle studied medicine and met Dr. Joseph Bell, the primary inspiration for Sherlock Holmes. The university’s historic buildings and medical museums provide fascinating context for understanding how Doyle created his logical, observant detective.
Bell’s emphasis on observation and deduction directly translated into Holmes’ famous methods.
The Criterion Restaurant
This elegant London restaurant appears in ‘A Study in Scarlet’ as the location where Dr. Watson first hears about a potential flatmate named Sherlock Holmes. The ornate interior, with its gold mosaic ceiling, has remained largely unchanged since Victorian times.
Dining here connects you directly to the literary beginning of Watson and Holmes’ partnership.
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St. Bartholomew’s Hospital
Visit the London hospital where Holmes and Watson first meet in A Study in Scarlet. The historic building and medical museum offer insights into Victorian medical practices that influenced both characters.
The hospital’s courtyard gained renewed fame as the setting for a dramatic scene in the BBC’s modern adaptation of Sherlock.
London Walking Tour
Several companies offer Sherlock Holmes-themed walking tours through London, visiting filming locations and literary settings. These guided experiences bring the stories to life as you traverse the same streets Holmes and Watson investigated.
Expert guides share behind-the-scenes information and historical context that enhances appreciation of the original tales.
The Old Operating Theatre
This unique London museum preserves a Victorian operating room, providing insight into the medical world of Holmes and Watson. The primitive surgical tools and methods on display help visitors understand Watson’s experiences as an army doctor.
The atmospheric timber-beamed space feels frozen in time, much like the best Holmes stories.
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The British Museum
This world-famous museum, mentioned multiple times throughout the Holmes stories, houses collections that the detective would have studied. Conan Doyle incorporated many references to artifacts and cultural items that visitors can see today.
The museum’s Victorian-era sections particularly evoke the world of knowledge Holmes drew upon to solve his cases.
Undershaw
Conan Doyle’s former home in Surrey, where he wrote ‘The Hound of the Baskervilles’ and many other Holmes adventures, is now home to a special educational center. The restored Victorian building maintains many original features from Doyle’s time.
Architectural details like the distinctive windows and fireplaces witnessed the creation of beloved Holmes stories.
The Langham Hotel
This luxurious London hotel served as the meeting place where publisher Joseph Stoddart commissioned Doyle to write ‘The Sign of Four.’ The elegant Victorian architecture and sophisticated atmosphere remain largely preserved.
Afternoon tea at the Langham offers a refined way to celebrate the detective while surrounded by authentic period details.
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Museum of London
This excellent museum frequently hosts special exhibitions dedicated to Sherlock Holmes and Victorian London. Their permanent collection includes items that provide context for the detective’s era and investigations.
The detailed street recreations help visitors understand London, which Holmes would have known intimately.
Baker Street Station
The London Underground station near Holmes’ fictional address features silhouettes of the detective on the platform tiles. The Victorian-built station opened in 1863 and would have been familiar to the fictional detective.
Exiting here onto Baker Street provides the perfect starting point for any Holmes-themed exploration.
Speedy’s Cafe
This unassuming London cafe served as a filming location for the BBC’s ‘Sherlock,’ standing in as the exterior for Holmes and Watson’s flat. The friendly neighborhood establishment welcomes fans with Holmes-themed menu items and memorabilia.
Enjoying breakfast where modern Holmes adaptations were filmed connects visitors to contemporary interpretations of the character.
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University College London
Sherlock Holmes’ chemical knowledge was based on the teachings at this prestigious institution, with which Conan Doyle had connections. The university’s museums and historic laboratories provide insight into the scientific foundations of Holmes’ methods.
The preserved Victorian scientific equipment resembles what Holmes might have used in his investigations.
Simpson’s-in-the-Strand
Frequently mentioned in the Holmes stories as a favorite dining spot for the detective and Watson, this historic restaurant still serves traditional British fare, including roast beef carved tableside. The establishment maintains much of its Victorian character and traditional roast beef carving trolleys.
Dining surrounded by wood paneling and a historical atmosphere provides an authentic taste of Holmes’ London.
Sherlock Holmes Statue
Near the Baker Street tube station, this 9-foot bronze statue of Holmes in his deerstalker cap and Inverness cape reflects the detective in a larger-than-life pose. Composed by sculptor John Doubleday and dedicated in 1999, the statue is now a popular photo stop for Holmes fans.
Standing next to the larger-than-life Holmes, offers concrete evidence of how this character invented by a writer has come to near-mythic proportions in our popular imagination.
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The Legacy of Baker Street
Sherlock Holmes leaps beyond his literary birthright to become a cultural icon as notable as the places that inspired his exploits. The detective’s rigorous methodology and hyper-vigilance remain part of the standard toolkit for modern forensic science and detective fiction alike.
Traveling to these sites puts it all into perspective regarding how completely Holmes has seeped into our cultural awareness, starring in more adaptations than any literary figure. From crime-solving in Victorian London to reimaginings today, the core of Holmes never changes: exceptional problems need extraordinary intellects.
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