If you’re planning to explore London by foot, you’re in for a treat. Almost every area has streets and hidden alleyways that are best explored by taking a walking tour. While London has its fair share of museums, royal palaces, famous buildings and beautiful parks, it also has interesting buildings and locations linked to celebrities and haunted alleyways you will easily miss unless a local guide helps you find them.
London’s many incredible walking tours unravel the city’s history, culture and hidden gems. The city’s royal connection and its role in shaping many countries around the world means exploring its royal heritage and history is a default choice for many who visit this beautiful city. Buckingham Palace, Kensington Palace, Royal Gardens, Westminster Abbey, Royal Albert Hall, Hampton Court, Downing Street, Windsor Castle – the list of all the royal places you can cover itself is long.
London’s music pedigree of rock and roll bands, movie shooting spots, literary connections to Harry Potter, Shakespeare, Orwell and others – means only a walking tour will allow you to explore so much of London’s amazing past and also give you amazing opportunities to taste local food, visit hidden pubs and take incredible photos. So, lace up your walking shoes, grab your camera, and get ready to discover twenty remarkable walking tours that will make your London adventure truly unforgettable.
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London Walking Tours
Music Walking Tours In London
1- The Great British Rock and Roll Music Walking Tour
London is the home of Rock Music and to world famous bands like The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, The Who, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd and many more.
Join a walking tour where you can learn so much more about these famous bands and the life of the legends that played in them.
A fellow rock and roll fan and tour guide will take you on a memorable trip around town showing the places where famous musicians hung out, where they played, studios where famous songs were recorded, landmarks dedicated to rock and roll music.
Peek into the life of famous music legends and hear stories about their adventures, both funny and not so funny (at least not for the pub owners who decided to ban them)!
Keep in mind that this is a music tour and not a pub hop.
2- Soho Music and Historic Pubs Experience
Take a trip to London’s West End Soho area where you can learn where and why famous rock and roll legends and movie celebrities hung out, performed and chilled out with a drink in hand.
A knowledgeable guide will give an insight into why Soho area is called the entertainment district.
You can visit famous pubs and bars where rock and roll legends and even famous celebrities hung out during their time.
Learn about each pub’s history including what made it so famous, along with famous buildings and landmarks you come across en route to the pub.
Sometimes your guide will even take you to hidden alleyways and side streets which lead you to unseen places and hidden locations.
Pub Tours
3- Royal Historic Pubs Walking Tour
London’s Royal district is the perfect place to explore pubs that have rich histories and, in some cases, royal connections.
When you visit these establishments along with a local pub aficionado, you can enjoy your drink while listening to stories, anecdotes, and interesting facts about the pub’s role in London’s history and royalty that frequented it.
You can learn about London’s secret tunnels and alleyways that were used in the past by royal families, pubs that featured in movies, drink at the tables where royalty drank, and learn about many more weird and wonderful stories involving celebrities, scandals and spies.
4- Walking Tour Of Pubs That Made Their Mark In London’s History
Since a long long time, London has always been busy with people and home to many historic taverns, cosy pubs and welcoming alehouses.
And the best way to explore these historic joints is to take a stroll through London’s oldest streets that also house some of the oldest and best pubs, some of which are more than 500 years old.
A guide who knows this city’s pub history will take you to four of London’s most historic pubs in the oldest part of London, where you can taste local brews, learn about the quirky history of London’s past while walking the routes that Shakespeare and Dickens once took.
The tour ends in the museum and entertainment district of West End, where you can continue exploring London’s nightlife at your own pace.
5- Central London Bar Crawl and Nightlife Tour
Like me, if you are one who feels exploring a mega city like London isn’t complete without doing a bar crawl, I have you covered.
London’s West End is one of the oldest and most popular areas when it comes to getting the right amount of tipsy.
As a part of the tour, you will gain entry into many popular bars hand-picked by the tour guide including an entry drink.
Doing a bar crawl with a group of like-minded people is surely going to make your evening lot of fun and allow you to perhaps share a variety of drinks and perhaps make new friends too!
And make sure your guide gets you some good deals on food and drinks to make your evening even more fun and memorable.
6- Shoreditch Pub Crawl With Drinks
If you are looking to party in one of the hippest and creative areas of London, you must try a bar crawl in the East End neighborhoods of Shoreditch or Hackney.
While the West End is more formal and slightly more upscale, East End has a more creative, artsy and eclectic vibe to it.
Many bars incorporate artistic elements and reflect the neighborhood’s alternative culture, have diverse crowds and some bars even have experimental cocktails.
Your hip tour guide will even flex their friend’s network to get you discounts and free drinks that will bring a smile to your face.
City Walking Tours In London
7- Kensington Palace Gardens Tour with Royal High Tea
If you are short on time (or cannot walk a lot) but want to experience British royalty, enjoy a tour of Kensington Palace Gardens where a guide who knows what to expect from a high-tea will give you insights about the royal family and the palace.
Visit the Sunken Garden and enter the Palace’s Pavilion area where you can enjoy a classic afternoon tea in the grounds of a royal palace.
Keep your camera ready to take lots of pictures of the palace grounds and gardens, especially during the blooming season.
Enjoy a British high tea selection of tea cakes and sandwiches with egg mayonnaise and cress, smoked salmon and cream cheese, roast ham and English mustard and traditional scones made with Welsh butter filled with cream and jam.
8- Three Palaces Guided Walking Tour and High Tea
Take a journey through London’s royal palaces with a knowledgeable local guide.
Walk through beautifully maintained gardens, royal houses and if you are curious about the royal family, you can even check out the places where Princes Harry and William grew up.
Visit Kensington Palace, Buckingham Palace and St James Palace and learn about their history and importance from a local’s perspective.
Have a Royal High Tea like how the royalty have, complete with traditional sandwiches, cakes, and scones on the grounds of Kensington Palace overlooking the amazing Kensington Gardens.
Depending on the season, you will see colourful flowers dotting the garden and water fountains that add to the beauty of the scenery.
9- British Royalty Walking Tour
If you have always been fascinated by the history and grandeur of British monarchy, London is the perfect place to explore the royal landmarks.
You can take a guided walking tour of the iconic landmarks and residences that have shaped history in UK and Commonwealth countries.
See the famous changing of guards in action, walk to the Buckingham Palace, explore royal parks like the Green Park, visit Admiralty Arch, Trafalgar Square, and even past the Prime Minister’s residence in Downing Street.
A befitting tour guide gives you an insight into British Royalty and bragging stories when you go back.
10- Secrets of London Walking Tour
London has a lot of history, and a lot more quirky places and stories hidden in its streets.
Join a tour where a quirky tour guide will show you places that are not covered on tourist maps, including mysterious and historical buildings that even locals might not know about.
Go to London’s oldest looking streets, surprising alleyways that hold hidden secrets, learn about Londoner’s penchant for superstitions and even rub on London’s nose.
Visit hidden historical treasures, secret passageways, offbeat museums, unconventional art and magical streets.
Intrigued? Check it out here.
11- Secrets of the London Underground Walking Tour
London has one of the oldest underground train network in the world and a maze of tunnels, stories, and hidden secrets.
Any visit to London isn’t complete without taking a ride in the “Tube”, and an even better way to understand it is by taking an underground walking tour with a passionate subway enthusiast.
You can learn about war bunkers, artistic installations, vintage maps, the first station and even more intriguing tidbits that’ll make you appreciate London’s favourite mode of transportation.
Did you know that London also has a few abandoned stations like Strand and Down Street, some of which are used to movie shoots while some others are cordoned off due to unnatural sightings.
12- Notting Hill Walking Tour
Take a tour of the famous Notting Hill in West London, made famous by the romantic comedy film “Notting Hill” years ago.
The area is very trendy and has a number of upscale restaurants, cozy bistros, cafes and fashion boutiques all of which creates an artsy bohemian vibe.
Visit the many locations used in the filming of the comedy film and know about the best food joints on Portobello Road from your tour guide who is also a movie enthusiast.
The area also has a popular and busy market selling antiques and vintage fashion, and get insights from your guide about the best souvenirs and beautiful architectural houses.
Food Walking Tours In London
13- Soho Evening Food Tasting Tour
Soho in London’s West End where Londoners and outsiders go to enjoy 24/7.
You can check out some of London’s most stylish and elegant houses tucked away in hidden pockets, especially with a local guide who knows the routes.
Soho is a small area is perfect to explore by foot, and with the help of your friendly guide, you can get into the best pubs, bakeries, underground bars, enjoy cocktails and even try out Michelin star desserts from the right restaurant.
You can also visit the China Town and enjoy street food delicacies like bao buns, falafel wraps, dimsums, arepas, Korean fried chicken and lots more, so keep an empty stomach the day of the tour.
14- Cheese Walking Tour with Tastings
London’s diverse population means that you can also find a wide variety of international cheeses from countries such as Italy, Spain, Greece, along with regional Artisan cheeses in the city’s markets and specialty cheese shops.
Enjoy the crumbly and strong flavoured Stilton Blue Cheese, orange-red coloured Red Leicester, smooth and mellow flavoured Double Gloucester, London’s oldest Cheshire cheese and many other delicious cheeses.
You can visit some famous cheese shops in London with the help of a cheese loving guide and taste a variety of cheeses, improve your knowledge of cheeses and get drunk on cheeses paired with wine.
Unique London Walking Tours
15- Witches and History Magical Walking Tour
Prepare to be enchanted by a bewitching journey led by a magical witch or wizard, through the land of magic.
London has a history of witches, both revered and feared along with myths and legends that have been passed down through generations, bringing the world of witchcraft to life.
Your magical guide will take you to landmarks and historical sites connected to famous witches, wizards, magical streets and places like Clink Street, London Bridge, Borough Market, ancient ships and even a ruined palace that are hidden in plain sight.
If you are a Harry Potter fan, you will even get a chance to visit many filming locations from the series.
16- Ghastly Ghosts 2-Hour Walking Tour
London’s rich and colourful history also makes it a place with incredible stories including many not so savoury ones.
A paranormal enthusiast will take you through the grisly alleyways, eerie lanes and buildings, and delve into the dark and spectral side of the city’s history after sunset.
The tales of unsolved murders and terrible tragedies that left spectral remains in places like old churches, Tower of London, St Paul’s Cathedral and many other places will leave a lasting psychic impression on you, and give you a new perspective of London’s haunted past in the otherwise modern city.
17- Doctor Who London Walking Tour
If there is one quirky 50-year old British TV series that is famous among science fiction fans and time-travel enthusiasts across the world, it has to be Doctor Who.
Join a walking tour that will let you explore the locations, landmarks, and secrets associated with the series.
Along with your tour guide, check out the TARDIS locations, landmarks like the Shard, the Millennium Bridge, the Tower, St.
Paul’s Cathedral, and other sites featured in many iconic episodes.
You can make the experience even more enjoyable by dressing up as one of the characters, and even take a bus ride the Doctor Who way.
18- Christmas Lights and Markets Tour
Christmas time in London is a delightful time when London turns into a magical city studded with shimmering lights, cheerful decorations, and the aromas of seasonal treats.
A Santa’s helper cum tour guide will take you through Christmas markets where you can check out artisanal gifts, holiday decorations, and taste delectable seasonal treats.
These markets are perfect for finding unique presents and soaking up the festive atmosphere.
Visit the beautifully decorated gardens, local Christmas traditions London is famous for, and get a taste of famous spiced mulled wine that’ll keep your spirits high and warm.
As your tour ends, although not a part of your tour, you can exchange Christmas presents with your guide.
19- Silent Disco Adventure Tour
If you’re one who always wanted to sing and dance in the streets but somehow didn’t get know how to do it till now, here’s your chance.
Join a silent disco adventure in which you will join a group wearing headphones and follow a super enthusiastic host through the famous streets of London.
What you’ll bring to this tour is a lot of funky dance moves, quirky body movements, and loads of fun, laughter and character.
Keep in mind that you will have to leave your inhibitions behind, as the tour takes you through the streets while you dance away to the beats.
20- Life and Legacy of Queen Elizabeth II Walking Tour
Queen Elizabeth II has been the longest reigning Monarch of UK and Commonwealth countries, and was a part of so many key moments, landmarks, and milestones during her time.
An expert guide will take you through the life of the Queen, giving you insights into her personal life, important buildings and attractions like Downing Street and St James Palace, place where she got married, coronated, buried, locations of incredible state banquets, royal yachts and more.
Your guide would give you a more interesting and deeper understanding of the Queen’s life including the best and challenging moments of her reign, and insights into the royal family hierarchy and her personal life.
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