Walks around London

Probably the most popular walking tour in London!  In 1888, a serial killer known as "Jack the Ripper" committed a series of murders in the deprived East London area of Whitechapel. He then vanished and was never caught. 

To this day, theories abound about his true identity and his motive for committing these horrific murders.  

On this walk, you'll hear all about the police investigation, the horrendous poverty of the area, details of the murders and the ever-increasing number of suspects. 

One of London’s most famous fictional characters, created by the author, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. 

This walk takes in the deerstalker hat associated with Holmes; the Sherlock Holmes pub; his famous enemy Professor Moriarty; and sites connected to one of his most famous stories, “The Hound of the Baskervilles”.

This tour can be extended by public transport to see the location of Sherlock’s fake suicide in the TV series “Sherlock” with Benedict Cumberbatch and a filming site from the “Sherlock Holmes” films with Robert Downey Jr; as well as his fictional address, no. 221B Baker St.

This walk takes you through the central London area of Marylebone, where the Beatles lived and worked and became famous. 

You’ll hear all about their fame, the fans, their personal and professional relationships, sites where they recorded their songs and an insider story about a relative of mine, probably the one person in Great Britain who had never heard of the Beatles until the day when they contacted him!

The tour can be extended by public transport to see the famous Abbey Road zebra crossing (pictured above) and Sir Paul McCartney’s house.

William Shakespeare: one of the most famous playwrights in the history of this country. 

This walk takes you through the 16th c. theatre area of Southwark, where his plays were performed.  Above is a picture of the Globe Theatre, a replica of the original 16th century Globe.  London at that time was a brutal, violent place and this walk shows the influence of this brutality on his plays and also includes the inspiration for one of his most well-known plays, “Macbeth”, with stories about the curse associated with that play.

Fast-forward over 200 years later to the best-selling 19th c. author, Charles Dickens, famous for emphasising the appalling poverty in England throughout that time, immortalised in novels such as “Oliver Twist”. Dickens made the whole of London his own by walking around it, writing about it and living everywhere in it! Because of this, Dickens tours can take place in several London locations and can be joined with the Shakespeare walk, depending on your preferences.

This is the oldest part of London, first founded by the Romans in AD47, but now today’s financial district with modern offices side-by-side with 12th century churches. Here you’ll find a chocolate box of history: murder, executions, disasters and ghosts. 

The  HIDDEN CITY walk tells you all about the City’s 2,000-year old history, from fire to plague and "Harry Potter"!

The GHOST walk reveals stories of haunted pubs, prisons and churches, monasteries and the Queen of England who may have been responsible for the murder of her husband, the king.

The BLITZ walk covers the systematic bombing of London in World War Two, where you'll not only hear about the desperate measures taken to try and preserve public buildings from bomb damage, but also about the human, very entertaining stories at that period of history.

HISTORIC PUB walk: at the end of the day, try out some of London’s beer at the historic pubs in the City with all their nooks and crannies, hear about the stories of pub traditions in the past and the poltergeists who allegedly haunt them. . .

The royal area of Westminster: where kings, queens, statesmen and aristocrats lived, worked and played.

 The exteriors of Buckingham Palace, the monarch’s residence in London; the Houses of Parliament and Big Ben can all be seen on this tour. One highlight is the Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace, perfect for anyone who likes pageantry and parade, as well as the Queen's Household Cavalry, the guards on horseback, pictured above.

This tour can also include an interior sightseeing tour of the beautiful medieval Westminster Abbey.