Walking tours give you the opportunity to hear and see close up some of the lesser-known stories and hidden gems as well as alleyways you are unlikely to see while on a bus or coach tour. They are probably the best way to hear about London’s most interesting and unique sites while at the same time learning about the city’s long history and diverse culture.
The Royal Walking Tour
You can take a guided, royal walk-through London’s significant sites, favourite hangouts and shops of the Royal Family. These include clubs, churches and palaces that have played an important role in the lives of the royals.
St James’s Palace is where The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall lived and Buckingham Palace is residence to His Majesty the King. Depending on the day of your tour, you might even see the changing of the guard and learn more about this historic tradition. See the Queen’s favourite off licence (liquor store) and where The Duke of Edinburgh used to get his haircut. Fortnum and Mason department store is royal haunt and is where you can learn about the history of a British tradition – afternoon Tea.
You will hear some odd and unusual facts about the Royal Family (including where the Queen Mother bought her cigarettes), see the Horseguards and other important parts of the Crown Estate including the Royal Warrants on Jermyn Street, a place in London known for its many establishments that supply the Royal Family with various goods and services. For those who have royal interests, you can find out more about the most luxurious spots in the city.
This walking tour is provided by Golden Tours Ltd
Harry Potter Film Locations Walking Tour
This enchanting half-day, Harry Potter-themed walking tour of London is ideal for Harry Potter fans and those interested in film locations. On this walking tour you can visit actual locations which provided backdrops for some of the most iconic locations in the wizarding world seen in the Harry Potter books and films.
You will pass Westminster Tube Station, as seen in The Order of the Phoenix and used by Harry and Mr Weasley on their way to the Ministry of Magic. On the corner of Great Scotland Yard, you’ll be shown the exteriors used for the Ministry of Magic during filming for the Polyjuice potion scenes in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, along with the location of the red telephone box used to enter the ministry.
In addition to visiting Trafalgar Square, where the Death Eaters wreaked havoc on London in the opening scenes of The Half-Blood Prince, you’ll also have the chance to stand on the very spot where the Death Eaters and Fenrir Greyback destroyed the famous Millennium Bridge once known as the Wobbly Bridge. Other visits of the real-life locations that inspired Diagon Alley, including Godwin’s Court, a narrow alley featuring rows of 17th-century terraced houses, and Cecil’s Court, which inspired the famous shops of Diagon Alley.
Two more locations used as the entrance to The Leaky Cauldron and also where, in The Prisoner of Azkaban, Harry disembarked from his journey on the Knight Bus were in Borough Market, London’s oldest food market. The tour ends at Platform 9 ¾ at King’s Cross Station, where you can also visit the Harry Potter Shop.
This walking tour is provided by Evan Evans Tours Ltd.
Royal Parks Walking Tour
This special Royal themed walking tour of London tells the story of the British monarchy in London as you visit important locations and monuments from the back streets in the capital to the wildlife of the Royal Parks. The British Monarchy has played a central role in the history of the capital during the lifetime of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, from the Blitz to the modern day. You will see important statues and monuments to key figures and learn of the work that goes into delivering State visits, investitures, Garden Parties, commemorative events and much more.
The flower beds to the front of Buckingham Palace form part of St James’s Park with impressive views of the lake. It was the first of The Royal Parks to be opened to the public and is where you see habitats of a variety of different species of bird life. These include the robin, blackbird, wren, blue tit, great spotted woodpecker, and tawny owl. The Pelicans who have resided in the park for nearly 400 years were originally presented as a gift from the Russian Ambassador to King Charles II.
The Green Park once a hunting ground, is home to Britain’s rarest native timber tree, the black poplar as well as native oaks and hawthorn: a tree that supports a lot of wildlife. It is the smallest of the Royal Parks and has no formal flower beds. The alleged reason for this is that Catherine of Braganza, the wife of Charles II had all the flower beds removed when she learnt of her husband’s habitual liking for picking flowers for his mistresses! During the mid-17th to 18th centuries, the park was known for being the stomping ground for highwaymen and robbers and was often chosen by many for duels too. It is a peaceful park now with mature trees and grasslands offering a quiet retreat for anyone visiting there.
This walking tour is provided by Evan Evans Tours Ltd.
A Ticket to Ride – A Beatles Walking Tour
You will need boots that are made for walking! There’s a song in there somewhere (not by The Beatles!) as it’s over 2 hours long and takes you to Beatle-related sites in London. Liverpool is a tad too far!
The Beatles story is a tale of two cities; until 1962 they were a Liverpool ‘beat band ‘ but they achieved global dominance once they moved to London. It was London that made the Beatles, directly influencing their artistic development. It was London where they chose to live. Over 50 major Beatles sites are visited on this memorable evening tour, charting the ‘Beatlemania’ years from 1962 to 1969, and their solo years thereafter. No other London Beatle tour covers as many central London sites and locations in a single tour, or in such an entertaining and fun way! This is the perfect way to while-away a Summer’s eve, celebrating 50-years of the ‘Fab Four’, with lots of stops and photo opportunities.
This walking tour is provided by Premium Tours and operates in the summer only (June to August)
Jack the Ripper Murders
The story of the Whitechapel murders is one of the great unsolved mysteries in the world. It is also one of the most fascinating and blood thirsty tales you will ever hear.
In the early hours of 31st August 1888 a man is walking to work down a dark lane in Whitechapel, he sees a shapeless bundle lying on the ground near some gates, curious he goes over to investigate. His gruesome discovery of a murdered East End prostitute then started one of the most famous man hunts in the world. To this day, they are still trying to work out the identity of a man they called Jack the Ripper.
This walking tour is provided by Golden Tours Ltd
Jack The Ripper Tour with Ripper-ologist and free Fish & Chips
Travel in the footsteps of London’s most infamous serial killer, Jack The Ripper. Visit the real-life murder locations with an expert ‘Ripper-ologist’ and hear the evidence, clues and theories behind this mysterious unsolved crime. For three months during the late 19th century, the Whitechapel area of London was enveloped in fear. During this period, a spate of murders known as the ‘Whitechapel Murders’ took place; five women were murdered and brutally mutilated by a killer that was never caught.
During the tour, you’ll be treated to a taster of a very traditional English dish at one of London’s oldest, most authentic ‘chippies’. You’ll also visit Spitalfields Market and see the Ten Bells pub, the rumoured hunting ground of Jack The Ripper. If the coach tour option is selected, you can enjoy a roundtrip coach travel from central London otherwise meet in Whitechapel for the walking tour option.
This walking tour is provided by Evan Evans Tours Ltd.