History tours & walks ★★☆

Through a thousand years of history, this walk tells the story of the British monarchy as it moves from the centre of power to the ceremonial periphery, a movement vividly illustrated by the style and geographical placement of the remaining royal palaces and the parks that surround them.

Starting at Westminster Hall, and continuing towards Buckingham Palace and Kensington Gardens, we will consider how the modern, ceremonial version of constitutional monarchy evolved over time and how that is reflected in the increasing democratization of space, best seen in the parks themselves, but also in the architecture and positioning of the palaces and their increasing accessibility and commercialization.

We'll walk through St. James’s Park, once Henry VIII’s deer park, taking in St. James’s Palace and Clarence House, today home to Prince Charles and Camilla Duchess of Cornwall.

Behind the sprawl of modern London lies the secret history of the capital's most daring and controversial source of entertainment: the theatre.

During this sightseeing tour of the city, we shall reconstruct London's historic stages, and come to understand the social and artistic forces that were born here and that still underpin our world.

Any discussion of the English theatre has to start with Shakespeare. Thus we will begin our walk on the South Bank, not far from the Globe Theatre, the modern reconstruction of the playhouse where many of Shakespeare's plays were premiered.

Starting here, on the banks of the Thames, takes us back to a time when the theatre was a public arena, when plays were a part of everyday life. At the same time, as we explore the surrounding area, we will discover why the theatre was feared for so long that it was banished across the river, to this dangerous and dissolute area that was then well outside the city walls.

Old Father Thames is the longest and best-known river in England and has inspired many a writer and artist. During this tour, one of the most popular for our city of London guides, we follow the course of the river through the heart of London and get an overview of the city and her history.

This walk is the perfect introduction to the city, providing an overview of London's history and development, we will use the river Thames as a thread that connects places and events. We begin at Tower Bridge and make our way to Parliament, about 2.5 miles.

As we walk we'll explore a wide range of themes tied together by the central idea that the city and the river have mutually shaped each other over time.

In 1666, the medieval city all but disappeared in the Great Fire of London. The city was rebuilt on the footprint of its predecessor and then seriously damaged again during the Blitz of 1940-1941.

One of the worst nights was the Sunday between Christmas and New Year's Day, December 29, 1940, when the warehouses and offices were empty and people were at home enjoying Christmas break.

That night, the area around St Paul’s was devastated and those working on the ground dubbed it 'The Second Great Fire of London’. In general, only those buildings with firewatchers on their roofs survived.

This walk focuses on the hidden physical remains of London’s past rather than the more obvious sites and the spaces between. London does not proudly display most of its history like Rome or Venice, one needs to seek it out. During our walking tour we will try to find some of the physical reminders of that past, now off the beaten path.

We begin our walk at the Museum of London, a few minutes away from which is one of the hidden gems of London: the remains of the western gate of the Roman fort that once stood here, something not normally accessible to the public, now incongruously within a car park.

While here, we will look at the remains of the Roman city wall and the signs of its continued use up to the eighteenth century. We will then walk to the area near the church of St. Bartholomew the Great, an important part of medieval London. We will visit the church and find ourselves surrounded by the perfect twelfth-century Norman architecture that survived both the 1666 fire and the Blitz.

Following the plague of 1665 and the Great Fire of 1666, wealthy Londoners began moving beyond the walls of the crowded city, looking for more space and healthier surroundings. Aristocratic families like the Dukes of Bedford planned city squares as self-contained communities centered around a square garden. During this walk, you will explore some of these picturesque squares and will learn about the institutions and local thinkers who made this area the intellectual hub of the city.

Bloomsbury became the first neighborhood in London to have such a square; originally know as Southampton Square, it is now Bloomsbury Square. John Evelyn, the diarist, described it as 'a noble square or piazza - a little towne.' As long as the façade was uniform, developers could build what they liked behind. Squares soon became popular and are still a distinctly-London style of urban design: today there are 600 of them!

Pubs and beer are a symbol of British society and tradition as much as tea and cakes and fish and chips.

But beyond the stereotypes do you know what lies behind the tradition of beer and pubs? This three-hour london beer and brewery tour of London will give you a new perspective and appreciation of beer as you enjoy ample tastings at various pubs and breweries located in the East End London area.

Led by a trained food anthropologist with expertise in the beer and brewing industry, we’ll focus on the history of brewing in London, highlighting beer’s evolution from a dietary staple, to the almost lost tradition of cask ales, to today’s renaissance of craft beer and brewing.

Westminster has been at the heart of the governmental system of England (and later, Great Britain) since the Norman Conquest in 1066. Originally the site of the main royal palace in London, whose vestige survives in Westminster Hall, it has, over the centuries, become the seat of parliamentary democracy.

The area in its immediate vicinity, specifically Whitehall and Parliament Square, has seen the development of grand building works housing royal palaces, government departments, and the Supreme Court. Westminster Abbey, the other focal point, has also played an important role in the history of government, hosting coronations, royal weddings, and funerals, and serving as a necropolis for the kings and queens of England.

Discover Westminster’s Second World War sights with a knowledgeable guide and visit the fascinating Churchill War Rooms, an underground network of bunkers that served as the government wartime offices.

The 2-hour walking tour includes little-known war tales and tidbits of London history as well as facts about the much-loved maverick leader Sir Winston Churchill. Learn of his life and legacy on an audio tour of the Churchill War Rooms' museum and cabinet rooms. The tour also takes in top London sights such as Big Ben and Westminster Abbey.

Get to grips with Britain’s royal and political history on this 4-hour tour of Westminster Abbey and the Houses of Parliament.

Step inside the famous Gothic abbey, which has been the setting for almost all English coronations since William the Conqueror’s crowning in 1066, along with many other royal occasions including Prince William and Kate Middleton’s wedding.

Then gain insight into the British political system with a guided tour of the House of Lords and Houses of Commons inside the Houses of Parliament.

Experience an intimate visit to the public houses and taverns of Soho and Fitzrovia that inspired generations of writers and artists. And meet Dylan Thomas, Charles Dickens, Virginia Woolf, George Orwell, Anthony Burgess, T.S Eliot and others.

Meet Charles Dickens (deceased) in Fitzrovia. After an introduction and a quick British pub quiz, it's off to visit places frequented by many of the great 19th and 20th century poets and writers, including Dickens, Brendan Behan, Dylan Thomas, Anthony Burgess, Karl Marx, George Orwell and Virginia Woolf et al, and a few earlier writers such as Samuel Johnson and William Blake. See Dylan Thomas meet his wife, Caitlin and look at other incidents that inspired some great works. 

Set in one of the most iconic botanical landscapes, housing the largest collections of living, painted and dried plants, Kew Royal Botanical Gardens are a sensory embodiment of the global reach and passion for discovery that defined the British empire in the 18th and 19th Centuries.

On this walk, we'll discuss the force behind the development of these gardens as well as the present and future of Kew, as a center of research into plant genetics and participation in international conservation efforts.

Delve into the depths of one of London’s most important and pivotal eras in history. Discover what life was like in London during WWII and the Blitz; from the daily life of citizens, to the role and influence of Winston Churchill. This significant time in London’s modern history has fascinated many, and has contributed enormously to both history books and national mythology in Britain.

From the Great Fire in 1666, to the Blitz bombings during WWII, the City of London has been bruised and battered, yet continues to rise up time and time again. One of the worst nights was the Sunday between Christmas and New Year's Day, December 29, 1940, when the warehouses and offices were empty and people were at home enjoying Christmas break.

That night, the area around St Paul’s was devastated in a way that affected both the physical structures, and mental attitude of Londoners, for years to come.

Just a few paces from the bustle of the Strand lies one of London’s best-kept secrets: a patchwork of secluded squares, alleyways and courtyards that has been home to the legal profession since the Middle Ages when students first came to study and live at the ancient Inns of Court.

Today the four great Inns - Middle Temple, Inner Temple, Lincoln’s Inn and Gray’s Inn – still form thriving communities providing a base for most of the country’s barristers within easy walking distance of the nation’s principal courts.

The three-hour walk — led by a barrister or law expert —traces the development of the English legal system, explaining and illustrating its many quirks, from the history of the barrister’ horsehair wigs – still worn for most trials - to the role of Queen’s Counsel or the Lord Chancellor.

Our Jewish history in the City of London walking tours trace the history of this diverse and active community, giving visitors a distinct sense of its rich culture and history.

Jewish history in London began in 1066, when William the Conqueror encouraged Jewish merchants and artisans from northern France to move to England. From that time (notwithstanding Edward the First's mass expulsion in 1290) London has been home to a very diverse and active Jewish community, one that established itself primarily in the area east of Tower Hill.

Our Jewish London walking tour traces the history of these different communities, some of which continued to live in London after the expulsion, but the majority of whom entered into England only during the seventeenth century under the decree of Oliver Cromwell.

In 1666, the City of London burned to the ground. From the smouldering ruins of the city, the famous English architect Sir Christopher Wren designed and built St. Paul’s Cathedral and over fifty parish churches.

Discover the genius of his work in some of his finest creations and find out more about the man, how he worked, and what inspired him on this London city sightseeing tour led by an architecture historian.