Active
Sights in London
A vast park in North London, with lovely views, wooded rambles, swimming ponds, cozy pubs, and Old Master art in a genteel manor house
Experiences in London
Experiences in England
Microtours in the U.K.—Guided walks, bus tours, museum tours, private guides, escorted sidetrips, and more
Guided walks are a fabulous way to bring a city to life and learn its secrets and its history
Lodgings in England
If you love sailing, or just have an unquenchable taste for adventure and new experiences, you can sign on to help crew a boat just about anywhere in the world, including the U.K.
Planning for a trip to England
Hiking, biking, kayaking, ballooning, horseback and other active tours of the United Kingdom
Enjoy a day away from the city with this wonderful bike tour of Windsor and surrounding areas. Upon arrival, get on your bikes and set off on a leisurely, traffic free eight-mile (13 km) cycle through the country lanes, historic houses and cottages of the Thames Valley. Stop for a short break at the Tudor mansion of Dorney Court, dating back to 1440, before cycling to the 2012 Olympic Rowing Lake.
Continue along the river, taking in the majesty of Windsor Castle before pedalling on to educators for 19 British Prime Ministers and the oldest school in the world - Eton College.
The cycle ends by the River Thames with easy access back to the train station or towards the castle. This bike tour makes the perfect countryside escape from the hustle and bustle of the busy city life.
Your journey starts at Gabriel’s Wharf, conveniently located a stone’s throw away from Waterloo station.
Equipped with a bike, your guide will lead you across Blackfriars Bridge and onto Victoria Embankment along the East-West Cycle Superhighway, London’s latest exciting initiative to improve cycle safety.
Stop first at the boundary of the City of London and the Metropolitan capital, and hear why the river became slimmer in the 1800s.
Then head to Cleopatra’s Needle for spectacular riverside views of the Southbank with its iconic London Eye. Cycle right under Elizabeth Tower, with Big Ben towering over you.
Stop next in Parliament Square for views of Westminster Abbey and the Palace of Westminster right under the gaze of Winston Churchill, before heading off to Buckingham Palace — via St. James’s Park — in time to catch the Changing of the Guard. If you're lucky, the royal standard flag will be raised and you may catch a glimpse of the Queen as she takes up residence in her office.
From here, it’s straight to Trafalgar Square to see Lord Nelson on his pedestal, guarded by bronze lions not far from elegant fountains, before continuing to the cobbled streets of Covent Garden, an area renowned for its high-quality restaurants and street performers.
Then pedal towards London's oldest quarter, as you enter the heart of the legal district, making your way past Lincoln's Inn Fields. Follow the old cattle routes to Smithfield Market to learn more about its turbulent past and gruesome medieval tales.
Afterward, take a moment to admire St. Paul’s Cathedral before crossing over Blackfriars Bridge and heading back to the wharf.
Capture the magic of one of the world's great cities by night on this 3-hour bicycle tour of London. Pedal along the River Thames, passing Tower Bridge, the London Eye, the Houses of Parliament, and more. See Big Ben, St. Paul’s Cathedral, Westminster Abbey, and Trafalgar Square lit up in lights, before cruising through the vibrant nightlife of Covent Garden and Chinatown.
You'll meet your guide at 3:30pm during the winter months or 7pm during spring and summer at Gabriel's Wharf on the South Bank of the Thames, near Waterloo station. Don your helmet, lights, and high-visibility jacket, and hop aboard your trusty steed, then follow your guide into a journey across London by night.
First, you'll pedal east to the iconic Tower Bridge, and into London's historic docklands, and the refurbished St. Katherine's Dock. Then it's time to head into the City of London: you'll pass the mighty dome of St. Paul's Cathedral, the pedestrian-only Millennium Bridge, and the vast Tate Modern art gallery.
Stop for a quick drink at the Founders Arms pub, right on the river, and marvel at the City of London's towering skyline reflected in the still waters of the Thames. This is also a great opportunity to capture photos.
Cruise along the river to the London Eye, then pedal across Westminster Bridge to Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament, all dressed up in lights for the evening. After the Houses of Parliament, see the imposing Gothic towers of Westminster Abbey, the venue for many a royal wedding over the years.
Leaving the river behind, cut into town. Admire the grand government buildings on Horse Guards Parade and the landmark Admiralty Arch, before cutting up to Trafalgar Square to see Nelson's Column, the fountains, and a piece of modern art. Finally, it's into Covent Garden and Chinatown, where you'll make your way past rickshaws and taxis as you absorb the evening's street theater.
From here, it's a quick 2.3-mile (3.7-kilometer) cycle back to Gabriel's Wharf, where you'll return your bikes and protective gear.
Your tour focuses its attention on the east of the city, heading out towards the old docklands and back through London town. This carefully chosen route gives you a local's knowledge of London’s power house. Your journey starts with a ride to the old Bankside power station, now home to Tate Modern Art Gallery. A few doors down from there is the New Globe Theatre, a beautiful, curvaceous replica of an Elizabethan theatre made famous by William Shakespeare.
Next you’ll be taken to Borough Market, one of London’s largest and oldest food markets, offering a selection of the city's best street food and fresh local produce.Then, provided there are no ships passing through, you’ll be off to cross the picture-postcard Tower Bridge, all the while taking in the spectacular London skyline with its newly iconic skyscrapers (the Gherkin, the Walkie Talkie and the Cheesegrater among them).
From there, it's a ride along the river to the old Dockyards, an atmospheric maze of warehouses and alleyways, including a quick stop at Captain Kidd, a waterside pub.
Starting to head back west to what used to be less affluent industrial land, you'll see how the area has been transformed into a destination for young designers and their businesses.Then it's to the Square Mile, London’s financial district. Passing through a bedrock of institutions such as Lloyd’s of London, the Royal Exchange and Mansion House - each of them a delight for architecture enthusiasts.
Last stop is Sir Christopher Wren's unrivalled masterpiece, St Paul's Cathedral. Your guide will then lead you back to the Wharf along Carter Lane one of the cities beautiful hidden secrets.
London pulses with a creativity like no other. Boasting a rich and diverse history of statesmen, artists with spectacular and influential imaginations, there’s no better way to whet your appetite, for what’s on offer than to take a relaxing tour through the West End. Discover some of the city’s theatrical and culturally significant sights and let pure poetry stir in your heart beneath the boughs of handsome tree-lined cycle paths.
This tour is a relaxed tour through the West End exploring some of the city’s most theatrical, artistic and culturally significant sights. On the way you'll pass along handsome tree-lined streets and through some of the city's most charming parks.
The journey begins at Gabriel's Wharf and throws you straight into the quaint 1830s red-brick lined streets of Waterloo as you make your way towards The Cut. First stop is the Old Vic Theatre, one of London’s oldest and most loved theatres. Across the road – Lower Marsh, a market street that’s a favourite of filmmakers and full of listed buildings housing lunchtime cheap eats and hip cafés. Turning right, you’ll explore a hidden underground tunnel, (sometimes known as Banksy Tunnel) a unique area filled with ever-changing street art.
Next stop is Archbishop's Park, a secluded green area of tranquility that backs onto Lambeth Palace, the home of the Archbishop of Canterbury. Crossing the river, you are transported back in time as you arrive at the courtyard of Westminster Abbey School, which offers a privileged view of Westminster Abbey and some of its hidden quarters.
From there it’s a short ride to Horse Guard’s Parade, a historic sporting ground where Henry VIII once hosted jousting tournaments, followed by a pedal through Hyde Park, Henry’s private hunting ground, before Buckingham Palace was built.
Up next is Mayfair, an area associated with luxury shops, galleries and exclusive clubs. Passing along Carnaby Street, still known today as the centre of 60s Swinging London, it’s then onto Soho, a favourite haunt of the mods and hippies of the same era, and the stomping ground of British bands like The Rolling Stones.
As the tour draws to a close, you’ll cycle to Covent Garden – London’s Theatreland. Finally, it’s back across Waterloo Bridge, before returning to where it all began, hungry for your next London adventure.
Take a scenic 3-hour bike ride around the beautiful grounds of Hampton Court Palace* with this fun guided tour along a gentle eight mile (13 km) route. Start exploring the stunning Royal Bushy Park, see where Eisenhower had his WWII base and look for deer that are direct descendants from ones bred by Henry VIII.
Stop by a local pub for some refreshments (not included) before cycling to the end of the Long Water, taking in the iconic view of Sir Christopher Wren's baroque masterpiece. Travelling alongside the River Thames, arrive at the Palace's grand riverside entrance and learn about the colourful history that dates back over 500 years.
The cycle ends close to the entrance for ease of access to the Palace or train station - a blissful trip out of the city.
*Please note: Entrance fee to the Palace is not included.
Numbers are limited to 17 on this small-group tour, ensuring you'll see the best of London with personalized attention from your guide.
Meet your guide in Southwark, central London, and after listening to a quick safety briefing, put on your helmet, hop on your bike and set off on your way. Following your guide, pedal toward the River Thames, getting a feel for the mystery and romance of London’s riverside as the sun goes down.
Pass the iconic London Eye – a monument that was built to celebrate the Millennium but proved so popular that it had to stay – and then work your way east in the direction of the City of London, stopping every so often to soak up the evening sights and relax. Continue toward London Bridge, the city’s best-known river crossing, discovering the origins of the nursery rhyme London Bridge is Falling Down. Cross beautiful Tower Bridge – a testament to both the Victorian’s grandeur and ingenuity – and explore the north side of the River Thames
About half-way through your tour, stop for a well-earned break in one of the city’s historical pubs for a drink, and then continue your tour on the north side of the river. Cruise past the Monument to the Great Fire of London (known to Londoners as simply, the Monument) and cycle around the Tower of London, hearing tales of Beefeaters, ravens and glistening Crown Jewels. Pedal to Leadenhall Market – one of London’s hidden 14th-century gems – and hear how it featured in Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone.
Cross the river again and see Shakespeare’s Globe -- a beautiful reconstruction of the Elizabethan playhouse where Shakespeare’s plays were originally performed – before returning to Southwark under the shade of the moonlight. Your bike tour ends here, after four hours of cycling London’s city streets.
Enjoy cycling around London's Hyde Park and see the famous sights of the Houses of Parliament, Big Ben,Trafalgar Square, and Westminster Abbey as well as the royal landmarks of Buckingham Palace, Kensington Palace and the Princess Diana Memorial.
Tours are taken on state of the art California 'beach cruiser' bicycles that are named after famous British personalities. Will you choose Winston Churchill, William Wallace or even David Beckham?!
The motto is: see more, less effort and more fun! It takes less time to ride leisurely between the sights than walk and you will spend more time exploring the city's world-famous landmarks and discover its hidden gems.
Watch London life go by as you cycle to the Houses of Parliament and Big Ben, the most recognized symbol of the city. Discover the infamous Cabinet War Rooms and explore London's fairy tale cathedral Westminster Abbey. Just around the corner you will find Trafalgar Square with its picturesque National Portrait Gallery and Nelson's Column, and enjoy a well-earned lunch stop.
You will ride effortlessly through the lushing beauty of all central Royal Parks including Hyde Park, Kensington Gardens, Green Park and St James Park. See the Royal residencies Buckingham Palace in Hyde Park and Kensington Palace with the Princess Diana Memorial set in the wonderful gardens.
The expert guide will lead you through today's London and its past centuries with the right mix of history, anecdotes, and humor.Numbers are limited to 14 people on this small-group tour, ensuring you'll receive personalized attention from your expert guide.
Hop on a bicycle and take a guided small-group bike tour along the River Thames, right through the heart of central London. During its 2,000 years of existence, London has faced plagues, great fires, wars and more that have continuously shaped its cityscape -- your local expert guide will actively lead you through this history as you sightsee, making your trip an educational and enjoyable experience.
During this bike tour, cycle on both banks of the Thames, admiring London's top attractions and stopping along the way for photo opportunities. Part of your itinerary will be determined by your guide on the day, depending on the group's overall preferences.
Your sightseeing will include Big Ben, the London Eye, St Paul's Cathedral, Borough Market, Shakespeare's Globe Theatre, the Tower of London and the Tower Bridge.
Stop for a lunch break at Borough Market, one of London's largest food markets, famous for its wide range of food from all over the world. Fortified, you will continue your tour, crossing one of London's most popular bridges, the Tower Bridge.
From Tower Bridge you will pedal on to the area known as the City of London - the city’s financial center - where you’ll see some of the modern glass skyscrapers that have appeared more recently on the famous London skyline.
You’ll then head on past the Monument to the Great Fire and Leadenhall Market - one of London’s hidden 14th-century gems – and hear how it featured in Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone. Make your way past an old medieval church that was bombed during the World War II blitz before cycling over London Bridge and back to Southwark - where your tour ends.
Explore London like never before with this exciting 3-hour bike tour. An expert guide will take you and your small group on a picturesque journey through the capital.
See the Houses of Parliament, Kensington Palace, St James’s Palace and the Horse Guards Parade. Cycle through the idyllic Hyde Park. View Princess Diana’s beautiful memorial fountain. Discover London history and learn about the fascinating royal family along the way.
You can rent a standard bike or upgrade to an electric bike.
Exploring London has just got extra fun with this wonderful, 3-hour bike tour through the capital. Departing at 10am, you’ll get to see royal palaces, London’s most exquisite parks and some of the most iconic British landmarks along the way.
Starting your adventure at Waterloo with an expert guide leading you on the tour, you’ll set off to explore London and discover more about its rich history.
See Iconic London Landmarks
As you see some of London’s most beautiful sights, including the Houses of Parliament, the London Eye and Kensington Palace, you’ll stop off to discuss and learn more about London and the royal family.
Giving you the treat of cycling through London’s streets, cycle paths and parks, you’ll also come up close to Big Ben and Westminster Abbey and get the chance to see the Changing of the Guard (if it is taking place on the day of the tour) and iconic royal venues. And don’t worry; you can always stop off to take a picture along the way!
With this exhilarating and informative journey, you’ll pass the exquisite Princess Diana Memorial and cycle through the glamorous West End and then ride back through the glorious Horse Guards Parade before reaching your final destination – Waterloo.
Upgrade to an Electric Bike
Electric bikes are easy to control, simple to ride and will ensure that you get up any hills with ultimate ease.
The tour ends in Waterloo, a central district of London, at approximately 12:45pm.
Take a fantastic bike tour of the capital and explore the city like never before
Cycle through the scenic surroundings led by an expert guide
Pass through the world-famous Parliament Square and see the Houses of Parliament and Westminster Abbey
Spectacular views of London including the London Eye as you ride along the Thames
See St Paul’s Cathedral, Trafalgar Square and Covent Garden
Upgrade to an electric bike for only £10
Take in the wonderful sights and sounds of London on this exciting bike tour through the capital. With an expert guide leading you through some of the most well-known locations in London, you will get to explore the city like never before.
See Iconic London Landmarks
As you set off from Waterloo, you’ll ride along the Thames and see spectacular views of the London Eye before cycling past the Houses of Parliament and through Parliament Square. Get your cameras ready as you see the enormous Big Ben and the gothic church of Westminster Abbey.
Pass Exciting London Locations
You’ll take a break to learn more about the history of your surroundings before visiting the popular Trafalgar Square, home to the National Gallery and Nelson’s Column, Covent Garden with its cultural vibe and many street performers, Smithfield Market and the exquisite St Paul’s Cathedral.
As you cycle through the hustle and bustle, through the backstreets and scenic roads, you’ll see all the wonderful treats London has to offer and return back to Waterloo. An adventure like no other!
Upgrade to an Electric Bike
To upgrade to an electric bike, it’s only £10 more. They’re easy to control, simple to ride and will ensure that you get up any hills with ultimate ease.Get ready for an entertaining, small group guided bike tour of London and discover London like you have never seen it before. Riding a classic English Pashley bicycle you will cycle along the quiet back streets of Westminster and Royal London with frequent stops to soak up the atmosphere. Whether you are a local, or a visitor to London, you will find the London Landmarks Bike tour informative and fun with amazing facts and stories from your local native English speaking guides, that will give you a fresh perspective on the city.
You can discover all London has to offer on the Landmarks Bike Tour. The tour begins with meeting your guide and selecting your beautiful handbuilt British Pashley bicycles. Start by exploring the former palace gardens of Lambeth Palace, cycling along the river Thames, seeing Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament. You'll also see the hidden streets of Westminster, Westmisnter Abbey, Horseguards Parade, St. James Park, Buckingham Palace, Traflagr Square, Covent Garden, London Eye, the Southbank and the Banky Tunnel.
See the ever changing walls of a legal graffiti zone where artists such as Banksy have painted. Then try your own hand at street art and leave your mark on London! We provide spray paint.
This is our easiest-going tour and the best way to start your visit to London. Don't worry if you haven't ridden a bike in a while, our guides will have you feeling confident quickly.
A Segway Rally provides people of all ages with a fun and exciting Segway experience! As you take to the various terrains of the Windsor Rally tracks you will master the skills of a Segway as you use your weight to navigate the twists and turns of your chosen Segway Rally course. An activity like no other, your Segway Rally experience will provide you with a fantastic and unforgettable ride! This Segway adventure for two is a great experience for all ages valid at 14 locations nationwide.
This is valid for a 60-minute experience which includes safety briefing, training session, safety equipment, time to test your Segway skills and a complimentary certificate.
Height and weight restrictions apply so please ensure you are over 134 cm tall and your weight exceeds 45 kg but is under 117 kg.
These might include active
More tours- RealAdventures.com - This is not a tour operator or travel agency, but rather a clearing for independent tour operators, local adventure outfitters, and vacation agencies to offer their trips and tours direct to consumers. As such, it offers a potpourri of trips around the world, from single-day experiences to two-week tours, and they run the gamut from ballooning or biking to walking holidays, cooking schools, and much, much more.Partner
- Infohub.com - Not a tour company, rather a kind of aggregator of trips offered by tour companies—hiking and biking tours all across the U.K., plus barge-and-bike tours of the Thames in England, birding or fly-fishing in Wales, and kayak tours of Scotlands lochs, islands, or coast. Infohub casts one of the largest nets over the industry, listing some 14,000 tours offered by 4,000 operators in more than 100 categories, with more than 200 tours in England, nearly 100 in Scotland, and 65 in Wales.Partner
- Viator.com - Best place to search for one-day active and outdoor adventures (along with a few mutli-day treks)—from hiking and biking to kayaking, surfing, fishing, caving, whitewater rafting, rock climbing, sailing, skydiving, off-roading, and more. You'll have to search England, Scotland, and Wales independently, but there are dozens upon dozens of adventures in each. Partner
- Rei.com - America's greatest co-op chain of outdoors gear stores also offers active vacation—like walking tours of England and Scoltand, and some family multi-sport tours.
- Gadventures.com - G Adventures is an excellent small-group adventurous tour operator. Not much on the U.K. at present—save for a small ship adventure sailing the Scottish islands and Norway coast—but worth checking out.Partner
- Djoserusa.com - Excellent small-group tour company based out of the Neterhlands. Not much in the U.K.—though the 8-day Wales Walking tour is nice—but also worth checking out.
- Sierraclub.org/outings - Yes, the premier outdoors network of the USA also plans lots of trips abroad, including ones in Europe, like the England Coast-to-Coast walk, or Adventures in the Scottish Highlands.Partner
- Exodustravels.com - Adventure travel and trips, including self-guided walking adventures in the U.K.
- Viator.com - Best one-stop shopping site for all sorts of activities, walking tours, bus tours, escorted day trips, and other excursions. It is actually a clearinghouse for many local tour companies and outfitters, and since it gets a bulk-rate deal on pricing (and takes only a token fee for itself), you can actually sometimes book an activity through Viator for less than it would cost to buy the same exact tour from the tour company itself. (I once booked a Dublin pub crawl via Viator and later discovered that I saved about $1.50; also, the tour turned out to be sold-out, and they were turning away the folks in front of me in line, but since I had a pre-booked voucher I got in.)Partner
- Londonwalks.com - Since the 1970s, the gold standard in city walking tours and museum tours—and cheap, to boot. Just meet your guide at the appointed time and place (usually a Tube stop), pay your £10 (students or over 65s are £8; under 15 free), and prepare for a good two hours of amazing cultural insight and historic anecdotes. If you plan on taking three or more walks, buy a "Frequent London Walker" card for £2 from your first guide, then each subsequent walk costs £8. They also run popular excursions outside London for £18. Note that the fee just covers the guided tour; you pay for any admissions (or, for excursions, travel expenses) yourself.
- Contexttravel.com - This bespoke walking tour company doesn't even call its 200 tour leaders "guides." It calls them "docents"—perhaps because most guides are academics and specialists in their fields: history professors, archeologists, PhDs, art historians, artists, etc. Groups are miniscule (often six people maximum), and most docents can be booked for private guiding sessions as well. They aren't always the cheapest tours, but they are invariably the best. People rave about Context.Partner
- City-discovery.com - Chief rival to Viator (though with a less spiffy interface and often sub-par text descriptions), representing many of the same tours (at the same prices). However, it also seems to cover more destinations, especially secondary ones. When it comes down to it, City-Discovery and Viator have maybe 70% the same inventory, but then 30% will be completely different (some Viator has City-Discovery does not, other vice-versa) so it pays to check through the offerings from both.Partner
- RealAdventures.com - This is not a tour operator or travel agency, but rather a clearing for independent tour operators, local adventure outfitters, and vacation agencies to offer their trips and tours direct to consumers. As such, it offers a potpourri of trips around the world, from single-day experiences to two-week tours, and they run the gamut from ballooning or biking to walking holidays, cooking schools, and much, much more.Partner
- Infohub.com - Not a tour company, rather a kind of aggregator of trips offered by tour companies—hiking and biking tours all across the U.K., plus barge-and-bike tours of the Thames in England, birding or fly-fishing in Wales, and kayak tours of Scotlands lochs, islands, or coast. Infohub casts one of the largest nets over the industry, listing some 14,000 tours offered by 4,000 operators in more than 100 categories, with more than 200 tours in England, nearly 100 in Scotland, and 65 in Wales.Partner
- Viator.com - Best place to search for one-day active and outdoor adventures (along with a few mutli-day treks)—from hiking and biking to kayaking, surfing, fishing, caving, whitewater rafting, rock climbing, sailing, skydiving, off-roading, and more. You'll have to search England, Scotland, and Wales independently, but there are dozens upon dozens of adventures in each. Partner
- Rei.com - America's greatest co-op chain of outdoors gear stores also offers active vacation—like walking tours of England and Scoltand, and some family multi-sport tours.
- Gadventures.com - G Adventures is an excellent small-group adventurous tour operator. Not much on the U.K. at present—save for a small ship adventure sailing the Scottish islands and Norway coast—but worth checking out.Partner
- Djoserusa.com - Excellent small-group tour company based out of the Neterhlands. Not much in the U.K.—though the 8-day Wales Walking tour is nice—but also worth checking out.
- Sierraclub.org/outings - Yes, the premier outdoors network of the USA also plans lots of trips abroad, including ones in Europe, like the England Coast-to-Coast walk, or Adventures in the Scottish Highlands.Partner
- Exodustravels.com - Adventure travel and trips, including self-guided walking adventures in the U.K.