Things to Do in London

How did an American billionaire end up buying London Bridge? 

Why were the Romans asked to return to ancient Britain — immediately after being kicked out? 

And why was the Great Fire of London blamed on an innocent watchmaker?

Find out the answers to these questions — and much more — on my tour of the Old City of London. 

The City of London, also called “The City,” is both the oldest part of London — with many of its most important historical sites — and its modern financial centre. 

On this tour, we will not follow the traditional route — instead, we’ll visit hidden gems you might never discover, even if you've lived in London all your life. I organise my tours in such a way that, by the end, you’ll know more about London than most locals. 

I will take you through London’s 2,000-year history, beginning with its founding by the Romans, continuing through the early history of England and how the country became what it is today, and ending with the dramatic events of World War II. 

On my tours, I believe my role is to help you have a great holiday. So even if you’re a local, I’ll be checking in with each of you to offer recommendations or help you navigate the city. 

Turn back the clock 2000 years and join us as we trace the journey of the City of London, from the arrival of Julius Caesar and its roots as a square mile trading village along the River Thames, all the way to becoming the financial capital of Europe, home to dozens of the quirkiest glass skyscrapers on Earth.

Along the way, you will hear stories of the Viking occupation, William the Conqueror's Norman Conquest, the construction of London's medieval fortress, the devastation of Great Fire, the destruction of the Blitz, captured perfectly by a bombed out church, and the resilience and bravery of the people who lived through it and so much more!

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Nowhere else in London is the clash of ancient crumbling icons and trailblazing modern architecture so obvious, with huge skyscrapers and historic 12th century churches standing proudly, shoulder to shoulder.

How can one self-governing little square mile, with ancient laws created by its council and imposed by its police force, stand so separately from everything around it?
Tour Highlights include:​​​

• The Tower of London
• Monument
• London's Roman Wall
• The Blitz
• ​St Paul's Cathedral
• Tower Bridge
• Mansion House
• The Bank of England
• The Royal Exchange
• A walk along the River Thames

The tour finishes at St Paul's Cathedral.

Please note, groups larger than 6 and any educational groups will need to get in touch to arrange a private tour, as they will not be able to join the public tour

Old Money, New Money, Dirty Money in Mayfair & St James Tour: London's Super Wealthy (Not Suitable for Children)


Welcome! I’m Justin. This one of the newest of the 6 tours I lead in London, which together have gathered over 2,000 reviews averaging 5 stars (the highest on GuruWalk).

The Mayfair & St James district of London boasts the highest concentration of billionaires in Europe. Some got their money honestly, some not!

Traditionally, this part of London was home to royals and aristocrats along with the nouveau riche of Empire (the sugar-and-slave plantation owners of the West Indies and senior East India Company employees, rich from looting India and China).

Today, the old British elites are being sidelined by a tsunami of new money arriving from all over the world as London becomes the second-home capital of the world's mega wealthy.

While Britain has lost an empire, it has instead found a new role as butler and fixer to anyone who will pay. In the process, dictators, tyrants, oligarchs, plutocrats and kleptocrats have been welcomed with open arms into the UK's capital city.

But some friendly advice! If you just want to just take pretty pictures to put on social media and have no interest in history (and don't really like walking much), I am the wrong tour guide for you! My tours attract people who like ideas, history and books. If that is not what interests you, book another tour 🙂 

You do get a chance to take some great photos, but also I hope you get to "think" a little about what this area of London represents as well! 

Also, this walking tour is not suitable for children unless they are older teens interested in history, politics, economics or international affairs. 

Still reading? OK, this is the tour's heart. 

I'll navigate you through the natural habitat of many of the richest people on the planet, centring on St James's and Mayfair. 

You will get to see the traditional "old money" haunts, but I'll also point out the $200 million homes and $30k-a-month apartment complexes and private members clubs beloved by the "new money" (often dirty money). And you'll see the places this new global mega elite go to shop, eat and play.

You'll also learn how the web of hedge funds, private equity companies and family offices based in this area put both clean and dirty money to work around the world: tax free of course!

Highlights of the tour include: 

• Saville Row: Famed for its tailors, who make high-end suits for the world's wealthy.
• St James Street: Street hosting old money, new money and dirty money clubs along with a Russian oligarch's trophy building frozen by the UK government after Putin's invasion of Ukraine. 
• Burlington Arcade: Central London's longest and most beautiful shopping arcade dating back to 1819. 
• Pall Mall: The heart of London's "old money" club land, where royalty, aristocrats, politicians and civil servants mix.   
• St James Square: One of the capital's most exclusive squares. Home to the East India Club, the private members only London Library and famous think tank Chatham House.
• St James Palace: The oldest royal palace in London: the venue where the King greets new ambassadors when they arrive in London. 
• Marlborough House: Commonwealth Headquarters. HQ of ex and current British colonies club, the latter group of which have turned themselves into the world's largest dirty money laundering network.
• Berry Brothers: London's most exclusive and oldest wine merchant, which also hosts a hidden alley and pocket square.
• Piccadilly Arcade: A beautiful arcade of shops fronted by fashion icon Beau Brummell. 

The tour will end a short walk from Piccadilly Circus underground stations. Note I do have a card reader so can take tips by credit or debit card. 

 When you are tired of London, you are tired of life’ the old saying goes. From the home of the British Royal Family to the packed pubs; from the heart of British politics, to the theatrical West End; from invading Romans to conquering Kings, London has it all.

On the Welcome to London tour, join us to see the city as it’s meant to be seen. Starting by the ‘mother of all Parliaments’ in Westminster, we’ll take you to the most iconic and beautiful sites you need to visit in London. We might even end near a pub, in true London fashion.

We’ll talk about why Big Ben isn’t called Big Ben, see the Abbey that has witnessed over a 1,000 years of royal coronations, walk through the royal parks of Buckingham Palace, discuss great military battles both old and new, and get under the skin of modern London at Covent Garden. 

The Welcome to London tour is the perfect introduction to one of the greatest cities in the world. We’ll fuse history with tips and recommendations, and set you up for your London experience. From Winston Churchill to the Suffragettes to Queen Elizabeth II to James Bond, London has a fantastic story to tell.

Some of the sites we will see on the tour include:

• Big Ben and Westminster Abbey
• Buckingham Palace and St. James’ Park
• Trafalgar Square
• Pubs and Theatreland
• Covent Garden

The South Bank: A Story of Pubs, Prisons, Prostitutes and Shakespeare's Plays

Welcome, I'm Justin. But some friendly advice! If you just want to take pretty pictures to put on social media (and don't really like walking much), I am the wrong tour guide for you! My tours attract people who like ideas, history and books. If that is not what interests you, book another tour 🙂

I have 6 walking tours on GuruWalk: 1) The City, 2) Soho, 3) Covent Garden, 4) the South Bank, 5) Mayfair & St James and 6) ArtLand, which together have over 2,000 reviews averaging 5 stars (the highest on GuruWalk).

My South Bank tour is especially liked by those interested in history and literature

The South Bank of the Thames at Southwark is one of the oldest parts of London. The wealthy and powerful traditionally lived and worked north of the Thames in the "City of London" and pushed the theatre, entertainers and lower classes across London Bridge into Southwark.

The area is fascinating and associated with the birth of English theatre. It is also the oldest part of London south of the river. Apart from Southwark Cathedral, it does not have big, impressive buildings like Westminster but it has so many different stories to tell!


Highlights of the tour include: 

• The George Inn: Ancient galleried pub reputed to have staged Shakespeare's plays
• Crossbones Graveyard: Home to 15,000 bodies of paupers and prostitutes
• Borough Market: London's foodie mecca
• Southwark Cathedral: Rich in American associations, from the founder of Harvard University to a governor of England's first successful colony in North America, Virginia
• The Clink Prison: Used to imprison religious dissenters, the forerunners of America's Pilgrim Fathers
• The Golden Hind: The ship that opened the door to the English colonisation of America
• The Globe Theatre: Plays were popular entertainment in the late 1500s and early 1600s. Shakespeare was not high culture, but a fun night out for the masses! 

I do have a card reader so can can take credit/debit cards for tips. 

Hello and welcome to my London tour. I'm Jill inviting you to join me for a lovely stroll from Victoria station, past Buckingham palace, through St. James and to Westminster and the houses of Parliament, Big Ben and Westminster Abbey . We'll encounter the history and highlights of the area, including part of the Changing of the Guard ceremony if you join me for my 11 o clock tour on Monday, Wednesday or Friday. I have lived in London for twenty years and led my tours for five of those. I've worked in many of the buildings we'll see along the way and gathered lots of stories and tales from the history of the city.
We'll meet at the Ferdinand Foch horse statue opposite the Shakespeare pub at Victoria Station.
During the tour, we'll pass the Royal Mews and Buckingham Palace,  make our way down the Mall encountering other lovely habitats and hidey holes of the Royal Family and their ancestors.
Passing St. James Park down the Mall, we'll then make our way down historic Whitehall experiencing all things parliamentary, police-like, and political party-ish.
We'll finally arrive at the Houses of Parliament to say hello to Westminster Abbey and Big Ben.  I love to make sure my walkers get the most out of their visit so please come with lots of questions so we can make your tour your own. 

Retrace the steps of the world's most infamous, unidentified serial killer, as we take you back to the Autumn of Terror 1888. 

In just 3 months, under the cover of darkness, Jack the Ripper brutally murdered 5 innocent Women on the streets of Whitechapel and then vanished, never to appear again. 

Come with us as we ponder some of the most compelling theories as to his identity and motives, hear about the vicious murders he committed and learn the tragic life stories of the poor women he preyed upon.
Along the way, we will visit, the Prostitute's Church, Mitre Square, Frying Pan Alley, Spitalfield's Market & The 10 Bells Pub.

The tour finishes at Spitalfields Market, not far from Liverpool Street Station.

Please note, groups larger than 6 and any educational groups will need to get in touch to arrange a private tour, as they will not be able to join the public tour