Things to Do in London

Would you like to see the city with a native English-speaking tour guide who has had the honor of being a full-time tour guide in multiple European cities since 2014? Then read on. 👇

Through years of experience, I have learned that these tours are most enjoyable for you if I hone it down to just the most exciting stops and the most interesting stories.

Alfred Hitchcock once said "the length of a film should be directly related to the endurance of the human bladder," and I think that applies doubly so to a tour. You're on holiday, I appreciate that. You want to see the main sites, take the best photos, maybe laugh a little, and then head off on to the next adventure.

With that in mind, I keep the tour to an entertaining one hour and fifty minutes. During that time we will see the main sites, allowing you to take photos of:

• Buckingham Palace
• Houses of Parliament
• "Big Ben"
• Westminster Abbey
• Trafalgar Square and Nelson's Column
• Horse Guards Parade
• Wellington Arch 
• St Martin's In The Field
• National Gallery
• Apsley House
• RAF Bomber Command Memorial
• The Commonwealth Gates
• St James' Palace
• The Mall and Pall Mall
• Crimean War/Nightingale Memorial
• Waterloo Place
• 10 Downing Street
• Churchill War Rooms
  
  
• On Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday the 11am tour will see and hear the army band march by us for the Changing of the Guard ceremony. Unless it is cancelled due to rain.

More important than the sites themselves are the stories. Little insightful or interesting anecdotes; what the little horse steps are at Waterloo Place, why Constitution Hill is called that when we don't... um.. have one, tales from the Battle of Britain, the Gunpowder Plot, what the Queen did when she woke up to find a drunken man had climbed the walls of Buckingham Palace and broken into her bedroom at 7am, etc, etc.

Having done these tours for the better part of a decade, I can usually field any history question you may have about the nation or the city, and can also offer suggestions of the best places in the city for gin, pretentious coffee (my vice), or the most memorable dining experiences with something unique to them.
I hope to see you soon,
Theo

Welcome! My ‘London Essentials’ tour will cover the key sites within the historic royal quarter. Beginning at Wellington Arch marking the triumph of the Duke of Wellington against Napoleon, it ends at Westminster Abbey, the Royal Church of Coronation. On route, we will explore such highlights as Buckingham Palace, St James's Palace, Admiralty Arch, Trafalgar Square, Whitehall, The Horse Guards Parade, Downing Street and The Houses of Parliament.
 
I combine personal experience with informed historical perspectives so I can share the distinctive character of each site with peculiar details, fun facts, and local tales. My particular focus is the incredible history of the monarchy. As we walk, I will be sure to convey its far-reaching impact on the city, both politically and architecturally. 

Hello and welcome to London.  I'm  excited to invite you to join me for the chance to experience the great monuments of the city of Westminster.  With 500 five stars reviews you can see I love helping visitors enjoy their holidays.  We'll experience sites including Buckingham palace,  St. James palace, the horse guard's parade, Whitehall and the houses of Parliament, Big Ben and Westminster Abbey with a few cheeky stories thrown in.  I have lived in London for twenty years and led my tours for six 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 encounter the past glories and highlights of the area, including part of the Changing of the Guard ceremony if you join me for my morning tour on Monday, Wednesday or Friday where we'll witness the guards march past on parade in their fabulous Bear skin caps. Or experience the Captain's inspection of the Palace troops, with marching and music at 3 pm on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays during my 2pm tour .

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. 

When night falls over London and the crowds thin, the city reveals a darker and far stranger side. Shadows stretch across the streets, whispers echo through the parks, and the ghosts of London’s past begin to stir. Welcome to Ghosts, Ghouls & Ghastly Murders, a haunted London walking tour that blends ghost stories, forgotten serial killers, bizarre myths, and macabre history, all delivered with a healthy dose of humour

This is not a jump-scare horror tour. Instead, it’s a funny, entertaining, and darkly fascinating ghost tour of Westminster, perfect for travellers who enjoy spine-tingling stories without taking things too seriously. Expect laughs, gasps, and the occasional uncomfortable historical truth.

Starting at the atmospheric Cleopatra’s Needle, perched ominously beside the murky depths of the River Thames, we uncover tales of cursed monuments and restless spirits. From there, we wander through some of London’s most historic and haunted locations, revealing stories that range from the genuinely chilling to the downright ridiculous.

Along the way, you’ll hear:

Tales of ghosts said to haunt the London Underground

Stories of spectral sightings in Green Park and St James’s Park

The gruesome mystery of the Thames Torso Murderer, one of London’s most disturbing unsolved cases

The shocking regicide of King Charles I, and how his execution left a permanent scar on the city

Legends, myths, and morbid curiosities that most visitors and many Londoners never hear

Our route takes in some of the most iconic locations in central London, including:

Cleopatra’s Needle

Great Scotland Yard

Horse Guards Parade

Banqueting House

St James’s Park

St James’s Palace

Green Park

As we explore royal parks, government buildings, and shadowy corners, you’ll discover that London’s history isn’t just written in books — it lingers in the air, clings to the monuments, and occasionally refuses to stay buried.

This 2-hour ghost walking tour finishes at Green Park Station, making it easy to continue your evening in central London if you’re brave enough.

Whether you’re a fan of ghost tours, true crime, dark history, or quirky storytelling, this experience is one of the most entertaining and unusual things to do in London at night.

👻 Places are limited, so book now and join us for London’s funniest walk on the dark side.

Important information:

Groups larger than 6 people and educational groups must contact us in advance to arrange a private tour, as they cannot join the public tour.

Covent Garden: Theatre Land, Brothels, Bad Behaviour, the Birth of Bohemia, Plus Britain's First Police Force

Welcome, I'm Justin, a huge fan of plays and musicals (I can give you advice on the best theatre in town and where to get cheap tickets), and a lover of history.

The Covent Garden tour is one of 5 different tours that I lead in London, which together have gathered over 3,300 reviews averaging 5 stars (the highest on GuruWalk).

From the late 1600s, Covent Garden become the centre of bohemian London. A field of dreams for both the upper and lower classes. A place where social barriers fell away and artists and intellectuals mixed and played.

Shakespeare famously said that

"All the world's a stage, and all the men and women merely players. They have their exits and their entrances; And one man in his time plays many parts."

And Covent Garden was the stage that many a man and woman played upon, whether formally in the theatre, in artists' studios or informally on the street.

Let me lead you through the streets of Covent Garden, and in so doing bring the past to life.
 
Over the centuries, the area has had its ups and downs. originally being the home of the super-rich, who wanted to escape from the crowded and disease-ridden old town (which we call “the City of London” between the Tower of London and St Paul’s Cathedral). 

But with the arrival of an outdoor market and then a succession of theatres, Covent Garden morphed into a bohemian playground full of pubs and prostitutes, and the rich fled further west. 

Today, the area has gone upmarket again, with a thriving bar and restaurant scene and hundreds of shops. Critically, the theatres are still here, with a total of 13, offering everything from rock and film musicals to opera and ballet. 

As we walk around the area, I’ll lead you down secret passages few Londoners know and tell you the stories each building has to tell. 

I'll also give you recommendations for plays and musicals in the area and where to eat & drink before a show. 

Highlights of the tour include: 

• Benjamin Franklin’s House:  One of the birthplaces of the United States of America 
• The Nell Gwynne: An ancient pub that celebrates King Charles II’s favourite actress and mistress Nell Gwynne.
• The People's Piazza: The central Covent Garden market. Formally a giant fruit, vegetable and flower market and now a warren of small boutiques and restaurants. 
• The Lamb and Flag: Covent Garden's oldest pub, famous for boxing matches that led to it being called "the bucket of blood". 
• St Paul's Church: the magnificent actors’ church of St Paul’s, with its hidden garden and plaques commemorating past stars of screen and stage. 
• Goodwin Court (aka Knockturn Alley): A piece of 17th century London now immortalised as the model for a Harry Potter film set.  
• The Theatre Royal Dury Lane: The original theatre opened 350 years ago and has been centre of scandal ever since. 
• Bow Street Police Station & Magistrates Court: Home to London's first police force. 
• The Royal Opera House: Providing panoramic views of Covent Garden piazza from the top floor.  

The tour will end a short walk from Covent Garden underground station on the Piccadilly Line. 

For my Covent Garden book, pub, restaurant and museum recommendations and much more, visit:

Web site: www.befriendinglondon.co.uk 

Instagram: @befriendinglondon

The Covent Garden walking tour is one of the 6 walking tours I do around London for GuruWalk: 1) The City of London), 2) Soho,  3) Covent Garden, 4) the South Bank and 5) Mayfair & St James's (which together have over 3,000 reviews averaging 5 stars (the highest on GuruWalk). Hope to see you soon! 

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

Free Jack the Ripper Walking Tour of London – Whitechapel 1888

Step back in time and follow the trail of the world’s most infamous unsolved serial killer on our Free Jack the Ripper Walking Tour of London. Journey into the dark heart of Victorian London as we transport you to the Autumn of Terror, 1888, when the streets of Whitechapel were gripped by fear.

Over the course of just three months, under the cover of darkness, Jack the Ripper brutally murdered five women and then disappeared without a trace. His identity was never discovered, leaving behind one of the greatest true crime mysteries in history.

On this expert-led Jack the Ripper tour, we uncover what really happened. You’ll explore the real crime scenes, examine the most compelling suspects and theories, and hear chilling details of the murders — while also learning the often-overlooked, tragic life stories of the women involved, placing the crimes within the harsh social realities of Victorian East London.

Discover how these events changed London forever, shaping everything from policing and journalism to popular culture. From modern-day Jack the Ripper tours and barber shops to films, books, and conspiracy theories, we explore the lasting legacy of Jack the Ripper more than a century later.

Historic Locations Visited

Along the way, you’ll visit many of the most notorious and atmospheric locations connected to the case, including:

Whitechapel

Mitre Square

Frying Pan Alley

Spitalfields Market

The Ten Bells Pub

Christ Church Spitalfields 
St Botolph's Without Aldgate (So-called Prostitute Church)

Tour Details

Duration: Approximately 2 hours

Finish: Spitalfields Market, close to Liverpool Street Station

Price: Free (tips welcome)

Whether you’re a true crime enthusiast, history lover, or visiting London for the first time, this Jack the Ripper walking tour is one of the most unforgettable things to do in London at night.

Places are limited — book your spot now and experience London’s darkest story where it really happened.

Please note: Groups of more than 6 people and educational or school groups must contact us in advance to arrange a private Jack the Ripper tour, as they are unable to join the public tour.

I know, I know! Visiting a museum can be stressful sometimes. Specially one with 8 million objects and a place visited by more than 6 million people a year… it can be overwhelming! 

But at the same time, how can you visit London and not go to the British Museum??? (everybody will ask you this when you get back home, trust me!) 

THAT'S WHY I PUT TOGETHER THIS ROUTE AT THE BRITISH MUSEUM.
TO VISIT ONLY THE HIGHLIGHTS, MOST IMPORTANT, ESSENTIAL AND FAMOUS ITEMS.

 In just over one hour, I promise we will see:

• EGYPTIAN
• GREEK
• ASSYRIAN
• PERSIAN
• ROMAN
• POLYNESIAN
• BRITISH

Art and other objects, sculptures and statues. I will share some very interesting facts and stories about it. 

YES IT IS POSSIBLE! 

So now you’ll have time to visit other hundred (or two hundred) important and unmissable places in London! 

Of course, we’ll go straight to the point when we get to the museum. 

Book now, get here in time and let’s enjoy the tour. 

Oh, Yes, I forgot to mention: you don’t even need to book tickets to the museum, I’ll take care of it. (Because it’s free 😉  

We will meet under the columns, in front of the museum entrance just after you pass security!☺️🙏🏼