Things to Do in London

City of London Tour: From Sugar and Slaves to Tea and Opium.

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 love ideas, history and books. If that is not what interests you, book another tour 🙂

I have 5 walking tours on GuruWalk: 1) The City), 2) Soho, 3) Covent Garden, 4) the South Bank, and 5) Mayfair & St James, which together have over 3,300 reviews averaging 5 stars (the highest on GuruWalk in London).

City of London is my flagship tour.

This tour takes you through the "City of London", which is not the same thing as London!

The "City", as it's known to locals, is many things. Nowadays, we know the "City" as the central business district, with its many iconic skyscrapers, towering over ancient churches (providing the chance to take some stunning photos). It's also, however, the "old town", built within the footprint of the Roman city of Londinium.

The "City" also has its own police force, ancient laws and unique government and once financed the largest Empire the world has ever seen, spanning a quarter of the globe.

From being a European backwater in the 1500s, London became the largest city in the world in the 1800s, the centre of immense power and wealth.
 
I'll tell the story of London's rise by walking with you along the English capital's oldest streets, many of which date back 2000 years.

The triumph of London is also often a tale of "dirty money", from the Bishop of Winchester's brothels; sugar and the slave trade; and the East India Company's rape of a subcontinent and hooking of China on opium. Come with me to learn all about London's secrets

Highlights of the tour include: 

• The Monument: Centre of the Great Fire of London.
• The Gilt of Cain: The City of London's first open recognition of the contribution of slavery to their wealth.
• The Modern City: the Gherkin, Cheese Grater, Scalpel and Walkie Talkie.  Where the City stands in the world today. 
• The Golden Triangle:The tiny alleys that housed the coffee shops of the 17th & 18th centuries frequented by stock market speculators and fraudsters but which also gave birth to modern capitalism.
• The Bank of England and the Royal Exchange: Financiers of sugar and the slave trade.
• Leadenhall Market: Stunning Victorian marketplace used as a set in a Harry Potter movie.

The tour will end a short walk from the Monument Tube Station where the tour started. I do have a card reader so can can take credit/debit cards for tips. 

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. 

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.

On this Rock ’n’ Roll Walking Tour of Soho, we explore the salacious, scandalous, and sensational history of an area that has always lived life louder, faster, and freer than the rest of London. Charles Dickens called Soho a place of “smoke and song", very little has changed.

From secret political meetings led by Karl Marx, to an eight-year-old Mozart astonishing London audiences, Soho has long attracted radicals, creatives, revolutionaries, and rule-breakers. It was home to Casanova, playground of princes and prostitutes, and the epicentre of a cholera outbreak that nearly brought Victorian London to its knees.

But Soho’s true legend was forged in music.

Walk the streets where The Beatles played their first and last London gigs, where Beatlemania exploded, and where the British music industry was turned upside down in the 1960s. Visit legendary venues that launched the careers of The Rolling Stones, The Who, Jimi Hendrix, and countless others who defined rock history.

We’ll explore the remnants of Soho’s infamous red-light district, once filled with strip clubs, sex cinemas, and late-night haunts where musicians, gangsters, and celebrities collided. Stroll down Carnaby Street, the epicentre of Swinging London, where fashion exploded, the miniskirt was born, and youth culture finally took control.

Along the way, you’ll hear stories of outrageous scandals, drug-fuelled nights, police raids, banned records, and performances that changed music forever. Discover how Soho transformed from a dangerous, seedy neighbourhood just a few decades ago into one of the most fashionable, creative, and culturally influential areas of the capital.

Tour highlights include:

• The London Palladium Theatre
• Trident Studios
• Carnaby Street
• Liberty London
• Golden Square
• The Bag o'Nails
• The John Snow Pub
• Soho’s old red-light district

This tour is perfect for music lovers, pop culture fans, history buffs, visitors looking for unusual things to do in London, and locals who want to experience the city’s wild side.

Book now and discover why Soho became the beating heart of rock ’n’ roll, rebellion, and nightlife in London.

Please note: Groups larger than six people and educational groups must arrange a private tour in advance.

 Explore the beating heart of London in just 1.5 hours! This walking tour of Westminster takes you through the capital’s most iconic sights — from Trafalgar Square and Big Ben to St. James’s Park and Buckingham Palace.

Along the way, see the famous mounted guards at Horse Guards Parade, peek down the street to 10 Downing Street, and learn how British history was shaped at Westminster Abbey and the Houses of Parliament.

You’ll stroll through a royal park full of quirky wildlife and finish with a view of the King’s official residence — where you might even catch the Changing of the Guard! 

Whether you're short on time or just arrived in the city, this tour is the perfect introduction to London’s rich history, royal tradition, and political power.

Book now and discover the stories behind the landmarks with a passionate, local guide. 

Discover the vibrant world of Shoreditch on London's highest-rated street art tour. Explore giant murals, hidden graffiti alleys and famous works by Banksy while learning the stories behind the artists who transformed East London into an open-air gallery.

Street art is often described as the most important artistic movement of the 21st century, but its roots stretch back much further than spray cans and brick walls. On this Free Street Art Walking Tour of Shoreditch, we explore how modern urban art grew from centuries of protest, creativity, and working-class expression, and why East London has become synonymous with it.

Yes, you can visit the National Gallery or Tate Modern to see masterpieces behind glass, but on this tour you’ll experience art where it truly lives: on the streets, in alleyways, on shutters and walls, constantly changing, reacting to politics, culture, and the city itself. No two tours are ever the same.

Starting outside Shoreditch High Street Station on Braithwaite Street, we dive into the history of Shoreditch, Brick Lane, and Spitalfields. These areas were shaped by waves of immigration, industry, poverty, rebellion, and reinvention. From French Huguenots and Jewish communities to Bangladeshi migration, the neighbourhood has long been a place of outsiders, creativity, and resistance.

Street art here is not just decorative, it is political, provocative, and deeply connected to class struggle, identity, and gentrification. As we walk, you’ll learn how Shoreditch transformed from one of the poorest districts in London, once the killing ground of Jack the Ripper, into one of the city’s most fashionable and desirable neighbourhoods.

Along the way, you’ll see an incredible range of styles including stencils, murals, paste-ups, stickers, sculptures, and large-scale spray art, with works by some of the world’s most famous and influential street artists, including:

• Banksy
• Shepard Fairey
• Roa
• Mr Cenz
• Fanakapan
• Otto Schade
• Dreph
• Zabo
• Dale Grimshaw
• Stik

We also explore key historic locations such as Brick Lane, Spitalfields Market, and the Old Truman Brewery, while discussing the Battle of Cable Street, anti-fascist resistance, and the ongoing impact of gentrification on local communities.

This 2-hour free street art tour finishes near the Old Truman Brewery, right in the heart of Shoreditch’s creative district. Perfect for art lovers, photographers, culture seekers, London locals, and first-time visitors looking for an authentic, alternative side of the city.

Book now to experience Shoreditch’s street art, history, and culture before it changes again.

Please note: Groups larger than six people and educational groups must arrange a private tour in advance.