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

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.

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.

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 5 tours I lead in London, which together have gathered over 3,300 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. 

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. 

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. 

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.