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Tours in London |
The London Tourist Board (see Tourist Information in Sightseeing) can provide full details on all tour providers in London.
Walking Tours
A variety of guided walks are available from several operators, although the most comprehensive tours are offered by The Original London Walks (tel: (020) 7624 3978 or 7624 9255 (recorded information); website: www.walks.com) (duration: 2 hours). The company also offers themed tours on a huge variety of subjects, including ‘Jack the Ripper’ and ‘The Beatles’. Tours start and finish near a Tube station; there is no need to book and walkers can just turn up at the appropriate station, all of which are listed on the website’s ‘timetable’. London Mystery Walks (tel: (020) 8526 7755; website: www.tourguides.org.uk) also offer ‘Jack the Ripper’ tours, as well as ‘Haunted London’. Both take approximately two hours and depart from Aldgate station and St Paul’s station respectively. Booking is required for the ‘Haunted London’ tour.
Alternatively, for self-guided walks, the Silver Jubilee Walkway (website: www.jubileewalkway.com) has been extended from the original 3km (2miles) along the South Bank of the River Thames (between Lambeth and Tower bridges) to include much of the City and the West End. It now covers 23 km (14 miles). Also, starting at the Tower of London, 21 explanatory plaques trace a route along the Roman London Wall.
Bus Tours
Various competing companies offer similar bus tours of London’s sights. Tickets are usually valid for 24 hours and passengers can hop on and off at various attractions en route. The Big Bus Company (tel: (020) 7233 9533; website: www.bigbus.co.uk) offers three different 90-minute sightseeing routes, with departure points close to many of London’s attractions. Original London Sightseeing Tours (tel: (020) 8877 1722; website: www.theoriginaltour.com) also offers various sightseeing bus tours, including a new Da Vinci Code route.
Boat Tours
Westminster Pier is the main embarkation point for river trips. From here, there are services east (downstream) or west (upstream). City Cruises (tel: (020) 7740 0400; website: www.citycruises.com) operates sightseeing cruises east to Tower Pier (journey time – 30 minutes each way), and Greenwich Pier (journey time – 1 hour each way). City Cruises also offers a ‘Red Rover’ day pass for its tours, enabling visitors to hop on and off at four different stops. Tickets must be purchased at the ticket office before boarding.
Going west, summer services by WPSA (tel: (020) 7930 2062; website: www.wpsa.co.uk) depart from Westminster Pier upriver to Kew Gardens, Richmond and Hampton Court. Tickets must be purchased before boarding and the journey time is 90-minute to Kew, and 3 hours to Hampton Court.
Catamaran Cruisers (tel: (020) 7987 1185; website: www.catamarancruisers.co.uk) provides 50-minute non-stop multilingual cruises from Waterloo, Westminster and Embankment Piers. Catamaran Cruisers also operates a hop-on, hop-off service, covering Embankment Pier, Waterloo Pier, Bankside, Tower Pier and Greenwich Pier. The ‘Hopper Pass’ allows for a day’s worth of free travel, otherwise individual tickets are available. Tickets must be purchased at the ticket office before boarding.
Other Tours
London Duck Tours (tel: (020) 7928 3132; website: www.londonducktours.co.uk) runs unconventional tours on an amphibious craft, which depart from Chichley Street (the street behind the London Eye) and rumble through London’s streets, taking in Whitehall, Trafalgar Square and Buckingham Palace, before plunging into the River Thames for a 30-minute cruise.
For those who like to experience life in the fast lane, London RIB Voyages (tel: (020) 7401 8834; website: www.londonribvoyages.com) offers small group tours on the Thames onboard purpose-built rigid inflatable boats (very similar to those used by the police and emergency services). The tour lasts for an hour, takes in all the main sights and includes a running commentary (in English only) by a knowledgeable and entertaining guide. Admittedly not cheap, but great fun.
London taxi drivers’ unsurpassed understanding of the city has been tapped by Black Taxi Tours (tel: (020) 7935 9363; website: www.blacktaxitours.co.uk), London sightseeing tours in a black cab.
Walking Tours
A variety of guided walks are available from several operators, although the most comprehensive tours are offered by The Original London Walks (tel: (020) 7624 3978 or 7624 9255 (recorded information); website: www.walks.com) (duration: 2 hours). The company also offers themed tours on a huge variety of subjects, including ‘Jack the Ripper’ and ‘The Beatles’. Tours start and finish near a Tube station; there is no need to book and walkers can just turn up at the appropriate station, all of which are listed on the website’s ‘timetable’. London Mystery Walks (tel: (020) 8526 7755; website: www.tourguides.org.uk) also offer ‘Jack the Ripper’ tours, as well as ‘Haunted London’. Both take approximately two hours and depart from Aldgate station and St Paul’s station respectively. Booking is required for the ‘Haunted London’ tour.
Alternatively, for self-guided walks, the Silver Jubilee Walkway (website: www.jubileewalkway.com) has been extended from the original 3km (2miles) along the South Bank of the River Thames (between Lambeth and Tower bridges) to include much of the City and the West End. It now covers 23 km (14 miles). Also, starting at the Tower of London, 21 explanatory plaques trace a route along the Roman London Wall.
Bus Tours
Various competing companies offer similar bus tours of London’s sights. Tickets are usually valid for 24 hours and passengers can hop on and off at various attractions en route. The Big Bus Company (tel: (020) 7233 9533; website: www.bigbus.co.uk) offers three different 90-minute sightseeing routes, with departure points close to many of London’s attractions. Original London Sightseeing Tours (tel: (020) 8877 1722; website: www.theoriginaltour.com) also offers various sightseeing bus tours, including a new Da Vinci Code route.
Boat Tours
Westminster Pier is the main embarkation point for river trips. From here, there are services east (downstream) or west (upstream). City Cruises (tel: (020) 7740 0400; website: www.citycruises.com) operates sightseeing cruises east to Tower Pier (journey time – 30 minutes each way), and Greenwich Pier (journey time – 1 hour each way). City Cruises also offers a ‘Red Rover’ day pass for its tours, enabling visitors to hop on and off at four different stops. Tickets must be purchased at the ticket office before boarding.
Going west, summer services by WPSA (tel: (020) 7930 2062; website: www.wpsa.co.uk) depart from Westminster Pier upriver to Kew Gardens, Richmond and Hampton Court. Tickets must be purchased before boarding and the journey time is 90-minute to Kew, and 3 hours to Hampton Court.
Catamaran Cruisers (tel: (020) 7987 1185; website: www.catamarancruisers.co.uk) provides 50-minute non-stop multilingual cruises from Waterloo, Westminster and Embankment Piers. Catamaran Cruisers also operates a hop-on, hop-off service, covering Embankment Pier, Waterloo Pier, Bankside, Tower Pier and Greenwich Pier. The ‘Hopper Pass’ allows for a day’s worth of free travel, otherwise individual tickets are available. Tickets must be purchased at the ticket office before boarding.
Other Tours
London Duck Tours (tel: (020) 7928 3132; website: www.londonducktours.co.uk) runs unconventional tours on an amphibious craft, which depart from Chichley Street (the street behind the London Eye) and rumble through London’s streets, taking in Whitehall, Trafalgar Square and Buckingham Palace, before plunging into the River Thames for a 30-minute cruise.
For those who like to experience life in the fast lane, London RIB Voyages (tel: (020) 7401 8834; website: www.londonribvoyages.com) offers small group tours on the Thames onboard purpose-built rigid inflatable boats (very similar to those used by the police and emergency services). The tour lasts for an hour, takes in all the main sights and includes a running commentary (in English only) by a knowledgeable and entertaining guide. Admittedly not cheap, but great fun.
London taxi drivers’ unsurpassed understanding of the city has been tapped by Black Taxi Tours (tel: (020) 7935 9363; website: www.blacktaxitours.co.uk), London sightseeing tours in a black cab.
View Our Airport Guides for London:
London Gatwick Airport
London City Airport
London Heathrow Airport
London Stansted Airport
London Luton Airport
