London Old City Walking Tour
5
London Old City Walking Tour
By SANDEMANs NEW Europe - London
About
A cutting-edge metropolis, London also stays true to its traditions. On this exclusive walking tour of the Old City, leave the navigation to someone else as you hear entertaining commentary and enriching history lessons. Visit must-see landmarks like Covent Garden and St. Paul’s Cathedral hearing about each spot along the way. From ancient Roman temples to medieval execution sites, learn about the people and events that shaped the famous city.
Ages 0-99, max of 40 per group
Duration: 3h
Start time: Check availability
Mobile ticket
Live guide: English, Spanish
More
Highlights
- A fun and informative excursion through London’s Old City
- Discover scenic walking routes to historical sites
- Stroll through London’s oldest district
- Learn about the city’s deadly past, from the Great Fire to the plague
- Professional guide
What's not included- Hotel pickup and drop-off
- The tour begins in Covent Garden, a popular market that was once London’s most active red-light district. Your guide leads you down cobbled alleyways as you learn about the city’s colorful past. See London Bridge and Tower Bridge on your way. Visit St. Paul’s Cathedral, rebuilt after the Great Fire, and hear about the catastrophes that reshaped London’s history, including a plague that wiped out a third of the city. Revisit the cathedral’s famous events, like the wedding of Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer. Stop at Mansion Beach and the Bank of England museum for a deeper look at London's history. The tour concludes with a peek at the Tower of London, an 11th-century prison. Listen to the grim tales of the tower’s prisoners, including Anne Boleyn, the second wife of Henry VIII, who was beheaded there in 1536.
- Start:
- Apple Covent Garden, 1-7 The Piazza, London WC2E 8HB, UKMeet your guide at the corner of the Covent Garden Piazza outside the Apple store. Just look for the team with the red SANDEMANs NEW Europe umbrella!
End:- Tower Of London (Stop TH), London EC3N 4AB, UK
- Wheelchair accessible
- Stroller accessible
- Service animals allowed
- Near public transportation
- Transportation is wheelchair accessible
- Surfaces are wheelchair accessible
If you have questions about accessibility, we’d be happy to help. Just call the number below and reference the product code: 6785LONOLDC01- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Most travelers can participate
- Children up to 13 years old are welcome on this tour for free.
- The independent guides who employ us to market their tours have your best interests in mind; while the tour usually includes the sites & stories mentioned and lasts about 3 hours, your tour may vary depending on what your guide thinks is best for your group.
- This experience requires a minimum number of travelers. If it’s canceled because the minimum isn’t met, you’ll be offered a different date/experience or a full refund
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 40 travelers
- For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours in advance of the start date of the experience.
- If you have questions about this tour or need help making your booking, we’d be happy to help. Just call the number below and reference the product code: 6785LONOLDC01
Itinerary
- You'll start atApple Covent Garden1-7 The Piazza, London WC2E 8HB, UKMeet your guide at the corner of the Covent Garden Piazza outside the Apple store. Just look for the team with the red SANDEMANs NEW Europe umbrella!See address & details
- 1Covent GardenStop: 5 minutesSee details
- 2The Monument to the Great Fire of LondonStop: 25 minutesSee details
- 3London BridgeStop: 25 minutesSee details
- 4Tower BridgeStop: 25 minutesSee details
- 5St. Paul's CathedralStop: 25 minutesSee details
- 6Bank of England MuseumStop: 25 minutesSee details
- 7Tower of LondonStop: 25 minutesSee details
- You'll end atTower Of London (Stop TH)London EC3N 4AB, UKSee address & details
About the operator
Don’t take it from us – here’s what people have to say about this operator:
- isabelnC3809DG0 contributionsVery recommendedMy friends and I made the decision to book a free walking tour and that was the best decision. Our tour guide Roisin was amazing!!! We had so much fun with her and she told us so many interesting facts. From all the tour guides we ever had she was definitely the best!Written March 5, 2024
- Dream281798326630 contributionsGreat tour of the Old City of LondonLast month while visiting London I joined the Old City of London walking tour. Paddy was an excellent tour guide that provided us with a wealth of information about the old city of London. We learned interesting facts and enjoyed a nice walk through the old city.Written February 26, 2024
- Compass441710560970 contributionsJack the Ripper Free TourIvo was our guide and he was incredible! Very knowledgeable about the dark history of London and had a great sense of humour. He was delighted to answer all the group's questions, giving extra interesting info and tips. I could not recommend it enough!Written December 13, 2023
- fxbcn20180 contributionsLondon, pleased to meet youThis was a great introduction to London and an excellent way to orient myself. Carolina, an American living in London was an exceptional guide. Do yourself a favor and go!Written November 28, 2023
- robertcY4048WP0 contributionsHerbie The Wizard..!!Our tour guide, Herbie, was excellent..!! Very informative, funny and extremely enthusiastic. Would recommend this tour to anyone visiting London. Comfortable pace with many stops throughout the tour.Written November 27, 2023
- kellybF3593TV0 contributionsHerbieHerbie is a rare find and kept us rolling in laughter and jokes the entire tour! His knowledge about London is unmatched and he knows all the insider scoops. I have gone on about 10 Sandeman tours throughout Europe, and have loved them all, but Herbie by far has been THE BEST TOUR GUIDE I HAVE EVER HAD! He loves sharing London with all his heart.Written October 28, 2023
- 311chyme0 contributions🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟Our Wizard (tour guide) AKA Herbie , was wonderful! He kept us entertained while delivering thoughtful stories about the many amazing sights we visited. He also safely kept our group together, was considerate of passers by, and effectively communicated with his “friend Charlie” to arrange for an up close view of the ceremony and band at changing if the guards!Written October 15, 2023
- constancepancrazi0 contributionsGreat experience of a tour!We had a great time with our guide Herbie who was thoughtful and very funny! He took us to see a bit of changing of the guards and gave us good historical anecdotes. Thank you Herbie and Sandemans!!Written October 8, 2023
- garyoF669VF0 contributionsHighlight of UK trip so far!Don't walk, RUN to this walking tour (Herbie would like this line). What a fun, informative and entertaining couple of hours. Herbie our guide was a true entertainer and story teller. He took us to little known places and well know land marks, sharing curious information... (ever wonder where the term "nosey parker" came from? Can you guess why the Lions at Trafalger Square aren't really representative of an actual Lion? ..you'll find out) . Well worth your time and meriting a generous tip. Probably the highlight of our trip to the UK so far! Tour is fast paced between stops--no wasted time. Still can't figure out how you did that magic trick Herbie!Written October 1, 2023
- D8489TRalanp0 contributionsGreat Free London walking tourA great tour! Our guide Herbie was a real wizard! Very knowledgeable and fun to listen too. I highly recommend!Written October 1, 2023
- 883aidanv0 contributionsA warm introduction to EuropeI'm writing this review a couple weeks after the fact, but looking back it's a very fond memory. Our tour guide, Alexis, was very knowledgeable, kind, and overall a great presence to be around. His personal interest in the history of the city shone through as he took us around Old London. He's a great storyteller and at times I found myself deeply immersed as I imagined Londoners of the past walking the very same streets. The first tea house, the second English dictionary, the Knights Templar and of course the timeless Cheshire Cheese... such delightful stuff. I highly recommend his tour, as it gave me an appreciation for the city that I imagine I will hold on to for a long time.Written September 1, 2023
- _T9065XF0 contributionsTruly exceptional experienceThe tour took us all around Central London in an orderly fashion, managing to give us enough time to enjoy everything while still getting to see many many interesting things. Our guide Herbie was wonderful, funny, informative, and friendly. And the city itself is absolutely beautiful and just a pleasure to walk through. All in all I can't recommend this enough, so long as you are in good enough shape to walk around for a while.Written August 28, 2023
- brandt_i19720 contributions10/10 would recommendOur guide Carolina was amazing!! We have learned so much and she told us some fun facts about the city which I will not forget. I would definetely recommend this if you want to explore the city.Written August 17, 2023
- Passenger184764469850 contributionsPerfect 10!We absolutly loved this tour! Ohr guide Adam was well prepared and did a really good job at giving us an insight of London through the eyes of a local. We totally recommand this Tour to everyone no matter what age!Written August 10, 2023
- donnamQ7291DI0 contributionsAmazing Old London CityTook the London Old City tour earlier this week. Jamie was a phenomenal guide. His knowledge of the history of London City astounded and amazed. He maintained the interest of everyone on the tour. I highly recommend this tour and I especially recommend you have Jamie as your tour guide.Written August 4, 2023
These reviews are the subjective opinions of Tripadvisor members and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
5.0
761 reviews
Excellent
690
Very good
48
Average
2
Poor
4
Terrible
17
HSCambridge
Cambridge, UK6 contributions
Jan 2020
I grew up in Greater London and frequently visited the centre, but I have never learnt much about the history. This tour was fascinating and Jake, our tour guide, delivered the facts in a very engaging manner. The day was rather windy and we got quite cold wandering around for three hours, but despite the weather this was a highlight of our trip. Would 100% recommend.
Written January 12, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Bernie M
Uggiate-Trevano, Italy5 contributions
Dec 2019
I book in advance several tours with this company for the last week of December in London.
For a "paid" tour the tour guide never showed up. I contacted another guide "on site" and explain the situation and the company never got back to me. Send multiple emails and the same response.
I ended up disputing the charge after 3-4 attempts.
Additionally, I had another paid tour with the same company, also paid. Send emails the prior week with a few questions and same results they never got back to me.
We were able to safe 1 day by booking with another company. It was much more reliable and pleasant.
After this experience, I am not looking to try with this company ever again
For a "paid" tour the tour guide never showed up. I contacted another guide "on site" and explain the situation and the company never got back to me. Send multiple emails and the same response.
I ended up disputing the charge after 3-4 attempts.
Additionally, I had another paid tour with the same company, also paid. Send emails the prior week with a few questions and same results they never got back to me.
We were able to safe 1 day by booking with another company. It was much more reliable and pleasant.
After this experience, I am not looking to try with this company ever again
Written January 25, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hello BernieM211,
Thank you for taking the time to review us on TripAdvisor and for choosing us in London. We really appreciate your feedback as it helps us to continue making improvements and ensure that tours and experiences promoted by SANDEMANs NEW Europe meet the high standards that travellers expect.
We regret that we were not able to offer you the tour you booked in London. It is indeed uncommon that we cancel a tour due to lack of participants. However, as the guides we work with are freelancers, in some very rare cases, they may decide not to go ahead with the tour if the group is too small. This situation was very unfortunate and I understand that this must have been upsetting for you and your group, and may well have caused further disruption to your itinerary.
Please do not hesitate to get back to me via email (violeta@neweuropetours.eu) in case you are still waiting for your refund, be sure that we will be refunding the tickets.
We truly hope that we can make it up to you in the future in London or in any of our cities, and that we may show you this was an exception to a usually excellent level of service.
Kind regards,
The SANDEMANs Team
Written January 31, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
YVONNE S
4 contributions
Mar 2020 • Solo
My tour was almost canx’d, but luckily one other person showed up last min. Our guide, Jamie, was super knowledgeable! He kept the tour going at a constant pace, full of historical facts, and stories. He was absolutely great. I recommend this walking tour for anyone who’ll be in London for at least a few days, to allow time to revisit some of the locations for a longer look.
Written March 4, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Philip P
1 contribution
Sep 2020 • Solo
Arrived ten minutes before, waited till twenty minutes afterwards. No one turned up, no one picked up phone, no reply to messages a day later. Either a scam or incompetent operator, I would not recommend anyone takes the chance.
Written September 12, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Eee
1 contribution
Aug 2021 • Couples
We paid for this tour and it never showed up. We received no email to say it had been cancelled, instead receiving one to say it was going ahead.
We spoke to a representative from the same company when we went to another of their tours who confirmed our tour had be cancelled.
Yet here I am 6 weeks later, with still no refund and nobody will reply to my emails.
Be careful with booking during Covid times as there’s a chance they might not show up and take your money.
Can I please get my refund?
We spoke to a representative from the same company when we went to another of their tours who confirmed our tour had be cancelled.
Yet here I am 6 weeks later, with still no refund and nobody will reply to my emails.
Be careful with booking during Covid times as there’s a chance they might not show up and take your money.
Can I please get my refund?
Written September 8, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Noel Friedrich
Bournemouth, UK1 contribution
Aug 2020
When we first showed up, we weren't really in the mood for a three hour walk, assuming it would be boring and exhausting. When we saw Ben (or Big Ben, as he likes to jokingly introduce himself as) we were happily surprised by the energetic and humorous type of guy he is. Unfortunately, because of a long day in London before, we had to shorten the tour quite a bit. Ben always gave intresting information, often also some fun facts about topics we were interested in. At the start of the tour, he even asked which topics were interested in, to make the tour a bit more costumized and awesome. When Ben was talking, he always made us feel very welcome. For us, he turned a usually pretty boring and tiring experience into the best activity we have done in our London trip. Ben doesnt behave like a tour guide, he is a friend with interest and information about everything you ask for.
Written August 31, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Ann C
Vancouver, Canada6 contributions
Jan 2020
Rob was our tour guide and he was superb. He is a great story teller and he was full of very interesting facts and information about London. We have lived there and been back to visit many times, but almost all we heard from Rob was new to us. I highly recommend this tour.
Written January 9, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Randi M
San Juan, Puerto Rico2 contributions
Jul 2023 • Family
Our guide Herbie was efficient and friendly. He did move very quickly, but was attentive to everyone and respectful of other tours and tourists. He shared a lot of stories and kept our interest high throughout the tour. It was entertaining and informative, and I would highly recommend the tour and Herbie as a guide.
Written August 6, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Irish_bird1979
Dublin, Ireland43 contributions
Jan 2020
I went on the free tour with Yvo and not only was he informative and funny, he geared the tour to the nationalities on the tour. I think everyone would gain something new from one of these tours. Yvo gave lots of recommendations for other tours and sites around London,
Written January 20, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
feds568
New York City, NY6 contributions
Jan 2020
Rob gave a fantastic tour. He is a top rate storyteller and had us interested and engaged from the first stop. The old city tour was informative and fun. It was three hours long but did not feel taxing. This was a great tour. I highly recommend it as well as any other tour with Rob.
Written January 6, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Zarin M
Mumbai, India
This one is in general... is one year old allowed at major sightseeing places in london...particularly at the Buckingham Palace, Madame Tussaud's, London Eye...
feds568
New York City, NY6 contributions
The walking tour only takes the streets. There is no ban on children (that I know of) on the streets of London, so they can certainly see all the attractions (Buckingham Palace, London Eye, and other historic places). For entrance into each attraction there may be differing age requirements.
Michelle Y
Ottawa, Canada
Hi there, will the Sunday dec 22 tour be affected by the protest? Thank you!
Lisa E
25 contributions
Hi, You may want to contact the tour itself. I live in the states
I see this tour lasts 3 hours, but what are the start times(s), particularly on 12/12 and 12/13?
Carole J
1 contribution
Ours started at 3:30 (Aug 31) meeting in front of the Apple store in Covent Garden.
Our tour guide was Ben who was phenominal - very knowledgable and entertaining.
Enjoy!
B N
London, UK15 contributions
Hi, is this tour available in English? Thanks if so myself and my husband are keen to do it. Thanks Barbara
Lisa E
25 contributions
When you book, they will ask what language you speak and will schedule you with the appropriate guide. Mine was English speaking with a British accent
Igna
Oegstgeest, The Netherlands7 contributions
Why do Some say it is a free tour? We had to pay 16€ each
Gael
Chiavari, Italy39 contributions
Buongiorno vorrei sapere se c’è una guida che parla italiano
giovanna
Buren an der Aare, Switzerland4 contributions
Guten Tag,
gibt es auch eine deutsch gesprochene Führung?
lalili2016
Buenos Aires, Argentina12 contributions
hI, I think so but I don't know.
frenchcomposer
Western Australia85 contributions
We will be spending 2 weeks in London in September. We do have guidebooks etc for London but have seen the information on Hidden London, Old London and Secret London, and thought they might be interesting. Is there anyone out there that can give us an idea as to the difference between these tours. Are they different ? and therefore is it worth seeing more than one. I have seen the reviews on the Jack the Ripper tours which appear to have huge groups on them. I also like to take photographs along the way - do the tour guides allow time to do this? many thanks.
tomb915@gmail.com
Draper, UT12 contributions
Hi,
My family and I are heading there in June. Did this tour actually take you inside the cathedral or was it only from the outside?
Tom
Ken L
44 contributions
We didn't go inside at all. It was all a tour from the streets.
Hola, somos dos pasajeras adultas y quisiera saber si se puede agregar la recogida en el hotel para tomar este tour, viajamos en junio . Gracias
Simone S
2 contributions
No creo que sea posible, métete en una en una página que se llama, civitatis y allá verás los tours free pero tienes que ir a un punto de encuentro, suele ser un lugar conocido, a disfrutar 😀😎