Greater London Trip Overview
This tour is an amazing way to explore the City of London, one of the two cities that make up central London. The City of London is also home to some of the UK’s major financial institutions, business and banks including the UK’s central banks – The Bank of England.
This 3-hour walking tour gives you the chance to learn about the Roman founding of London, its emergence as the capital of England, and later Great Britain, and how the city has changed dramatically over its 2000 year existence.
Offering you a general overview of the City of London this tour is perfect for people who want to see the ‘best bits’ of the city – either because their time in London is limited, or because they want to know where everything is before they head back and explore in detail.
Led by a local London guide with several years of experience, this tour is a fun and informal way to learn about the city and meet someone who calls London home.
Additional Info
Duration: 3 hours
Starts: Greater London, United Kingdom
Trip Category: Cultural & Theme Tours >> Cultural Tours
Explore Greater London Promoted Experiences
What to Expect When Visiting Greater London, England, United Kingdom
This tour is an amazing way to explore the City of London, one of the two cities that make up central London. The City of London is also home to some of the UK’s major financial institutions, business and banks including the UK’s central banks – The Bank of England.
This 3-hour walking tour gives you the chance to learn about the Roman founding of London, its emergence as the capital of England, and later Great Britain, and how the city has changed dramatically over its 2000 year existence.
Offering you a general overview of the City of London this tour is perfect for people who want to see the ‘best bits’ of the city – either because their time in London is limited, or because they want to know where everything is before they head back and explore in detail.
Led by a local London guide with several years of experience, this tour is a fun and informal way to learn about the city and meet someone who calls London home.
Itinerary
This is a typical itinerary for this product
Pass By: Trinity Square, London, UK
Our first location is Trinity Square, from which we will be able to view 10 Trinity Square, the former home of the Port of London Authority (built when London was one of the world’s busiest ports) and which was where the United Nations held its inaugural reception.
Whilst at Trinity Square we will also view the memorial to the Merchant Navy who suffered heavy casualties during both the First and Second World Wars. The Merchant Navy was vital to Britain’s survival and the memorial gives us chance to discuss the important role that the Merchant Navy played (and still play) in supplying the UK with all the goods that it loves from across the world.
Pass By: Tower of London, St Katharine’s & Wapping, London EC3N 4AB England
This tour offers an overview for those tourists who want a trip around London where they can see the best bits of the city, before heading back and exploring the sites on their own in more detail. While the tour does not have time to go into the Tower of London for this reason, we will explain the unique history of this Royal Palace, place of execution, jail, and high-security jewellery box.
Whilst outside ‘The Tower’ your guide will explain its links to London Zoo, the notorious gangsters the Kray Twins (who were some of the last people to be imprisoned here), and how the Deputy Fuhrer Rudolf Hess came to be imprisoned here during the height of the Second World War.
From The Tower, we will also discuss the world-famous Tower Bridge, including its opening mechanism which has led to some interesting incidents with presidents and bus drivers alike.
Stop At: St. Dunstan in the East, St. Dunstan’s Hill, London EC3R 5DD England
St Dunstan in the East is a unique public garden in the heart of the City of London. Originally a 12th-century church with a tower added in the late 17th/early 18th century by Sir Christopher Wren (the leading architect of the day) this stunning ruin is a firm favourite with local Londoners.
These stunning ruins give you a chance to get some phenomenal photos as well as learning about the development (and redevelopment) of London due to fires, floods, and bombings.
Duration: 20 minutes
Stop At: Leadenhall Market, Gracechurch Street, London EC3V 1LR England
Leadenhall Market is where the old Roman Forum stood in the ancient city of Londinium (the city which would become London). Today Leadenhall Market, which gets its name from the lead roofed hall that used to stand on the site, is a stunning Neo-Gothic market decorated in rich Crimsons, Greens, Golds, and Silvers. Designed by the great Victorian architect Sir Horace Jones, fans of Harry Potter may recognise this magical market as a filming location used in Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone. Find out how the market was used when on this tour.
Duration: 20 minutes
Stop At: London Bridge, London SE1 9DD England
London Bridge was, for several centuries, the only bridge across the River Thames in London. Originally a pontoon bridge which helped the Romans invade, it’s believed that the 18th-century bridge is one of the reasons that Brits drive on the left.
From Tower Bridge, you will be able to get amazing panoramic views of the River Thames, including views of The Tower of London, Tower Bridge and HMS Belfast – a former Royal Navy Cruiser, which saw action during the D-Day landings, and the Korean War. Don’t worry about learning about the history of the historic vessel, your guide will tell you everything, including why its included in the UK’s Historic Fleet.
Duration: 10 minutes
Stop At: The Monument to the Great Fire of London, Monument St., London EC3R 8AH England
The Monument to the Great Fire of London commemorates the Great Fire of London of 1666 and the subsequent rebuilding of the city during the reigns of Charles II. Whilst at the Monument we will discuss the Great Fire, the reasons for the fire taking hold, the conspiracy theories that surround the fire, and how the rebuilding of London was more complicated for Sir Christopher Wren (the leading architect) than many people realise.
We will also teach you one of the most famous nursery rhymes that relate to the great fire.
Duration: 10 minutes
Stop At: St. Magnus The Martyr, Lower Thames Street, London EC3R 6DN England
St Magnus The Martyr is a stunning church, rebuilt after the Great Fire of London by master mason George Dowdeswell under the supervision of Sir Christopher Wren. Named in several literary works, St Magnus is one of the churches mentioned in the Dickens classic Oliver Twist.
Famous for its stunning interiors, this church is not to be missed as it also contains a replica of the old London Bridge, which will give you a clearer idea of why the old bridge was so difficult to navigate.
Duration: 20 minutes
Stop At: The london stone, 111 Cannon Street, London England
The London Stone is London’s oldest surviving treasure, and something that thousands of Londoners and tourists walk by every day. Originally the heart of the Roman city of Londinium, where the Roman citizens of London would come and hear proclamations and celebrate important events. Today it is easily missed unless you know what you are looking at. Once believed to be the stone from which Arthur drew the legendary sword Excalibur, and that its safe-keeping was vital for London’s prosperity, the London Stone has been a tourist attraction for at least 500 years! The fact that it is now kept safely behind glass may prove that for all their sensibility, Londoners can still be a superstitious bunch – then again given the prosperity of London as the premier financial centre in the world who would want to tempt fate?
Duration: 10 minutes
Pass By: Oxford Court, Oxford Ct, London EC4N, UK
Oxford Court was the site of St Swithin’s Church. It was here that the wife of Edmund Mortimer (and daughter of the last Welsh Prince of Wales – Owain Glyndwr) was held with her children until she died in 1413. Now an elegant memorial to her resides in the garden that has replaced the church. Our reason for visiting this site? To explain how London, the capital of England and the United Kingdom, has drawn people from across the countries of the United Kingdom and further afield.
Stop At: Mansion House of City of London, Walbrook, London EC4N 8BH England
Mansion House is considered one of the finest Georgian Palaces in London. Home to the Lord Mayor of London, it is where the Chancellor of the Exchequer gives his annual Mansion House speech. Sadly the interior of the building is off-limits to the public but this does not stop us enjoying the beautiful paladin exterior.
Duration: 20 minutes
Pass By: The Royal Exchange, Gloucester Rd, Hartpury, Gloucester GL19 3BW, UK
From Mansion House, we will be able to view the Royal Exchange, opened by Elizabeth I. Whilst here your guide will explain how the Royal Exchange was one of the oldest stock exchanges in the world and is arguably the oldest shopping mall in the world which is still going strong today.
Stop At: Bank of England, Threadneedle St, London EC2R 8AH, UK
The Bank of England, the UK’s central bank which houses an astronomical amount of gold in its vaults. Whilst here your guide will explain how the vault was broken into (by accident), how the vault is locked using both old and new technology, and the Bank of England’s role in managing the UK’s economy.
Duration: 5 minutes
Stop At: Ye Olde Watling London Ec4, 29 Watling St, London EC4M 9BR, UK
Ye Olde Watling is a stunning 17th Century pub which was built for the builders who were working on the nearby St. Paul’s Cathedral. Believed to have been where Sir Christopher Wren had his drawing-room, the pub itself is said to have been built by Wren making it one of the few public houses to be associated with the UK’s most famous architect.
Duration: 10 minutes
Stop At: One New Change, 1 New Change, London EC4M 9AF England
One New Change is a stunning shopping mall, right in the heart of the CIty of London. From One New Change’s roof terrace, which is free to access, you can get stunning views of St. Paul’s Cathedral, as well as other London landmarks such as The Shard, The Tate Modern, The Globe and the River Thames. Our time at One New Change is the perfect chance to get a group photo, which your guide will be happy to take for you.
Duration: 15 minutes
Stop At: College of Arms, 130 Queen Victoria Street, London EC4V 4BT England
The College of Arms is the oldest heraldic college in the world and was founded by Britain’s most misunderstood monarch – Richard III. The stunning 17th Century building is a magnificent sight and specialises in genealogical research and the creation of new coats of arms. Whilst here you will learn how the college creates new coats of arms for new Peers (members of the British Aristocracy) and how the college plays a major role in the James Bond film “On Her Majesty’s Secret Service”.
The area surrounding the College is full of locations from hit films and TV series including James Bond, Doctor Who, Mission Impossible, and Hary Potter. Why this street is so popular with film crews, we are not sure but your guide will be happy to point out what was filmed and where whilst at this location.
Duration: 10 minutes
Stop At: St. Paul’s Cathedral, St Paul’s Churchyard, London EC4M 8AD England
Our final destination is the majestic St. Paul’s Cathedral. Designed by Sir Christopher Wren, this amazing building
Duration: 20 minutes
