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London's Hidden Gems and Secret History Private Guided Tour

icon 3 to 4 hours Mobile ticket Free Cancellation
Tickets from € 177.33

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November 2024
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Leave the regular tourist trail behind and get immersed in the hidden secrets of the London's rich past with your own personal Guide. A private and bespoke walk through 2000 years of London's history at your pace. No strict schedules or herding about, a bespoke tour just for you. This tour is ideal for those who want to get off the usual visitor routes and discover the gems that many people miss - Ancients buildings, Dickensian Alleys, Hidden Courts, Church Crypts, Secret Routes, and of course London's most atmospheric Inn's, Taverns and Pubs, some dating back over 600 years! Go on an adventure with your own local guide, a sense of curiosity greatly encouraged!. Your guide is passionate about making this a truly personal and memorable tour. **Children under 16 Go FREE when accompanied by paying adults - (Max 4 Children)**
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  • Hotel pickup and drop-off
  • Private tour
  • Professional guide
  • Food and drinks
Departure Point

Embankment station, Embankment Pl, London WC2N 6NS, Vereinigtes Königreich Outside the station next to the Coffee Stand called "Blues and Royals"

  • Middle Temple Ln, Temple, London EC4Y 9BT, Vereinigtes Königreich
    Starting at Temple Station let's get away from the main tourist routes and go in search of the hidden alleys, ancient taverns, church crypts, Roman pavements and places you would have a lot of difficulty finding on your own. Crossing over into the old City of London where the street layouts go back as far a Roman times, you will first be taken into the Inns of Court, a hidden world used by the legal profession, and a haven not usually visited by most tourists. Let me show you the place where Shakespeare first performed Twelfth Night, the Fountain that inspired Charles Dickens, and the English Headquarters of the Knights Templar. Do you like Tea? let me take you to a shop where they have sold Tea for over 300 years.
    45 minutes
  • St Bride's Church, London, United Kingdom
    The tour continues avoiding the main road and slipping through ancient passageways like Hanging Sword Alley until we arrive at St Bride's Church. Often called 'The Cathedral of The Press' due to its long association with the Fleet Street Newspapers. Damaged in The Great Fire of London and remodeled by Sir Christopher Wren, it suffered another blow in WW2 when a bomb destroyed the roof. However, this gave Archaeologists the chance to look deep into the crypts. What they found was amazing. Let me show you a hidden medieval chapel, charred remains from the Great fire of 1666, and Roman Pavements in this little known Crypt Museum. The Church has another claim to fame, I will tell you all about it on the tour.
    20 minutes
  • 145 Fleet St, London EC4A 2BP, UK
    This can definitely make a claim to being London's oldest Pub if you take in to account it's cellars that date back to the 13th Century. The upper rooms have barely changed since they were rebuilt in 1667. Once your eyes have adjusted to the wooden paneled candle lit interior, perhaps we can take a seat near the same fire place that Charles Dickens warmed his feet, and learn all about Polly the Parrot, the Hellfire Club and the rather naughty tiles found in the 1960's.
    20 minutes
  • Smithfield Market, London, United Kingdom
    Brace yourself, this part of the tour gets a little grisly. Smithfield Market is London's oldest market still used for its original purpose, -selling meat. The surrounding area is where the Great fire of London finally extinguished, where Bloody Mary burn't people at the stake, and where William Wallace, AKA Braveheart was executed. Also near here Fagin's Gang had their Den and Sherlock Holmes first met Doctor Watson at the nearby St Barts hospital. I will also show you two surviving buildings that escaped The Great Fire of 1666.
    20 minutes
  • Postman's Park, London, United Kingdom
    Located next to the Old General Post Office, this park became known as Postman's park because postal workers enjoyed their lunch here. Originally it is the burial ground for St Botolphs Church. I'm bringing you here to show you a very interesting memorial to the unsung heroes of London. Lets find a park bench and I will tell you the history of this extraordinary place.
    10 minutes
  • 71 Basinghall St, London EC2V 7HH, UK
    Guildhall is pretty much all of London's history on one spot. The Roman's had an Amphitheater on this site, the Saxons built a hall where people paid their taxes, and during the medieval period it was first recorded as a Guildhall. The present building was built around 1411, but the crypts are thought to date back to the 13th century. This is essentially the Town Hall of the City of London. The day-to-day administration of the City of London Corporation is now conducted from modern buildings immediately to the north. Lets admire one of London's oldest buildings and talk about some of the famous people who were put on trial here.
    10 minutes
  • Threadneedle St, London EC2R 8AH, UK
    This is the "Square Mile" ancient heart of London and home to the financial district. The Bank of England, the Royal Exchange, and the spooky Cornhill Devils are highlights on this point of the tour. The Royal Exchange is where the Ghost of Christmas yet to come to Ebeneezer Scrooge to see his colleagues discuss his funeral. But why is the Bank of England known as the Old Lady of Threadneedle Street? I will tell you!
    10 minutes
  • 3 Castle Ct, London EC3V 9AE, Vereinigtes Königreich
    Charles Dickens favourite Chop House, and mentioned over 20 times in the Pickwick Papers. The interior is almost unchanged from Dickens time. He would even still be able to order his favouite food from the menu. The alleyways and courts in this area are some of the most atmospheric in London
    10 minutes
  • Leadenhall Market, London, United Kingdom
    One of London's oldest and prettiest markets on the site of a Roman cross road. It's no wonder that Leadenhall Market has featured in some of the worlds most famous movies and novels. Most recently as a filming location for the Harry Potter Films, and the market where Ebeneezer Scrooge sends the boy to get the biggest Turkey on Christmas morning.
    15 minutes
  • The Monument to the Great Fire of London, London, United Kingdom
    One of the most devastating events in London's history took place just near Monument Underground Station. This is where the great Fire of London started in 1666 destroying 80% of the old city of London. Fortunately your guide knows some of the areas that survived. Your tour ends here, and if you still have energy why not climb the 311 steps to the top of the Monument and see the stunning views over London.
    15 minutes
  • Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
  • Service animals allowed
  • Public transportation options are available nearby
  • Suitable for all physical fitness levels
  • Moderate walking - Please inform if you have any mobility issues
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
  • For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
  • If you cancel less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.
  • Any changes made less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time will not be accepted.
  • Cut-off times are based on the experience’s local time.
Mike_H
20 Aug 2024
Richard was incredibly knowledgeable of the history of London and the buildings and people who made up the history. It was the perfect tour if you are wanting to go deeper into the past and have seen the typical places. We learned so much more than just surface level history and were able to go to places we had never seen before. Richard was great about tailoring the content to our group as well. Only hitting the high points on things we were less interested in but going deeper on things we wanted to learn more about.
RobertG_J
16 Jul 2024
Amazingly revelatory of London history most richly from Dickens, but inclusive of Conan Doyle's Holmes, Melville, Franklin, and Burr. Archeological insights into Roman Londinium afforded by German bombs dropped on a picturesque church in WWII, much insight into Dickens' sources for 'A Christmas Carol': plausibly, the corner where the massive turkey might have been hung on Christmas day, the door knocker where Marley appeared, the home where Scrooge was imagined to have dwelled, the counting house; autobiographical facts for 'David Copperfield,' Dickens' favorite tavern, Richard, the tour's guide, is simply a fountain of delightful information for any fan of mid 19th century English literature/life and old London city history. I've hardly ever spend a more engaging 3 hours than these and would do it again tomorrow! Again, Richard is a peerless tour guide. Highly, highly recommended.
carrollw955
14 May 2024
Other couple canceled so we got Richard all to ourselves. He was marvelous and with our being fans of Dickens, Shakespeare and London's history, he wove for us our own tour personalizing it to what we were most interested in. Richard is incredible - very smart, great personality and sense of humor. We thoroughly enjoyed our time with him and are still raving about this experience to all our friends 5 months later! We are sending them all his way for their trips this year to London, and we ourselves shall book him again when we return this December! Having been born in London and lived there, then moved to USA I couldn't believe the things I never knew and had never seen -- he is a treasure trove and all his well-known subjects about literature, history, EVERYTHING all overlap and contribute to -- when the end of the tour arrives you literally don't want to say goodbye. What a fabulous experience! Cheers, Richard!
This tour in London is organized by Richards Tours

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