Walking Tours with Michael
Walking is the best possible exercise. Habituate yourself to walk very far’.
– Thomas Jefferson 1743-1826
All my guided tours are private, and can be individually personalised for you and your companions. I can meet you at your Central London hotel at a time to suit YOU. Here are some suggestions to get you started. They are not written in tablets of stone and can be customised to suit YOU. As a BLUE BADGE GUIDE, I can fast track entry for you, thus avoiding the lines for tickets!
RIVERSIDE PUBS WALK – 3 HOURS
Taking in some of the oldest pubs in London, this three-hour walk along the former docklands to the east of Tower Bridge, was at one time an area frequented by pirates and smugglers. All the pubs are full of character and ambiance, have a story to tell, and have amazing views across the River Thames. We will stop at each one for a drink.
THE GREAT FIRE OF LONDON – 3 HOURS
In the early hours of Sunday 2 September 1666 a fire broke out in a bakery. Fuelled by the closely packed wooden buildings and strong winds, it became The Great Fire of London, which four days later when it was finally extinguished, had destroyed about 75% of the city…
WHISTLESTOP TOUR – 4 HOURS
Ideally suited to the first time visitor, this guided tour is mainly conducted on foot but also using public transport, (iconic red bus, tube train or black taxi) to provide you with a good overview of the city.
FULL DAY LONDON TOUR 7 HOURS
Similar to the Whistle-stop tour except this includes inside guided visits to any TWO of the sites listed above, most commonly Westminster Abbey and The Tower of London. The advantage of using me for this tour is that I can gain access by avoiding the queue for tickets
TOWER OF LONDON TOUR 4 HOURS
Before visiting the Tower we will visit the most complete section of the old Roman Wall, constructed about 1900 years ago, where its also possible to see the original street level of Londondinium at the time,
WESTMINSTER 4 HOURS
We begin this guided tour by visiting the gothic masterpiece Westminster Abbey (about 90 minutes – not Sundays), the site of every king and queen’s coronation since 1066, and where most of the royal weddings and funerals take place.
ST PAUL’S CATHEDRAL and SMITHFIELD 4 HOURS
St Paul’s Cathedral is considered by most as being the masterwork of its architect Sir Christopher Wren and a masterpiece of English Baroque architecture. The building completed in 1710 replaced the old cathedral that was destroyed in the Great Fire of London in 1666.
GREENWICH TOUR 7 HOURS
Take a trip out to Greenwich by boat from Central London, an opportunity to see the city from another view. We begin the Greenwich private guided tour at the Visitor Centre to gain an overview of the 1000 year history of the area, which is now a World Heritage Site.
ART TOURS 4 HOURS
There are several world-class art galleries in central London waiting to be explored. Where to start? Whether your taste is for the ancients, The Renaissance, the Impressionists or Contemporary art, all tastes are catered for, and I can customise a tour to suit you.
THE IMPRESSIONISTS in LONDON – 4 HOURS
One thinks about the French Impressionist movement as having its genesis in Paris in the mid 1870s. However artists such as Monet and Pissarro had begun developing their style earlier after being forced into exile during the Franco Prussian War of 1870-71. While here they discovered the work of JMW Turner and others that had a significant influence on their painterly style. Another artist Alfred Sisley had English parents and spent some of his early adult life in London. All three of these artists returned to London later in their careers. The tour visits some of the haunts where they painted views of the city and its urban life
BRITISH MUSEUM AND BLOOMSBURY TOUR 4 HOURS
There are over 6 million artefacts in the possession of the British Museum with approximately 60,000 on display at any one time. Where to start? Let Michael take you on a 2 hour tour of this wonderful museum visiting the ‘must-sees’ including the Rosetta Stone, Parthenon Marbles, The huge head of Ramesses II, The Assyrian Lion Hunt Reliefs, The Sutton Hoo Collection, to name just a few. There will also be a few hidden treasures to discover, making the visit complete.
LITERARY TOUR OF LONDON 7 HOURS
Many writers have been inspired to write about London and its inhabitants. The earliest of these is the father of English literature, Geoffrey Chaucer, who, in the late 14th century related fictional stories for pilgrims on their journey from London, in The Canterbury Tales. William Shakespeare came to London from Stratford in the late 16th century becoming first an actor and eventually England’s greatest wordsmith and playwright.
MUSEUMS AND GALLERIES TOUR 4 HOURS
Why not combine any two museums/galleries in this 4-hour highlights tour? All major museums and galleries are open to the public free of charge, but the choice of what to see can be overwhelming. Let Michael take the strain out of selecting what to see, (depending on your own interests of course), by selecting any two from the following list. Each visit will last approximately 90 minutes
ARCHITECTURAL TOURS 4 HOURS
Today, London is a strange mix of old and new buildings often juxtaposed on adjoining sites. This is the result of modernisation, and rebuilding after The Great Fire of London in 1666 and the bombing Blitz during the Second World. There are a number of personally guided architectural walking tours that can be undertaken, tailored to your own requirements but read on for some suggested tours to get you started.
CHRISTIANITY TOUR – 5 HOURS
Much of England’s turbulent history is a result of the aftermath of Henry VIII’s Reformation of the English Church in the sixteenth century. England wrestled with a religious war that went from Protestantism to Catholicism and back again.
HAMPTON COURT – 5 HOURS
This tour is particularly suited to families, looking for a day out of London. A 30-minute train ride from central London will take us to Hampton Court Palace for a private guided tour. Originally built for Thomas Wolsey in 1515, it was ‘acquired’ by King Henry VIII who, because of its proximity to the River Thames, and its established hunting grounds close by,
WINSTON CHURCHILL IN LONDON – 4 HOURS
Britain’s darkest days were in the summer and autumn of 1940, through the winter and spring of 1941, after Hitler’s march across Western Europe was halted at the English Channel, and his Luftwaffe tried to bomb London and other British cities into submission. He failed against the steely resolve and stoicism of the British people,
HARRY POTTER – 3 HOURS
We begin our private guided tour at Platform 9¾, Kings Cross Station, where the magic began for Harry Potter. In a specially reconstructed setting you can have your photo taken professionally trying to push your luggage through the wall! There is also a Harry Potter shop here too. The exterior shots of the station that saw Harry and Ron flying over in a car, were actually shot next door at St Pancras Station which
THE ROYAL TOUR – 4 OR 6 HOURS
Many people come to London just to see the royal palaces and to learn more about the Royals and are of course hoping to catch a glimpse of them too! I can’t promise that, but I can take you on a guided walk that includes Buckingham Palace, St James’s Palace,
BEATLES TOUR – 4 HOURS
Although the Beatles originally came from Liverpool, they spent most of their professional lives in London, where they lived, partied and recorded their music. We will visit many of these haunts on this private guided walking tour around central London,