One of our favourite ways to explore a city is on a walking tour, as you learn so much in a short space of time. We recommend that you take a London private walking tour with an expert local guide. A great place to take a tour is in the City of London. There are many hidden gems in the area and a mix of historic and contemporary architecture.
London Private Walking Tour
Before your walking tour, you’ll receive full details by email of the meet up point, as well as useful information on what to bring. That included a camera, water, a hat, sunglasses and spending money, although it was specified that there were no entry fees to the attractions that we would visit.
We’d advise that you wear comfortable shoes and layers in case the weather changes. It’s true that in the UK, the weather can change at any minute.
We met our guide, Peter, at The Sundial on Tower Hill, commissioned by London Transport and unveiled in 1992. Despite being Londoners, we hadn’t noticed it before. To be fair, the surrounding area nearby was recently renovated and you can now see it in all its glory.
London Private Walking Tour Guide
Peter, introduced himself and straight away we felt his passion for history and genuine interest in people. Many of the guides, or docents as they are known, are scholars with a Ph.D or MA degree and most importantly, extensive knowledge of their local area.
Peter caught the history bug from his Father and has been fascinated by it ever since. It’s one thing though to have that knowledge, but another talent to be able to bring it to life for others.
Peter adapts his tours to each group’s areas of interest. Some want to see the most photogenic attractions, whereas others prefer more detail and off the beaten path sights.
Children are welcome on the tour, and participants are encouraged to advise their ages and interests during the booking process so that you can be matched with the most suitable guide.
City of London Private Walking Tour
The Sundial is adorned with bronze panels depicting the history of London. One good reason to go on a walking tour is that you’d be highly unlikely to spot details such as these on your own…Can you guess who the Maggie in question is?
From here, we made our way to All Hallows by The Tower, the oldest church in the City. Dating from 675 AD, it has an interesting museum in the crypt containing a Saxon arch and many eclectic curios.
For example, William Penn’s baptismal certificate. William was the founder of Pennsylvania, and his father, Admiral Penn, is credited with having saved All Hallows from burning in the Great Fire of London by creating a fire break around it.
Admiral Penn and Samuel Pepys watched the Great Fire rage from the steeple of All Hallows.
Peter had lots of other fascinating anecdotes to tell us. For example, the Romans built anti-hurricane protection into their walls despite there being no hurricanes in the UK, as they were in the habit of doing so in Italy.
We then headed to Guildhall, the administrative powerhouse of the City since the Middle Ages. It has a fascinating art gallery with many Victorian and Pre-Raphaelite treasures, as well as a Roman amphitheatre in the basement.
We’re going to keep some of the London private walking tour attractions as a surprise for participants, but you’ll discover one of Sir Christopher Wren’s finest churches…Its dome is based on his original design for nearby St Paul’s Cathedral.
On our London private walking tour, we also gained an understanding of how the City works, with Peter giving us an overview of institutions such as the livery halls. We learned how coffee houses were instrumental in the development of the City’s financial institutions.
Even in 1680, people loved coffee and the first stocks and shares were traded from Jonathan’s Coffee House, now a private member’s club. Jamaica Wine House was the first coffee shop in London, opened in 1652 and visited by Samuel Pepys in 1660.
It’s been a popular wine bar and restaurant since 2009.
Visitors to the City shouldn’t miss the Victorian splendour of Leadenhall Market, dating from the 14th century. Its pubs, restaurants and shops are a hive of activity at lunchtimes and after work.
Part of Harry Potter was filmed here and it also featured in Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy. Its architecture is certainly very atmospheric.
One of the most surprising aspects of the City is the juxtaposition of the old and the new. Lloyd’s of London is located right next to Leadenhall Market and what a contrast it makes.
Known as the Inside-Out-Building as it maximizes interior space by having placed duct work and elevators on the exterior, its a striking sight.
A short walk from here leads you to The Royal Exchange, a superb 16th century building with a good selection of luxury boutiques and restaurants.
Next to The Royal Exchange, The Bank of England stands proud. It’s one of the largest gold vaults in the world and you can actually touch one of the gold bars in its free museum!
Our tour was coming to an end but Peter had a final surprise in store for us – a charming little church square with some intricate wooden benches. The Romanesque style benches were carved by the City & Guilds of London Art School.
Notice the Gherkin and London Eye buildings on this one, and some characters burning in a cauldron! We’d heartily recommend a London private walking tour, you learn so much and yet it’s never dry or dull.
History came to life in our guide’s expert hands and we thoroughly enjoyed every moment of it.
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Ha ha that could be you immortalized in that plaque, Maggie! I’d have loved to see Joan Collins and I agree, there are some very interesting characters in the City
One thing that I love about London is how eclectic the architecture is. There’s some really beautiful contrasts here!
That’s true and in particular, Leadenhall Market and Lloyd’s of London right next to each other
Wow the architecture looks incredible
Beauty Candy Loves
There’s a very eclectic mix of styles!
You’ve taken such lovely photos, London has some seriously stunning buildings!
We were blessed with a rare sunny day! London looks even better when the sun is out
This sounds like such an amazing tour! I’m such a nerd and love a good walking tour, especially when it comes to architecture and history!
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Me too, Courtney and we learnt so much on this one!
what a great tour!
It really was so insightful, Tanja!
There are so many places that I still need to visit in London, and this was the perfect opportunity to see a few of them!
I just couldn’t resist a photo with the booth and St Paul’s in the background, and London is also my favourite city to live in
I love walking tours…I always feel like they are a great way to get to know a city! This one of London sounds wonderful! I’m loving all the beautiful photos!
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It really is the perfect way to explore a city, and we loved our London tour
I liked the Royal exchange and the Cathedral, which look so opulent and ornately decorated. Thanks for this virtual tour of London. Loved your gorgeous pictures!
My pleasure, Reshma, I’m glad that you enjoyed reading about it
That’s a good point, Gemma, so many unexpected sights to see along the way!
It’s funny isn’t it, how long we can live in a city without seeing all the popular sights. I was the same when I lived in Paris!
Great post & need to try out this. Have heard so many great things about it!
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I’m moving back to London this weekend, it’s great to see my city is still so loved by others. I can’t wait to get back and explore it once again.
Oh that’s great, I reckon you’ll find that it has changed quite a bit but in a good way!
Walking tours are such a great way to discover a city – so much history I did’t know about! Gorgeous pictures!
We really learned a lot and I’ll look at the buildings around me with new eyes now!
i personally love walking tours! it’s a great way to get introduced into a city and receive insider’s tips! great photos, btw!
I’m pleased that you like the photos, Jin and I agree that walking tours are a really nice way to explore
I love exploring cities on foot, especially when I get lucky enough to have a private guide. 😉
Having a private guide was a real treat, and the perfect way to see the city
Walking tours are my favorite way to be introduced to a new city! I’ve never been to London, but this sounds fantastic. Lovely pictures, thank you for sharing!
I hope that you get the chance to visit, there’s so much to see in London
These are some incredible photos! I’m glad you had a great experience on your private tour, I love getting in-depth information about the city. The fact about the Romans building anti-hurricane buildings was so interesting!
Yes they really were forward-thinking, weren’t they! The tour was a mine of information
I’m sure Peter will be pleased if he’s reading this! Nice that you can always travel with your own tour guide, Rebecca 😉
It’s funny but we often know our own country less than we know places abroad – definitely fun when you’re next in London
I love these walking tours, and I always try to find one when I’m traveling. Thanks for sharing – I will definitely do one in London in October. Travel safe and keep up the great work. Your photos are amazingly beautiful!
Halef (the Round The World Guys)
A walking tour of the city is always great as it teaches you in a more interesting fashion about the place. It sounds like this one was definitely worth it.
I am such a history nerd and it is heartwarming to see Peter’s passion for history in his eyes! I love your photos and definitely think that the private tour is so worth it when you want a deeper understanding of a place as versatile as London
I am in London right now, it is a city that I came many, many times because just loved and even I think that I know a lot about the city it is not true, I should do a walking tour like yours, you learned a lot.
The pictures are great 😉
You visited so many cool sites on this walking tour! What a fantastic way to learn about the history of the city! The architectures are stunning too!