Essential London

Four hours. Two thousand years. The London you came to see — and the London you didn't know was there.

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Duration: Approximately 4 hours

Walking and transportation 
Meeting point: St Paul's Underground Station, Exit 2, by Cafè Nero
Transport: Bankside to Westminster included; boat journey subject to availability
Entrance tickets: Not included. This is an exterior walking/sightseeing experience.

See the landmarks. Discover the stories. Understand London.

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If you have limited time in London and want to experience the city properly, this is called Essential London for a reason.

Over approximately four hours we'll explore many of London's great landmarks while also discovering the older city, hidden stories and extraordinary contrasts that make London what it is.

We'll begin close to St Paul's Cathedral, where ancient and modern London collide, before exploring the historic City and medieval London.

From there we'll make our way towards Bankside and the neighbourhood surrounding Borough Market — an area filled with Roman and medieval history, Shakespeare connections, hidden streets and some wonderfully unexpected stories.

Then we head west.

Transport from Bankside to Westminster is included and, when availability and circumstances allow, we'll take to the Thames by boat — one of my favourite ways to see London. The boat journey cannot be guaranteed, but your transport between Bankside and Westminster is included.

In Westminster we'll discover the London recognised around the world:

Big Ben. The Houses of Parliament. Westminster Abbey. Downing Street. Buckingham Palace.

But ticking landmarks off a list isn't really my thing.

We'll talk about the kings and queens, characters and events behind them. We'll look at how London constantly reinvents itself and at one of the things I love most about the city — its extraordinary juxtaposition of old and new.

A medieval street can lead towards a glass skyscraper. A building you've seen a thousand times in photographs can hide a story you've never heard.

That's the London I want to show you.

This is a private experience, so we can talk, ask questions, stop, laugh and adapt the journey around your interests.

If this is your first visit to London, it's a wonderful introduction to the city.

And if you've been before, I suspect I'll still show you a London you haven't seen.

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