London Walks

London Walks is one of the city's longest-running walking tour companies, offering a packed programme of guided walks every day of the year. Its guides are known for their knowledge and storytelling, and many are qualified Blue Badge guides, the professional standard for tourist guiding in Britain. The walks cover a remarkable range of subjects, from the famous to the obscure, so regular visitors and Londoners use them as well as first-time tourists.

The programme includes classic introductions to the city, such as Classic London walks and the Village London series, which explores the old villages that London absorbed as it grew. Themed walks explore subjects such as Jack the Ripper and the Victorian East End, the Beatles and London's music history, spies, literary London, pubs, canals and food. Some walks focus on single writers or works, such as a tour inspired by T. S. Eliot's The Waste Land, while day trips go further afield, for example to the Cotswolds. Live virtual tours are also offered on some days for those who cannot travel.

Walks typically last about two hours and go ahead rain or shine, so dress for the weather and wear comfortable shoes. They suit solo travellers, couples, families with older children and anyone who enjoys learning about a city on foot. Because each guide brings their own expertise and personality, it is worth trying several different walks during a longer stay. Private tours can be arranged for groups, families or special interests.

The official website publishes the full schedule, with meeting points and times for each walk, along with a guide explaining how to join a walk and the prices. Meeting points are usually outside Underground stations or at well-known landmarks, which makes them easy to find. Check the latest information before setting out, as schedules change with the seasons and some walks run only on certain days.

London Walks operates across the whole city, so there is no single base to visit; the company's postal address is in West Hampstead. Contact details for enquiries and private bookings are on the official website, where you can also find details of the guides and their specialities. Combining a morning walk with an afternoon museum visit is a good way to plan a day around the company's programme.