Tower of London & Westminster Abbey Walking Tour

We Begin With a Westminster Abbey Walking Tour

Your private walking tour of London begins at Westminster Abbey. This famous church is recognisable from various famous royal weddings, funerals, and coronations; it’s hard to ignore the history here!

We’ll enter through the cloisters, which is a great opportunity to appreciate both the age and the scale of this magnificent building. Look around as we walk into the church: you will see many names, some of these you will recognise immediately, others you may remember once your guide links them with stories.

Next, let’s have a look at one of the oldest pieces of furniture in the United Kingdom. Last used in 2023, the chair patiently waits for the next coronation.

Making our way around the church, we will find the sites of many royal burials around the High Altar. Learn about two sisters – stepsisters – both queens, but with very different personalities. In life, they weren’t very fond of each other, yet in death, they are buried here in the same tomb. 

Westminster Abbey has so much to offer and we will spend about 90 minutes here before we move on.

Continuing Our Private Walking Tour Around London

After leaving Westminster Abbey, we will continue our tour to see more iconic sights.

Can you recognise if His Majesty is home? Buckingham Palace sometimes offers with the chance to see the Changing of the Guards. During certain days and fair weather, we can join the Regiments marching from their Barracks to the Palace.

If the guard change is cancelled, don’t panic! This is London, so there is always time for traditional pageantry. The Horse Guards are just around the corner and they are inspected every day, rain or shine.

Heading now to Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament, you’ll enjoy a great opportunity for iconic pictures of these world-renowned sites.

How many statues of famous statesman can you recognise? Your Blue Badge Guide will be happy to explain who some of them were and their significance in British history.

A Quick Ride to Part Two of Your Private London Walking Tour 

Next let’s ride the bus or tube through the financial district, known as the City of London. This is an ideal opportunity to compare differing architectural styles, both old and new.

We will walk towards Whitehall to see where the Prime Minister lives and works. This is also our chance to look around at the many war memorials and hear stories from your guide about the past conflicts that these monuments represent. 

Then, we will reach Trafalgar Square, the city centre of London. Here we can admire Nelson’s Column and maybe take a photo with one of the lions protecting Lord Nelson.

Next, we will visit the area around St Paul’s Cathedral, another beautiful church with its own unique history. Built in just 35 years by one architect in a consistent style, its position in this part of the London skyline is protected by law. 

We will walk around the churchyard to appreciate this vast structure and your guide will show you the best spots to take a picture of this church, whether it’s from the Millennium Bridge or the roof terrace at One New Change.

There are plenty of places to eat here and it’s the perfect time to break for lunch. Fancy fish and chips in one of the local pubs?

A Tour of the Tower of London

Let’s now continue our journey east towards the Tower of London, a medieval fortress surrounded by modern architecture.

We explore this castle both inside and out, meeting the famous ravens of the tower, seeing the Crown Jewels, and hearing all the gory stories about this Palace throughout the years.

Beefeater is not just a brand of a gin, it’s another name for the Yeoman Warders. You can’t miss them, they are always around, proudly wearing their uniforms and always happy to pose for a quick photo.

On exiting the Tower we will have a spectacular view of the world-famous Tower Bridge.

Your private London walking tour finishes here and your guide will be happy to assist you with directions or help you find a taxi to your next adventure.

If you’d like a shorter tour, you can try either our Westminster Abbey Private Tour or our  Tower of London Private Tour.

*Note that your tour itinerary details will be finalised on the day to make the most of the events on offer and prevailing weather conditions.