London Essential 2 hour introductory Walking Tour With a Londoner
Recommended by 100% of travelers
Badge of Excellence
London, England
- 2 hours (approx.)
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
Why travelers loved this
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Overview
There’s so much to see in London it can be hard to plan a route. Skip the research and join a qualified guide and lifelong Londoner on this highlights sightseeing tour which covers four royal palaces, Westminster Abbey, Trafalgar Square, Big Ben, and more. You’ll stop at the best spots for photo opportunities and learn about the city’s rich history and how Londoners live, work, and play there.
- Hit the London highlights in just a couple of hours—perfect for first-timers
- See Downing Street, Big Ben, Trafalgar Square, and other landmarks
- Capture photos with the Royal Horse Guards, Buckingham Palace, and more
- Get tips, tricks, and advice to perfect your trip from your London-born guide
What's Included
- A fun Guided Walking Tour of all those Tick Spots of London. Buckingham Palace, Big Ben + Much More
- As a born and bread Londoner I also share advice and tips to make your stay more fun and cheaper!
- Photo opportunities outside these Iconic Buildings
- Gratitude's
- We do not go inside/enter any of the locations we stop outside, entrance fees are not included.
Meeting and Pickup
Meeting point
- Ritz Corner kioskGreen Park (Stop H, London W1J 9DZ, UK
To get to the starting point of our tour, take the Underground/Train to Green Park Tube Station (Jubilee, Piccadilly, and Victoria Lines). Exit the station on the park side, and you will see a fountain and a café. I will be waiting by the fountain. I look like my pic, well better, actually ;)
End point
- Westminster AbbeyDean's Yard, London SW1P 3PA, UK
We finish at the iconic Westminster Abbey with options to continue on your own to explore this historic area of London.
Itinerary
Green Park (Pass By)
1
Buckingham Palace
15 minutes • Admission Ticket Not Included
2
Clarence House
5 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
3
St. James's Palace
10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
4
St. James's Park
15 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
5
The Mall
10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
6
Trafalgar Square
5 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
7
Whitehall Palace
5 minutes • Admission Ticket Not Included
8
Horse Guards Parade at Whitehall
10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
9
10 Downing Street
5 minutes • Admission Ticket Not Included
10
Big Ben
10 minutes • Admission Ticket Not Included
11
Palace of Westminster
10 minutes • Admission Ticket Not Included
12
Westminster Abbey
10 minutes • Admission Ticket Not Included
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Wheelchair accessible
- Stroller accessible
- Service animals allowed
- Near public transportation
- Transportation is wheelchair accessible
- Surfaces are wheelchair accessible
- Most travelers can participate
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 20 travelers
Supplied by
Cancellation Policy
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
Traveler Photos
Reviews
5.0
based on 140 reviews
Sort by: Most insightful
Kelly_B, Jul 2026
Rich led and engaging tour of a city that he clearly loves. He enjoys a vast knowledge of history and interesting facts. Truly an enjoyable experience. This was the righ t amount of history without venturing into boring territory.
Response from Host, Jul 2026
Thank you so much for your kind words! I'm really pleased you enjoyed the tour, and I'm especially glad you felt it struck the right balance between history and having fun—that's exactly what I aim for. London has so many incredible stories to tell, and it's always a pleasure sharing them with guests. I hope you have a fantastic rest of your trip and that you'll be back to explore even more one day.
Best,
Rich
Cassie_V, Jul 2026
Rich was terrific! He lead us on 2 hour walking tour around the essential, major sites in London and kept us entertained and informed the whole time. Our three kids, ages ranging from 12-19, all loved it as well (which says a lot!) and thought Rich was awesome! Highly recommend him to anyone who wants a fantastic tour!
Response from Host, Jul 2026
What a lovely review to read! It was great fun spending the morning with all of you, and I'm especially happy to hear your three kids enjoyed it too—winning over teenagers is always a bonus! 😄 I hope the tour was the perfect start to your London adventure and that you made plenty more great memories during your stay. Best Rich
Stephan_A, Jul 2026
I had a great time. Our guide was so knowledgeable on the city and its history. The best part was how he got us to Big Ben tower in time for the chimes at noon
Response from Host, Jul 2026
I'm so pleased you had a great time! Timing our walk to hear Big Ben strike noon is always one of my favourite moments to share with guests. Thanks for joining me, and I hope you enjoy the rest of your time in London! Best Rich
Marisa_A, Jun 2026
Rich is very friendly and knowledgeable. He communicated the historical and background information in an engaging and entertaining way. He timed it perfectly so that we got to hear Big Ben chime! Our family of four adults loved this tour. He kindly took time for family photos along the way and even gave us some great ideas on restaurants and activities to do after the tour. This tour is a perfect overview of the must see sights of London. Outstanding 2 hour walking tour-well paced and informative.
Response from Host, Jun 2026
It was a pleasure meeting you and your family and showing you around London. I'm delighted you enjoyed the stories, sights, and of course catching Big Ben at just the right moment!
I’m glad the recommendations came in useful and that the tour gave you a great introduction to the city. Hope you Enjoyed the rest of your time in London, and hopefully I’ll see you again on a future visit.
Best
Rich
Angela_L, May 2026
This was one of the best tours we have ever taken!! Rich was not only funny and friendly, he was extremely knowledgeable regarding London and full of wonderful “fluff” information (I had a lot of questions about the royals). We only had one day in London, but we loved it and will be back… and we will, for sure, book another tour with Rich!!
Response from Host, Jun 2026
Loved hearing this 😊
It's great to give people not just the big sights of London, but the personality, humour, history and all those little bits of “fluff” that make the city come alive — including the royal gossip of course! 👑
So pleased that you packed so much into just one day, and I’m really glad London left such a great impression on you. Looking forward to showing you even more next time you’re back.
Best,
Rich
Jennifer_D, May 2026
Excellent guide, informative, friendly, humorous and inclusive.
A very well executed walk with lots of interest. Guide more than willing to answer questions honestly.
Response from Host, May 2026
Thank you so much for the kind words! I’m really glad you enjoyed the walk and all the stories along the way. It was a pleasure having you on the tour, and I’m happy you felt welcome and able to ask questions throughout — hope to see you again in London sometime!
Stephanie_H, Apr 2026
Wr did this tour during our day layover in London. Tour guide was very friendly and gave lots of insight. It was the perfect tour for us!
Response from Host, Apr 2026
Thank you so much! 😊 I’m really glad the tour worked out perfectly for your layover! It was a pleasure showing you around, and I hope you get to spend more time in London next time! Best Rich
soo_s, Mar 2026
Rich was the true Londoner guide for this walking tour. He's very knowledgeable and knows the city inside out. Must book!
Response from Host, Mar 2026
Thank you so much! 😊 It was great spending time exploring London with you. I’m really glad you enjoyed the tour and all the stories along the way. Hope the rest of your time in the city was fantastic, and maybe our paths will cross again
josephine_c, Feb 2026
Rich was fantastic! He offered great information about the sights we were seeing, provided witty conversation between site and was an absolute delight. We are booking another tour, a different one, tomorrow with him already!
Response from Host, Feb 2026
Thank you — I’m so pleased you enjoyed it.
London has so many different sides to it, and I love taking people through its layers — each part of the city tells a completely different story.
Hope to explore more of it with you again sometime.
Best,
Rich
Mark_W, Oct 2025
Tour was great, we got a great sense of the area, he was very friendly and talkative, he referred us to other places and activities we could do. He answered all the questions we had and made the tour enjoyable.
Tricia_R, Sep 2025
Rich was an amazing guide! It was the perfect start to our time in London. We were able to check off some top spots we had on our must see list. It was so nice to not have to map ourselves around for a little over two hours. Would definitely recommend! Thanks again Rich!
Ditto_R, Jul 2025
Rich’s 2-hour London walking tour was fantastic! He’s super knowledgeable, friendly, and gave amazing local recommendations—hidden cafes, scenic spots, and cool places off the beaten path. A great way to explore the city with a true local. Highly recommend!
Trisha_W, Jun 2025
Great guide. Full of info and a wonderful personality too! Made the trip worthwhile. Highly recommend him!
Michelle_D, May 2025
Rich was an excellent tour guide. He was very knowledgeable about the British history. He was very personable by establishing rapport with each of his tour guests. Best tour ever!!!
Emily_R, May 2025
Rich lead our 2 hour walking tour, walking through Green Park to Buckingham Palace, seeing all the palaces and treasurses through the city. We were unable to see the royal guards or the house guards due to Marathon preparations. Although the detours changed the route Rich did an excellent job to add other locations and history pieces into our tour. Rich did a great job! He is a man filled with humor, love for his city and does well to interact with all participating in the tour. Well done Rich! 👏🏼
Yessica_M, Feb 2025
Absolutely LOVED this tour! Rich was very knowledgeable and kept the group engaged and entertained the entire time. He also offered to take photos during and knew the best spots for pictures. Would love to do more tours led by Rich. Highly recommend!!
Steven_M, Jan 2025
Excellent walking tour which includes palace changing of the guard. Highly recommend this tour ! Also a great way to see many of the statues and monuments throughout St James Park
Susanna_B, Jan 2026
It was a very great and unforgettable experience with Rich the London Essential tours. I was already in London for the 6x and again experienced so much new and interesting - with a sense of humor. We were with 4 teenagers whom he also totally loved. Loved every minute and we all highly recommend this tour. We will be back! Sue & Viola and the teenagers
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Response from Host, Feb 2026
Thank you so much for such a lovely review — that truly means a lot.
I always say if someone on their 6th visit to London still discovers something new, then we’ve done it right! And I’m especially pleased the teenagers enjoyed it too — that might be the toughest audience of all 😉
Your group brought such great energy, and it was a real pleasure sharing the stories (with a little humour along the way).
I’ll look forward to welcoming you all back — London always has another chapter waiting.
Best,
Rich
Fiona_C, Dec 2025
Fantastic tour full of fun facts. Our guide Rich was fantastic, he told us.many things about the history of London and the Royal Family making it all very fun and light. Really a recommended tour.
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Response from Host, Feb 2026
Grazie mille per la splendida recensione!
I’m so pleased you enjoyed the mix of history and a few lighter moments along the way. London and the Royal Family give us plenty of stories — and I always try to keep it fun as well as informative.
Thank you for the recommendation, it really means a lot.
Best,
Rich
Grard_G, Oct 2024
Le vécu de spencer par rapport aux Beatles . Son humour. Un bon résumé de la vie des Beatles à Londres
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