A Village in Piccadilly
Piccadilly Circus underground station, London (exit 4, Eros exit – between the world-famous Eros statue and the Criterion Restaurant canopy)
Guided by Adam or Caroline or Claire or Karen or Simon W.
Adult: £20 · Students & Seniors: £15 · Children: £5
Walk Times
| Day | Walk Type | Start Time | End Time | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monday | Weekly | 2.30 pm | 4.30 pm | Winter Summer | Reserve Online |
N.B. this walk will not take place on the following dates:
30-11-2026 04-01-2027 11-01-2027 18-01-2027 25-01-2027 01-02-2027 08-02-2027 15-02-2027 22-02-2027This walk does not run in January and February.
Short read: “like a silver thread in heavy clay”
Long read: The great West End walk. Beautiful places, beautiful things flow past like blossoms on slow water. Some village. Realm’s more like it. The realm of riches, rank and those who rule. In its irresistible goody bag: elegant arcades, secret doorways and peekaboo views; Gentlemen’s clubs; Burlington House and the Albany; London’s best shopping street; tea and royal chocolates; Nelson’s perfumier (more gratis sampling); the world’s smallest – and toniest – privately funded police force; mad, bad and dangerous to know Byron; Brummel to Brando; Jermyn to Marilyn; exclusive, eccentric, best-dressed, old money London; magnet for artists, writers, royals, scientists, dreamers and dandies; Darwin to James Bond; the Prince Regent to Prince Harry; venerable to voopular; the greatest act of literary vandalism ever. It’s Georgian. It’s Regency. It’s Victorian. It’s Edwardian. It’s Parisian. It’s parfait. It’s part Wonderland, part Arabian Nights. It’s stories that tilt the light and print the stones. Plaited together by gifted guides Karen, Adam, Simon W., Claire and Caroline. Dream of a walk. Hmmmmm. Some dream. A dream that leaves you feeling completely, even exuberantly, in the pink! N.B. the walk ends at Green Park, a few seconds’ walk from Green Park Tube Station.
Meet your guide. Here’s Karen’s podcast about her Village in Piccadilly Tour.
A VILLAGE IN PICCADILLY – THE PRACTICALS
A Village in Piccadilly takes place at 2.30 pm every* Monday. The meeting point is Piccadilly Circus Tube. Meet just outside exit 4 – the Eros exit, near the Criterion Theatre. N.B. the walk ends at Green Park, a few seconds’ walk from Green Park Tube Station. *Except in January and February
LONDON WALKS REVIEWS
“The original and best – there are several companies offering walking tours of London but London Walks (London’s oldest) is easily the pick of the bunch” London, Cadogan Guide
“Without a doubt the best walking tour company currently operating in London” Stardust
“London’s best city tours” The Telegraph
“I would just like to pass onto the lovely people at London Walks, that the walk we did this afternoon (A Village in Piccadilly) with Adam, was the best walk we have done In five years of taking London Walks. His knowledge, wit and friendliness was wonderful. We enjoyed it immensely. Thank you Adam. Kind regards, Laurie J. (Australia)
LONDON WALKS REVIEWS DISTILLED
LONDON WALKS PRIVATE WALKS
If you can’t make the regularly scheduled, just-turn-up, public Village in Piccadilly walk do think about booking it as a private tour. If you go private you can have A Village in Piccadilly – or any other London Walk – on a day and at a time that suits your convenience. We’ll tailor it to your requirements. Ring Fiona or Niamh or Peter on 020 7624 3978 or email us at [email protected] and we’ll set it up and make it happen for you. Perfect for a class, club or office outing.
GIVE THE GIFT OF LONDON WALKS
A private London Walk makes a very special, thoughtful, unusual gift. Be it a birthday or anniversary or Christmas present or whatever. Merchandise schmerchandise (gift wrapped or not) – but giving someone an experience, now that’s special. Memories make us rich.
MIND THE GAP
LONDON WALKS – STREETS AHEAD!
IT ALL COMES DOWN TO THE GUIDING
“If this were a golf tournament every name on the Leader Board would be a London Walks guide”
Luna Rupchand –
Alison was a fountain of knowledge about a ‘village’ in the centre of London. Who knew that there was such greenery in Piccadilly! Alison’s story-telling skills kept us engaged about a part of London that I thought I knew: a blend of historical and contemporary information made the walk, not only educational, but highly entertaining. The time just flew by. I highly recommend Alison who is a knowledgeable, professional, and an entertaining guide.
Chris Moore –
I enjoyed this walk so much I’ll probably do it again soon. Alison was a font of knowledge and humour, an excellent guide able to field all our questions. I’ve been walking and cycling around this area for years but had no idea about the colourful layers of history – such an enriching and entertaining tour!
Judith –
I took this tour several years ago but enjoyed it so much that I decided to come on it again. This time Alison was my guide and I enjoyed the walk even more as she added her own ‘favor’; for example she introduced us to Floris’ fragrances and Paxton & Whitfield’s cheeses, both new to me. Of course Charbonnel & Walker was a stop for their delicious chocolates. An excellent walk with a very knowledgeable and informative guide.
Matilda Herd –
Alison was the guide for this walk which takes in beautiful Georgian, Regency, Victorian and Edwardian architecture as well as more modern sculptures and landmarks in the streetscape. She has a real talent for weaving an enthralling narrative around the history of the places and people she is sharing with you. Alison is knowledgeable and, maybe more importantly, informative. She has the ability to share her knowledge with clarity and enthusiasm. You will discover hidden gems even if you believe you know the area well. Highly recommended.
Sarah Conway –
Karen was our delightfully funny and knowledgable guide. She bought everything to life, was easy to hear and went at a comfortable pace. I highly recommend Karen’s walk around the gems of Piccadilly.
Linda Nissim –
A big thank you to Claire, our Guide, for a most magnificent walking tour around Piccadilly Circus. She guided us with real finesse and charm
I’m delighted to say we weren’t overwhelmed with dates or heavy detail; instead, at every turn, she revealed a small gem here and a nugget there delivered in such an eloquent, compelling and humorous way
Having lived near this part of London for a long time, it was striking to discover how much had been hiding in plain sight all along
An added delight was the unexpected sensory dimension which I won’t disclose here other than to say there was a subtle ‘whiff’ AND a kind of ‘magic’ on the palate which gave the whole experience an unexpectedly memorable finish
My next task is to find ‘another’ walk guided by Claire
Alison Hook –
Caroline was my guide for this walk today and she was terrific. This walk has everything , wonderful architecture, centuries old shops, elegant arcades , squares , town houses and of course Gentlemen’s clubs. There’s a story on every corner ! Caroline was warm, friendly , articulate and even the rain could not dampen her enthusiasm. The walk and the guide are both highly recommended. Thank you for a splendid afternoon.
Viv Pyner –
Claire is an excellent guide and this walk was as good as any I have been on. I have been on several walks guided by her and I know that it will always be enjoyable with lots of information to be imparted. Many thanks Claire, and I look forward to our next meeting, whenever that may be.
Jayne Saunders –
I recently did this tour with Claire on a very hot sunny day and it was extremely enjoyable and very interesting. This was my second tour with Claire and looking forward to the next one. Thank you Claire.
Dave Nuscher –
We’ve done nearly 20 tours with London Walks over the years and it’s hard to recall any guide as delightful or knowledgeable as Caroline. Gentle-humored, very attentive to her group (to the point of making a real effort to learn everyone’s names), and incredibly kind… the best of what this wonderful company has to offer.