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September 2019
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A Complete Unknown – Bob Dylan In Early 60s London

(18 customer reviews )

Embankment underground station, London (river exit)

Guided by Adam

Adult: £20 · Students & Seniors: £15 · Children: £5

Walk Times

Day Walk Type Start Time End Time
24 May 2026 Special 10.45 am 1 pm Summer
20 July 2026 Special 6.30 pm 9 pm Summer Book Now
18 September 2026 Special 10.45 am 1 pm Summer Book Now

Booking & Prepayment is required for this walk – small group guaranteed.

This walk is now FULLY BOOKED on the 14th March – cancellations waiting list now open. Alternatively, the next outing is 24th May 2026

This year we’re celebrating Bob Dylan’s 85th birthday AND the 60th anniversary of his seminal album Blonde on Blonde.

 

A Complete Unknown – Bob In Early 1960s London

Adam writes… So you’ve seen the Bob Dylan biopic A Complete Unknown starring Timothée Chalamet as Bob. Remember the bit where his girlfriend “Sylvie” leaves and goes to Italy and Bob stays in NYC? Well, in real life around the same time Bob came to London for the first time… and that’s where my walking tour picks up the story. Come and join me for The UNKNOWN A Complete Unknown. (To find my review of the movie, scroll down.)

 

Bob Dylan’s first visit to London in 1962/63 changed the course of his career.

His visits in 1964, ’65 and ’66 changed the course of music history.

This special walking tour is staged to mark the release of the Bob Dylan biopic A Complete Unknown and is hosted by London Walks resident music expert guide Adam Scott-Goulding.

It’s a walking tour AND a celebration of the life and work of Bob Dylan.

Follow Us Down To…

The Savoy Hotel, The Royal Festival Hall, Dobell’s Music Shop, Soho and the King & Queen Pub where he made his first British appearance in the winter of ’62. 

Along the way we’ll talk music history, criticism, legend and lore – and we’ll compare the London of Dylan’s first visit almost 60 years ago with the London of today.

There will be cameos from The Beatles, Marianne Faithfull, Donovan, Alan Ginsberg and many others.

Tour ends at the King & Queen Pub in Fitzrovia very near Goodge Street tube station. (We will take a short Tube journey so please make sure you have an Oyster card or similar.)

 

Movie Review

A Complete Unknown (2024, Directed by James Mangold) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Yes, I have all of the usual biopic objections that an old fart such as I has about biopics. But small (mostly small) gripes notwithstanding… I absolutely loved A Complete Unknown.
Firstly, the music is dynamite. T.C. is as fantastic as all the pre-publicity led us to believe. And Ed Norton’s Pete Seeger is a revelation. An uncanny performance. Just as good is Monica Barbaro’s takes-no-crap Joan Baez. And it was great to hear The Kinks‘ All Day And All Of The Night used in a pivotal scene.
Gripes? The “Sylvie” character (supposed to be Suze Rotolo, find out more about her on my walk) is terribly under-written – so stoic and wet that it made me want to scream. There are tiny clues as to her activism, talents and energy, but they are so scant that you won’t spot them without prior knowledge of Suze Rotolo. The character is fantastically performed by Ellie Fanning, though.
So, yes, all the usual objections, bar this: there’s no valedictory ending. Hurrah! Bob rides off into an uncertain future like only a true pioneer could. He doesn’t know where it ends… he only knows that he was born a long way from where he was supposed to be. As the credits roll, Woody Guthrie (Scoot McNary) is also on the verge of an unknowable journey – to the undiscovered country. Very nicely done. Mainstream Hollywood storytelling at its very best.

GLAD TO HEAR IT

Click here to meet your guide – here’s the Adam interview we did for the London Walks podcast

IT ALL COMES DOWN TO THE GUIDING

18 reviews for A Complete Unknown – Bob Dylan In Early 60s London

  1. Greg S –

    Great tour. I hope our paths cross again!

  2. Stephen Spiers –

    A really fantastic couple of hours spent with Adam chatting about Bob Dylan. Admittedly this is an easy sell to a die hard fan, but my wife also really enjoyed the tour and her preferences usually lie with 70’s disco! Such a lovely way to spend a couple of hours! Loved it!

  3. Nadeem Khan –

    Adam is a Master of His Craft. Splendid walking tour with a wonderful selected playlist. Dylan was a genius as a lyricist. Adam shared some of the joy, poignancy, bittersweet moments and musical insights in his inimitable way. Not to be missed…please heed the call!

  4. David J –

    What a great way to spend a day, a splendidly engaging tour guide and the company of other Dylan fans! Well paced, informative and just really good fun. Highly recommended for any Bob-cats out there

  5. Jeannie –

    Really enjoyed the Bob Dylan in London tour with Adam. Learned such a lot and Adam was definitely a 5 star guide

  6. L Davis –

    A terrific afternoon. So many great stories.

  7. L.K –

    The Dylan tour was fantastic! can’t wait to be back for another fun walk

  8. Barry –

    Another brilliant walking tour with Adam. This time it was the early visits to London of ‘The Complete Unknown’ Bob Dylan, although he wasn’t by the time we reached 1966. A fascinating insight to his early period on a walking tour expertly put together by Adam. I’m sure he could put a tour of the London phone directory together and make it a fantastic experience. Highly recommended.

  9. M.S –

    Thanks so much for the fantastic Bob Dylan tour. We hope to do some of the other tours soon.

  10. Patrick –

    Hugely enjoyable tour, knowledgeable, witty and a really good playlist. Highly recommended.

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