Hidden London
Rated 4.98 out of 5 based on 64 customer ratings
(64 customer reviews)
Monument Underground station, London (Fish Street Hill exit)
Guided by Shaughan
Walk Times
| Day | Walk Type | Start Time | End Time | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monday | Weekly | 11 am | 1 pm | Winter Summer | Reserve Online |
| Friday | Weekly | 11 am | 1 pm | Winter Summer | Reserve Online |
N.B. this walk will not take place on the following dates:
25-12-2023
Short read: pretty paths less travelled…
Long read: Distillation of a brilliant guide’s many years’ experience probing the hidden places and forgotten nooks of the world’s most elusive city. Exploring secret London – up creeping lanes, round out-of-the-way corners, past veiled islands of green – Shaughan’s at his inimitable best. As the New York Times put it, the walk is “a highly entertaining… blend of historical commentary and bizarre anecdote laced with mildly scurrilous gossip about past and present celebrities and defunct royals.” In such places and with such a guide, the past becomes our present.
Shaughan has made two Podcasts based on this walk. Listening to either or both of them will give you an exceptionally good idea of what’s on the menu – what you get on the walk – and how it’s served up, the guiding. Here’s the Hidden London –Podcast 1. And here’s Hidden London – Podcast 2.
HIDDEN LONDON TOUR PRACTICALS
Hidden London takes place at 11 am every Monday morning and at 11 am every* Friday morning. Meet Shaughan just outside the Fish Street Hill exit of Monument Tube. N.B. the walk ends in Fleet Street, a two-minute walk from Blackfriars Tube. *Not Friday, December 25
IT ALL COMES DOWN TO THE GUIDING
Don’t just take it from us…
LONDON WALKS REVIEWS
“If you want to know London better, if you want to learn some things about the world’s most cosmopolitan city that most people who spend their lives there never learn… I can think of no better investment than London Walks” The New York Times
“London’s best city tours” The Telegraph
“Even jaded Londoners find these London Walks a source of astonishing gems of information about the city in which they live.” Daily Mail, Top London Treats
“I’d never visited London before, and Shaughan’s tour was a fantastic way to become familiar with the city and its tucked-away nooks and crannies. Plus, he’s a funny, charming, extremely knowledgeable tour guide. We visited pieces of London Bridge, the London Stone, Bracken House with its astronomical clock featuring Winston Churchill’s face…as well as taking a wander past St. Paul’s Cathedral, Samuel Johnson’s home (complete with cat sculpture), and other gems. The pub recommendations were also appreciated! Two thumbs up!!” NewYorkBee8, TripAdvisor, October 2019
LONDON WALKS PRIVATE WALKS
If you can’t make one of the regularly scheduled, just-turn-up, public Hidden London walks do think about booking one as a private tour. If you go private you can have Hidden London – or any other London Walk – on a day and at a time that suits your convenience. We’ll tailor it to your requirements. And – always with private London Walks and tours – we go to great lengths to make sure the guide-walker(s) “fit” is well-nigh perfect. Ring Fiona or Noel or Mary on 020 7624 3978 or email us at [email protected] and we’ll set it up and make it happen for you. A private London Walk – they’re good value for an individual or couple and sensational value for a group – makes an ideal group or educational or birthday party or office (team-building) or club outing.
GIVE THE GIFT OF LONDON WALKS
A private London Walk makes a fab present – be it a birthday or anniversary or get-to-know-your-new neighbourhood gift or Christmas present or whatever. Merchandise schmerchandise (gift wrapped or not) – but giving someone an experience, now that’s special. Memories make us rich.
LONDON WALKS – STREETS AHEAD!
MIND THE GAP
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Helen Hook –
Excellent “Hidden tour” with Simon today (25th August). An incredible amount of fascinating information conveyed in an humorous and entertaining manner. Would highly recommend.
Stacey day –
Did the hidden London tour with Simon on Monday 15th august. Lots of interesting information simon is very knowledgeable and really good at his job. Can’t Wait to do Another one. 100% recommend
Sue Ritchie –
Excellent walk led by Simon today!
Russell Casey –
Excellent tour with Simon. Plenty of information delivered in an entertaining manner.
Cindy Heslin –
This morning’s Hidden London walk with Shaughan was a delightful experience. I learned so much about London’s history and character via off-the-beaten path stops and Shaughan’s stories, told with humor and his deep knowledge. I learned so many origin stories of well-known and commmonly-heard phrases and songs! Of my four London Walks tours during my week in London, this was my favorite (so far – but I have more in the coming days)! Shaughan is a very engaging guide who shows an interest in his group members – asking them about where they are from and their careers, an indication of his enjoyment of his work. This was so much more fun than a typical history walking tour! Next time I come to London, the first thing I’ll do is plan my London Walks tours.
Maureen –
Entertaining and informative Hidden London walk lead by Adam. Lots of anecdotes, facts and fables! Walk opened up a fragment of London we had not previously explored. History at its best.
Ben Solnit –
Simon was no mere substitute; he has The Knowledge, no question.
Vita –
Great, very fun fact-filled walk! It was a great present from a friend and Adam was brilliant! We’re planning our next walk together already 🙂
Helen –
Hidden London with Adam
Really interesting and enjoyable tour. Adam was a lovely, friendly and engaging guide.
Would recommend
Kathy –
Simon was great! Informative, entertaining. Terrific tour.
Pamela Krakowski –
Hidden London walk was led by Simon, who shared a lot of history and the less common sites in the City of London. Fast paced to get a lot in. A very enjoyable walk, especially for those who like history.
Maura Parsons –
Fascinating tour with Simon, full of detail, a wonderful way to explore London.
Mr David Howkins –
Absolutely fantastic walk with Simon as our guide. Wonderfully paced with a cliff hanger at the end of each stop. I learnt so much and the whole thing was delivered in a knowledgeable and humorous fashion. Thanks Simon for a great experience.
Betty Yee –
Wonderful tour with Simon! The time went by so quickly. Will definitely refer this company to my clients visiting London.
Bob Henderson –
On 24 March we went on the Hidden London led by Adam who proved to be an excellent guide. We were in a large group and there were competing noises from traffic, sirens and building sites but Adam’s voice could clearly be heard. He was very entertaining, enthusiastic, interesting, knowledgeable, informative and full of fascinating facts and information. I would thoroughly recommend not only this walk but also any walk led by Adam.
Toby Ayer –
A perfect way to begin a visit to London and stave off the jet lag. Informative, entertaining, personal.
Sue Osborne –
Excellent walk guided by the knowledgeable and amusing Simon (in place of Shaughan) Thank you.
Jo Bristow –
Hidden City of London Walk. Shaughan was unable to be our guide and Simon stepped in at the last minute. Fabulous and very interesting walk. Exceptional value for money and as it ran a little over time, even more so. Simon was so knowledgable and made the walk interesting and fun. So many hidden gems around the city of London covering Saxon, Roman, Tudor up to the present day. Will definitely book for another of these walks.
Deirdre Gossage –
This was a really excellent walk. Simon had a wealth of interesting facts and anecdotes that really brought the history of London to life.
Clive and Hazel –
Our 1st walk this trip. We had a most interesting walk with Shaughan. A wealth of facts shared with us from start to finish. We were brilliantly entertained throughout including several songs and snatches, included. Thank you Shaughan
Victoria Sack –
Amazing hidden London walk with Shaughan. He was charismatic, hilarious and informative. He was also very patient with our kids, and dog Lennie!
Tracy Pierose –
We had a super fun walking tour with Simon on Dec 24th, 2022! A Dickens themed tour through Londinium!! Fantastic! Cheers Simon and Thanks so much!
Lesley Middleton –
We had Simon as our guide, he is very knowledgable and entertaining. I learnt lots of new information from him. Would definitely recommend London walks. Thank you for the experience
Itamar Abramovich –
Amazing tour with a charismatic guide (Simon). Makes you appreciate the little details in the city which truly make it so rich and captivating. Recommend for anyone.
Heidi –
We walked “Little Venice” with Shaughan; excellent! Plenty of varied information to interest everyone! Shaughan’s mix of info and entertainment fantastic! Loved walk so much, we booked “Hidden London” for next day. That too, did not disappoint ! Highly recommend.
Kathleen Granger –
We did this walk on 22nd August with Shaughan, who is a master of his craft. So much information conveyed with enthusiasm and humour, thoroughly entertaining. 2 hours just whizzed by. We recommend London Walks to friends whenever we know they are heading to London. Keep up the good work!
Sarah Ireland –
Adam standing in for John was outstanding, witty, engaging, sharing his knowledge of this part of the city brilliantly. Lots gems about Wren, Shakespeare and the fire of London. He even sang to us!! Thank you Adam!
Despina Kourou –
Thank you Adam and London Walks for the lovely tour. I loved the details that were provided, the tour made me want to learn more. I strongly recommend and will definitely come back for another walking tour.
Davina –
Excellent tour with Adam, standing in for Shaughan. Another one to recommend.
Emily –
We decided to take part in a walking tour on our trip back to London and we’re so pleased we did! Shaughan was an amazing guide and despite having grown up in London I didn’t know many of the things he was telling us. His animation and enthusiasm kept the group engaged and we all had a good laugh. We will definitely be doing another walking tour next time we’re in London and we greatly recommend this one!
Laverne –
Daughter’s birthday on 22.07.22 so suggested London Walk tour with Shaughn. He was brilliant; the walk was fascinating; always interesting learning about the history of the area around the Monument. Really enjoyed it! Will definitely do again! 😊 🙏
Karice –
I highly recommend this walk to both Londoners and visitors to London alike. There is a wealth of history in the City of London much of which is, as the name of the walk suggests, hidden! Shaughn was the perfect guide. His enthusiasm, humour and knowledge made for fun and interesting morning. I thoroughly enjoyed this walk!
Amanda Bywater –
What an entertaining and fantastic “Hidden London” walking tour with Adam. Our 17YO rated it as a highlight tour. Adam was very knowledgeable and delivered the tour with a style that was engaging. Visited locations we certainly would not have found. Great value for money
Pamela Miller –
Our guide Adam brought Hidden London alive with his very enjoyable facts and stories told in an animated fashion
Muriel –
We had a really lovely time. Sean (is that how you spell it?) was brilliant. Very knowledgeable and entertaining and a great voice for a large group.
Our group has been doing a London Walk every year since 2011 and have enjoyed them all.
Many thanks,
Muriel
David Stapylton –
Brilliant walk led by the loquacious and highly knowledgeable Simon….thoroughly recommended.
John H –
Excellent tour of the old city, with exceptional insights and humor from Simon. So much history in such a small area dating back 2,000 years.
Göran Holmberg –
Superb! Simon was great!
Dawn K –
On a beautiful day in London, Simon provided us with an in-depth look into the history of a small part of the city of London (from Monument to Blackfriars), from ancient settlers to Shakespearean London to the great fire to the Blitz and so forth. Super interesting. As always we always learn so much on a London Walk. Can’t recommend them enough whether you’re a first time visitor or this has been your home for years.
Jim K –
Thoroughly enjoyed Simon’s oratory and history shared on this gem of a walk.
Steve Hardy –
Simon was great! Will definitely book again!
Tal Cohen –
Great experience!
ELIZABETH FRANKEL –
Simon was superb—full of interesting information from the London Stone to Orwellian tidbits, and he’s a wonderful raconteur. Thank you!
Sharon Laifer –
The latest tour with London Walks for us and brilliant as always. We are Londoners, and the first thing we think of when we have a free day is going on a London Walk. Even the three teenagers enthusiastically jump on the tube and off we go. It doesn’t matter who leads our tour (it was Simon today), we leave knowing our city that much better. Each and every guide is so knowledgable, so eloquent and so entertaining, that two hours fly by. No one complains they are hungry or tired. It is great value, old fashioned entertainment that never fails. Thank you!
Leonard Lubarsky –
I recently had the pleasure of going on London Walk’s walk titled “Hidden London with Adam”, and I had a wonderful time thanks to the tour leader, Adam. He knows the history of the area extremely well and was able to make it accessible, informative and entertaining for the group I was part of. You can’t go wring with London Walks in general, and Adam as a tour leader, to be specific. Absolutely something one should not miss!
Sandra Hüwels –
Fantastic Hidden London Tour with Adam on Good Friday.
Laura Gallagher –
“On April 4th Simon led the Hidden London walking tour, it was a windy, rainy and chilly day.
It would have been a miserable walk if it wasn’t for Simon’s excellent wit, knowledge and ability to engage everyone.
Simon did an excellent job of explaining the rebuilding after the fire and many hidden features of the Roman ruled city, The Great Fire and the rebuilding of the city.
I highly recommend this tour.”
Thank you,
Laura Gallagher
Noam Sivan –
Very good tour, Simon at his best. Very recommended.
Wilson Pounder (Met Police retired) –
On Friday 25th March 2022 My partner, my eldest Son and I spent an excellent warm, sunny Two hours in the company of Shaughan who made this walk extremely historically informative, interesting and fun. We have done lots of London Walks and they never disappoint. Always terrific value and possibly the best way to spend Two hours in London especially if one is a visitor or tourist. May I respectfully suggest after every London Walk a summary sheet be offered showing the route and places of interest for a small fee, £1.00 so one can refer back to it and especially for people who do not know London it will be a pleasant reference sheet. Something they can revisit on their own or book again and show to family and friends who in turn will book London Walks. Shaughan was eloquent, knowledgeable and funny. Brilliant.
Katherine –
If you only have 2 hours in London, spend them on this tour!
Sigrid –
I really enjoyed the walk. Simon explained everything very well. I discovered a lot of things.
Sheila Borges –
Simon was a very informative and entertaining guide. He really brought the city alive with links to Shakespeare, nursery rhymes, the medieval guilds and the vikings!! Brilliant!
Trish Rawding –
Expertly told stories of the great fire and the history of the original London Bridge all made for a fascinating walk with Simon. I would recommend to anyone on a city break to London!
Tim Gifford –
Today’s Hidden London walk hosted by Simon was tremendous. A good walk with lively and entertaining information given, supported by in-depth background and a real attention to detail. An excellent experience overall and one I can highly recommend.
Marie Richardson –
Simon was excellent on this walk he kept us engaged. Brought the history to life. Will be returning soon and doing more walks xx
Jevgenija –
Amazing Hidden London walk with 5* guide Simon! Greetings from LV 😉
Andy –
A wonderful and interesting walk with Simon
Virginia Clements –
A very interesting walk. Simon was very knowledgeable about London and countries relating to events there
Alex Mason –
Tour with Simon was excellent. I learned a lot and will now read “1984.”
Esther Whittlesea Reed –
Simon leading 11am on 20th was witty knowledgeable passionate and inspiring. Wonderful to walk around an area of London i’ve Worked in and discover hidden treasures. Recommend totally.
Jim Perrello –
Simon was an excellent tour guide. He’s clearly an expert in the material he presents and is very enthusiastic about communicating it in an entertaining way. If I were to go to London again, I’d certainly search out other tours he might be leading since it was an thoroughly enjoyable two hour experience.
Dianne Wilkinson –
A walk with Shaughn is pure street theatre. The performance includes information, history, facts/figures, songs in character and delicious humour. Cheap entertainment for 90 minutes of education and fun. He introduces places and events unknown to even the locals and every walk is different. Every time I go to London I do at least one Shaughan walk. Yet again he performed his magic and it was worth the 2 year (covid) wait.
Zanne Forrester –
My first ‘London Walks’ experience and it’ll be a tough act to follow. Adam our guide was both charismatic and engaging and kept our group very focused and involved. The sunny weather helped throw and unexpected but welcome brightness on the many Wren churches, their stained glass windows and of course the majestic St Pauls … and his anecdotes kept us amused too. I’m game for more of these London walks – so much to digest from the stimulating and numerous other tours also on offer.
Sebastian –
Thanks for the really interesting and entertaining walk. Absolutely recommendable!