The great seminal London Walk. Miss it and you’ve missed London.
For Old Westminster is London at its grandest: the place where kings and queens are crowned, where they lived, and often were buried. It’s the forge of the national destiny, the beating heart of the Empire, the Mecca of politicians throughout the ages. The past here is cast in stone and we take it all in: ancient Westminster Hall, the Houses of Parliament, the Jewel Tower, and Westminster Abbey. And to see it with a great guide is to have that past suddenly rise to the surface, like seeing a photographic print come up in a darkroom.
And embarrass de richesse we’ll also explore the private face of Westminster. Unlike the tourist hordes we get to see the hidden and ever so picturesque 18th-century backstreets where all the political salons are. Totally off the beaten track, it’s the London equivalent of Georgetown. And then some. Because not only do we take in, for example, the house where the anti-appeasement movement got started – by way of a grace note you’ll also see a house where Marilyn Monroe spent the night! In short, welcome to one of those secret neighbourhoods that London excels in. And for that matter, there’s no better time to discover “Old Westminster” because the swarms of tourists are long gone. In short, we’ll have it to ourselves and so be able to see it properly. It just doesn’t get any better than this. But how could it, considering that we’ll also take in the most famous night-time view in Europe: the view over the water to the Houses of Parliament. All towers and spikes and serried windows and bathed in golden light. And Big Ben like a sentinel, booming out the hour. And garlands of Victorian lamps along the Embankment. And dark patches that suggest the old and mighty consequence of the place, well, you get the idea. Garnish with some fascinating nooks and crannies, a secret mediaeval palace and maybe a quick pit stop at a traditional old pub frequented by Members of Parliament – it’s an astonishingly rich walk, a great walk. One that’ll glow in the cockles of your memory for a long, long time.
And how’s this for a bonus: when Parliament is in session late night sittings are the norm on Monday nights – in short, on most Monday nights after the walk you’ll be able to go inside Parliament and watch the House of Commons (or if you prefer, the House of Lords) in action. And what’s more, you won’t have to queue to get in! Guided by Oliver, Peter or Delianne
OLD WESTMINSTER BY GASLIGHT – THE PRACTICALS
Old Westminster by Gaslight takes place everyMonday at 7 pm. Meet Oliver just outside exit 4 of WestminsterTube Stop. N.B. the walk ends at Westminster Tube.
If you can’t make one of the regularly scheduled, just-turn-up, Old Westminster by Gaslight it can always be booked as a private tour. If you go private you can have the Old Westminster by Gaslight walk – 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 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 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.
A quick shout-out from David on the bridge of the Good Ship London walks…
Thanks, Tom, for this thoughtful and detailed review. We’re very glad you enjoyed the gaslit streets themselves and the rich variety of lamps and London byways the walk explores.
You make a fair point about tone and balance. Our guides are encouraged to bring their own personalities, enthusiasms and perspectives to their walks, but equally it’s important that these never overshadow the experience itself or dampen the enjoyment for walkers who may see things differently.
It goes without saying we’d much rather you went away enchanted rather than politically fatigued!
But hip hip hooray for the survival of roughly a thousand working gas lamps in modern London. That really is something rather wonderful — a small everyday miracle of continuity in a city that changes so fast.
We appreciate you taking the time to write such a considered review. Feedback like this is genuinely useful.
Rated 3 out of 5
Tom –
The environs are nice, the information interesting, but the frequent whining about the council, the queen’s memorial, the number of military frigates and more was tiresome. People have different opinions but this is ultimately a paid experience and having the host bring so much unrelated negativity dampened the spirits of an otherwise bright and enjoyable day. Others may enjoy the vibe, I didn’t.
I would encourage looking on the bright side of life; the way it was told I expected there were maybe two dozen gas lamps left yet we were told there are a THOUSAND with a couple of people maintaining them every day – this is something to be celebrated 140 years after the invention of the electric street lamp with a deficiency the host continually had to point out that it’s easy to miss the curbs!
Also yes as other reviews say, do note this walk highlight the lamps as much as the other stuff, which I was delighted for, but unlike one reviewer complaining it was too involved with that I found it well balanced highlighting the different types as we passed other sights and walked some fully gas lit streets.
The meeting place is horrible, I get it’s obvious for people but it’s so horrendously busy and pick pocket central when you’re trying to pay; around the corner at least would be less hectic.
Rated 5 out of 5
Mark Wilson –
Excellent tour which was done on the Monday 23rd February 2026. I know London, but David was a friendly, informative and witty host . The walk itself is fascinating and I learned more than I expected. I thoroughly recommend this walk.
Rated 5 out of 5
Lauren Johnson –
We were thrilled to be able to see Westminster and the Houses of Parliament in such a unique way. Delianne’s humor and knowledge were a perfect blend and she truly went the extra mile to bring us to the doors of the Houses of Parliament to see a House of Commons session underway. It was a true highlight of our short stay in London and we loved the various and sundry stories of the Charles I and II era. The gaslights were an extra special touch as was the walk through St James Park and the nearby neighborhood and pubs.
Rated 4 out of 5
Bas –
I enjoyed Delianne’s delivery as she has a real passion for the old gaslamps. Once you see them you can’t unsee them and its heritage character needs more ambassadors like Delianne, because it’s a quirky little thing about old Westminster, but gives the place its evening charm. But don’t panic, the gaslamps are only the glue, the binding agent for the many historic spots and their stories you will learn about. As a bonus you might be dropped off at the parliament building to sneak into the visitors gallery (which we were). I liked it! But
Rated 5 out of 5
Patryk Szostak –
I took part in Jack’s tour a few days ago and was absolutely impressed by him. He effortlessly delivered a fact-filled guided tour and presentation, while also enriching it with anecdotes and lighter moments. We were a relatively small group, but everyone remained focused and entertained right up to the last minute. Jack mentioned that this was one of his first tours for London Walks, so I can only congratulate London Walks on adding another excellent guide to their roster.
Next time I’m in London — hopefully next year or the year after — I’ll be happy to be guided by Jack again. He showed us the entire Westminster area, including the MI5 and MI6 buildings. For me, it was a challenging introduction that has inspired me to read further and learn more about the topic.
He’s also simply a likeable chap, which added to the overall positive experience.
Rated 2 out of 5
Kathryn –
We were disappointed with this tour (Delianne was our guide). It seems that I misread the description, so I want to clear things up for others in case they have the same expectations I did. Most importantly, this seems to be a tour about gaslamps, which I didn’t expect. Sure, you’re walking around Westminster and the guide gives tidbits about some of the buildings, but her passion is gaslamps. I thought the “by gaslight” was just a romantic title for a tour taking place after dark, and I did not expect the heavy emphasis on different types of gaslamps, comparison with lamps that had been replaced by LED, etc.
And though Westminster Abbey is listed among the destinations, you don’t get within 200 meters of the place. It’s more of “that’s Westminster Abbey over there.” I had thought we would go into the abbey; I realize it doesn’t explicitly say that, so it’s my mistake, but when it said that we’d “take it all in” including Westminster Abbey, I thought we’d get a little more of the abbey. So basically, if you’re not interested in gaslamps and you are interested in seeing the inside of any buildings, don’t take this tour. If you’re looking for a stroll around a nice part of the city with a little bit of commentary about the buildings (bonus if you love gaslamps), go for it.
Rated 5 out of 5
G. Fletcher –
Old Westminster by Gaslight with Simon on 3/3/25.
Excellent evening walk. Simon was very entertaining and knowledgeable. Will definitely do another when next in London
Rated 5 out of 5
Joanne and Philip from Vancouver –
We highly recommend this. Simon is a master storyteller who covered a wide expanse of history, including intriguing, behind-the-scene events behind big moments and the fascinating personalities that were part of these. He brought tiny architectural details, back street addresses and street names to life. Highlights included a gorgeous night time view of the Houses of Parliament. Simon is engaging and knowledgeable.
Rated 5 out of 5
Charles –
Fantastic tour! Our guide Simon did a superb job. He gave us tons of context and historical facts on everything we saw during the walk. Both informative and entertaining, a perfect balance. Thank you Simon!
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David Tucker –
A quick shout-out from David on the bridge of the Good Ship London walks…
Thanks, Tom, for this thoughtful and detailed review. We’re very glad you enjoyed the gaslit streets themselves and the rich variety of lamps and London byways the walk explores.
You make a fair point about tone and balance. Our guides are encouraged to bring their own personalities, enthusiasms and perspectives to their walks, but equally it’s important that these never overshadow the experience itself or dampen the enjoyment for walkers who may see things differently.
It goes without saying we’d much rather you went away enchanted rather than politically fatigued!
But hip hip hooray for the survival of roughly a thousand working gas lamps in modern London. That really is something rather wonderful — a small everyday miracle of continuity in a city that changes so fast.
We appreciate you taking the time to write such a considered review. Feedback like this is genuinely useful.
Tom –
The environs are nice, the information interesting, but the frequent whining about the council, the queen’s memorial, the number of military frigates and more was tiresome. People have different opinions but this is ultimately a paid experience and having the host bring so much unrelated negativity dampened the spirits of an otherwise bright and enjoyable day. Others may enjoy the vibe, I didn’t.
I would encourage looking on the bright side of life; the way it was told I expected there were maybe two dozen gas lamps left yet we were told there are a THOUSAND with a couple of people maintaining them every day – this is something to be celebrated 140 years after the invention of the electric street lamp with a deficiency the host continually had to point out that it’s easy to miss the curbs!
Also yes as other reviews say, do note this walk highlight the lamps as much as the other stuff, which I was delighted for, but unlike one reviewer complaining it was too involved with that I found it well balanced highlighting the different types as we passed other sights and walked some fully gas lit streets.
The meeting place is horrible, I get it’s obvious for people but it’s so horrendously busy and pick pocket central when you’re trying to pay; around the corner at least would be less hectic.
Mark Wilson –
Excellent tour which was done on the Monday 23rd February 2026. I know London, but David was a friendly, informative and witty host . The walk itself is fascinating and I learned more than I expected. I thoroughly recommend this walk.
Lauren Johnson –
We were thrilled to be able to see Westminster and the Houses of Parliament in such a unique way. Delianne’s humor and knowledge were a perfect blend and she truly went the extra mile to bring us to the doors of the Houses of Parliament to see a House of Commons session underway. It was a true highlight of our short stay in London and we loved the various and sundry stories of the Charles I and II era. The gaslights were an extra special touch as was the walk through St James Park and the nearby neighborhood and pubs.
Bas –
I enjoyed Delianne’s delivery as she has a real passion for the old gaslamps. Once you see them you can’t unsee them and its heritage character needs more ambassadors like Delianne, because it’s a quirky little thing about old Westminster, but gives the place its evening charm. But don’t panic, the gaslamps are only the glue, the binding agent for the many historic spots and their stories you will learn about. As a bonus you might be dropped off at the parliament building to sneak into the visitors gallery (which we were). I liked it! But
Patryk Szostak –
I took part in Jack’s tour a few days ago and was absolutely impressed by him. He effortlessly delivered a fact-filled guided tour and presentation, while also enriching it with anecdotes and lighter moments. We were a relatively small group, but everyone remained focused and entertained right up to the last minute. Jack mentioned that this was one of his first tours for London Walks, so I can only congratulate London Walks on adding another excellent guide to their roster.
Next time I’m in London — hopefully next year or the year after — I’ll be happy to be guided by Jack again. He showed us the entire Westminster area, including the MI5 and MI6 buildings. For me, it was a challenging introduction that has inspired me to read further and learn more about the topic.
He’s also simply a likeable chap, which added to the overall positive experience.
Kathryn –
We were disappointed with this tour (Delianne was our guide). It seems that I misread the description, so I want to clear things up for others in case they have the same expectations I did. Most importantly, this seems to be a tour about gaslamps, which I didn’t expect. Sure, you’re walking around Westminster and the guide gives tidbits about some of the buildings, but her passion is gaslamps. I thought the “by gaslight” was just a romantic title for a tour taking place after dark, and I did not expect the heavy emphasis on different types of gaslamps, comparison with lamps that had been replaced by LED, etc.
And though Westminster Abbey is listed among the destinations, you don’t get within 200 meters of the place. It’s more of “that’s Westminster Abbey over there.” I had thought we would go into the abbey; I realize it doesn’t explicitly say that, so it’s my mistake, but when it said that we’d “take it all in” including Westminster Abbey, I thought we’d get a little more of the abbey. So basically, if you’re not interested in gaslamps and you are interested in seeing the inside of any buildings, don’t take this tour. If you’re looking for a stroll around a nice part of the city with a little bit of commentary about the buildings (bonus if you love gaslamps), go for it.
G. Fletcher –
Old Westminster by Gaslight with Simon on 3/3/25.
Excellent evening walk. Simon was very entertaining and knowledgeable. Will definitely do another when next in London
Joanne and Philip from Vancouver –
We highly recommend this. Simon is a master storyteller who covered a wide expanse of history, including intriguing, behind-the-scene events behind big moments and the fascinating personalities that were part of these. He brought tiny architectural details, back street addresses and street names to life. Highlights included a gorgeous night time view of the Houses of Parliament. Simon is engaging and knowledgeable.
Charles –
Fantastic tour! Our guide Simon did a superb job. He gave us tons of context and historical facts on everything we saw during the walk. Both informative and entertaining, a perfect balance. Thank you Simon!