Spies & Special Forces
Knightsbridge Underground Station – exit 2 (by Harvey Nichols department store)
Guided by Dan Parry
Adult: £20 · Students & Seniors: £15 · Children: £5
Walk Times
| Day | Walk Type | Start Time | End Time | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 July 2026 | Special | 2.30 pm | 4.30 pm | Summer | Reserve Online |
| 1 August 2026 | Special | 2.30 pm | 4.30 pm | Summer | Reserve Online |
| 26 September 2026 | Special | 2.30 pm | 4.30 pm | Summer | Reserve Online |
| 10 October 2026 | Special | 2.30 pm | 4.30 pm | Summer | Reserve Online |
| 7 November 2026 | Special | 2.30 pm | 4.30 pm | Winter | Reserve Online |
| 5 December 2026 | Special | 2.30 pm | 4.30 pm | Winter | Reserve Online |
Discover real-life James Bonds, with Dan Parry – “a world-class guide”
And while you’re at it, discover Dan Parry, discover your “world class guide.” Get to know him. This podcast is Dan telling us a bit about Dan – about being a cowboy, about interviewing Astronaut Neil Armstrong and President George Bush, etc.
The glittering whirl of Knightsbridge conceals a shadowy world of modern-day assassins, spies, and special forces. From dead drops used by the KGB to the deadly SAS assault on the Iranian Embassy – via MI5 actions against the IRA and a daring rescue by MI6 – this unique walk is a spies tour with a twist.
Focusing on the sharp end of intelligence operations, we discover real-life James Bonds acting on guts, daring, and a wild stab in the dark.
Knightsbridge has long hosted the British intelligence community and their friends in special forces. Just a gunshot away from the nearby Russian embassy, this part of London is smart, fast, and conveniently crowded. But out of sight in its quiet back-streets are dead drops known to have been used by the KGB, the discreet apartments used by MI6 as a training school, and the home of diver Buster Crabb who vanished on a secret mission to investigate a Russian cruiser.
We encounter the hotel where MI6 met KGB officer Oleg Gordievsky – who they later rescued from Russia. Next door were the offices of the private military company run by the founder of the SAS.
We discover atom bomb spy Klaus Fuchs as he was being shadowed by MI5 watchers. We step into the world of secret agent Anna Wolkoff, we hear of the heroism of SOE’s Christine Granville – murdered in the area – and we meet Belgium’s Gabrielle Petit, who was shot at dawn in 1916 after spying for Britain.
A family-friendly stroll – guided by Dan Parry. A former BBC documentaries producer and author of D-Day (published by BBC Books), Dan also leads our ever popular London’s Spymasters tour.
David here, chiming in. Dan Parry comes trailing clouds of glory. He and his walks get rave reviews like sparks coming off a grindstone. No other ‘body of work’ attracts them the way Dan’s walks do.
Kathleen Jeffreys –
Excellent tour so interesting and informative Dan is such a good story teller
Graham –
Spies and special forces walk with Dan Parry (08.11.25)
This was our 4th annual London walking tour, and like the previous ones, it was excellent. Dan shared fascinating stories, demonstrated great knowledge, and was very easy to talk to. We’ll definitely be joining one of Dan’s other tours in the future!
Romain Gauthier –
Solid content, great storytelling, and an amazing guide. Best walking tour I ever did!
John Penn –
Another fantastic walk with Dan Parry! Last year I did the Spymasters walk and this past weekend the Spies & Special Forces. Dan is a master storyteller with so many inside anecdotes from his professional reporting experience. All in the public and backstreets of the Knightsbridge area. What also made it memorable was that a member of tour was working at Harrods at the time of the 1993 bombing and shared her experience with the group. All riveting and so interesting for the entire walk. Highly recommended!
Linda Tobey –
A fantastic, interesting walk. Dan is a great storyteller and wove exciting yarns around Knightsbridge’s spies, spooks, special forces, dead letter boxes and nuclear scientists. The tour ended with a wonderful retelling of the Iranian Embassy siege.
The walk itself lasted 2 hours and took us through the back streets as well the more famous Harrods and Brompton Oratory. An excellent time.
Jane & Simon Hampshire –
We thoroughly enjoyed our afternoon spent with Dan on his ‘Spies & Special Forces’ walk. With his background in journalism and documentary film making, Dan succeeds in bringing alive this clandestine world with fascinating facts and amusing anecdotes. One of the best London Walks we’ve been on so far! Highly recommended.
Tim Reynard –
Very engaging and well organised tour by Dan. Very good story teller.
David Harwin –
Absolutely brilliant! Great stories. Dan has the most amazing memory and recall of all the facts. Very entertaining. Thank you.
Rory Lamont –
A great wander/dash between Autumn showers in the backstreets of Knightsbridge. As interesting for the locations as it is for the stories, insights and mysteries, this is one of the best walks on walks.com. A great one for the family.
Chris –
A really interesting and enjoyable walk in Knightsbridge yesterday. Plenty of facts leaven with anecdotes to make the time pass quickly and some remarkable history around us. Looking forward to more.