Please note this walk meets at the Statue of Winston Churchill in Parliament Square. ( The nearest tube is Westminster)
Short read: This is London – the Flash-Bang-Lightning Highlights Tour
Long read: Welcome to London! To the Guard Change Tour. To Buckingham Palace. To the Abbey and Big Ben. To London in Two Hours. Everything you want to see in the famous heart of London can be seen on foot in two hours. Seen better. Seen up close. Guided better. Fraction of the cost. So why go on a bus tour? Ok, maybe digging deep into your pocket and ho-hum main roads are your thing. Big, straight, obvious, busy roads – maybe they are the strokes for some folks. Then again, maybe not. You don’t “see” the English countryside by taking the motorway through it. Same goes for London. And so we come to the rem acu tetigiste moment: we go where the tourist buses can’t go. So, hey ho and off we go – off to see all the classic sights in the heart of London. Tick ’em off: the Houses of Parliament, Westminster Abbey, Buckingham Palace, St. James’s Palace, the quintessential Royal Park, classy St. James’s, the Mall, Trafalgar Square, Admiralty Arch, Birdcage Walk, Queen Anne’s Gate, you name it. They’re all here – all the London pearls. N.B. the walk ends at Trafalgar Square, on the doorstep of Charing Cross Rail and Tube Station. On Sundays it’s Steven Sz, Nick G, Aaron, Andy or Claire
HELLO LONDON! – THE PRACTICALS
Hello London! takes place every Sunday at 10 am. The meeting point is by the Winston Churchill statue in Parliament Square, a 30-second walk from Westminster Tube. N.B. The Changing of the Horse Guards ceremony takes place every day. It’s up close, right there, intimate. We’ll be there. The Buckingham Palace ceremony isn’t held every day. On the Wednesdays and Sundays when it is on we’ll be right there, at a carefully chosen, superb vantage point.
LONDON WALKS PRIVATE WALKS
If you can’t make one of the regularly scheduled, just-turn-up, Hello London! it can always be booked as a private tour. If you go private you can have the Hello London! 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.
Caroline was amazing! This was a great introduction to the city.
Rated 5 out of 5
Stine –
We were a group of 11 people joining the «Hello London» walk. All of us were very happy with the experience! The guides were engaging and very knowledgeable. We had a great time, and we will definitely use London Walks again next year!
Rated 5 out of 5
Laura –
We enjoyed the Hello London! walk with Richard III (but not THAT Richard the Third). A lovely stroll around Westminster with tons of history and stories. London was bustling, but Richard managed it all with aplomb. It was a wonderful way to acclimate to the city on our first day. Even our teenagers loved every minute of the tour. Not to be missed!
David Tucker –
My goodness, you were in rare form here, Benjamin.*
But please put your mind at rest, I’m here with the disinfectant.
A general spray first: as the saying goes, you are of course entitled to your own opinions but not to your own facts.
And now for the necessary specific applications: 1) it’s not true that you were “unable to get anywhere close to seeing the marching of the guard.” Nobody in the group was further back than the third row. Quite a few members of the group were in the front row. The group was about 15 feet from the marching guards – any closer and you would have been arrested. 2) “no glimpse of Buckingham Palace” – also not true. The position that Andy got you to – the corner of the park that’s closest to the palace – is prime positon for seeing both the guard change and the palace. What’s more, that day he did – for you and the rest of the group – something he doesn’t normally do on that walk: he took you onto the blue bridge with its commanding view of the palace in the one direction and the turrets and spires and domes of the Whitehall in the other direction. That vantage point is generally reckoned to afford the most magical view in London. 3. “it was basically a long walk through the park” is also not true. His stops included the Palace of Westminster (Big Ben, the House of Commons and the House of Lords), Parliament Square, Westminster Abbey, The Sanctuary and through its arch Dean’s Yard and Westminster School, the Westminster Arms (the parliamentarians’ pub), Queen Anne’s Street (London’s most perfectly preserved 300-year-old street), St James’ Palace, Whitehall (the most important street in this country), the Banqueting House (the regicide building that into the bargain changed English architecture for evermore), Downing Street, the Cabinet Offices, the Red Lion of Dickensian fame, the Cabinet War Rooms, Horse Guards (with that famous black mark by the 2), the Cabinet War Rooms, the Admiralty, Trafalgar Square and Nelson’s column. None of those stops is in the park – they were all in addition to where Andy took you in the park and what he pointed out from the park (Horse Guards Parade was off-limits because of the Jubilee preparations but Andy got you very close, got you a great view of it because he took you to the western end of the park and Horse Guards Parade is just over the way). 4. “the whole thing was a waste of time due to very poor preparation for this tour by walks.com” – that’s also not true but full marks for malice. 5. “Toured on May 24” – also not true, it was May 22 (not that it matters in the least).
Averrals that crumble on contact with reality, it’s not a good look.
Ok, disinfectant in place, now for three applications of freshener. 1. Just about everybody on that walk tipped Andy generously. And told him what a brilliant job he’d done in very difficult circumstances. Four of them joined him on his evening walk that night. 2. It is true that there was scaffolding on Buckingham Palace (but not “all around it”). We, at London Walks, were not in a position to arrange for it be taken down in order that you, Benjamin, could have a better view. And had we been in that position we would not have acted on it. 3. It is true that at one point there was “a long roar of motorcycles going by”. Sort of like the long roar of glowing reviews for London Walks from the New York Times, the Times, Rick Steves, Fodor’s, Frommers, the San Francisco Chronicle, Visit England, Travel & Leisure, Let’s Go, The Telegraph and dozens of other major publications. Let alone thousands of “glowing reviews” from satisfied customers. It could be they’re all wrong and you’re right but that’s not a position I’d be tempted to defend.
I’m at a loss to understand why somebody would write something like this. Whatever came over you, I hope you’re feeling better, Benjamin.
*It’s a remarkable piece – first time I made its acquaintance my eyebrows rose till they nearly disarranged my front hair.
Rated 1 out of 5
Buma –
Toured on May 24 with Andrew. Andrew waited over 10 minutes for latecomers which made us unable to get anywhere close to seeing the marching of the guard. No glimpse of the Buckingham Palace as it was a week before the Jubilee so there was scaffolding all around. It was basically a long walk thru the park. At one point, while Andrew was talking, there was a very long roar of motorcycles passing by on some kind of an event.
The tour is not expensive, but a tourist’s time is valuable. The whole thing was a waste of time due to very poor preparation for this tour by walks.com.
The glowing reviews are misleading.
We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it.OKPrivacy policy
Carter Smith –
Caroline was amazing! This was a great introduction to the city.
Stine –
We were a group of 11 people joining the «Hello London» walk. All of us were very happy with the experience! The guides were engaging and very knowledgeable. We had a great time, and we will definitely use London Walks again next year!
Laura –
We enjoyed the Hello London! walk with Richard III (but not THAT Richard the Third). A lovely stroll around Westminster with tons of history and stories. London was bustling, but Richard managed it all with aplomb. It was a wonderful way to acclimate to the city on our first day. Even our teenagers loved every minute of the tour. Not to be missed!
David Tucker –
My goodness, you were in rare form here, Benjamin.*
But please put your mind at rest, I’m here with the disinfectant.
A general spray first: as the saying goes, you are of course entitled to your own opinions but not to your own facts.
And now for the necessary specific applications: 1) it’s not true that you were “unable to get anywhere close to seeing the marching of the guard.” Nobody in the group was further back than the third row. Quite a few members of the group were in the front row. The group was about 15 feet from the marching guards – any closer and you would have been arrested. 2) “no glimpse of Buckingham Palace” – also not true. The position that Andy got you to – the corner of the park that’s closest to the palace – is prime positon for seeing both the guard change and the palace. What’s more, that day he did – for you and the rest of the group – something he doesn’t normally do on that walk: he took you onto the blue bridge with its commanding view of the palace in the one direction and the turrets and spires and domes of the Whitehall in the other direction. That vantage point is generally reckoned to afford the most magical view in London. 3. “it was basically a long walk through the park” is also not true. His stops included the Palace of Westminster (Big Ben, the House of Commons and the House of Lords), Parliament Square, Westminster Abbey, The Sanctuary and through its arch Dean’s Yard and Westminster School, the Westminster Arms (the parliamentarians’ pub), Queen Anne’s Street (London’s most perfectly preserved 300-year-old street), St James’ Palace, Whitehall (the most important street in this country), the Banqueting House (the regicide building that into the bargain changed English architecture for evermore), Downing Street, the Cabinet Offices, the Red Lion of Dickensian fame, the Cabinet War Rooms, Horse Guards (with that famous black mark by the 2), the Cabinet War Rooms, the Admiralty, Trafalgar Square and Nelson’s column. None of those stops is in the park – they were all in addition to where Andy took you in the park and what he pointed out from the park (Horse Guards Parade was off-limits because of the Jubilee preparations but Andy got you very close, got you a great view of it because he took you to the western end of the park and Horse Guards Parade is just over the way). 4. “the whole thing was a waste of time due to very poor preparation for this tour by walks.com” – that’s also not true but full marks for malice. 5. “Toured on May 24” – also not true, it was May 22 (not that it matters in the least).
Averrals that crumble on contact with reality, it’s not a good look.
Ok, disinfectant in place, now for three applications of freshener. 1. Just about everybody on that walk tipped Andy generously. And told him what a brilliant job he’d done in very difficult circumstances. Four of them joined him on his evening walk that night. 2. It is true that there was scaffolding on Buckingham Palace (but not “all around it”). We, at London Walks, were not in a position to arrange for it be taken down in order that you, Benjamin, could have a better view. And had we been in that position we would not have acted on it. 3. It is true that at one point there was “a long roar of motorcycles going by”. Sort of like the long roar of glowing reviews for London Walks from the New York Times, the Times, Rick Steves, Fodor’s, Frommers, the San Francisco Chronicle, Visit England, Travel & Leisure, Let’s Go, The Telegraph and dozens of other major publications. Let alone thousands of “glowing reviews” from satisfied customers. It could be they’re all wrong and you’re right but that’s not a position I’d be tempted to defend.
I’m at a loss to understand why somebody would write something like this. Whatever came over you, I hope you’re feeling better, Benjamin.
*It’s a remarkable piece – first time I made its acquaintance my eyebrows rose till they nearly disarranged my front hair.
Buma –
Toured on May 24 with Andrew. Andrew waited over 10 minutes for latecomers which made us unable to get anywhere close to seeing the marching of the guard. No glimpse of the Buckingham Palace as it was a week before the Jubilee so there was scaffolding all around. It was basically a long walk thru the park. At one point, while Andrew was talking, there was a very long roar of motorcycles passing by on some kind of an event.
The tour is not expensive, but a tourist’s time is valuable. The whole thing was a waste of time due to very poor preparation for this tour by walks.com.
The glowing reviews are misleading.