My husband and I will be in London for only 2 days/nights in early November, 2017 (the first day is after an overnight flight from California so we'll be zombies). We love walking tours and have heard a lot of great things about London Walks. Has anyone ever done a private tour with them? If so, what was the cost? That part is always left off the descriptions. I know it'll be dependent on the time of the year, the tour, etc, but I just wanted to get a ballpark average for two people. Thank you very much.
Posted by
Paris
10288 posts
Why don't you email their office and ask?
Posted by
OP
San Jose, CA
20 posts
Yes, I know. I was just interested in hearing what people ended up paying and maybe hearing what the private tour process (and the tour itself) was like for them.
Posted by
London, UK
477 posts
I suspect the numbers on their regular walks will be low in early November, tho' impossible to tell. And you can decide at short notice whether to take the walk, or not.
Posted by
OP
San Jose, CA
20 posts
I went ahead and emailed London Walks directly about their private tours. (Yes, I know, it's what I should have done originally.)
They responded nicely and promptly. Here's the key part in case anyone else is interested. (It'll save you an email.) :
Private walks offer you your own private guide and you can choose almost any walk from our huge range and do them on a day and time to suit you as long as there is a guide available.
The charge for a private regular two-hour walk in English that doesn’t go inside one of London’s historic buildings or museums is *150 pounds** for up to and including 18 people and, if the group is larger than 18, the charge is a flat rate of 8 pounds per person.
If you want the guide for longer, or to go inside an historic building or museum, or for a specialist bespoke walk, it is 190 pounds plus entrance fees. You can have the guide in the morning or the afternoon, not going over the lunchtime period. (In the morning to finish no later than 1pm, in the afternoon to start no earlier than 1:30pm.)
You can also book a guide for a full day for 305 pounds. Entrance fees and travel fares are on top.*
As I suspected, these private tours are beyond what we're willing to spend for just two people. But I'm looking forward to the other tours we plan to do with London Walks since we've heard nothing but wonderful things about them.
Posted by
San Diego
1540 posts
We did a wonderful week of walking using HF Holidays. We did the Costwolds,
but they offer walks all over.....
Here is a link to their site:
Posted by
Land of La
9263 posts
Thanks for sharing what you found on the website but I'm curious what is it that you wanted a private tour of....all iconic London sites? Westminster Abbey? Tower of London?
As you have professed your love of walking tours why not try one of the walks anyway. I've never been disapponted by the guide or amount of participants.
I throughly enjoyed their Westminster Abbey tour which I took in November about 8 years ago. The Abbey is a must see in my humble opinion. So much history.
If you prefer to walk solo to sites, start at Parliament Square ( Big Ben Houses of Pailament unfortunately mostly in scaffolding now...MUCH needed and lengthy repairs taking place) then start up Birdcage Walk enroute to the Palace but stop at the Churchill war Rooms, then through St James Park to Buckhingham Palace, back down the Mall to the Horse Guards and up Whitehall to Traflagar Square. Lunch in the National Gallery cafe of in the crypt at St Martin's.
From Trafalgar Square depending on your interests you can head over to Covent Garden one way, Leicester Square another ( 5 minute walk at most), Piccadilly Circus another.... personally and I'd do this late in the day as it will start to get dark around 4pm....I'd saunter through Chinatown on my way to Oxford Street to see the Christmas Lights and window displays....but that's just me.
So if you started at Westminster tube station and followed this walking route you will have walked about 2.5 miles I think but as a math atheist I might be wrong in my calculations. Plenty of Costa or Cafe Neros to stop in along the way....much better brew than the countless Strabucks you'll see.
For me it's a very walkable city if you are not in a hurry. If you believe you will return someday to properly visit all that London has to offer then purchase the Oyster card. 5 pound refundable deposit. Use it on the tube if your tire. I have the one I purchased years ago with Kate And Will's picture on it. I merely top it up each trip.
GREAT city. I'll be there in a month and have started to count the days till I leave the States.
And BTW I always fly the red eye from LAX and hit the ground running the morning I arrive. Helps me get rid of the inevitable jet lag. Coffee, all the hustle and bustle and the appreciation that I'm back in a city I adore wards off any zombieness.
Get out, walk, explore, and enjoy!!!
Tally Ho!
Posted by
Fort Wayne, IN, USA
83 posts
In 2013 I took 3 different London Walk tours and enjoyed them all immensely; Westminster, Greenwich and The City. Utilizing them allows you to change up your schedule if need be. You never know how many will be in the tour as it is 'show up and pay up' at a prescribed place and time so could be 6 people or could be 20. It made seeing parts of London I would never be able to negotiate myself. After the tour ends you can stay in the area to explore a little more or move on to another activity. Enjoy your trip, I love London.