London walking tours

London Walks, which has a website at http://www.walks.com/ are reliable, fun, knowledgeable, and reasonably priced. My wife and I have done several of the walks over the years and have always enjoyed each walk. The pace is neither too slow nor too fast, and plenty is learned. They are the original ones, and the walks go rain or shine, all year. They offer so many choices because there are so many places to walk and so many things to see. They tend to meet at a specific place next to an Underground station. You can always tell that they are the real guide (it has been known for other non associated guides to try to horn in on the good will of London Walks) because they hold the London Walks current schedule. We have never been disappointed with them...

What Nigel said. I've been on several London Walks over the years (I suppose "London Walks walks" is more precise but it looks funny) and have never been disappointed. Besides their regular walks in and around London that last a few hours, I've also gone on three of their "Explorer Days" day trips: Cambridge, Brighton and Avebury/Lacock. The in-town "regular" length walks I've done with them - and enjoyed very much - include: Chelsea; a Beatles-themed walk; a walk exploring the University of London; one called I think "Eccentric London;" a walk in Greenwich which began with the boat trip down to Greenwich; Sam Pepys' London (don't know if this is still on the schedule), and probably a few more that I'm forgetting right now. I'm not interested in Jack the Ripper so haven't been on any of those. Have fun!

Must admit we did the Jack the Ripper walk. Started off at a tube stop and was disappointing at first as was very modern area. Then further along went to a seedier area and was just what we wanted and ended in a seedy pub, I know what some may think but we enjoyed and guide was great.

I took three of the London Walks walks in July and enjoyed them all. The guides were all engaged, entertaining, knowledgeable and personable. You can get a lot of information on each tour and each tour guide from the LW website, including some client comments, that can help you choose which walks are most appealing to you.

Another vote for London Walks!

Agree with all the other posters. I've been doing London Walks (walks.com) for the past couple of years. So many to choose from and you always learn something new. I've also done a bunch of their Explorer Days, also really good.

Yet another vote for London Walks. I'm a Jack the Ripper fan (not quite the right word, but "enthusiast" sounds even creepier) so have done that walk with Donald Rumbelow. Personally, I found it absorbing and quite creepy. And two years ago I did the Legal London/Inns of Court walk, which was far more interesting than I thought it would be. This was largely due to the highly entertaining guide, Shaughan. Do check out the website and read through the various itineraries: there's bound to be something that tickles your fancy. Best thing is, they don't cost much (GBP9) and only take around two hours.

Yet one more person in favor of the London Walks. The Jack the Ripper walk is not a personal favorite, but it is one of "gotta do" things for many who are interested in the subject. My most recent walk (couple years ago) was the Shakespeare and Dickens walk, which I do recommend. A bit of history, a bit of literature, but not too much to feel like a school lesson. And you see parts of the city you wouldn't notice otherwise and learn about the architectural hints of buildings that will clue you in to their histories.

By all means, do a walk with London Walks. We've done the Shakespeare/Dickens, a ghost walk, a Jack the Ripper walk, a Samuel Pepys walk on Christmas Day, and at least one other. I've enjoyed walks in other cities, regardless of the company (did one in Oxford, Cambridge, York, and Berlin). We think these really are the best way to get an inexpensive and interesting immersion into history.