LONDON HIGHLIGHTS
These are the tours that every London guide will offer but they should not be ignored and you should make sure that you get exactly the tour that you want and not what the guide shows everyone regardless. These are the iconic, must-do, fantastic experiences that you have to get right to enjoy your visit here.
BUCKINGHAM PALACE & CHANGING OF THE GUARD
It's fast, it's furious, and it's fun. That's the first thing about the Guard Change. It's a military spectacle, a musical performance, and it's for the Queen, so it has to be seen. We will be in exactly the right place at the right time to see as much of the ceremony as possible. We will not be hemmed in by crowds and we'll include other royal residences and stories of the Royal Family. A perfect introduction to an unmissable event.
TOWER OF LONDON
Most people know this as a place of imprisonment, torture and execution. It was home to William the Conquerer, and site of the murders of Kings Henry VI and Edward V. It houses the ravens who are not allowed to leave and the Beefeaters who don't want to as they have their own pub. It's where we keep the priceless Crown Jewels and the largest cut diamond in the World. Walk the walls and climb the turrets to stand where countless events in English history have taken place.
ST PAUL'S CATHEDRAL
Our famous cathedral is a veritable who's who of most famous Britons. Hear how Christopher Wren managed to get the design that he wanted, discover who saved the building from destruction in WWII and see the tombs of our greatest military heroes - Admiral Lord Nelson and the Duke of Wellington. Visit the most important remembrance chapel for US citizens and the chapel reserved for the likes of David Beckham and Mick Jagger. It's also a treasure trove of beautiful artwork with sculpted angels' wings, magnificent mosaics and a staircase to Heaven that appears in Harry Potter.
WESTMINSTER ABBEY
Place of burial for kings and queens, site of coronations since 1066 and a place of pilgrimage for Medieval tourists - the Abbey has been at the heart of the nation's ceremonies for centuries. Walk the route taken by royal brides and hear what links their wedding bouquets to a World War One soldier. Learn who is responsible for the graffiti on the coronation throne and find your favourites immortalised in Poets' Corner. And for glorious gothic architecture and perfect pendant vaulting we visit Henry VII's chapel with its Order of the Bath banners.
BIG BEN TO TRAFALGAR SQUARE - THE STREET OF POWER
The Houses of Parliament with the famous clock tower. The home of the Prime Minister in Downing Street. The huge Treasury and Foreign Office which governed the British Empire. The modern Ministry of Defence and military statues. The nation's war memorial. The site of a king's execution. The official entrance to Buckingham Palace guarded by mounted soldiers. A meeting place for celebrations, demonstrations, and the gift of a Norwegian Christmas tree in December. All to be found in one street, where we seek out not just the obvious but the obscure.