Most of London’s best stories sit a few steps off the main streets. There’s a hotel which brings out a black cat for dinner bookings of thirteen, a round church built by the Knights Templar, and a wall of tiles remembering ordinary people who died saving others.
We run three walks through these corners, each about an hour and a half in a small group. This page sets out what you see on each, so you can choose.
All three last about an hour and a half, in groups of four to twenty, and go ahead in any weather. The difference is the part of London you explore.
| Secret London | Hidden London | Secret Old London | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Area | Covent Garden and Trafalgar Square | Temple, the Strand and Fleet Street | The old City, from the Barbican to Guildhall |
| Meet | By the statue of Charles I, just below Trafalgar Square | Outside Temple station | Outside Barbican station |
| Finish | Within ten minutes’ walk of Trafalgar Square or Piccadilly Circus | Fleet Street, about five minutes from St Paul’s | Guildhall Yard, between Bank and St Paul’s stations |
| Highlights | An ancient gas-lit alleyway, the world’s smallest police station, London’s most superstitious hotel | Where the Knights Templar worshipped, the church that inspired the wedding cake, the entrance of Aldwych ‘ghost’ station | Postman’s Park, London’s Roman amphitheatre, a Black Death burial ground |
| Price | From £20 | From £20 | From £20 |
| Best for | Fun anecdotes, quirky tales, and places hidden in plain sight | Old alleyways, ancient churches and halls, the Knights Templar, and the heart of print journalism and law | Medieval and Tudor London and our darker history |
Fancy something different? Our London Loo Tour runs from Waterloo to Aldwych; there’s more on it below.
The Secret London Tour starts by the statue of Charles I and slips into the alleys and courtyards between Trafalgar Square and Covent Garden.
You’ll see the house on Craven Street that is Benjamin Franklin’s only surviving home anywhere in the world, and the discreet structure in Trafalgar Square that was once called the world’s smallest police station. You’ll also see Cecil Court, where the young Mozart lodged in 1764 and, some say, wrote his first symphony. Across St Martin’s Lane, you’ll walk down Goodwin’s Court, a narrow alley of bow-fronted Georgian shopfronts that is still lit by gas lamps. And you’ll hear why the Savoy, London’s most superstitious hotel, keeps a carved cat called Kaspar ready to join any table of thirteen.
The Hidden London Tour begins outside Temple station and follows the lanes and courtyards of the Temple, home to two of London’s Inns of Court.
You’ll stand outside the round church the Knights Templar built here in the 12th century, and the entrance of Aldwych, a tube station that closed in 1994. You’ll find a hidden alley with a link to Fleet Street’s newspaper days, and the church whose spire is said to have inspired the tiered wedding cake. You’ll also hear the story behind Oranges and Lemons. The walk ends on Fleet Street, about five minutes from St Paul’s Cathedral.
The Secret Old London Tour starts outside Barbican station and explores the oldest part of the City.
You’ll pass through a Tudor gateway into the churchyard of St Bartholomew the Great, founded in 1123 and the church in Four Weddings and a Funeral. You’ll find out how William Wallace met his end at Smithfield, and see the memorial to the Protestant martyrs burned there. The walk also takes in:
No. The London Transport Museum runs tours called Hidden London that take you inside disused tube stations, including Aldwych. Our Hidden London walk stays above ground in Temple and Fleet Street. It passes the entrance of Aldwych, but doesn’t go in. If you’d like to go underground, book with the London Transport Museum.
You can. They’re public streets, churchyards and gardens, and most are free. A few things are worth knowing:
What a guide adds is the route and the stories. Most of these places have no sign, and it’s easy to walk straight past them.
Yes. The London Loo Tour runs from Waterloo station to Aldwych. It takes in the Great Stink, a secret pop-up toilet and a cocktail bar in a former underground public toilet. It lasts an hour and a half, from £18, and it’s one of the most fun and unusual experiences in London!
All our walks go ahead in the rain, so bring an umbrella. They’re at an easy pace. Each of these walks includes some short flights of steps and uneven paths; with enough notice we can adapt the route to avoid steps.
There’s no minimum age, and children are welcome if their parents feel they’re mature enough. Some of the content is of an adult nature, especially on Secret Old London, which covers executions and the plague. All children must be accompanied by an adult.
