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guided experience

Secret Old London Tour

From £20
1.5 hour tour 4-20 people Barbican
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★★★★★ 4.9 by 3,600+ travellers
Duration 1.5 hour tour
Starting at Barbican
Group Size 4-20
Price From £20

Why choose this tour

Walking through the ancient streets of London

Walk through the graveyard of a 900 year old medieval church.
Visit the extraordinary Postman's Park - London’s memorial to everyday heroism
Stand above London's Roman Ampitheatre.
Discover a major Black Death burial ground
Stand within the shell of Christchurch Greyfriars, the church destroyed in WW2
★★★★★ 4.9 by 3,600+ travellers

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About this tour

Walking through the most ancient part of London, you’ll discover the remains of historic churches, gorgeous old pubs, and Tudor architecture.

These quiet streets have witnessed some of the most extraordinary and bloody moments in British history, from the Blitz, the Great Fire, Plague and Executions.

See the memorials to Protestant Martyrs burnt alive by Bloody Mary Tudor; find out how William Wallace met his end, and locate London’s most significant Black Death cemetery.

But its not all blood and guts, as we will pass through the most gorgeous Tudor gateway in the City, explore alleyways barely touched in 400 years and see the church used in Four Weddings and a Funeral.

You’ll be taken within the shell of a church destroyed in the Blitz, and be led into the park which displays the most touching memorial to self sacrifice you could possibly imagine.

The walk lasts 1.5 hours and will leave a lasting impression of a different side to London’s extraordinary history.

Tour details

Do you have an appetite for the darker side of London’s history? Are you keen to escape the tourist hotspots and discover a lesser known part of our wonderful city? Then this is the tour for you!

On this walk you’ll hear about some of London’s most extraordinary events, wander past ancient churches, old pubs, iconic market places, and through a region which time seems to have forgot…

Starting point
Meet outside Barbican Tube.
Finishing point
Finishes at the Guildhall Yard between Bank and St Paul’s Cathedral underground stations.
Times & date
Most Saturdays, occasional weekdays. Check schedule for up to date listing.
Tickets are from £18 - a small booking fee is added

How do I recognise the Guide?

Our guide will be carrying a Fun London Tours flag.

How early should I arrive for the walk?

Please come 10 minutes before the allotted time so that we are ready to go promptly, especially if you have decided to come without booking online. Please note that in London there are regular road closures, engineering works on the tube and other events which can easily delay your journey. Ensure you make allowances for this as we do not wait for latecomers.

Are your tours suitable for people with limited mobility or wheelchair users?

Our tours can be adapted to suit wheelchair users or those with limited mobility – just let us know ahead of time so the guide can prepare a suitable alternative step-free route.

The only exception is our Changing the Guard tour, which requires good mobility as we march alongside the guards and we cannot avoid steps.

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Giu G profile picture
Giu G
8 days ago
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London’s best-kept secrets! Jesse’s tour takes you off the tourist map and straight into London’s secret corners, where Roman and Normand history is still hiding in plain sight — along with stories and places that definitely aren’t in every guidebook! Jesse is fabulous: passionate, professional, and a true historian who somehow makes 2,000-year-old history feel alive. We are infinitely grateful we found him — Caesar himself would probably have approved! 🏛️👏
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HEIDE B profile picture
HEIDE B
30 days ago
Tripadvisor star 1Tripadvisor star 2Tripadvisor star 3Tripadvisor star 4Tripadvisor star 5Verified
Excellent, well researched informative walk We really found the walking tour so interesting. The guide Pepe was excellent- well prepared with lots of relevant historical photos and information. Good sense of humour and we felt well looked after. Fascinating to know how many layers of history lie under familiar spots in the city. Definitely recommended
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toniamoore618 profile picture
toniamoore618
52 days ago
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Illuminating look into the distant past Matt was a very knowledgeable and personable guide for this fascinating tour of the oldest part of London. I’ve been to London several times but wasn’t aware of the rich (and often tragic) history of this area. I don’t want to give away specifics because it’s more fun to be surprised, so I’ll just say that even if you know a lot of history already, you are sure to learn things that will amaze you and enjoy seeing beautiful ancient structures and memorials. The tour is also an ideal length IMO— just the right amount of walking and talking. Definitely recommend it!
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Georgios M profile picture
Georgios M
108 days ago
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Great tour Great tour even for a local. The guide was great and discovered places I literally walk past twice a week and never knew existed.
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Denise C profile picture
Denise C
114 days ago
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Hidden Gems Great walking tour. Matt was well researched guide. Funny & interactive experience. Mixture of history & contemporary storytelling. Would recommend to friends etc.
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Gabriele H profile picture
Gabriele H
115 days ago
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🤩👍🏻 Eine wunderschöne Tour mit ganz vielen interessanten Geschichten und alle Fragen wurden so total nett und ausführlich beantwortet. Würde jederzeit wieder die Tour mit Matt machen Lieben Dank dafür.
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Clifford A profile picture
Clifford A
115 days ago
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Engaging Terrific tour, so interesting! Matt did a great job of showing us places we wouldn’t otherwise have visited.
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Taya78 profile picture
Taya78
115 days ago
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Spannende Tour! Spannend, informativ und interessant!
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Lorraine G profile picture
Lorraine G
122 days ago
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Great way to see some hidden gems All good, small group, nice pace and knowledgeable guide
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Carlo A profile picture
Carlo A
150 days ago
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Great experience Jess was an amazing tour guide, and great overall experience.
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Sahil A profile picture
Sahil A
150 days ago
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Recommended tour for hidden spots and stories Jess was knowledgeable and entertaining. We went around the City and discovered hidden spots and stories around them. Recommended!
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Sam W profile picture
Sam W
157 days ago
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Interesting and fun tour The tour was really interesting with surprising facts. The tour guide speaks with passion and was really enthusiastic, really easy to follow along. A recommended tour!!
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Anne S profile picture
Anne S
163 days ago
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London secrets enjoyed Matt was informative and engaging with our group. This was very interesting and Matt made it fun and memorable. Very good value for family groups, friends like us of 60+ years and any group interested in out of the usual London tourist spots. Highly recommend Thankyou Matt
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Alan W profile picture
Alan W
218 days ago
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An hour and a half well spent. Excellent tour, although we were aware of most of the destinations, Matt coloured in the spaces previously unknown to us.Would recommend this tour, and Matt the guide especially.
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TEFMiddlesex profile picture
TEFMiddlesex
226 days ago
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Interesting and enjoyable walking tour really enjoyed our Secret Old London guided tour. Our guide was very relaxed and informative. The stops on the tour were in a small area of London which has so much history to offer. Would recommend it.
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Julie P profile picture
Julie P
240 days ago
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Would definitely recommend! Great guide - knowledgeable, funny, kind and helpful. We had a great time despite the freezing cold and learned a lot about the local area.
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Lou profile picture
Lou
333 days ago
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Excellent tour, thank you. Jess was excellent, very knowledgeable. Lots of details and stories. Really enjoyed seeing parts of the Roman wall and old churches and gardens plus historic Charterhouse. 100% recommended
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Rachel Oliver profile picture
Rachel Oliver
349 days ago
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Great way to experience London's secrets Really fun, interesting and surprising! Really liked Matt, very knowledgeable and easy to get on with and chat to. Quite a good length of time at each interesting point, photo opportunities etc.We returned to several points after the tour for a further look in the curiosity and antique shops.
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Uwe M profile picture
Uwe M
351 days ago
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Off the beaten tracks, inspiring It was an interesting, inspiring tour. Visiting places and hearing stories that you would never hear about if you just walk the beaten tracks. Matt was a very entertaining guide who told us the right amount of, not overloading the tour
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Michael C profile picture
Michael C
388 days ago
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Excellent tour that will show you the secret side of the City of London An excellent walk with knowledgable guide Joss. Although I’ve worked in London for over 30 years, I found out so much history right on my doorstep that I had no idea about. Thoroughly recommend the tour.
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Seamus M profile picture
Seamus M
401 days ago
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Excellent Guide Alex B is an excellent guide. He is very engaging, enthusiastic and entertaining as a guide. Even though I am a Londoner I found him very knowledgeable and his delivery of the tour was excellent.
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Robert S profile picture
Robert S
479 days ago
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Amazing tour. Amazing tour guide, full of knowledge about old London, and the Romans. Gentle pace, so much to see, above and below ground.
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Caroline H profile picture
Caroline H
485 days ago
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Very enjoyable tour We really enjoyed this tour. It was interesting and very engaging. Our guide. Becs was very knowledgeable and enthusiastic about everything we visited.
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Jonathan O profile picture
Jonathan O
509 days ago
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A great experience The tour was super: we learnt such a lot about the very city that we’ve always lived in. Our guide was interesting and knowledgeable 😊
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jackbarrow4648 profile picture
jackbarrow4648
542 days ago
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Amazing ldn walking tour Tour was amazing! Have done lots of walking tours but this one was one of the best. Perfect length of time and really really great guide! He knew his stuff so well. Thank you Jess!
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Nadia P profile picture
Nadia P
549 days ago
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An Enchanting Exploration of Secret Old London Our walking tour with Jesse was a fantastic experience! His deep knowledge and passion brought the hidden gems of London to life. We discovered unique spots and heard fascinating stories. Highly recommended for anyone wanting to see a different side of London!
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Daphné P profile picture
Daphné P
597 days ago
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Secret old London tour Loved it! Our tour guide was amazing and we enjoyed every second of it. Can't recommend it enough. We discovered our neighborhood in a very interesting way.
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Carol J profile picture
Carol J
668 days ago
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London has some great secrets! Jess was an excellent guide! His animated, fun personality was contagious and his tour infused with tones of information and interesting anecdotes. If I ever return to London, my husband and I will look for a tour with him again!
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Alex Smith profile picture
Alex Smith
675 days ago
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Lots of fun with extra surprises. We'll worth doing. Thoughourly enjoyable and very informative. Jess, our guide, was very friendly and keen to please. Worth every cent and even included stops that we didn't expect. Would do this tour again
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Joel Bailey profile picture
Joel Bailey
686 days ago
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Really fun, interesting tour. Would reccomend to anyone Thoroughly fun and interesting tour with Jess. This is the second tour that I have had with him and they're brilliant. Really interesting to see unique and non mainstream pieces of London's history. As a Londoner who lives in the city, it's amazing how much fascinating history I walk past everyday without having an idea.10/10 would reccomend all of the Fun London Tours to anyone
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