guided experience

Shakespeare’s London Tour

From £200

1.5 hour tour Private Group people London Bridge

★★★★★ 4.9 by 3,600+ travellers

Duration 1.5 hour tour

Starting at London Bridge

Group Size Private Group

Price From £200

Why choose this tour

Bards, Brothels and Bawdy Bankside

Discover the surprising history of the Globe Theatre

Enjoy the company of an expert who has worked at the Globe and the Rose Theatres

Discover ancient hidden sites including a napoleonic cannon and a waterman’s seat!

Locate the stunning remains of the ancient Winchester Palace and hear about the vibrant sex industry in Tudor London.

Find out about the sordid and macabre side of London, including the location of an old prison

★★★★★ 4.9 by 3,600+ travellers

About this tour

Your trip to London would not be complete without exploring the life and neighbourhood of William Shakespeare and his contemporaries, so a trip to Bankside is a must!

Shakespeare’s Bankside was a packed, turbulent, and rowdy pleasure quarter, while today it is arguably the most vibrant, creatively diverse arts and entertainment cultural centre in London.

Tour details

Why this tour

He may have died over 400 years ago, but there are still remnants of Shakespeare’s London, which we will explore on our walking tour. We will follow in the footsteps of the Bard, visiting the sites of not just Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre but also three other Elizabethan theatres including The Rose Playhouse where Shakespeare met contemporary Christopher Marlowe and premiered his very first plays Titus Andronicus and Henry VI in 1594.

During the tour it will become clear that Bankside was not just a theatre district, but a complex mix of adult entertainment, brothels, and taverns. We will pass by a famous cathedral, discover the remains of Winchester Palace, and hear about the bishop’s particular way of licensing prostitution. And for those foodies, we will pass through the ancient and vibrant Borough Market, and finish the tour at one of the most atmospheric pubs in L

A private group tour. If you have a date, celebration or work event in mind, see our bespoke private tours.

Itinerary

Starting point

Starts from outside the Barrowboy & Banker pub near London Bridge station. Check confirmation email for further details.

Times & date

Further information

Email info@funlondontours.com with your request.

FAQ

Can I book a private tour?

Sure! Our guides tend to be booked quite far in advance, especially during peak times, so please give us as much notice as you can. We tend to have more availability on shorter private tours of 1.5 to 2 hours in length. You can see what is available and send us your dates on our private tours page, or email info@funlondontours.com with your request. Prices start at £250.

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.

Reviews

      EXCELLENT  
   Based on 3790 reviews 
    
 
 
 
   
 
 
      Posted on Tripadvisor  
   
   goldenparadox 
 4 days ago
 
 
 Verified Great experience! So glad we chose to do the changing of the guard via a tour! And so glad we had Paul has our guide! Fully fueled my coffee the whole time, he shared not only history and fun facts, but made sure we had the best spots for the action and for-warned us of moving quickly, best times to get photos, etc. Wonderful time and I’d gladly do another tour with Paul!
  
 
     Posted on Tripadvisor  
   
   Danielle G 
 8 days ago
 
 
 Verified A million stars for Paul! What an excellent tour! Paul, our tour guide, deserves a million stars! He was very knowledgeable and made the tour very fun. He knew all the best spots to be to see everything that was happening. Would highly, highly recommend!
  
 
     Posted on Tripadvisor  
   
   Peter L 
 8 days ago
 
 
 Verified Amazing changing of the guard, military marching band,small group tour, including entry to Buckingham Palace. Tall Paul was great. We had been told that was his nickname because he’s 6 foot seven and very easy to follow. He he knew all the shortcuts and the best views watching the marching band and the changing of the guards. Hr had an amazing wealth of knowledge of what was going on and the history. He was funny and interesting. He had it timed to get to the best spots for viewing. At the end, the spot we were at was so close we had to make sure we didn’t get hit with a trombone. We were upfront on every spot he picked. We would definitely take the tour again. Thank you tall Paul. Peter and Robin
  
 
     Posted on Tripadvisor  
   
   Peter L 
 8 days ago
 
 
 Verified Learned a lot about Churchill. Matt was great. He was very knowledgeable about the walking part of the tour.. It ended at the Churchill in World War II Westminster war rooms. That is a self guided tour so he left us at the end of the walking tour, which was explained when we booked it. He was right on time. It was truly a spectacular tour and very educational. Singer I’m saving them for you. The crowd size was small. There were only five so you were able to hear everything he was saying.
  
 
     Posted on Tripadvisor  
   
   lauraandemma 
 9 days ago
 
 
 Verified Make sure you do this with Fun London Tours and ask for Paul Sensational but that was all thanks to Paul. It was an early start, there were a lot of emails changing the times, but the whole small group made it on timed we were treated to the most immersive experience. Paul is very enthusiastic- even that early in the morning! and happens to know an incredible amount of stuff but I appreciated the obscure bits he shared and that he seems to have better intel than any of the other tours we passed finding us the very best places to stand and then the very best routes so we could maximize seeing the very most. A great tour but I wouldn’t book with the others. So many bonuses here. Massive thanks Paul - love The Canadians.