Beyond the Palaces: Top Tours and Activities in London
- Jacqlyne
- Sep 3, 2022
- 11 min read
Updated: Apr 10

London, the capital of England and the United Kingdom, boasts a rich history that stretches back to Roman times. The city is home to iconic landmarks such as Buckingham Palace, Big Ben, the London Eye, and Tower Bridge, along with world-class museums and much more. Visitors can immerse themselves in the vibrant culture, which includes a diverse culinary scene, bustling markets, and a lively arts community. Additionally, the city's extensive public transport system makes it easy for travelers to navigate and experience all that London has to offer. With countless activities to enjoy, explore this compilation of things to do during your visit to London. If multiple activities catch your eye, you may consider getting the London Pass or London Explorer Pass for extra savings.
Disclaimer
Part of the job of a travel agent is to save clients time and money. I looked through hundreds of tours and picked out the best tours to book in various categories that are both the best in quality and price.
Prices listed below are subject to change. Rates are typically discounted for larger groups and children, so use the links provided to see the exact cost for your specific scenario and book what is of interest to you.
Windsor Castle

Explore Windsor Castle, the favorite weekend home of Queen Elizabeth II. During your visit you’ll learn about the Castle’s history, explore the State Apartments, and marvel at treasures from the royal collection. You’ll see St. George's Chapel as well.
Duration
At your leisure
Availability
Thursday - Monday from 10 am - 3:30 pm
Price
$40 per person
Alternative
Buckingham Palace: The Royal Mews - $22 per person
Buckingham Palace: The King's Gallery - $24 per person
Kensington Palace - $26 per person
Kew Palace & Royal Botanic Gardens - $26 per person
Buckingham Palace: The State Rooms - $41 per person
Hampton Court Palace Grounds Bike Tour - $46 per person
Warwick Castle Day Trip by Rail - $89 per person
Windsor Castle Tour - $89 per person
Buckingham Palace Guided Tour - $95 per person
Blenheim Palace, Downton Abbey Village & the Cotswolds - $102 per person
Warwick Castle, Oxford and Stratford Full-Day Tour - $102 per person
The Kensington Palace Gardens Royal High Tea - $156 per person
Leeds Castle, Canterbury Cathedral, Dover, and Greenwich - $146 per person
Westminster Abbey

Visit one of London's most iconic buildings. Explore over a thousand years of history and marvel at breathtaking gothic architecture.
Duration
At your leisure
Availability
Monday - Saturday from 9 am - 3 pm
Price
$35 per person
Alternative
St Paul's Cathedral - $32 per person
Tower of London - $45 per person
Churchill War Rooms & Westminster Guided Tour - $86 per person
Tower of London First Entry Tour & Beefeater Audience - $90 per person
Tower of London Guided Tour with Boat Ride - $102 per person
Changing of the Guard Walking Tour

The Changing of the Guard is the changeover of the Queen's guard and, on this London walking tour, you'll stand in the best spots to watch the Changing of the Guard ceremony, march next to the Buckingham Palace guards and get the best Changing of the Guard photos!
Duration
2 - 3 hours
Availability
Sunday, Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 10 am
Price
$18 per person
Alternative
Royal London and Royal Palaces Walking Tour - $25 per person
Agatha Christie London Walking Tour - $22 per person
Roman Ruins to Blitz Bombings - $26 per person
Royal London Bike Tour - $54 per person
Stonehenge, Windsor, and Roman Bath Day Trip

Head out of London to uncover the charms of the English countryside on a full-day tour that takes you to several famous, historical sites. See picturesque Windsor; marvel at ancient Stonehenge, and stop off at the Roman baths for a drink at the Pump Room.
Duration
11 hours
Availability
Everyday at 8 am
Price
Starting from $109 per person
Alternative
Stonehenge Visit - $89 per person
Oxford, Stratford & Cotswolds Day Trip - $102 per person
White Cliffs of Dover and Canterbury Day Trip - $102 per person
Bath, Avebury and Lacock Village Day Trip - $108 per person
Windsor, Stonehenge, and Oxford Tour - $127 per person
Glastonbury and Cheddar Gorge Day Trip - $127 per person
White Cliffs of Sussex Tour - $130 per person
Seven Sisters and South Downs Full-Day Tour - $140 per person
Isle of Wight Day Trip - $140 per person
Stonehenge, Avebury and West Kennet Guided Tour - $149 per person
Oxford and Cambridge Universities Full Day Tour - $158 per person
London Cable Car

On this experience, you'll have the chance to take a ride on the British capital's cable car and enjoy a ride in a cabin hanging 300 feet above London's ground. Today it's one of the city's best moving viewpoints and runs for over a kilometer between the Royal Docks and the Greenwich Peninsula.
Duration
At your leisure
Availability
Everyday from 7 am - 11 pm
Price
$8 per person
Alternative
Tower Bridge Entrance - $17 per person
The Shard - $32 per person
London Eye - $41 per person
London Eye, Big Bus & Thames River Cruise - $77 per person
Ultimate London Sightseeing Walking Tour

See the top sightseeing spots in London on this exciting small group walking tour. Starting in the City of London you’ll explore over 2000 years of London's history with sights including the Tower of London, Tower Bridge, St Paul’s Cathedral, Bank of England, Royal Exchange, Mansion House and the Monument to the Great Fire of London.
Duration
5 hours
Availability
Everyday at 10 am
Price
$25 per person
Alternative
London Walking Tour - Free!
Old City of London - Free!
Camden Town Tour - Free!
East End Street Art Tour - Free!
London Free Christmas Tour - Free!
Borough Market and Beyond - $20 per person
London by Night Sightseeing Open-Top Bus Tour - $37 per person
Rich People Behaving Badly - $39 per person
Big Bus Open-Top Hop-on, Hop-off Sightseeing Tour - $50 per person
Secret London Tour by Bike - $55 per person
Total London Full Day Guided Tour - $167 per person
Jack The Ripper Walking Tour

Set out on foot and find out stories about one of London's most notorious serial killers—Jack the Ripper. Going on a walking tour takes you down cobbled alleyways and secret spots that are inaccessible by car or bus. Listen to insights about the shocking unsolved crimes from 1888, who the main suspects were, and go to the spots where the crimes occurred in Spitalfields and Brick Lane.
Duration
2 hours
Availability
Everyday at 7 pm
Price
$20 per person
Alternative
Jack the Ripper Museum - $16 per person
Serial Killers: The Blood and Tears Walk - $20 per person
Jack the Ripper Tour with 'Ripper-Vision' - $26 per person
The Cloak and Dagger Tour - $26 per person
Comedy Horror Ghost Tour on a Bus - $32 per person
London Dungeon - $32 per person
The London Bridge Experience - $34 per person
Gangster London Walking Tour with Actor - $39 per person
London Police and Crime Walking Tour - $39 per person
Midsomer Murders - $109 per person
007 James Bond Walking Tour

Become an undercover spy for the day and take a walking tour of iconic London locations that have featured in Bond movies including the latest blockbuster, “SPECTRE”. Visit real locations frequented by spies, and discover secret bunkers, and more.
Duration
2 hours
Availability
Thursdays & Saturdays at 10:30 am
Price
$22 per person
Alternative
Mary Poppins Walking Tour - $22 per person
Sherlock Holmes Walking Tour - $22 per person
Doctor Who London Walking Tour - $22 per person
Paddington Bear Walking Tour - $22 per person
Ted Lasso Guided Walking Tour - $44 per person
007 James Bond Bus Tour - $46 per person
Harry Potter Warner Bros Studio Tour

Join the Warner Bros. Studio London Tour and go behind the scenes and onto the sets where the Harry Potter movies were filmed. Experience the magic and see actual props, costumes, and special effects.
Duration
7 hours
Availability
Everyday at 9 am, 11 am, 1 pm & 2:30 pm
Price
$97 per person
Alternative
Harry Potter Walking Tour - Free!
Harry Potter Walking Tour with Platform 9 3/4 - $18 per person
The FRIENDS™ Experience - $38 per person
The Paddington Bear Experience - $44 per person
Harry Potter Film Locations & River Cruise - $76 per person
Madame Tussauds

Step into the spotlight at Madame Tussauds London, the home of famous fun in the capital. Star in immersive experiences and get up close with more than 250 lifelike figures of your favorite celebrities. Enjoy plenty of fun new additions.
Duration
2.5 hours
Availability
Everyday from 9 am - 6 pm
Price
Starting from $37 per person
Alternative
London Zoo - $35 per person
Sea Life London Aquarium - $36 per person
Wicked the Musical Theater Show

Book your seat for the spectacular ‘Wicked The Musical’ London production at the Apollo Victoria Theatre. This big-hearted musical tells the story of the two polar-opposite witches of L. Frank Baum's tale, ‘The Wonderful Wizard of Oz,’ bringing their unlikely friendship alive with jaw-dropping technical wizardry and unforgettable songs.
Duration
3 hours
Availability
Tuesday - Sunday at 3 pm
Price
Starting from $50 per person
Alternative
The Best in Stand Up Comedy - $16 per person
Mamma Mia! Theater Show - $22 per person
International Stand Up Comedy Showcase - $26 per person
Forbidden Nights at Infernos - $31 per person
Matilda Theater Show - $34 per person
Tina Turner Theater Show - $34 per person
Phantom of the Opera Theater Show - $44 per person
The Mousetrap Theater Show - $44 per person
The Book of Mormon Theater Show - $57 per person
The Lion King Theater Show - $62 per person
Shakespeare's Globe Tour

Visit Shakespeare's Globe Theatre, one of the most famous theatres in the world. You'll explore every corner of the theatre which hosted some of William Shakespeare's most important plays.
Duration
1 hour
Availability
Everyday, times from 9:30 am - 12 pm
Price
$35 per person
Alternative
Chaplin Walks - $22 per person
Shoreditch Street Art Tour - $26 per person
Frameless Immersive Art Experience - $36 per person
West End and South Bank Theatre Walking Tour - $38 per person
Food Tour

Enjoy a 3-hour food tour of London. See some of the city's most well-known food venues and try many famous British foods, all guaranteed to get your taste buds tingling.
Duration
3 hours
Availability
Tuesday - Sunday at 11:30 am, 11 am & 3 pm
Price
$121 per person
Alternative
The Cheese Crawl - $45 per person
Traditional English Scone Making & Tea Workshop - $45 per person
Chocolate Truffle-Making Workshop - $58 per person
Afternoon Tea Bus with Prosecco - $63 per person
VIP Chocolate Tour - $63 per person
Tea Tasting Masterclass - $66 per person
No Diet Club Bike and Food Tour - $72 per person
No Diet Club Food Tour - $73 per person
Downtown Doughnut Guided Walking Tour - $90 per person
Faulty Towers The Dining Experience - $90 per person
4 Course Lunch Tour by Luxury Coach - $90 per person
Afternoon Tea at The Rubens at the Palace - $109 per person
Afternoon Tea at The Milestone Hotel - $112 per person
Indian Secret Food Tour of London's East End - $126 per person
Pub Crawl

Get the inside scoop on London's nightlife during a bar crawl that's ideal for solo travelers looking to meet like-minded people and for anyone looing to have a good time. As well as discovering go-to drinking dens that you may otherwise have missed, you’ll enjoy several free shots, reduced drinks, and fast-track entry to select venues. Plus, a photographer is on hand to capture the night on camera so that you don’t have to.
Duration
4 - 5 hours
Availability
Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 pm
Price
$28 per person
Alternative
The Chocolate Cocktail Club - $14 per person
Historic Pubs Walking Tour - $18 per person
Bombay Sapphire Distillery Tour - $29 per person
Central London Bar Crawl and Nightlife Tour - $32 per person
Shoreditch Pub Crawl - $32 per person
Camden Pub Crawl - $32 per person
East End Pub Crawl - $34 per person
Piccadilly and Soho Beer Bike Tour - $35 per person
Gin Cocktail Masterclass - $56 per person
East End Craft Brewery Tour - $64 per person
North London Craft Brewery Tour - $64 per person
London Gin Safari - $112 per person
River Thames Cruise

Climb aboard a sightseeing boat and cruise through the heart of London, admiring the many sights along the River Thames along the way.
Duration
1 hour
Availability
Everyday from 10am - 4pm
Price
Westminster to Tower Bridge - $17 per person
London Eye to Tower Bridge - $20 per person
Westminster to Greenwich - $20 per person
Alternative
Comedy Night on The River Thames - $14 per person
Thames Hop On Hop Off River Cruise - $31 per person
Ghost Walk and River Thames Boat Ride - $35 per person
Thames Beachcombing - $39 per person
River Thames Silent Sounds Silent Disco - $46 per person
Speedboat Ride from Tower Millennium Pier - $46 per person
Hot Tub Boat Guided Historical Docklands Cruise - $58 per person
River Thames Bike Tour - $58 per person
Thames Sunset Sightseeing Cruise - $62 per person
River Thames Lunch Cruise - $67 per person
River Thames Evening Bike Tour with Beer Tasting - $72 per person
Afternoon Tea Cruise on the River Thames - $79 per person
Thames Dinner Cruise with Live Music - $119 per person
Silent Disco Walking Tour

Sing, dance & groove through London’s West End on this epic Silent Disco Walking Tour. Discover musicals, fun facts, & TikTok-worthy moments. Perfect pre-show vibes or just pure fun!
Duration
2.5 hours
Availability
Saturdays at 2:30 pm
Price
$38 per person
Alternative
Drag Queen Disco Diva Tour - $37 per person
Christmas Party Tour - Silent Disco - $41 per person
ABBA Voyage Ticket + Transport - $70 per person
London Rock Legends

Delve into London’s rich musical history on a magical mystery tour of the capital’s rock ‘n’ roll sites. With a knowledgeable guide, tour the vibrant city in a luxury minivan and visit renowned clubs, famous hotels, and record labels associated with rock ‘n’ roll legends like The Beatles, Jimmy Page, and Bill Wyman.
Duration
3.5 hours
Availability
Tuesday & Thursday - Saturday at 1:30 pm
Price
$86 per person
Alternative
Rock and Roll Soho Tour - Free! per person
The Beatles Walking Tour - $22 per person
"Queen" Highlights Walking Tour - $22 per person
Soho Punk Tour - $36 per person
Private DJ Class - $132 per person
Be a Rockstar: Beginner Friendly Studio Recording Experience - $138 per person
Royal Museums Greenwich

Make the most out of your day with a Royal Museums Greenwich Day Pass, which includes the Royal Observatory and Cutty Sark.
Duration
At your leisure
Availability
Everyday from 10 am - 6 pm
Price
$49 per person
Alternative
British Museum - $12 per person
Museum of Brands - $15 per person
Old Royal Naval College Visit and Painted Hall Tour - $21 per person
The Postal Museum - $23 per person
National Gallery Highlights - $24 per person
Cutty Sark - $28 per person
London Transport Museum - $29 per person
Guided Tour of the Royal Albert Hall - $26 per person
Royal Observatory Greenwich - $31 per person
HMS Belfast - $34 per person
The Tate Modern London - $105 per person
Natural History Museum London - $106 per person
Sherlock Holmes Museum & Westminster Walking Tour - $108 per person
Tottenham Hotspur Stadium: The Dare Skywalk Experience

Challenge yourself and waken your inner adventure-seeker by scaling the height of one of the newest landmarks in London. Step out onto a glass walkway 46.8 meters above the football pitch.
Duration
1.5 hours
Availability
Everyday from 10 am - 8 pm
Price
$50 per person
Alternative
London Stadium Tour - $28 per person
Wembley Stadium Tour - $32 per person
Stamford Bridge - $36 per person
Chelsea Football Club Stadium & Museum Tour - $36 per person
Emirates Stadium & Arsenal Museum - $39 per person
Tottenham Hotspur Stadium Tour - $41 per person
Up at The O2 - $48 per person
Up at The O2 Twilight Climb - $53 per person
Wimbledon Tennis Club and Westminster Walking Tour - $53 per person
Make a Fascinator Hat with a Designer

This hands-on one day course is your shortcut to learning how to be a fascinator hat maker. No need to worry if you’re a complete beginner as all materials are provided, and you’ll be guided through the hat making process with step-by-step instructions. Learn how to manipulate sinamay straw, how to curl feathers, work with veils, and more. No need to bring anything with you as all materials are provided, including a base, feathers, veiling, and other embellishments.
Duration
3.5 hours
Availability
Everyday at 11 am
Price
$157 per person
Alternative
London Shopping Tours - $112 per person
Professional Private Photoshoot

Schedule your own private photo shoot in London with a professional photographer who makes quality photos of your party at iconic locations. Ideal for couples, families, and friends, your photographer captures your visit in London destinations such as St Paul’s Cathedral, Millennium Bridge, and Tower Bridge. Your photographer edits and uploads 30-40 high-resolution digital photos within 48 hours after your photo shoot.
Duration
1 hour
Availability
Everyday from 9 am - 8 pm
Price
$125 per person
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