Free tour

Free Essential Westminster Sightseeing Tour

4.72

Good(180)

London

Duration: 2 hours and 30 minutes

Languages: English

Guru: London with a Local Tours

PRO

Verified quality

Registered on 17 January 2023

London with a Local was created in 2018 out of a desire to bring something different to those visiting (or living in) this wonderful, hectic, ever-changing City. We wanted to provide the best quality tours at a price that works for everyone. London is expensive – believe us, we know. Our aim was to provide at least one part of your time here where you feel like you are truly getting your money's worth. London With A Local is made up of a mix of born and bred Londoners, who can give you a picture of how it feels to grow up in the midst of the chaos, and those who decided to become Londoners after visiting as a tourist and falling in love. They combine a knowledge of the secrets that have been passed down through generations, with the hunger and excitement that comes with embracing a new place as your home. Our tours, of course, visit the iconic architectural structures that London the most recognisable city on Earth, but also allow a peak behind the curtain, away from the glitz and glamour of the West End, to give you the opportunity to see the “real” London, far from the tourist trap souvenir shops, to where the true treats and treasures, so often hidden away from tourists, reside. In short, we want everyone who gets the opportunity to join us on a tour, to feel like they are getting to know the essence of this great city. As well as experience in guiding and a knowledge of the history and politics of Britain, our expert guides all come from a performance background. We are actors. We are musicians. We are comedians. We are dancers and directors. Above all, we are storytellers and our aim is not just to reel off a load of dates that will be forgotten in a split second, but to paint you a picture of the people and events that built the foundations that we tread upon.

Free reservation and cancellation

Pay-what-you-want tour, no set price, reservation and cancellation are free

Tour description

Explore the heart of London on our Free Westminster Walking Tour, a 2-hour journey through the city’s royal, political, and historic landmarks. Starting at the Clermont Hotel, Charing Cross, near Trafalgar Square, our expert guide will lead you through one of the wealthiest and most famous boroughs in the world, visiting palaces, parks, and iconic London sites along the way. This is the perfect introduction to London for first-time visitors, and even Londoners will learn new stories about their city.

Discover Buckingham Palace, the official residence of the monarch, and hear about famous royal events, from the abdication of Edward VIII to Michael Fagan’s infamous break-in. Walk through St James’s Park, one of London’s oldest Royal Parks, and glimpse St James’s Palace, the centre of royal tradition for centuries. Explore The Mall and Horse Guards Parade, imagining the pomp of past ceremonies and the grandeur of London’s pageantry.

See the political heart of the United Kingdom, including Downing Street, home to the Prime Minister, and the Houses of Parliament, where history has been made for over 700 years. Learn about the Gunpowder Plot and Guy Fawkes, whose plan to blow up Parliament changed the nation forever. Step past Westminster Abbey, the resting place of monarchs and luminaries like Charles Dickens and Charles Darwin, and discover the Unknown Warrior, a tribute to Britain’s fallen soldiers. No visit to London is complete without a view of Big Ben, one of the world’s most famous clocks.

Along the way, we share stories of monarchs who shaped the world, from the womanizing Henry VIII and the formidable Queen Victoria, to Princess Diana, the People’s Princess, and modern royalty like Elizabeth II. Discover how politics, war, scandal, and ceremony intertwined to shape London and the nation.

For those hoping to see the Changing of the Guard*, we’ll try to include it when it is running, but please note that it is weather-dependent and affected by Royal visits, so we cannot guarantee it on every tour.

This 2-hour Westminster tour finishes in Parliament Square, next to Big Ben and Westminster Station. It’s ideal for visitors interested in London sightseeing, royal history, political history, famous landmarks, and must-see attractions in Westminster.

Book your spot now and walk through a thousand years of British history, royalty, and politics in London!

*We cannot guarantee the ceremony will be running every day. The schedule varies due to seasons and weather.

Please note, groups larger than 6 and any educational groups will need to get in touch to arrange a private tour, as they will not be able to join the public tour

Highlights

What will we see on this tour?

Meeting point:

Strand, London WC2N 5HX, UK

The tour begins from The Clermont Hotel, Charing Cross, Strand, London, WC2N 5HX Google maps link - https://goo.gl/maps/JKWWHFofEd6Dkm3h6. The guide will be holding a red umbrella.

Outside visit

Trafalgar Square

Outside visit

The Mall

Outside visit

St James' Palace

How much does this tour cost?

Free tours do not have a set price, instead, each person gives the guru at the end the amount they consider appropriate (amounts usually range from €15 to $50 depending on satisfaction with the tour).