Off The Beaten Track In London: Private Shoreditch Tour

Interesting and fun best way to explore this area. Tom was informative and entertaining. Unexpected sights

Naomi was clearly a local and gave us fantastic insight into the neighborhood, its inhabitants and its street art that we would have never gotten on our own!

It looks odd on the outside, and to a degree on the inside, but the food and service were excellent and we shall return. The food is all barbecued, but to perfection. Great fun place

Fantastic day out. Understanding more about other parts of London which are “off the beaten track” Highly recommend Great places that we could go back to and explore more

Anthony was awesome. Great tour made better by an actual art enthusiast. Also loved the food recommendations and the best ways to navigate a very large and busy city. Highly recommend the tour and especially Anthony.

Thomas was well informed and pointed out a number of interesting facts of the area. Especially liked the Gilbert & George stories and the "gherkin" building.

Anthony was a fantastic tour guide, taking me all around the East End of London showing me little known but special places, explaining the history and cultural context of each. We saw various street art, saw the progression of neighborhoods as they are being slowly gentrified. Southwark Cathedral is a MUST see on the tour, ending in Borough Market in time for lunch. The tour was great, very flexible, as Anthony was fabulous.

Bringing a teen on a tour is risky. However Gregory didn’t miss a beat. He started gauging both mine and my teen’s interests right away. Brought us into an off the beat bookstore that (especially) the teen loved but we both enjoyed. Went through the alley of Jack the Ripper’s first victim- Polly. Went through a market and got delicious coffee (for me), learned about the area and the people that came together from different cultures and countries to make it what it is today. We saw lots of great street art that we never would have explored without Gregory’s guidance. Teen’s favourite was a giant purple mouse with writing - big mouse is happy (which I never even saw), I enjoyed so much of it that I can’t pinpoint a direct favourite. We ended with a small art gallery showing a display on submarines. Everything was geared towards our interests, when I mentioned liking vintage stuff Gregory brought us into a vintage market. Totally worth both the price and the time (time is more valuable than money!) and we were very tired after an early morning flight but have zero regrets going straight into the tour before we could even check in!!! Highly recommend this tour and Gregory if you value quality content and exploration with a knowledgeable guide.

Fascinating tour of a district of London that we probably never would have visited on our own. Gregory is a very personable, knowledgeable tour guide. He told us about the history of the neighborhood and the many immigrants who have settled there. The street art is the icing on the cake. Gregory knows the artists and their signatures and pointed out many of the distinctive trademarks of these artists. As with many aspects of our London stay, I wish we had more time. There's an amazing craft market and tons of wonderful food. I bought samosas and Turkish Delite to go. Highly recommend this tour and ask for Gregory. He's terrific.

I booked the 'Off the Beaten Track in London: Shoreditch Tour' with Tom as an introduction to East London for my cousin and her two adult daughters who were travelling down from the Midlands for the day. Tom was extremely personable and engaging. He adapted very quickly to the needs and personalities in the groups, finding out where in the Midlands my guests were from, and drawing on his own family history and knowledge of the area to link London's historical and cultural references to those of various Midlands towns and cities. The tour was fast-paced and varied, with Tom weaving together stories about architecture, community, business, art, fashion and music and referencing them to what we saw around us as we toured the area. He showed us lots of places that we want to go back and explore in more depth and was kind enough to take lots of photos for us as a momento of the day. I would thoroughly recommend Tom as a storyteller and guide and have no doubt that all of his tours are as entertaining as this. The only question really is which one to try next......

Thanks Chris and Anthony for a great tour, and for taking the time to speak to us in advance and tailor the tour to meet our expectations and particular requirements. Really friendly and informative, would definitely recommend.

We were disappointed with our experience and ended the tour early. Whilst Anthony was a good host, polite and on time, there was very little content to the activity. He was limited in his knowledge of the areas past and was often repetitive. Activity and social scene on Bricklane doesn't start up until later in the morning and perhaps hampered Anthony's effort, however, he should have had alternative content ready to occupy time and keep our interest. He also needed google maps to direct him around, certainly not the mark of a person who has grown up in the locality. The tour is perhaps best suited to tourists from abroad and is probably better off starting later in the day.

Jonoko loves art and admires artists, especially the "troublemakers." Our walking trip around the East End was full of fun stories, jokes and insights into the minds of some of the city's most creative and anarchistic minds. This tour was one of my favorite parts of my trip to London.

We could not have asked for a better experience with Jonoko. His witty demeanor and extremely knowledgeable personality made our tour a special afternoon. We started with a sleepy 9 year old, but by the end of the tour - Jonoko had her fully engaged and commenting on all her street art “sightings.” He was perfect with our shy little girl. I am a huge fan of street art and I can’t speak highly enough about Jonoko and this splendid tour. Do yourself and your family a favor - take this tour. It’s one of the hidden gem experience of London.

I can highly recommend this tour! Rüya knows the area and the artist very well and we were fed with both great food and great stories. Thanks a lot!

Sorcha was a great guide and I saw a lot of incredible street art and learned a lot about Irish history! Very open to questions, very communicative via text, and very knowledgeable about the area and its history. I enjoyed myself very much.

Sorcha was a wealth of knowledge and fun. We walked around quite a bit and she told us a lot about the area where we were. She even treated us to hot chocolate and tea - which were unnecessary of her to do but very nice. I would recommend it as a way of getting to know the area of London.

A very nice 2 hours with Rüya. We had limited time in London and booked her at really the last minute and we didn't regret it. Very interesting tour full of colors and stories. Rüya, Thank you so much, You are doing it as best as it can be done

We were a number of co-workers and we met Sorcha for Half a day trip and it was one of the good decisions we made !!! We had a delicious and instructive fun trip !!! Sorcha took us to interesting places and in a fun way told us the history of each place This trip is highly recommended to anyone who wants to know London walls Art and get to know the urban space in the city Sorcha is a great guide and highly recommended.

What a fabulous tour. Sorcha was so knowledgeable and funny and a great communicator. Our family loved the whole experience and the stop off at the chocolate cafe was truly amazing. We would definitely recommend this tour and Sorcha. We will be back again soon.

We had a great time walking and talking in the East End with Thom. He showed us many historical places and shared interesting facts and stories. Also, loved the stores and vintage market. Thank you Thom we had a fantastic trip to London. Alsp, over the course of our 10 day trip to London and Paris we did a total of 5 private tours such as this one and I can't recommend them enough! The tours made a huge difference for us.

We took the London's Urban Side Tour: Street Art & Food on Dec 28. It was a great experience, and Rüya was a fabulous guide! She told us about the history of the neighborhoods and how they had evolved through the decades, and pointed out some very interesting (and unusual) street art, telling us about the backgrounds of the various artists, and how they "claim" their canvases. Later, we settled down in Spitalfields Market where Rüya brought us samples of foods representing the cultures of the immigrants who settled the area. We really enjoyed the tour and Rüya, and would recommend it as a great way to spend an afternoon!

a wonderful experience with Jonoko, a passionate and competent guide with much enthusiasm and knowledge about the subjects we discussed together!highly recommended!

Tour guide was a no-show. After telephoning and emailing the tour operator several times with no answer, I gave up and left, having wasted tube fare to the departure point, plus my entire morning. Two hours after the scheduled start time they finally responded, asking me if I still wanted to do the tour later. Obviously I said no. All I got from them was “apologies for the inconvenience.” Insulting and unacceptable. I am a frequent traveler, and this is the first time I’ve ever experienced this. Be wary of dealing with these people.

Had a great walk-about with Jonoko on the Urban Jungle tour. He is so personable, and a wealth of information. He pointed out so many things we would ordinarily walk by and not even notice. This tour was informative and an eye-opener to the London street art scene. It's more than just the art, but his knowledge of the different artists just enhances the experience. The time on our tour just flew by. I would highly recommend this tour. Oh, and you end up with some great insta-grammable pictures!!

I have done quiet a few tours with withlocals but Thom's was by far the best. He is super fun and charismatic and brings a lot of knowlege about the city that amazed me. He customized our tour so my 15year old daughter could do some Vintage shopping and he brought us to the best places. I can highly recommend Thom and his tour.

Rüya was a great guide and was flexible in scheduling as we needed to change to a different day/time, which was no problem. The tour was nicely structured with lots of tidbits of local knowledge that you wouldn't get elsewhere. There were new surprises around every corner, details and places you would otherwise never even notice. She adapted her stories based on the fact we are not hugely knowledgeable about art, but could no doubt cater for the keenest of art-lovers too. And great tips for lunch. The soup dumplings tip was spot-on!

We really enjoyed everything about our tour of the East End with Rüya. She was knowledgeable, engaging, and we also ate some great food! She brought the area to life for us and we highly recommend her tours to others.

Discovering shoreditch, walking alone brick lane and getting to know a lot about graffiti artists is great ! It was fun to explore this area with Jonoko - fantastic guy to be with. We booked the Tour for 2 hours but he took us along with him for almost 4 hours. He couldn't stop talking .. Great entertainer also. We would definitly book him again.

My wife and me used local host & tours services In every major city in the world that combines culture, gastronomy and shopping. When we arrived in London, we chose Luciana to be our guest in the urban tour that included history and graffiti ... Luciana was beyond guide, she was kind, pleasant, professional, smiling. Her knowledge transfer made the two hours guide enjoyable . We strongly recommend her.

Ruya was awesome! We had a lovely walk through East End and the day wouldn't have been as great if it wasn't for our terrific guide. I've never appreciated street art much. Ruya did a great job telling us about the art culture and I truly have a new appreciation for this art style. There is also a bit of history. Recommend the hot chocolate along the way...she will know where to go. ;) We did this on our first short day and it was a great introduction to London...and a unique tour. Thank you! :)

I booked this with my girlfriend. Sorcha, our tour guide personalized the trip to our liking in every aspect. We stopped by a chocolate shop (Dark Sugars) and she took us out of her way to see tremendous art as well. It was a knowledgeable experience. The art was truly amazing and awe inspiring. Sorcha extended out to inform us of certain bars and food places of interest and topped it all off by showing us a speak easy, and having a round of drinks with us. Highly recommended.

We loved the way Jonoko gave us a inside view of the streetart scene! He knew some of the artists and could give us inside information. Absolutely a top host!

We had a wonderful guiding tour from Rüya. She showed us the most beautiful street art and markets. She was very kind and was also interested in our wishes. It was an excellent experience. We definitely recommend this private urban street tour with Rüya! Thank you!

We spent 2 fantastic hours with Jonoko. He really is an expert and passionate about true street art. This tour is for those who want to know more than just big names such as Banksy (but don't worry, you'll see them as well). Highly recommended.

My daughter enjoyed every moment of her time with Rosa at both The National Gallery and The British Museum. Rosa is so knowledgeable in art history and provided my daughter with in-depth and interesting details and stories as they explored each museum. The day was the highlight of my daughter's time in London and she can't wait to return and visit more museums with Rosa.

Dear Sorcha, thank you for the wonderful morning we spent with you in East End. It was a totally new experience for us and we enjoyed the walk extremely. Also your knowledge was great. Thank you very much Sorcha! Kind regards Monika, Peter & Ida

Thank you to our wonderful host Jonoko for the fascinating tour of London East End. Jonoko's knowledge knows no end and we learnt so much about the city we already live in! Why do we need to be tourists before we go exploring. Jonoko's passion is tangible and contagious. Thank you for pouring your heart and soul into making sure we had a fun and informative tour. The Street Art portion was my favorite and we got some magnificent photos to prove it.

We could not possibly possibly recommend a tour with Jonoko more highly. What a special experience! Jonoko is warm, engaging and to say he is knowledgeable is such an understatement. A true patron of the art scene, he is personally connected to the art and artists in London's community and beyond. In addition to getting into the history of art in London, and seeing parts of London and street art we otherwise never would have seen, Jonoko is also a wealth of knowledge around gentrification and development in the city, explaining transitions in neighborhoods we never could have otherwise possibly learned about. About midway through the tour, we stopped at the most magical little place, a shop with a baker in the bottom and an enclosed brick garden where we were able to rest with coffee and a freshly baked pastry. Simply amazing. After a few hours, we had to get to another event, but we could have easily spent the rest of the day with Jonoko. Make sure to book this tour as it will make your trip to London more special in a way you could never otherwise imagine.

The tour was the best tour that I did in my all life. Jonoko has a huge kwouledge of the city. And its jungle art. He open my mind to a knew World that I Didn't know it existe. Thank you Jonoko. I will come back for more!!!

This tour is not about a large group of people being rushed through the East London with a guide holding a pink umbrella to lead the way. It is personal, customised, with stops and detours as you please. It is an incredible experience. Jonoko is a passionate art lover. His energy is contagious. His knowledge of street art and the artists themselves is is endless. We met maestro Fanakapan in action in Brick Lane: his shiny cosmonaut reaching for stars across the whole corner building is awesome! We were curious about Banksy, but it is just a tip of an ever changing graffiti iceberg. What an eye opener! From now on we see the whole mural art scene from a different perspective. Street is life. We are the streets. We will be back for more. ALL THUMBS UP!