The tour starts under the majestic gaze of one of the most beautiful buildings in the world.
Explore the beautiful landscaped gardens of St Pauls Cathedral.
Delightfully colourful gardens with an incredible backdrop.
This beautiful garden was redeveloped during Covid and features a water feature and view not to be missed.
Beautiful shady garden, a haven for silver birch with a cooling water feature at the rear amongst other things.
Beautiful gardens with an Italian inspiration due to the Roman ruins that lay beneath.
This secret garden is dedicated to one of the most famous Lord Mayors of London who amongst other things built the nearby church.
Almost completely hidden from view, this beautiful garden has a definitive Welsh theme with a sad history behind it.
See the incredible monument to the Great Fire of London
Visit the most beautiful ruin in the old City of London.
One time home of the most famous diarist in history, Samuel Pepys, the garden has some incredible decorative stones illustrating the unique and memorable life of this fascinating man,
This historic church and garden has been through Great Fires, Plagues, World Wars and as such as some incredible history.
80 years after The Blitz this garden is finally being redeveloped but its true secret is why it is hear at all and for that we have to go back to one of the darkest moments in Londons history, many centuries ago.
Visit London's newest sky garden which offers a fantastic view of where we have been and where we will be going. The garden has a capacity of 207 people so it is possible that on rare occasions we cannot get in. So far so good though!
A beautiful modern garden with a poignant work of art regarding the slave trade on the spot where two men campaigned tirelessly for its destruction.
A stunning Victorian market built on top of a Roman market, beautiful and iconic, seen in many shows and movies.
The garden of this ancient church is relatively plain but it has a grave within it that is possibly the most famous grave in English literature, set as it is amongst ancient lanes and alleys.
No cars or any vehicles can get close to this secret garden, huddled away in the medieval passageways. A beautiful garden with a nice sun trap too. Surrounded by old churches, pubs and the oldest coffee shop too.
Right in the middle of London we will stand on top of the old Roman amphitheatre
This little space in the heart of the old Jewish district of London and almost entirely rebuilt after WW2.
This sunken garden has a history both ancient and the merely old.
These unusual gardens hold an ancient secret uncovered in WW2, ruins of the old Roman City Wall.
This little garden has strong associations to William Shakespeare and even Prime Minister Sir Winston Churchill.
A magnificent old tree steels the show here with incredible modern architecture all around.
Visit this beautiful but rarely visited park with its touching memorial to everyday heroes.
Did the tour with my young adult daughter. Kevin was excellent. He knows so much about current London, London history, and the Secret Gardens of London. He was incredibly engaging and loved answering all of our questions. You can tell he is passionate about what he’s doing. We HIGHLY recommend Kevin. We had a great time.
We had the joy of meeting Kevin our guide, who in turn showed us so much more than multiple hidden gardens within the downtown city limits of London. He is a history buff who loves the city and shared a multiple insights to this city, from the various architectural structures to the history of the city! Much more than expected!
The title of this tour is exactly what we were looking for. Unfortunately, the the content of the tour was not. This tour guide is so well schooled in the history of the city and surrounding areas going as far back as the eleven hundreds. But that is not what we wanted. We thought we were going to literally go into people's gardens that were behind locked fences, and see things we had never seen before. The only secret about the garden tour is that the gardens are built on old cemeteries. These gardens are run and maintained by the city, and therefore they look the same. The plantings are the same.
stephen is incredible. generally no one tours the city. on this tour we get to tour the city of london and visit small but great green spaces and learn about their origins. hes a delight and a wealth of info
This is a great tour! Explore gardens and parts of London that you probably would not come across otherwise. Learn tons of interesting facts about London and its history. Stephen was a great guide and so knowledgeable. Highly recommended!
Excellent tour! Very informative. Stephen was very knowledgeable and enthusiastic, learnt loads about a place we thought we knew! Now have a list of his other tours to book…
If I could, I’d like to give this experience a 10 out of 5. I can’t believe all of these amazing gardens, the rich history of why these places are even here, and how lucky we feel to have spent a good bit of time with Kevin, our guide. He is the most patient, passionate, knowledgeable tour guide. He knows London inside and out, and we really put him to the test. Can’t praise him highly enough. If you think you’ve “done” London, but you haven’t done this tour, prepare for a Master Class in the real London. We won’t forget this day ever.
We spent our morning being shown unique spaces in The City of London we never would have found on our own. In addition to discovering beautiful “ secret gardens” , we learned a great deal about Landon’s history . Stephen was an excellent guide …. Incredibly knowledgeable and fun to spend the morning with…. Highly recommend!
Please request Kevin for your next tour in London! He is extremely knowledgeable and passionate about History. He is a fantastic storyteller and narrator as well. He takes good care of the people on his tour and makes you feel safe on the busy streets of London. Your time will be well spent with him!
Kevin was a great tour guide with lots of historical information to share with us. We had a lovely walk through many lovely secret gardens and thoroughly enjoyed the tour.
Kevin was one of the most knowledgeable and personable guides we have ever had. Cannot recommend this tour and Viator enough
The pace of the tour was steady. Great history known by the guide, Stephen.need bl ackcard at each garden to identify So when people have gone home and they are trying to sort the gardens visited.
This was indeed the highlight of our trip. Lovely gardens and our guide Stephen told us much of the fascinating history and traditions of the City of London. Our mouths were hanging open in amazement much of the time. We encountered hardly any other tourists on this guided walk. Wonderful!
Kevin was amazing!!! My son and I had the best morning walking through the square mile and listening to all of Kevin’s wonderful stories.
Stephen was an excellent narrator for London's old churchyard gardens, laneways and architecture. Always finding the perfect spot to capture views, my photo's look like we were the only people in London that day.
Wow!Today was super interesting day in London!Thank you Stephen! Stephen was very nice and knowledgeable tour guide.He told many interesting history facts and stories about London history,I saw beautiful gardens.I highly recommend this tour for everyone who would Like to see unique places in London.
Even though this was my 10th trip to London, I saw so much that I had never seen before and learned so much. Kevin's passion for London and for history is amazing. He brought so much to life and was so eager to share his knowledge. It was simply wonderful. Best tour guide ever!
Stephen was a fountain of information and actually wrote the book on the secret gardens we visited. Meet us at our hotel and walked with us to the underground, to get us to the start of the tour. Weaving through the city of London to gardens that the average tourist would never know existed. What a great time we had. Thank you Stephen
I really enjoyed Stephans tour of gardens around downtown London. My Favorite was the Postman's Garden that he actually wrote a book about. Stephen also has been given the high honor of being named a Freeman of the City of London. Ask him about it!
Wonderful mix of history and natural beauty set in London. Small churchyards, a hidden crypt, to to Rooftop garden at 120. Well paced walking tour. Stephen has an excellent command of history and local lore. We will return soon for the pub tour! Thanks again, Dave and Diane
Such an interesting, insightful tour of hidden gardens of London. Stephen, our guide is a font of immense knowledge on all things historical and made the 3 hours spent so interesting and fun. I'd highly recommend any of his tours.
We loved our Garden Tour with Stephen…he was so informative and helpful! We would recommend him 100%..we are looking forward to returning to London and we will definitely be doing one of his other tours he offers. Thank you so much Steven!!!
This was a most very special tour. Kevin was incredible and shared so much of this beautiful city. I highly recommend this beautiful tour.
This is a fantastic way to start a trip in London. You will learn about things you didn’t know you were interested in
Fabulous experience. Saw so much of London I never knew existed. Stephen has so much knowledge. So many pretty oases hidden down side streets . Can't wait to do another one
The Sacred Gardens tour is my 2nd tour with the amazingly knowledgeable Stephen. I shared the tour with my sister and 2 friends. We all loved it and saw things that we would never have seen if we had explored alone. We also learnt facts we had no idea we didn't know. Even where the term Bluetooth comes from and other similar wonders stored in Stephen's filing cabinet of a brain. We are already wondering which tour to choose next. Happy to suggest to you to put those walking shoes on and explore with Stephen. Worth every single penny.
This was an absolutely fascinating tour ! Stephen is highly knowledgeable, and shares the information and stories in a really friendly and enthusiastic way. He knows his stuff, and you can tell he has a real affection for the places he takes you to. I thought I knew London well, but Stephen took us to gardens I didn't know existed - fascinating ! With a great mix of things I'd heard before and things that were new to me, the things I already knew acted as a kind of "fact check" that gave me confidence that the new tales were accurate. The tour took about three hours, so wear sensible shoes, but it's all done at a pace which allows you to really enjoy the experience and take in the places you see. Definitely a worthwhile thing to include in a trip to London !
The knowledge .. the enthusiasm .. you will be unknowingly drawn into the Viking, the Roman, the Tudor era. And the weird thing is .. you will be surrounded by the 21st century. Any age .. just go and experience. Public Houses on every corner, with their own tale. Enjoy. You are in the best hands !
Excellent tour of the City of London's hidden gems. We went to lots of secret gardens that are tucked away amongst the buildings, as well as along some of the narrow streets and lanes. Stephen was a brilliant guide and is very friendly and passionate about this tour and the history of London. His knowledge of every location was extensive and his stories of how London has been influenced by Romans, Vikings and Normans (among others) were fascinating. Would definitely recommend.
Stephen is an excellent tour guide and he showed us the most amazing gardens. Hidden away from the bustle and noise of the City of London. I recommend this as a tour not to be missed.
My partner Fiona Hogan bought this walk for her parents as gift; they are keen walkers and like history. This walk ticked all the boxes. Her parents had an absolutely wonderful time with Stephen who was so knowledgeable. I would definitely pay for another walk with Stephen, not only for my parents but also for my partner and I.
Did you know that London has several hidden green spaces and gardens? If you’re interested in such things then this tour is for you. Stephen took me around the City of London and sniffed out several hidden gems, telling me the history of each one as well as other interesting facts. I spent a very enjoyable afternoon in the company of Stephen who is an accomplished guide with lots of fascinating facts at his fingertips. I thoroughly recommend it.
This was a fantastic tour. Enjoyed every minute of it. Our tour guide, Kevin, told us so many bits of history you never hear about. We recommend this tour.
This was a fantastic Tour! Stephen has a wealth of knowledge to be shared and his light fun demenor is an absolute joy. I learned more than I thought and saw many beautiful gardens. I would recommend this tour if you really want to see London in a much deeper more personal way.
A fun three plus hours with Kevin through the center of London, Loved the old churches, the architecture of the new buildings, a great time!
We had about four delightful hours touring Wren churches, ruined churches, and other surprising pockets of the City of London, with a guide -- Kevin -- so in love with his topic that no question was too trivial or obscure for his interest. He was very sensitive to what we enjoyed, encouraging us to linger in some places when that seemed appropriate and moving briskly on when it was clear we were not interested in other places. He custom-tailored the tour to our interests, quickly figuring out what we liked and adding little bonuses in keeping with our tastes. He was knowledgeable, funny, and excellent company. We've been to London dozens of times, but we've never seen what he showed us. A true delight.
We had an amazing morning with Stephen, who is a fount of knowledge. We explored so many wonderful sites that we would never have found without him. Whether you are interested in history, gardens, or just some peace in the bustle of London take this tour. We cannot recommend it highly enough. Fabulous.
I am a management consultant. My days are long and because of it, my mind has reached a point where I need to take a few days of convalescence to renew. Today was my first day of my time off and I celebrated by taking this tour. It was the best possible way to begin my PTO. My wonderful guide, Kevin, is the author of this tour and over the course of 3-hours, he showed me beautiful and peaceful places....wait for it....in the financial district of London! Even thought I've been to London many times, Kevin introduced me to places I never knew existed. Throughout the tour, Kevin showed me "peace gardens" where people would gather, to peacefully have their lunch and/or to meditate. Seeing people enjoy the gardens while enjoying the first signs of Spring was food for my soul. Aside from the gardens, I was able to visit Roman ruins that I had probably passed before but never took time to appreciate. I was amazed by the depth of Kevin's knowledge for his beloved city but even more so by his sincerity. In conclusion, if you are looking for a "different" type of tour and enjoy a good walk, then this is your tour.....you won't be disappointed!
This was a great tour around London where we got to experience everything close up and personal, which was amazing. Kevin was a fabulous guide, a true history expert with so much extra tidbit information about everything! He is such a pleasure! Thank you Kevin!!!
We had the most wonderful tour guide, Kevin, taking us around the back alleys and hidden gems of London. Kevin was patient, very knowledgeable and tuned into our interest, and adjusted the tour accordingly. If you have been to London and know all the
<p>The tour was phenomenal, stephen was very attentive and professional. It was a private tour of the gardens of London. He was very knowledgeable, and would recommend everyone book with him!!</p>
<p>Kevin is awesome, knows a ton and is very passionate about his city! Thank you Ye Olde London Tours!</p>
Monday through Friday 9 am to 7 pm EST
Reach us by phone
Reach us by email