Sightseeing in London: a day out at the top sights
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Are you planning some sightseeing in London? Looking for a great day out where you can see the top sights in the city accompanied by a guide who will impart some fascinating insights and information on the UK’s capital?
If you are, I’d recommend you consider booking a London city tour. There are many to choose from that are tailored to visitors’ different interests and which vary in duration. They also offer an easy and convenient way of getting around the main tourist sites in a short time.
You can check out the wide choice of London city tours on offer here.
I went on one of these tours recently and had a fabulous day out.
The tour included a coach drive through the heart of London, around beautiful architecture and Royal parks, seeing the Changing of the Guard near Buckingham Palace, a tour inside St. Paul’s Cathedral, entry to the Tower of London to see the Crown Jewels, and a boat trip along the River Thames to Westminster.
My London day tour
The following is a brief overview of the London tour I went on and my thoughts on it.
My tour was sponsored by GetYourGuide, but the information here reflects my personal experience and is my honest opinion.
You’ll see that the tour covers a lot – most of the leading attractions you’ll probably want to see as a tourist in London. For this reason, and the fact that it includes 3 tickets (2 entry tickets and a boat cruise), plus a guide and a coach driver, I’d recommend it. I had a great day out and thought it was excellent value for money overall.
My overview of this tour
Because the tour covers such a lot, I’ve broken the following down by approximate times so that you can see what we did and when.
The start of the tour: 9 am to 10.10 am
Our day started with a coach tour. After pulling out of Victoria Coach Station, we drove around areas showcasing grand buildings and beautiful gardens. This included Knightsbridge and Sloane Street with its plethora of famous designer stores, including Harrods.
We then moved onto South Kensington where our guide pointed out the museums here (and the fact that many are free), including the Victoria and Albert Museum, the Natural History Museum and the Science Museum. The coach stopped outside the Natural History Museum to allow us to take photos of it.
The next stop was the Royal Albert Hall, a concert hall opened in 1871 by Queen Victoria and named after her late husband. We were given about 15 minutes to get off the bus here.
You can take a picture of this fabulous landmark and then wander up to the Albert Memorial, which stands majestically up some steps on the side of Kensington Gardens (for my post on a visit to Kensington Palace, another royal palace, click here).
The coach then drove us to Hyde Park, one of the eight Royal parks in London, and to Hyde Park Corner and the Wellington Monument. We went down past Green Park (another Royal park), down Piccadilly, and past the Ritz Hotel. Famous for its afternoon teas, we were advised to book well advance if you want to try this.
Afterwards, the coach drove us past the Royal Academy of Arts, Fortnum and Mason (according to the guide, this was one of the late Queen’s favourite stores and where the Scotch Egg was invented), and to the bottom of Regent Street with the Eros statue at Piccadilly Circus.
Buckingham Palace, the Changing of the Guard and St. James’ Park: 10.10 am to 11.30 am
Our coach driver then took us down to a spot just off The Mall where he parked up, and we got off the coach.
The Changing of the Guard
We walked down onto the Mall, crossed the road, and stood behind barriers waiting for the Changing of the Guard to start. This famous ceremony involves a procession of guards that swap over duties. It takes place around St James’s Palace, Buckingham Palace, and the Wellington Barracks on selected days.
Our guide got us to the area about half an hour early. This ensured we got a perfect spot from which to witness the procession and were at the front when the crowds started arriving.
We were supplied with small audio guides connected to headphones that we hung around our necks. Our guide could then continue to provide us with information through our headphones, even though it was quite noisy outside, and we might not have been that close to her.
She gave an overview of the procession for the Changing of the Guard and made sure we looked in the right direction so we didn’t miss anything. She also pointed out the royal residences along The Mall and gave us lots of historical information on the Royal Family and the various kings and queens that have lived in these, including in Clarence House and Buckingham Palace.
Buckingham Palace
After the guards had marched past us, our guide took us on a short walk further down The Mall, nearer to Buckingham Palace.
As you can see from my photo here, she took us to one of the best spots to see the palace and the end of the Changing of the Guard. The spot is a little further back from the world-famous building but is a great place from which to get a good look at this majestic palace with the Queen Victoria statue to one side.
If you fancy learning more about the palace on another day, you can book tickets to go inside here.
St. James’s Park
We then got some free time to wander back to the coach.
You can either go back the way you came or drop down into St James’s Park. I’d recommend the latter. It’s one of the eight Royal parks in London and offers a relaxing walk through beautiful grounds.
It has a lake in the middle with lots of grassy areas surrounding it. There’s also lots of wildlife (even pelicans!), and a view of the London Eye from the bridge across the lake.
If you need a comfort break, there are toilets in the park that you can pop into.
Coach drive around Westminster: 11.30 am to 12.00 pm
The last part of our morning was wending our way back to the Victoria area. We went past Trafalgar Square and down Whitehall.
Our guide pointed out government buildings – as well as Downing Street, the residence of the British Prime Minister – and the Cenotaph war memorial. She also showed us where the Cabinet War Rooms are, before we reached Big Ben (which is actually the name of the bell inside the top of the Elizabeth Tower) and the Houses of Parliament and Westminster Abbey.
We then made our way back down towards Victoria Station.
Lunch: 12.00 pm to 1.00 pm
At 12.00, we were dropped off near the Evan Evans Tours office in Victoria (we were told there were toilets here for use if we needed them). We had an hour to have lunch. There are plenty of cafes and restaurants in the surrounding area where you can grab a quick bite to eat.
Others went off on a different trip – for example, some people were pointed in the direction of the nearby Rubens Hotel for afternoon tea.
Coach drive to St. Paul’s Cathedral: 1.00 pm to 1:30 pm
Our drive from Victoria to St. Paul’s Cathedral took us over Vauxhall Bridge and past more interesting sights. These included the M15 building, Lambeth Palace (the Archbishop of Canterbury’s London home), and the Imperial War Museum (another fascinating museum which is free to enter).
As we approached the cathedral – which was built in the late 17th century and early 18th century – via Blackfriars Bridge, our guide started supplying us with some fascinating information about this famous London landmark. For example, it is apparently the fifth church to be built on this site, and the dome you see on the top is one of the highest in the world.
Tour of St. Paul’s Cathedral: 1:30 pm to 2.45 pm
When we arrived at St. Paul’s Cathedral, our guide had our tickets, so we were able to skip the line and get in quickly.
Having lived in London for many years, I’ve seen the cathedral many times. But this was my first time inside – and I wasn’t disappointed. To say that it is stunning is an understatement.
We wandered around the ground floor admiring our surroundings (make sure you look down at the flooring, as well as up to the ceilings) and hearing all about the history of cathedral which was designed by Sir Christopher Wren.
We also went into the American Memorial Chapel to see the stained-glass windows and down to the crypt. Among the famous people laid to rest here are Sir Christopher Wren, Lord Nelson, and the Duke of Wellington.
Visit to the Tower of London: from 3.00 pm
We then jumped back on the coach and were driven the short distance through the city of London to the Tower of London. This is where you leave the coach, and the tour becomes more independent.
We had already been given our tickets, so entered quickly. The guide accompanied us across the drawbridge, along a walkway by the battlements (if you have time, walk along these and look down into the tower grounds, as well as across the river to see Tower Bridge), and past the famous ravens. She pointed out the White Tower and the entrance to the Crown Jewels.
We then explored on our own. Our guide recommended that we first go to see the Crown Jewels as this shuts earlier than the rest of the tower’s other attractions.
If you have time, it’s worth getting into the queue for this. The jewels inside are quite mind-blowing and include the Imperial State Crown which is adorned with almost 3,000 diamonds.
Afterwards, you go can inside the White Tower, one of the oldest buildings in London, and into the Royal Armouries. You can also wander around other sections of the tower’s grounds, including where many famous historical figures were executed. As you do, you’re bound to see some of the Yeoman Warders who have been guarding the Tower since the late 15th century.
For more information on the Tower of London and my top tips for visiting, see my separate post.
Cruise back to Westminster
We ended our day with the short cruise back from the Tower of London to Westminster using the ticket our guide had given us at the start of the day.
The cruise takes you along the river past sights that include HMS Belfast, the Shard, the Globe Theatre, the Tate Modern, and the London Eye.
All these are places that are worth visiting independently as part of your London trip.
The boat cruise lasted about 25 minutes, but 40 minutes including getting on and off. I’d therefore advise allocating an hour for this part of the tour to allow you enough time to queue so you can ensure you get on your chosen boat.
The boats are run by City Cruises, so you can check the timings of them here.
If you’re not catching the boat and want to do more sightseeing around the Tower of London area, you can find more information on what to do in my separate post here.
For information on things to do near the Houses of Parliament and the Waterloo area of the city, click here.
Practical information on this tour
If you do plan to book this tour, you may be interested in the practical information below.
How can I book this tour?
You can book this tour here.
How long is the tour?
Our tour ran from 9 am until around 5.30 pm. However, you could spend slightly longer on the tour – or slightly less – depending on how much time you choose to spend at the Tower of London. When you get here, your time is your own.
Is this tour worth the cost?
I’d definitely say yes.
At face value, it’s not the cheapest tour you can book. But when you add in the entry fees to St. Paul’s Cathedral and the Tower of London, plus the boat trip and the services of a guide and driver, I’d say it’s value for money.
Where do you pick up the tour?
The tour starts in London’s Victoria Coach Station. Head to the Evan and Evans Tours kiosk opposite Gate 1 where you can be checked in.
Do you get lunch on the tour?
Lunch is not included on the tour, but if you book the one we went on, you get a one hour break in the Victoria area. There are plenty of cafes and restaurants here where you can grab a quick bite to eat before getting back on the coach.
What I liked about this tour
I loved the fact that I got to see so much during just an eight-hour tour. It’s true that you can probably see all these sights independently – especially if you book a hop-on hop-off bus tour – but with this one you get the benefit of a Blue Badge guide who gives you loads of historical information as you go around and is there to answer any questions you have.
The guide and driver also made sure we got to places in enough time to make the most of them. We were taken to the Mall early to ensure we got a spot at the front of the crowd to see the Changing of the Guard. I’m quite sure that if I went to see this myself, I wouldn’t have known where best to stand.
The guide then took us to the best spot at the end of the Mall to see Buckingham Palace.
For all the attractions you need entry tickets for, these are ready and waiting for you when you arrive. This is a bonus and helps you avoid queuing for long periods at peak times.
I also liked the fact that the guide gives you an audio guide and headphones for use at a couple of points in the day. This is not a pre-recorded audio guide but a way to ensure you can hear the guide when you’re wandering around outside and not necessarily all together in one group. This means that the audio you get is live and tailored to what’s going on around you.
For me, I also appreciated the fact when we got to the Tower of London, our guide took us through the main entrance and gave us some information and then left us. This meant we could explore independently for the last part of the day and take our time over the things we particularly wanted to see. The lack of a full guided tour at this point may not be for everyone, but I liked this flexibility at this stage of the tour.
What I didn’t like about this tour
There wasn’t much I didn’t like about this tour, especially when you consider it covers the best attractions in central London.
However, the need to get to Victoria Coach Station by 8.30 am tested me a bit (I needed to leave home just after 7 am, and I’m not a morning person!).
But if you’re staying in London, you may not have to leave as early as me. And as you’ll see when you’re on the tour, an early start is needed – there’s a lot to cram in. You’ll be glad they cover as much as they do.
In terms of the tour itself, perhaps the only other thing that would have been good was a bit more time in St. Paul’s Cathedral so we could climb the Dome and go to the famous Whispering Gallery. Having said this, I can appreciate there’s probably not enough time to add this into the tour, given how much it covers.
Top tips if you take this tour
- If you want to see the Changing of the Guard, check the small print at the time of booking: this doesn’t take place every day.
- If you want to go into St Paul’s Cathedral, check the small print when you book: it isn’t open every day.
- When you leave the spot by Buckingham Palace, drop down into St. James Park and walk along the side of the lake back to the coach. In my opinion this is nicer than wandering back along The Mall.
- When you get to the Tower of London, see the Crown Jewels first. There can be long queues here, and as this part shuts before the rest of the site, you won’t want to miss them.
- If you’re taking the boat ride, get to the dock about 20 minutes before departure. Again, there can be long queues, and if you’re at the back, there may not be enough space for you.
- Take a camera charger: there are many photo opportunities during the day and you don’t want to miss out because your battery is low.
- If you’re into taking lots of photos, grab a seat by the window in the coach. The driver will slow down in places for you to snap some pictures.
- Take a few snacks to keep you going during the day. You can’t eat on the bus, but these will keep you going when you’re out and about as there aren’t really places where you grab anything other than at lunchtime or late in the day at the Tower of London.
- Don’t worry about loo breaks – there are several opportunities during the day which the guide will let you know about.
- Ask questions! That’s what your guide is there for, and they really do know a lot.
London sightseeing
For more London sightseeing ideas, and tips for some of the best things to do in the capital, check out some of my other posts. These cover:
