I didn't believe it for a second. No way could a duck support me on a tour of London. They are not…read moreknown for their strong backs. The notion that I would be getting shown around by, or transported by an actual duck were soon put to rest when I saw that we would be getting shown around in an odd looking little yellow bus thing. Imagine my surprise when after driving around for a short while the driver decided to drive straight into the Thames River. Luckily, the odd little yellow bus thing actually turns into a boat, of sorts. The reason this tour is so popular, I'd imagine, is because of exactly that; it's a road vehicle that can turn into a boat. That novelty alone would compel almost anyone to shell out £19. If you're a tourist; then why not. If you're going to do the bus tours, why not get on a weird yellow thing that also turns into a boat. But if you're a local - then think twice. Because it wasn't long into this tour that I realised I had just done what I promised myself I would never do; get an atypical tourist ride around London. The novelty of being on the water wears off in about nine seconds. Especially when you have a really annoying know-it-all tour guide. And as the dude hogging the microphone with his really weird moustache tells you "and this is Westminster..." you can't help but feel you would have been better off at home. It's not that there is anything fundamentally wrong with this tour, or my disgust that historic World War 2 boats have been turned into yellow tourist fodder - but simply, it just isn't really all that good or worthy of your money. Which brings me to my final point - which is certainly interesting. It turns out that these little yellow boat things are actually converted vehicles from the 1940's that were used during World War 2. In fact, it's entirely possible that this yellow thing that is showing you around London was a part of the D-Day invasions on Normandy. As someone who World War 2 is very important to; I would much rather see these in museums in their original state than painted yellow and showing tourists around; but that's just personal opinion.

Great fun and an interesting way to see the city…read more Our guide was really funny and gave lots of funny and insightful information about London. It was great to take a trip down the Thames as you really do get a different perspective on the Palaces of Westminster and London. I would like the tour to be a little longer but to be honest it's much better than a double decker bus.

When you have a day layover, there is so many sights to see when traveling. I remember to…read moreparticipate a tour when I visit Munich, so that we could see a good amount of sites. We did free tour with Dave. He was super great! When we did this tour it was on and off raining. So these tours happen rain or shine. The tour was focused on the castle aka the royal tour. We were taken to many photo spots and I love all the context we get. Dave the tour guide was so knowledgeable and super kind. On these tour he tells your tips on how to navigate around the city and etiquette. He was willing to give recommendations and directions when the tour ends too. Remember that these tours had a lot of research done and that you should tip as much you think it is worth. These tours are such worth it as they can build some structure on the trip. I look forward booking with Sandman's tour company again. :)

Jake was our tour guide during our 3 hour walking tour. Like other Sandeman's guides, he mixed…read moreboth important history and comedy, which kept my husband's attention because he is not a fan of tours! We hit all of the major touristy spots in London and got a lot of exercise, to boot. During Sandeman's tours, I have learned so much about the areas that otherwise I would have never heard. Yes, you can go online to learn the history, but you will not learn the little tidbits about areas or key figures. I highly recommend any tours with Sandeman's. And like many others have mentioned, be sure to tip well. I saw some people tip 5 pounds for the long tour--give me a break! He gave up several hours to teach you!

Claire was right about the history of the artificial tree!…read morehttps://www.hagley.org/ru/librarynews/it-just-doesnt-addis-trimming-legend-toilet-brush-christmas-tree

Excellent, A+++++ Beatles Magical Mystery Tour London tour with great pre-tour communication and…read morefollow-up. Everything was well organized and punctual. Richard, our guide, was extraordinary and super knowledgeable, engaging, and truly passionate about sharing Beatles history and stories. A must for any Beatles fan wanting to learn about their rich history in London.

Riveting story-telling. Our tour guide, Gerard, an actor himself, spun a gruesome and entertaining…read moretale. Well-paced, creepy, and fun!

We went on the Jack the Ripper tour on a friend's recommendation and I am glad we did! It was a fun…read morething to do on a Sunday evening. We went on a warm and pleasant night, which made the walking really enjoyable. We made the reservation and payment on the internet. We met our guide Amy outside of Algate East Tube station.This was an easy 5-10 minute walk from our hotel (The Hotel Indigo-London Tower). Amy was great! She was very friendly, informative, funny and super enthusiastic. She gave us a great sense of what it would have been like to live in Jack the Ripper's London and also updates on present day London. Amy had some large photos to show us, some of them were a bit gruesome and macabre. She also used the Ripper Vision projector. The Ripper Vision was a little disappointing but the rest of the tour more then made up for it. She took us through quie many interesting sections of London and explained the history and important sights. It was very interesting to see Brick Lane, with so many "Curry Shops". This looked like an Indian China Town with so many Indian, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Kebab, etc restaurants. The smells were fantastic. We also went to where they filmed Diagon Alley in the first Harry Potter movie. We might have been the only Yanks on the tour. Our group was about 25 people. At the end of the tour Amy told everyone how to get back to where they were going. We also talked with her a little too. The tour made everyone in our party a little more interested in Jack the Ripper. It is definitely a fun thing to do if you have the time. Thanks Amy!

Did the Harry Potter tour and Essential London tours during my stay in London. Both our guides,…read moreJamie and Sam, were informative and entertaining. I wouldn't say that the itineraries are anything out of the ordinary (it's stops you could plan out yourself with research), but it was a good experience to go with an organized group tour. Both tours started/ended on time and booking was seamless. The tours, as others have noted, are pay-what-you-will, so it's up to you what you want to pay (I paid 10 pounds each). They do accept card payment, but cash seems to be preferred.

I'm a big fan of free walking tours whenever I travel, and Strawberry Tours was a great find. I did…read morethe East tour and the West tour, both with Adam. He was so knowledgeable about the city, both in its history and culture! I especially loved his quirky stories, like about the executions that happened at the Tower of London and the dog buried by some politician and why. Now that I'm reading the reviews, I'm seeing a lot more options than were originally advertised in the brochure I got from my hostel, and I wish I'd known about them, as they all sound interesting and thorough! However, I do think the East and West tours are a great starting point and foundation into learning about the city if you're new to it. Look up their offerings on their website! The East tour I did covered St. Paul's Cathedral, Tower of London, The Monument, Leadenhall Market, Bank of England, Lloyd Building, Royal Courts of Justice, and Temple Church. The West tour covered Houses of Parliament, Westminster Abbey, Buckingham Palace (from far away), St. James' Palace, Leicester Square (meeting point), 10 Downing Street, and the Horse Guards Parade. We were supposed to walk by the Churchill War Rooms, Trafalgar Square, and the National Gallery, but those were missed. And FYI, Big Ben is covered with scaffolding for the next year and a half for renovations, so you won't be seeing that, which was a bummer. The people on the tours themselves seemed to keep to themselves, so they weren't very social, probably because they're just quick day happenings. Regardless, look up Strawberry Tours when in London if you have a couple hours and are up to to walk around.

Did the cruise as it was included in the Big Bus ticket. It was nice and informative. Wish it…read morewould've been round trip to where you got on at. So be prepared and plan in advance of where you're trying to be when it drops you off.

Seeing London from the River Thames was very nice. We boarded at the wharf inn Grennwich - headed…read moreto London. The scenery from the boat was great but the young man offering a narration was somewhat disappointing. Midway between Greenwich and London, the cruise makes one stop at the Millennium Pier for additional passengers. The first part of our cruise was enjoyable but the second part was somewhat less enjoyable due to a family of five (mom, dad and 3 rather unruly kids) who sat in front of us. The 3 kids was not well behaved and the parents did little to get them to behave. The boat was crowded at this point and moving to another seat was not an option. The views of the city from the water were great and well worth the price of the ticket. But, the narration did not add much value to the tour. And we could have done without the kids.

I'm visiting London with two friends who have never been here before. In advance of the trip we…read moredecided that a bus tour the afternoon we arrive would be a good way of getting familiar with some of the city highlights. A few internet searches later I find the Time Bus! Sure, we could use the standard tour guide bus - booooring! This tour looks campy and fun. We navigate the tube and Trafalgar Square and arrive where the bus is supposed to be. But there's no Time Bus to be seen. [Let the jokes about time travel to the right departure time begin.] There are some of the standard tour buses nearby so we figure we must be in the right area. One of buses is something labelled the "Necro Bus" and has the appearance of a double-decker hearse. It's getting close to departure time and still no time bus. So I walk over to the Necro Bus to ask about the kind of tours they offer...and this IS the time bus. So we pay our fares and prepare to board and the ticket guy says we can't get on yet. Come back in 25 minutes. It's raining out and we move on to find cover. Twenty-five minutes later we return and are allowed to board. We move to the upper level. The three of us are 1/3 of all passengers. And we're off! The tour guide who is in character as a cheap Doctor Who knock-off is actually pulling it off quite nicely. The moody 16 year-old in our group is not amused. [too bad for her] Unfortunately the rain has completely fogged the small windows - that have purple curtains for the hearse look. So visibility outside is not great. The tour itself covered a surprising amount of area and the guide - with all of his schtick - did a pretty good job of describing some historical highlights. There were a number of small things that could have made the trip better but didn't materialize. If I was going to do another bus tour, I would certainly consider the Time Bus but am not going to go way out of my way for them.

Great way to see all the historic sites around the Thames without getting blisters. No wait, speedy…read moreservice on a weekday afternoon. I went from Canary Wharf to Battersea, and sat on the uncrowded back of the boat which provides an unobstructed view of the sights as you pass. That day, the Thames was so full of water that my boat was prohibited from going under Victoria Bridge, but despite this hiccup, I was on my way forward on an uncrowded smaller boat within 15 minutes of the premature docking.

Want to move around London along the Thames quickly where you can see excellent architecture as…read morewell as historic places? Uber Boats is THE way to go! Want to grab a snack or drink while on the boat? They even had ice cream! Great schedule, Use your phone to pay.