There is a growing number of exciting independent art galleries in my neighbourhood, some have been…read morearound for a while others popping up more recently - and hopefully all to stay with more to come. The Small Galleries Association is actually much more exciting than its name applies. Rather than an exclusive or even stuffy membership body, this lovely new venture was set up to bring art to a wider audience. Locals and visitors from further afield are invited on a monthly tour around the galleries - on a traditional Routemaster, conductor et al - with Portobello Radio broadcasting live from the bus! What's not to love? The inaugural ride on 9 November was a hoot with just the right mix of banter on the busses and a wide range of art (from graffiti and graphic prints to fine art photography, painting and sculpture) across about a dozen galleries, being updated with some local knowledge along the way. Not sure if it's possible to do them all in one night, but I managed to make three rounds and visited some galleries further off the beaten track (and not on a regular bus route). Tickets are free and I've reserved my seat on the next tour already - starting at 6pm from the junction of Portobello Road and Cambridge Gardens (short walk from Ladbroke Grove tube) on Wedensday 13 December.

My wife and I hired Keith Bates for a transfer from South Hampton Port to London and a full day…read moretour of London on April 27th. Everything about the experience was exceptional! Keith met us at the cruise terminal at the appointed time. I even believe he arrived early just in case we were able to disembark the ship sooner than expected. He collected us and managed the bags into his beautiful Mercedes van. The van was the perfect touring vehicle with large windows, lots of space, and very comfortable seats for an 8-hour adventure. The drive from South Hampton to London was quick and entertaining with the interesting commentary. Keith is an outstanding driver paying very close attention to his surrounding and our safety while keeping us engaged. On the drive Keith took the time to get to know us, asking questions about our interests, passions, and our previous visits to London. He presented itinerary options for the day to us for feedback and concurrence. Throughout the day he would use what he had learned to add color and depth to the sites and historical backstories. By the end of the day it felt like touring the city with a close friend. Keith noticed that I wasn't feeling well so (with my permission) he worked his connections during the day to arrange a doctor's visit at the end of the day, a prescription pickup, and then a drop off at the hotel - talk about going above and beyond. We did a driving tour of London to start then parked the van in a couple of location and walked to the changing of the guard and the Tower of London. Keith depth of knowledge was truly impressive. He is well educated and articulate. He provided us a list of restaurant recommendation that accommodated our dietary restrictions. We dined at Simpson's on Strand and Rules on Maiden Lane which were outstanding. We were so impressed with Keith that we contacted him to book an additional half day walking museum tour where we visited Westminster Abby and the National Gallery. Keith's passion for his city is contagious. The seemingly secret allies and gardens he showed us gave a local flavor that made the day unique, not just a check list approach to guiding. In thirty years of traveling the globe, Keith is by far the best tour guide we have ever had!

Matilda, was very knowledgeable and likeable. Time flew by. We highly recommend her and this tour…read moreof the National Gallery!

From the owner: Say "Cheerio" to the dusty, stodgy tours of yesteryear. At Babylon Tours, our London is fresh and…read moreengaging - the one that you probably want to experience. Join us on a private or small group tour through the National Gallery and the British Museum or hit the streets through a historic tour of the center and (maybe) catch a glimpse of Kate or the rest of the royal family. Our young, energetic guides at Babylon Tours will introduce you to London in the best way possible, from Big Ben to the street art of its multicultural East End.

Great reviews on Yelp guided us to The English Bus for our tour of Stonehenge. I liked the idea of…read morea small group tour. We had a great experience! We easily booked on line a couple months in advance of our trip to Stonehenge, Bath and a Secret Place. I had a few questions, which were answered quickly through email. Instructions and itinerary were provided after we bought we tickets. Additional and helpful information was sent a few day prior to our trip. Noelh, our tour guide, was knowledgable, interesting and fun from the moment he picked us up in London. He provided information beyond the tour stops. He was engaging and had a good understanding of the geology of Stonehenge as well as the historical background. He made well time stops for breaks. We spent about two hours at Stonehenge, two hours at Bath and an hour at the Secret Place. The Secret Place was worth the extra and I highly recommend. Noelh offered a brief and interesting walking tour at each site and left us time to explore on our own. We were allowed to bring snacks on the bus but we didn't need them because we stopped plenty at places for food and drink. Noelh provided water. Bring water and rain gear. There were UBC ports for phone charging on the bus. The bus was very comfortable. Noelh was sensitive to a woman that was having mobility issues and arranged for her to skip part of the walking tour. I enjoyed Stonehenge and the Secret Place immensely, I was glad I saw Bath, but it was too crowded during our visit. Others on the tour really loved Bath. I highly recommend The English Bus tours.

We took the tour with Alex to Stonehenge, Bath, sand a secret place! Can't recommend highly…read moreenough!! The small bus is great in that you don't have to spend all the time getting on and off a huge tour bus. Alex was an amazing guide, giving us local knowledge and clear directions where to go and where to meet back up. He was funny, kind and a great driver. Would definitely book again!!

Absolutely a must-see tour if you're sightseeing in London…read more We've been lucky enough to have a few private tours. My daughter's ex-boyfriend is from London (he's still like family) and works within the Houses. He's got a higher level political position and it's always so special to see how his dream job continues to advance. So proud of that kid. It's always an honor to walk the halls, House of Commons, House of Lords, etc. There is so much history here and I learn something new each time we visit. The architecture is nothing short of spectacular.

A trip to London would not be complete without a visit to one of London's most famous…read morelandmarks--the Houses of Parliament and Big Ben. Weighing in at 13 tons, the clock tower's bell was cast in 1858 by the Whitechapel Bell Foundry. The Houses of Parliament, officially known as the Palace of Westminster, is the seat of government in England. It is home to the House of Commons and the House of Lords and is where politics takes place. The seat of Britain's government for many centuries, it was also once the site of the royal Westminster Palace occupied by William the Conqueror. The best view of the parliament buildings can be had by crossing Westminster Bridge and looking back. If you're one of many looking to snap your photo with one of the most photographed buildings in the world, the best vantage point is from Westminster Bridge.

This was by far the most interesting site we visited in London! We bought tickets a few days in…read moreadvance and came at 3p. There was no line and someone came to the door to get us. We checked in and grabbed out audio tour. There was a kid's version of the audio guide and it was great! You start off walking through the space and learning a bunch of history. A little before midway is the museum, which we spent of our time in. The exhibits and displays were very well put together and interactive. From there, we continue on the one-way path and saw where they did the mapping, which was largely unchanged and was my favorite room. We were there about 2 hours and felt that we saw everything.

We wanted to see the London Version of the War rooms. All underground and in place the same as the…read morelast day of the WW2. Now we ve seen both. I never knew he held so many military titles. And so many military authority positions. You really learn his whole life here.

Fantastic well organised historic tour. Prompt with starting on time and making sure the group…read morestays together. I opted for the 10:30 am tour and it was great. I wish I had completed the tour earlier in my trip because that would have given me time to revisit some of the spots. In addition, other areas of interest were pointed out during the tour. I like the tour is free because I can just show up during a time that works for me rather than make a reservation and need to change / cancel it later. If you're in the city as a tourist, plans may change without notice, so having flexibiluty is really nice. Well done !

My wife and I did the Royal London Walk with Andrew. He was incredibly knowledgable about the…read morehistory of London and it's royalty. He covered over 1000 years of history over the two hour walk. We started at Trafalgar Square, through Royal London (seeing the beginning and up close changing of the guard) then to St. James Park, on to Downing Street, Big Ben and so many other great historical locations. There is no cost for the tour, and the guides work solely on tips, but there was no pressure at all to do so. We tipped 20 pounds and it was worth every penny. You can tell Andrew loves what he does, and likes meeting new people. It was so good we went back for the 6:30 pm London's Ghostly Haunts Walk, but were 7 minutes late and missed it. TIP: Get there on time!