Classic Sights and Hidden Histories

(161 reviews)

London audio tour: Classic Sights and Hidden Histories

This is a 2.4mi walking tour

It takes an average of 90 mins to complete.

London

The United Kingdom

$11.99

Access all 27 locations offline with the VoiceMap app

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About the Tour

You may be familiar to the most famous sights of London, but are you familiar with the history, stories and characters behind them? This tour takes in all of London's most iconic spots, ideal for plenty of photo ops, but allows you to learn the hidden histories behind famous buildings...

Travel back over 500 years to meet Queen Victoria, King James I, King Henry VIII (and all his wives!) plus Winston Churchill, Admiral Horatio Nelson (the chap on the column), the namesake of Big Ben and his less well-known companion, plus the real story behind the man who could have destroyed Parliament, Guy Fawkes.

Throughout, you'll be rewarded with plenty of facts and trivia that are guaranteed to shed new light on parts of London you think you know... or do you?

This is a step-free route suitable for wheelchair users.

Tour Producer

Steven Russell

4 tours

A Londoner born and bred, I have now taken myself to the city of Bristol. For both places, I am an experienced walking tour guide, with a passion about storytelling and local history.

Before my work as a tour guide, I had a career working for a range of film & TV production companies so I've combined my storytelling skills from there with my desire to know more about my birthplace and my adopted hometown.

I love uncovering hidden stories about the people and places we know (or think we know!), grounding them in the context of the ebb and flow of historical events. I love to write tours for locals and visitors alike!

Thanks for visiting!

Preview Location

Location 8

King Henry VIII

Now turn left and keep heading straight on the Mall.

King Henry VIII was born 1491 and started life as a handsome, athletic young man. Remarkably, he stayed faithful to his first wife, Catherine of Aragon, for 24 years, although he ended up get married six times afterwards... Read More

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How VoiceMap Works

Focus on your surroundings, not the screen

The VoiceMap app uses GPS to play audio automatically, at the right time and place, so you can focus on your surroundings, not the screen.

Follow a route with turn-by-turn-directions

VoiceMap tours follow a route from a fixed starting point. That lets us give turn-by-turn directions and use context to tell a better story.

Resume playback to go at your own pace

If you'd like to stop for a drink or go into a museum, end your tour then use the Resume feature to pick up exactly where you left off.

Listen as many times as you like

You can listen to your tours as often as you like using both the VoiceMap app and website.

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Major Landmarks

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Getting There

Route Overview

VoiceMap tours follow a route from a set starting point. It’s how we give turn-by-turn directions and tell a story greater than the sum of its parts.

Start location
Underground Ltd, Piccadilly, London W1J 9DZ, UK
Total distance

4km
Final location
London WC2N 5DU, UK
Distance back to start location

1km

Directions to Starting Point

We'll start outside the South Side exit of Green Park underground station on Piccadilly.

Take the 'Green Park' or 'Piccadilly (South Side)' exits from Green Park station, on the Jubilee, Piccadilly or Victoria lines.

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Tips

Places to stop along the way

There are plenty of stops at the start and end, for food, coffee or a bathroom break, but the main section of the tour passes through a less well serviced part of Central London.

Best time of day

The quieter morning hours are a good time to do this walk, before the workers' lunch and the tourism rush. Start around 10am, in time to finish for an early lunch!

Precautions

It's a very safe route through a popular part of town. Please look both ways when crossing the busy Central London roads, including when crossing at a green man, as London cyclists don't always stop for them!

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“This app has become my go-to app for audio tours. I pretty much use it for every trip and it works wonderfully. I highly recommend VoiceMap for travelers to truly experience cities.”

App Store Review

“Great app. walk around at your own pace, stop where you want, move on or speed up when you want. Read the script before you go or during the commentary, speed it up or replay it. Repeat the tour whenever you like.”