A Magical Evening in London: Pubs, Culture & Stories
2.5 hours
City Highlight Tours
London
Choose one of 2 locals available
Experience hosted by umar & Chris
Private Tour
Carbon Neutral
Experience London’s nightlife like a local on a storytelling stroll through Covent Garden, Soho, and Trafalgar Square. Discover hidden history, theatrical tales, and secret corners — all illuminated under the city’s evening glow. Along the way, enjoy a drink in a classic pub and let your guide bring London’s after-dark magic to life.
Destination
London, England
Category
City Highlight Tours
Duration
2.5 hours
Transport mode
Walking tour
Available languages
English
Included
Private guide
1 Drink
All Withlocals tours are carbon neutral
6 reasons to book this tour
Discover London in the evening
Experience the city under the evening lights
Check out Covent Garden Piazza with less tourist crowds
Enjoy the local hustle and bustle
Keep the night going with local recommendations
Can be 100% personalized to your wishes
What you can expect
London comes alive in a different way after dark — and there’s no better way to explore its glowing streets, rich history, and buzzing atmosphere than with a private evening walking tour led by a local. As the city winds down from the day, its stories, secrets, and character begin to shine in a whole new light.
Follow your local host through the charming lanes of Covent Garden Piazza, the vibrant heart of Soho, and the grand setting of Trafalgar Square. With fewer crowds and the glow of London’s historic facades all around you, you’ll discover hidden details, cultural landmarks, and legendary tales that most visitors miss — all brought to life through storytelling and humor.
Along the way, step into a historic London pub, where you’ll pause for a drink — on the house. Raise a glass of local beer, wine, or a soft drink and soak up the warm atmosphere while your guide shares stories of artists, rebels, and royals who drank where you now sit.
As the tour wraps up, your guide will share personal tips and favorite local spots to keep your night going — whether you’re after more pubs, live music, or a quiet place to reflect.
Our hosts are passionate Londoners, each with unique backgrounds in history, theatre, or the arts — and all with stories to share. Want to customize your route or dive deeper into a specific topic? No problem — they’ll gladly tailor the walk to make your evening as memorable as the city itself.
Choose your local
Get to know these 2 passionate locals, each bringing unique perspectives and talents. Choose your favorite, check their availability, and book to create an unforgettable adventure tailored to you.
umar
Live Large in London!
5.0
English
Chris
The London Historian
4.9119 reviews
English
This is the plan
Check out the plan below to see what you'll get up to with your local host. Feel free to personalize this offer with the host of your choice.
Meeting point
Meet at In front of Nelson's Column on Trafalgar Square - London to start your journey
Itinerary
This is what our experience could look like, but it’s not set in stone! Once you book, you can chat directly with your host to make small tweaks to suit your preferences.
Illuminated Highlights
With daylight coming to an end, London lights by the sunset and street lights. With a spotlight on its main highlights, check out how different Covent Garden Piazza, Trafalgar Square and more look from day to night offering another perspective of London
Take it Easy
As the sun sets, the tourist crowds take a break, and the city goes back to its local filled atmosphere. Take in the local hustle and bustle as you move from stop to stop in a relaxed manner - in the evening, London it’s for you, and the locals
The Grand Finale
For a night to remember, your local host has left a great stop ‘til last. Whether it is a panoramic view of London with a sunset in the background or a stop at a lively local hotspot for a undefined, your tour will end on a high note!
Where the Locals Go
Keep your night going after saying goodbye to your host - there’s plenty of fun things to do in London at night! Your local host will share with you up to date recommendations of where to go, what to do, and where to grab a bite after hours
Make it yours
Want to tweak the itinerary? Book directly & chat afterwards with your host to adjust highlights, skip stops, or make small changes to fit your preferences.
Book risk-free: Cancel within 24 hours for a full refund.
Need something special? Personalize your experience for more time, alternative locations or a completely tailored plan.
Flexible cancellation policy
Feel confident booking
Cancel within 24 hours for a full refund. Even up to 7 days before your experience, you’ll receive a refund, minus the service fee.
Change of plans?
Reschedule your experience to a date and time that works best for you.
Loved by travelers worldwide
Simple and flexible – your plans, your way.
Reviews from guests
Naomi
(About local )
7 September 2025
Kemal took my friends and I on fabulous tour today to celebrate a special birthday - it was so interesting and his local knowledge, experience, enthusiasm and genuine love of the Brick Lane area meant that we learnt a lot and had a wonderful time. It was a perfect way to celebrate a birthday!A fabulous birthday walking tour!
Jenna🇺🇸 United States
(About local )
27 August 2025
Chris gave us a wonderful tour of some of London's highlights! We loved it, and our 8 year old described Chris as "the best tour guide yet!" because of how he explained things for him to understand. Chris was reachable and flexible when our travel delays necessitated slight deviation in start time and location. We were so grateful for his time and expertise, it was a fantastic way to start our time in London!Fantastic!
marc
(About local )
26 August 2025
Wir hatten eine sehr schöne und informative Führung mit Chris. Chris hat uns unter anderem auch den römischen Einfluß auf London aufgezeigt. So haben wir Dinge gesehen, auf die wir sonst nicht gestoßen wären. Die Zeit verging wie im Fluge. Wir würden jederzeit wieder eine Führung bei Chris buchenTolle Führung
Roman🇨🇦 Canada
(About local )
26 August 2025
Chris was very personable and knowledgeable. He customized the tour perfectly to match our interests.Knowledgeable Local
carlos🇺🇸 United States
(About local )
18 August 2025
Chris was fantastic! Lot of insightful tidbits of the city's history and landmarks during an almost 6 mile trek around the heart of London. Just what we where looking for and that will help us dive deeper exploring London on the remaining days of our trip. I would highly reccomend Chris if you want to learn about London. Great introduction to London
Cindy
(About local )
9 August 2025
We had originally booked another guide but due to personal reasons, he had to transfer this booking to Kemal who flew especially from Istanbul to accommodate us! Kemal was very knowledgeable regarding all of London's history and works as a professional photographer to boot so we had amazing photos!! We managed to see Big Ben, Westminster Abbey, Buckingham Palace, Trafalgar Square, a traditional English pub, St. James royal park, .... all within 3 hours!!! Kemal is a definite guide we will recommend to friends!!!London in a nutshell
Larry🇺🇸 United States
(About local )
3 August 2025
Chris was extremely pleasant and knowledgeable. He showed us many hidden sight and out of the way gems. We’d never know this side of London otherwise.
He was great and it was a perfect way to get acquainted with this wonderful city.Super knowledgable
Steven
(About local )
26 July 2025
Full of knowledge of the history and the aria. Took us to all the hole in the wall bars that we enjoyed very much.Fantastic guide
Colin🇳🇿 New Zealand
(About local )
16 July 2025
We booked Kemal when we were home in New Zealand, having reviewed other reviews about Kemal and having checked out his photography online and in instagram.
This man is so modest about his accomplishments- everything online is understated. He has a great ability to engage with locals in Turkey in such a warm and genuine manner- people seem to do anything for him, allow him places and are happy for him/us to photograph them, showing their story and humanity. He has travelled to and knows so many countries- it’s not for nothing he was a staff photographer ( and executive editor) for National Geographic for many years. I don’t think we could ask him anything about Istanbul and the surrounding area ( we did two of his tours) which he didn’t know. He organised a car, and made recommendations for meals/ drinks (which were spot on- and we had as part of the tours). Not only that, he is very flexible to fit in with exactly what you want- just guiding, or going to places specifically for photographic opportunities.
He met us at our hotel- really takes away any hassle- and you really do get to see a lot more than if left to your own devices. He also has a “voice map” guided out of the Galata area of Istanbul- we didn’t know about that- suggest checking it out. We weren’t sure if Kemal was the same person as “Kemal Nuraydin” in instagram- he is. He is the same Kemal in “Terra Photos tours” ( website and instagram) as well. Also, to remove any potential confusion, he actually lives in London, doing the same work there, but has friends and family in Istanbul, so is always happy to fly over to do your guiding or tour. Sounds like we are advertising him, which we are- only because we think he is so good at what he does. Thanks Kemal! Colin Brown and Ruth Bijl , Auckland, New ZealandTHE BEST GUIDE and PHOTOGRAPHY GUIDE
Nick🇬🇧 United Kingdom
(About local )
14 July 2025
We spent a great few hours with Chris discovering parts of London we didn't know existed. His historical knowledge was fascinating but he also tuned the tour to our interests by showing us multiple places to eat, markets and generally places of interest. He was easy company and had many interesting stories to tell. We have already discussed returning for a tour of another part of London.History of London
Jon🇺🇸 United States
(About local )
12 July 2025
Chris was a wonderful guide. He was very energetic, knowledgeable and great with our kids (girls, ages 8 and 9). We did the walking tour the day we arrived, middle afternoon. This was a great way to get some exercise after a long flight and we couldn’t check-in yet anyway. Chris is a great guide and host - highly recommended!!Great way to start a London trip!
David🇺🇸 United States
(About local )
20 June 2025
We had a wonderful tour with Chris. He is so knowledgeable and clearly is passionate about the City and its history. During the tour, he made sure to check with us about how the pacing of the tour felt. We especially appreciated his ability to tailor the tour to our interests — we asked for a focus on architecture and Chris delivered. I learned a lot and had fun doing it. Thank you Chris! Brilliant Tour of the City
Marc🇩🇪 Germany
(About local )
16 June 2025
Kemal was a great teacher for us. He helped us take our photography to the next level or even to the level above that. We loved every second of it and truly appreciate him coming to Istanbul for us. Yes it is pricy but for us it was worth it, as we now have a new approach to taking fotos of the people on the streets, so thank you very much Kemal!Awesome Streetphoto Tour/Lesson in Galata
Eugene 🇺🇸 United States
(About local )
2 June 2025
Chris was a wonderfully friendly and knowledgeable guide. We covered from Roman times to the present, all within the few blocks enclosed by St Paul’s Cathedral, Guildhall and the Royal Exchange. We learned a lot! We had not appreciated until then that London City is just a small part of London. Great historical tour of London City
Jonathan🇺🇸 United States
(About local )
29 May 2025
Chris did a great job with our full day tour. He clearly knows London quite well and was able to answer all of our questions. He was also very mindful of my two kids and tailored the tour to suit our needs. I highly recommend him for those looking for a tour.Knowlegable, polite and patient!
Bailey🇺🇸 United States
(About local )
26 May 2025
I booked a private tour with Chris for our group of 11 adults & 1 baby. Chris was a fantastic guide! He is very knowledgeable and was able to answer all of our questions. We learned a lot on our tour and it was overall the highlight of our time in London! He was also very accommodating to our group, especially the baby. I highly recommend booking a tour with Chris!Great experience! Highly recommend.
Terri🇺🇸 United States
(About local )
25 May 2025
Chris was a great guide! We had planned an afternoon Kickstart tour and had some check in issues at our Airbnb so we were a bit late getting started. Chris was very adaptable - waited for us while we grabbed a quick bite to eat and re-arranged some of his planned tour. He provided a great overview of London - particularly in the government area and gave us useful recommendations as to travel and restaurants too. Definitely a 5 star.London visit
Patty🇺🇸 United States
(About local )
22 May 2025
We had the absolute pleasure of spending our first day in London with Chris as our tour guide, and it was the perfect introduction to this incredible city. Not only did he teach us how to navigate the Tube like locals, but he also took us to some of London’s most iconic spots: Parliament, Covent Garden, the financial district, and so much more.
What truly set Chris apart was his extraordinary knowledge and the fascinating historical stories he shared at every stop. His passion for the city is contagious, and we left the tour feeling more connected to London’s rich past and vibrant present.
Whether it’s your first visit or your tenth, booking a tour with Chris is a must. Highly recommend!A fantastic day in London with Chris!
Hector 🇬🇧 United Kingdom
(About local )
21 May 2025
Had a fantastic time in the Galata area of Istanbul with Kemal. Local knowledge is a great thing. For someone trying to remember how to find their way around a camera again, it was a fantastic learning experience. I would thoroughly recommend Kemal's tour if you are lucky enough to find him available. He is patient, seeks out great photo opportunities, and willing acomplicies, to help 'get that shot'. We also learned a few tips and tricks to make our phone mobile photography better.
An all round great time with an all round great guy! şerefe Kemal.
Galata with Kemal
Rianna🇨🇦 Canada
(About local )
19 May 2025
Pat🇺🇸 United States
(About local )
4 May 2025
Chris had us at "Welcome to London."
Our biggest disappointment was that we didn't book Chris for all 3 days we were in London. Chris is fabulous, interesting, great sense of humor, and has a wealth of knowledge at his fingertips!!! We'd like to come back just to have Chris show us more of the city he truly loves.Truly a fabulous guide!
Cassie
(About local )
16 April 2025
Kemal took my family of 4 to various points around the Galata Tower area. Within the first hour, we already learned a great deal of technique and info. We had no idea what our iPhones were capable of doing. He engaged my kids (12- and 14- y/o) in a natural way and encouraged them to keep taking photos throughout the experience. He sprinkled in historical information to give context of where we were. Highly recommend for beginners like us and I’m sure would be an amazing reliever for experienced photographers.Learned much more than I could imagine.
John🇨🇭 Switzerland
(About local )
14 April 2025
A great experience
Dru🇺🇸 United States
(About local )
7 April 2025
Two words to describe Chris's tour " oh wow"!
Chris will take you " behind the scenes " of London and show you things of interest with some great storytelling to go with it!
Chris is knowledgeable and personable.
If you are looking for a great tour of London..Chris is your guide!Oh Wow
Aneta
(About local )
4 April 2025
Chris was incredibly patient and kind — we had four kids and a grandma in our group, so we weren’t always the fastest or most focused, but he handled it all with such grace and good humor. He shared many interesting facts, and I genuinely believe there’s no question Chris can’t answer. Thank you so much, Chris!Wonderful tour!
Christopher🇺🇸 United States
(About local )
2 March 2025
We were in London for a short time, and our tour with Chris was the perfect way to get acquainted with both historical and modern London in just a couple hours. Chris was not only friendly and engaging, but truly a wealth of knowledge about history and life in London. He was also flexible to ensure our tour fit in a pretty compact day of dining and other activities. Our tour with Chris was the highlight of our short time in London and we'd highly recommend him to any future visitors. Thank you Chris!Perfect Intro to London
Gilbert🇱🇺 Luxembourg
(About local )
3 February 2025
Hello
We had a fantastic walk starting from Smithfield- st Bartholomeus - Barbican -London Wall - St.Alphage Wall and finished at Guildhall.
Chris has brought us a precise tour and responded to the points we had agreed.
I will ask him to extend for next year to extend this tour, as I plan to present this to a group of interested visitors.
London: 2000 years in 2 hours
Olga🇩🇪 Germany
(About local )
11 January 2025
We had the absolute pleasure of taking a private 2.5-hour tour of London with Chris, and it exceeded all of our expectations! The tour was a birthday gift for my husband, who had lived in London for nearly two years. I thought it might be difficult to surprise him, but Chris did an incredible job of curating a unique and highly personalised experience that catered to his interests and needs.
Chris shared so many fascinating facts and little-known details about London that even my husband, with his familiarity with the city, was thoroughly impressed and delighted. His passion for the city's history and culture really shone through, and his engaging storytelling made the experience truly unforgettable.
He was thrilled with this thoughtful and informative tour, and I couldn’t have asked for a better gift for him. Thank you, Chris, for making this such a memorable day for both of us. Highly recommended!A great London Tour with Chris
Prisco
(About local )
6 January 2025
My wife and I spent 3 great hours with Chris on the local history tour that began at St Paul's Cathedral. This man is a wealth of information about all things historical in London. We learned things that are not written in the history books and can only be explained in detail in person. This tour was worth the time amd money !! Great day with Chris
Debra🇺🇸 United States
(About local )
19 December 2024
If you want to experience London to the fullest, Chris is the expert you want. We began our trip with Chris as our guide-- not just a facts person, but a person who asked what our interests were and expertly crafted a tour where we didn't have a lecture, but a conversation. Chris's depth of knowledge about London and his ability to connect with us made our conversation about London so exciting and engaging. He really connected with us and made our tour special, meaningful, and fun. Chris wanted us to share his excitement about London with us, and we were hooked! Can't wait to come back to London and tour with Chris again.Exciting, Engaging Tour with Chris
Jennifer🇺🇸 United States
(About local )
26 November 2024
Chris was amazing! Even though it was a typical rainy London evening, Chris made it memorable and fun! Very knowledgeable and knows the history of area like the back of his hand. Chris was amazing at answering our 10 year old nephews questions and keeping him engaged as well! I very much suggest Chris for your next London tour!!!Fun and Knowledgeable
Raymond🇺🇸 United States
(About local )
10 November 2024
Chris was wonderful. He was incredibly helpful before my tour in making recommendations. He was on time, very communicative and he was cheery and knowledgable. We got a great walking tour which was perfect for day 1 to get to know the neighborhoods. I’d do this tour again. Chris is outstanding
Laurelle🇺🇸 United States
(About local )
4 November 2024
We had an amazing three-hour tour with Chris through the City of London. Chris kept us moving (we had just flown in) and brought Roman, Restoration, and modern history alive. The little-known history of London’s guilds was particularly fascinating. We recommend Chris whole heartedly. History Alive in the City of London
James🇦🇺 Australia
(About local )
20 October 2024
Chris was polite and easy company during our tour. He demonstrated his proclaimed local historian credentials commendably. Although the 'free snack or drink' didn't materialise (except for Chris .. we paid ) it was after two other walking tours in Lucerne and Milan that we felt more underwhelmed than at the time by this experience. Having said that it was satisfying enough, and Chris did his best to come up with a tailored tour . Relaxed Historical tour
Madelyn
(About local )
11 September 2024
I couldn't recommend Chris enough. I booked this for my mom and my two sisters and I to have a little "jumpstart" to our London trip. It was exactly what we wanted it to be. He walked us through so many different sites and we ended at Buckingham Palace and gave us a ton of history and little tidbits we would have never gotten otherwise. He even taught us how to ride the tube. Would give this man a raise if I could! AMAZING
mike🇺🇸 United States
(About local )
3 September 2024
My wife and I booked a tour with Chris for our visit to London. Had a great time. So knowledgable and friendly. We learned a lot and had a blast. Loved our tour with Chris
Heather🇺🇸 United States
(About local )
3 September 2024
Chris gave us a really interesting and informative tour of the canal area. We learned all about London history and current culture. He is very knowledgeable and easy to talk with, and the tour went by almost too quickly! This was not an area we would have walked on our own and are grateful that he helped us learn about a new neighborhood. Wonderful tour
k8yrfnrn24
(About local )
31 August 2024
Danke für die professionelle Führung mit extrem viel Wissen und Geheimtiips😍🤗Familienstadtführung
Jasmine🇺🇸 United States
(About local )
30 August 2024
Chris was an absolute gem of a guide for myself and my fiancé. We navigated through some scheduling issues (due to my confusion) and he was patient and understanding throughout the communications. He led us through Greenpark, through Buckingham Palace, by Big Ben and Westminster Abbey, and we ended up at Trafalgar Square, which checked off all of our “wish list” spots. Chris was enlightening and knows SO much about British history, and weaved in some interesting tidbits about our personal interests. He provided us with advice for the rest of our trip, especially navigating the Eurostar and we couldn’t have left the tour more invigorated or appreciative! Informative and Entertaining!
Robert🇺🇸 United States
(About local )
19 August 2024
Frances🇺🇸 United States
(About local )
16 August 2024
Chris was excellent from the booking process to being flexible around my clients unusual schedule. Customized the itinerary to make it interesting for a group of mixed ages.Fun & flexible
tracy
(About local )
18 July 2024
Thank you Chris for providing a wonderful tour of the Science Museum for our family client. We look forward to working with you again in the near future!Excellent Tour Guide
Kelly🇺🇸 United States
(About local )
26 June 2024
Chris was a wonderful guide. He was able to tailor the tour to meet our needs and showed us places we would never have seen on a general tour. 5 stars!! Fabulous and detailed tour!
Lindsey🇺🇸 United States
(About local )
12 June 2024
Chris was knowledgeable, insightful and took us to some really fun places - the whole tour really grounded our family trip to London.Lovely afternoon
luis🇨🇴 Colombia
(About local )
8 June 2024
Chris is an excellent and prepared guide. We had a great time. We visited the old part of London,
Jan
(About local )
2 June 2024
Wir waren zum Champions League Finale in London und wollten es mit ein wenig Kultur und Geschichte verknüpfen. Chris war dafür die perfekte Wahl und hat uns interessant und humorvoll durch die Stadt geführt.
Er konnte auch noch ein wenig lernen, z.b. warum so viele Menschen in Schwarzgelb in London unterwegs waren.
Super tour mit Chris
Sarah🇨🇦 Canada
(About local )
2 June 2024
Chris was a delight.. So full of knowledge, curiosity and was wonderfully friendly. We felt taken care of and explored Shorditch was ease. Loved it! Thank you Chris. Wonderful Guide
Suzanne🇺🇸 United States
(About local )
17 May 2024
Best walking tour ever! Chris is so knowledgeable and loves sharing his knowledge of London - it’s past and present. We asked for an extended tour and Chris personalized a tour just for us. Due to an error on my part, Chris had to adjust his plan on the fly and make an extra journey on the tube to meet us. He answered all of our questions, always checked in with us to see how we were doing and if we wanted to see something else, and even helped us find our way home! We highly recommend Chris, he is kind, personable, and a great tour guide!Chris is awesome!
Jeanine
(About local )
13 May 2024
Spent our first afternoon on a private tour with Chris and it could not have been better. Try finding a Christmas carol tour in May. Hubby's all time favorite movie. Messaging back and forth with Chris to work out details, hubby walking with bad knees, 11 year old adhd bouncing off walls and Chris was a pro. On the tour he was Engaging, answering all sorts of questions thrown at him, including off the wall ones. And he brought the book with him so as we were looking at places mentioned or the inspiration, he could read the passages to us. Then he took the time to make all sorts of recommendations where to eat for all different sorts of food. Ate at the pub he recommended for dinner and it was incredible. Chris was lovely!! Perfect private tour for my family.
Petra🇩🇪 Germany
(About local )
1 April 2024
Wir waren zum ersten Mal in London, hatten schon das eine oder andere auf eigene Faust gesehen und wollten mit Chris noch etwas mehr über London erfahren. Er hat sich ganz nach unseren Wünschen gerichtet und uns von Westminster über die White Hall Road zum Trafalgar Square geführt. Er gab uns Einblicke in die Geschichte Londons, erzählte uns über die Geschäfte in der Jermyn Street, wo u.a. auch die Royals einkaufen und zum Abschluss führte er uns in ein sehr schönes Pub. Chris ist sehr sympathisch und engagiert. Man merkt ihm an, dass ihm diese Tätigkeit Spaß macht und er mit Herzblut dabei ist. Er hat uns so manches erzählt, was man nicht im Reiseführer liest. Im Vorfeld unseres Treffens haben wir mit ihm kommuniziert und er hat sich dann Gedanken gemacht, was er uns noch alles zeigen könnte. Wenn wir wieder einmal nach London reisen, werden wir Chris sehr gerne wieder buchen. Wir wünschen ihm weiterhin viel Freude bei seiner Tätigkeit als "Private Guide". Vielen Dank nochmals, Chris!Mit Chris immer wieder gerne durch London
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