• Private Tour
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Enjoy London to the max on an essentials tour full of hotspots and must-sees! From the Big Ben to the Buckingham Palace and even a boat ride. This private tour of London is perfect for those that want to see the main highlights with a local touch!

Destination

London, England

Category

City Highlight Tours

Duration

4 hours

Transport mode

Walking tour

Available languages

English

What you can expect

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 Anthony .

1. Meeting point

   Meet at St.Pauls' Cathedral - London to start your journey

   View on Maps

2. 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.

3. Royal Vibes

   Check out Buckingham Palace, its horse guards and hear all about the royal family

4. Downing Street

   Visit the entrance of the home of our Prime Minister

5. Main Highlights

   See the Big Ben, the Houses of Parliament and Westminster Abbey

6. Boat Trip!

   Cruise the Thames and pass the London Eye and St Paul's Cathedral

7. What a View!

   See London from the elevated 360 viewing platform of the Tate Viewing Gallery

8. Shakespeare's Legacy

   Discover the exact spot where Shakespeare put on his famous plays

9. Old London

   Explore the 900 year old click prison

10. The Golden Hynde

    Take a look at Sir Francis Drake ship from the 1500s

11. 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.

I can personalize this tour for you

• Tell me your preferred date and group size
• Tell me your preferences and wishes so I can customize the tour for you
• Wait for my personal offer in your inbox!

Contact me

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

tbkelso🇺🇸 United States

31 May 2025

Anthony guided my wife and I around London for several hours entertaining and enlightening us with some of its wonderful history and more unique areas. We tasted extraordinary food from vendors at Borough Market. We checked out St. Paul's and Southwark Cathedrals. Then visited Shakespeare's favorite pub, saw Sir Francis Drake's ship, and Clink prison. These are only a few of the many highlights. The three hours flew by. It was a great day spent with an excellent tour guide. Anthony gets my highest recommendation. I have used WithLocals many times and will continue to do so. Fantastic!

Evelyn 🇺🇸 United States

30 May 2025

Just spent the afternoon with Anthony and couldn’t have enjoyed ourselves more! Anthony is highly knowledgeable and clearly loves his city. We saw many different sites and enjoyed his stories describing several neighborhoods of London. Our tour was at the perfect pace and we had a really wonderful time … highly recommend Anthony as a guide and would gladly book another tour with him on our next visit. Perfect overview of London

Simone

29 May 2025

We had a fantastic, fun filled day with Anthony. He showed John and I (Milly) a side of London we would never have seen. It was perfectly paced and you could absolutely see how much Anthony loves his work. We would absolutely recommend Anthony as a tour guide!Great day out with Anthony!

John

16 May 2025

We had a great tour with Anthony which he personalized for us as we had one person who was older and walking slowly. After about 3 hours a few of us dropped off and he continued on with the rent of the group. Great Personlized Tour

Nancy Brown🇺🇸 United States

12 May 2025

We loved our tour with Anthony. Wonderful detailed information and he took us to places that we had never been before. One of the highlights was Borough market. Anthony was very knowledgeable and personable. We would highly recommend Anthony. Great tour with Anthony

James🇦🇺 Australia

13 March 2025

If you're looking for a great experience and excellent stories about London, look no further and book this tour with Anthony. Excellent tour with Anthony

Josie🇨🇦 Canada

22 October 2024

Anthony was on time and on point! He provided a lot of interesting information and took lovely pictures to boot. We did a lot of walking and talking.Enjoyed Anthony's Expertise

Adrian🇦🇺 Australia

5 October 2024

Anthony was exceptional from start to finish. We were lucky enough to spend 4 hours with Anthony. His knowledge of London was highly engaging. His stories were amazing and he also made it extremely fun for my two kids, ages 11 and 13. Will definitely call Anthony again next time we are in London.Worlds Best Tour Guide

Amanda Alice

30 August 2024

My husband and I had the best day with Anthony. His itinerary was very comprehensive and we got a great taste of London in four hours. We felt we saw a lot without feeling rushed at all, really taking it in. Anthony is a very pleasant person to be with, and as a non-english native speaker I can say that he was also very easy to understand and talk to. Can't recommend him enough!The Perfect London day

Ryan🇺🇸 United States

15 August 2024

Wow! We had an absolutely lovely time with Anthony to start our London experience. He was incredibly knowledgeable, funny, and got on well with our nine year old son. The typical sites were great, but Anthony’s tour of Southwark and Borough Market were absolute highlights, with unique history and amazing food. All three of us would highly recommend Anthony for a perfect local experience!Could not have asked for a better tour

Wendy🇺🇸 United States

19 July 2024

Our family had the pleasure of touring London with Anthony, and it was truly an unforgettable experience. From the moment we met him, Anthony's enthusiasm and knowledge was palpable. He tailored the tour perfectly to our interests, taking us to a 1,000-year-old market and ensuring we saw all the main sights as well as hidden treasures that many might overlook. Anthony's ability to engage our children was exceptional, making history come alive for them and ensuring they were captivated throughout the tour. His insights and stories added a unique dimension to our trip, creating significant memories that we will cherish forever. He clearly loves London and it shows. If you're looking for a guide who goes above and beyond to make your London visit special, Anthony is your man. We couldn't recommend him more highly – 10 stars!Unforgettable Adventure w/Anthony 10 Stars

Frances🇺🇸 United States

11 July 2024

Anthony gave us a fun & most interesting walking tour of London. He has a vast knowledge of the history & city but tells it in a very engaging way. We had a multi generational group and he made it fun for everyone!Fantastic!

Tony🇺🇸 United States

8 July 2024

Anthony met us promptly at our tour time and we could immediately tell from his smile we were going to enjoy the day! Anthony is warm and funny and it was obvious that he enjoys showing people around the incredible metropolis of London. He took us to a number of the famous sites along with several of his own curated hidden gems. It was a perfect afternoon of attractions with great story-telling and historical information. This would be a great tour to start your London vacation off and you can decide where you want to spend more time. Essentials of London is Essential!

Marlene🇨🇦 Canada

17 June 2024

When you come to London YOU MUST book Anthony! It was the best 4 hours visiting sights & hearing stories which no other guide will tell you. Leave the other over-visited tourist sights to other guides. With Anthony you are guaranteed a fun informative time. We enjoyed his food stops so definitely will return for more of it. 10 Plus Tour

Hergen🇺🇸 United States

3 May 2024

Anthony was awesome. He is engaging, entertaining and very knowledgeable. We had an excellent tour that hit the highlights alongside some great off-the-beaten-track spots. The tour flew by! Great tour for us first timers and those in our group that been to London before. He’s also got the best photo spots picked out which is a nice bonus. Just what we were looking for.

Robert🇺🇸 United States

23 April 2024

My 25 year old daughter and I were joined by Anthony for two days: the first day was the Bespoke Food tour, the second day was the Essential Tour of London. Anthony was informative, attentive, provided great direction and was an endless supply of stories. He is extremely energetic and engaging, which created the perfect atmosphere for us to experience a great deal in a very short period of time. 2 days isn't nearly enough to tour London, there is so much to see and do, but Anthony gave us the very best we could do in that amount of time. Highly recommend. You can't go wrong here. The perfect 2 days in London

Arundhati🇺🇸 United States

19 March 2024

Anthony was an incredible, knowledgeable guide. He was very patient with us and tailored the tour to our needs. He also made it memorable with interesting stories we wouldn’t otherwise hear about. It was a breath of fresh air after having been on many more much formal tours where the information gets lost after an hour of walking. He also took amazing pictures of us! Highly recommend!Fun and relaxed

Kristin🇺🇸 United States

14 March 2024

I had a long layover at Heathrow and wanted to see as much of London as possible in 4 hours so I contracted with Anthony at WithLocals - what an excellent decision! Anthony was warm and welcoming and so knowledgeable. He truly loves his job💕 He took me to see all the big sites plus his favorite cathedral, one of the most beautiful I’ve been in. Plus he took me to the Borough market for incredible tea, pasta and mushroom risotto. So happy I decided to book this tour, thank you Anthony!10/10 Anthony is a gem!!

Jenny

27 December 2023

What a way to start our trip! Anthony is fun, engaging and taught us so many interesting facts and stories! So many cool sights and info we never knew. Great with kids too-my 7 year old son said it was his most favorite, best day ever! Thanks Anthony!!Amazing

Kelly🇺🇸 United States

17 December 2023

First-timers to London and with the kids (11 & 7), and Anthony made the trip! He truly hit the essentials but with stories that you’d never find in a history book. It is what made the tour so special, and he’s great at telling them! So personable, too, and made everyone feel comfortable. We traveled at the perfect pace for us with the right amount of information. Highlight of our time in London!Story Telling Perfection!

Stephanie 🇺🇸 United States

16 November 2023

One of the very best tours I have ever experienced! Anthony's personable nature and affabiltiy allowed our 4 hour walking tour to be fulled not only of history but of smiles, laughter and story sharing. It was at a perfect pace and we took in so much information. His behind the scenes knowledge of London made for an interesting look into the development of this incredible city and how it came to be. He will also customize it for you so don't be afraid to ask. Skip the big group tours in lieu of this private, memorable experience with Anthony. Thank you so much, Anthony, we will be back!Do not miss this tour with Anthony

Pam🇺🇸 United States

24 September 2023

Anthony was fabulous, and I cannot recommend him highly enough. He is very knowledgeable and enthusiastic about London. We spent more time on the less touristy areas, and he had lots of stories to keep it interesting. The food court was delicious, and I would love to go back and sample more items. Just a great day overall, and I'll hire him again when I'm back in London!Highly recommend

Chris 🇬🇧 United Kingdom

1 May 2023

Anthony was the best guide. Knowledgeable and entertaining. He shared important historical information and kept it current. All at a pace we enjoyed. Anthony was amazing!

Robert🇩🇪 Germany

28 March 2023

Anthony was absolutely amazing. He was kind, professional, charming, charismatic, and extremely knowledgeable. The tour was incredible. Anthony made it fun for my entire family. My children are both usually shy and quiet, but they were engaged with Anthony like they knew him for years. Anthony picked some great spots, told us many fascinating stories about the locations, and offered to take several amazing family photographs for us to capture these moments. I highly recommend Anthony to anyone and will be doing so to any friends and family I have that will be visiting London. Anthony, thank you for an absolutely wonderful experience and for sharing your love for your home with us. Essentials London Tour with Anthony A.

Mike🇺🇸 United States

18 September 2022

A tour that is Your tour. Anthony was extremely agreeable as to the meeting place, time of tour, and especially to what we wanted of the tour. He takes you on your pace and requests and will also add his extreme knowledge and sites that are of most importance. It is time well spent with this gentleman. Next time we are in London he will once again be our guide.Time well spent

Debra🇺🇸 United States

8 September 2022

We couldn’t be happier we booked this tour with Anthony! He covered all the highlights of the city with fun facts and exciting historical and current references. The pace was perfect, covering lots of ground but making time for photos, questions and gastronomy. This tour was the highlight of our London experience and a must for newbies to the city!High Energy Engaging Experience

Lora🇺🇸 United States

22 August 2022

Anthony was so knowledgeable and friendly. The entire tour was filled with great information and lots of laughs. He is your guide for a great tour!!!Great guide!!

Loretta🇺🇸 United States

21 August 2022

Anthony was knowledgeable and fun to be around.Fun and Educational

a🇺🇸 United States

6 August 2022

We had so much fun with Anthony. He clicked with every member of our group of widespread ages. We tailored the tour to fit our tastes and also saw all the major highlights that you should see. He recommended we go to the Borough Market and we second that recommendation. It was a pleasure to spend time with someone who was informative and fun. Thank you, Anthony, for a fabulous day! absolutely the best

Don🇺🇸 United States

31 July 2022

We had a great time. Anthony is full of energy and enthusiasm for his city. He knows so much and show sites and views you wouldn't stumble acrossA wonderful day

Unknown

5 April 2022

This is my third time to London but my first guided tour. I saw and learnt things about London that I would never have been able to discover on my own. We saw the main attractions but also got to go off the beating path and visit the parts of London only a local can show you. Anthony was knowledgeable, very friendly and flexible. Excellent tour, i would definitely recommend it.

Georgia 🇺🇸 United States

19 March 2022

Do not miss this tour! It is essential to begin your adventures around London! Anthony is knowledgeable and friendly. I would take his tour again.Excellent Tour!

Daniel🇺🇸 United States

1 March 2022

Anthony was great and very knowledgeable. I would recommend him a million times. Thank you Anthony for a great experience 🙏🏼London tour

Anna🇫🇷 France

30 October 2021

Antony est très sympathique et a fait des efforts car notre anglais est loin d'être parfait ! Nous avons passé un super moment, une très belle ballade avec beaucoup de commentaires et d'anecdotes. Juste une remarque sur le timing, je pense que 4h c'est un peu long mais peut être est ce pcq nous étions arrivées tot le matin meme. Merci Anthony !Belle découverte avec Anthony

Nick🇺🇸 United States

8 October 2021

This is the ultimate tour of London, I highly recommend for 1st timers (my girlfriend) to book this tour with Anthony. Even if you’ve been here before (me) this tour is still worth the walk. We walked through food markets, ancient churches, shopping district, theatre district, parliament district, walked on the water, on bridges…we saw it all! But Anthony made this tour extremely enjoyable with all the stories and fun facts of every area we visited. If you only can do one tour in London, this is the tour for you and Anthony is the guide. Excellent tour and even better guide, Anthony!

Lisa🇺🇸 United States

23 June 2019

Anthony was awesome! He is so knowledgeable and passionate about the city which alone makes it a great tour but he is also a lot of fun. I love how he immediately after meeting said that he can take us anywhere and asked what we wanted to see or he could do a thorough tour of his own design and let us choose. I would definitely tell anyone to put a few hours aside and tag along to see all the wonders of London as well as hidden gems. Sincerely, Lisa & Bob CiampaSo much fun!

Katherine🇨🇦 Canada

7 June 2025

We thoroughly enjoyed our walking tour with Anthony—an educational and fun three hours peppered with amusing anecdotes and entertaining historical tidbits! Would highly recommend! Fun and informative tour with Anthony

Olga🇺🇸 United States

7 June 2025

Anthony was fantastic. My husband, myself, and our 9 and 11-year-old kids went on his tour our first full day in London. Not only did he take us to his favorite local spots, but he also showed us some of the biggest sites, but with a different perspective and viewpoint. He answered all of our questions, and you can tell that he has a deep bench of knowledge to draw from. Also, his taste in food is 🤌. We highly recommend him and we would absolutely go on another tour with him next time we're in town!Family-friendly, knowledgeable, and fun!

onkel_tom2🇩🇪 Germany

7 June 2025

This was one of the best guided tours in my life: informative, entertaining and full of vivid impressions. Thanks AnthonyGreat experience

Achim🇩🇪 Germany

7 June 2025

Wir hatten einen so tollen Nachmittag gemeinsam mit Anthony. Unglaublich freundlich und ein echter Kenner der wundervollen Stadt London. Er hat uns Plätze gezeigt, die wir sicherlich auf eigene Faust niemals erkundet hätten! Die Zeit ist wie im Flug vergangen und ganz sicher wiederholen wir dies bei unserer nächsten London Reise! Vielen Dank Anthony für die tolle Zeit!Einfach wunderbar!!

Luis🇦🇺 Australia

6 June 2025

If you're looking to experience Shoreditch beyond the guidebooks and Instagram hotspots, Anthony’s walking tour is an absolute must. From the moment we began, it was clear that this wasn't just a job for him—it was a passion project. With an infectious enthusiasm for the quirky, the forgotten, and the fleeting, Anthony brought the streets of East London to life in a way few others could. What sets this tour apart is Anthony’s eye for the hidden details most would miss. He led us down quiet alleys and past unassuming buildings, revealing layers of history, culture, and creativity. His knowledge of Shoreditch’s ever-evolving street art scene was incredible—not just the big names like Banksy, but the emerging artists, political messages, and even the pieces that might disappear by next week. It felt like we were seeing a living, breathing gallery. Anthony also has a knack for storytelling, weaving in anecdotes about the area’s rebellious past, eccentric residents, and how Shoreditch continues to reinvent itself. His deep respect for the neighborhood’s character, both old and new, shone through in every stop and story. If you're curious, creative, or just tired of cookie-cutter tours, this is the one to book.

Leann 🇺🇸 United States

4 June 2025

Loved Anthony’s energy and humor. Was a great time. Would recommend! Great food Tour!

gneves🇺🇸 United States

28 May 2025

Highly recommend, he was great with our 8 year old daughter. He’s an amazing storyteller and knows the city in and out doing a comprehensive tour in 3 hours. Amazing tour!

Mary

16 May 2025

Chris delighted us with his charming personality, his comprehensive expanse of knowledge in all things Britain and adjusted his time to fit our personal questions. He was professional and very interesting with his anecdotes about living in London for the past 24 years. We highly recommend Chris for your next walking tour in London!Chris was nothing but incredible!

Christine🇺🇸 United States

12 May 2025

Anthony was a great tour guide. He shared lots of great info about London and took us to areas we never would have found on our own. Lndon Gems

Steffi🇨🇭 Switzerland

12 May 2025

Wir (Familie mit 3 Jungs im Teenager-Alter) hatten eine tolle Zeit mit Anthony. Er hat uns viel Neues über London erzählt, obwohl wir die Stadt bereits kennen. Auch unseren Kindern hat die Tour Spass gemacht und die 3 Stunden vergingen wie im Flug. Herzlichen Dank Anthony und vielleicht bis zum nächsten Mal :-) Spannende & unterhaltsame Tour mit Anthony

Alan🇨🇦 Canada

10 May 2025

Anthony is a ton of fun. We had a great time exploring London with him. They aren't kidding about hidden gems. I've been to London many times, but still learned a lot of quirky things. I highly recommend him.Lots of fun

Muammer🇩🇪 Germany

4 May 2025

Anthony was great, adapted the tour to our diverse group. Food selection was amazing , highly recommendHighly recommend

Gabriela🇧🇷 Brazil

29 April 2025

Anthony is a cheerful, outgoing, and full-of-life person. He loves sharing knowledge, tips, and great stories about the city. It’s easy to feel comfortable around him, and the tour was light and fun. I highly recommend it

Dawniellle

27 April 2025

Our tour with Anthony was everything we hoped it would be. He was engaging & knowledgeable. The walk around London hit all the historic sites we were hoping. He also gave us a great tour of the food stalls at Borough Market. Would definitely recommend booking with Anthony. Engaging