The Essential Tour of London with a Local in London - 6263db3789d115240fa128071d376d72
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The Essential Tour of London with a Local

  • 4 hours
  • City Highlight Tours
  • London
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Your local for this experience

Experience hosted by Anthony

  • Private Tour
  • Carbon Neutral

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

6 reasons to book this tour

  • 100% personalized experience to your wishes
  • Jump on a boat and cruise the Thames
  • Enjoy an amazing elevated view of the city
  • Private tour: only you & your local host!
  • Get royal insights at Buckingham Palace
  • See where Shakespeare put on his famous plays

What you can expect

The Essential Tour of London with a Local in London - 6263db3789d115240fa128071d376d72

Throughout my years wandering around my city, I have compiled a list of the essential hotspots that everyone should see while in London. Come with me, and enjoy London to the max on a private tour full of must-sees!

What better way to explore the city than with a local by your side. I'll take you around main highlights giving it the local touch that makes this experience so unique. Fun stories, insights, tips and tricks and Shakespeare, are all part of the tour!

Your private experience will take you to Knightsbridge station to explore the food halls in the shopping mecca Harrods. Things get royal as you approach the Buckingham Palace, with its horse guards, and Downing street, home of our prime minister. Of course, the Big Ben will also make an appareance as we wander around!

To make your time in London even more fun, jump on a boat and cruise along the Thames passing the London Eye and St Pauls Cathederal. The cherry on top? An elevated view of London from the 360 viewing gallery of the Tate Modern!

Want more of London? It's possible! Let me know what other things you wish to discover in my city and I will personalized your tour to make your wishes come true.

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

  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

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!

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

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Kerry
12 July 2025
We had a 4 hour walking tour with Anthony and it was a reallY great experience. He was knowledgeable and shared some interesting less known tidbits and sites as we covered some of the main sites. We strongly recommend him. Anthony was top notch
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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!
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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
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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!
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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!
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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!
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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
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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.
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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
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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
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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!!
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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
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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!
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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
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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
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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!
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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.
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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
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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
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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!!
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Loretta🇺🇸 United States
21 August 2022
Anthony was knowledgeable and fun to be around.Fun and Educational
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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
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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
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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.
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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!
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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
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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
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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!
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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!
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veronique
28 July 2025
Wij zijn met Anthony op stap geweest met ons gezin. Hij heeft duidelijk enorm veel ervaring en kan perfect inspelen op de behoeften van de klant. Ook stelt hij geregeld voor om een groepsfoto te nemen op de juiste en fotogenieke plekken. Een aanrader ! Top wandeling op maat in London!
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Matt🇺🇸 United States
20 July 2025
This tour was an absolute highlight of our London trip. Our guide, Anthony, was friendly and full of great stories about the market and its surrounding areas history. He picked out some delicious food for us to sample and the best part - we didn’t wait in any lines! Come hungry - there’s plenty to enjoy! This was a perfect way to experience Borough Market - highly recommend!Fantastic Borough Market+ Food Tour
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Codi🇺🇸 United States
19 July 2025
We enjoyed our time with Anthony from the start until he left us at Trafalgar Square. The kids say our time with him and learning so much about London in such a short time was one of their favorite experiences of the trip. He gave us food tips, train tips, and safety tips to make our trip more enjoyable. Also, he has great stories! Bonus: he’s a super nice guy. Highly recommend booking with Anthony.London Must-Do
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Peter 🇩🇰 Denmark
19 July 2025
We had a great private tour of 4 hours with Anthony who clear not only knows every little corner of London but also loves the city and its little qwerky stories We did both the classic sites with a bit of light digestable history lessons but also some of the lesser known local pearls Me, wife and teenage son all really enjoyed it. We would warmly recommend Anthony when you are in London Great Local Londoner
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Deana
18 July 2025
Anthony was an outstanding guide to his city. The day for uniquely built for us and our interests. I will do more trips with him on my next visit to London. Fun and engaging day!
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Nick🇺🇸 United States
18 July 2025
Our group of four (two couples) spent half a day touring London with Anthony and he was fantastic! Enthusiastic, funny, caring and extremely knowledgeable about all things London. He showed us the "touristy" sites we wanted to see and also many hidden gems that made our day super special. When we travel back to London, Anthony is our guide. :) Note, Anthony is a foodie and if you want to find the best fish and chips or fine dining he has the answers.Anthony is Amazing!
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Danielle
16 July 2025
We had so much fun with Anthony. He knows London inside and out, and felt like an instant friend. He has a keen sense of humor, moves along at just the right pace, and shares fascinating stories and information. Anthony was so good at communicating, and helping design a four to show us the area of London we were interested in. We saw the Parliamentary areas together. Also, he nailed his food recommendations! We loved the pub, and he gave us some solid choices for our next day out to Borough Market. Anthony is Wonderful! An instant friend!
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Clotilde
14 July 2025
Thank you Anthony for being such an amazing, funny, interesting guide. We had a wonderful time with Anthony who took us from Shoreditch to the Tower of London. Anthony knows London and its history very well, he goes out of the crowded paths to show you less touristy but very interesting corners. He is passionate about being a great guide and making sure that everyone is having a fantastic time.Anthony is an amazing guide!!!!!
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Barbara🇺🇸 United States
6 July 2025
I can’t properly express how amazing our experience was. Anthony guided us on a 3 hour tour of amazing sites. I booked this tour because I knew I’d be overwhelmed by all that we wanted to see and do in London. This tour gave us a great taste of some of the most historical sites. Anthony’s knowledge of London and its history is so very impressive. I’m not a history buff, but he may have turned me into 1!Fell in love with London
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Taina🇺🇸 United States
2 July 2025
My husband and I had a private Borough market tour with Anthony. The meeting spot was easy to locate. Anthony is really friendly and made us feel comfortable commenting and asking questions. I feel we sampled some of the best that the market offered. Anthony made the perfect high quality choices and we truly loved everything we ate. Along the way we got a bit of history which brought the area to life. We saw and ate many things in London, but the tour with Anthony was my favorite! I highly recommend this tour for everyone visiting. IMO it’s best to do it at the beginning of a trip. Thank you, Anthony, for a wonderful experience!A Delicious-Filling-Interesting-FUN Tour
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Andrea🇺🇸 United States
21 June 2025
We had an absolutely fantastic time on our family walking tour through London, Bankside, Borough Market, the Underground, Parliament, and Westminster with Anthony as our guide! From start to finish, Anthony was engaging, funny, and incredibly easy to talk to, making the experience enjoyable for our entire family, including our teenage boys who can be tough to impress. His storytelling brought the history and culture of each location to life, weaving in fascinating facts with a perfect dose of humor that kept us all hooked. Anthony’s warm and approachable demeanor made it feel like we were exploring with a friend, and he effortlessly connected with our boys, sparking their curiosity and keeping them entertained. We couldn’t have asked for a better guide to show us the vibrant sights and flavors of Borough Market, the iconic Underground, and the historic landmarks of Parliament and Westminster. Highly recommend Anthony for an unforgettable London adventure!Fabulous time!!
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Nick
19 June 2025
Loved my tour with Anthony, he was so adaptable to their custom plan. I wanted to put together to better understand the city. Very knowledgeable, very handy, truly understand the best food in London and understand the great line of modern and past.Great, Knowledgeable, Kind
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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

Withlocals experiences
are always

Private & personalizedNo strangers, just you. Fully customize your trip to your needs.
With a local expertFrom historical facts to the most up-to-date health regulations.
Without the crowdsExperiences designed to take you away from the crowds towards authentic local spots.

More about me

Hi, thanks for looking at my profile.

My passion? Simply London!

I am Anthony and born and raised in Central London. I have over 25 years of being an entrepreneur in our amazing city,

driving passengers around as a executive driver and showing executives and families all the best spots.

Be it Food, Architecture, History , amazing hidden gems or tailored family tours I have you covered.

I can show you in detail all the very best London has to offer. I have some great stories to share too.

Our tour will be fun and informative and I will gladly assist in recommendations for you after the tour ends.

My knowledge is very extensive and I look forward to showing or tailoring a tour for you whilst you are staying in our great city.

Other experiences with Anthony

€115.00per person