Tour Size: Standard
Tour Type: Cultural
Tour Duration: 8 Hours 30 Minutes
Tour Departs From: Victoria Coach (Bus) Station. (Full details will be provided in your electronic ticket upon confirmation.)
Activity Level: Moderate
Food/Beverage Provided: Not Included
Recommended Dress: When visiting a religious site, it is customary to have shoulders and knees covered. Sensible, flat-soled walking shoes, sunglasses, and sunscreen are suggested.
Restrictions: Guests must be able to walk over paved, packed dirt, and cobblestone surfaces, many of which are uneven. There are steps at several locations during the tour. The London Eye does not come to a full stop. Guests must be able to step into the slowly moving capsule. This tour is not wheelchair accessible.
Tour Details
Begin the morning with a visit to St Paul's Cathedral, a masterpiece designed by Wren in 1673. This remarkable structure, with its epic dome towering above London, was rebuilt in the 17th century after the Great Fire of London. More recently it was the location of the wedding of Prince Charles and Princess Diana, as well as the Diamond Jubilee for Queen Elizabeth II. Highlights of the tour will include listenening to the 1695 organ that Mendelssohn once played, and visiting the tombs of Nelson and Wellington.
From St. Paul's, you will make a photo stop outside Westminster Abbey before heading to The Mall to watch the Changing of the Guard ceremony. Watch as one of the Queen's Foot Guard Household Regiments march from St. James Palace to Buckingham Palace to military music, dressed in their world-famous tunics and busbies. Free time will be taken for lunch.
After the lunch break, arrive at the Tower of London, where you will meet your group's very own Yeoman Warder. Your Beefeater will lead you into this World Heritage site before it opens to the public, and take you on a private guided tour explaining the history behind this fortress of imprisonment and torture. You are also part of the first group to see the Crown Jewels. You will then have some free time to explore on our own. Why not visit Traitors Gate, the Armory, or the Bloody Tower? Keep an eye out for the famous ravens. Tradition has it that if the ravens leave the Tower, the monarchy will fall!
Next, enjoy a short cruise on the River Thames, where you will have excellent views of Tower Bridge, The Shard, St. Paul's Cathedral, Shakespeare's Globe, and the Houses of Parliament. Departing the pier, you will head to the Millennium Wheel, better known as the London Eye. Your tour ends with an included ride on Europe's largest Ferris wheel. Your "flight" lasts approximately 30 minutes and will lift you more than 440 feet above London, for a very unique perspective of the city. The wheel has 32-glass-enclosed, air-conditioned capsules (one for each of the 32 London Boroughs) and holds 25 guests. Guests are free to walk about, and there is limited seating inside. When you return to earth, you are free to explore on your own.
Please Note: If the Changing of the Guard is not taking place you will still see Buckingham Palace and then visit the Horse Guard's Parade. On Sundays, St. Paul's has restricted viewing, so guests will have the opportunity to enter and enjoy part of the service.
