St Pauls from bar

The City of London : - the ancient square mile at the heart of Greater London. Founded by the Romans, ravaged by fire, bombed in both world wars and home to the biggest financial markets. It is the only area in any capital city where leading architects build epic towers on a medieval street-plan – a maze of tiny alleys and lanes once known to kings and queens, to Shakespeare and Dickens, to heroes and traitors. The beating heart of Britain, the City of London is unique in the world.

The City of London is wreathed in mystery. A treasure trove of eye-catching clues still mark ancient walls or lie unexplained on modern buildings. Evidence, buried for centuries, has emerged from beneath the streets. These clues are glimpses of a lost world, shaped by Roman generals, royal tyrants, merchant adventurers and medieval executioners. Explore secret gardens and alleyways that were home to people a world away from us. Look beneath the sparkle of gleaming towers and see plain truths that architects would prefer you didn’t know. In a city of gilts, gold and guilds, we’ll show you all that glitters beneath the everyday face of the most powerful corner of the capital.

We are a mixed bunch of friendly guides with a wealth of experience between us.

We come from a variety of professional backgrounds and we each have local knowledge of the City of London. Some of us work here, others live here, all of us studied here. Accredited by the City of London Corporation and the UK’s Institute of Tourist Guiding, we are qualified City of London guides with interests spanning from Roman London to digital-age architecture; from Dickens to treason and from ancient pubs to rooftop gardens – via alleys, galleries and ghosts.

Our walks can be booked by groups of six or more, £12 per person – concessions available.

Contact us here

City Guide logo

Click on one of our featured walks below, or go to the Walks page to see all walks. Or click here for short, one-hour, strolls. Here for longer walks. Or choose a theme: Ancient London, Architecture, Open Spaces, Churches, Bit of Everything.

Alternatively, we design tours for specific interest-groups or special occasions. Just let us know the kind of thing you’d like to see and we will do the rest. We’ll entertain you and your guests to an insider’s view of the City. Previous examples include American Connections, Literary London, Fire and Plague – family tour. We love London and we’re ready to help with suggestions.

Landmark moments in architecture

From the famous ‘Gherkin’ and ‘Cheesegrater’ towers through to the newspaper offices in the ‘street of shame’, the City’s architectural landmarks are not to be missed. In recent decades, London’s ‘starchitects’ have been locked in competition, each trying to outdo their rivals in constructing epic palaces of steel, glass and sparkle.

Which planning restriction enforced the unique design of the ‘Cheesegrater’?