London Private Layover Tour from London Heathrow Airport

What's included

What you'll see and do

1. Houses of Parliament

   The Houses of Parliament, known also as the Palace of Westminster is where the two Houses of the Parliament of the United Kingdom (the House of Lords and the House of Commons) conduct their sittings. They lie on the north bank of the River Thames in the London borough of the City of Westminster, close by other government buildings in Whitehall. The oldest part of the building is still in existence, Westminster Hall, which dates from 1097.The palace originally served as a royal residence, but no monarch has lived in it since the 16th century. Most of the present Houses of Parliament structure dates from the 19th century, when the Palace was rebuilt after it was almost entirely destroyed by a fire in 1834. The architects responsible for rebuilding the Palace was Sir Charles Barry and Augustus Welby Pugin, and the building is an example of the Gothic revival.

   30 minutes here · Admission not included

2. Westminster Abbey

   Westminster Abbey is a Church, burial ground, coronation site and much more and continues to attract visitors over 900 years after its founding. In many respects the architecture is common. There's the traditional cross-shaped floor plan with a nave, north and south transepts and several round side areas but both its execution and use raise The Collegiate Church of St Peter, Westminster (the official name) to among the highest examples of church construction. Here at Westminster Abbey lie buried kings and poets, scientists and philosophers who have themselves raised humankind to the highest levels. Isaac Newton and James Clerk Maxwell (discoverer of electromagnetic theory, which later lead to radio and TV), Chaucer and Kipling, Dr. Samuel Johnson (creator of the first English dictionary) and many other justly famous names are interred here.

   15 minutes here · Admission not included

3. Parliament Square

   Located right in the middle of London's iconic landmarks such as Houses of Parliament, Elizabeth Tower (a.k.a Big Ben), Whitehall, Saint-Margaret's Church, Westminster Abbey and Westminster Bridge. Parliament Square houses eleven state figures and world leaders, including Sir Winston Churchill, Gandhi and Nelson Mandela. Parliament Square in London is a popular destination among tourists. The atmosphere is magnificent and it's one of the must-visit locations in the city.

   10 minutes here

4. Buckingham Palace

   Buckingham Palace is still the official residence of Britain's monarchy, as it has been since Queen Victoria's designation in 1837. Much of Buckingham Palace was constructed as early as 1703 for the Duke of Buckingham. Buckingham House (as it was then known) was purchased in 1762 by George III, who used it as a private residence. Over the following 75 years, the house was expanded to form three wings around a central courtyard. When Queen Victoria discovered Buckingham Palace lacked several 'necessary' rooms - such as a formal ballroom, a nursery, visitor's bedrooms and others - major additions were undertaken, including adding an entire wing to form a quadrangle. The Marble Arch was moved to Hyde Park, where it still resides near Speaker's Corner. With the re-facing using Portland stone in 1913, the palace received its last major change. Buckingham Palace is still actively used as both residence and offices, over 50,000 guests and invited diplomats visit per year who interact with over 400 individuals for whom this is 'the office'. Nevertheless, several parts of Buckingham Palace are open to the public.

   30 minutes here · Admission not included

5. Changing of the Guard

   The Queen's Guard and Queen's Life Guard (called King's Guard and King's Life Guard when the reigning monarch is male) are the names given to contingents of infantry and cavalry soldiers charged with guarding the official royal residences in the United Kingdom. The British Army has regiments of both Horse Guards and Foot Guards predating the English Restoration (1660), and since the reign of King Charles II these regiments have been responsible for guarding the Sovereign's palaces. Despite tourist perceptions, the Guards are not purely ceremonial and are fully operational soldiers.

   50 minutes here

6. St. James's Park

   St. James's Park is one of the Royal Parks of London in the City of Westminster, London, just east of Buckingham Palace and west of Downing Street. For more than four hundred years, St James ' Park has been the center of the royal and ceremonial life of the country. Many features of the park have been shaped by Royal ambitions and national events. We will show hidden gems and the best spots for your best photo shots in the park.

   30 minutes here

7. Trafalgar Square

   Trafalgar Square is London's iconic public square in the City of Westminster built around the area formerly known as Charing Cross. Its name commemorates the Battle of Trafalgar, a British naval victory in the Napoleonic Wars over France and Spain that took place on 21 October 1805 off the coast of Cape Trafalgar. The site of Trafalgar Square had been a significant landmark since the 13th century and originally contained the King's Mews. After George IV moved the mews to Buckingham Palace, the area was redeveloped by architect John Nash, but progress was slow after his death, and the square did not open until 1844. The 169-foot (52 m) Nelson's Column at its centre is guarded by four lion statues. A number of commemorative statues and sculptures occupy the square, but the Fourth Plinth, left empty since 1840, has been host to contemporary art since 1999. The square has been used for community gatherings and political demonstrations, including Bloody Sunday in 1887, the culmination of the first Aldermaston March, anti-war protests, and campaigns against climate change. A Christmas tree has been donated to the square by Norway since 1947 and is erected for twelve days before and after Christmas Day. The square is a centre of annual celebrations on New Year's Eve but the London Eye obviously stole the thunder of Trafalgar Square since the Millenium. It was well known for its feral pigeons until their removal in the early 21st century. Here we can observe the National Gallery, architect Sir James Gibbs's masterpiece St Martin in the Fields Church and National Portrait Gallery.

   10 minutes here

8. 10 Downing Street

   Being one of the most important political buildings in the world, the United Kingdom's “White House”, Number 10 continuously hosts the British prime ministers since 1735. The main decisions affecting Britain's destiny in the last 275 years have seriously been taken behind its iconic black door. Today it's not possible to enter the street as a tourist but knowing the idea that an actual prime minister lives and works in the street is exhilarating.

   5 minutes here · Admission not included

9. Westminster Bridge

   Westminster Bridge is not an ordinary bridge to span the river Thames. It has a very tumultuous history in London. The bridge's colour is green and the story of the bridge is colourful. We will tell you about the history of the bridge after Lady Boudicca's role in London's 2000-year-old history. Before we leave, we will take some pictures of the London Eye, Royal Festival Hall and the River Thames.

   15 minutes here

10. St. Paul's Cathedral

    St Paul's Cathedral is a cathedral on Ludgate Hill, in the City of London, and the seat of the Bishop of London. The present building dates from the 17th century and is generally reckoned to be London's fourth St Paul’s Cathedral, although the number is higher if every major medieval reconstruction is counted as a new cathedral. The first cathedral was built of wood by the Saxons. It burned down in AD 675 and was rebuilt, again in wood, ten years later. After this version was sacked by the Vikings in 962, the "second" St Paul’s was built, this time mainly in stone. The predecessor to Wren's cathedral, the third St Paul’s (known as Old St Paul’s), was begun by the Normans after the late Saxon cathedral suffered in a fire of 1087. Work took over two hundred years, and a great deal was lost in a fire in 1136. Nonetheless, the roof was once more built of wood, which was ultimately to doom the building. St Paul is the symbol of a nation's resistance. We have plenty of stories to tell about Sir Christopher's masterpiece in the heart of London.

    15 minutes here · Admission not included

11. The Monument to the Great Fire of London

    The Monument to the Great Fire of London, more commonly known simply as the Monument, is a Doric column situated near the northern end of London Bridge. Commemorating the Great Fire of London, it stands at the junction of Monument Street and Fish Street Hill, 202 feet (62 m) in height and 202 feet west of the spot in Pudding Lane where the Great Fire started on 2 September 1666. Constructed between 1671 and 1677, it was built on the site of St. Margaret's, Fish Street, the first church to be destroyed by the Great Fire. The Monument comprises a fluted Doric column built of Portland stone topped with a gilded urn of fire. It was designed by Christopher Wren and Robert Hooke. Its height marks its distance from the site of the shop of Thomas Farriner (or Farynor), the king's baker, where the blaze began. Hear the story of how London missed its opportunity to be a highly planned city of all times.

    10 minutes here · Admission not included

12. London Wall

    The London Wall was the defensive wall first built by the Romans around Londinium in 250 AD, their strategically important port town on the River Thames in what is now London and subsequently maintained until the 18th century. It is now the name of a road in the City of London running along part of the course of the old wall in Tower Hill. Until the later Middle Ages, the wall defined the boundaries of the City of London. Let's see and explore this masterpiece of Roman engineering.

    15 minutes here

13. St. Katharine Docks

    St Katharine Docks is a former dock and now a mixed-use district in Central London, in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets and within the East End. It lies on the north bank of the River Thames, immediately downstream of the Tower of London and Tower Bridge. From 1828 to 1968 it was one of the commercial docks that made up the Port of London. It is in the redevelopment zone known as Docklands, and is now a popular housing and leisure complex full of offices, public and private housing, a large hotel, shops and restaurants, an 18th century hidden gem in this yachting marina and other recreational facilities. It remains a popular leisure destination where you can enjoy and admire. Just follow us. Here we will have our lunch!

    60 minutes here

14. Tower of London

    Few prisons can claim to be as popular as the Tower of London, an attraction - unpleasant for some - for over 900 years. Its twenty towers are filled with an ancient tradition of royal blood, armor and jewels and the history to match. The Tower of London central structure began as a fort - used by the original builder William the Conqueror who completed the first tower around 1100 AD. At its completion it was the tallest building in London. Henry III had it whitewashed in the 13th century and the name, White Tower, has stuck. Later it evolved into a prison, used by Henry VII (and many others). Still later - and continuing to this day - it has acted as a repository for the extensive collection of crown jewels. Henry VII, nearly always short of money, had few jewels to store. But the stone complex, near the Tower Bridge alongside the River Thames, has also been used at various times to house the Royal Mint, the Public Records, the Royal Menagerie (later to form the starting point of the London Zoo) and an observatory (built in 1675). Listen to the rest of the story of the Tower of London from us today.

    60 minutes here · Admission not included

15. Tower Bridge

    Tower Bridge is probably the city's most distinctive symbol of today. The Bridge shows a lot to its medieval predecessor London Bridge with its starlings and elaborate twin towers that give the bridge its name but it's not just a homage to the past, hidden inside that medieval looking exterior there's a rather wonderful piece of Victorian engineering and in its day it was the biggest and most sophisticated lifting bridge in the world. Unlike London Bridge, the genius of the design is that the bridge can act as a gateway swinging open to allow tall ships to pass through. We will tell you plenty of things about this masterpiece in London, just follow us!

    30 minutes here · Admission not included

Where it starts and ends

Options you can book

• 3 Pax for 4 Hours Layover

  Duration: 4 hours: You will discover London’s landmarks by your APTG qualified blue badge tour guide within 4 hours. Private Estate Car For 3 Pax: You, your guide and the car. What a perfect combination of exploring the capital of the world. London is ready for you! Pickup included

• 10 Pax Minibus for 4 Hours

  Duration: 4 hours: You will discover London’s landmarks by your APTG qualified blue badge tour guide within 4 hours. Private Minibus for 10 People: If you are 10 people in a party, this is the best option for exploring London's most magnificent and iconic landmarks. Pickup included

• 3 Pax for 6 Hours Layover

  Duration: 6 hours: You will discover London’s landmarks by your APTG qualified blue badge tour guide within 6 hours. Private Estate Car For 3 Pax: You, your guide and the car. What a perfect combination of exploring the capital of the world. London is ready for you! Pickup included

• 10 Pax Minibus for 8 Hours

  Duration: 8 hours: You will discover London’s landmarks by your APTG qualified blue badge tour guide within 8 hours. Private Minibus for 10 People: If you are 10 people in a party, this is the best option for exploring London's most magnificent and iconic landmarks. Pickup included

• 15 Pax Minibus for 6 Hours

  Duration: 6 hours: You will discover London’s landmarks by your APTG qualified blue badge tour guide within 6 hours. Private Minibus for 15 People: If you are a large group of traveller, you can have this option up to 15 people at a time. Please inquire for more than 15 px Pickup included

• 7 Pax Van for 4 Hours Layover

  Duration: 4 hours: You will discover London’s landmarks by your APTG qualified blue badge tour guide within 4 hours. Private Van for 7 People: If you are 7 people in the party, this option suits you the best. Get the maximum taste of our 2000-year-old Roman city. Pickup included

• 7 Pax Van for 8 Hours Layover

  Duration: 8 hours: You will discover London’s landmarks by your APTG qualified blue badge tour guide within 8 hours. Private Van for 7 People: If you are 7 people in the party, this option suits you the best. Get the maximum taste of our 2000-year-old Roman city. Pickup included

• 5 Pax Black Cab for 6 Hours

  Duration: 6 hours: Riding in an iconic London black cab can be considered an interesting attraction in itself. Just spice up your experience! Private London Black Cab for 5: You will discover London’s landmarks by your London cabbie driver-guide within 6 hours. Pickup included

• 5 Pax Black Cab for 8 Hours

  Duration: 8 hours: You will discover London’s landmarks by an iconic London black cab with a driver-guide within 8 hours. Private London Black Cab for 5: Yes, riding in one can be considered interesting attractions in itself, right? Plus, no traffic, no parking issues. Pickup included

• 5 Pax Black Cab for 4 Hours

  Duration: 4 hours: You will discover London’s landmarks by your London cabbie driver-guide within 4 hours. Private London Black Cab for 5: Upgrade your London experience with a black cab. A true British experience on the street of the 2000-year-old Roman city Pickup included

• 3 Pax for 8 Hours Layover

  Duration: 8 hours: You will discover London’s landmarks by your APTG qualified blue badge tour guide within 8 hours. Private Estate Car For 3 Pax: You, your guide and the car. What a perfect combination of exploring the capital of the world. London is ready for you! Pickup included

• 15 Pax Minibus for 4 Hours

  Duration: 4 hours: You will discover London’s landmarks by your APTG qualified blue badge tour guide within 4 hours. Private Minibus for 15 People: If you are a large group of traveller, you can have this option up to 15 people at a time. Please inquire for more than 15 px Pickup included

Before you book

Cancellation

All sales are final. No refund is available for cancellations.

Languages

de, ru, pt, en, it, fr, hu, es, cs, ar, th, ja, sk, zh-CN, pl, nl, tr

Ticket

Mobile Only

Runs on

Every day

Group size

Up to 15 travelers per booking

Operated by

Tourope UK

Know before you go

• Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
• Specialized infant seats are available
• Service animals allowed
• Public transportation options are available nearby
• Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
• All areas and surfaces are wheelchair accessible
• Transportation options are wheelchair accessible
• Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
• Wheelchair accessible

Photos

Traveler reviews

2 verified traveler reviews for London Private Layover Tour from London Heathrow Airport. Ratings and reviews provided by Viator and Tripadvisor.