London in a Week Tour

Upon arrival at the airport, you will be met at the international arrival hall from where you will be transferred from the airport to Richmond where your English host families await. There is no better way of experiencing the local culture by staying in English houses with English host families. Your English host families live in Richmond in the same area, within walking distance, meaning if you come as a group you will be able to stay together in this lovely town in London. After a quick break to check in and refresh, your tour will begin with:

• • Leicester Square (London’s heart beats there)
  • Piccadilly Circus (Dazzling Square)
  • Carnaby Street (Fashion District of London)
  • Covent Garden (Theatre District and the active square of London)

Leicester Square is the entertainment epicentre of London with many famous shows and theatres, restaurants and bars. Piccadilly Circus ia one of the main attractions of London with its huge television screens and statue of Eros. Carnaby Street is comprised of 14 streets of high and designer fashion, restaurants and bars. Covent Garden is an eclectic mix of history, culture, shopping, fashion and bars and restaurants. After this half-day tour, you will return to your host family for dinner, following which, you may like to visit a local pub for an evening of traditional English social culture.

After a hearty, energizing breakfast, your tour today will begin on an open-topped double-decker bus. You will explore the highlights of London from Green Park. Along the Piccadilly Avenue you will see famous Hyde Park, Queen Mother’s Gate Hyde Park, Marble Arch, Oxford Street, Mayfair, Grosvenor Square (Little America), Berkeley Square, Regent Street, Piccadilly Circus, Haymarket, Trafalgar Square, Craig’s Court, Whitehall, Horse Guards, Downing Street No 10, home to all British Prime Ministers, Parliament Square, Westminster Abbey, Houses of Parliament, Big Ben and Westminster Bridge, You will then get off the bus to visit an iconic landmark of London, London Eye.

Before getting on, you will see a 4D show sponsored by Coca Cola which will give you an insight into the London Eye and what to expect. Did you know that the London Eye can carry 800 people in each rotation, which is comparable to 11 London red double-decker buses at the same time? Your full rotation will take 30 minutes, during which you will observe London’s best landmarks from the sky. Your picture will be taken in the capsule and you will be able to take your own pictures of the landmarks of the city. If you want to purchase some souvenirs, you will see a small shop where you can purchase some little things including the picture of you taken inside the capsule.

You will then get back on the bus to continue your open-air sightseeing bus tour. Your next stops in London would be Southbank, Covent Garden, St Paul’s Cathedral, The Monument, London Bridge, HMS Belfast, passing through London’s symbol Tower Bridge, Tower of London, Strand, Temple, Embankment, Westminster Pier, St. Thomas Hospital, Lambeth Palace and finally Buckingham Palace.

Buckingham Palace is still actively used as both residence and offices, over 50,000 guests and invited diplomats to 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 although we are here just for sightseeing today you can listen to the story of Royal’s Residence that goes back to the 1820s. You will then proceed to St. James’s Park which is a small central park of London when compared with New York’s Central Park. It’s not just a park as it has an interesting history which you will hear, and The Blue Bridge in the park offers you a great view of Buckingham Palace as well as government buildings and Horse Guards. You will see the Horse Guard inspection ceremony, which was a punishment ceremony 100 years ago but is now only ceremonial, at 4 pm and the history will be told to you by your knowledgeable guide. Next, you will go to Downing Street Number 10, the official residence of all British Prime Ministers where you can take photos of the iconic door, complete with the policeman.  

You can either return to your homes for dinner or turn this day to an amazing London culture experience with one of the West End musicals tonight. And please remember, this tour can be customized by considering the group’s interest. It’s totally up to you.

Today’s tour will be via Thames River Cruise. Hop on a boat as the “the boat on the river” will glide through the Thames while passing by London’s most iconic landmarks, with many places of interest being seen on the way to Greenwich. You will probably notice most of the places of interest are from yesterday’s sightseeing tour in London; however, this time you will observe from the river and the good news is there will be no barrier between London’s landmarks and your camera. Just enjoy your shots. You will reach St Katharine’s Dock and disembark from the boat to visit the Tower of London, the most famous masterpiece of all time in London.

As soon as you enter the Tower of London, your guide will take you through the bedroom of the Medieval King; you will admire the world-famous Crown Jewels. Meet the Jean Warders and stand where once known heads have rolled in a bloody story. Enjoy the White Tower Kings' line with its fine arms from the Royal Armour Gallery collection and extraordinary wooden horses from the 17th century. You will be fascinated with the historical journey through the timeline of the Tower of London.

After the Tower of London, you will go back to St Katharine’s Dock Pier where you catch the next boat that will take you to Greenwich again along the River Thames. Don’t miss the skyline of Docklands dominated by the skyscrapers of financial centres & banks while passing along the River Thames. Upon arrival at Greenwich, you will see the Cutty Sark which is a British clipper ship, built on the River Clyde in 1869 for the Jock Willis Shipping Line and now moored in dry dock. She was one of the last tea clippers to be built and one of the fastest ones, coming at the end of a long period of design development, which halted as the popularity of sailing ships gave way to steam propulsion.

Your next stop is Royal Observatory, and on the way up the hill, you will pass through the lovely Greenwich Park where you can also get some rest and chill out.

Welcome to Space and time’s place in the world, The Royal Observatory of Greenwich, where the Greenwich Meridian Line is located. Take a selfie on the Meridian Line with a foot to the West Hemisphere and a foot to the East Hemisphere. Discover one of London's most cherished views through Greenwich Royal Park and the Thames River. Learn the findings of leading scientists and inventors based or associated with the Royal Observatory from your guide today. In Greenwich Market, you will find plenty of art & craft stalls, antiques, all kinds of fashion goods, market food, jewellery, retro shops, irresistible delis, bakeries and cakes, pubs, bars, restaurants, crafts stuff and many more. You will fall in love with the area.

Time to return to Richmond for yummy homemade dinners at your English homes. After dinner, you may enjoy the rest of the night in one of the traditional English pubs in Richmond Riverside.

Today’s tour will begin with the British Museum, the biggest and most important museum of human history and culture. The British Museum was founded in 1753 and is one of the oldest museums in the world. The British Museum has been mainly based on Sir Hans Sloane 's collections. There are 40,000 books, seven thousand manuscripts, extensive samples of natural history, Albrecht Dürer prints and antique works from Rome, Greece, Egypt, the Middle East and the Far East, the Americas. It will be a three-hour tour.  

Next on the agenda is Sir Christopher Wren’s masterpiece, St Paul's 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. You will learn all about the interesting history of London’s iconic church.

The best thing to do after St Paul’s Cathedral could be visiting Covent Garden. Therefore, you will have a short ride by bus. In Covent Garden, it's always priceless to spend quality time, in a pedestrianized zone. You can just sit down on a bench and admire the talents of the street and at the Piazza. Mostly they are singing, including the opera, and are carrying the soul of the Royal Opera House here in Covent Garden. You will also admire comedians, magicians, showmen and other talented people nestled on every corner of Covent Garden. They will appreciate your small donations, and you will definitely see that they are all talented and worth tipping. Let’s support those lovely groups of people who give joy and happiness.  Fancy a coffee? Check the Italian shop. A very traditional British Tea? Whittard of Chelsea is always a favourite. Browse the handmade decorations, souvenirs, vintage products in Apple and Jubilee markets. Communicate with the vendors, you may bag a bargain as well. Spend very good moments in what used to be a flower market 400 years ago.

Now that you are in London’s most iconic Theatreland, why not extend your London experience by attending one of the best West End shows in the district. Please ask us for the most popular musicals on stage for tonight. We will be happy to assist you.

After breakfast, your agenda is full of other important landmarks of London, beginning with the impressive Madame Tussaud's Wax Museum. Madame Tussaud learnt her extraordinary skill of wax modelling by creating death masks of the guillotine victims in France from the 18th and 19th centuries. Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette were among her ' clients.' In the modern museum, this blend of accurate and macabre art can be seen but with a much stronger sense of fun!. Therefore, the museum is one of the most popular tourist attractions not just in London, but in almost every large city in the world. Madame Tussaud’s attracts more than two million visitors every year. From the Hulk to Brad Pitt, from Jack the Ripper to Princess Diana or Winston Churchill, everyone wants to take a photo with them. Just search and find your favourite film, sport, music star or politician in the museum. Don’t miss the Marvel’s London Adventure 4D IMAX movie experience (Wear your 3D glasses and sit upright & go) and also Star Wars gallery. The characters you love including 3PO and R2 will be just next to you. You will spend approximately 90 to 100 minutes in the museum.

After a quick lunch, you will get on a boat that will take you to beautiful Camden Town. Boating in the Regents Canal is a British tradition since 1951. The one-way journey takes about 45 minutes. Live comments by a professional guide will be given during the trip from Little Venice to Camden Town, which will tell you about the history of the canal from 1800 up to the present day. What could be a better way to reach the beautiful Camden Town on a good day? Camden Town warmly welcomes its guests from all around the world to enjoy country punk, funk, retro, live music, alternative music, unusual and beautiful souvenir stalls and local jazz cafés. Here you can find a huge street filled with funky shops. You can also take beautiful pictures as many as you like on the Camden Canal. One of the highlights of this tour is the international food market which is supplied by local food dealers. Just dig in and enjoy the gastronomic experience. Don't miss Cyberdog in a clubbing neon lights environment, Cyberdog offers rave and cyber- club fashion wear goods.

After some time for shopping, you will be back in Richmond, where your host families will serve a nice English dinner. This is what you need for today after a long day, right? The rest of the night is for either visiting Richmond Riverside or stay home at your own discretion.

Today, your tour will take you to two very British attractions, one being cultural and the other being gastronomical.

The cultural visit begins with Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre. If you love literature, William Shakespeare must be your idol. Here in Shakespeare Globe Theatre, you will see, feel, explore and follow in the footsteps of William Shakespeare. A fascinating tour of the iconic Globe Theatre will take you throughout with the expert guides to bring space to life with colourful stories on the world of 1599, the process of reconstruction in the 90s and how' Wood O' is currently a theatrical space of imagination and experiment. The Bankside Globe first opened in the summer of 1599 and was probably renowned for being the new building by Julius Caesar and Henry V. It was built using recycled theatre bodies in Shoreditch, the first playhouse in Shakespeare. It was probably a new building that became renowned. Did you know? In just two weeks, the Globe Theatre regularly featured up to ten plays. Special effects such as acrobatics, fireworks and even real cannon firing were often included in the plays. The Globe has a special license to have it anyway, despite the fact that its roof of the original stalk has been burning down and that it has been banned in London since the 1666 Great Fire of London. You will learn a lot today.

Since the tour will be finalized towards noon, it is almost lunchtime. Do you know that we are just in the proximity of London’s historic food market? This is the famous Borough Market in London and although it is known as London’s oldest fruit and veg market, the food choices are outstanding. You won’t be able to resist the smell from freshly prepared food that is served here.

After your very authentic lunch, you will proceed to Tate Modern, home to contemporary and international art. Here, innovative commissions, pioneering works, international expositions and inspiring events can be seen. You will all listen to artists, share ideas and find new connections. The displays of Tate's collection are impressive. The topics are organized and include iconic works such as the Weeping Woman of Pablo Picasso, the Seagram Murals of Mark Rothko, and Nataraja of Bridget Riley are all displayed in order. Here you will also find the most recent photographic art and performance. Also, listen to the story of the massive engineering work of how a power station can be converted into a modern space for fine art performance and film venue. In Natalie Bell building you will commence with Start Display gallery, Artist and Society gallery, In the Studio, Materials and Objects as well as Media Networks galleries. The next building is Blavatnik Building showing how art from 1960 to the present was active featuring the Tanks, Between Objects and Architecture, Performer and Participant, Living Cities and Jenny Holzer in Artist Rooms. You will also have the chance to join one of the lately performing exhibitions in Turbine Hall.

Before your night activity in Bankside District, you most probably will ask to be taken back to Borough Market for dinner. This is an assumption based on our previous experiences. However, as tonight is the last night for everyone before you leave London, you will first head to London's stylish roof, The Shard. Designed by an Italian architect, Renzo Piano, this extraordinary 95-story London Skyscraper is a new building in the city. Then, as you are already in the city, tonight's supper won't be served. You can instead enjoy extensive international food choices that Borough Market offers here in Southwark, London.

Today is the last day in London and you will travel to the Royal Borough of Kingston, which is only 25 minutes away. Kingston Upon Thames is the oldest Royal District of London, and it was first recorded in 838. This town offers you great options. If you like shopping, be ready to get lost in hundreds of shops in the town, if you like to chill out and wish to enjoy the beauty of River Thames, then enjoy your coffee in stylish cafes while watching the beautiful swans. Make the most of your time in London as you will then be transferred to the airport for your flight home. We do hope you enjoyed your stay in London and next time we would like to offer other tours either in London or out of the city.

Today is London's last day if you don't continue our program. All good things must come to an end. We provide a private vehicle for your transfer service to the airport. This is the end of our service and we look forward to seeing you here in London in our various programmes.