London East End Instagrammable Street Art and Graffiti Tour

5.0 (16 reviews) 2 hours Free cancellation Private tour

out of 5

16 reviews

5.0

London East End Instagrammable Street Art and Graffiti Tour — Photos: the activity supplier, via Viator

Stickers are the art form of their own and there are plenty in Seven Stars Yard. They change every few days so look fast! — Photos: the activity supplier, via Viator

About this activity

Alternative, trendy, and recently gentrified, London's East End is one of the most vibrant and instagrammable areas in town! Our street art guides have been sharing this incredible neighbourhood with our visitors for well over a decade and are ready to share it with you.

We want to show you the London you won’t find in your tourist guide books!We will take you to the best locations for your photographs, selfies and insta-worthy posts all in a single tour!

For street art enthusiasts around the world, London's East End is the top of a must-visit list of world wide street art locations, and we're ready to show it all to you. From massive murals and pieces that take up entire buildings, to the tiny hidden pieces you'd miss if you didn't have anybody to tell you where to look! And did I hear somebody say 'Banksy'..?

Come with us and see why a visit to the East End is an integral part of any visit to London! You'll even have an opportunity to make your own street art!

Private and Luxury Private Sightseeing Tours Art Tours Walking Tours Nature Walks New Product Short term availability Weather Dependent - Moderate

At a glance

Duration: 2 hours
Confirmation: Instant confirmation
Ticket: Mobile or paper ticket accepted
Group: Your group only
People per booking: 1–15
Guide: English
Operated by: Moore Walking Tours

What is included

Included

Included: An opportunity to make your own street art!
Included: A walking tour led by a local London guide.

Not included

Not included: Gratuities

Itinerary

Stop 1

10 min

Hidden away in small backyards are two huge pieces that take up a whole building wall. One is Phlegm with his signature slim, long creatures walking on stilts above the tags of other artists who can only aspire to his heights. Across the street (even more hidden) is FanakaPan and after seeing this you will always recognise his work. Famous for his silver, helium balloons, he takes this animated classic and gives it a twist. Spend a moment looking up and admiring the details.
Brick Lane

5 min

Sometimes you need at least two different points of view to fully appreciate a work of art. Luckily, on this street there's plenty of space to find the right angle. We start from a distance to look at Dan Kitchener and Perspicere. Their works are on doors which are not so big in format - but which draw our attention and require us to step forward and discover unusual technical skills and more details.
Stop 3

5 min

Turning from the street to a dirty, narrow yard may be scary, but don't be afraid, we have a lot to show you in this space! Stickers are an art form of their own and here they really rule. Become the eighth star and leave a little art of your own!
Stop 4

5 min

There are some spots that remain unchanged for years, for many reasons. In this case it's a piece that is very important to the local community. Shoreditch has a long history of refugees and immigrants making it their new home. This work by Stik is dedicated to the Muslim community and shows their long lasting connection with the area. It's been defaced a few times, but it's always been repainted, showing its resilience and beauty with its simple form and strong colour composition.
Stop 5

5 min

While walking along Brick Lane you will notice a huge bird on one of the side streets...go closer to discover even more. At first it's hard to decide where to look: we have stickers, and simple black and white painted slogans by Wrdsmth, a few smaller colourful graffiti that change quite often and two huge classics: the bird by ROA and a man upside down by Martin Ron. They have been here for ages (actual time around 20 years) which in Graffiti terms means ancient. Take a look at the man standing on his hand and marvel not only in the scale but also the skill that allows it to incorporate the existing features of the building.
Stop 6

5 min

In a few places around Brick Lane you will notice broccoli. Some of them are quite realistic but mostly you'll see them in all the colours of the rainbow. Here there is one attached to the wall - they have been popping on this street for many years. They really took over and part of the street actually changed its name to Broccoli Lane. Now the artist who started the trend - Adrian Boswell - has his own gallery and even sells broccoli in frames.
Stop 7

10 min

Now we are stepping a bit further away from the street to a graffiti park. Allen Gardens is surrounded by many walls full of graffiti. Some of them change very often - every few days - so when you are here make sure to take some photos as you might be the last person to see them before they get covered by something new! Most of the art here is done by Graffiti writers: artists who only paint letters. But as you will see they are very hard, almost impossible, to read. It's a challenge to write something that nobody can read, but you can still enjoy the amazing colours of these almost abstract works.
Stop 8

5 min

Some walls are collaborations of two or more artists. As we leave the park look up for the number 5, you will instantly recognise the artist responsible for this part of the wall and find out about some new ones.
Stop 9

10 min

We are moving away from the vintage and rough vibe of Brick Lane towards the trendy and modern part of the area, which is luckily also full of graffiti. Here we will find some large format adverts painted by graffiti artists but also many smaller pieces like pink portraits by Neon. These seem to be only brushing the walls, like a gentle mist of the spray paint, but falling exactly where they should to create these faces full of character and smile.
Stop 10

5 min

On the opposite spectrum from complicated graffiti writers who make all the effort to remain mysterious, is Ben Eine with his big, bold letters which are easy to read and easily visible from a far distance. Every letter is the same style, but he uses different fonts amongst all his works. Sometimes old-fashionably curved and elaborate, sometimes sharp and modern, and sometimes just square - but they always make you feel like you would like to step into his world.
Stop 11

10 min

No Street Art Tour in London would be complete without Banksy's work! Not many are left, but we have a secret place where we will take you to see some of his old works alongside other, less known, but equally outstanding, works of art. You will recognise that the Banksy ones are covered in with a glass panel. Is that right? Is it worth it? We welcome discussion and the exchange of your opinions about art, art market, trends and personal likes and dislikes on this tour.
Stop 12

5 min

When leaving the yard you will spot half of a soldier... but don't worry, he is in one piece, you just have to stand on the corner to fully admire this work by artist Otto Schade - another one with a distinctive style. Afterwards you will easily spot another work of his because they always appear like they are made out of ribbons. They might seem empty inside, but they truly are full of life and energy - not to mention the art of stencil taken to a new level.
Stop 13

5 min

While strolling along the next street you will find some old favourites and some new names on the tour, but also ones that have been known all over Europe for many, many years. French artist Thierry Noir has been brightening up the walls with his colourful heads for over 40 years. He's best known for his groundbreaking work on the Berlin Wall in the 1980s, but he's also left his mark on London streets. No matter the weather and your mood these bright characters will always cheer you up.
Stop 14

10 min

Despite its' relatively short history, street art in East London already has its' archaeological chapter: a piece of a wall that was painted a long time ago by Banksy, taken away from the original location and now reinstated so everyone can admire it. It's part of a new, fancy and artsy hotel, but you don't have to book a room to see it - it's out on the street where it belongs and for everyone to enjoy and criticise.
Stop 15

10 min

Among all this modern art you might be surprised to suddenly bump into William Shakespeare. No, it's not a crossover with the Ghost Tour, but a location of his Curtain Theatre. He is quietly sitting on the bench that marks the theatre grounds and when you sit next to him (an opportunity you will likely never have again!), you will also notice a stunning graffiti of Romeo and Juliet, because this is where people heard this immortal love story for the first time.
Stop 16

5 min

From this romantic spot we go back to modern art and one big building covered by many artists. Different colour pallets, different styles, different inspiration, even a small policeman, but all combined perfectly in a one of a kind graffiti wallpaper.
Stop 17

5 min

After this we'll be leaving the artistic, old part and moving towards the glass and metal skyscrapers of the City. And before the end, you'll hear one last story about the Graffiti Wars. It's almost as serious as it sounds, but at least some wonderful art came out of it!

Meeting point and pickup

Everyone meets at the meeting point.

Meeting point

Your guide will meet you just outside the entrance to the Whitechapel Gallery.

End point

The exact end point of this tour can change, depending on the changing art. Guests can expect to finish within walking distance of Liverpool Street Station.