The Mayflower Private Walking Tour

5.0 (3 reviews) 3 hours Free cancellation Private tour

out of 5

3 reviews

5.0

Shakespeare's Globe Theatre — Photos: the activity supplier, via Viator

The Millennium Bridge — Photos: the activity supplier, via Viator

About this activity

There isn’t another tour that is quite like this one where we will visit some of the most historic yet less visited sites in London. This walking tour takes places entirely along and around the South Bank of the River Thames which has two thousand years of rich if sometimes less glamerous history which makes for a fascinating tour that opens the door on this less visited part of London.

From theatres to churches and cathedrals. Palaces to prisons, hangings and slums. Voyagers of discover to engineering marvels. Markets, smugglers and bodysnatchers to the birthplace of America.

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At a glance

Duration: 3 hours
Confirmation: Confirmed within 48 hours
Ticket: Mobile or paper ticket accepted
Group: Your group only
People per booking: 1–15
Guide: English
Operated by: Ye Olde England Tours

Ages: Children (5–14 years) · Adults (15–99 years)

What is included

Included

Included: Local guide
Included: Private tour
Included: Professional guide
Included: Hotel pickup and drop-off (if option selected)

Not included

Not included: Transportation to/from attractions

Itinerary

Millennium Bridge

5 min

The newest bridge in London, connecting St Pauls Cathedral and the Tate Modern, the largest Modern Art gallery in the world. You ight recognise the bridge from Harry Potter and other shows.
Tate Modern

Passing by

The worlds biggest Modern Art Gallery, housed in an old power station. Many of the places we will pass have been converted into new use!
Winchester Palace

5 min Admission included

See the ruins of the once magnificent palace that miraculously survived centuries of industry and WW2.
The Clink Prison Museum

5 min Admission not included

We'll visit the eerie and atmospheric site of what may have been the most horrendous prison in Britain if not the world. You don't have to use too much imagination to see how it must have been even though the area now is extremely fashionable.
Golden Hinde

5 min Admission not included

A replica of the famous ship of exploration, giving an insight to what these parts used to be like.
Crossbones Graveyard & Garden of Remembrance

10 min Admission included

We will visit the resting place of thousands of plague victims, criminals and 'fallen' women who were buried unceremoniously here and learn of the dreadful poverty that so inspired social reform and the writings of Charles Dickens
Stop 7

10 min Admission included

Visit the small park that was once the location of a dreaded Debtors prison where Charles Dickens family was incarcerated.
The George

5 min Admission not included

See the only remaining Galleried Tavern in London, the haunt of many a famous writing. The yard in front is where the pilgrims assembled in the Canterbury Tales.
Southwark Anglican Cathedral

5 min Admission not included

Now part of London, Southwark was once and still is its own city and here is its beautiful and often overlook Cathedral.
Borough Market

10 min Admission included

The site of the world famous food market with food from around the world. There has been a market here of some sorts for at least 1,000 years and possibly since Roman times.
London Bridge

5 min

The world famous London Bridge, find out why it is here at all and learn about the awful things that used to happen here.
Hay's Galleria

5 min Admission included

Once the worlds first covered dockyard, now a place of leisure and good-eating.
HMS Belfast

5 min Admission not included

See the old WW2 Royal Navy Cruiser, now berthed up as a tourist attraction.
London City Hall

5 min Admission not included

The home of the Mayor of London and the London Assembly. You'll see why it has the nick name of the Armadillo.
Tower of London

Passing by

From the outside, we will see the old Tower of London, sat right next to the Thames.
The Scoop

5 min

One of Londons very modern outdoor theatres.
Tower Bridge

5 min Admission not included

We will walk under the famous hydraulic lifting bridge, an icon of London.
Shad Thames

10 min Admission included

Explore the streets and creeks of what was once the Venice of Drains and the site of murders and executions and all things Charles Dickens.
Edward III's Manor House

10 min Admission included

Centuries ago this was all swamp land and Kind Edward III built a hunting lodge here, the remains of which were relatively recently unearthed.
Stop 20

5 min Admission not included

This old pub was a smugglers den and reaches out over the Thames where the trap doors can still be seen. Captain Cook set sail from here on his Voyages of Discovery whilst the Hanging Judge use to sit nearby to watch his sentences be carried out.
Stop 21

5 min Admission included

This beautiful old church in what was once the village of Rotherhithe has a monument to the Pilgrim Fathers. The 'Captain' of the Mayflower is buried here and the ship was beached up on the Thames behind.
Stop 22

5 min Admission included

Visit the famous old pub from where the crew of the Mayflower ship departed for the new world. Perhaps return here after the tour to have a great drink or pub meal.
The Brunel Museum at Rotherhithe

5 min Admission not included

The famed Victorian Engineer Brunel built the very first under water tunnel here... the trains still use it today. At one point it could take days if not weeks for ships to dock on the Thames and this was hoped to be part of the solution.
Stop 24

5 min

This funky organic cafe is a great place to drink or grab a cheeky snack. It was once though a Watch House where dead bodies washed up on beaches of Rotherhithe were brought to protect them from thieves and body snatchers until the authorities arrived.
Stop 25

10 min

In this old industrial building amongst the warehouses is now a jewel of cinema and heritage costuming as well as having a lovely old cafe. Many period costumes are made here for television and movies and the reference library is full of photos of how this part of London used to look.

Meeting point and pickup

You can be picked up from your accommodation or go straight to the meeting point.

Meeting point

The tour starts from just outside Mansion House Tube Station.

End point

Why not stay on after the tour and have a drink or meal at The Mayflower Pub?
The tour finishes at Rotherhithe Station for easy onward journey to your hotel or next destination

Pickup points

Zedwell Piccadilly Circus
The Hoxton, Holborn
The Langham, London
Cherry Court Hotel
Astons Apartments
Avonmore Hotel
Claridge's
Clifton Lodge Apartments
ME London
Howard Winchester Hotel
Hilton London Hyde Park
Grosvenor House Suites

and 593 more pickup points

We can meet you at any Central London hotel (not just those listed) and then proceed by Tube to the tour starting point.

Using your ticket

Dress code is smart casual
Comfortable walking shoes are recommended

Cancellation

Free cancellation

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

If you cancel	You get back
At least one day before	100%
Less than a day before	0%

Good to know

Wheelchair accessible
Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
Service animals allowed
Public transportation options are available nearby
Transportation options are wheelchair accessible
All areas and surfaces are wheelchair accessible
Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
Operates in all weather conditions, please dress appropriately
We have earmarked this tour as especially safe during the Coronavirus outbreak due to generally quiet places that we visit where social distancing is generally not a problem. All of our tours are private so it is just you/your family and your guide. To make it easier and safer for all concerned we would suggest starting this tour a little later than the usual time, perhaps around 10.30-11am which allows us all to miss rush-hour. We are happy to still come to your hotel to meet you but for the moment we would suggest meeting us at the tour starting point. This allows you to arrive by a taxi or uber rather than public transport. Please feel free to wear masks throughout or at times during the tour. Your guide will also have a mask with them.