Tours
Below you'll find examples of tours, walks and talks available. All can be developed and tailored for your group.
London Garden Tours
Take in seasonal highlights at historic gardens such as the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew, Hampton Court Palace, or Chelsea Physic Garden, or discover parks, gardens and green spaces right in the heart of London. See below for examples of London garden tours.
The City's Pocket Gardens
Stroll through 2000 years of history in the City of London. Nestled next to steel and glass office buildings, the City's green spaces support biodiversity, are havens for wildlife, and offer calm in the bustle. We'll visit pocket gardens including a garden reflecting the dome of St Paul’s Cathedral, a lush green churchyard where Shakespeare’s plays were first sold, a Victoria garden commemorating stories of heroism, and sunken gardens created on bombsites after World War II.
(From 1 1/2 to 3 hours)
London Gardens,
Old & New
Begin by exploring legal London’s hidden gardens at the Inns of Court. Once home to the Royal Horticultural Society’s flower shows, today these gardens are maintained by a small team taking a contemporary approach to planning and planting. Then head to King’s Cross to discover some of London’s newest gardens now blooming against a backdrop of industrial heritage. These include a public fountain garden, a park in a gas holder, an Islamic garden, and a nature reserve.
(Half day)
Hampstead's
Green Havens
Escape to the green spaces of Hampstead, an area to the north of London that has long been home to artists, writers, and musicians. Explore scenic back streets, visit the walled garden at Fenton House and head on to Hill House Pergola for views across the treetops. After lunch walk through shady woods to Kenwood House, a grand C18 mansion set in parkland. There'll be time to explore the house and its art collection, and to enjoy a fabulous view over London.
(Full day)
Gardens & Galleries
This tour starts at Tate Britain to consider 300 years of British art, focusing on flowers and nature in paintings from the C16 to the C19. Then crosses the Thames to visit the Garden Museum, which celebrates the art, history and design of gardens. This tour can be extended to include a visit to Chelsea Physic Garden or a walking tour through Westminster and The Royal Parks.
(Half day or Full day)
Parks & Palaces
Explore the hidden histories of London’s Royal parks. Options include a walk through Kensington Gardens, a ramble through the hidden gardens of The Regent’s Park, or a stroll through Hyde Park, Green Park and St James. These tours can be combined with visits to Kensington Palace, the National Gallery, the V&A Museum, or Westminster Abbey.
(Half day or Full day)
Essential kit for
London garden tours
We'll walk a lot, so comfy shoes are a must! The joy of London is that we can always find a place to reatreat to if the weather turns, but please come prepared.
"Sunshine is delicious, rain is refreshing, wind braces us up, snow is exhilarating; there is really no such thing as bad weather, only different kinds of good weather." John Ruskin
Galleries & Museums
All gallery and museum tours are generally around 60 to 90 minutes and can be tailored for the time you have available. Along with highlights tours of London galleries and museums, such as the British Museum, National Gallery, National Portrait Gallery, Tate Britain, The Courtauld and the Garden Museum, you'll find examples of themed tours below.
A Floral Tour of the
National Gallery
Consider the symbolism of flowers in Renaissance art, the realism and exquisite detail of Dutch and Spanish still life painting, flowers in fashion, and the free-flowing expression of nature by Impressionist and Post-Impressionist artists, including Manet, Monet, Gauguin, and Van Gogh.
Into the Garden
at Tate Britain
Explore gardens in paintings across three hundred years of British art, from unique Tudor portraits, and idealised landscapes by English artists such as Joshue Reynolds, Thomas Gainsborough and George Stubbs, to the intense style and storytelling of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood in the late C19.
British Museum Time Travel Adventures
Travel back in time and across continents to meet fierce Assyrian kings, Greek gods, and Egyptian pharaohs. Or discover intriguing British treasures, including a golden cape, a Viking ship, letters home from a Roman fort, and a room alive with ticks and tocks. What will you put into your time capsule?
The Art of Love at the National Gallery
Top tips on love and marriage from painters through the centuries, including Van Eyck, Botticelli, Gainsborough and Hogarth. Consider domestic bliss, domestic boredom, a cautionary tale of why you should never marry for money or social standing, and how to keep the spark alive.
Women Who Rock at the National Portrait Gallery
Celebrate daring, often controversial women who rocked their worlds. We meet queens and courtesans, politicians, activists, writers, and artists, all of whom left a vital legacy of social and cultural change. Who would you add to the list today?
Festive tours for Christmas
Search the British Museum for fabulous Christmas presents from jewellery and games to must have fashion accessories from 2500 BCE to today.
Join a host of angels and amazed shepherds at the National Gallery. Will you spot the Christmas pudding?
Walks & Talks
Themed walks and talks typically run for between 45 minutes to 2 hours, depending on the time you have available. Groups of between 6 to 12 work best. This means that everyone can hear and it's easier to get around. Examples below.
Putting on the Ritz
in Piccadilly & St James
High society, high finance and high fashion on the streets of Piccadilly and St James. Discover the history of London's most exclusive clubs, explore hidden passageways, and learn about some of the companies holding a Royal Warrant for their products and services.
Wellbeing Walks
Ideal for teams, events and community groups, wellbeing walks take inspiration from London's street life, history and heritage to consider practical, everyday ways to enhance wellbeing and find pools of calm in busyness.
Wellbeing Walks are available in Holborn, Covent Gardens and South Kensington.
Head & Heart
Philanthropy in the City
Discover the many ways in which charitable giving shaped the City of London, from the medieval Guilds and livery companies to social investment today. We'll also consider the impact on social issues, from education, housing, and prison reform, to mental health.
Talk:
London's Garden History
Discover London's garden history, from the City's Roman roots to today. Meet several horticultural heroes along the way, from the Royal women who developed the gardens at Kew Palace, and adventurous plant hunters who brought seeds back from around the world, to public servants who championed London's green spaces.
Talk:
Great British Gardens
Ideal for horticultural societies, gardening clubs, and other groups planning trips. Take a whirlwind tour through great British gardens within easy reach of London. We'll explore gardens in specific areas of interest, such as Kent and Sussex, Surrey and the Thames valley, Oxford and the Cotswolds, Constable country in Suffolk, and gardens near Bath in Somerset.
Talk:
Up on the Roof
Hear about the gardens and green spaces hidden high above the London's busy streets. Examples include a vegetable garden in the heart of the West End, a City twist on an English country garden, serene Islamic gardens in King’s Cross, vertical gardens created to cover hotels and office blocks, and several new public spaces currently in the planning.