Home / Blog; Destination: London. ©2021 Rick Steves' Europe, Inc. | It was amazing to think that those jewels are still in use and not just items in a museum. Any Rick Steves guidebook stack-ranks the tourist sites according to a prioritized system: three triangles represent a must do, two are kinda-do and so on. (This was food tour day) We seemed to be whisked off to another location rather quickly. I think for me personally was my own realization that I was actually IN Westminster Abbey, The Tower, St. Paul's and Windsor Castle!! There are plenty of artfull dodgers around. Made me mindful of efforts involved in beating Hitler in World War II". Tour Shakespeare's Globe or the Tate Modern if you're interested (or, if it's a day that the Tate Modern is open late, circle back here later). "Windsor Castle was fantastic. My highest respect and compliments to Tom! My husband Brian made all the arrangements and I went along for the ride. We enjoyed another great travel experience due to great weather in London, a witty guide, and a bunch of travel mates who embraced the RS philosophy of adventure & community building. "There were many! But, it was a nice place and centrally located for tube travel. "Churchill's War rooms, especially since we had just taken the Paris and the center of France and seen the Normandy beaches. You can go anywhere in the city very easily and the trains run all the time. Loved it. Shop Rick's Travel Store. I would say that her description of how she personally attends the Shakespeare Globe theatre with "groundling" (standing) tickets - and how unique and engaging that experience is - inspired us to check that out. Some days were a little long and tiring, but I really didn't want to miss any of the sights. St.Pauls Cathedrals and The London Tower were full of "wow" moments for me. London has a lot to offer and is easy to navigate. My tour experience was wonderful. ", London was awesome, fascinating and rich in history Our experience could not have been more enjoyable. A great balance of group and individual time, and a very well planned, and fun(!) Tom, our guide, was fun and informative, offering insights we wouldn't have discovered on our own. Looking out at the Tower Bridge - an icon of London - eating at Burroughs Market - viewing the Crown Jewels - all WOW moments.". Jeanne was a fantastic tour guide- knowledgeable, entertaining, witty, friendly and a pleasure to be with. "Nothing "wow" comes to mind. This was my first trip to Europe, and the experience way exceeded my expectations. while my husband was stuck on the train was unnerving, However, several very kind citizens helped me find my way. What can you say about seeing the jewels up close? I would do Rick Steves again. The tube was a bit scary at first. He was successful in getting us all to places on time either by walking, the Tube, bus and the train. We made excellent use of the Underground and many sights afforded lovely walks. The breadth and depth of his knowledge of history brought the sites we visited to life. Utilizing the local public transportation gave us the confidence to explore on our own--so much better than a chartered bus! London is such a large, cosmopolitan city, with many cultures and languages evident. I also enjoyed the social aspect of the local pubs and found the Brits to be very friendly and helpful.". Great tour of London saw many sights and enjoyed the "free time " during the week. I would emphasize that this is indeed a strenuous tour with lots of walking, standing and stairs. Yes, the English know how to use salt and pepper (and other spices).". Train: 2 hours. I'll never forget seeing the Tower of London gates that Anne Boleyn traveled through, the writing on the walls there and, of course, the Crown Jewels. "I had several moments where I unexpectedly enjoyed something more than I thought I would. Like other Rich Steves tours I've been on, we learned how to find our way around using public transportation which gives one the confidence for return trips on one's own. Seven days is just not enough time to fully experience everything London has to offer. The food was so much better than what I remember from my first trip to England thirty years ago. I especially enjoyed visiting a plethora of places in only 7 days and we still had free time to explore on our own. Join us for the Best of London in 7 Days! The entire group was sky high!!!". Great balance of history, culture, and sightseeing. ", "We did a lot of extras (Buckingham Castle, Hamilton play, seeing Downton Abby movie, tea at Ritz that were all awesome) but I must say I was impressed we were able to enterTower of London early. We stood at the exact same spot in front of Buckingham Palace where I had stood 57 years earlier, when I was 10 years old, watching the Changing of the Guard once again. "It's very difficult to pick just one "wow" moment. "Westminister Abbey was such an amazing Church filled with soooo much history and beauty. We also thought it was unique in the amount of time allowed to develop your own plans for eating and siteseeing. Great overview of everything London has to offer. I had a wonderful time in London. They were totally, utterly incompetent. Physically, it was a little hard on me, but I survived and would do it again. The tour was fabulous. The Paris tour exceeded our expectations and we are hoping we will see as much in London . I am happy with this tour experience in London as it gave me a good solid foundation of the area and made my month stay in London much richer and fulfilling. "That we were free to go anywhere. My greatest Wow factor was how knowledgeable our tour guide (Jeanie) is!". My favorite was a little pub that our tour guide Tom suggested we go to. The tour itself was the first one of the 2019 year and it was the week before Easter, and also there were a number of protests in downtown London. I feel like we saw everything I had hoped for. The details in the organization of the week together with 23 other people in our tour was ideal and very much appreciated. The Tower of London was pretty amazing. When I win the mega million lottery, I plan to buy an apartment to become a part year London resident. While I loved seeing all of the sights and museums, I have to say our "food tour" was really special and a unique way of experiencing London.". ", Great tour guide very knowledgeable of London and its history, "I really enjoyed the Churchill war museum very fascinating". It was exceptional.Jeanie was wonderful.london is obviously steeped in history and Jeanie provided a great education. "Saint Paul's Cathedral. She knows her history and has a great sense of humor. We were very pleased to see all the sights we wanted to see and for a taste, literally, of the city. :), "Oh My... "We attended a play on one of our evenings on our own. Rick produces a best-selling guidebook series, a public television series, and a public radio show, and organizes small-group tours that take over 30,000 travelers to Europe annually. "We got a glimpse of the Queen leaving Parliament in her gilded carriage on the day she addressed that body. "We saw so much on this tour, it is hard to pick one WOW moment. "I loved the chapel to the American Armed Forces in St. Paul's Cathedral. We had time to explore essential sites, such as the Churchhill museum, among the days packed with places, monuments, and museums. It was an experience that I will never forget as long as I live. We got to be pros on the Tube! Loved Windsor Castle The tour guide, Roy was informative and entertaining. Well organized and delivered on the agenda as described! Rick Steves' Europe. Excellent tour guide and great group of travelers to share our week with! Along with the tickets included a dinner. The one-square-mile historic core of London — called simply … "My favorite days were the trip to Windsor Castle, a beautiful little village and the food tour of the East End! Amazing! There is so much to see and do in London, we felt that we could easily go back and do more on another trip. It's hard to believe that these were the conditions under which Churchill and his advisers planned British war strategy. It would be very difficult to fit everything into just two or three days. itinerary. I loved every place we visited - from Windsor Castle to the Tower of London as well as the Afternoon Tea experience to the Taste of London tour. I had a great time in London. We really appreciated the suggestions by Jeanne on different activities we could do on our own. We did attend an Evensong and truly enjoyed that. Our most wonderful guide, offered to go back and get it. Couldn't ask for a better experience. A PLEASANT SURPRISE WAS STUMBLING UPON THE FEARLESS GIRL STATUE NEAR ST PAUL'S CATHEDRAL.". Ultimately we had no idea of the grand expanse and beauty of Windsor Castle. The Best of London in 7 Days Tour exceeded my every expectation. LONDON'S JUXTAPOSITION OF HISTORICAL STRUCTURES AND NEW ARCHITECTURE, ALONG WITH THE CITY'S AND COUNTRY'S HISTORY IS INCREDIBLE. To get a break from big-city London, you can easily spend a day or two side-tripping. teaching us to navigate and learn the city. "My favorite WOW moment was walking into Saint George's Cathedral. We finished the Paris and Heart of France tour two days earlier. Very patient, caring and answered all our questions. The schedule was sufficiently busy with the right balance of free time to explore on our own. I enjoyed getting around the city on foot and by using public transportation. Walking right next to Queen Elizabeth I and Mary Queen of Scots tombs was very moving. Tom Hooper, our guide, was terrific - so funny and knowledgeable. "Our favorite wow moment was Windsor Castle and the town of Windsor.". The accessibility of theater and musical entertainment was amazing. Cheerio! Our tour of London was amazing. "My wow moment was the British Museum. Luckily, we were able to get in early to avoid the lines. The hotel was centrally located and the daily breakfast was wonderful. The hotel put me in a different room, not as new and nice, but at least comfortable. We decided to join a few others from our group who wanted to climb to the dome, and were rewarded with spectacular views of the London. Inside Rick Steves London you'll find: Comprehensive coverage for spending a week or more exploring London Rick's strategic advice on how to get… She is just a fountain of knowledge. He quickly gave us confidence to navigate the London tube system on our own. I absolutely loved the amazing interesting history course we took all week being on this tour. His mission: to empower Americans to have European trips that are fun, affordable, and culturally broadening. ", Our guide Gillian was great! "I enjoyed getting to return to Windsor castle. I loved the walking tours of the city and all of the stories that our guides told while we were walking. Our tour guide, Tom, was fun, funny, and very knowledgeable. treatment at Windsor Palace because I was limping and using a cane.". We saw all the major sights in London and had some unexpected treats. Our guide, Jeanie, was excellent as well. A true delight!". The Abbey is an awesome vessel for eons of history and remains of historical figures. My husbands was visiting the Tower of London.". We had a wonderful time! The people with Rick Steves set our minds at ease and had simple answers to all of our questions. a memorable experience that I will treasure forever.". "There are so many memorable experiences, but I was surprised that I enjoyed seeing the Crown Jewels at the Tower of London. The hotel was in a great location, we always felt safe, and the staff was very nice. We went to so many interesting places & learned so much history it was a bit mind boggling! St Paul's with guide Chris, then the dome climb "Enjoyed the food tour; food and local history.". It was great! Gillian did a great job as tour guide in London. It was a great visit to one of the greatest cities in the world. During your week-long stay in London, your Rick Steves guide will lead you on a magical history tour along the Thames and through the Tower, Westminster Abbey, St. Paul's, historic neighborhoods, and plenty of priceless art — and even take you on a train trip to Windsor Castle. Easy city to get around and enjoy the sights. Impressed we never wasted time in line.". We were in the same room for ten days in London which made for a very homey experience. Website info under "What is included" said we would receive half our dinners, which would be 3 dinners. We were happy to learn about the Underground system, as well as the buses, so that we could easily get around on our own. My favorite Wow moment was the Churchill War Room and Museum. This tour is an excellent way to experience many facets of London in a short period of time. Our tours don't include airfare, so your flight arrangements and transfers are completely up to you. It was helpful to have break times for coffee or toilets. Truly an excellent time. Only 6 left in stock - order soon. I toured many historic sites, learned an amazing amount of British history and enjoyed the camaraderie among the tour group. However, the reason I didn't rate my experience as outstanding is because there wasn't time when we visited "shopping" areas in the morning, while the shops were still closed, to stay a little after and actually shop. In my opinion, it will be the most beautiful church that I ever see. Our guide, Tom, our guide, was excellent and all of us marveled at his mastery of the history of the sites we visited. The London Tour seemed very active but some time included to rest. I averaged about 10 miles walking per day, and half of that was with the group the other half was on my own. For someone of English heritage,that was an honor.". "The food tour was pretty unique and did not expect that.". Depending on your interests, choose from the British Library, Tate Britain, Museum of London, Imperial War Museum, or Kew Gardens (consider a cruise to Kew, return to London by Tube). I would recommend that as a suggestion for free time. All good travelers in our group. London makes a great home base for day trips, either by bus tour or public transit. Really, really fabulous.". One of the very best parts was simply the location of our lodgings - near the West End and next door to the British Museum, and close to easy to use transportation. 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