Unique Christmas Day Walks 2013
- London at Dawn 6.00 am
- London After Breakfast 10.00 am
- The Seven Noses of Soho Christmas Day Special 3.00 pm
Piccadilly Circus on Christmas Morning
For the third year I am offering unique Christmas Day Walks in London.
The tours are designed for locals and visitors who want to explore Westminster on the one day of the year when London is effectively closed and relatively quiet. They are also available to purchase as gifts. I wrote a blog post about Christmas Day in London and that might give you a flavour of what to expect. You can read reviews and other people’s stories of previous year’s Christmas Day walks here.
On all three tours I’ll provide a complimentary nip of something to keep out the cold, a cracker or two and some seasonal snacks. Group sizes will be kept deliberately small to encourage a convivial and chatty atmosphere.
London at Dawn 6am
Our first tour starts before dawn. Together we will walk through the eerily deserted streets, past some of London’s most iconic sites. If you have never seen London virtually empty, this is really the only opportunity to do so all year. A really magical tour for locals and visitors. As the sun comes up we will visit a cafe where you can enjoy a hearty breakfast.
London After Breakfast 10.00am
Our After Breakfast tour takes place in that part of the day when presents have been unwrapped and preparations are being made for lunch. What better way to work up an appetite than an entertaining and informative stroll around a London that is beginning to wake up? Our After Breakfast tour ends just as some of the pubs are beginning to open and we will show you an atmospheric pub where you can enjoy an aperitif or stay on for lunch.
The Seven Noses of Soho Christmas Day Special 3.00pm
Legend has it that if you see all the “Seven Noses of Soho” you will attain infinite wealth. If the legend is true then this has to be the best value walking tour that has ever been offered! If the legend doesn’t quite live up to expectations you will still be able to proudly boast of your achievement.
This special Christmas Day version of my most popular tour celebrates Soho’s history and culture and takes in all Seven Noses, a very grand eighth nose, a ghost nose and a false nose. Soho, like the rest of central London is very busy 364 days a year. We will be exploring Soho on the one day when it is quiet.
Your Guide
I am an award winning, fully qualified City of Westminster Guides and member of the City of Westminster Guide Lecturers Association.
The tours are fun, inclusive and informative and are suitable for fellow London obsessives or for visitors. One key feature of our tours is their flexibility.
Unlike some guides, I don’t stick to some dry script that has been delivered a thousand times before and sounds like it. I genuinely involve our groups and respond spontaneously to their interests and questions.
Unlike some unqualified guides I have full Public Liability Insurance for all our tours.
My interests and knowledge include London’s history, architecture, sculpture, painting, street-art, hidden London, food and drink and Westminster’s curiosities. Let me know your interests and I will try and incorporate things that will particularly appeal to you.
Length
Morning tours last approximately 2.5 hours, The Seven Noses tour is around 2 hours long.
Meet
Each tour starts and ends at a very central location, Covent Garden, or Trafalgar Square, full details are given upon booking.
Travel
The lack of traffic is one of the things that makes London so appealing on Christmas Day but obviously it might make it hard for some people to join us too.
There will be no public transport at all on the day. But I can help you to identify Barclays Cycle Hire Stands, find places to lock-up your own bike or places to park a car and pass on details of mini-cab and taxi operators, please let me know if you would like some help getting into Central London.
Weather
Last year was mild and dry, hoping for the same this year. The tours will take place regardless of the weather, there are lots of places to shelter if we need to.
Accessibility
All tours are designed to be fully accessible but there are some kerbs and narrow pavements, please contact me if you want to talk in more detail about accessibility.
Prices
The walks range from £22.50 – £32.50 per person but children under 14 go free, well it is Christmas after all!
Full Details & Booking
For more details, to book places, or to buy a tour as a gift, please visit my Eventbrite Booking page.
In the case of a gift, please let me know the names of the recipients and a little about their particular interests.
On booking I will send you my full contact details and some more information about the tour you have chosen.