CITY SAFARI - London & Partners

TOUR DEFORCESome people are looking for an overview ofthe city, others to discover its glory in minutedetail. Still more people have childrento entertain while others want to get theadrenalin pumping or get cuddly against abeautiful back-drop. We all have differentways of getting to know a new place, so onlyone question remains to be answered: whichtour is best for you? By Hermione CrawfordOVERVIEW OF THE CITYThere’s nothing like a bus tour toorientate yourself in a new city. TheBig Bus Company (p. 50) offersopen-top buses, which cruisearound all of London’s most famouslandmarks, while offering an amusingand fact-filled commentary. Fornon-English speakers there arealso pre-recorded guides. The touroperates hop-on, hop-off tickets,which means you purchase a ticketfor a length of time (for example 24hours) rather than a journey, so if youfancy checking out a destination youcan get off one bus and on anotherlater, without paying twice. Ticketsinclude three free walking tours and acruise on the River Thames.The equally fantastic OriginalLondon Bus Tours (60 years oldthis month, p. 50) operate a verysimilar system and buses, withslightly different routes, including amuseum-based trip, plus three freewalks and a cruise. They also havethe Kids’ Club, which offers tours withcommentaries tailored towards littleones, plus fun facts and a specialactivities book.Last but definitely nor least, youmust experience an iconic black taxiat least once on your trip, so why notturn it into a tour? Black Taxi Toursrecommends Real London, SecretLondon and Tales Of The Thamesas great experiences (☎ 020 79359363. blacktaxitours.co.uk),while London Taxi Tours (☎ 07957272 179. londontaxi tour.com)offers James Bond, Harry Potterand Monopoly Board tours. Bothcompanies will use their drivers’expert knowledge to theme your jaunt,in any way you please.DISCOVER LONDON IN DETAILWalking tours are a wonderful wayof getting up close and personal withthe city’s quirks. London Walks (p.50) is one of the oldest and mostpopular companies in the capital, withwalks every day of the year. Theyoffer a vast range of journeys, fromthe story of the Blitz to literary andfilm locations, via secret ceremonies.Many of the guides are experts intheir fields, whether archaeologistsor historians, so you can come backagain and again and learn somethingnew each time.The Hairy Goat Photography Tour(p. 50) is all about exploiting the city’smost photogenic angles, from majorlandmarks to lesser-known sites.16 | visitlondon.com | LONDON PLANNER| June 2011You can choose from workshop-styleexperiences as well as the quirkyLondon Mystery Tour.Two of London’s most fêtedtheatrical sites – the Royal Albert Halland the Royal Opera House – alsooffer backstage tours. As well asletting you watch the hall preparingfor its evenings, the Royal AlbertHall tour (p. 38) offers access to theRoyal Retiring Room and the Queen’sBox, so you can imagine sitting withHer Maj. The Royal Opera House,which is also home to the RoyalBallet, dates back to the 19th century.Despite a fantastic refurb in 2009,you can almost feel the ghosts ofworld-famous ballerinas pirouettingthrough the shadows. Velvet Gilt AndGlamour focuses on the architectureand history, while Backstage allowsyou to peek into the inner workingsof this grand theatre (p. 43). Anddon’t miss visiting one of the world’smost iconic buildings – the Housesof Parliament (p. 31) offer tourson Saturdays as well as specialarchitectural trips twice a month – seewebsite for details.Other fascinating in-depth tourcompanies include Audio Tours, whichare self-guided and downloadable(p. 50); London Architecture Walkswhich will encourage you to look up(p. 50), and Greenwich Tours. Thislovely part of London is a WorldHeritage Site and well worthexploring (☎ ☎ 07575 772 298. greenwichtours.co.uk).GET SPOOKEDThere’s a terrifying story or two lurkingunder the capital’s surface…It has been 123 years since Jackthe Ripper’s reign of terror over the