CITY SAFARI - London & Partners

SIGHTSEEINGanimal kingdom with 750different species. Comeface-to-face with monkeys,sloths and tamanduas in theRainforest Life. Look out forgorilla mummy Mjukuu withher son, or the sleek tigers.Dont miss the wonderful newPenguin Beach, where thelucky macaroni and humboldtpenguins can relax in anincredible new pool withfeeding and display areas.3,10,17,24 Jun Zoo Lates.Fantastic evening openings atthe zoo, with a bar, food, silentdisco and more (p. 25). Over-18s only, tickets £50. Daily10.00-16.00. Admission from£17.60, child from £13.70.Regent’s Park, NW1.% 020 7722 3333.: zsl.org Ë CamdenTown. Map A4.Tours – GuidedBIG BUS ToUrSDaily open-top double-deckermultilingual tours of all thecity sights. A hop-on, hop-offticket is also valid for a rivercruise and walking tour.Winter special tickets valid for48 hours. Tickets £27, child£12, family £66 (p. 16).48 Buckingham PalaceRoad, SW1. % 020 72339533. : bigbustours.comË Victoria. Map D4.GHoST BUS ToUrSThis tour can only bedescribed as frightfully goodfun (p. 17). Board the blackdouble-decker Routemasterto discover spooky storiesbehind many of London’slandmarks, but watch out– the bus is haunted!Tours depart Wed-Sun19.30 & 21.00. Tickets£18, child £12.Northumberland Avenue,WC2. % 08445 678 666.: theghostbustours.comË Charing Cross. Map C6.IT’S yoUr LoNdoNOffering tailor-made tours ofthe city, fitted to your exactspecifications, whether it’sroyal London, major sights, ashopaholic trip, or any othervariation (p. 16). Prices vary.% 020 3091 5849.: itsyourlondon.co.ukLoNdoN dUCK ToUrSUnique tours in amphibiousWorld War II DUKW vehicles.Departing near County Hall,they pass all major Londonlandmarks (with a highlyengaging commentary)before the thrilling ‘splashdown’moment into the RiverThames (p. 18). Multiple dailydepartures from 10.30, aswell as the D-Day Duck, aspecial World War II tour at11.00 & 13.00 on the firstSun of the month. Tickets£20, child £14; D-Day Duck£22, child £16.Chicheley Street, SE1.% 020 7928 3132.: londonducktours.co.ukË Waterloo. Map D6.orIGINAL LoNdoNSIGHTSEEING ToUrTen years old this month,these multilingual open-topbus tours take you to thecity’s best attractions witha running commentary andallow you to hop on and offat over 90 stops (p. 16). Kids’Club for five to 12-year-oldsincludes activity pack. Ticketsare valid for 24 hours andinclude free walking toursand a River Thames cruisepass. Tickets £25, child £12.17-19 Cockspur Street, W1.% 020 8877 1722.: theoriginaltour.comË Charing Cross. Map C6.SEE LoNdoN ByNIGHT ToUrAtmospheric double-deckerbus tours exploring thefloodlit West End and Cityat night, offering a differentperspective (p. 17). Departsfrom Green Park daily at19.15, pick-ups includeHaymarket, WestminsterBridge and Cromwell Road.Tickets £15, child £10 (onlinefrom £13).Green Park, SW1.% 020 7183 4744.: seelondonbynight.comË Green Park. Map C5.Tours – WalkingAUdIo ToUrSFrom the people behind theBBC audio books, AudioGO,discover the city throughfive walks around London:The City, Covent Garden,South Bank, Spitalfields andthe West End. You’ll learnhistorical facts, quirky storiesand more (p. 16). From £1.29per download.: audiogo.co.ukBIG BUSWALKING ToUrSFour tours including GhostsBy Gaslight and RoyalLondon; routes vary, call fordetails (p. 17). Walks are freewith the Big Bus Tour or £5if purchased separately. Dailyfrom Trafalgar Square.48 Buckingham PalaceRoad, SW1. % 020 72339533. : bigbustours.comË Victoria. Map D4.HAIry GoAT LoNdoNPHoToGrAPHy ToUrA fun, interactive walkingtour of the capital, exploringand photographing its lesserknownsights and areas withan expert guide. No two toursare the same and groupsizes are kept small (p. 16).Departs from outside theRoyal Exchange at Ë Bankat 11.00. Check website fordates. Tickets £30, child £25.% 07540 832 771.: hairygoat.netjACK THE rIPPErToUrSRichard Jones of LondonWalking Tours writes bookson Jack the Ripper andthis is his popular walkingexperience, which limitsnumbers for a better tour(p. 17). Booking essential.Tours depart from Ë AldgateEast at 19.00. Tickets £8.% 020 8530 8443.: rippertour.comLoNdoNArCHITECTUrE WALKSFascinating tours looking atthe city’s ‘urban character’with architect Ike Ijeh. Widerange of routes. No fixedtimes or minimum group size.Tickets £15.% 020 7403 1115.: londonarchitecturewalks.comLoNdoN WALKSLondon’s oldest walking tourcompany offers more than300 walks. Favourites includethe Jack The Ripper Walk(which departs daily at19.30, plus Sat at 15.00 fromË Tower Hill) and threedifferent Harry Potte routes(p. 18). Ghost walksleave daily. Tickets £8,under-15s free ifaccompanied by an adult.% 020 7624 3978.: walks.comorIGINAL LoNdoNSIGHTSEEING WALKSWalks leave from the centrallylocated Original LondonVisitor Centre and includeChanging Of The Guard(departing 10.30), Rock‘n’roll(13.00), and Jack The Ripper(15.30 from Tower Hill).Free with Original LondonSightseeing Tour.17-19 Cockspur Street, W1.% 020 8877 1722.: theoriginaltour.comË Charing Cross.Map C6.out of Townn These are some topattractions within reach ofLondon. Times and pricesmay vary – please callTourist Information Centresor venues before visiting.Train times from stationsare approximate.BLENHEIm PALACEPhenomenally beautifulexample of Englishbaroque architecture, andthe birthplace of WinstonChurchill. Enjoy 2,100 acresof landscaped grounds,hand-painted ceilings andimportant collections ofporcelain, tapestries andpaintings. 8-19 Jun 12Nights Of Twelfth Night.Drama outside in the gloriousPleasure Gardens (p. 46).Daily 10.30-17.30. Admission£19, child £10.50.Woodstock, Oxfordshire.% 01993 811 091.: blenheimpalace.comt Paddington to Oxford,(one hour).CoTSWoLdWILdLIfE PArKThis 160-acre nature reservehouses animals ranging from50 | visitlondon.com | LONDON PLANNER | June 2011