Unique walking tours in London: Discover hidden corners and alternative history

When speaking of London, anyone would bring up the topics of Big Ben, Buckingham Palace, Westminster Abbey, etc. These are some of the most well-known places people visit in the city. The list is endless as there are so many places to visit and explore in London. However, as with any destination, there are hidden gems to uncover even in a city like London. You should know where to go to explore hidden gems in London. Unique walking tours in London: Discover hidden corners and alternative history.

Unique walking tours in London: Discover hidden corners and alternative history

There are many different types of unique walking tours in London. The first focus is on forgotten, history-related tours. Hidden alleyways and forgotten history tours focus on the physical remnants of London’s 2000-year-old history. This part of London’s history is usually hidden and needs to be explored.

Secret London Tour

This Secret London Tour takes you to quirky corners of the city that you never knew existed. Some of these hidden corners in London are as follows:

• Quirky corners between Trafalgar Square and Covent Garden
• Gas-lit alleyways
• World’s smallest police station
• Mozart’s home, where he composed his first symphony

These unique walking tours in London typically cost approximately £20.14.

Hidden London Walking Tour

The Hidden London Walking Tour focuses on the nooks and crannies of London. This tour includes the following hidden gems in London.

• Medieval crypts
• Church of the Knights Templar
• Location of forgotten rivers

These tours typically cost approximately £21.

Forgotten London Tour

The Forgotten London Tour explores strange and unique relics in London. It explores a different perspective of London that you have never seen before. Here are some of the explorations you will be doing in this tour:

• The last surviving sewer-powered gas lamp
• An Egyptian obelisk
• Remnants of a “railway for the dead.”

Then some tours focus on alternative rebellious histories of London. These tours focus on the stories of social reformers, radical movements, and marginalised communities in London. The following are some of these unique walking tours in London.

Alternative London

Real street artists lead this type of Alternative London tours that explores the alternative rebellious histories of the city. In fact, it focuses specifically on the East End’s rebellious streak throuhg its colourful murals. Moreover, it also prioritises the anti-gentrification activities in Brick Lane and Shoreditch. The tour costs approximately £14.

Misfits of Covent Garden

Misfits of Covent Garden unfolds the lives of rock bands, sex workers, and social reformers in Covent Garden and Seven Dials. Moreover, it includes a visit to a hospital that was historically staffed solely by women. These guided, unique walking tours in London are ones that you must experience on your visit.

Alternative London: History and Heritage

The Alternative London History and Heritage tour is another one of the unique walking tours in London that you must not miss at any cost. It takes you through trans heritage, queet history, and the notorious red-light past of one of London’s most prominent districts. It opens you up to a different side of London that you may never experience for real today. Some of London’s most iconic districts have dark pasts that you have yet to uncover.

There are a few unusual and immersive experiences to uncover as hidden gems in unique walking tours in London. These tours provide a more interactive approach using specialised themes and games based on the same. Here’s a look at some of these specialised tours that provide an immersive and unusual experience to visitors.

CityDays Exploration Game

The CityDays Exploration game is an interesting and exciting game that is part of the unusual experiences of uncovering the hidden side of London. It is an outdoor escape-room style game where trails and clues are sent to your mobile. These clues and trails lead you through hidden gems at your own pace.

Secrets of the London Underground

The Secrets of the London Underground tour covers the intricate history of “the Tube” in London. This includes using it as a shelter for 170,000 people during the Blitz and forgotten stations. This tour includes the following:

• Central & City Hidden Story
• Alternative & Social History
• Monument Station, London

The Secrets of the London Underground is a tour that you must experience when you visit London. It uncovers much about the hidden stories and their truths in London.

Aldwych: The End of the Line

This tour is all about stepping into an unused tube station that has over a century of stories to tell. The Aldwych opened in 1907 and was serving trains to and from Holborn station, near Piccadilly. It failed to function as intended and closed to the public in 1994. The tour takes you through the popular red-tiled facade, displaying the architectural beauty and rich history of this station. You get exclusive access to the two platforms, ticket halls, interconnecting tunnels, and walkways, without any trains or passengers.

What to expect on the tour

You can see the underground train station exactly how it looked a century ago. It consists of beautifully preserved Leslie Green architecture that defined the Edwardian era. Moreover, you can admire the original lifts used in 1907 and the vintage tiles and signs displayed throughout the station. The Aldwych Station played a pivotal role during World War I and World War II. It sheltered the people in London from air raids and protected some of the country’s most valuable artworks. Furthermore, this station has been featured in several iconic films and TV productions like Luther: The Fallen Sun, Sherlock, and Mr Selfridge.

Baker Street: The World’s First Underground

Baker Street takes you on a journey back to the origins of the underground. It opened on 10 January, 1863 as part of the Metropolitan Railway. It carried passengers underneath Victorian London’s overcrowded streets. This reduces a 90-minute journey to just 20 minutes. This revolutionised travel and paved the way for metro systems worldwide. The guided tour takes you through 160 years of history, starting from the Victorian underground steam travel to the busy station it is today.

What to expect on the tour

In this tour, you can access parts of the station that are generally closed to the public. This includes passenger corridors that have been closed for over 75 years, but still have their original tiles and poster pieces. There’s also a secret part of the station which the staff call “the Cathedral”. It gives you a secret view of the Metropolitan and Bakerloo line trains and platforms. You can see the original location of the Lost Property Office. Moreover, you can learn about how the idea of underground train travel first came about in the 19th century. Furthermore, learn why it made sense for Baker Street to be the centre point of this project.

Clapham South: Subterranean Shelter

Clapham South is one of eight deep-level shelters in London, which was built during World War II. Opened in 1944, it provided shelter for more than 8,000 people during air raids. It consists of sleeping quarters, medical stations, and a canteen, all hidden beneath the streets of South London. It was a safe haven during the war.

What to expect on the tour

In this tour, you descend 11 stories underground to explore the tunnels and learn how it was secretly built in the 1940s. You can follow in the footsteps of a South London family spending the night in a shelter. You can get an idea of what it felt like to be living here during the war-torn era. See World War II torches and bunk beds from those times.

Conclusion

These unique walking tours in London are some of the best you can experience for a fruitful tour. Make sure you give these tours a try the next time you are in London.