The Mayflower Private Walking Tour

5.0
(3 reviews)

3 hours (approximately)
Pickup offered
Offered in: English

There isn’t another tour that is quite like this one where we will visit some of the most historic yet less visited sites in London.  This walking tour takes places entirely along and around the South Bank of the River Thames which has two thousand years of rich if sometimes less glamerous history which makes for a fascinating tour that opens the door on this less visited part of London.

From theatres to churches and cathedrals.  Palaces to prisons, hangings and slums. Voyagers of discover to engineering marvels.  Markets, smugglers and bodysnatchers to the birthplace of America.

What's Included

Local guide
Private tour
Professional guide
Hotel pickup and drop-off (if option selected)
Transportation to/from attractions

Meeting and pickup

Pickup points
You can choose a pickup location at checkout (multiple pickup locations are available).
Pickup details:

We can meet you at any Central London hotel (not just those listed) and then proceed by Tube to the tour starting point.

OR
Meeting point

The tour starts from just outside Mansion House Tube Station.

End point
This activity ends in a different location. You can choose from multiple locations at checkout.

Itinerary

Duration: 3 hours (approximately)
  • 1
    Millennium Bridge

    The newest bridge in London, connecting St Pauls Cathedral and the Tate Modern, the largest Modern Art gallery in the world. You ight recognise the bridge from Harry Potter and other shows.

    5 minutes Admission ticket free
  • Tate Modern (Pass by)

    The worlds biggest Modern Art Gallery, housed in an old power station. Many of the places we will pass have been converted into new use!

    Admission ticket free
  • 2
    Winchester Palace

    See the ruins of the once magnificent palace that miraculously survived centuries of industry and WW2.

    5 minutes Admission ticket included
  • 3
    The Clink Prison Museum

    We'll visit the eerie and atmospheric site of what may have been the most horrendous prison in Britain if not the world. You don't have to use too much imagination to see how it must have been even though the area now is extremely fashionable.

    5 minutes Admission ticket not included
  • 4
    Golden Hinde

    A replica of the famous ship of exploration, giving an insight to what these parts used to be like.

    5 minutes Admission ticket not included
  • 5
    Crossbones Graveyard & Garden of Remembrance

    We will visit the resting place of thousands of plague victims, criminals and 'fallen' women who were buried unceremoniously here and learn of the dreadful poverty that so inspired social reform and the writings of Charles Dickens

    10 minutes Admission ticket included
  • 6
    Marshalsea Prison South Wall

    Visit the small park that was once the location of a dreaded Debtors prison where Charles Dickens family was incarcerated.

    10 minutes Admission ticket included
  • 7
    The George

    See the only remaining Galleried Tavern in London, the haunt of many a famous writing. The yard in front is where the pilgrims assembled in the Canterbury Tales.

    5 minutes Admission ticket not included
  • 8
    Southwark Cathedral

    Now part of London, Southwark was once and still is its own city and here is its beautiful and often overlook Cathedral.

    5 minutes Admission ticket not included
  • 9
    Borough Market

    The site of the world famous food market with food from around the world. There has been a market here of some sorts for at least 1,000 years and possibly since Roman times.

    10 minutes Admission ticket included
  • 10
    London Bridge

    The world famous London Bridge, find out why it is here at all and learn about the awful things that used to happen here.

    5 minutes Admission ticket free
  • 11
    Hay's Galleria

    Once the worlds first covered dockyard, now a place of leisure and good-eating.

    5 minutes Admission ticket included
  • 12
    HMS Belfast

    See the old WW2 Royal Navy Cruiser, now berthed up as a tourist attraction.

    5 minutes Admission ticket not included
  • 13
    City Hall

    The home of the Mayor of London and the London Assembly. You'll see why it has the nick name of the Armadillo.

    5 minutes Admission ticket not included
  • Tower of London (Pass by)

    From the outside, we will see the old Tower of London, sat right next to the Thames.

    Admission ticket free
  • 14
    The Scoop

    One of Londons very modern outdoor theatres.

    5 minutes Admission ticket free
  • 15
    Tower Bridge

    We will walk under the famous hydraulic lifting bridge, an icon of London.

    5 minutes Admission ticket not included
  • 16
    Shad Thames

    Explore the streets and creeks of what was once the Venice of Drains and the site of murders and executions and all things Charles Dickens.

    10 minutes Admission ticket included
  • 17
    Edward III's Manor House

    Centuries ago this was all swamp land and Kind Edward III built a hunting lodge here, the remains of which were relatively recently unearthed.

    10 minutes Admission ticket included
  • 18

    This old pub was a smugglers den and reaches out over the Thames where the trap doors can still be seen. Captain Cook set sail from here on his Voyages of Discovery whilst the Hanging Judge use to sit nearby to watch his sentences be carried out.

    5 minutes Admission ticket not included
  • 19

    This beautiful old church in what was once the village of Rotherhithe has a monument to the Pilgrim Fathers. The 'Captain' of the Mayflower is buried here and the ship was beached up on the Thames behind.

    5 minutes Admission ticket included
  • 20
    The Mayflower Pub

    Visit the famous old pub from where the crew of the Mayflower ship departed for the new world. Perhaps return here after the tour to have a great drink or pub meal.

    5 minutes Admission ticket included
  • 21
    The Brunel Museum at Rotherhithe

    The famed Victorian Engineer Brunel built the very first under water tunnel here... the trains still use it today. At one point it could take days if not weeks for ships to dock on the Thames and this was hoped to be part of the solution.

    5 minutes Admission ticket not included
  • 22

    This funky organic cafe is a great place to drink or grab a cheeky snack. It was once though a Watch House where dead bodies washed up on beaches of Rotherhithe were brought to protect them from thieves and body snatchers until the authorities arrived.

    5 minutes Admission ticket free
  • 23

    In this old industrial building amongst the warehouses is now a jewel of cinema and heritage costuming as well as having a lovely old cafe. Many period costumes are made here for television and movies and the reference library is full of photos of how this part of London used to look.

    10 minutes Admission ticket free

Additional info

  • Wheelchair accessible
  • Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
  • Service animals allowed
  • Public transportation options are available nearby
  • Transportation options are wheelchair accessible
  • All areas and surfaces are wheelchair accessible
Supplied by Ye Olde England Tours

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Tags

Half-day Tours
Private Sightseeing Tours
Cultural Tours
Historical Tours
Walking Tours
City Tours
Likely to Sell Out
Short term availability

Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

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Rating

5.0 Based on 3 3 reviews
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