The 5 best tour operators in London for a wonderful trip

London is a city bursting with history, charm, and more than enough red double-deckers to make your Instagram grid pop.

But with so much to see (Buckingham Palace, Big Ben, and that particular pub where Shakespeare may have down some beers), how do you explore it all without burning your feet or your patience?

The answer? None other than booking a tour from an excellent tour agency. It’s convenient, cost-saving, and provides easy access to expert advice.

In this blog, I’ve rounded up the best tour operators in London who will guide you through The Big Smoke’s iconic sights with a bonus of secret gems.

How I chose the best tour operators in London

• Quality of service: I picked the ones with tour guides who are not boring and know how to keep tourists interested throughout the tour.
• Customer service: I selected those who have staff who can converse with potential and current clients clearly, without any misunderstanding.
• Range of services: I opted for companies that offer various tours, such as private tours, walking tours, and pub tours.
• Value and cost-effectiveness: I chose tour operators that offer affordable tours but still deliver services comparable to those of the more expensive ones.

1. SANDEMANs Tours – London

Address: No 1, 7 The Piazza
Phone: +1 210 201 6282
Business hours: Mon-Sun: 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
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Website 

What’s impressive about SANDEMANs is that they’re recognised as the pioneers of the free walking tour concept. This recognition is not just in London, but in the whole world!

They offer a great selection of free, tips-based walking tours. These are the Soho tour, the Jack the Ripper tour, and my favourite London tour.

I found their private walking tours great as well. They are designed for a quick trip but a comprehensive tour of the city’s important landmarks.

Speaking of, I appreciate that all their tours cover most major landmarks of London. Some famous sites you will visit during the tour are Big Ben, Buckingham Palace, and Westminster Abbey.

In addition, their pub tour is worth the penny. It will allow you to visit London’s historic pubs like the Captain Kidd pub, with a free half pint of beer in every pub.

I also love that they provide a detailed overview of each tour. It helps you make an informed decision about joining a particular tour.

However, some tourists told me that some tour guides promote paid tours too much during the free walking tour, which left a sour taste in their mouths.

Andrew is your guy! 

“I had the pleasure of joining Andrew’s London tour, and it was an unforgettable experience! Andrew is an exciting, upbeat guide who brings so much energy and personality to the tour. His passion for history and storytelling really shines through, making each stop engaging and memorable. What I loved most was Andrew’s personal touch—he shared fascinating facts and stories that aren’t often mentioned, which made the experience feel fresh and unique. He has a talent for making history come alive. If you’re looking for a lively, entertaining, and truly enriching tour, Andrew is your guy! Highly recommend!” 

-Seyurie, Google Review 

Thank you so much Paddy

“I had the best time today on the Old City of London walking tour with Paddy! He was an exceptional tour guide, and I’ve been on a lot of walking tours. The 2.5 hours flew by as he regaled us with stories and kept the tour going at just the right pace. He was fantastic at distilling historical information in an interesting way. I have an understanding now of the background and mentality of the old city of London, which I previously knew nothing about, and an appreciation for the variety of architecture. Paddy also has a great sense of humor, is personable and approachable if you have any questions. Thank you so much Paddy for making my trip to London so much more enjoyable!!” 

-Tova T, Google Review 

2. We Are London

Address: 147 Fleet St
Phone: +44 7513 612814
Business hours: Mon-Sun: 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM
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Website 

We Are London provides the most affordable tours on my top list. You can have an enjoyable tour with your crew for less than £30!

The highlight of their tours is the street art tour. The local tour guide will take you to the iconic and less popular locations in Shoreditch with diverse street art. What’s great is that the tour will let your creativity shine by doing your own graffiti on the street.

I found their beer bike tour admirable as well. It’s a unique way of exploring London in a 15-seater vehicle with a beer barrel.

Speaking of beer, their pub tour is also distinctive. It will bring you to the hidden gems, the renowned, and timely spots, with a bonus of expert drink recommendations.

Further, I love their game-driven tour. A tour with a twist of a treasure hunt is a great and memorable way of exploring a city with your gang.

The only weak point I noticed in their operation is that they don’t offer private tours.

Noa is an amazing tour guide

“We participated in a royal tour with Noa about a week ago (a couple with 2 daughters aged 9 and 13 who are not used to walking) and it was lovely and we all had a great time. Noa is charming, energetic, full of energy and knowledge. She managed to interest everyone, she was attentive, told interesting stories, and took pictures… Thanks to her, we saw the Mishmar marching and playing, squirrels, swans and what not… A great way to start our trip in London. Thank you very much! Recommended 💜” 

-reut levine, Google Review 

Many thanks guys

“We were on a tour to get to know London with Ophir. The tour was fascinating. The material was conveyed in a fascinating way, Ophir was charming, she treated each and every one and was interesting. pleasure! In addition, we were on a graffiti tour in Shoreditch with Itamar from we are London. Itamar was charming, showed, told anecdotes, enriched our knowledge and even watered us with excellent and hot chocolate. It was just lovely. We will be happy to join more tours in the future. Many thanks to Ofir and Itamar!” 

-Ethel Shemesh, Google Review 

3. London with a Local

Phone: +44 7709 703141
Business hours: Mon-Sun: 9:30 AM – 7:30 PM
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Website 

I was very impressed with London with a Local’s extensive free tours. They have a total of 11 free tours! Some of them are the Sherlock Holmes tour, the Harry Potter tour, and the LGBTQ+ History tour.

I was equally moved by their range of private tours. They have 15 private tours your group can choose from. There’s a London in a day tour, a food tour, and much more!

What’s amazing about their private tours is that they can customise them for you. They can add locations you want to visit upon request.

I also admire their capability to cater to groups of various sizes. Their skilled local tour guides can entertain school and company tours, among others.

Lastly, I love their hassle-free online booking procedure. Unlike some tour operators’ inconvenient website usability, you can book a tour on their website in less than a minute.

On the one hand, the only unpleasant thing about some of their tours is the large number of tourists. It’s a bit challenging to hear the tour guide with 30+ people.

Brilliant tour from this company

“Great. We are east end locals but it was brilliant being shown stuff off the beaten track in areas we don’t usually visit. Took my boys (aged 7 and 13) both street art and photography enthusiasts and they enjoyed having stuff pointed out we have previously not noticed (brick Lane broccoli). Loved hearing the interesting facts about the area and looking at the area from A different point of view. We all enjoyed being told about the artists and have since been and found other art from the people mentioned. Loved it. Another brilliant tour from this company.” 

-hannah givertz, Google Review 

Absolutely 10/10 experience

“I’ve lived in London for 7 years and I have a friend visiting from abroad; he’s done all the touristy things before, so I thought we could do something we both found interesting. And I’m SO glad we did!!! Big Ben was THE BEST tour guide I’ve had, and trust me, I’ve had many over the years. He was extremely knowledgeable and respectful about the victims, and yet, he was insanely funny and his comedic timing was gold. Such an amazing experience and would LOVE to do another tour with them. Absolutely 10/10 recommend, even if you’re a local like me!” 

-Maricela Nuñez, Google Review 

4. Context Travel London

Phone: +1 800 691 6036
Business hours: Open 24 hours
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Website 

I was surprised that Context Travel’s tour guides are historians and scholars. This ensures that your trip will be filled with in-depth perspectives on the city’s history and culture.

In addition, I admire the broad range of their tours. They offer tours for kids, food lovers, and even solo travellers.

I also appreciate their small group tours. They offer trips to at least 10 people to deliver a more personalised and immersive experience.

Moreover, I love their themed tours the most. These tours will bring you to lesser-known historical sites with fascinating stories, such as the Hidden History Tour.

Their budget-friendly audio guides are worth mentioning as well. An audio guide from experts can truly enhance your learning experience of The Big Smoke.

In addition to audio guides, the pre-trip lectures are worth the money, too. They provide a sense of anticipation about what you will discover throughout the tour.

That said, some of their tours have limited availability, making it a bit difficult to book them.

You’re fantastic Alex

“Alex was fantastic. Our 16 year old was hesitant about taking a “boring” tour, and she was engaged and enthralled the entire time. Alex took note of our interests (varied across two forty-something’s, a twenty year old and a 16-year old) and tailored the tour appropriately, giving us interesting facts and tidbits, telling us fun stories, and answering our questions. He was attentive to our needs for coffee on our first day abroad and he gave us wonderful recommendations for the rest of our stay. His tour was a perfect start to our trip and we highly recommend it to others.” 

-Angela Parker, Google Review 

Detailed and informative tour

“What a detailed and informative tour of Windsor Castle! We happened to be visiting a few days before the Order of the Garter ceremony, so we were lucky enough to see some special things that just happen to prepare the castle for the ceremony! Our tour guide, Barbara, offered some wonderful insight into the history of the Garter and the ceremony. The castle itself was truly amazing to see and learn about from such a knowledgeable person. Our small group meant that we had very personalized attention and the ability to move through the castle together! I appreciated that Barbara offered to take a few photos for us and offered suggestions on where to eat lunch following the tour.” 

-Julie Sullivan Green, Google Review 

5. ToursByLocals – London

Phone: +44 800 012 4824
Business hours: Open 24 hours
Instagram
Website 

ToursByLocals has the most diverse tour offerings on my list. This allows them to reach more people with various preferences in exploring a city.

One of their unique tours is the bird-watching tour. They are one of the few tour operators in the city that offer this kind of tour. 

Some of their local guides can create itineraries customised to your bird-watching interests. They don’t offer a pre-designed bird-watching tour to give every group of tourists a unique experience.

Their boat tours are admirable too. These combined walking and boat tours will let you see London from totally different perspectives. 

Most of all, I love their flexibility in customising tours for tourists. You can make a request directly to your tour guide before the trip.

On the other hand, I was a bit disappointed in their customer service. Sometimes, they take a long time to respond to questions.

Marcus gave us an enjoyable trip

“We had a wonderful full day tour of London with Marcus. He picked us up at our hotel on time in his spotless vehicle & took us on a very comprehensive tour of the city based on our interests. This which allowed us to see many great sites in Westminster & the city of London. The highlight was the changing of the guards at Buckingham Palace on the Queen’s 70th jubilee. He also found us a delightful pub for lunch. I would highly recommend Marcus if wanting an informative and enjoyable tour of London.” 

-Paul Curasi, Google Review 

I highly recommend this tour

“In England for a business trip arriving a day early to revisit London. At the last minute I decided to use a guide. I checked several sites but book with Tours By Locals. My guide was Kemal, who was fantastic. The East End tour was like seeing this portion for London with an old friend. Kemal went above and beyond from the first contact. He was friendly, extremely knowledgeable and has a very positive outlook. I went to places that I would have probably not have known even existed. I highly recommend this tour and this tour guide.” 

-Mary Hladio, Google Review