Tour Details
- Duration
- 7 hours
- Product Type
- Tour
- Venues
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- Churchill War Rooms
- St. Paul's Cathedral
- Guildhall
Photos & Highlights
- An in-depth view into WW2 London for first-time or returning visitors
- Led by a PhD or MA level art historian
Select a date
Tour Description
Intrigued by British history and World War Two? Look no further. We’ve come up with the perfect full-day itinerary for those looking for a historic deep-dive. In the company of a local historian, we'll spend our time exploring the wartime stories of London with an outdoor walking tour and heading underground to Winston Churchill’s bunker. From the bomb-riddled pockets of London that survived the Blitz to Churchill’s War Rooms, this tour is a fitting introduction for learners looking to explore London through a historic lens.
- St. Paul's Cathedral
- Guildhall
- Churchill War Rooms
- 7 hours with a Ph.D. or MA-level historian
- Morning coffee
- St Paul’s Cathedral tickets
- Churchill War Rooms tickets
- Transfer in between sites
Our morning tour will focus on the impact of World War Two on London, from the fear of enemy invasion to the daily bomb raids and subsequent destruction. We’ll focus on East London, the Square Mile, and the surrounding area of St. Paul's cathedral, one of the most bombed districts during the war. We will start close to the Fore Street site where the first Nazi bombs fell, and from there, we may work our way south via St Mary Aldermanbury and the Guildhall exploring more of Churchill’s links with the area. We’ll learn of underground stations repurposed as air-raid shelters, we’ll discuss propaganda and daily life, destruction, and rebuilding, as well as the iconic role that St. Paul's Cathedral came to represent. We may stop for a coffee break at St Mary-le-Bow, destroyed and then restored after the war before heading to the Blitz memorial north of St Paul's Cathedral. Before lunch, we’ll finish at St. Paul's Cathedral, with a visit to the American Memorial Chapel, dedicated in its entirety to the American dead of WWII.
After a local lunch, we’ll hop in a taxi or take the tube to the Churchill War Rooms to continue our education on the Blitz. In Churchill’s high-security underground bunker office and its maze of other rooms, we’ll learn about the figure of Winston Churchill, the key decisions he made as Prime Minister, and his ability to cement the 'Big Three' Alliance with Russia and the United States. After an in-depth exploration underground, we’ll emerge for a stroll nearby through Whitehall, taking in the Guards Chapel, Buckingham Palace, and discussing the Royal Family during WWII.
We will leave each other with a full-day of WWII history behind us and a deeper knowledge of the havoc caused by the Blitz and how the local Londoners came together to rebuild the city to its former glory. We’ll also gain insight into Winston Churchill and his legacy as a political strategist, and mythical figure in history.
Interested in a full-day art-themed tour? Check out our Full Day London Art Tour.
What is a private tour?
Our private tours are limited exclusively to travelers in your party. They are designed to provide a learning experience that is completely tailored to you and your traveling companions. Private tours give you more flexibility with scheduling (you decide when the walk best fits in your trip), the ability to tailor your itinerary (we'll work to match the itinerary to the interests and dynamics of your group), and more personalized time with your guide.
What happens if it's raining?
Our tours happen rain or shine. Our guides are great at adapting their route during changes in weather. Please bring an umbrella.
Is this walk suitable for families?
For a specific family-friendly London tour, we do recommend our London in a Day for Kids tour.
What are skip-the-line tickets?
What are skip-the-line tickets?
For this tour, your tickets are pre-purchased which allows you to directly enter the security line at the War Rooms without waiting to purchase tickets. You may still have to wait in a security line or in a line to have your pre-purchased ticket scanned.
Can you arrange a car service for the day?
Yes. We can arrange a car service to pick you and drop you off at your hotel if you would like. The price of a full-day service starts at $730. Otherwise, we suggest traveling in between sites on foot, underground train or taxi.
Where You'll Start
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15 Reviews
Reviews can only be left by Context customers after they have completed a tour. For more information about our reviews, please see our FAQ.
For a vast majority of 21st Century audiences, in order to deliver an experience commensurate with the expensive price charged, I recommend the adding to the beginning of the tour a meeting place to view a brief video setting the stage and / or to view a slide show of the powerful photos that will be shown from a tablet during the walk through London. I was left with wanting to spend more time viewing these incredible photos which help bring the tour a bit closer to life. This way, the tour doesn't start so flat footed from a stand-still, and instead would carry momentum and enhanced engagement from the complete audience from start to finish. Our guide, Peter, was extremely knowledgeable & polite with strong preparation, listening and communication skills, but his voice was a bit soft spoken for the streets of London with an audience of 3 people. The Churchill War Room Skip-the-Line Tickets were great! However, I was left wondering whether or not the Museum's audio guide, with narrative prepared, vetted and edited in advance, would have been superior to Peter's on-the-fly comments the day of our tour. Similarly, I was left wondering whether or not with the Museum provided on-the-ears head-set, if I would have been able hear the narrative better than I was able to hear Peter's voice in such a confined space full of so many people. And finally, we really didn't appreciate the staff with the Churchill war rooms verbally pushing us towards the door and forbidding us from back-tracking at all, as Peter had indicated we could do, with over 30 minutes remaining before the museum closed. This was completely unnecessary, rude and detracted from the overall experience.
Rob
Jul. 5, 2024
Excellent tour guide
Jeffrey
Jun. 11, 2024
Wonderful and thought provoking tour of WW2 London and Churchill. Truly appreciated Peter’s expertise and critical mind. A tour head and shoulders above the norm.
Rachael
Jun. 8, 2024
