Guided Walk: Riverside London

Guided Walk: Riverside London

LONDON’S RIVER Trade, transport and traditions

By City of London Guide Lecturers Association

Select date and time

Sat, 26 Apr 2025 11:00 - 13:00 GMT+1

Location

City Information Centre

St Paul's Churchyard London EC4M 8BX United Kingdom

Refund Policy

Refunds up to 1 day before event

About this event

Riverside London.

The River Thames is the lifeblood of this vibrant city. It's the reason the Romans founded London on its north bank and its tidal waters have brought trade and wealth to the city for centuries.

Join us for a leisurely stroll along the Thames and hear fascinating stories about frost fairs, swan upping, Southwark's unique entertainment and how the river has played a key role in London's history.

We'll pass the "Pool of London" which was once the busiest port in the world. Imagine what it would have been like in the days when there were so many ships docked here that it was possible to walk from one side of the river to the other simply by walking across the decks !

Discover the first new crossing of the Thames in 100 years and find out why it famously wobbled! We'll also visit an 1100 year old dock and the site of the first public lavatory (thankfully no longer in use!)

Did you know that the river Thames has over 100 different species of fish and that in 2006 a bottlenose whale swam up to Westminster? You never know what you'll see on the river.

The view from the north bank of the river is magnificent and offers some of London's finest views of the Shard, the reconstructed Shakespeare's Globe Theatre, London Bridge, Tower Bridge, the old Billingsgate fish market and a couple of the City's finest Livery Halls.

As we walk beneath London Bridge and imagine how it looked 700 years ago, we uncover the origins of the nursery rhyme "London Bridge is Falling Down"

Come and explore the rich history and vibrant life along the Thames. It's a journey through time you won't want to miss!

The tour takes around 2 hours including stopping to look at things along the way.

Limited spaces which MUST be booked in advance. Reserve your place now.

We try to make our tours as inclusive and accessible as possible. However, at the moment the lift down to the Thames path at Millennium Bridge is not in use and we have no date for its re-opening. Therefore, if you would need to use the lift we regret that this walk will not be accessible for you. The City of London planning office looks after the lifts and can be contacted on 020 7332 1000

Safety:

The safety of our guests and guides is paramount and we have limited group numbers to help manage this.

All our guides are accredited by the Institute of Tourist Guiding (ITG) and follow ITG guidance for Tour Guiding.


Organised by

The Official Guides to the City of London. All our guides are trained, qualified, accredited and insured.

From £13.52