Welcome to London Discovery Tours

Jack The Ripper Walks in London - An Introduction

August 6th, 2010

Have a watch of the introduction to our London Jack the Ripper Walks.

Our walks are the only one’s to be consistently led by experts, four of whom are internationally recognised  as leading authorities on the Jack the Ripper mystery.

Furhermore ours is the only Jack the Ripper Tour that starts right in the heart of the area wehere the murders occurred.

The tour takes place seven chilling nights a week at 7pm and, since we are the only London walks compnay to limit the numbers on our Walks, we ask you to book your Jack the Ripper Walk  in order that we can limit the participants on our tours to a sensible and manageable number.

Also, we are the only Jack the Ripper walk to provide a full online resource of Jack the Ripper information.

Anyway, here’s the video - hope you enjoy it.

London Photography Walks

July 28th, 2010

London is a lovely City with a wide variety of buildings featuring all manner of architectural styles. Combined these make it a truly photogenic place to explore. But, if you have a limited amount of time to spare, how do you best utilise that time to get those all important great shots?  Well, how about a London Photography Walk?

Every so often we at Discovery Walks encounter someone who has come up with a really unique approach on showing people this great City. There are, for example, the wonderful London Fashion walks offered by our friends over at London Guided Tours.

Well now, we’ve come across another unique London Tour that we just know is destined to be a classic on the London walks scene.  Corinna, who founded and operates the Hairy Goat London Photography Mystery Tour, has come up with what is a brilliant and winning formula that will appeal as much to London residents as it will to visitors. Throughout July and August this tour that offers a fun, informative and interactive 3 hour walk exploring the often un-noticed and unexpected photographic treasures of London, will take place daily at 11am and will meet on the steps of the Royal Exchange, situated directly outside Exit Three of Bank Underground Station.

In addition Corinna also offers  the Hairy Goat Photography Workshop and Tour, which is a one day event that  includes a 4 hour Photography Workshop and 2 hours of London Photography Mystery Tour accompanied by the Workshop tutor and guide.

What better way is there to explore this wonderful City than being led around by a photographer/guide who can, not only introduce you to the more offbeat aspects of the City, but who can also show you the best angles to photograph them from and help you get those memorable shots that you’ll truly treasure.

For more details of the Hairy Goat London Photography Mystery Tour just pop along to Corinna’s website or just give her a call on   +44 (0)7540 832771.

London Jack the Ripper Walks

July 22nd, 2010

Our free london walks are now nearing completion and, hopefully, will be going live very shortly. There has been a bit of a delay in launching them as things got very busy over the last few months. Our great new documentary  The Man Who Murdered Sherlcok Holmes was launched in early July, and has received some great reviews in Sherlock Holmes studies circles. Richard has been snapping the final photos for his upcoming book, which will be published in october this year, and we’ve been working on a bit of wizadry that will bring our London walks right into the 21st century. So watch this space.

Meanwhile our Harry Potter London Tour has gone from strength to strength, the other week we received 300 requests for the free PDF in one day!!!

Our Jack the Ripper Walk  just gets better and better, whilst our London Ghost Walk will soon be taking its annual August break. We give the walk a rest in August for several reasons. Firstly, it’s alway lead by Richard Jones the man who is internationally recognised  as the leading ghost walk guide in London. With almost 20 books published on the paranormal and haunted Britain no  toher guide comes close to matching his kowledge of the ghostly metropolis.  But, even an enthusiast like Richard needs a break and every August he and his family get to spend more time together to make up for the the rest of the year when he is out working virtually every night.  Secondly, August is just too light for a Lonon ghost walk to be effective. So we give it a rest in August and come back re-charged in September. 

But if you want to see spooky London our Jack the Ripper Walk will operated throughout August.

Finally, we’ve just updated our great Jack the Ripper  resource site by adding a wonderful piece of film that shows Petticoat Lane in 1903. This really does capture the vibrance of the area and is a joy to watch.

So, what with our free Harry Potter Tour, our soon to be launched free London walks, and the fact we offer the best Jack the Ripper and Ghost Walks you’re sure to find something to interest you, whether you want to join a Walk of  Jack the Ripper’s London or enjoy a self guided walk.

As we like to say  - We’re With You Every Step of the Way.

A London Ghost Walk Anyone?

July 1st, 2010

Ok, so the nights are bright and the sun is shining. But what better weather can there be to enjoy a London Ghost Walk than a summer’s night!

True, you might fancy the cold wet winter nights when the City is at its spookiest. But the summer nights have a great deal going for them as far as ghost walks in London go.

For a start, you can really appreciate the old buildings that our ghost walks cover. And we really do see some great parts of historic London on our Walks.

To begin with there is the oldest parish church in London, St Bartholomew the Great, which recently featured in the Guy Ritchie Sherlock Holmes movie by the way.

The there’s the old Roman ruins that really look great on a summer’s night .

The old alleys and courtyards that we explore are a true joy in the summer because you can really look at them and appreciate them.

The other point is that a ghost walk is about the storytelling. And with Richard Jones, the man who is internationally recognised as London’s best ghost walk guide, as your host you will find yourself in the company of a masterful storyteller. His skills as a narrator will keep you looking over your shoulder be it a dark winter’s night or a light summer’s evening.

So check out our Friday night Ghost Walk. and our Saturday Haunted London Walk.

Jack the Ripper Walk

June 21st, 2010

Are you looking for a night out in London that is a little bit different and a little bit creepy?

Then why not join us for a Jack the Ripper Walk?

Our tour of  Jack the Ripper’s London takes place seven chilling nights a week at 7pm.

The great thing about our tour is that we are the only one of the companies offering London walks that ask you to book in advance so that we can limit the number of participants to a sensible and manageable number.

This approach, coupled with the fact that we follow a more atmospheric route and visit more of the actual murder sites than any other London walks, has helped make our Jack the Ripper walk the premier such tour in London.

When you join our tour, you won’t be on one of the unsightly cattle drive London walks, that cram over a hundred people onto a tour with one guide. Rather, you will be a part of a much smaller more intimated group that will number around 34 people. As we like to say our Jack the Ripper walk is the one that’s heard not herd.

In addition three of our guides are published authors who between them have written five acclaimed books on the Whitechapel Murders, so in a addition to smaller groups than the London walks cattle drives, atmospheric routes, and actually visiting more of  murder sites, you will be guided around the area by the proven experts on the case.

Click Here to see our Jack the Ripper walk availability for this week.

This Sunday - A Walk Through London Fashion

June 18th, 2010

The Blue Badge Babes Are Back

Sunday 20th June at 2pm.   Meet Outside Exit 8 (The Argyle Street Exit) of Oxford Circus Underground Station.

Please note there are engineering works on several Underground Lines this weekend so please check the TFL Journey Planner to plan your route.

This Sunday 20th June 2010 you will have the opportunity to take a walk through London’s fascinating fashion history.

Make no mistake, this won’t be a dusty, dry march around historic London sites. This will be a breathe of fresh air. A breeze through the highs and the lows, the historical and the hysterical, the hideous and the heinous.. well you get the drift!

It’s going to be a great walk because it is being led by the Blue Badge Babes. These are newly qualified Blue Badge Guides who have spent months, honing and perfecting this truly enjoyable walk.

Sunday’s fashion walk will be guided by the terrific Themis and the angelic Anne Marie so it’s going to be a smasher.

The New Jack the Ripper Historical Resource

June 12th, 2010

We’ve been working hard on this.

Our Jack the Ripper Walk is widely acknowledged as being the best in London.  We offer you expert guides, limited numbers and a truly atmospheric route that starts right in the heart of the area where the murders occurred in 1888.  We are also passionate about what we do and devote a great deal of time, energy and resources to ensuring we bring you as much information about the Jack the Ripper mystery and East End History as we can. Indeed, the reason for our silence on the blog of late is that we have been working hard to create a truly in depth resource on the history of Jack the Ripper.

Now you can actually see for yourself that we know what we’re talking about when it comes to Jack the Ripper. Our full Jack the Ripper Resource shows you that we are passionate about the subject and that we share the information BEFORE you have to sign up to join our Jack the Ripper Walk.

We are the only company that does this.  We will give you all the information and then you can decide whether you want to join us and pay, or simply read the information and then go and do your own Jack the Ripper Tour using the information.

Our unique approach means that you can really make a study of the case before you join the walk and then be up to speed on all the facts. This makes for a far more enjoyable tour, as you will then be able to discuss the case with your expert guide.  And the fact that we limit our numbers to a sensible numner of around 34 participants is an added bonus that with us you can enjoy an in depth walk that visits more of the actaul murder sites than any other Jack the Ripper Walk.

London Fashion Walks - With The Blue Badge Babes

June 7th, 2010

THE WALK THAT’S A CUT ABOVE THE REST

The London Fashion Walk is due to launch later in June, and it’s going to be great.

Led by a team of top flight Blue Badge Guides, this totally unique walking tour will introduce participants to the intriguing and exciting world of London fashion.

Are you coming to London for the Clothes Show from 25th to 27th June? Do you have a group? Then why not enhance your visit with the London Fashion Walk?

Highlights of this journey through the highs (and lows!) of London fashion include:-

The studio where the Queen’s wedding dress was created.

The truly exclusive shops of the Queen of Fashion.

The shops and places where Royals and Celebrities come to view and buy the latest fashions.

As you walk, your Blue Badge Guide will regale you with fascinating insights into and intriguing facts about the history of fashion in London.

Do you know how the ”tuxedo” originated, or what it means to have a “bespoke” suit? Your Blue Badge Guide does - and she’ll tell you in the course of the walk.

There’ll be glamour and glitz, the garish and the garrulous, the daring and the disastrous, the milestones and the mistakes all presented with a breathtaking commentary that is guaranteed to make you a dedicated follower of fashion.

The London Fashion Walk meets outside Exit 8 of Oxford Circus Underground Station. This is the Argyle Street Exit (the street that the London Palladium is on).

It is not recommended for the under 12’s.

The London Fashion Walk costs £8.00 per person and takes place regardless of the weather ( so be sure to check the weather forecast and bring your trendiest umbrella if it looks like its going to rain).

Walk will take place on the The following dates.

IN JUNE

Sunday 20 June at 2pm
Thursday 24 June at 11am
Wednesday 30 June - at11am

 IN JULY

Thursday 15 July at 6.30pm

Sunday 25 July at 3pm

IN AUGUST

Thursday 12 August at 6.30pm

Sunday 29 August at 3pm

IN SEPTEMBER

Thursday 9 September 6.30pm

Sunday 26 September 3pm

For more details please email us at admin@discovery-walks.com

London Ghost Walk This Saturday

May 28th, 2010

Richard Jones, now back In London from his jaunts around haunted Britain will be leading his weekly ghost walk around the Old City this Saturday at 7.30pm.

The tour meets oustside Exit Three of  Bank Underground Station on the steps of the Royal Exchange.

You will be able to explore the old alleys, hidden courtyards and other tucked away places on a tour that is widely acknowledged as London’s best ghost walk.

Richard is the author of 19 books, four of which are about haunted London. So when you join Richard on a ghost tour you’re not joining a ghost walks guide who has just read a few stories in a book, but rather you are joining the man who wrote the book. Locating the source as it were.

So if you are looking for something to do in London this Saturday, and you wish to see the City of London at its most atmospheric, join Richard Jones on a tour that will be entertaining, intriguing, informative and, above all else, thoroughly enjoyable.

Read More……

Take A Walk Around London This Sunday

May 21st, 2010

A great, and relatively unexplored part of London, is located beyond the Tower of London. Wapping and Shadwell is where the docks were, but it is also an area that is packed with history and fascination. This Sunday top rate Blue Badge Guide Mark King will be leading a walk through the area. The weather’s going to be great, the subject will keep you intrigued and entertained throughout - so why not spend a Sunday doing something truly worthwhile?

Here is Mark’s write up on his walk.

The Walk takes place at 11am and meets outside Tower Gateway DLR. It costs £10 and lasts around two hours.

You can contact Mark at:

Join me on the next event in my Spring programme of guided walks and visits. I’ll be peeling back layers of history in one of London’s most transformed districts - the former docks in Wapping and Shadwell.

Once part of the world’s busiest port, this section of Docklands has been given a new lease of life since Secretary of State Michael Heseltine and the LDDC began re-development under the last Conservative administration. This introduction to Docklands fits the mood of these exciting times - an alliance designed to appeal across the political spectrum:

* for the conservative-minded, see how splendid warehouses and riverside houses have been put to good use again in recent years
* for the liberal-minded, there’ll be tales of saucy sailors, shady ladies, thieving and skull-duggery
* for those interested in labour, feel the gruelling life of dock-workers and their families, and the dubious hiring practices of the Royal Navy’s infamous press-gangs
* for the green-minded, there’ll be plenty about the River Thames, our city’s great natural highway
* and for those in favour of any party, we’ll end up at one of London’s finest river-side pub-restaurants. RSVP in advance, please!

Route: start outside Tower Gateway DLR station (nearest Tube station is Tower Hill on the Circle and District lines) via St Katherine Dock, Wapping High St. and Wapping Wall.

Optional extra: I’ll be pre-booking tables for Sunday lunch at a glorious pub-restaurant offering riverside views, fine grub, grog and other liquid refreshment.
PLEASE LET ME KNOW HOW MANY PLACES YOU’D LIKE. Sunday roast and other menu choices available.