London Underground and Tube Tour

Alternative London Walking Tours  >  Alternative History of London  >  London Underground Tube Tours

“Appeal for long-time Londoners as much as first-time tourists. Our guide was effortlessly friendly and, as far as we could tell, flawless in her facts. We even learnt a thing or two about our specialist subject. Splendid.“
– Londonist

Travel across 150 years in just two hours. Moving from one of London’s first ever Underground stations to its most futuristic, unearth the remarkable stories behind the Tube’s design and construction and experience its fascinating history first-hand.

A perfect choice on a winter’s day, too, because as locals know, it’s always 10 degrees warmer on the Underground.

Highlights include:

• The original plans for the tube – including steam engines enclosed in glass
• Spotting the ghost station at the British Museum from the train
• Travelling along the proposed ‘Viking Line’
• Learning about one of the earliest forays into corporate identity
• Discovering how the Victorians dug all those tunnels – by hand
• Seeing the hidden secrets of the tube’s architectural history that will change your journeys forever

The Tube Tour’s ideal for visitors who want an engaging and informative look at London’s past and present, as well as Londoners who want to get under the skin of their hometown. Office teams and student groups have also taken the tour, to experience design and engineering excellence as they learn about it. There’s a good measure of fascinating and strange tidbits thrown in too, to keep everyone amused and wide-eyed.

Please note: this tour does not go into any disused stations.

★★★★+1/2
“If you’re visiting London, or if you’re a Londoner, you’ll enjoy this tour. Our guide was incredibly knowledgeable, friendly and enthusiastic and fun to be with.” 

– About.com

“Heaps of interesting stories and facts to share about the history, architecture, design and future of the tube network. I urge you to go on a tour yourself.”

– Jane’s London

“I am so glad I took the Underground Tour – we were exploring London with a knowledgeable friend, not being talked at by a tour guide. We learnt the history and architecture of the oldest metro system in the world and discovered parts of London our guidebooks didn’t mention. I’ll definitely sign up for another tour.”

– Kathleen Galan, Baker, New Jersey

“If you think you’ve seen everything London has to offer, think again. Explore the history of the world’s oldest underground on the London Underground Tour.”

– Yahoo! Travel – Top 10 Alternative Tour providers

“A London Underground Tour would suit first-time visitors as well as Londoners as there’s so much we don’t normally see. At Piccadilly Circus we found a clock telling the time around the world which I had never seen before, yet had walked past at least 10 times in the last month. A great idea for a rainy or cold London day.”

– About.com

“We rarely look around us to consider the Underground from different viewpoints: its history, design and fascinating tales. Taking a guided tour of this transport system was truly a different way to travel. We looked closely at details that millions miss every day. A day out that the weather can’t spoil.”

– AllAboutYou

“A marvel”

– Treehugger

“As someone who uses the Tube at lot and has been writing about it for years, I was pleased to see some new things to look out for. A good way for tourists to while away some hours & speak knowledgeably about the Tube when back home. Thanks again for a great tour.”

– Annie Mole, Going Underground blog