City & Secrets: Explore London's Hidden Gems

Embark on a captivating bike tour through London’s hidden corners and famous landmarks. Discover the city’s historical tapestry, from pirate haunts to Roman ruins, and experience the enchanting world of Harry Potter.

Duration: 4 hours
Cancellation: 1 day learn more
Highlights
  • Roupell Street - Explore Roupell Street, a fascinating glimpse into 1820s London, with its charming Georgian houses built for the working class. John Roupel reclaimed marshy land and named the streets after his family. Postmen’s confusion led to name changes. The area almost burned down in 1829, prompting fire insurance reminders. Notice plaques on houses – without one, private firefighters would let your house burn. Despite WWII bombings, these streets remain.

Visit The King’s Arms, a Grade II Victorian Pub, offering 10 real ales, including local brews. Once an undertaker’s and magistrates’ court, it now serves top-notch Thai cuisine.

  • Blackfriars Bridge - Visit the brigde which was opened 1in 869 by Queen Victoria. It is named after the Dominican Friars who had their monastery at the north end of the bridge. The tops of the support columns are shaped like pulpits in its memory.
  • The Cockpit - The Cockpit pub was the site of monastic houses and Dominican friars had their monastery here. Shakespeare bought the gatehouse and lived here.
  • St. Paul’s Cathedral - St. Paul’s Cathedral, an emblematic London landmark, held Prince Charles and Lady Diana’s wedding and Winston Churchill’s funeral. Wellington and Nelson also lay here. With a rich history dating back to 604 AD, old St. Paul’s was destroyed in the Great Fire of London, 1666. Christopher Wren rebuilt it, symbolising resilience. Despite WWII bombings, St. Paul’s stands tall as an emblem of survival.
  • St. Mary-le-Bow - Discover the church, whose bells are the most famous in London, where if you are born within the sound of Bow bells, you are true a Cockney Londoner.
  • Guildhall - Delve into Medieval London, and the town hall of the City of London and hear stories of the weird, archaic traditions, which have been unchanged since middle ages.
  • The Mansion House, City of London - Uncover the history of the highest point in the City of London, which has been of importance since Roman Times. Where you will learn about Mansion House (the home of the Lord Mayor of London) and the Bank of England.
  • Leadenhall Market - Visit the Victorian market, designed by Sir Horace Jones which in Roman times was the location of the Forum and Basilica. Here you’ll uncover the Harry Potter Locations of Diagon Alley and the Leaky Cauldron.
  • Lloyds of London - Discover and be immersed in the diverse architecture at the heart of the City of London. See the architectural masterpiece of Richard Roger’s Lloyds of London Skyscraper, surrounded by its neighbours the Cheesegrater and the Gherkin in contrast to St Andrew Undershaft, a pre 1666 fire church, built when Henry VIII was king (1517).
  • London Wall - Discover one of the oldest parts of London and see the Roman wall of London, of which part was built by Romans around 200AD.
  • Cable Street Mural - Visit the mural completed in 1983 in one of London’s most diverse, multicultural areas. It depicts the battle between fascists and protesters in 1936, when the area was a predominantly Jewish area.
  • Shadwell Basin - Explore one of London’s original docks, in an area that has been regenerated since the 1980s, and learn about the history of what was 100 years ago, the busiest docks in the world.
  • The Prospect of Whitby - Experience a pint in
  • Tobacco Dock Ltd - Explore the ornamental canal and old tobacco warehouses in the heart of the old London Docks, which have been redeveloped since the 1980s.
  • St. Katharine Docks - Explore the last of London’s Docks to be built in 1825 and the first to close down in the 1960s. The area was the site of the the hospital St Katherine’s by the Tower founded in 1147 by Queen Matilda.
  • Tower Bridge - Tower Bridge, an iconic symbol of London, is a combined bascule and suspension bridge that spans the River Thames. Completed in 1894, it was designed by Sir Horace Jones and engineered by Sir John Wolfe Barry. The bridge features two neo-Gothic towers connected by a central walkway and has become a major tourist attraction. The Tower Bridge Exhibition, housed within the towers, offers visitors a chance to learn about the bridge’s history and enjoy panoramic views of the city from the glass-floored walkway. The bascules are raised around 800 times a year to allow tall ships to pass through, providing a spectacular sight for onlookers.
  • Tower of London - Discover the Tower of London, an iconic historical site built by William the Conqueror shortly after the Norman Conquest of 1066. Once a royal palace, menagerie, observatory, and armoury, it is most famous as a state prison and execution site. Entering through Traitors Gate often meant a grim fate. Notable figures like William Wallace, Thomas More, Henry VI, and Edward V met their demise here, as did Henry VIII’s wives Anne Boleyn and Catherine Howard. Today, the Tower houses the magnificent Crown Jewels, a must-see for any visitor.
  • HMS Belfast - Take in the grandeur of the World War II Cruiser Class Destroyer ship, which was built in the same shipyard as the Titanic in Belfast. The ship protected convoys in WWII and the Korean War and was part of the D Day Landings on June 6th 1944. And today it is a floating museum, where you can see interiors which doubled as the Royal Yacht Britannia in Netflix’s The Crown.
  • City Hall - View the former City Hall of London, designed by Norman Foster.
  • St. Dunstan in the East - Take a moment in a quiet space in the middle of the busting City of London. The original church was destroyed in the Great Fire of London in 1666, but was rebuilt by Wren.
  • The Monument to the Great Fire of London - View the great monument to the Great Fire of London of 1666. Standing at 202 ft high, If laid on it’s side, the golden urn on top would land at Thomas Farriner’s bakery shop on Pudding Lane where fire started 2 Sep 1666.
  • Southwark Bridge - Witness Shakespeare’s Globe from one of London’s finest bridges. Experience the magic of Shakespeare’s Globe, a 1997 reconstruction of the original 1599 venue. As home to The Lord Chamberlain’s Men, it saw the debut of many Shakespearean classics.
  • Tate Modern - Tate Modern, the world’s most-visited modern art gallery, opened in 2000 after transforming a 1950s Bankside Power Station. Its twisted brick pyramid, a 2016 extension, features a 10th-floor viewing gallery. The impressive turbine hall hosts changing, monumental commissions. A masterpiece itself, the building is worth visiting even for non-art lovers. Admire works by renowned 20th/21st-century artists, from Mondrian and Richter to Rothko and Picasso.
What's Included
  • Local guide
  • Hand built British bicycle
  • Rain poncho (if required)
  • Tweed cap (optional)
  • Helmet (optional)
What's Not Included
  • Gratuities
  • Snacks and drinks
Additional Information

Join us for a peaceful Sunday bike tour through London’s tranquil streets, revealing its rich history. Our path leads you to both renowned landmarks and hidden gems of the city. Pedal through areas once frequented by pirates in Wapping, past the remnants of London’s Roman wall, and across the iconic Tower Bridge. You’ll get an up-close look at St. Paul’s Cathedral and visit sites from the magical world of Harry Potter. This tour offers more than just sightseeing; it’s a chance to experience the blend of London’s ancient ruins, historic pubs, and modern architectural wonders.

  • Minimum alcohol drinking age is 18 years
  • Riders must be aged 13 years and over
  • Operates in all weather conditions, please dress appropriately
  • The content of this tour includes references to history and stories that some might find disturbing.
Location
189 Hercules Rd
Hercules Road
• Bike tours meet at Tally Ho @ 189 Hercules Road, London, SE17LD. • The tour ends back at the same location. • The closest underground station is Lambeth North (on the Bakerloo Line). This is a 3 minute walk from our location. • We have secure storage for luggage.
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
5.0
(48 Ratings)
5 stars
4 stars
3 stars
2 stars
1 star
Karleen_m
Aug 21, 2024
Great midday bike tour - We had a small group of four on our tour with Katie. It was a pleasant surprise to have a small group and it definitely helped navigate some of the more crowded areas. We navigated around some popular sights and many hidden gems we wouldn’t have found on our own. Our tour did go from 10:30-2ish and my only suggestion for riders would be to get a large breakfast before the tour. Or adding a market stop or making sure we have time to get lunch at the pub on the tour would be a nice option.
Review provided by Viator
Sunshine54953108078
Aug 19, 2024
Great Tour! - Excellent tour and lots of learning about the City of London with a really knowledgeable guide. Thousands of years of history brought to life in an easy going way.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Davidhk888le
Aug 17, 2024
A fantastic way to explore off the beaten track - This bike tour is a fantastic way to explore and learn about London sites. We've been on many tours of London, including on bikes, but we still learned a lot more and had great fun with our excellent guide, Luke. We would thoroughly recommend a tour with Tally-Ho.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
4adventurers68
Apr 28, 2024
Best bike tour ever! - This is the most amazing bike tour I've ever had in a city! I absolutly recommand it! Even if I've been many times to London, I' ve learnt a lot of new things. Edward, our tour guide was so great, with an amazing sens of humour, and he kept us entertained during the whole tour with his jokes and stories about London. I went with my son and we felt very comfortable driving "on the wrong side of the road" for us, because Edward took really care of everyone's safety. He also took great pictures of us and showed us some nice foto spots. I'm looking forward too going back to London to have another tour with Tally- Ho! Their bikes are amazing too and easy to ride! Thank you Edward for the great memories we have.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Ken_e
Apr 20, 2024
Terrific bike tour in London - This was a great bike ride throughout London. Katie was engaging, knowledgeable, and very organized in terms of leading our group through the City. Highly recommend.
Review provided by Viator
Helle
Sep 6, 2023
By bike in London - Super Nice tour Katie was a knowledgeable guide took us nice places and brought us safely through the traffic London can definitely recommend tours
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Karen
Aug 8, 2023
Super Sunday afternoon - Katie took us to wonderful places sharing very interesting and quirky tales of wisdom with us in a truly lighthearted way… her warm spirited manner was refreshing. Previous tours with Stuart and James were equally enjoyable. Many thanks to Tally Ho .
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Chris_e
Jul 9, 2023
Perfect day for a ride and a great experience. - A ton of fun and Stewart was a great guide (fun and full of great info). Would definitely go on another Tally Ho bike tour.
Review provided by Viator
190mechac
Jun 1, 2023
Great bike tour with cute streets - We had a wonderful tour with Edward! If you want to see London like a local, this tour is for you. Great bike route through streets you wouldn’t normally get to see as a tourist. Edward was very knowledgeable and we learned so much about the dark history of London. Lots of hangings in awful ways 😂. The stop at the pub was a great time to relax with a beer and we got to know Edward on a personal level, which was nice! Thanks Edward for the great tour. It was a highlight of our trip.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Kevinbf4778ks
Jun 27, 2023
Sin & Salvation Bike Tour Review - This was my third bike tour in the UK and my wife's second and we both thoroughly enjoyed. Edward was a very entertaining and excellent tour guide and the spots we were taken to were fascinating. The biking itself was fairly leisurely and I thought it was a good route that didn't involve a lot of traffic. Definitely worth the price and I hope they continue to offer this. Highlights for me were the cemetery (truly a unique spot) and the pub (Mayflower) was a great place to get a pint in a pub that seemed quite off the beaten path.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Select Date and Tickets
up to 12 guests
1
Adult
September 2024
Sun
Mon
Tue
Wed
Thu
Fri
Sat
Today