London 6 Day Tour with English Host Family

Welcome to the largest city in the U.K. and Europe. London has it all; history, culture, gastronomy and much more and so over the next six days, you will have a lot of experiences and memories to make.You will be met at one of the five airports and transferred to your host families in Richmond, the only borough on both sides of the famous River Thames. After a quick break to check in with your host family and refresh, the tour will begin with London's iconic landmarks. Follow us!

Leicester Square is a square in London's West End. It was designed in 1670 and is named after the contemporary Leicester House, named after Robert Sidney, the 2nd Earl of Leicester. Originally, the square was a gentrified residential area, with tenants including Frederick, Prince of Wales and artists William Hogarth and Joshua Reynolds. In the late 18th century, when Leicester House was demolished and retail changes took place, it became a centre for entertainment. Today, Leicester Square is the heart of London with its restaurants, cafes, cinemas, casinos, fast food stores, hotels, international brands with the street performers and tourist crowds. No tour is completed in London without visiting Leicester Square. Leicester Square has been a popular venue for almost 400 years. Well, the vicinity welcomes more than 2.5 million visitors every week! It’s a meeting point of all Londoners and London lovers. The city's top shows and plays and over 52 star-studded red-carpet film premiers each year can widely be enjoyed by all visitors.

At the junction of Regent Street and Shaftesbury Avenue lies a trapezoidal area near London's West End known to the world as Piccadilly Circus. It's an odd name since there's no circus there, but even odder is that 'circus' usually denotes around city area where several streets meet in a circle, after the Roman plan. But that eccentricity fits Piccadilly Circus, since this area of the great British capital attracts the most diverse set of people in an already diverse town. The first half of the Piccadilly Circus name comes from a 17th-century frilly collar called a “picadil”. The name is a perfect description, for here are the frills of London. Here are pubs, monuments, shops and nearby theatre in the West End. Piccadilly Circus, akin to New York's Times Square, it's filled with traffic, crowds and (at night) neon lights befitting its role as a major tourist attraction. Known already by 1743 by its current name, the junction was created in 1819 and its history shows. There's the bronze Shaftesbury memorial fountain, erected in 1893, topped by a statue of Anteros, the Angel of Christian Charity. (The Evening Standard uses a graphic of the nude statue on its masthead.) Technologically innovative at the time, it was the first sculpture to be cast in aluminium. In the late 1980s, the fountain was moved from the centre to its present Piccadilly Circus location at the south-west corner of the intersection. Not far from the centre, is the off-centre (the literal translation of the Greek word 'eccentric') Reduced Shakespeare Company, who have performed at the Criterion Theater since 1995. Their speciality is the rapid, highly improvised, presentation of the complete works of Shakespeare in 97 minutes. (Well, something that draws inspiration from 37 of the plays, anyway.) The 600-seat theatre regularly sells out, so plan ahead. The surrealistic show fits in well with the ambience of Piccadilly Circus, but for those interested in more traditional forms of theatre the London West End shows are only a few minutes’ walk. Here you can see the best of British theatre - shows which often are later imported to Broadway. On the north-eastern side of Piccadilly Circus, is the London Pavilion. First erected in 1859 as a music hall, Shaftesbury Avenue bisected the site in 1885. A new building for the purpose was built and by 1923 was even lit with electric billboards. Rebuilt in 1986, the original 1885 facade was preserved, and the area converted to a shopping arcade. Later it was connected to the neighbouring Trocadero Centre. There are also pubs galore at Piccadilly Circus, but be selective. Some are nothing but tourists, some are very tourist unfriendly. While you're doing touristy things, don't miss the newly installed, giant, curved TV screen at Piccadilly Circus. Not even Times Square can compete with this one.

Welcome to the heart and soul of the fashion industry in the city. Carnaby Street is a pedestrian shopping street in Soho City and its colourful history stemmed from when the street was built in 1682, taking its name from Karnaby House to the first men's boutique, being the epicentre of the Swinging 60s, home to the punks of the 80s and up to today. It is an iconic London area. Between Oxford and Regent Streets, fashion and lifestyle retailers are just located here, including a large quantity of independent fashion shops. In the heart of London's shopping scene, Carnaby Street brings you over 100 foreign and British fashion brands, independent boutiques, one off concepts, trendy beauty emporiums, grooming salons and custom jewellery specialists together. From brand-new flagships and UK firsts to presenting one-off and unique designers, Carnaby's 14 streets are lined up with women's wear, men's clothing, cosmetics and accessories like no other. Not just for shopping of course, more than 60 independent restaurants, bars, cafes and pubs selling cheap à la carte and late-night drinks, even yummy breakfasts bedazzle the tourists and Londoners alike. Now it’s your turn to explore this lovely district with us.

Speaking of gardens, be sure not to overlook Covent Garden. It is associated with the former fruit-and-vegetable market in the central square, now a very popular shopping and tourist site. Not really gardens at all, the area is a spectacular array of theatres, shops (many people visit London just for the shopping) and more where the street performers compete with restaurants, bars, clubs and shops for tourists' attention. Covent Garden is also the prime destination of theatregoers and patrons of the Royal Opera House by night. It’s situated right in the heart of London’s Broadway West End. The area wasn’t used to be a fancy part of the city, however, series of developments after 70’s made this district a prime destination for tourists. Indeed, Covent Garden is one of the vibrant places of interest in London. It plays a great role in today’s cultural life with its theatres, restaurants, cafes, street performers, stalls, markets and many attractions. It’s a must-see place in London.

These are famous and glamorous areas of London which visitors always want to visit and explore. After this half-day tour, you will return to your host family for dinner, following which, you may like to visit a local pub for an evening of traditional English social culture.

Before getting on, you will see a sponsored 4D show which will give you an insight into the London Eye and what to expect. Did you know that the London Eye can carry 800 people in each rotation, which is comparable to 11 London red double-decker buses at the same time? Your full rotation will take 30 minutes, during which you will observe London’s best landmarks from the sky. Your picture will be taken in the capsule and you will be able to take your own pictures of the landmarks of the city. If you want to purchase some souvenirs, you will see a small shop where you can purchase some little things including the picture of you taken inside the capsule.Our Millennium Wheel is the first-built and largest observation wheel in the world (a type of evolution on the Ferris wheel) and has been since its opening at the end of 1999. The London Eye stands 135 metres (443 feet) high on the western end of Jubilee Gardens, on the South Bank of the River Thames in Lambeth, London, England, between Westminster and Hungerford Bridges. It is adjacent to London's County Hall and stands opposite the offices of the Ministry of Defence situated in Westminster which it overlooks to the west. The London Eye was designed by architects David Marks, Julia Barfield, Malcolm Cook, Mark Sparrow hawk, Steven Chilton, and Nic Bailey. The London Eye's wheel carries 32 sealed and air-conditioned passenger capsules attached to its external circumference. Rotating at a rate of 0.26 metres per second so that one revolution takes about 30 minutes to complete, the London Eye wheel does not usually stop to take on passengers (the rotation rate is so slow that passengers can easily walk) except for the wheelchair users. What a lovely panoramic sightseeing attraction in the city. Our APTG qualified blue badge tourist guides will gladly tell you the history of the landmarks that you will see from the sky.

Buckingham Palace is still actively used as both residence and offices, over 50,000 guests and invited diplomats to visit per year who interact with over 400 individuals for whom this is 'the office'. Nevertheless, several parts of Buckingham Palace are open to the public although we are here just for sightseeing today but you can listen to the story of Royal’s Residence that goes back to the 1820s.Buckingham Palace is still the official residence of Britain's monarchy, as it has been since Queen Victoria's designation in 1837. Much of the Buckingham Palace was constructed as early as 1703 for the Duke of Buckingham. Buckingham House (as it was then known) was purchased in 1762 by George III, who used it as a private residence. Over the following 75 years the house was expanded to form three wings around a central courtyard. When Queen Victoria discovered Buckingham Palace lacked several 'necessary' rooms - such as a formal ballroom, a nursery, visitor's bedrooms and others - major additions were undertaken, including adding an entire wing to form a quadrangle. Buckingham Palace is the home of the Changing Guard Ceremony in London. The Changing of the Guard has been a tradition for hundreds of years whereby the Household Regiment, the Queen’s Guards at Buckingham Palace, change shift in a fascinating show of pomp and circumstance.

You will then proceed to St. James’s Park which is a small central park of London when compared with New York’s Central Park. It’s not just a park as it has an interesting history which you will hear, and The Blue Bridge in the park offers you a great view of Buckingham Palace as well as government buildings and Horse Guards.Imagine a park that is surrounded by world-famous landmarks such as Buckingham Palace, Clarence House and Whitehall right in the heart of the city. It is arguably the city's best park in every season. St James’s Park is one of London’s eight Royal Parks and covers an area of nearly 57 acres. Summer, fall, winter and spring, St James's Park gives you great joy with the outstanding beauty of its landscape with animals, nature and the vegetation you can admire. The park’s famous flower beds at the front of Buckingham Palace are a familiar backdrop to pageants including Trooping the Colour, as well as state visits and other ceremonial occasions. Can you believe this? Pelicans have lived in St James’s Park for nearly 400 years. They were originally presented as a gift from the Russian Ambassador to King Charles II. If we go back to 1500's, Tudor times we should mention our big King Henry VIII who was also known for his love of hunting; he regularly used Regent's Park as a hunting ground. St James's Park wasn't quite big enough for his needs, so he put it to use as an area for breeding young deer — once they were old enough, they were shipped off to Hyde Park and Regent's Park to face their fate. Listen to other stories from our tourist guides.

You will see the Horse Guard inspection ceremony, which was a punishment ceremony 100 years ago but is now only ceremonial, at 4 pm and the history will be told to you by your knowledgeable guide.Explore the official entrance to St James and Buckingham Palace, since the Restoration of King Charles II in 1660. Lifeguards have stood guard at Horse Guards and ready to offer you a true British ceremony. Although Changing The Queen's Lifeguard is not as well-known as Changing the Guard at Buckingham Palace smaller crowds and no railings between you and the men and horses taking part make it ideal for those with younger children and those looking for some amazing pictures. The ceremony lasts about half an hour, and the mounted sentries change every hour, or half hour in very cold weather during the day until 16:00 when a dismounting ceremony takes place. The Queen's Lifeguard is normally provided by men of the Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment which consists of a Squadron of The Life Guards, who wear red tunics and white plumed helmets, and a Squadron of The Blues and Royals with blue tunics and red plumed helmets. Our APTG qualified blue badge tourist guides will be ready to tell you amazing stories about this ceremony. A simply not to be missed attraction in the heart of the city.Next, you will go to Downing Street Number 10, the official residence of all British Prime Ministers where you can take photos of the iconic door, complete with a policeman.

You can either return to your homes for dinner or turn this day to an amazing London culture experience with one of the West End musicals tonight. And please remember, this tour can be customized by considering the group’s interest. It’s totally up to you.

Today’s tour will be via Thames River Cruise. Hop on a boat as the “the boat on the river” will glide through the Thames while passing by London’s most iconic landmarks, with many places of interest being seen on the way to Greenwich. We will start our journey from Embankment Pier. You will probably notice most of the places of interest are from yesterday’s sightseeing tour in London; however, this time you will observe from the river and the good news is there will be no barrier between London’s landmarks and your camera. Just enjoy your shots.

You will reach the Tower of London Dock and disembark from the boat to visit the Tower of London, the most famous masterpiece of all time in London. You will disembark at this point because it’s time to visit the masterpiece Tower of London.As soon as you enter the Tower of London, your guide will take you through the bedroom of the Medieval King; you will admire the world-famous Crown Jewels. Meet the Jean Warders and stand where once known heads have rolled in a bloody story. Enjoy the White Tower Kings' line with its fine arms from the Royal Armour Gallery collection and extraordinary wooden horses from the 17th century. You will be fascinated with the historical journey through the timeline of the Tower of London.Few prisons can claim to be as popular as the Tower of London, an attraction - unpleasant for some - for over 900 years. Its twenty towers are filled with an ancient tradition of royal blood, armour and jewels and the history to match. The Tower of London central structure began as a fort - used by the original builder William the Conqueror who completed the first tower around 1100 AD. At its completion, it was the tallest building in London. Henry III had it whitewashed in the 13th century and the name, White Tower, has stuck. Later it evolved into a prison, used by Henry VII (and many others). Still later - and continuing to this day - it has acted as a repository for the extensive collection of crown jewels. Henry VII, nearly always short of money, had few jewels to store. But the stone complex, near the Tower Bridge alongside the River Thames, has also been used at various times to house the Royal Mint, the Public Records, the Royal Menagerie (later to form the starting point of the London Zoo) and an observatory (built-in 1675). Listen to the rest of the story of the Tower of London from us today.Back to the pier, you will join another river cruise and will reach Greenwich along the River Thames.

After the Tower of London, you will go back to St Katharine’s Dock Pier where you catch the next boat that will take you to Greenwich again along the River Thames. Don’t miss the skyline of Docklands dominated by the skyscrapers of financial centres & banks while passing along the River Thames. Upon arrival at Greenwich, you will see the Cutty Sark which is a British clipper ship, built on the River Clyde in 1869 for the Jock Willis Shipping Line and now moored in dry dock. She was one of the last tea clippers to be built and one of the fastest ones, coming at the end of a long period of design development, which halted as the popularity of sailing ships gave way to steam propulsion.This masterpiece of naval engineering, Cutty Sark, represents the pinnacle of clipper ship design and was one of the fastest ships of its day. Aged 14 years, Cutty Sark started recording remarkably fast passage times, under her Master Richard Woodget and became the dominant ship in bringing wool from Australia to England. Cutty Sark was built for China tea trade but would carry a vast array of cargoes during its career. Cutty Sark, the Ferrari of the seas carried almost 10 million pounds of tea between 1870 and 1877. The opening of the Suez Canal marked the end for sailing ships in the tea trade and so Cutty Sark had to find new employ. Delve into the fascinating history of Cutty Sark, now an award-winning visitor attraction in Greenwich with our APTG qualified blue badge tourist guides. We celebrated Cutty Sark's 150th anniversary in 2019.

Your next stop is Royal Observatory, and on the way up the hill, you will pass through the lovely Greenwich Park where you can also get some rest and chill out.Welcome to Space and time’s place in the world, The Royal Observatory of Greenwich, where the Greenwich Meridian Line is located. Take a selfie on the Meridian Line with a foot to the West Hemisphere and a foot to the East Hemisphere. Discover one of London's most cherished views through Greenwich Royal Park and the Thames River. Learn the findings of leading scientists and inventors based or associated with the Royal Observatory from your guide today.Greenwich Mean Time was at one time based on the time observations made at the Royal Greenwich Observatory, before being superseded by Coordinated Universal Time. Whether it's observing the stars, standing astride the Prime Meridian or marvelling at John Harrison's timepieces, the Royal Observatory Greenwich provides a treasure trove of fascinating information. Marvel at the history of space, time and navigation, stand on the world-famous Meridian Line with one foot in the west and one foot in the east at the Royal Observatory. Enjoy one of the most-loved views of London at the home of Greenwich Mean Time. Hear about the story of Docklands and explore how great scientists first mapped the seas and the stars in Charles II's magnificent Christopher Wren-designed Octagon Room - dating from 1675. Marvel at the Great Equatorial Telescope, the UK's largest historic telescope which gave astronomers new views of the universe over 100 years ago. While Greenwich no longer hosts a working astronomical observatory, a ball still drops daily to mark the exact moment of 1 p.m. (13:00), and there is a good museum of astronomical and navigational tools.

Queens House is the former residence of the consort of King James I/VI, Anne of Denmark, the mother of Charles I who lost his head during the Civil War. The Stuarts are such an important dynasty in British history. Our APTG qualified guides will share all important information about the kings and queens of England here in this house. Therefore, Queens House is one of the most important buildings in British architectural history. We can clearly see the trace of Italian architecture touches in this building and the reason for this is because the architect Inigo Jones built this masterpiece a year after his return from the grand tour in Italy in 1614. Construction of the house began in 1616 but work on the house stopped in April 1618 when Anne the consort of James I/VI became ill and died the next year. Work restarted this time when the house was given to the queen consort Henrietta Maria in 1629 by King Charles I, and the house was structurally complete by 1635 finally. The Queen’s House is considered remarkable for its break with the traditional, red-brick Tudor style of building, and its elegant proportions and the high quality of its interiors. Queen Henrietta Maria turned the building into her personal ‘house of delight’, filling the rooms with the most cutting-edge art and design of the day. Henrietta Maria’s white and gold colours, fleur-de-lis symbol and initials are present everywhere in the house’s original features. Therefore, we can see some significant connections between this house and Windsor Castle. The Tulip Stairs and lantern are the most iconic photo spots being the very first centrally unsupported helical stairs constructed in England. The stairs are supported by a cantilever from the walls with each tread resting on the one below. Queens House was only used for 7 years until the Civil War began in 1642 which meant that Henrietta Maria had little time to enjoy it – she went into exile, her husband was executed and his property seized by the state. Following the restoration, in 1660 Henrietta Maria returned to England. She lived at the Queen’s House from 1662 and was the last queen to do so. During the restoration period, Charles II, who began a new palace in 1664 (design by Denham and Webb, now incorporated as part of the Old Royal Naval College), redesigned and replanted the Park, and in 1675-76 founded and built the Royal Observatory (designed by Sir Christopher Wren). The Royal Observatory is Britain's oldest purpose-built scientific structure in London. James II, (as Duke of York and Lord Admiral to 1673) was often at Greenwich with his brother Charles. According to Samuel Pepys, it was James who proposed the idea of creating a Royal Naval Hospital. This was then established at Greenwich by his daughter, Mary II who commissioned Wren to design the Royal Hospital for Seamen, now the Old Royal Naval College, in 1692-3. The work began in 1696 under her widower husband William III, who supported it in her memory. Queen Mary insisted that the view from the Queen's House to the River Thames should be left clean and not blocked by the new buildings. This view continues to the present day. The sister of Mary II, Queen Anne and Prince George of Denmark continued to patronise the project (of which George was Grand Committee chairman from the 1690s to his death in 1708). In 1714 the Georgian era started with George I, who landed at Greenwich from Hanover on his accession. In 1735 George II granted the Hospital the forfeited Jacobite Earl of Derwent water’s estates (c. 80,000 acres mainly in Northumberland). This allowed completion of the Hospital by 1751. In 1805-06 George III, the grandfather of our Queen Victoria granted the Queen's House to the Royal Naval Asylum, an orphanage school under Royal patronage. In 1821-25 this amalgamated with the pre-existing Greenwich Hospital School. It was extended with the buildings which are now the National Maritime Museum and was renamed the Royal Hospital School by Queen Victoria in 1892. Queen Victoria’s uncle George IV donated nearly 40 paintings, including JMW Turner's only royal commission in 1824. This created the Naval Gallery of Greenwich Hospital in the Painted Hall, Britain's first public national historical art collection. We all know that George IV is a pleasure and art king of our nation. These now form the Greenwich Hospital Collection in the National Maritime Museum. William IV the son of George III and the uncle of Queen Victoria, our 'Sailor King' made further donations to the Gallery. Queen Adelaide continued to be a regular and popular visitor in his memory. Queen Victoria only occasionally visited Greenwich. When Nelson's Trafalgar coat appeared on the market in 1845 Prince Albert bought it for the Naval Gallery. He paid £150 for it. George V and Queen Mary both privately supported creation of the National Maritime Museum at Greenwich. Queen Mary presented many items to it, both from her own Nelson collection, and other royal items. George VI the father of our Queen Elizabeth II, laid the foundation stone of the new Royal Hospital School at Holbrook, Suffolk. As Duke of York, in 1937, as his first major public act as King, just three weeks before his Coronation - George VI opened the National Maritime Museum. In 1948, whilst still princess, Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh made their first joint visit to Greenwich. This was also the year that the Duke of Edinburgh became a trustee of the National Maritime Museum. Both have opened or visited countless projects at Royal Museums Greenwich, including the opening of the Cutty Sark in 1957.

In Greenwich Market, you will find plenty of souvenirs, art stalls, retro shops and much more. You will love this neighbourhood.Since the middle ages, all stalls have constantly been trading in the historic district of Greenwich where you can find a wide range of goods including street foods, books, vinyl, CD’s, DVD’s, vintage clothes, beads, crocheted and knitted items, jewellery, antiquity, fruits, vegetables, olives, freshly prepared products such as bread, cakes, cookies, scones, healthy foods, meat products, fish and dairy products, any type of second-hand goods including bikes, garden plans, flowers, electronic gadgets, mobile phone accessories, typical English art and craft stands, hand made things, yarns, embellishments, totes, bags, suitcases, simply beyond your imagination. The Greenwich Market also offers to flourish local street food, arts and crafts market on scheduled days selling organic produce from local farmers and work from some of the region's most talented artists, craftsmen, potters, sculptors and photographers. To feel the soul of this vibrant district, historic Greenwich Market would the best hit in this historic naval town. For art & craft lovers, do visit market on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and weekends; for antique and collectable buffs don't forget to pop in on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays. You will love this lovely market we bet.

A description of the Palace of Placentia in one sentence would be “The Buckingham Palace of the Tudors”. This lovely English Royal Palace, built by Humphrey, the Duke of Gloucester, in 1443, was sadly demolished by Charles II in 1660 during the restoration period in order to construct the new palace which was never constructed till 40 years later. Instead, today's Royal Naval College was built in the foundation of the site. Palace of Placentia has a very deep background in English history. Humphrey, The Duke of Gloucester was the regent of Henry VI. He built this palace under the name of Bella Court but later on, things changed and Humphrey lost his life in prison. It was popularly believed that he was murdered by Henry VI. This is depicted in William Shakespeare’s plays in the Globe Theatre too. Margaret Anjou, the consort of Henry VI took over Bella Court and renamed as Palace of Placentia. Henry VI’s nephew Henry VII, the very first Tudor, who is also the father of our infamous King Henry VIII rebuilt this palace between 1498 and 1504. This is where Henry VIII was born in 1491 and the palace remained the principal royal palace for the next two centuries. Therefore, we may call this palace the Buckingham Palace of the Tudors if you like. Henry VIII’s very first child Mary Tudor was born in this palace in 1516 (Our Bloody Mary and we will tell you the story) from his first marriage with Catherine of Aragon. From his second marriage with Anne Boleyn, our Virgin Queen Elizabeth I was born in Palace of Placentia in 1533. After the loss of his third wife Jane Seymour who was the most popular amongst his 6 wives, he married with wife number four Anne of Cleves in this palace but we all know that marriage was a total disaster due to the blind date. Although they hated each other both Queens lived in the Palace of Placentia. During the reign of James I/VI and his son Charles I, the Queens House was erected to the south area of the complex. Our APTG guides have many stories ready to share with you today.

Time to return to Richmond for yummy homemade dinners at your English homes. After dinner, you may enjoy the rest of the night in one of the traditional English pubs in Richmond Riverside.

Today’s tour will begin with the British Museum, the biggest and most important museum of human history and culture.The British Museum is one of the oldest museums in the world that was established in 1753. The British Museum was based largely on the collections of the physician and scientist Sir Hans Sloane. We are talking about 40,000 printed books, 7,000 manuscripts, extensive natural history specimens, prints by Albrecht Dürer and antiquities from Rome, Greece, Egypt, the Middle and the Far East and the Americas. Our 3 hours will be dedicated to this museum for today.

The British Royal Family hold most important marriages, funerals, and other religious and celebratory functions in Westminster Abbey, but Charles, Prince of Wales, and Lady Diana Spencer were married in St. Paul’s Cathedral. The church had been "finished" in 1240. However, an extension program was soon begun, which was only finished in 1314. In 1300 the Cathedral was consecrated. At 181 meters (1596 feet) it was the third largest church in Europe and had 489 feet (149 meters) of one of the largest spires in Europe. The construction of the latest St. Paul Cathedral was started by Christopher Wren in June 1675 and the St. Paul Cathedral was completed by a great English scientist and Architect of the XVII Century on 20 October 1708. The new West Front of the Cathedral was added by England's first classic architect Sir Inigo Jones, but the Great Fire of London of 1666 finally destroyed " Old St Paul's'’ . Today you will explore this masterpiece and pay an interior visit.St Paul's Cathedral is a cathedral on Ludgate Hill, in the City of London, and the seat of the Bishop of London. The present building dates from the 17th century and is generally reckoned to be London's fourth St Pauls Cathedral, although the number is higher if every major medieval reconstruction is counted as a new cathedral. The first cathedral was built by the Saxons in wood. It burned down in AD 675 and was rebuilt, again in wood, ten years later. After this version was sacked by the Vikings in 962, the "second" St Pauls was built, this time mainly in stone. The predecessor to Wren's cathedral, The third St Pauls (known as Old St Pauls), was begun by the Normans after the late Saxon cathedral suffered in a fire of 1087. Work took over two hundred years, and a great deal was lost in a fire in 1136. Nonetheless, the roof was once more built of wood, which was ultimately to doom the building. The church was "completed" in 1240 but a change of heart soon led to the commencement of an enlargement programme, which was not completed until 1314. The cathedral was however consecrated in 1300. It was the third-longest church in Europe at 596 feet (181 metres) and boasted one of Europe's tallest spires at some 489 feet (149 metres). England's first classical architect Sir Inigo Jones added the cathedral's new west front in the 1630s, but "Old St Pauls" was finally ruined in the Great Fire of London of 1666. Building work on the latest St Pauls Cathedral commenced in June 1675 to a design by a great English scientist and architect of the 17th century Christopher Wren, and St Pauls Cathedral was completed on October 20 1708. The story starts from this point on and you can't wait to hear the rest of it from our qualified blue badge tourist guides.

Following this wonderfully historical building, you will take a short bus ride to the beautiful Covent Garden. Spending some quality time in Covent Garden is priceless. London’s theatreland is solely pedestrianised. You can sit and admire the street talents. Mostly then singing music, even opera bearing the soul of Royal Opera House in Covent Garden. Some do magic; some do comedy: bustling cafes and gourmet shops from Italian ice cream to the signature British tea. Wander in Apple and Jubilee Markets to check the stalls for handmade ornaments, London souvenirs and vintage goods to be purchased. See how friendly and welcoming people are. For those who would like to visit the London Transport Museum, you can take a journey of London’s transportation saga from the past to the present. Explore the art underground, don’t miss this lively and lovely exhibition.Speaking of gardens, be sure not to overlook Covent Garden. It is associated with the former fruit-and-vegetable market in the central square, now a very popular shopping and tourist site. Not really gardens at all, the area is a spectacular array of theatres, shops (many people visit London just for the shopping) and more where the street performers compete with restaurants, bars, clubs and shops for tourists' attention. Covent Garden is also the prime destination of theatregoers and patrons of the Royal Opera House by night. It’s situated right in the heart of London’s Broadway West End. The area wasn’t used to be a fancy part of the city, however, a series of developments after 70’s made this district a prime destination for tourists. Indeed, Covent Garden is one of the vibrant places of interest in London. It plays a great role in today’s cultural life with its theatres, restaurants, cafes, street performers, stalls, markets and many attractions. It’s a must-see place in London.

Now that you are right in the middle of Theatreland, why don’t you add one of the famous West End musicals to your programme? There are lots of shows and musicals ongoing in Covent Garden. Turn your visit into the perfect one. Enjoy your musical experience in the heart of the city.

After breakfast, your agenda is full of other important landmarks of London, beginning with the impressive Madame Tussaud's Wax Museum.Madame Tussaud learnt her extraordinary skill of wax modelling by creating death masks of the guillotine victims in France from the 18th and 19th centuries. Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette were among her ' clients.' In the modern museum, this blend of accurate and macabre art can be seen but with a much stronger sense of fun!. Therefore, the museum is one of the most popular tourist attractions not just in London, but in almost every large city of the world. Madame Tussaud’s attracts more than two million visits every year. From the Hulk to Brad Pitt, from Jack the Ripper to Princess Diana or Winston Churchill, everyone wants to take a photo with them. Just search and find your favourite film, sport, music star or politician in the museum. Don’t miss the Marvel’s London Adventure 4D IMAX movie experience (Wear your 3D glasses and sit upright & go) and also the Star Wars gallery. The characters you love including 3PO and R2 will be just next to you. You will spend approximately 90 to 100 minutes in the museum.

After lunch in Marylebone, you visit Little Venice where boating has been a tradition since 1951 as the original tour of Regent's Canal. Just get on board an authentic 108-year old canal boat to take you between Camden and Little Venice. It takes about forty-five minutes for a one-way journey. During the trip from Little Venice to Camden, there will be live commentary from one of the professional guides who will tell you all about the canal 's history from 1800 to the present day.

There is nothing better than a lazy journey by boat to Camden Town, which would be an excellent venue for visiting and experiencing the country's punk, funk, retro, live music, alternative music, odd and lovely souvenir stalls and local jazz cafes. You will find a huge street full of funky shops for shopping here. In the Camden Canal, you can also take a lot of lovely photos as well. The most important part of the tour is to dig into the international food provided by street food vendors. Don't miss this opportunity and get the food you desire. Ravers will absolutely love this. Cyberdog offers rave and cyber-club fashion wear goods in a banging clubber music environment under the neon lights.Camden Town where you will fall in love with the dynamics of this lovely town. This city is just a cultural sanctuary for teens, tourists and punks. Live music in alternative and old-school clubs and major stars at the Jazz Cafe and the Roundhouse is part of the flourishing nightlife scene. During the day, cafés bustle, with hundreds and hundreds of stalls on the market with souvenirs you will be able to buy. At international food stalls, you will also admire the street food selection or you can experience shopping in a disco environment under neon lights with dancers, then in the Stables area, don't miss Cyberdog. Here you can also join Canal Boat Tour for an Italian home away from home experience right in the heart of the city.

After some free time for shopping, you will return to your homes for a nice English dinner provided by your host families here in Richmond. After a long day, you can spend the evening however you like, the choice is yours.

Today is the last day in London and you will travel to the Royal Borough of Kingston, which is only 25 minutes away. Kingston Upon Thames is the oldest Royal District of London, and it was first recorded in 838. This town offers you great options. If you like shopping, be ready to get lost in hundreds of shops in the town, if you like to chill out and wish to enjoy the beauty of River Thames, then enjoy your coffee in stylish cafes while watching the beautiful swans.

Make the most of your time in London as you will then be transferred to the airport for your flight home. We do hope you enjoyed your stay in London and next time we would like to offer other tours either in London or out of the city.