London Urban Adventures

Urban Adventures offer tours in over 100 cities. The idea is to go out with a local who knows their stuff and get to know the city you are visiting better than you could on your own. You will also meet like-minded people and get to have a chat with a local Guide.

London Urban Adventures started in 2010 and I tried the 'City Street Explorer'.

Urban Adventures are part of Intrepid Travel, a company which offers travellers tours off the beaten track all across the world. London Urban Adventures intend to unlock the hidden secrets of London for you while enjoying local food, culture and traditions.

Who Goes On These Tours?
London is unusual that is has a large population who are not from the city so have a thirst for knowledge to discover more about their new home. These tours can attract Londoners, UK residents (I met someone visiting London for the weekend from Liverpool), as well as overseas visitors wanting to see the 'real' London. Certainly, Intrepid's good reputation helps when considering these tours.

This 4-5 hour tour starts from Trafalgar Square, moves into the City of London to see its many iconic sights including St Paul's Cathedral, then down to the River Thames with views of Tower Bridge and more.

Our Guide was able to reel off historical dates and facts with ease and relate them to what we saw on the route. I was pleased to find he also found things he didn't know, but wanted to research, as no-one can know everything about this city. He did share plenty of quirky fun facts that you can only get from someone who loves London and we were able to laugh as a group as some of London's eccentricities.

The tour involves walking and London Transport so bring your Oystercard. As it was such a sunny day when I tried this tour we only took one bus but it was one of the few Routemasters still in service. We also decided to not take tea at St. Paul's Cathedral Crypt Cafe but chose a cold drink in one of London's oldest pubs instead.

And I think this is something that's a credit to these tours; that they adapt to the group and you can divert from the itinerary. London is not an endurance test but should be enjoyed so do be open to adapting the tour occasionally.

Generally, we did see all that was listed on the itinerary but we also saw much more by benefiting from a local Guide's knowledge of 'hidden London'. The Guide also related London to the background of those in the group so you felt you were out with friends rather than strangers.

I did find our Guide's extreme confidence slightly surprising but he was never rude or offensive; he just lets his curiosity mean he knocks on doors and asks questions rather than eternally wondering.

Conclusion
I enjoyed the tour, I learned more about London, and I talked with strangers as if we were old friends. The tours are well-priced, easy to book and recommended.

Web: www.londonurbanadventures.com

Tel: 020 7354 6169

As is common in the travel industry, the writer was provided with complimentary services for review purposes. While it has not influenced this review, About.com believes in full disclosure of all potential conflicts of interest. For more information, see our Ethics Policy.