Westminster Audio Walking Tour Review

St. James's Street
I rarely walk down St. James's Street so it was good to get advice on what to see. Look out for the royal crests on the shops to show they are patronized by a member of the royal family: either The Queen, The Duke of Edinburgh, or the Prince of Wales. I also liked the tip about seeing the Duke of Edinburgh's barber's shop, Truffitt and Hill.

The audio tour explains about 'Gentlemen's Clubs' which are private clubs for wealthy gentlemen to socialize. The gentlemen's clubs of St. James's Street are very traditional and do not admit women or the general public. Do not get confused with the more modern-day usage of the term 'gentlemen's club' meaning a strip bar. These clubs are certainly not like that!

Piccadilly

It's a very noisy point when you reach Piccadilly so it's best to listen to audio 10 away from the corner. It's also busy with pedestrians so stand back against the buildings. When ready, turn right and use the pedestrian crossing to get to the Royal Academy, the next stop on the tour.

The tour offers some background information on Piccadilly and the surrounding area, plus the history of the name, Piccadilly, which comes from a 17th century tailor called Robert Baker who sold collars called piccadills.

Royal Academy

Even if you don't want to see the exhibition's at the Royal Academy it's worth turning in to see the courtyard, which is delightful. And you'll pass a wooden post box on the left, thought to be the only one in London. The Royal Academy ranks in the top ten London attractions for paying visitors. The Summer Exhibition is always popular.

Turn left and cross over Piccadilly and have a proper look at Fortnum & Mason's windows. This really is where window shopping rules! The displays are always amazing so take some time to admire them.

If you are ready for a coffee break, stop at the Waterstones bookshop, which is apparently the largest bookshop in Europe. More importantly for you right now, it has a Costa Coffee coffee shop on the lower ground floor, and of course, there are toilets in the store.

Piccadilly Circus

At Piccadilly Circus I learnt that Eros (the statue everyone loves to have their photo taken in front of!) is actually cast in aluminum, which in 1892 was very rare indeed. The 'tour guide' points out "the famous Criterion Theatre" but I've no idea what it's famous for. Maybe it's because, apart from the box office, the theater is under ground, but I don't know.

Leicester Square

I found the history about Leicester Square fascinating, although I must note saying "UK film premieres are often held here" gives the impression other venues are used regularly. Leicester Square is the main location for film premieres.

I think it's useful that the tour includes the Half Price Ticket Booth which sells discounted tickets for West End theaters on the day of performance. Be prepared to wait some time though as I saw a huge queue snaking around the edge of the gardens.

National Portrait Gallery

At the end of the tour I would strongly recommend visiting the National Portrait Gallery, particularly if it's a hot day, as the air-conditioning can be a welcome relief. Remember they also have toilets so it's a good 'pit stop' before maybe going shopping in Covent Garden. I found the second half of the tour quite noisy after leaving St. James's Park so I was grateful for the peace and quiet of the National Portrait Gallery.

The 'tour guide' recommends visiting the "cafe" on the top floor of the National Portrait Gallery for the views across London. Note that the cafe is actually on the lower ground floor and it's the restaurant on the top floor (floor 3).

I really enjoyed this walking tour as it was easy to follow and took me to a lot of London landmarks. I enjoyed walking on my own as I could set the pace of the tour. Tourist Tracks suggest the tour will take 90 minutes but it took me 2 hours and I didn't stop very long at each audio point. I would recommend planning to take longer, maybe half a day, and really enjoy all the places you see on the tour. And have a picnic in St. James's Park - you'll regret not taking your time and savoring all the sights.

If you are peckish at the end of the tour head for St. Martin-in-the-Fields - Cafe in the Crypt. The entrance is on the side of St. Martin-in-the-Field Church on Duncannon Street (WC2).