Tours & experiences

Hand-picked tours across the New Forest & the UK

Our team has been pulling together the best small-group tours, day trips and multi-day adventures around the New Forest & the UK for years. Mick reads the traveller reviews before any tour earns a spot on this page — if a tour's a dud, it doesn't get listed.

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Ghosts, Gore & Other Ghasty Stories in the City of London

★ 5.0 (9)

🛕 Culture & History

United Kingdom

Ghosts, Gore & Other Ghasty Stories in the City of London

Walk through two millennia of London's shadowy past on this 2–3 hour guided tour of the City of London. Your guide unearths tales of murder, execution, and spectral hauntings that have haunted these streets since Roman times. You'll visit sites connected to infamous crimes and dark chapters in the City's history, with plenty of stops to photograph grimmer landmarks and ask questions. Refreshment breaks at neighbourhood pubs and cafés are built into the itinerary.

2 hours – 3 hoursfrom GBP $250

Classic London Tour with Westminster Abbey, Skip the Ticket Line

★ 5.0 (9)

🛕 Culture & History

United Kingdom

Classic London Tour with Westminster Abbey, Skip the Ticket Line

A five-hour guided exploration of Westminster's landmark architecture and royal history, anchored by skip-the-line entry to Westminster Abbey. Your local guide navigates you past Big Ben, Buckingham Palace and the Horse Guards, sharing period anecdotes and contemporary London context. You'll then spend time inside the Abbey at your own pace with a multilingual audio guide, tracing nine centuries of British heritage through its chapels, tombs and architecture. Best for first-time visitors seeking structured orientation to central London's most significant sites.

Guided walk on the remote and wild North Cornish coast

A guided circular walk through Morwenstow on the North Cornish coast, navigating from clifftop paths to hidden valleys over 1.5–2.5 hours. This route traverses some of the Southwest's most exposed terrain, passing Morwenstow Church perched on dramatic slopes and Hawker's Hut—a 1843 shelter fashioned from shipwreck timber wedged into the cliff face. The walk reveals layers of local history: wrecking, contraband trading, and the eccentric literary figures who made their mark here. Expect steep gradients, sweeping coastal views, and quiet meadows dotted with ancient burial grounds.

1 hour – 3 hoursfrom GBP $55

★ 5.0 (9)

🛕 Culture & History

United Kingdom

Women in the British Museum

This two-hour guided tour through the British Museum examines how women were represented across civilisations and time. You'll encounter artefacts spanning from one of history's earliest written records by a woman to sculptures and discoveries made by pioneering female archaeologists. Each object reveals how different cultures honoured, challenged or memorialised women, offering a counterpoint to traditional museum narratives.

Oxford Twilight Ghost Tour

Explore Oxford's shadowed medieval quarters after dark, tracing centuries of violent history through the streets where bishops met their end and soldiers' spirits linger. This 75-minute walking tour weaves together documented executions, architectural horror, and the literary imagination that drew Tolkien, Lewis and Wilde to the city's brooding stonework. A guide leads you through moonlit passages, sharing both historical accounts and reported supernatural encounters across Oxford's most unsettling locations.

Half Day Private Hire

Explore Scotland's Clyde estuary from the water aboard the Starfish Enterprise, a flexible private boat tour lasting 2–4 hours. You'll navigate past castles, lighthouses and shipwrecks whilst spotting porpoises, seals, white-tailed eagles and otters. The crew tailors speed and route to your group's preferences, whether you want leisurely wildlife watching or faster sightseeing. This is the region's most comprehensive maritime option, combining history, nature and Scottish coastal scenery in one trip.

2 hours – 4 hoursfrom GBP $513

Bath: History & Highlights Shared Walking Tour for 2-8 people

★ 5.0 (9)

🛕 Culture & History

United Kingdom

Bath: History & Highlights Shared Walking Tour for 2-8 people

A two-hour guided walk through Bath with a knowledgeable local who unpacks the city's layered past—from Roman settlement through Georgian heyday to present day. You'll trace the streets past the Royal Crescent, Pulteney Bridge, and the Roman Baths (exterior), picking up architectural details and backstories that guidebooks miss. Small groups mean real conversation and the chance to ask questions as you move. Best suited to first-time visitors wanting to grasp Bath's bones before exploring further alone.

2 hours – 2h 10mfrom GBP $50

Highland Lochs, Glens & Castles Shore Excursion from Greenock

★ 5.0 (9)

🚌 Day Trips & Sightseeing

United Kingdom

Highland Lochs, Glens & Castles Shore Excursion from Greenock

This eight-hour excursion from Greenock drives deep into the Scottish Highlands, linking dramatic water valleys with fortress architecture spanning centuries. You'll traverse lochs reflecting mountain peaks, explore Inveraray Castle's grounds and interiors, and navigate glens that shaped clan history. The route combines geology and heritage without requiring serious hiking fitness, making it accessible to most travellers departing from the cruise port.

Hidden Tube Walking Tour of Piccadilly Circus Station

Step into the sealed passages and forgotten corners of Piccadilly Circus station on this 75-minute guided exploration. Built in 1906 and redesigned by Charles Holden in 1928, this Grade II listed hub now handles 40 million passengers yearly. Your guide unlocks doors barred since 1929, revealing original Edwardian architectural details, wartime shelter history, and the station's role safeguarding national treasures. Written and led by researchers from London Transport Museum, the tour traces how the Underground evolved to serve London's changing needs across a century.

Portsmouth Naval History Private Guided Walking Tour

Walk Portsmouth's waterfront with a trained historian to uncover how naval ambitions shaped this port city. Over 90 minutes, you'll trace key moments from the Peninsula War through to 1945, examining how maritime innovation and conflict reshaped both the town and global power. Your guide—either Dr Cespedes Gonzalez or one of her history-trained colleagues—connects naval milestones to everyday life here, all while taking in the seafront's character and views.

1h 30m – 2 hoursfrom GBP $26

Belfast by the Glass: alternative history of Belfast, sip by sip.

★ 5.0 (9)

🛕 Culture & History

United Kingdom

Belfast by the Glass: alternative history of Belfast, sip by sip.

Trace Belfast's evolution across nine centuries through six carefully paired drinks in a restored 1897 banking hall. This 90-minute experience charts the city's trajectory from medieval origins to the present day, with each beverage—ranging from craft ales to whiskey cocktails—timed to illuminate a different chapter of local history. Projections animate the walls as you descend the building's original staircase, anchoring each drink to the events that shaped the city.

Bressay Explorer Crofting and Island Life Tour

Leave Lerwick behind and ferry across to Bressay, a working island of 350 people where crofting still shapes daily rhythms. A local guide walks you through their landscape—past the hardy Shetland sheep, across traditional smallholdings, and through 6,000 years of settlement history explained by an archaeologist. Four hours reveals what outsiders rarely glimpse: the practical backbone of island living.

4 hoursfrom GBP $95

London in One Day: Tour Royal Westminster and the Square Mile

★ 5.0 (8)

🚌 Day Trips & Sightseeing

United Kingdom

London in One Day: Tour Royal Westminster and the Square Mile

Traverse six centuries of London's evolution in a single day, moving from the royal pageantry of Westminster to the medieval lanes and modern towers of the Square Mile. Your guide connects palaces and guard ceremonies with Roman streets, the City's financial district, and iconic landmarks including St. Paul's Cathedral and the Tower of London. A lunch break splits the two halves, giving you breathing room between Westminster's grandeur and the City's layered history.

Looe Walking Tours - Smugglers and Skullduggery

Walk the cobbled streets of Looe with a local guide uncovering the town's shadier past—from wreckers who sabotaged ships to press gangs hunting recruits. This 90-minute tour threads together tales of smugglers, contraband runners, and ghostly residue left behind in 15th-century buildings and seaside haunts. Starting at the Old Guildhall, you'll hear how ordinary townsfolk turned to illicit trade and darker deeds, grounded in real characters and documented history rather than pure folklore.

London's Hidden Gems and Secret History Private Guided Tour

Walk through twenty centuries of London with a private guide who steers you toward the overlooked corners: medieval alleyways, hidden courtyards, church crypts, and centuries-old taverns that most visitors never find. This 3–4 hour tour moves at your rhythm, no crowds or fixed itineraries. Your guide—someone genuinely invested in the city's backstory—crafts the experience around what captures your interest, whether that's Dickens-era streets or the atmospheric pubs where history seeped into the floorboards.

3 hours – 4 hoursfrom GBP $195

Edinburgh: Ultimate 5-Day Skye & Highlands Privately Guided Tour

★ 5.0 (8)

🚌 Day Trips & Sightseeing

United Kingdom

Edinburgh: Ultimate 5-Day Skye & Highlands Privately Guided Tour

This 5-day privately guided tour covers Scotland's most dramatic terrain in a premium minivan, moving between Edinburgh's Georgian streets, the Highlands' brooding lochs, and the Isle of Skye's otherworldly rock formations. A dedicated guide leads you through the country's layered history—from castle ruins to windswept peaks—staying in quality accommodation each night. The route threads through lesser-known villages and well-trodden landmarks alike, allowing you to experience both the postcard Scotland and the quieter corners locals frequent.

Loch Ness, Urquhart Castle & Culloden Battlefield Shore Excursion

This eight-hour guided tour sweeps through the Highlands around Inverness, connecting four centuries of Scottish history. You'll visit Beauly Priory, a 13th-century monastery with surviving stonework; explore Urquhart Castle's dramatic ruins overlooking Loch Ness; stop at Cawdor Castle and its gardens; and finish at Culloden Battlefield, where the 1745 Jacobite Rising ended in defeat. A private vehicle with air conditioning handles transport between sites, allowing you to absorb both landscape and storytelling.

Private Walking Tour: York City Highlights and York Minster

A four-hour private walking tour through York's medieval streets, led by a Blue Badge guide who unpacks layers of history from Roman occupation through Viking settlement to Georgian prosperity. You'll explore the walled city's architecture, visit York Minster's soaring interior, and discover the chocolate heritage that shaped the area. Just two hours by train from London, York rewards close examination on foot, revealing stories embedded in its stone and layout.

The Great Brixton History & Culture Experience Private Tour

Explore Brixton's layered identity across two hours with a knowledgeable local guide. This south London neighbourhood pulses with Afro-Caribbean heritage, street art, thriving markets and live music venues that shaped British culture from the 1950s onward. You'll navigate the economic upheavals and community resilience that define the area today, encountering everything from Victorian architecture to contemporary murals, while sampling the food and energy that make Brixton unmistakably itself.

2 hours – 2h 30mfrom GBP $269

Inverness PRIVATE Full Day Tour of Local Attractions

★ 5.0 (8)

🚌 Day Trips & Sightseeing

United Kingdom

Inverness PRIVATE Full Day Tour of Local Attractions

Explore the Scottish Highlands around Inverness with a private guide who shapes the itinerary to your interests. Over 6–8 hours, you'll discover local attractions, distilleries, castles and glens whilst learning about Highland culture and history directly from someone who knows these landscapes intimately. This flexible, small-group experience (maximum 7 passengers) lets you move at your own pace and follow what genuinely captures your curiosity rather than a rigid schedule.

6 hours – 8 hoursfrom GBP $280

★ 5.0 (8)

🛕 Culture & History

United Kingdom

West of Scotland Cultural Tour

Explore Scotland's west coast with a private driver who knows the region's stories intimately. This flexible tour spans 1–8 hours, letting you linger at sites that capture your interest rather than racing through a fixed itinerary. Travel in a comfortable, air-conditioned vehicle with WiFi, and taste local whiskies along the way. Your driver shares genuine knowledge of Scottish clan heritage and regional history, crafted for groups of any size seeking a personal connection to the landscape.

1 hour – 8 hoursfrom GBP $590

London Private Gin Tasting and Masterclass

★ 5.0 (8)

🍜 Food & Cooking

United Kingdom

London Private Gin Tasting and Masterclass

A 45-minute gin education held within the Old Royal Naval College at Maritime Greenwich. You'll taste four award-winning gins whilst learning how gin is made and its place in British history, starting with a complimentary Greenwich Gin & Tonic in hand. The venue sits on the Thames with river access and walking proximity to Greenwich's major sights, with a focus on maritime heritage and sustainable practices.

South Bank (London Bridge) Walking Tour & Enter The Tower of London

A 3-hour guided exploration of London's South Bank and the Tower of London, starting with a 2-hour walk past 15 landmarks including Tower Bridge, The Shard, The Globe Theatre and St Paul's Cathedral, followed by entry to the Tower of London. Discover nearly 1,000 years of royal history, handle the Crown Jewels up close, and opt for a separate Beefeater-led tour of the fortress's interior, included with your ticket.

Private Walking Tour of Oxford: Explore History and Colleges

A private two-hour walking tour of Oxford led by a local guide, focused on the university's colleges and history. Choose your angle—literature, architecture, music—and your guide adjusts the route accordingly. You'll navigate the city's medieval lanes, hear stories of notable scholars, and get a genuine sense of how the university operates today. College visits can be arranged separately for an additional fee, giving you access to courtyards and quads usually off-limits to casual visitors.

2 hoursfrom GBP $60

Private Tour to Canterbury, Dover Castle & Chilham

★ 5.0 (8)

🚌 Day Trips & Sightseeing

United Kingdom

Private Tour to Canterbury, Dover Castle & Chilham

A 10-hour private tour departing from your London hotel, visiting three cornerstones of English heritage: Canterbury's medieval streets and cathedral precinct, Dover Castle's dramatic clifftop fortress, and the half-timbered charm of Chilham village. Your guide—a history graduate with over a decade's experience—shapes the itinerary to your interests, spending unhurried time at each stop rather than rushing through. You'll return to your hotel at day's end without the constraints of group schedules or fixed meeting points.

10 hoursfrom GBP $1100

★ 5.0 (8)

🚌 Day Trips & Sightseeing

United Kingdom

Island of Hoy Day Trip

Explore Orkney's second largest island on this eight-and-a-half-hour guided excursion. Small-group transport takes you across moorland and coastal terrain to encounter Neolithic monuments, wartime sites, and wildlife hotspots. Local guides navigate the landscape with personal insight rather than rehearsed commentary, uncovering stories embedded in Hoy's geology and human history. Ferry passage and a hot midday drink are included; bring your own packed lunch as island amenities are sparse.

8h 30mfrom GBP $109

London 2.5 Hour Sightseeing Tour By London Black Cab.

★ 5.0 (8)

🚌 Day Trips & Sightseeing

United Kingdom

London 2.5 Hour Sightseeing Tour By London Black Cab.

Travel through central London in a traditional black cab driven by a seasoned cabbie who knows the city's streets, history and hidden corners. Over two-and-a-half hours, you'll see iconic landmarks whilst hearing insider tales only someone who's navigated these roads for decades could share. The route is flexible to your interests, whether you're visiting for the first time or rediscovering familiar territory. A private, air-conditioned journey that treats London as a living, breathing place rather than a checklist of sights.

The Roman City of St Albans Private Tour

Step into two millennia of history on this six-hour private walking tour of St Albans, just north of London. Your guide leads you through the remains of Verulamium, one of Roman Britain's most significant settlements, then onwards to the mediaeval town centre with its Cathedral and historic marketplace. You'll move at your own pace, uncovering the layers that shaped this ancient city before returning to London by evening.

6 hoursfrom GBP $275

DAY TOUR: Highlights of Derry and Donegal

★ 5.0 (8)

🚌 Day Trips & Sightseeing

United Kingdom

DAY TOUR: Highlights of Derry and Donegal

A seven-to-eight-hour private tour exploring Derry and County Donegal with an accredited local guide. Based in the North West, Derry sits on the River Foyle and reveals layers of history alongside its contemporary cultural scene. The tour moves between the city's landmarks and the neighbouring county's coastal and rural character, with flexibility built in to follow your interests. Your driver-guide shapes the day around what you want to see.

7 hours – 8 hoursfrom GBP $348

★ 5.0 (8)

🛕 Culture & History

United Kingdom

Postcard London

A two-hour walking tour through London's layered history, from medieval fortifications to modern financial districts. Your guide leads you past the Tower of London and the Square Mile, revealing the city's contradictions and backstories without entering buildings. Expect a mix of serious history and lighter tales—the tour balances darker narratives with humorous moments of urban life. Rain gear recommended.

GRAILTRAIL: Quest for the Holy Grail (Self-Guided Adventure Walk)

Navigate London's streets on a self-guided audio trail hunting for Grail symbolism woven through the capital's architecture and hidden corners. Starting at Paternoster Square and finishing in Covent Garden, this 5 km walk uses your smartphone to unlock layers of historical intrigue and coded imagery embedded in the urban landscape. The narrative weaves documented history with compelling coincidence, unfolding across two hours at your own pace. Available in eleven languages, no guide necessary.

2 hoursfrom GBP $10

★ 5.0 (8)

🚌 Day Trips & Sightseeing

United Kingdom

Private Full Day Inverness Centre Tour

An eight-hour private tour covering Inverness and the Highlands, combining Scottish history with natural scenery. Your guide drives you through Loch Ness, the Culloden Battlefield, and a working whisky distillery, with stops at a 600-year-old castle and traditional villages. Learn about tartan, clan heritage, and Highland folklore whilst spotting native cattle. Port pickups available with guaranteed return before ship departure.

2 Hour Terror and Mural History Belfast taxi Private Tour

A two-hour private taxi tour of Belfast led by a driver who witnessed the Troubles firsthand. Travel to Falls Road and Shankill Road to see striking murals created by former combatants from both communities. Your guide unpacks the city's layered political history through four distinct perspectives—British, Republican, Loyalist, and lived experience—whilst sharing archival photographs and footage that ground each neighbourhood's transformation. Far more than a sightseeing run; this is a chance to grasp why these walls matter and what they represent.

Bespoke Edinburgh Old Town Walk with a Local Guide

Navigate Edinburgh's medieval heart with a guide who shapes the walk around your interests. This 2.5-hour private tour threads through the Old Town's famous monuments and lesser-known closes, building a real picture of the city's layered past. Whether you're drawn to documented history, fictional Edinburgh, or simply want to decode the place before exploring it solo, the guide tailors the route accordingly. A dram of whisky is included for adults.

City of London: Tales and Legends of the Historic Center

Explore the City of London's medieval streets and discover how a Roman settlement evolved into Europe's financial powerhouse. This 2.5-hour guided walk traces two millennia of history through narrow lanes, revealing unexpected details: a pocket-sized sculpture, a Dickens haunt, and locations that inspired popular culture. Learn about the figures and events—from a market's feathered mascot to a baker's fateful mistake—that shaped this ancient square mile into the thriving centre it remains today.

Dark Chester - Let's take a walk on the dark side

A 90-minute evening walking tour through Chester's shadowy corners, unearthing two millennia of grim history. Your guide weaves together documented accounts of plague outbreaks, suspected hauntings and religious strife with dark wit and storytelling flair. You'll visit actual locations connected to Chester's most unsettling chapters, moving at a steady pace through the historic city centre as daylight fades.

Greenwich Food & Drink Experience W/ Painted Hall & Queen's House

Taste your way through Greenwich's culinary heritage across five hours, pairing regional dishes and drinks with visits to the Painted Hall and Queen's House. This curated food tour weaves together Greenwich's maritime history and gastronomic traditions, with lunch, snacks, coffee and alcoholic beverages included at each carefully chosen stop. You'll discover how the neighbourhood's past flavours its present food scene, guided by someone who knows both the stories and the tables.

Conwy Town & Castle exterior open group tour with official guide

Walk around Conwy's walled medieval town with a local official guide in just an hour. You'll trace centuries of Welsh and British history across castle ramparts, Georgian squares, and cobbled streets—spotting architectural gems like the tiniest house in Britain, Wales's oldest residence, and two engineering marvels by Victorian masters. The guide threads together stories of Llywelyn the Great, Tudor prosperity, and the forces that shaped this Conwy Valley stronghold.

1 hourfrom GBP $15

Private Half-Day Liverpool Tour with a Local, Personalized

★ 5.0 (7)

🚌 Day Trips & Sightseeing

United Kingdom

Private Half-Day Liverpool Tour with a Local, Personalized

Explore Liverpool at your own pace with a knowledgeable local guide who shapes the itinerary around your interests. Choose between two, three, or four-hour walking routes that reveal both celebrated landmarks and neighbourhood secrets tucked away from standard tourist paths. Your guide collects you from your hotel (upon request) and leads a bespoke tour tailored to what genuinely interests you, whether that's music history, waterfront architecture, or local haunts.

2 hours – 4 hoursfrom GBP $46

★ 5.0 (7)

🛕 Culture & History

United Kingdom

Looe Ghost Tour

Uncover Looe's darker chapters on this 90-minute walking tour through twin villages steeped in eight centuries of maritime history. Your guide leads you across both East and West Looe, piecing together accounts of spectral residents said to linger in historic pubs, shops and museums. Expect tales of misfortune, unexplained phenomena and the colourful characters whose stories have become local legend.

1h 30mfrom GBP $20

Some tours listed with Viator, a Tripadvisor company. Prices and availability confirmed at checkout.