London: 30 Landmarks Walking Tour & The Shard Viewing Gallery

Five Hours, 30 Landmarks, and a View That Stretches 40 Miles

You walk past over 30 London landmarks with a local guide who handles the stories and timing, including the Changing of the Guard ceremony at Buckingham Palace (on scheduled days), Westminster Abbey, Tower Bridge, and St. Paul's Cathedral. After five hours on foot, your guide gives you your Shard entry tickets and directions to the building, where you take a high-speed lift to the 68th floor for 360-degree views across London and beyond. The whole day is planned so you don't have to arrange transport between stops, book separate tickets, or figure out where to stand for the ceremony.

Step-by-step itinerary

• Walk through Green Park
• See Buckingham Palace and Changing of the Guard
• Walk along the Royal Mall
• Visit Trafalgar Square
• Admire Horse Guards Parade arch and clock
• Explore Whitehall and Downing Street
• View Houses of Parliament and Big Ben
• Visit Westminster Abbey
• Travel to Southbank area
• See Tate Modern and Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre
• Walk across Millennium Bridge
• View St Paul’s Cathedral dome
• Explore Borough Market and Southwark Cathedral
• View London Bridge area sights
• Go up The Shard for panoramic views

The Experience

"You'll see more of London in one morning than most people do in a week," our guide said as we gathered near Green Park, and honestly, he wasn't exaggerating. The walking tour covers the city's major sights in a single five-hour loop — Buckingham Palace, Westminster Abbey, the Houses of Parliament, Tower Bridge, the Tower of London, and everything in between. You move at a steady pace, stopping long enough to understand what you're looking at but not so long that your feet start complaining. The guide handles the logistics and the stories, which means you just walk and listen.

The Changing of the Guard ceremony is the centerpiece if you book the 10am tour — it runs daily in June and July, then shifts to Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays the rest of the year. Your guide finds the right spot in the crowd at Buckingham Palace so you actually see it happen, not just hear about it later. After that, you head through Westminster to see Downing Street, Westminster Abbey with its thousand years of history, and Parliament Square with Big Ben in front of you. Then it's across the Millennium Bridge (locals call it the Wobbly Bridge, and yes, it moves a little) to St. Paul's Cathedral, through Borough Market where they filmed Harry Potter scenes, and down to London Bridge. From there you see Tower Bridge, HMS Belfast, and The Shard rising above everything else.

Once the walking part ends, your guide hands you your Shard tickets and points you toward the building. A high-speed elevator takes you to the 68th floor in seconds — the views hit you immediately, stretching across the city and out to the edges of Greater London on a clear day. If you want more, there's an open-air platform on level 72 where the wind is real and the perspective shifts again. You're not rushed; the ticket is yours for the rest of the day, so you can stay as long as you want.

The whole thing is built around small groups, which keeps the pace manageable and means the guide can actually answer questions instead of just herding people forward. Wheelchair users can do the full tour — all the walking routes are accessible, and The Shard has elevators and level access throughout. If you're traveling with young children, strollers work fine on the pavements, though five hours of walking might be long depending on their age.

What’s included

• Small group walking tour covering over 30 London landmarks.
• local guide for the full five hours.
• entry to the Changing of the Guard ceremony viewing (on scheduled days).
• access to Borough Market and views of Shakespeare's Globe Theatre, St. Paul's Cathedral, Tower Bridge, Tower of London, and HMS Belfast.
• The Shard viewing gallery entry ticket for the 68th floor and access to the open-air platform on level 72.

Good to know

Easy physical levelWheelchair accessibleAccessible transportStroller friendlyPets welcomePublic transport nearby

Operated by Top Sights Tours Group LLC

Is this one for you?Pick this if you want London's main sights in one morning without arranging your own transport between stops, buying separate tickets, or figuring out where to stand for the ceremony — the guide and the fixed itinerary handle all three.

Traveler reviews

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Top questions

What days does the Changing of the Guard ceremony happen on this tour?

Daily in June and July. From August onwards, it's Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays only. The 10am tour is the one that includes it; other departure times do the walking tour without the ceremony.

How long is the walking part before you go up The Shard?

Five hours. You cover 30-plus landmarks on foot, moving at a steady pace with stops at each major sight.

Is The Shard ticket included, or do you pay separately?

The ticket is included. Your guide hands it to you at the end of the walking tour and directs you to the building.

Can you spend as much time as you want at The Shard, or is there a time limit?

No time limit. Your ticket is yours for the rest of the day, so you can stay as long as you want once you're up there.

Is this tour wheelchair accessible?

Yes. All walking routes are accessible, and The Shard has full wheelchair access including elevators and level surfaces throughout.

What if I'm traveling with a young child?

Strollers and prams work fine on the pavements during the walking tour. Children must be accompanied by an adult. Five hours on foot may be long depending on the child's age.

Does the tour include lunch or time to eat?

The tour passes through Borough Market, which has food stalls and restaurants, but a meal break isn't built into the itinerary. You can grab something there if you want.

What's the group size like?

Small groups, which keeps the pace manageable and lets the guide answer questions without holding up the whole party.