I’ve been lucky enough to visit London several dozen times, so it’s no surprise I have a decent grasp of the city’s geography and landmarks.
On a recent stopover, I wanted to make the most of my two days. The city is massive and I didn’t want to cover much physical ground in such a short time. I hoped to discover a few off-the-tourist-map treasures. I got what I wanted plus the special sauce I didn’t realize I was missing; a window into the life of a Londoner.
My hotel concierge told me about Blue Badge Guides
I was staying at the luxurious London Marriott Hotel County Hall in the South Bank, a fabulous location steps from the iconic London Eye Ferris wheel. I was blown away by the view of Big Ben and Parliament from my window. The building was once London’s City Hall, with wood paneled chambers that echo important moments in history. Its architectural integrity has been preserved, merging vintage details with modern decorative touches. It’s the rare space that manages to feel inviting despite the fact that it was originally designed for bureaucratic purposes.
I told the hotel concierge about my craving for local insight; he suggested I hire a private Blue Badge Guide, freelance professional guides who tailor itineraries to individual interests.
What are Blue Badge Guides?
Before hiring a guide, I did some research. I found out that Blue Badge Guides study intensively for two years and have to pass a comprehensive series of written and practical exams before qualifying to lead private tours. Blue Badge Guides are the only external guides permitted to conduct tours at important sights such as Westminster Abbey and the Tower of London.
Many guides have had other careers
Each Blue Badge Guide has a bio on the website. Many have had alternate careers before becoming guides. This appealed to me, as I correctly thought a variety of life experiences would only enhance my tour.
Blue Badge Guides customize
Want a tour that focuses on Harry Potter? Rock and roll? Street art? Or perhaps a smattering of all three? No problem, there’s a guide to suit your needs.
A match made in tour guide heaven
On the easy-to-navigate website, I browsed hundreds of London-based guides, each with a set of specialties, from fashion to food. I answered a few questions on the Guide Match section, including what and when I wanted to explore.
There were a half-dozen guides who matched my criteria. The concierge told me that several previous guests had very positive experiences with one of the available guides, Geoffrey Levett.
Geoff’s bio was impressive, with a PhD in 20th Century British and French Imperial History, plus additional specialties in art and theatre, aligning with my interests.
Hiring a Blue Badge Guide was easy
Once you select a guide, you email the guide directly. I booked last minute and got lucky with availability, though advance booking is recommended.
There’s a standard minimum rate for half and full day tours. If you require a guide to speak a foreign language or drive, there are additional fees. With rates hovering at over 200 pounds for a half-day, it’s not cheap, though I found it to be worth every last pence.
Geoff and I confirmed our meeting for the next afternoon. I told him I was interested in exploring the South Bank on foot as well as the Tate Britain on the other side of the Thames, a museum with a focus on homegrown art.
Payment was hassle-free, directly to Geoff via credit card over the phone.
A guided tour to remember
Geoff met me at my hotel. As we walked the artsy and energetic South Bank, dodging skateboarders and watching buskers perform, Geoff told me about the singing elevator—he called it a lift—inside the imposing Royal Festival Hall, where the voices get higher pitched as the elevator goes up and lower as it descends.
We ventured down a staircase to an urban beach along the banks of the Thames, where he explained the local practice of mudlarking, searching for found objects that wash up along the riverbank.
I knew that the pub was a foundation of British life and Geoff’s knowledge of London’s pub scene was impressive. He suggested I might enjoy a drink at the Anchor Bankside, a riverside tavern from Shakespeare’s era. I appreciated his expertise as he pointed out details I would have never noticed on my own.
Personal anecdotes elevated the tour
However valuable I found these nuggets of information, what stays with me are the personal anecdotes and conversations. As we crossed over the Thames to get up-close to St. Paul’s Cathedral, there were dozens of uniformed school kids milling around. Geoff’s own two boys had attended the school, which led to an interesting discussion on raising kids in London. As someone who raised their children in New York City and Rome, I loved the conversation and we had plenty to talk about.
When we stopped at the Globe, a replica of the theatre where many of the Shakespeare’s great works premiered, Geoff mentioned that he’ll be directing a production of Hamlet Goes Business, a staged adaptation of a Finnish film based on Shakespeare’s Hamlet. As an avid theatre-goer, I appreciated his take on London’s thespian scene.
At the Tate Britain, a temporary exhibit on British photography from the 1980s sparked a thought-provoking discussion on the 1984-1985 miner’s strike, the biggest industrial dispute in post-war Britain. Geoff was a child living in County Durham in Yorkshire at the time and had many memories of how the strike affected his community.
I saw many people wearing New York Yankees baseball caps around town. As a lifelong fan of the New York Mets, New York’s other baseball team, this was particularly irksome. When I mentioned this to Geoff, he shared his own passion for soccer—he called it football—and his involvement with the Cricket Society, where he is secretary. He has penned several articles and books on sport and national identity, igniting a memorable discussion on the power of sports in society.
My guided tour was like a Rolls-Royce
In the end, conversation with a savvy Londoner was what had been missing from my previous visits; I hadn’t realized it was missing until I got a taste of it. My guided tour with Geoff felt like riding around town a Rolls-Royce instead of my usual Toyota. If you’re a curious traveler heading to London, I can’t recommend the experience enough.
