panoramic london tour

Panoramic Tour of London by Black Taxi

Welcome to London! Please sit back and let us guide you around the highlights of the world’s greatest city on our 4-hour Panoramic Tour of London. This tour is a great way to see the best of London from the comfort of a traditional London Black Taxi. Your expert driver guide will provide commentary and highlight London’s top attractions.  All you need to do is sit back and soak it in!

Tour Highlights

• Enjoy the highlights of London from the comfort of a traditional Black Taxi
• See many of London’s most famous sights, including the Houses of Parliament
• Find out all about the Guards at Buckingham Palace
• Hear about world-famous museums, including the V & A and the Natural History Museum
• Discover where the Great Fire of London started

London Black Taxi tours are private, so you have the driver just to yourself, starting at your central London hotel or other pre-arranged central London pickup.

Your customised route might include South Kensington. During the 19th Century, this area was known as Albertopolis as Queen Victoria’s husband. Prince Albert was the driving force behind many of the museums, galleries and institutes still inspiring people today. Your guide will point out these impressive Victorian institutes and will tell anecdotes about some noteworthy items inside these world-famous museums. As you leave ‘Albertopolis’, the tour will pass the Royal Albert Hall, and you’ll marvel at the Golden Albert Memorial.

If shopping has brought you to London, we’ll point out some of the glitziest places to shop, including the world-renowned Harrods. As the tour continues into Westminster, you’ll learn about world-famous sights such as Buckingham Palace, the Queen’s official residence.

You will see the Houses of Parliament, Big Ben, and Westminster Abbey, where our monarchs are crowned, and Will and Kate were married. Downing Street, home to the Prime Minister, is not far from here and includes a drive through Trafalgar Square, where you can see the four lions at the base of Nelson’s Column and much more.

Approximately half way through the Panoramic Tour of London,  you’ll have the chance to stretch your legs as you walk into St James’s Park, where there’s the option of a quick comfort break and some great photo opportunities.

Once you’ve returned to your black taxi, the tour continues into the City of London. As you pass more London sights and tourist attractions, you’ll recognise the iconic dome of St Paul’s Cathedral, the elegant Tower Bridge, and the medieval fortress, the Tower of London.

Our black cab tours in London are filled with fascinating anecdotes, historical events and snippets of trivia from our knowledgeable guides, who’ll keep you entertained from start to finish.

By the end of the tour, you’ll be familiar with most of the capital’s iconic landmarks and ready to start exploring! Your driver can drop you back at the tour’s starting point or another location in central London.

What’s Included

• 4 hour taxi tour of London’s central city area
• Knowledgeable, approachable & fun music icon and guide

What’s Excluded

What to bring.

• Consider layers of clothing
• Comfortable shoes and clothing

Good To Know

• English language tour

Is the tour wheelchair accessible?

• The tour is suitable for a wheelchair. British Sign Language is not provided on the tour.

Do children need to be accompanied?

• All people under 18 (i.e. 17 years old and younger) must be accompanied by an adult (aged 18 years or over) on all tours

Is the tour suitable for children?

Take a look at our TripAdvisor page or leave us a review. We love hearing from you!

Related tours.

Ghost Tour London

Notting Hill Tour

Do you have any questions or wish to get in touch?

• Tours of London
• Tours of Liverpool
• Tours of Bath
• Gift Cards / Vouchers
• Redeem a Gift Voucher
• Meet Our Team
• Tour Guide Jobs
• Travel Trade
• Affiliate Program

INFORMATION

• Privacy Policy
• Terms & Conditions
• Media Gallery
• Brit Tours Ltd 7 Bell Yard London WC2A 2JR United Kingdom Company Reg. 07059230

ARE YOU IN?

See EPIC views of the capital on our Panoramic Tour of London

Our fleet of restored classic cars have full length sunroofs that offer you the very best panoramic views of the capital. Chauffeur driven by your very own private local guide at the wheel.

Booking Info

(per car, maximum 3 guests per car)

Over 1,000 5 star reviews on TripAdvisor

Booking this activity will not harm the environment. Find out how by reading our Sustainability Promise .

About this tour

We are small but London is BIG. With 9 million locals, 50,000 streets, 30,000 restaurants and 250 museums, how can you ever decide on what to do?! You might not want to trawl through a guide book for hours to find the really good stuff – and you will be glad to hear don’t have to either. See the capital through the eyes of a local on this panoramic London tour. You will be picked up in a restored classic Mini Cooper and have your very own private guide to show you the sights and sounds of this great city.

What’s included

• Private, chauffeur-driven classic Mini Cooper
• Bespoke tailor-made trip
• Highly trained local guide
• Discover the hidden gems that make the city so delightfully charming
• Pick up and drop off anywhere in Central London Zone 1
• See BIG sights and hidden gems – the perfect introduction to London.
• Cops, Robbers and True Crime – step into the darker side of our ancient capital
• Street Art – see original artwork and try your hand at your own graffiti in Leake St
• Beatles – hear where the fab four made history, lived and worked inc Abbey Road
• London for Kids – track down the biggest sites in the best children’s books

What to expect

A solid introduction to London and its history. See world-famous landmarks such as the Houses of Parliament, St Pauls Cathedral and The Shard, but also the hidden gems that so often get missed – Street Art in the Leake Street Tunnel, quirky back streets of Covent Garden and local markets – the ultimate panoramic London tour!

Each of our classic Mini Coopers can carry 3 passengers. You are welcome to book up to 3 minis for your group online. For groups of more than 9 people please contact us .

Over 1,000 5-Star reviews on TripAdvisor

Bigglesfield, Otaki, New Zealand

Incredible adventure

This was an incredible experience , our driver Chris was the perfect guide and driver. We loved DOT, and will be coming back next June to do another tour. Make sure that you book this tour, they are the best and really excellent value for money . The only way to see London!

A ONE TIME LIFE ACTIVITY

Amazing activity!! We had so much great time with the team visiting places from London not very well-known. Chris was our driver and Lulu our beautiful blue tiffany color mini cooper <3 Chris made our visit an amazing experience telling us beautiful and interesting stories about London. My favorite one was the wrong spelling of Convent Garden. He was really nice and has the best playlist ever! Thank you so much...

London Tour for Birthday boy

Booked Classic Mini Tour as a gift for hubby's birthday. We both love Mini Classic cars so this was the perfect tour of London for us. Chris our driver was very informative about London's history. Chris made the tour fun & interesting. We had a good laugh with him too ! We would highly recommend you taking this tour . We would definitely like to do tour again on a return to London. Many thanks

Fun in London

Great fun ! Highly recommend this tour! Our driver Chris was excellent. A great way to see the city & some spots you might not find without a local.

Michelle G, Fort Worth, TX

So much fun! Our group of six adults, ages 30-80, had a wonderful time in three Minis. Chris was a fantastic leader - we saw the sites, learned some history, got some great tips for our stay, laughed, and felt like rock stars as people were photographing us driving by. Definitely a fun way to spend the day! We all highly recommend this unique, high energy tour!!

Fantastic experience.

Top class experience and very flexible service . We were delayed due to flight issues, this was not a problem, the drivers welcomed us for our 2 car tour, both groups were impressed by their drivers knowledge and sense of fun. The two hours flew by and even ran on with no extra costs, very generous! So good that I will do this again. Well done all.

John Michael F

Cool way to see London

Thomas was informative and entertaining. It was exciting maneuvering the streets in our cool car. We were the envy of those around us.

Sara H, Baltimore, MD

Add to your London bucket list!

Highly recommend! A wonderful way to see and learn about the city . Chris was amazing. I wish we booked more than 2 hours because of how great he was.

Dominique D

Will book again!!

Tom was an amazing tour guide and it was an excellent way to start our 14th wedding anniversary! The Mini Cooper is such a classic car and it was a joy spending the morning touring one of our favorite cities! We will absolutely book again on the next trip. Thanks again, Tom!

Ready to see the panoramic sights of London?

Your ultimate view of the capital’s iconic skyline awaits!

Trusted by over 60,000 customers

Half-day Panoramic tour of London with St Paul’s Cathedral and Guard Change

Home > Tours > Half-day Panoramic tour of London with St Paul’s Cathedral and Guard Change

Enjoy a whistle stop tour of London’s famous monuments and marvel at the history of London’s modern masterpieces from the comfort of your seat

• Entry to St. Paul’s Cathedral
• Panoramic tour of London
• Point to Point Thames River boat ride
• Luxury air–conditioned vehicle
• Admissions to St. Paul's Cathedral
• River Boat Ride
• Transportation by Air-Conditioned Coach
• Professional Guide
• Food and beverages unless stated differently

Please Note

Please note: You must bring the e-ticket provided to gain entry to this tour. On Sunday due to Church services, there is no guiding inside St Paul’s Cathedral. The Changing of the Guard may not take place under adverse weather conditions. If this occurs we will visit the Horse Guards for a photo stop instead. Our vehicles are modern, comfortable, and kept to the highest standards of cleanliness, including a deep clean every day.

When would you like to go?

Unavailable, please select:, options selected:, optional extras, price breakdown:, pickup points.

Not booked your hotel yet? Hotel not listed? Staying with a friend/family?

Don't worry, you can give us that information when you add this item to your cart.

You may also like

Sherlock: The Official Live Game

Stirling Castle, Loch Lomond & Whisky

SEA LIFE Birmingham & LEGOLAND Discovery Centre Birmingham

Sherlock Holmes Walking Tour

Your browser does not support iframes

• Discount Codes

The Cult add extra London show to 2024 UK anniversary tour

It comes after the band announced a 40th-anniversary tour earlier this month

The Cult have added an extra London show to their upcoming anniversary tour. Check out ticket details below.

The announcement comes just days after the rock icons announced details of an upcoming UK tour for the end of 2024 – which will see them celebrate 40 years as a band.

Upcoming shows will be held in 10 cities across the country, and mark the milestone anniversary of Ian Astbury and co. coming together as we recognise them today – swapping their name from the original title ‘Death Cult’ into ‘The Cult’.

Now, following the initial date at London’s Royal Albert Hall selling out, the band have announced details of a second show in the UK capital, this time held at the Roundhouse venue in Camden.

The date is added as an extension to the original run of shows and will take place on Tuesday, November 5 – the day after the Royal Albert Hall gig. Tickets are available now and you can check out an updated itinerary for the UK shows below.

The Cult 2024 updated tour dates are:

OCTOBER 21 – Leicester, De Montfort Hall 22– Swansea, Swansea Arena  24 – Edinburgh, Usher Hall [SOLD OUT] 25 – Manchester, O2 Apollo 27 – Bristol, Beacon [LOW TICKETS]  29 – York, Barbican 30 – Newcastle, O2 City Hall      

Recommended

NOVEMBER: 1 – Portsmouth, Guildhall 2 – Wolverhampton, Civic Hall 4 – London, Royal Albert Hall [SOLD OUT] 5 – London, Roundhouse

The dates for 2024 come following a tour the band embarked on last year, celebrating 40 years since their first formation under the name ‘Death Cult’ .

Taking place around the UK, Ireland and the US, the tour was called ‘Death Cult 8323’ and saw Duffy and Astbury return to play iconic venues they previously performed in at the start of their career.

The live shows focused on Death Cult and their eponymous EPs, and also boasted a setlist that spanned “the three phases of the band, from Southern Death Cult, to Death Cult, and The Cult’s first two albums: ‘Dreamtime’ (1984) and ‘Love’ (1985).”

Announcing the new run of dates, guitarist Billy Duffy said: “Following up from the great energy of ‘Death Cult 8323’ shows, I’m looking forward to bringing that sense of celebration of the band’s music, and the communion with our fans, to ‘Cult 8424’… CFFC. Let the ceremony commence!”

More recently, Billy Duffy joined Johnny Marr on stage in Frome last summer to play tracks by The Smiths and Depeche Mode .

• Related Topics
• Ian Astbury
• Live Music News

You May Also Like

Good neighbours live in london: tiktok stars spin obvious influences into heartfelt anthems, pet shop boys – ‘nonetheless’ review: still setting pop’s benchmark, steven knight on ‘this town’ and his big-budget ‘peaky blinders’ movie, the party never sleeps: fat dog unleashed in america, ‘sand land’ review: a charming adaptation of akira toriyama’s legendary manga, more stories, drew carey said he’d “stick his dick in a blender” for phish, so they sent him a signed blender, ringo starr says there’s “not a lot of joy” in the beatles’ ‘let it be’ documentary ahead of re-release, bill wyman opens up about his exit from the rolling stones – and life since, monica lewinsky uses taylor swift meme to attack bill clinton, watch lana del rey cover ‘unchained melody’ with paul cauthen at stagecoach festival, kings of leon announce ‘live at wrexham’ bonus version of new album.

• International edition
• Australia edition
• Europe edition

Spice Girls reunite at Victoria Beckham’s 50th birthday party

David Beckham shares video of former girl group singing their hit Stop at private club Oswald’s in London, as Mel B hints at a tour

The Spice Girls have reunited for a rare performance featuring all five members – at Victoria Beckham’s 50th birthday party, where they danced to their classic hit Stop.

The party was held on Saturday at Oswald’s, a private members’ club in London, with the likes of Tom Cruise, Salma Hayek, Eva Longoria and Gordon Ramsay also attending.

During the party, Beckham – along with fellow Spice Girls Geri Halliwell-Horner, Melanie Brown, Melanie Chisholm and Emma Bunton – sang along to Stop as well as performing the signature choreography from the single off their 1997 sophomore album Spiceworld.

Beckham’s husband, David Beckham , posted a video to Instagram where he gleefully looked on. “I mean come on,” the 48-year-old former footballer captioned the video.

Victoria responded in the comments, writing: “Best night ever! Happy Birthday to me! I love you all so much!”

Brown also hinted at a potential reunion tour. “About last night #tourdatescomingsoon,” she shared, reposting the video to her Instagram story.

Last month, Brown teased in an interview with Today that the Spice Girls were working on something “very good” together – though she did not confirm rumours of a tour at the time.

This year marks the 30th anniversary of the Spice Girls, who formed in 1994 and officially split six years later in 2000.

They have reunited multiple times over the years – most recently as part of their 2019 Spice World tour, which Beckham did not attend. The last time all five members performed publicly was in 2012 for the closing ceremony of the London Olympics.

In 2023 the Beckhams’ marriage was explored in a four-part Netflix documentary series, which also addressed his rise to fame as a footballer and the extensive press speculation that he allegedly had an affair while playing for Real Madrid in 2003.

• Spice Girls
• David Beckham
• Victoria Beckham

Most viewed

• Skip to main content
• Keyboard shortcuts for audio player

Tour guides flock to a trivia competition that demands encyclopedic knowledge of NYC

Emily Malterre

The Panorama Challenge is one of the fiercest trivia competition in New York and requires encyclopedic knowledge of the city. It's where tour guides can shine.

SCOTT DETROW, HOST:

The Panorama Challenge is one of the fiercest trivia competitions in New York City. It takes place at the Queens Museum, which houses a scale model of New York that was first created for the 1964 World's Fair. This annual trivia challenge requires encyclopedic knowledge of the city and attracts those who know it best, mostly tour guides. Earlier this month, reporter Emily Malterre attended the 2024 Panorama Challenge.

JONATHAN TURER: How many people in the room have been to Panorama Challenge before?

EMILY MALTERRE, BYLINE: Quizmaster Jonathan Turer welcomes the crowd.

TURER: How many people have one Panorama Challenge before?

MALTERRE: Two hundred New York City nerds are ready for a cutthroat competition. It's the first year back from the pandemic.

MEGAN MAROD: Well, so we're all a part of team GANYC Panic. It stands for the Guides Association of New York City.

MALTERRE: Megan Marod is a proud, licensed tour guide. This eight-member team has never won the Panorama Challenge since it started in 2007.

MAROD: I think everyone's happy. It's a lot of history fanatics and New York City fanatics all, like, at a history and New York City fanatic party.

MALTERRE: The competitors are all standing on walkways above the Panorama exhibit. They look down on 895,000 miniature buildings, plus trees, roads, even a tiny plane on a string that continuously takes off and lands at the airport. It gives you the feeling that you are looming over the city. The model includes all five boroughs - Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx and Staten Island. Ayinde Stevens is a guide who specializes in the subway and gives tours of Grand Central Terminal. He says he's mostly prepared.

AYINDE STEVENS: I feel really good tonight except for one category - Staten Island. I love New York City to death, but I barely go to Staten Island.

MALTERRE: The competition includes some general New York trivia, but half of the questions are extra niche, like this one, which starts with a clip from the movie "Enchanted."

(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)

UNIDENTIFIED PERSON #1: The finale of this musical number takes place in front of a sculpture created by the first woman to receive a public art commission in New York City. Pros, name the sculptor.

MALTERRE: If you didn't immediately have sculptor Emma Stebbins on the tip of your tongue, don't worry, neither did I. And some questions get quite technical.

UNIDENTIFIED PERSON #1: Pros, from 1951 to 1953, which agency ran the subways from the offices located above the tracks at Jay Street?

MALTERRE: There are people here who actually knew the answer...

UNIDENTIFIED PERSON #1: Wow.

MALTERRE: ...The New York City Board of Transportation, which existed only until the 1950s. Sixty questions later, the judges tally up scores. David Madore, a tour guide and Broadway musician, was hopeful about GANYC Panic's chances.

You had concerns about Staten Island. How did that go?

DAVID MADORE: Well, we still have concerns about Staten Island regardless, but we seemed to come through on a few of those questions.

MALTERRE: Then it's time for the big reveal from Quizmaster Turer.

TURER: In first place...

UNIDENTIFIED PERSON #2: Oh, God.

TURER: ...With 57 points, GANYC Panic.

MALTERRE: The prize for winning the Panorama Challenge? Their team name carved on a plaque and bragging rights for the rest of the year.

For NPR News, I'm Emily Malterre in New York.

(SOUNDBITE OF ZIPS SONG, "HEARTLESS")

Copyright © 2024 NPR. All rights reserved. Visit our website terms of use and permissions pages at www.npr.org for further information.

NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by an NPR contractor. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Accuracy and availability may vary. The authoritative record of NPR’s programming is the audio record.