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One of the best ways to get an overview of London is to walk the Jubilee Walkway. This is a self-guided walking route created in 1977 to mark Queen Elizabeth II 25th anniversary on the throne.

The 14-mile (23km) route connects all the main places of interest in central London from Buckingham Palace to the Tower of London.

Circular silver plaques set in the pavement, guide you in the right direction. Information panels along the route describe the buildings in the area.

It takes a long day to walk the whole Jubilee Walkway. If you’re not a keen walker, the route can be divided into five sections which take between 1 and 4 hours to walk.

We recommend the Jubilee Loop and the Western Loop sections for first-time visitors. If you do both, you’ll see the most important sights in central London.

Jubilee Loop Walk – 1 hour walk

This is the section to walk if you’re short of time. The 2 mile (3km) anti-clockwise circular route passes some of London’s main sights: Buckingham Palace, St James’s Park, the Houses of Parliament, Big Ben, Westminster Abbey and Horse Guards Parade.

The walk starts and ends in Trafalgar Square (Charing Cross, Embankment, Leicester Square or Piccadilly tube stations).

Jubilee Loop Walk description (pdf)

Western Loop Walk – 4 hour walk

The 6 mile (9.5km) Western Loop is the best walking route to see London’s historic sites and main tourist attractions. The route passes Trafalgar Square, St James’s Park, Houses of Parliament, Big Ben, Westminster Abbey, the river Thames, the South Bank, Millennium Bridge, Tate Modern, St Paul’s Cathedral, Lincoln’s Inn Fields and back towards the West End via Covent Garden.

This one starts and finishes in Leicester Square. If you’ve already done the Jubilee Loop and don’t want to walk through St James’s Park again, start at Westminster tube station.

Western Loop Walk description (pdf) .

Take the circular 3.4 mile (5.5km) Eastern Loop Walk if you want to continue walking along the Thames towards Tower Bridge and the Tower of London and back towards St Paul’s Cathedral.

Last checked: 13 February 2023

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Visit the Jubilee Walkway

Welcome to the unofficial Jubilee Walkway web site - dedicated to helping visitors plan their visit to London and experience the best the London has to offer on foot.

The Jubilee Walkway is London's most popular walking trail and is one of London's seven top walking routes designated as the Strategic Walks Network. The Jubilee Walkway - view 14 miles of London's most iconic landmarks in a relaxed and safe pedestrian walkway through the heart of this magnificent city.

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Jubilee Walkway, history and visitor information

The Jubilee Walkway is the London's premier walking trail and one of London's six designated Strategic Routes. Designed to connect the majority of London's key attractions, it is well managed, easy to follow and provides an ideal way of getting to know London. The Walkway was designed so that anyone walking it would have "travelled through areas of London noted for entertainment, assembly, ceremonial, and open-air activity, passing many historic sites" (Max Nicholson 1977). The Walkway was first developed for The Queen's Silver Jubilee in 1977 and The Jubilee Walkway Trust was then set up in 1978 as a charity to look after its interest in partnership with strategic and local authorities.

From Buckingham Palace to the Tower of London, the Jubilee Walkway has circular silver plaques set in the pavement, which guide you in the right direction. Along the route there are information panels describing the surrounding buildings.

It is used by well over a million people each year, connecting more than 50 of the London’s top attractions. It was originally created to celebrate The Queen’s Silver Jubilee in 1977 and is now well maintained by The Mayor and surrounding authorities.

The Jubilee Walkway is the London's most popular walking route and it takes a long day to walk the whole of it. The route may be walked at night and there are countless public transport links.

London is perhaps the most beautiful city in the world, and this is an excellent way of experiencing the flavour and panache of the London. The wealth of London's architecture, both modern and historical, are at you beck and call, and the information panels give you a great insight into the machinations of this cities life.

From here you will feel the hum of the metropolis without being in the middle of it, taste its history and splendour, and be excited by its modern innovations and fashions.

What you can see along the way:

City Hall Houses of Parliament St. James's Park British Museum St Paul's Cathedral Tower of London Tower Bridge The Millennium Bridge Trafalgar Square National Gallery Admiralty Arch St. James's Park Parliament Square Westminster Abbey Lambeth Palace London Eye Tate Modern St Paul's Cathedral Lincoln's Inn Fields Royal Opera House Covent Garden London Transport Museum National Portrait Gallery See more links

While London is a fantastic place to visit while on vacation in the United Kingdom, there are loads of other fantastic places to explore in the UK . People visiting the UK should try to travel out of the capital to see other areasa such as Cornwall, Devon, the Lake District and Suffolk.

There are some amazing tourism opportunities in these locations. Here there is fantastic scenery, secluded beaches and historic attractions to extend your knowledge of Great Britain. For those on an extended visit, a trip to Scotland or Wales is a must to fully inderstand the make-up and caharcter of the British Isles.

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The Jubilee Walkway

In celebration of the Queen's Platinum Jubilee, the five Jubilee Walkway Loops are presented as part of this collection. The Jubilee Walkway is an official walking route in London, originally opened by the Queen herself on 9 June 1977 during her silver jubilee celebrations. Designed to connect the majority of London's key attractions, it is well managed, easy to follow and provides an ideal way of getting to know London.

On 24 October 2002, during the Queen's golden jubilee, the Jubilee Walkway reopened after refurbishment and a new spur walk was opened in 2003, called the Camden loop, which took walkers into north-west London.

A circular walk in the London Borough of Camden that connects the City with the main line stations in the North and shows off the best of London life.

A circular walk on the original Jubilee Walkway through the heart of the City with connections to many of the Capital's main tourist attractions.

A circular walk in the City of London that connects to the Barbican Centre and provides an insight into City life.

A circular walk in the Eastern part of London following the River on the South Bank, crossing Tower Bridge and passing through the City and back ...

A circular walk in the heart of London linking The Monarchy with the Government.

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On The Trail Of The Queen’s Silver Jubilee In London

As the 60th Anniversary of the Queen’s Coronation has been celebrated in the last few days, I thought it might be fun to wind the clock back to 1977, don our denim flares and our flowery shirts and take a look at what physical remnants of the Queen’s Silver Jubilee can be found in London…

Paul Fitzgerald’s 1977 official portrait of the Queen

Given how much London’s physical and cultural landscape can change in just a year or two, I think you’ll be surprised at exactly how much has survived the intervening three and a half decades, but lets start with the biggest of the tributes to Her Majesty – the Jubilee Line. Originally planned as the Fleet Line (named for the Thames tributary which gives Fleet Street it’s name) the name and colour change came as the result of an election pledge made by the Conservative members of the Great London Council. The line’s original battleship grey colour was swapped for a lighter silvery hue and two years after the Jubilee, on 30 April 1979, the line was formally opened by the Prince Of Wales.

The event of the Silver Jubilee itself was marked by over four thousand street parties in the capital on 6 June, and very soon afterwards one of the most well-known of the London tributes was unveiled by the Queen herself – the Jubilee Walkway. Unveiled on 9 June 1977 it connects just about all of central London’s tourist sites, with the route marked out by crowns set at intervals into the pavement – a popular way to take a walking tour of the centre of town, it has been added to in the intervening years. Several more miles of walking routes were added to mark both the Golden Jubilee and the recent Diamond Jubilee…

One of London’s most well-known engineering marvels also owes a debt of gratitude to the Silver Jubilee – painted up until that point in a rather drab greenish-blue, Tower Bridge owes its present patriotic red, white and blue colour scheme to the occasion. Just on the northern side of Tower Bridge is another tribute – the Coronarium Chapel. This multi-faith religious building can be found in the middle of St Katharine Docks, although time has definitely taken its toll here – for the last few years this unusual circular building has housed a branch of Starbucks. Ian Visits has written an interesting article on the sorry fate of this piece of 1970s architecture.

Of course the fine art world made a contribution to the Silver Jubilee, with the Queen’s only official portrait of that year being painted by celebrated Australian artist Paul Fitzgerald. This  beautiful work, which shows the Queen wearing a tiara and a blue cloak decorated with some of her regalia, can be found at London’s Commonwealth Institute which occupies Marlborough House on the Mall, just a stone’s throw from Buckingham Palace.

With all of these very grand gestures it’s nice to find that a much more modest remnant of the Silver Jubilee in London remains – the Jubilee Gardens, which sit just behind the London Eye on the Southbank. Previously a large area of grass, they’ve recently had a makeover to mark the Diamond Jubilee – you’ll now find trees and hillocks breaking up the expanse of lawn.

The glass block which used to grace the Coronarium Chapel – reproduced from www.ianvisits.co.uk

Circular walk around the city of London – Jubilee walkway

This section of the Jubilee Walkway, known as the City Loop, is a short circular walk around the City of London. At just 2 (or 3) miles in length, you will walk around St Paul’s cathedral, with views across Millennium Bridge. You will navigate the labyrinth of the Barbican, walk down narrow alleys, and see the ancient walls of the city. Oh, and of course the skyscrapers. You can’t come to the City of London and not see the skyscrapers.

What is the City of London?

It’s basically the financial district, of which we have two. The other one is in another part of London. This is the original one though. As such, it is a mix of historic buildings with Roman remains, and modern day skyscrapers. 

If you hear a Londoner say ‘the City’, this is where they mean. 

A few notes about the circular walk around the City of London

I followed the map and description from the TFL website, however, I did notice a few errors. First of all, it tells you to go up a bridge which is no longer there. There is also a bit where the description doesn’t match up to the map. 

But never fear, I work in the City, so know it well. I will let you know where they went wrong and how to fix it. 

Another thing to be aware of, GPS will not work here. Due to all the high buildings, it will get confused with where you are. I tried to track the walk around the City, however, my little dot was flying all over the place. As such, I don’t have a map for you. I will try to describe the route as best I can for you to follow.

Logistics for the circular walk around the City of London

• Start: Number 1 Poultry
• Finish: Number 1 Poultry
• How to get there: Bank tube station is near the start*
• Distance: Apparently 2 miles. My trackers says 3. Although, due to questionable GPS, that can’t be trusted.
• Time: Depends how much you stop….but allow an hour.
• Tip 1: At the time of writing, most people are working from home. However, once things return to normal I would strongly advise you to do this walk around the City on the weekend. During weekdays the place is like a zoo of City workers.
• Tip 2: Look out for the silver discs on the ground marking the route. I have to say though, I almost forgot about the discs. I did spot a few but wasn’t really paying attention.

*God help you if you are arriving from Bank station

A Guide To The Circular Walk Around The City Of London – Jubilee Walkway

Technically I didn’t start at the official start. I did this after work one day so started from there. However, for the purpose of this guide, I will start your walk from the official start point. 

So you can say you are official.

Number 1 Poultry – The start point of the walk around the City of London.

You will be starting your circular walk around the City of London from Number 1 Poultry. It is a pink corner building. The best thing I can say to you is to locate it on the map. If arriving from Bank station, there are a million different exits and I have no idea which one you will come out of. You won’t even know. If you are really unlucky, you won’t even exit at Bank. You will exit somewhere else at Monument. 

For guidance, if you are standing at the big junction where the Royal Exchange is, look west. It’s over there (unless you find yourself at Monument….then good luck). 

If you look at the photo below. This is the view if you are standing with the Poultry building behind you. 

On the ground you should see a gold disc which marks the start of the Jubilee Walkway walk around the City of London

Fun fact: In 2002, the Queen unveiled this panel in celebration of her Golden Jubilee.

From here, walk along the street on the north side of the building along Poultry. Then take the first right after the arches onto King street.

From here you will get a view to the Guildhall at the end. Walk to it. 

The Guildhall

You will now find yourself in Guildhall Yard, with the Guildhall up ahead, and the Guildhall art gallery to the right

Fun fact: The Guildhall art gallery is home to the City of Londons art collection and has been around since the 17th century.

From here, walk along the first alley on the right, which is lined with bollards painted with the City of London crest. You should see a gold pavement disc before you reach it. 

At the end, take a left and a bit further along on the right, you should see an alley with Masons Avenue written above it.

Mason’s Avenue

Mason’s Avenue is a narrow alley lined with shops and a pub with Tudor decor (which is apparently fake). It is named as such as it was originally the home to one of the City’s Livery Companies (the Masons).

There is some very interesting history about this street. Or more specifically, the pub at the end. The Old Doctor Butler’s Head. It is one of the City of Londons most historic pubs, first established in 1610 (then rebuilt after the Great Fire of London in 1666). There were a number of them built, however, this is the last one standing.

It is named after Dr Butler. He is a 17th century doctor who devised ‘miracle cures’ which included dropping people from a trap door into the River Thames. He claimed to cure epilepsy by firing a pistol near patients heads. The theory was that it scared the epilepsy out of them.

He wasn’t very qualified, however, King George I was a big fan and appointed him court physician. He went on to acquire a number of pubs to sell his own concoction of medicinal ale to cure gastric ailments. 

N.B. The pub no longer sells this ale.

Girdlers’ Hall

At the end of the alley, turn left and a bit further along you will see Girdlers Hall on the left. You can’t miss it. It’s a small house with a well manicured lawn, nestled between the modern glass buildings of the City. 

The Girdlers’ Hall is home to the Girdlers’ Company which is one of the Livery Companies of the City of London (along with the Masons mentioned earlier). They specialised in girdle and belt making, however, these things aren’t in demand like they were in medieval times, so the company now works as a charitable body.

London Wall

If you continue along the same road, you will hit London Wall (a bigger road). So, the London Wall was a defensive wall built by the Romans, and until the later middle ages, it marked the boundary of the City of London. So what does a road have to do with an ancient wall? Well, this road runs along the course of the old wall, and a bit later on you will see some remains of the wall. 

For now, it’s just a busy road.

The Barbican

Cross over the London Wall and turn left. There will be an opening to the right with some stairs. This is where the TFL website got it wrong. The stairs they tell you to go up are not these ones. To be fair, there is so much construction work going on and things are changing. The stairs they want you to go up did use to be there.

Anyway, you go up these stairs and follow it around as it heads into the Barbican Estate.

Now this is where things get interesting. The Barbican has quite a complex layout with many entrances and walkways. I challenge anyone to enter the Barbican and not get lost. 

I will do my best to make sure you don’t get lost though.

So, the Barbican is made up of the a Performing Arts Centre (Barbican Centre), and residential complex (Barbican Estate). 

Fun fact: It is a Grade II listed building….and has been voted the ugliest building in London. It’s also very expensive to live there.

Fun Fact 2: There are yellow lines painted on the ground to help people not get lost.

Walk through the Barbican in the City of London

Upon entering the Barbican Estate, turn right (away from the yellow line on the ground) and follow the outer wall all the way around. You will pick up the yellow line along here.

As you approach this tunnel and stairs, go into the tunnel. Continue following the yellow line as it turns left.

Keep on this walkway in a straight line as you go over Gilbert bridge, with lovely views to the lake below. At the end of Gilbert bridge do a little zigzag, left then right to then walk along the Postern Highwalk. 

The Postern becomes Albion Highwalk as you leave the original Barbican, and it becomes more of a modern shopping plaza. 

If you are following the yellow lines, it will divide along here. You take the first right onto Bastion Highwalk.

The real London Wall

As you walk out onto the bridge you will see both to the right and left, the original wall of the City of London.

Continue the walk following the yellow line as it curves to the left towards a green circle, passing by the Museum of London and some art installations. 

Fun Fact: The museum of London is the worlds largest urban history museum.

As you walk around the circle, take the second exit along a bridge, then down the stairs. 

TFL website says the handrails of the bridge are painted yellow. They are not.

Walk towards St Pauls Cathedral in the City of London

At street level, you will be at a roundabout. Take the first right along Aldersgate street. You will walk past this lovely old blue police box…and Little Britain.

When you get towards the end of this road where it splits into two, St Pauls underground station should be ahead, and the Dome of St Pauls Cathedral visible above to the right. 

Fun fact: The dome is one of the highest in the world.

This next bit is where TFL’s description and map don’t match. So follow me.

Follow the road as it curves to the right, then stay on it straight and a bit further along, take the left on the other side of the road onto Queens Head Passage.

From here you get an incredible view of St Paul’s Cathedral ahead.

Paternoster Square

Walk down Queen’s Head Passage, then take the first right onto Paternoster Square. In here you will see a number of monuments and sculptures, surrounded by shops and bars and the London Stock Exchange.

Paternoster (Shepherd and sheep) – A 1975 bronze sculpture by Elisabeth Frink.

Paternoster square column – Designed by Whitfield Partners and erected in 2003. If you look at the top, you will see a gold flame design. It acts as a memorial for both the Great Fire of London and the WW2 blitz. It is illuminated by fibre optic lighting at night.

Fun fact: Functionally, it serves as a ventilation shaft for the service road running beneath the square.

Temple Bar Gate – A massive stone arch way which actually didn’t come from here. It was originally completed in 1672 and lived on Fleet Street at Temple Bar. Explains the name. Temple Bar was the principle ceremonial entrance to the City of London. 

It was moved here in 2004.

Walk around St Paul’s Cathedral

Next, you walk under Temple Bar Gate, with St Pauls Cathedral ahead, then follow the path as it leads around St Pauls Cathedral to the right. The cathedral will be on your left.

You will walk past the famous steps to the western entrance of the Cathedral.

Then continue around to reach the south entrance to the cathedral.

St Paul’s Cathedral is one of the most famous sights in London. It is a working church with daily service, and is open to the public (at the time of writing, the tourist fee is £20). I have not been inside recently, in fact, my memories of it are coming here on school trips as a child. Basically, I have not been inside since I was a child.

Fun fact 1: From 1710 – 1963, it was the tallest building in London.

Fun fact 2: Lots of important and Royal stuff is celebrated here. Including the wedding of Prince Charles and Princess Diana.

Fun Fact 3: It is a Grade I listed building and there are rules as to how things around it are constructed. You may notice that we have some oddly shaped skyscrapers. They are shaped as such so as not to obstruct the view from St Paul’s Cathedral. 

Walk towards the Millennium bridge

Directly across from the south entrance to the cathedral, you should see some grassy bits (Carter Lane Gardens), and further along, the pedestrian square with Millennium Bridge in the distance. 

Now walk towards it.

Fun Fact 1: Designed and built for (you guessed it) the Millennium.

Fun Fact 2: It has earned the nickname ‘wobbly bridge’ because, well, it wobbles. In fact, on opening day, it wobbled so much it had to be shut down. It was then shut for 2 years whilst they made it more safe.

Walking through the square, down odd steps, you will pass these ball sculptures. I walk past here a lot and I’m still not sure what they are.

Walking towards the London City skyscrapers

Now, you are probably wondering where the skyscrapers are that I have mentioned. Well, they are coming next.

Walk down the pedestrian area, then when you reach the main road, turn left onto Queen Victoria street. 

As you walk along this road, you will get a view of the skyscrapers up ahead. Continue along this road which will lead you back to the start at Number 1 Poultry.

Top tip: Make sure to look back at some point along here for another sneak peak view of St Pauls Cathedral.

Final thoughts on the circular walk around the City of London

I know I have mentioned that I work in the area, so know it quite well. Well, what I didn’t know was the history behind everything that I see on a regular basis. They were just things I walked past. 

In writing this blog post and researching stuff, I was truly fascinated and will definitely look at things in the City a lot differently now that I know. 

More walks around London

Continuing on with the Jubilee Walkway, this route is connected to the Eastern loop, and the Jubilee Loop. have done them, but not written them. It’s been a while so I think I need to go do them again. I can’t remember them well enough to write about.

I have also written about two of my favourite walks along the River Thames on my other website, that girl outdoors. One is along the Embankment in Westminster which gives you great views of all the big London stuff. The other is quieter and takes you along the Chelsea Embankment and through the gorgeous Battersea Park .

If you fancy seeing the city skyline views, then I recommend the Parkland Walk in North London. It’s about 4-5 miles long and nice and easy, taking you along a woodland trail, with some incredible views thrown in.

Another walk which will take you through the City, is the Regents Canal walk . Or you could do the shortened version of it from Little Venice to Camden .

Pin it for later: A circular walk around the City of London

zoe tehrani

I like to spend my spare time in the outdoors, and walk a lot all over England. London born and bred, I have previously moved to the South West, and up to Yorkshire, mixed in with some van life, looking for all the best places for hiking.

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The City Loop is one of the best destinations I visited in the City of London. I discovered lots of monuments and parks around the place. I managed to complete the trail in 6 days. It also offers a perfect spot for picnics. It is suitable for all ages, so I brought my 6-year-old nephew, and he loved it. Art lovers should not miss the Guildhall art gallery. I like how you detailed everything here in the post. Great job!

Thank you for this Sierra! 🙂

Thanks for sharing, I have done bits of this walk on other trails, but not to the Barbarian, which I would like to do 🙂

It’s an interesting place. I worked there for years, but it took a long time for me to walk around it. That thing where you don’t explore what’s on your own doorstep.

Queen Elizabeth II's momentous silver jubilee visit to the North East in 1977

As the Queen becomes Britian's longest-reigning monarch, we recall her North East visit of 38 years ago

• 18:30, 8 SEP 2015
• Updated 14:46, 10 SEP 2015

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Sixty-three years, seven months and two days...Queen Elizabeth II today overtakes Queen Victoria as Britain’s longest-reigning monarch.

She has been Queen longer than many of her subjects have been alive.

Our region, perhaps surprisingly given the long geographical distance between here and London’s seat of power, has long had Royalist tendencies.

As the Civil War enveloped the nation in the 17th century, our ancestors backed Charles I.

And even in the tough, often impoverished environment of industrial 20th century Tyneside, many of our forebears loved the royals.

In 1906, the Chronicle reported how tens of thousands began lining the rain-lashed streets of Newcastle at 3am in the morning to wait for the arrival of Edward VII hours later and the briefest of glimpses as he passed in his carriage - if they were lucky.

The opening of the Tyne Bridge in 1928, the North East Coast Exhibition in 1929, the coronation of George VI in 1937, and countless royal visits since have seen expressions of Geordie patriotic fervour.

Of the current Queen’s visits to the region, the most momentous was her stop-off in the region during the 1977 Silver Jubilee tour.

The jubilee was proof of the enduring popularity of the monarchy in Britain.

There were street parties and celebrations across the land, and schoolchildren were given commemorative mugs and coins.

During the summer months, the Queen and Prince Philip embarked on a mammoth tour of the country, visiting 36 counties across the UK and Northern Ireland.

On July 15, the North East afforded the Royal couple a rapturous reception.

Thousands cheered as the Royal Yacht Britannia sailed into Newcastle Quayside - and thousands more lined the streets as the Queen’s limousine wound its way to South Shields and Sunderland.

(This was a year, of course, which also saw the high-profile visits to the North East of American President Jimmy Carter and boxing legend Muhammad Ali.)

The Chronicle of Friday, July 15, 1977 led with the headline ‘Queen of the Tyne’.

“The Queen and Prince Philip received a tumultuous Geordie welcome from the people of Tyne Wear today,” we reported.

“Wherever they went, the story was the same - thousands of people shoulder to shoulder wanting a chance to see the Royal couple.

“At every stop along the 64-mile route, huge crowds, cheering and waving Union Jacks, were there to greet them.

“And when the Royal couple set foot on Geordie soil the waiting thousands went wild. Thousands were at the Quayside, and hundreds more lined the Tyne Bridge.”

Enjoy our picture selection from that 1977 visit.

The Queen celebrates her 90th birthday in 2016, making her the world's oldest monarch. This remarkable achievement is being marked by a weekend of national celebration and this is your chance to be in London to experience the unforgettable pomp and pageantry of the occasion, reserve your place today. Book here .

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The queen’s jubilees: everything that happened at the queen’s silver, golden and diamond celebrations.

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The Queen is marking her 70 th year on the throne on Sunday 6 February, making her the first British monarch to do so.

Over her decades-long reign, Queen Elizabeth II has celebrated her Silver, Gold and Diamond Jubilees in spectacular fashion, with plenty of events, pageants and tours to celebrate.

In June this year, her Platinum Jubilee will be celebrated over a special four-day bank holiday weekend. But how has Her Majesty marked her previous jubilees?

Silver Jubilee, 1977

The Queen’s 25 th anniversary on the throne was celebrated on her Silver Jubilee in 1977 with large-scale parties and parades throughout the UK and the Commonwealth.

On 6 February 1977, the anniversary was commemorated with church services throughout that month and the monarch spent the weekend at Windsor with her family.

Later in the year, during the summer months, Her Majesty embarked on a big tour of the UK and Northern Ireland. According to the Royal Family website, she had decided that she “wishes to mark her jubilee by meeting as many of her people as possible”.

The tour began in Glasgow on 17 May, continuing throughout England and Wales before finishing with a visit to Northern Ireland.

She also made official overseas visits to Western Samoa, Australia, New Zealand, Tonga Fiji, Tasmania, Papua New Guinea, Canada and the West Indies. It is estimated that the Queen and Philip travelled 56,000 miles that year.

A whole week of national celebrations followed the Queen’s tours, beginning on Monday 6 June, when Her Majesty lit a bonfire beacon at Windsor that started a chain of beacons across the country.

The next day, she drove in the Gold State Coach to St Paul’s Cathedral for a Service of Thanksgiving that was attended by heads of state from around the world and former British prime ministers.

Afterwards, the Queen and members of the royal family attended a lunch at the Guildhall. The procession returned to Buckingham Palace through the Mall, a televised event that was watched by an estimated 500 million people.

There were street parties held throughout the country, with around 4,000 reportedly taking place in London alone.

On Thursday 9 June, the final event saw a procession of boats floating down the Thames from Greenwich to Lambeth. The Queen opened the Silver Jubilee Walkway and the South Bank Jubilee Gardens, which culminated in a firework display before she returned to Buckingham Palace by carriage.

Ruby Jubilee, 1992

The Ruby Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II marked her 40 th anniversary on the throne. However, this jubilee was much more low-profile.

A few events did take place to commemorate the occasion, including a luncheon at the Guildhall on 24 November that was organised by the City of London Corporation and attended by 500 people.

It was at this luncheon that the Queen famously described the year 1992 as her annus horriblis (Latin for “horrible year”), following a series of unfortunate events including the separation of Prince Charles and Diana, Princess of Wales, and a scandal involving Sarah, Duchess of York, the then-wife of Prince Andrew.

That same year, a fire broke out in Windsor Castle that caused extensive damage. Repairs cost £36. 5million and took several years.

In July, a tribute was held at the Fountain Court of Hampton Court Palace, including performances by children from all over the world and the Youth Ballet. There was also a banquet held later that month, hosted at Spencer House by former prime minister John Major and attended by the Queen, Philip, Charles and Diana, and former prime ministers.

Later, in October, a grand gala titled “The Great Event” was held by the Royal Anniversary Trust. The televised event was attended by more than 1,700 people and included performances by music artists such as Dame Vera Lynn and Cliff Richard, as well as by members of the Royal Ballet.

Golden Jubilee, 2002

A decade after the Queen’s “annus horriblis”, public celebrations were once again on the agenda for her Golden Jubilee, which marked 50 years on the throne.

Once again, the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh went on extensive tours of the Commonwealth and the UK, visiting Jamaica, New Zealand, Australia and Canada, as well as every region of the UK, from Falmouth in Cornwall to the Isle of Skye.

A big Jubilee weekend was held in June, starting with a classical music concert at Buckingham Palace’s gardens, and a Jubilee Church Service at St George’s Chapel in Windsor and a National Service of Thanksgiving at St Paul’s Cathedral.

A major concert was also held at Buckingham Palace to mark the significant milestone, and included performances by Paul McCartney, Bryan Adams, Elton John and Shirley Bassey.

A big firework display finished off the evening and the Queen lit the National Beacon, the last in a string of 2,006 beacons which has been lit in a chain across the Commonwealth.

On 4 June, during the now-traditional lunch at Guildhall, Her Majesty thanked the nation for their support throughout her reign in a speech.

She said: “I would like to give my heartfelt thanks to each and every one of you - here in Guildhall, those of you waiting in the Mall and the streets of London, and all those up and down this country and throughout the Commonwealth, who may be watching this on television.

“Thank you all for your enthusiasm to mark and celebrate these past fifty years.”

Diamond Jubilee, 2012

The 60 th anniversary of Queen Elizabeth’ II’s ascension to the throne was another momentous occasion. She is only the second monarch to have celebrated such a milestone, with the first being Queen Victoria in 1897.

The Queen and Philip set out on their tour across the UK and Northern Ireland, but this time, other members of the Royal Family were despatched to the Commonwealth Realms.

These visits included Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall visiting Australia, Canada, New Zealand and Papua New Guinea, while the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge went to countries such as Tuvalu and Malaysia.

Britons were given an extra bank holiday to mark the occasion on 5 June, and the Spring Bank Holiday was moved to 4 June to create a four-day bank holiday weekend. A similar move was made to celebrate this year’s Platinum Jubilee.

During the four-day weekend, the River Thames Diamond Jubilee Pageant was held, featuring a maritime parade of 1,000 boats from around the Commonwealth. This was the largest flotilla seen on the river in 350 years.

However, heavy rain during the event meant that the commemorative airforce flyover that was planned had to be cancelled.

The Diamond Jubilee Concert and accompanying afternoon picnic was held the following day in front of Buckingham Palace, attended by 10,000 ticket holders. Performers including Will.i.am, Stevie Wonder, Grace Jones and Kylie Minogue entertained the crowds.

Street parties took place throughout the country and people were encouraged to have “Big Jubilee Lunches” to share food with neighbours and friends as part of the celebrations.

Her Majesty also unveiled a Diamond Jubilee monument in Windsor, which was designed by Caroline Basra, a 15-year-old student at Windsor Girl’s School after she won a competition.

Finally, on the last day of the Diamond Jubilee weekend, a service at St Paul’s Cathedral was held, followed by two receptions, a lunch at Westminster Hall, a carriage procession to Buckingham Palace, and finally, a balcony appearance, Flypast and Feu de Joie.

This year, Platinum Jubilee celebrations are expected to be spectacular, involving numerous events and parties throughout the country to honour the Queen’s service.

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Memories of Her Majesty: Queen Elizabeth II’s Silver Jubilee

In 1977, the United Kingdom and Commonwealth celebrated as it was the Silver Jubilee of Elizabeth II, marking the 25th anniversary of The Queen’s accession to the throne.

Celebrations were marked in June during “Jubilee Days” which coincided with The Queen’s Offical Birthday. The anniversary of the date itself, 6 February 1977 was commemorated in church services. In March of that year, preparations were underway for large parties in every major United Kingdom city as well as smaller ones aas countless individual street parties were planned throughout the country.

To mark the Jubilee, The Queen and her husband, the Duke of Edinburgh visited a total of 36 counties. No monarch before had visited more of the United Kingdom in such a short time span (three months.) The trip brought record crowds and later in the summer, the tour continued to different realms of the Commonwealth.

On 6 June 1977, The Queen lit a bonfire at Windsor Castle, the first of a series of beacons which spread across the night and throughout the whole country. The next day, on 7 June, crowds lined the route of the procession to St Paul’s Cathedral where the royal family attended a Service of Thanksgiving alongside many world leaders. Some of those at the service included US President Jimmy Carter, Prime Minister James Callaghan as well as the other living former British prime ministers.

A reception hosted by the Lord Mayor of the City of London, Peter Vanneck, followed the service. Then, it was a procession down The Mall to Buckingham Palace where an estimated one million people lined the streets to see the family. A further 500 million people around the Commonwealth watched the events unfold on television. In London alone, there were over 400 organised parties to mark the Jubilee.

On 9 June, The Queen made a Royal Progress trip by boat up the River Thames from Greenwich to Lambeth. It was a re-enactment of the famous progresses taken by Queen Elizabeth I. The trip would be used to officially open the Silver Jubilee Walkway and the South Bank Jubilee Gardens. In the evening, there was a fireworks display followed by a procession of lighted carriages to Buckingham Palace.

Though it did not open until 1979, the under-construction “Fleet line” of the London Underground was renamed the Jubilee line and given a silver line colour. Other places named after the occasion were the Silver Jubilee Walkway and the Jubilee Gardens in South Bank, London.

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Moscow: City Sightseeing by Car/Bus

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Visiting a new city is akin to going on a first date, it is something you will never forget. Many people imagine Moscow as just a bunch of sporadic landmarks: Red Square, the Kremlin, Lenin’s Mausoleum and GUM. There is so much more to this wonderful city than that and even though we only have a few hours, we will do all we can to show you everything we know and love about our capital in one fell swoop. We will take you on a journey through the ages, from centuries ago, right up to the modern day, soaking in the sights of this vast and bustling metropolis. Bright, luxurious and both ancient and modern at the same time, Moscow invites you on a date you’ll never forget!

On our sightseeing bus tour of the city, you will see:

• The wonderfully historic city centre and its unique museums, magnificent cathedrals, the exquisite Chambers of the Romanov Boyars and of course, the famous towering red brick walls of the Kremlin, The charming beauty of the Alexander Garden awaits the capital's guests - a lush green oasis in the midst of the glass and concrete clad metropolis, basking in the etherial aura emanating from the whitewashed stone walls of the restored Cathedral of Christ the Saviour, the world- renowned fairytale onion domes of St. Basil's Cathedral and other impressive monumental buildings such as the library built in Lenin's honour - the Russian State Library - and the State Duma.
• The Lubyanka KGB headquarters is notorious to members of older generations and although nowadays, the face of the secret police has changed dramatically, the looming enigmatic building on the waterfront maintains its aura of mystery, shrouded in a variety of murky rumours and dark myths. Then, there’s another of Moscow's main attractions - the marvellous Bolshoi Theatre, yew simply cant leave Moscow without taking in its breathtaking architecture. Engrained in the fabric of Russia's cultural heritage, virtuoso performers such as prima ballerina Galina Ulanova, opera singer Feodor Chaliapin and pianist, composer and conductor Sergei Rachmaninoff once stood centre stage of this vaunted institution.
• The memorial complex on Poklonnaya Hill was constructed in the glory and honour of our heroes who defended our nation in the many crucial battles of the Great Patriotic War (WWII). This is a place that embodies a particularly acute and inextricable link between older ancf younger generations. Moving on to the Moscow International Business Centre, not dubbed ‘Moscow City' for nothing, a true glimpse of the future in the present. This incredible, rather jaw-dropping project in the capital has shown that Moscow has come to accept the age of the skyscraper. Finally, the stunning views from the observation deck at Sparrow Hills will leave professional and amateur photographers alike itching to capture them. How could one resist?

The most beautiful of all the world's cities - lady Moscow invites you out on a date!

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St. Basil's Cathedral

House on the Embankment

Cathedral of Christ the Saviour

Vorobyovy Hills

Poklonnaya Hill Poklonnaya Gora

Moscow-City

Alexander garden

Russian State Library

Bolshoi Theatre

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• Excursion Moscow: City Sightseeing by Car/Bus
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Best things to see and do in Moscow

Moscow is the capital of Russia and is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Asia. It’s rich and complex history is a constant reminder of its strategic position between Europe and Asia and makes it one of the cities you should visit once in your life. In terms of the many iconic landmarks, the delicious cuisine, and the characteristic, colorful architecture it has, Moscow is full of surprises for first-timers and seasoned travelers. Apart from the main attractions, it has like the Kremlin or Red Square, Moscow has many hidden gems for you to discover on your free walking tour with your local guide. 

On any of the free guided tours we offer in Moscow , you will be able to find a selection of many tours which are available in different languages and at different times of day, like the morning, afternoon, and evening. Since Moscow is such a large metropolis, getting your bearings by doing a guruwalk with a local guide who will show you all Moscow’s hidden gems is a great idea. This way you get to learn as much as possible about the local culture and way of life. A trip to Moscow wouldn't be complete without visiting iconic places like St Basil’s Cathedral, Lenin’s Mausoleum, the Pushkin State Museum of Fine Arts, or the State Historical Museum, before getting some fresh air at Gorky Park, the medieval church of Kolomenskoye, or shopping at Izmailovsky Market. Don’t miss visiting the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour, the Bolshoi Theater, or checking out the Tsaritsyno Museum-Reserve. 

Many travelers have left their r eviews and opinions about the local guides , gurus, and the routes they walked. If you have any questions about the routes or what is included in the tour, check out their opinions. 

Free walking tour near Moscow

Others cities to visit after moscow, where are you traveling to.