I'm working up my London 8 day itinerary (includes 3 day trips) and have to make a major decision about our game plan in London. You have all been very helpful. I've done searches about tours and haven't been able to find a good thread comparing specific London city tours/guides. Do any of the tours have an "inside" way of getting good viewing positions of the changing of the guards? Is this the best way to see some of the really MUST sees while in London? On arrival from SFO at 7:30 am, husband and I will be exhilarated but tired. We likely will be able to drop off our bags at our hotel and hopabus and ride and look, maybe use our London Eye pass. We want to be passive observers that day. (That first night we are staying in Picadilly Circle and I think Buckingham Palace is about a 10 minute walk.) We had planned to do an all day guided tour in the future which included the Tower and changing of the guard and other city sites. Does it then make any sense to do one of the London expansive (and likely expensive) tours that include the changing of the guard and Tower of London, and coaching about in London with commentary? It seems that maybe they just drive by the same things that the hopabus (original tours) cover. Is that correct? I don't want to pay for a redundant tour. At the Tower I will do the beefeaters tour and any audiodevices that are available. I think the Westminster Abbey has a verger tour? So do I really NEED a comprehensive guide for a whole day in London? ... am I answering my own question....... ?

No, you certainly do not need a tour to get you to the places you mentioned unless you are under 16 years old. Some of us are a bit confused because we do not consider the changing of the guard to be a must-see.

Professional informational tours, like the verger's tour at Westminster or the Beefeater tour at the Tower, are excellent ways to enhance your experience.
A good visit to the Tower of London would take a couple of hours, and the Beefeater tour is included in the admission price (not true of hte verger's tour), so hiring a guide to get you there, or including it as part of a one-day tour, would be a bit of a waste, IMHO.

I appreciate your feedback. That's what I was beginning to think. (the tour would be redundant and a waste of money). No changing of the guard? I thought that was a given. Thanks for setting me straight. I don't particularly want to peek between people's legs to see it. (I'm only 4'11&quot. I just read a post (found a thread finally) about the changing of the guard, and have heard several folks say the same thing. It's crowded and overrated and takes up too much time. I'm all for skipping it.

As someone else on this board once pointed out, after all it's just two guys getting off work.

It's very symbolic and colorful and photogenic if you're close-up, but there are SO many better ways to spend an hour in London!

Although London is a very large city, it is relatively easy to get around on the tube and buses. As long as you do your homework (and you are )and decide what things you really want to see, there is no need to pay for an escorted tour.

You wouldn't even have to do the hop-on/of bus tour. IMHO, those are great for people who have a very limited time in London or don't want to have to plan their own "to do" lists. But you can certainly see London on your own.

<i>&quot;I don't particularly want to peek between people's legs to see it. (I'm only 4'11&quot&quot;</i>

I'm 5'9&quot; and the best view I had was from the LCD screen of the camcorder of the guy standing in front of me.

&quot;just two guys getting off work&quot; LOL!

Maybe some other British institutions could capitalize on this trend: &quot;Tour includes Shift Change at the Battersea Power Station&quot; or &quot;See the driver shut down the Circle Line Train!&quot;

I'm a big fan of the two day pass on the hop-on/hop-off double-decker buses in most cities. They are great, not only to get you to the major travel sites, but to rest your feet when you are tired and don't want to take a cab. The only time I've ever done the &quot;organized tour&quot; thing was a City Lights tour of New York at Christmas years ago - we stayed warm while we acted liked tourist (oohing and ahhing over the beautifully lit landmarks) and the Fat Tire Bike Tour of Paris last week (ditto the oohing and ahhing over the beautifully lit landmarks). I took my nephew on a do-it-myself night tour of Washington, DC and next time I'll do a night tour so I can relax as much as he did!
Enjoy London. We changed our plans after arrival from a London-based vacation with day trips to just a few days in the city and then picked up a car at Gatwick and drove the countryside.