I am going to be visiting London soon and have heard a lot about the walking tours, in particular the Original London Walks. Has anybody taken these and would you recommend them?

Definitely talk a few of the walks! The guides are interesting and informative, and you'll get places you probably wouldn't explore on your own. (Plus there's the added benefit of not having to consult a map at every corner!) They're great fun. We took the Jack the Ripper (not many "real Jack" locations, but lots of history and again, an area you wouldn't get to), and the Shakespeare & Dickens' London - a walk through Southwark including landmarks. You just meet at the tube stop indicated, pay the guide your $8 or so, and enjoy the ride! Do go on the tours.

We enjoyed the London Walks. They take you places you wouldn't otherwise go on foot. Please search this forum for more info regarding London Walks. <BR>

Which Jack the Ripper Tour is best? I have seen two tours listed but unsure as to the better of the two.

Bobbie: Original London Walks is great, the tours are varied in terms of both topic and area. The guides are great, very well versed on their area and very friendly. We have taken several and enjoyed them all. <BR> <BR>Jeff: if you can, take the Ripper walk with Donald Rumbelow he has written a book on the subject and is excellent.

Perhaps I went on the only Original London Walk that is a dud, but I was disappointed. My expectation was that I would walk around London for about half of the 2.5 hour walk, but instead had 15 minutes worth of walking. We went in two extremely noisy, smoky pubs that I certainly wouldn't have gone to on my own. They appear to be aimed at uninformed tourists. Definitely would not recommend them.

Nix: I'd be interested in which walking tour that was. Please share.

Nix, I am very supprised, as I said earlier we have taken several walks with Original London Walks in a couple of trips over the last 18 months and have always been very pleased. Would love to hear more about your experience including walk, guide and weather (as I know on some occasions on a pub walk if it is very cold and rainy some guide will spend a little longer in a pub to give people a chance to dru off and warm up).

We took a walking tour in June that was <BR>hosted by one of the Beefeaters. It was <BR>fun and cost 5 pounds. The guide was <BR>extremely good and enjoyed by all.