My sister and I are going over for a week, and we are thinking about several of the London Walks. We know we can probably do some of the explorer days ourselves, but if they are really good then we will try it - we are definitely flexible. I've looked, and haven't seen any recent posts on these specific walks. Has anyone done the Oxford/Cotswald or Richmond/Hampton Court explorer day? Also, how about the Behind Closed Doors, or the Theatrical City walk? Any feedback is definitely appreciated!

Thank you!

Liz

In my experience, London walks are always good. Explorer Days are simply an out of town morning and afternoon walk with a couple of hours in between for a leisurely lunch, or for a quick lunch and some touring on your own. And sometimes the opportunity to stay on beyond the time the tour returns to London, depending on the type of train ticket(s) purchased.

Whether a good walk becomes a REALLY good walk is pretty unpredictable, depending on the mood of the leader on that day and the chemistry within the group and between the group and leader.

I have not been on the two explorer walks you mentioned and I have never heard of the Behind Closed Doors walks (nor can I find them on the London Walks website). If the Theatrical City walk is the occasional one led by Edward Petherbridge, change whatever plans you have and take it, it is the best.

What is the wbsite for London Walks. It sounds as if it could be interesting.

search this board for more comments on london walks. they are worth the time and price.
http://london.walks.com/

We are leaving for London in early June and have also been thinking about several of the London explorer days. How long do they take? The London Walks website indicates that the regular walks last two hours, but it is silent about the Explorer Days. Obviously, they must take longer than two hours.

Gee, I thought I had answered this question on my earlier response -- a two hour morning walk, a couple of hours for lunch or independent touring, a two hour afternoon walk, and sometimes an opportunity to stay later and return to London independently.

I did the Oxford/Cotswold trip several years ago. It was okay, the guide was great. YOu take the train to Oxford, get on a huge coach and go out to the countryside, visit a couple villages, have lunch, then return to Oxford for a walk around the town. There wasn't much time to explore Oxford, so if you want to forgo the Cotswold bit, you can easily get to Oxford by yourself on the train, and do your own exploring. But overall, it was good value for the money. And the other London Walks are really good too.