Cholmondley_Warner,

I have to say, I'd never really consider going to Tussauds, london dungeon or the hard rock cafe (anywhere)... but I found the JtR walk a lot of fun. We had a good guide who, in addition to the normal JtR lore, presented a lot of interesting information about the neighborhood and how they've changed over time. We also had a small group (under a dozen... it helps to go in October instead of July) and never did he shill for a book he had written. Also, doing the walk at night added a bit of atmosphere.

We're normally independent travelers and rarely take guided tours... but I'd certainly recommend this to friends.

Just one man's opinion...

Al

astein12: If there were fewer than 12 - I'm pretty sure your guide was not <i>the DR</i>. Am I right?

Correct... it was another author, but can't remember the name offhand.

If it was another author - are you sure it was a &quot;London Walks&quot; product?

Sounds more like maybe one of Richard Jones' jack-the-ripper-walks

It was London Walks... I'll see if I can find the details.

I've done a Christopher Wren, British Museum, Westminster area, and the Evening Pub Walk along the Thames. My favorites were the Christopher Wren and the Pub Walk (the British Museum tour was cut short because of a fire alarm and everyone had to evacuate).

The pub walk was very interesting. We stopped in 2 pubs and had a history of them and the guide recommended some different beers/ales to try. The walk took us from Blackfriars Bridge to London Bridge and passed the Globe Theatre enroute. We ended at the George where the guide gave us a history but didn't go in as a group since the 2 hours was up.

Each walk had between 10 and 20 people. Probably the Christopher Wren walk had the fewest people and the pub walk had the most.

janisj - not sure what you're referencing with the 150 people on a walking tour and a book flogging guide??? What's that about?

DD and I did the Harry Potter walk. I would rate it as fair - there were so many people that it was very hard to hear the guide, and most of the &quot;sites&quot; we saw were just inspirations for the books. My husband did a pub walk (can't remember which one, but they met at the Sloane Square tube stop). He was not that impressed - there weren't many pubs in the area and the guide wasn't very informative or entertaining. You might want to skip that particular walk.

Adrienne, there's one tour leader of the Jack the Ripper tour who draws big groups. He's written a book which some of the tour members buy. Nobody flogged a book on the walk I took nor was there anywhere near that size crowd.

&quot;<i>janisj - not sure what you're referencing with the 150 people on a walking tour and a book flogging guide??? What's that about?</i>&quot;

The primary London Walks guide for the JtR walk is Donald Rumbelow - who has written many books on the subject. He was also a consultant on the &quot;From Hell&quot; ripper movie. He's awfully famous and many people go on the walk simply because he is the guide. They regularly get over 200 for DR and even in winter well over 100. I doubt he has had a group of less 50 in many many years.

From the LW website &quot;<i><font color="blue">Donald will have some of his books with him in case any of you want one. And needless to say he'll be glad to sign it for you. Makes an unbeatable present for anybody who's got a friend who's interested in the subject.</font></i>&quot;

The site also says tho' that he recently injured his knee and is out of commission so maybe some going in the near future won't have the pleasure . . . . .

Thanks for clarifying! I was never interested in the Jack the Ripper walk so the references didn't mean anything.

I've never had DR in any of my JtR walks by LW. I, like a previous poster, had guides that talked about the changes in the neighborhoods and the JtR lore. Never had a book hawked at me either. The most I ever had in my group in Sept was 20. Usually 8-15 people.

You either like the tour or you don't. I personally enjoy them. :)

A couple of other good tours that I had were Jane Austin (Christmas time) and Medieval London.

Thanks for all the responses. I will pass on the Pub Walk, a pub crawl is more to my liking.

As for JtR, I think I'll go, althought I've been to London alot, this maybe my last trip for a while.

Also, the Hampstead Heath walk appeals to me, so I'll do that.

Thanks fodorites for your help.

Over the course of many years, we have done most of the London Walks including the Explorer Days. All have been worthwhile and enjoyable. I guess we were fortunate when we did the JtR walk some time (eons?) ago with DR. There were only 4 of us on the tour, and he never mentioned selling us a book.

and he never mentioned selling us a book&gt;&gt;&gt;

Tell English Heritage this. They'll want to put up a plaque.

Hi partyon - I don't think you'll regret taking the Hampstead Heath Walk.

While you're at Hampstead, consider giving a visit to Kenwood House, which is a real gem with a fabulous paintings collection. The grounds were also used for a scene in the movie Notting Hill.
http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/s...show/nav.12783

Some other attractions in Hampstead include 2 houses owned by National Trust: Fenton House and 2 Willow Road.
http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/main/w-fentonhouse
http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/main/w-2willowroad

I haven't been to either, but they're on my list for my next trip. Check their opening times as both are rather limited.

Lastly, Keats House is nearby as well.

And to combine the two there are a few cracking pubs in Hampstead.

It's been a while since Hampstead was my area but I have fond memories of: The Holly Bush, The flask and the Magdala (it was outside the Magdala that Ruth Ellis (last woman to be hanged in Britain) killed her lover)

For London Pub Walks, I would recommend London Tavern Trails : http://www.londontaverntrails.com
They visit historic pubs full of character & charm, most you wouldn't find yourself