Fancy a spot of pedal pushing? Cycle your way around London’s famous landmarks on one of these bike tours
From hopping on a double-decker to sliding into a black cab to catching the tube to sailing along the Thames in an Uber Boat. In London, you're hardly pressed for options when it comes to getting around. Yet when it comes to exploring the city first-hand, there are few better ways of exploring than pedalling your way through it, especially on that rare occasion when the sun is out. So whether you’re looking to get busy on a Santander Cycle or just wanting to find an expert guide able to whizz you around on an informative tour, London’s got plenty of fab bike tours for you.
Below we’ve rounded up some of the finest tours on two wheels. Whether you're wanting to experience London culture or just have some organised fun for a few hours, take a look at the tours below and get your pins pumping.
RECOMMENDED: Try a London bus tour instead
Take this small-group bike tour along the Thames and explore London's central riverside by bicycle. On this five-hour guided bike tour (yep, you heard us, five hours), you'll see London's main attractions, including Big Ben, the London Eye and St Paul's Cathedral. Plus, cycle across Tower Bridge and discover the culinary variety of Borough Market during a short lunch break. Delicious.
Fancy a bike tour with a difference? This is a four-hour bike tour of the capital that happens at dusk. You'll see all the iconic London landmarks, passing the Thames, passing Tower Bridge, the London Eye, Houses of Parliament and more lovely sights. This is a small group tour, giving you a more personalized experience too. Enjoy the city and experience it illuminated.
Nobody wants their off-duty bike ride to feel too much like a spinning class, which is why this rather charming amble through Westminster and beyond includes a stop-off at an antique Covent Garden boozer for a pint of traditional ale (our kind of bike ride, in other words). The tour itself combines London classics like Big Ben and Buckingham Palace with the chance to spy some of the capital’s famous street art. You also get to ride one of those lovely old timey Pashley bikes.
Join this fully narrated tour, which will take you to explore all the artistic and cultural sights of the West End. Pedalling through neighbourhoods full of cafés and street art, you’ll pass by one of London’s oldest theatres before exploring a hidden underground tunnel and all its very cool street art. Love London? Course ya do.
While drinking and driving is utterly and understandably verboten, drinking and riding is… in moderation a slightly different matter. This quirky tour mixes up a strong serving of cycling, history and gin tasting, which all combines to make thoroughly enjoyable cocktail of seriousness and silliness. Take to a Pashley bike and await a flurry of gin-based drinks coming your way from the Gin Cycle, a Victorian gin parlour on wheels.
Opt for the snootier option with a bike tour through London’s leafy Royal Parks, gliding past regal landmarks such as Kensington Palace, St James Palace, Horse Guards Parade and the Houses of Parliament. Even if you’re not a member of the royal family, this ride’s great for both London newcomers and locals in need of some fresh air. Top hat and monocle optional.
Go west with a bike tour that reminds riders London isn’t just about Shoreditch and the Shard. This rather genteel trip starts at Richmond train station and then heads along the beautiful route to Richmond Palace, Ham House and Teddington Lock. The end point is Hampton Court Palace, once a favourite royal residence of the Tudors. Fans of Woolf Hall, this one’s for you.
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