Open-City is best known for organising the annual Open House London festival, but London's leading architecture educators also host walking, cycling, photography and boat tours all year round. Some - King's Cross Renaissance, London Riverside - focus on London's newest developments. Others - Square Mile, Hidden West End and Bloomsbury - include an historical angle.
Cycling tours typically cover lots of ground - the Lea Valley, for example, on a tour covering Olympics regeneration - while photography tours pick out panoramic vistas and iconic structures. But the boat tours have proven Open-City's biggest draw. Book in for Architecture of the Thames - East to witness the dramatically different landscape east of Greenwich, including the otherworldly Thames Barrier; or reserve a spot for Architecture on the Thames, which starts at Festival Pier near Waterloo Bridge before passing upstream and downstream through central London. Or, if you're looking for something a little more intimate, check out 'Eve With...', a series of weekday tours of private homes guided by the architects that designed them, complete with prosecco and nibbles.
Guides include acclaimed architectural photographers, advisors to English Heritage and others. Visit the Open-City website for tour details including prices, times and location. (Please note: tours do not begin at the below location, Open-City's private office.)