You need to allow about 45 – 60 minutes from your plane landing to clearing customs and immigration and reaching the arrivals area. From Gatwick to central London, there are a nunmber of train services that take between 30 and 50 minutes. I can meet you in central London to start the tour.

You will see the Palace of Westminster (also known as the Houses of Parliament or mistakenly called Big Ben). This is home of the United Kingdom’s Parliament and you’ll learn how the parliamentary system works. You will also see Westminster Abbey, the venue for coronations, royal weddings, royal funerals and the resting place of monarchs and other notables such as Charles Dickens, Isaac Newton and Charles Darwin.

Continuing in the Westminster area other buildings of note are 10 Downing Street (official residence of the British Prime Minister), Horseguards (with soldiers on horseback in distinctive ceremonial uniforms) and Horseguards Parade where the Monarch’s birthday celebrations take place every June. On to Buckingham Palace to see the Changing of the Guard (if happening on the day of your tour).

For lunch, maybe a quick sandwich to save time or you may prefer a longer lunch in a traditional pub.

Take a double decker bus along the Strand pass a few theatres and along Fleet Street, home of Legal London and traditional home of newspapers in the UK. Into the City of London where Londinium was founded by the Romans almost two thousand years ago. The main attraction is the Tower of London, an imposing castle, the oldest part of which dates from the late 11th Century. Extended, improved and re-modelled over the centuries, it has been used as a mint, an observatory, a zoo and a place of execution. The main exhibit in the castle is the Crown Jewels which are used in the Coronation ceremony.

You will also see in this area Tower and London Bridges, the modern architecture of the financial district and see (maybe even climb) the monument to the Great Fire of London of 1666 which destroyed about 80% of the City of London. Nearby is St Paul’s Cathedral which has been the site of Christian worship for 1400 years. The present church was completed in 1710 and was the venue for the wedding of Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer in 1981 and also the venue for state funerals of the United Kingdom’s greatest heroes and statesmen such as the Duke of Wellington and Winston Churchill.

Across to the south side of the River Thames to Bankside to see Tate Modern and Shakespeare’s Globe.

The above sights are the main attractions and, if there is time, I can show you more. For example, Hyde Park, the museum area, Harrods and some of the neighbourhoods of London. From the affluent residential area of Kensington & Chelsea and in stark comparison, but arguably more interesting, poorer neighbourhoods of the east end.

Allowing for the recommended 2 hours check-in and security time at the airport, you will also need to allow for about 50 minutes for the return to Gatwick airport from central London.As with all of my tours, the itinerary is flexible and if there is anything you had in mind or want to visit somewhere different, let me know

, if within reason, I can personalise an itinerary for you. A detailed tour of attractions such as the Abbey (allow about 1.5 hours) and the Tower (allow at least 2 hours) can be included in your day but that does not leave much time to see the other sights of London.

Rate quoted is for a full day tour (approx 8 hours). Please discuss with Glen rates for shorter lay-over duration. If you are not confident with public transport, if practicable to do so, I can meet you at the airport but there will be a surcharge.