The £25 London tour that is better than a ‘life-changing’ attraction
Visitors to London are spoilt for choice when finding fun stuff to see and do, whether it’s a walk through Hyde Park or a visit to one of our incredible museums.
But one activity has beaten some extremely stiff competition to be named one of the best tourist attractions – not just in the capital or the UK, but across the globe.
Review site Tripadvisor recently released the winners of its 2024 Travellers’ Choice Awards Best of the Best awards experiences, and Britain’s reputation as an in-demand destination is firmly intact with 11 UK entries featured in various lists.
Our reputation as a nation who loves a trip to the boozer is also going nowhere, as Blighty was represented in the category of ‘top experiences’ by a good old-fashioned pub tour.
With a seriously impressive 5/5 score, the Small-Group Historical Pub Walking Tour of London came in 19th in the ranking, which takes into account the quality and quantity of reviews posted on Tripadvisor over a one-year period.
To put this into perspective, the activity finished above Juneau Wildlife Whale Watching in Alaska – something described by user Chuckr684 as ‘life-changing’ – as well as the gorgeous Cappadocia Balloon Rides in Goreme, Turkey.
The UK is known for its pub culture, but this historical tour of the capital leaves guests feeling especially satisfied according to the ratings; it’s recommended by 99% of travellers who gave it a score of four or higher.
According to its official description, the tour gives visitors ‘a local’s perspective of London’ in small groups for half a day. There’s also an opportunity to try a range of local brews, see hotspots like St Paul’s Cathedral, Fleet Street, Prince Henry’s Room and Covent Garden, and hear stories over a pint for £25 per adult (although drinks must be purchased at your own expense).
One US-based reviewer, Ctcurry23, gushed, ‘Only take this tour if you want a perfect afternoon in London,’ while MelissapX1299RI shared: ‘We had the most amazing day with our guide, and I highly recommend this tour for anyone looking for some history and fun!’
Experiences weren’t the only category where the UK shone either.
Alton Towers in Staffordshire finished 8th and The Milky Way Adventure Park in Clovelly, Devon, was 12th in the ‘amusement and water parks’ worldwide list, followed by Drayton Manor in Tamworth, Staffordshire, in 20th place.
Although we don’t have the best reputation when it comes to cuisine, Scotland ensured we still garnered props in the ‘food and drink’ field. Edinburgh’s The Chocolatarium Chocolate Tour Experience finished in 4th position, above a local tapas and wine rooftop experience in Madrid and a Florence pasta class at a Tuscan Farm.
Another in which we performed well was ‘water sports’, which included London’s High-Speed River Speedboat (10th) and the Whitewater Rafting Adventure in Llangollen (20th).
With all these options right on our doorstep, you might want to book your summer staycation now.
Tripadvisor’s top travel experiences for 2024
The Unvanquished Tour of Porto City Center, Portugal
All-Inclusive Ubud Private Tour, Indonesia
All-Inclusive Amsterdam Canal Cruise by Captain Jack, Netherlands
Small Group Explore Angkor Wat Sunrise Tour from Siem Riep, Cambodia
Chichen Itza, Cenote and Valladolid All-Inclusive Tour, Mexico
Renaissance and Medici Tales of Florence, Italy
Classic Inca Trail Trek to Machu Picchu, Peru
Budapest Danube Cruise, Hungary
Full-Day Ninh Binh Highlights Tour from Hanoi, Vietnam
Snorkelling Between Tectonic Plates, Iceland
Oahu Circle Island Tours, Hawaii
Dubai Red Dune Desert Safari, United Arab Emirates
Madrid Essential Tour, Spain
Honolulu Xtreme Parasail, Hawaii
History and Hauntings of Salem Walking Tour, USA
Blue Cave Small Group Boat Tour from Dubrovnik, Croatia
Dubai to Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
Ultimate Island Jeep Safari, Aruba
Historical Pub Walking Tour of London, UK
Communa 13 Graffiti and Street Food Tour, Colombia
Juneau Wildlife Whale Watching, USA
Cappadocia Balloon Ride and Champagne Breakfast, Turkey
Krakow to Xakopane Thermal Hot Bath Day Trip, Poland
Zipline Cape Town from Foot of Table Mountain, South Africa
Auschwitz-Birkenau Guided Tour, Poland
You can find the full list here.