3-Hour London Walking Tour: Discover the City of London

Looking for something to do while in London for 3 days or more? Consider one of the best walking tours London has to offer by joining me on my guided walking tour of London through the historic City of London, or “Square Mile”.

This immersive 3-hour private walking tour traces 2,000 years of history from Roman origins to modern finance, taking in St Paul’s Cathedral, Guildhall, Bank of England, Royal Exchange, Monument, Trinity Square and the Tower of London. You’ll uncover hidden stories behind towering landmarks and bustling streets.

Perfect for history buffs or first-time visitors, this route reveals why the City remains London’s beating financial heart amid ancient walls and Wren masterpieces.

The City of London covers just over one square mile but packs in Millennia of drama, from Roman Londinium’s busy port to medieval trade guilds and today’s skyscraper skyline. Founded around AD 43 as a trading hub on the Thames, it has survived invasions, plagues, fires and bombs to become one of Europe’s financial powerhouses. Its unique governance via the City of London Corporation sets it apart from the rest of London, blending autonomy with global influence.  
 
You will discover winding lanes hiding 50+ churches, livery halls, Roman ruins and contrasting glass towers like the Gherkin. On my walking tour of London, we will peel away the layers: medieval timber frames reborn in Georgian stone, Victorian grandeur, and 21st-century steel, each era adapting to keep commerce thriving. 

This isn’t just a walk—it’s a journey through time, filled with stories, secrets, and unforgettable sights.

Starting at St Paul’s Cathedral, Sir Christopher Wren’s 1675-1710 Baroque triumph rising from Ludgate Hill. Destroyed in the 1666 Great Fire, it was rebuilt as a symbol of defiance, its 365-foot dome visible for miles.

Navigate to Guildhall, ceremonial base of City governance since the 1400s, where lord mayors convene amid Gothic hammerbeam halls bombed yet restored in WWII. Underground Roman amphitheater ruins connect to gladiatorial Londinium, while livery company banners recall trade guilds that funded empire.

This precinct underscores the Square Mile’s autonomy, blending medieval pomp with modern debates.

At Bank junction, confront the Bank of England (1694), the UK’s “Old Lady” safeguarding gold reserves and the setting of interest rates. Its fortress-like facade hides vaults worth billions, born from wartime loans funding the empire.

Opposite, the Royal Exchange (1844 rebuild) hosted merchants since 1571; now luxury boutiques fill its Corinthian colonnades.

This throbbing crossroads, with Mansion House nearby, pulses as global finance’s nerve centre, where city traders rush past memorials to past crises.

Stride to the Monument, Wren and Hooke’s 202-foot fluted column marking the 1666 Great Fire’s bakery spark. Climb 311 spiral steps for 360° views (not included in my tour), pondering how flames razed 13,200 homes, birthing fireproof brick codes.

It honour’s phoenix-like renewal: narrow alleys transformed into orderly streets, paving London’s commercial surge.

Northeast to Trinity Square, home to towering Roman Wall fragments, among the City’s finest, preserved near Tower Hill station at up to 35 feet high. Erected circa AD 200 from ragstone and tiles, with medieval tops, this 80-foot section defended Londinium’s port, surviving via 19th-century protection efforts.

View from railings or hotel courtyards the layered core and plaques, a tactile link to imperial frontiers before the Tower finale.

End at the Tower of London, William the Conqueror’s 1078 White Tower amid moats and battlements. Crown Jewels, ravens, and ghosts linger from its roles as palace, prison (Guy Fawkes), and Royal Mint. Peek through gates at Traitors’ Gate, where tides brought doomed nobles.

Overlooking the Thames, it closes the loop: from Roman outpost to Norman bastion encircling today’s financiers.