Classic London Landmarks 3.5-Hour Guided Bike Tour

Westminster Bridge, Big Ben and Westminster Abbey

After a safety briefing and bike fitting in Kennington, the ride heads for the river. From the south bank you get the classic view of the Houses of Parliament, the Gothic Revival palace rebuilt after the fire of 1834, and the clock tower holding the great bell known as Big Ben. Westminster Bridge, painted green to match the benches of the House of Commons, frames it perfectly.

On the Westminster side the guide points out the twin western towers and belfry of Westminster Abbey, the coronation church of English monarchs since 1066. You see the abbey from outside, with time for photos, and learn how Westminster grew into the heart of royal and political London. This Westminster bike tour section is often the highlight for first-time visitors.

Lambeth Palace and Lambeth Bridge

Just upstream stands Lambeth Palace, the London residence of the Archbishops of Canterbury for about eight centuries. Its red-brick Tudor gatehouse, completed in the 1490s, is one of the most striking in the city, and the quiet streets around it are lined with small red-brick terraced houses that contrast beautifully with the grand monuments across the water.

You cross the river on Lambeth Bridge, painted red to match the benches of the House of Lords; look for the stone pineapples on its pillars. From the middle of the bridge there is a fine view back towards Parliament. It is a short, easy stretch of the route and a good moment to get comfortable on your bike before the royal parks.

St James's Park and Buckingham Palace

St James's Park is the oldest of London's Royal Parks, laid out around a long lake with willow trees, flower beds and resident pelicans that have lived here since 1664. With your Royal Parks licence included, you ride along the shaded paths, watching out for ducks and squirrels, and stop on the lakeside for one of the best views of Buckingham Palace.

At the end of The Mall stands Buckingham Palace, the official London residence of the monarch. On days when it is scheduled, usually in the late morning, the tour pauses to watch the pomp of the Changing of the Guard, with bands and soldiers in red tunics and bearskin hats. The ceremony depends on the army's schedule and the weather, so it cannot be guaranteed.

Trafalgar Square and Covent Garden

Trafalgar Square is the great public square of London, named after a famous naval victory of 1805. Its tall granite column, guarded by four bronze lions, rises in front of the National Gallery and two large fountains. The square is busy with pedestrians, so the group walks the bikes across it, which gives you time for photos and a closer look.

A few minutes away, the Covent Garden piazza was once London's main fruit, vegetable and flower market; its elegant market hall dates from 1830 and is now full of shops, cafés and craft stalls. The tour takes a break here to watch the street performers in the central square, when they are on, and to use the restroom and grab a snack.

Leather Lane, Smithfield and St Paul's Cathedral

The second half of the ride passes through London's legal district, near the old Inns of Court, and on to Leather Lane, a lively weekday street market famous for its food stalls, beside the Hatton Garden jewellery quarter. Next comes Smithfield, where meat has been traded for around eight centuries; its grand Victorian market halls, opened in 1868, still stand today.

The route then reaches St Paul's Cathedral, rebuilt after the Great Fire of 1666 and completed in 1710. Its dome, rising 111 metres above the City of London, is one of the largest in the world and a London icon. After photos you cycle back across Westminster Bridge to the south bank, ending the London guided bike tour where it began in Kennington.