Misfits of Covent Garden Walking Tour
Description
This is no ordinary walking tour…Discover the wild sides of Covent Garden and the Seven Dials! On this walk of two historic London neighbourhoods, we’ll uncover hidden stories and the untold lives of the colourful characters that have made this quirky district their home through the centuries - all the way to today! This is where people who didn’t “fit in”…fit in! Our misfits might be market traders, sex workers, rock bands, actors, painters, poets, writers, gin sellers, suffragettes, social reformers, members of the queer community, or visionaries and pioneers! As an extra special treat, our walk includes a short visit inside The Actor’s Church (St Paul’s Church), a vital hub for the community since 1633. Join us as we share incredible stories of a district that has always defied conventions - from the gay subculture of the 18th century, the black actors paving the way through Victorian theatre or a hospital staffed entirely by women…before women were allowed to vote!
Tour Options
Itinerary
We'll visit inside the "Actor's Church", one of the only remaining buildings of the original Covent Garden Piazza. We'll have a special mini tour inside the church, subject to availability (We can't always guarantee entry if the church has an event or special service)
We'll take a look inside and around the Covent Garden market building as we learn how the market has changed through the centuries.
The only market in London run by traders. Learn about Covent Garden's nightlife and famed live entertainment.
Outside the longest-running theatre site in London, your guide will tell you about the eccentric characters of the city's theatre and social scene.
Once the Theatre Royal Covent Garden, this beautiful building shows opera and ballet all year round.
Learn about Covent Garden's prostitution trade and the famous "Gin Craze" as you enter Seven Dials, once one of London's great slums.
A colourful hidden gem!
A former graveyard and scene from Dickens' Bleak House, this children's playground and heritage site was the first ever project by the UK's National Trust.
Finish your tour at the sundial monument of Seven Dials.
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Wheelchair accessible
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Service animals allowed
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- All areas and surfaces are wheelchair accessible
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Reviews(50)
A fantastic walking tour in the Covent Garden area. Charlotte is an excellent and most knowledgeable guide and I can wholeheartedly recommend this tour. 10/10
Not only is Matilda an extremely knowledgeable Historian, she is a fantastic story teller! Covent Garden indeed has a colourful and multi layered past. We heard incredible accounts of Game changers, rebels and misfits changing the social landscape of the area. It was definitely a tour where you saw landmarks and heard stories you’d otherwise miss on your own. 100% recommend!!
What a lovely way to spend two hours walking around Covent Garden. Lots of very interesting places that you probably wouldn't see otherwise. Some beautiful buildings. Cecily, our tour guide was very knowledgeable with many fascinating facts and stories of past years. Would definitely recommend this tour.
Fantastic tour led by Matilda. As we were such a small group she adapted the talk to make sure that little extras were included that a midwife and a doctor would be interested in. Highly recommend. Thank you
Matilda was a fantastic tour guide. She was so knowledgeable about the area and tailored the tour to our areas of interest. We knew covent garden relatively well, but she showed us lots of fantastic places we'd never been or heard of. 100% recommend.
An excellent, fun & fascinating tour around Covent Garden with Charlotte our guide. As Brits who thought we knew the area well, Charlotte took us to several places that we didn’t know & her wealth of knowledge about the area & its history is second to none. We would highly recommend Charlotte & the Company again & plan to do their Jack-the-Ripper tour soon.
The Misfits of Covent Garden Walking Tour was fantastic and I’d highly recommend it. Our guide, Cecily, was amazing, her knowledge of history was brilliant and she kept the whole group engaged from start to finish. She had a great way of bringing the stories to life while keeping the tour fun, relaxed and really engaging. The tour takes you through parts of Covent Garden and Seven Dials that you might walk past every day without noticing, pointing out hidden spots and fascinating details along the way. What made it especially interesting was learning about some of the lesser-known historical figures and “misfits” who played important roles but aren’t often talked about. There was also a really nice mix of people on the tour… families, friends, and people attending solo, which created a great atmosphere. It felt very welcoming and showed that anyone can go along and enjoy it. You leave with loads of interesting facts and stories you’ll definitely end up sharing with friends and family later. If you’re looking for something a bit different to do in London that’s both entertaining and genuinely interesting, this walking tour is well worth it.
Very informative. Great for those looking for something different from the usual tourist cliches. Charlotte obviously had done a lot of research.
Very educational tour! Our tour guide was charlotte who was very funny, and she knows her stuff! We learned a lot about Covent Garden's history that isn't common knowledge and she even pointed out some nice spots to try after the tour. If you're looking to learn about Covent Garden's history, this is a good tour to try! Thank you!
Fun, interesting walk. Our guide was knowledgeable, fun and kept us moving along: It became very cold, windy & it grows dark early & fast in London in late November, so we didn’t waste time & dawdle.
