Walking Tours of London - Whitehall Historic Neighborhood Walk
If you only have time one London Walking Tour, this should be it
There are many iconic London landmarks in and around historic Whitehall and the surrounding area. Whitehall is named after the main road that runs from Charing Cross Station by Trafalgar Square down to Parliament Square by the Palace of Westminster. If you only have time for one walking tour during your visit to London, this is the one we would recommend.
Our recommended tour of the Whitehall area begins at Charing Cross Station by Trafalgar Square, however you can also start it from Victoria, or Westminster Tube Station as the walk forms a loop that passes by all of these stations. Some, but not all of the major London attractions and landmarks you can see during this walking tour are indicated by the highlighted links in the walking directions below. Just click on any of the links for more detailed information.
Ideally you should try to time this walk so that you get to the Horse Guards Building and Parade at 11am when the Changing of the Guard ceremony takes place.
Whitehall Walking Tour Directions
To explore Whitehall our recommended walking tour starts at Charing Cross Tube Station. Take the Trafalgar Square exit. This walk is 5.9 kms long and should take about 1h 30m at a normal walking pace, not including stops. We suggest you allow a minimum of 3 hrs - more if you plan to tour any of the attractions. Click the the Map and Directions tab for complete step-by-step directions.
Directions
| Tube Line | Nearest Station | Walking Time |
|---|---|---|
| Bakerloo and Northern Line | Charing Cross | 0 Minutes |
| District, Circle and Victoria Line | Victoria | 0 Minutes |
| District, Circle and Jubilee Line | Westminster | 0 Minutes |
How to get to Walking Tours of London - Whitehall Historic Neighborhood Walk by Tube
- Start at Charing Cross Station by Trafalgar Square - Nearby attractions: National Gallery and National Portrait Gallery and St. Martin-in-the-Fields.
- Walk southwest through the Admiralty Arch along The Mall.
- Left on Horse Guards Road - Nearby attractions: Horse Guards Building and Parade.
- Right into Saint James's Park.
- Follow paths through park to Spur Road.
- Circle the Victoria Memorial via Spur Road - Nearby attractions: Buckingham Palace.
- Right on Buckingham Gate.
- Continue Buckingham Palace Road.
- Left on Victoria Street - Nearby Landmark: Victoria Station.
- Right entering Westminster Cathedral Square.
- Right onto Victoria when exiting Westminster Cathedral Square.
- Right at Westminster Abbey.
- Right onto Broad Sanctuary from Westminster Abbey.
- Right on St. Margaret Street - Nearby Attraction: Houses of Parliament (Palace of Westminster).
- Continue on Abingdon Street.
- Left into The Victoria Tower Gardens.
- Follow path to the left through Victoria Tower Gardens back to Abingddon Street.
- Continue on St. Margaret Street.
- Continue Parliament Street.
- Continue Whitehall Street.
- Right at Trafalgar Square.
Photo Gallery
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East facade of Buckingham Palace -
Exterior of Westminster Cathedral -
Photo Credit: Gary Lee Todd, Ph.D. - cc license via Flickr -
Photo Credit: Andrew Gustar - cc license via Flickr -
Photo Credit: Paul Robertson - cc license via Flickr -
Photo Credit: Walter-Wilhelm - cc license via Flickr
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