The 9 Best Self-Guided Walking Tours in the UK

1.London: Royal Walking Tour and Buckingham Palace Audio Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 154 reviews · 2.5 hours · from $100Our pick

Join an English-speaking guide such as Sophie, Lee, or Jen for a 2.5-hour walk from St. James Square through St. James’s Park and The Mall to Buckingham Palace. Hear royal stories, skip the ticket line, and explore the State Rooms with an official audio guide.

“Our guide, Sophie, was incredibly knowledgeable, enthusiastic and very friendly. She made the whole experience interesting, engaging and fun!”

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2.London: Self-Guided Notting Hill Walking Tour with an APP

★★★★★★★★★★4.3 · 120 reviews · 2 hours · from $14

Use the Trippy Tour Guide app to walk from Notting Hill Gate to Westbourne Park Station, following more than 20 audio stops in English, Spanish, German, French, Italian, or Chinese. You’ll see film locations, historic streets, colorful homes, Portobello Road, and quieter corners at your own pace.

“I really enjoyed this self-guided Notting Hill walking tour. The app was easy to use and took me to all the key spots, including famous locations from the Notting Hill and Love Actually movie scenes, plus so much more. A great way to explore the area at your own pace and really soak in the charm of the neighbourhood. Highly recommended!”

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3.Buckingham Palace: Walking Tour with Entry & Audio Guide

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 91 reviews · 2 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $92Top rated

Begin at St. James’s Square with an English-speaking guide, then walk past St. James’s Palace, St. James’s Park, The Mall, and Clarence House before entering Buckingham Palace independently with the palace audio guide. Guides have included Lee, David, Sion, and Sophie.

“We were extremely disappointed when the changing of the guard was canceled, but that is not the fault of the tour. The tour guide did an excellent job of showing us other landmarks in place of the changing of the guard and we enjoyed this tour a lot. It was a bonus when we were able to skip the line into the palace. Our tour guide was very friendly and knowledgeable.”

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4.Edinburgh: Old Town Walking Tour with an APP

★★★★★★★★★★4.4 · 36 reviews · 5 hours · from $9

Use the Trippy Tour Guide app to explore Edinburgh’s Old Town at your own pace. Follow more than 40 GPS-triggered narration points from Calton Hill along the Royal Mile to Greyfriars Kirkyard, with audio in six languages and no in-person guide.

“Ottima guida che accompagna per le vie del centro città. Aggiungerei una parte più approfondita in merito alla storia (regnanti, rivolta dei giacobiti e così via) in modo da renderla più completa.”

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5.Covent Garden’s Hidden Gems: A Self-Guided Walking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★3.5 · 29 reviews · 45 to 50 minutes (approx.) · from $9

Use your phone to follow a 45 to 50-minute English audio walk through Covent Garden. A local or historian guides you from the Piazza through Seven Dials, Neal’s Yard, St Paul’s Church, Nell Gwynne, the Strand, and the Royal Opera House, with offline GPS access.

“App was easy to follow, and was able to set our own pace. Made the mistake of eating before hand. You go past a number of great cafes and bakeries, so no eat before.”

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6.Bath Private Self-Guided Walking Audio Tour

★★★★★★★★★★3.0 · 21 reviews · from $25

Walk Bath at your own pace with a 35-minute GPS audio tour from Terrace Walk to Thermae Bath Spa. Commentary from a local or historian covers Parade Gardens, Sally Lunn’s, the Roman Baths, Bath Abbey, medieval charity, and Bath’s hot springs. Entrance fees are separate.

“It didn't happen. The tour guide was a no show so had to pay on door to get in. Very disappointed and won't be booking through viator again”

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7.Private Smartphone photography Walking Tour Around Bath

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 20 reviews · 2 hours (approx.) · from $54

Join Simon for a private two-hour smartphone photography walk in Bath. You will practice reflections, viewpoints, composition, and useful phone settings while photographing the Royal Crescent, the Circus, Bath Abbey, and other city views. Morning and afternoon departures are available.

“Excellent tour! I now act like my dog with head down all the way time. Mostly because Simon taught me the beauty of photos through reflections in water. But best of all is he showed me additional features on my iPhone settings I didn’t know I had or had to use.”

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8.Royal Mile, Edinburgh Walking Tour with Audioguide

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 16 reviews · 1 hour 30 minutes (approx.) · from $7Best value

Follow a historian-written audio guide from Holyrood Abbey along Edinburgh’s Royal Mile to Edinburgh Castle. You’ll get 23 recordings, an offline map, landmark images, and one year of access. Start and stop as you like, but bring your own phone and headphones. No human guide or entrance tickets are included.

“Didn't get to do the tour but we walked a lot up and down the Royal Mile many many times. Put in a lot of miles.”

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9.Notting Hill’s Secret Spots: A Self-Guided Walking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 6 reviews · from $9

Use your phone and downloaded audio to walk from Ladbroke Square to The Tabernacle in about 50 minutes. A local or historian introduces Notting Hill’s past, Portobello Road, Windrush, Grenfell Tower, the Electric Cinema, and lesser-known corners.

“A great tour, and I like that it hit so many spots in the neighborhood, and shared a mix of pop culture, history, and more current stories from the neighborhood. And because it's self guided, I could skip through the bits that weren't relevant and repeat the ones that were. The hosts had great chemistry and I really enjoyed their light banter.”

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