London Top 20 Sights Walking Tour & St Paul’s: A Candid Review

Right, so you’re thinking of doing the London Top 20 Sights Walking Tour and maybe popping into St Paul’s Cathedral, right? Well, it’s almost like everyone does it when they come to London, isn’t it? But is it actually, very, good? Let me give you the lowdown, a bit, on my experience – the awesome bits, the bits that could be better, a little, and stuff you should know before you go.

What the London Top 20 Sights Walking Tour Is Actually Like

So, the Top 20 Sights Walking Tour… well, you know, it’s often billed as this super amazing way to see all the big hits of London in just a few hours. The thing is, it tends to be a pretty quick-paced walk, right through the center of the city, apparently. You start, frequently, near Green Park and you end, actually, somewhere near Parliament. What you see, usually, along the way tends to include Buckingham Palace (for the changing of the guard if you time it right), Westminster Abbey, the Houses of Parliament, Big Ben (even if it’s often covered in scaffolding!), Downing Street, Trafalgar Square, and a load of other, arguably, famous places.

Now, it seems like the guides vary quite a bit. I, personally, ended up with a guy who clearly, alright, really knew his stuff and had lots of stories, very. He wasn’t afraid, though, to make a few jokes and poke fun at things. On the other hand, the group was quite big, that’s just how it is sometimes, right? So hearing everything he said sometimes, can be a little hard, to be honest. Also, because there were many people, it meant getting close enough to grab pictures, just became, a bit, competitive and a lot more tricky.

I think, in some respects, the route itself tends to be well-planned, that makes total sense, right? It hits all the high spots, really. But it’s mostly outside views. You, typically, only get quick snapshots. Just be sure you’re prepared for that, in advance, I mean, alright? If you’re someone, very, who really likes to linger and soak things up, that kind of sucks, right? Well this might, could be, kind of frustrating, sometimes, to be honest.

St Paul’s Cathedral: Is a Visit Worth It?

Okay, so St Paul’s. The tour I was on gave the option of adding entry to St Paul’s Cathedral after the walking portion. I decided to do this thing, actually, because when you think of London, that impressive dome is pretty iconic, frequently, isn’t it?

Let me tell you, the inside very, very, nearly, blew my mind, to be honest. I mean the architecture tends to be absolutely breathtaking, really. The scale of it…it really does make you feel very small, to be fair. The whispering gallery, as a matter of fact, that’s a bit, almost, like a novelty, but it’s actually, seriously, pretty cool to experience, definitely. Climbing all those stairs could be kind of tiring, actually, for sure, especially after a big walk. But the views of London, especially from the Golden Gallery, it tends to be simply amazing, truly. I, honestly, feel they tend to be totally worth the effort, honestly.

Just something you might like to think about is that the audio guide is seriously informative. What’s amazing is it is included with your entry fee. I was really able to learn a load of, frankly, really, really cool stuff, literally, about the history of the cathedral. Not to mention all about the different artworks there, literally, which I thought was something of value.

What I Really Liked About the Tour

Okay, so here is what I feel was good. Being with the guide was awesome, sometimes. Having someone, basically, who knew the ins and outs of all those locations. He gave us information that I know you often can’t find in just some plain, right, old guidebook, to be honest. Stuff that kind of provides, arguably, some richer context. To walk from place to place – yeah, I probably, typically, could have done that on my own. Having him right there, almost, like explaining things and pointing them out as we went along, was awesome. That’s really cool, alright?

In addition to the fast pace, being, sort of, able to see a bunch of things, quickly, was actually pretty great. As I said before if you’re short on time, or if it’s just, pretty much, your initial time seeing the city, actually. I feel it’s really an awesome introduction, you know? And, I actually liked being in a group, really, in some respects. You, basically, get a sense of excitement and shared experience from all that, I mean, well, who doesn’t like that? I find that I really, actually, enjoy listening to others as they are so kindly sharing their impressions with their own friends.

Things That Could Be Improved

Let’s get real now, alright? Things were awesome. Although, still there tends to be stuff they maybe, just, could work on a little bit, literally, right? I am one that will state something that I, literally, am thinking! So the group size felt rather large at times. It was quite hard to always hear, like, you know, exactly, right, what the guide would always say, in fact. Especially when other locations got rather busy, as they always tend to do, really, right?

I have some, really, minor personal things too. For example, having little breaks could also have been awesome. Even just for five minutes, by the way, to sit down and catch your breath. A quick sitdown would do wonders. This walking stuff, it gets rather tiring, for real. Not to mention, sometimes you, literally, needed to rush off somewhere just to grab some water, kind of, quickly.

Tips for Making the Most of Your Tour

I’ve learned a bunch of, arguably, helpful stuff. So here are some pointers for others looking at doing this thing. If you’re prepared, everything will, probably, run so more smoothly, in other words.

• Wear comfy shoes! This tends to be seriously, very, important, completely. Seriously, you’ll thank yourself, I think.
• Think about, arguably, bringing water and some little snacks. Or knowing where you can actually, alright, quickly buy some, frankly, that are close, too, is something of value.
• Check the weather forecast the day before, actually. Get prepared and think of dressing, still, accordingly. If rain is predicted you know just bring your umbrella.
• To hear everything, actually, it would really make sense to try and stand quite close to your guide, actually. That tends to be just logical thinking, actually.
• At St Paul’s, prioritize whatever you may seriously like to see, and take breaks. If climbing all those stairs does not fit your style or mood, so then, yeah just maybe just hang around the main floor more, like what I’m saying?

In the end, it’s basically, like what people always say, right? So the London Top 20 Sights Walking Tour with the St Paul’s Cathedral visit can, arguably, seriously, be worth it, for real. Basically, just realize it can seriously, seriously, sometimes be busy and quick-paced, for real. In my personal opinion, this whole trip definitely provides an awesome overview. What’s more it provides, often, also an appreciation for the history. Now I have memories from some of London’s greatest iconic spots.

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