Green Tourism Certified · Est. 2012
Our Green Philosophy
When we founded Ye Olde England Tours in 2012, sustainability and ethical tourism weren’t a marketing exercise — they were simply who we are. They still are.
Our Story
We pioneered private tours — and we were so revolutionary, we were initially thrown off TripAdvisor for it
When we started in 2012, green tourism, sustainability and ethical practices weren’t buzzwords — they were the foundation of everything we did. We wanted to show the real London, England, Scotland and the rest of the UK. You simply can’t do that in a big group or as part of a large mass-tourist party.
We were too much of a shock to the competition and vested interests. Many have tried to copy some of our tours since. Sadly they don’t do it with our heart, commitment, enthusiasm or expertise.
🏆 Viator’s #1 Authentic Off-Beat London Experience
We didn’t just write the philosophy — we wrote the book on it
Our Green Tours
Our green philosophy isn’t a box-ticking exercise — we literally wrote the book on it
Our Secret Gardens of the City of London tour has been listed as TripAdvisor/Viator’s #1 authentic off-beat London experience — and inspired a #1 best-selling travel book and a feature in the Independent newspaper. Our founder Stephen Liddell has also had several environmental articles published in popular and academic publications.
We have a wide range of naturally green tours covering the Royal Parks, London’s canals and waterways, the River Thames, ancient woodlands and even London’s magnificent Victorian cemeteries — some of the most peaceful and biodiverse habitats in the whole city.
On our day tours we go off the beaten track too — helping local communities wherever we go. Fish and chips in Portsmouth. The farm shop at Walsingham. Hand-made pottery at Lacock. Every penny spent supports local families and crafts in places the big tour groups don’t even try to visit.
A great day out needn’t cost the Earth
Walking tours are the most sustainable way to experience a city. No coaches, no carbon, no crowds — just extraordinary stories, extraordinary places, and an extraordinary guide. That’s been our philosophy from day one and it always will be.
Many have tried to copy some of our tours. Sadly they don’t do it with our heart and commitment or indeed enthusiasm and expertise. We also have quite a range of green related tours that cover the Royal Parks, Canals and waterways, the River Thames, woodlands and lakes Our Sacred Secret Gardens Walking Tour that has been listed as the top authentic off-beat London attraction by Trip Advisor / Viator. It’s also led to a #1 travel book and a travel feature in the Independent Newspaper.
Our Green Philosophy isn’t a box checking exercise, we wrote the book on it!
In fact our founder Stephen Liddell even has #1 hit book on the Secret Gardens of the City of London, a hugely successful tour. He has had several environmental articles published in popular and academic publications.
Ye Olde England Tours is independently certified by Green Tourism
We think our tours speak for themselves but we’re always striving to be greener. We’re proud to be members of and certified by Green Tourism. What others find problematic or not profitable is actually central to our business. We think that’s why we do so well. In 2019, we even extended many of our walking tours in London just so that interested visitors could spend time at the Extinction Rebellion sit-down protests. For centuries London led the world in pollution and heavy industry. We cover these in some of our tours but now London is the worlds first National Park City. We want to share our beautiful green city and country to the world. But in a way that doesn’t impact on all our futures.
With Ye Olde England Tours, having a great day out needn’t cost the Earth!
