Winston Churchill Walking Tour and War Rooms

This Winston Churchill Walking Tour is for all fans of the man who tops lists of the  Greatest Briton of all time, war time Prime Minister Sir Winston Churchill.   As is the case with so many of our private walking tours, this is the original private Winston Churchill Walking Tour. There are imitation Churchill tours but Winston himself might be amazed who has been on this tour. Presidents, senators, congress people and mayors have been with us. Generals, various Allied military groups and the Commonwealth War Graves have enjoyed our tour so why not you!

This walking tour takes around the streets of Piccadilly, St James and Westminster, places that were important in the life of Churchill. We will also learn a little bit of what life was like in London during WW2.

Wartime London

We start off in Piccadilly, then as now one of the iconic spots in London and with a rich wartime history. Follow in the footsteps of Sir Winston Churchill and visit Saville Row, the worlds finest tailoring street.  One never knows who you might meet here.  We will get the first clues about the life-time struggle Churchill had with his expensive tastes. Sadly for Winston he had a modest bank account.

The Allies Memorial bench is always a good spot to visit. Take the chance to sit on a bench with Prime Minister Sir Winston Churchill and his American war-time ally, President Roosevelt. You can snap a photo with the men who led the free-world!

Winston Churchill Walking Tour – A man of fine taste!

On our Winston Churchill Walking Tour we will pass through Bond Street and the Burlington Arcade. Both fab with their own Churchill and war time stories. There are also links to royalty and incredible shops connected with everything from James Bond to Indiana Jones.  

You will also hear about one of Churchills lesser known hobbies that he was rather good at.   Though the arcade was bombed in the Blitz, you’d never know. The Burlington Arcade also played a very important role in the creation of the Victoria Cross.  The VC as it can be known is our highest medal for bravery.

Sir Winston Churchill wasn’t just good at his hobbies, he was a great inventor and worked on everything from WW1 tanks to D-Day Mulberry Harbours. Rather unexpectedly, Churchill also invented what might be said to be the first Onesie.  Better than that, you will get to see one or two on this special Private Churchill Walking Tour in London.

No more Champagne!

Everyone knows that Sir Winston Churchill loved his cigars, as well as various other vices, but we will visit the store which used to supply his cigars.  Inside is a hidden treasure of London which was used by the great man himself.  J J Fox is a veritable London institution and if cigars are your thing or you’d like a very special Churchill related present for someone special at home the staff here can take care of everything.  You can take Cuban Cigars back on the plane for personal use or as gifts for family and friends.    Much easier than when Winston managed to get a table full of booze in the middle of a visit to Saudi Arabia! 

Talking about booze, we will go past he esteemed Berry Bros. and Rudd, who like so many other places we have been to so far have strong links to both the Royal Family and Winston Churchill himself.  Just because Churchill declared ‘No more champagne!’ there is no reason why you can’t help yourself to a bottle of bubbily. You will visit the home where Churchill lived as a young boy as well Downing Street. We will even see the shop which is older than the USA where he’d get his hats from. We will also visit old Texas Embassy. Then to St James Palace where we will head down that famous street known around the world as The Mall.

Winston Churchill Walking Tour – From childhood to Prime Minister

We will visit spots related to another one of Sir Winston Churchills allies, Charles De Gaulle.  What do you think of the man Churchill had a strained relationship with?  You will see the Reform club that Churchill used to be a member of.  Next up we will see the only ‘Nazi’ memorial in Britain and hear the story behind it. We’ll learn of Churchills respect and gratitude to the German ambassador in London.  See memorials to the man Churchill credits with helping to win the Battle of Britain. Other spots relate to Victorian Prime Ministers, the Crimean War and even the Resolute Desk in the Whitehouse!

As we near Trafalgar Square we will see the memorial to the Boer War which Sir Winston Churchill played a notable part in.  Next on this private Winston Churchill walking tour we stop at the Admiralty building where Churchill worked in WW1. Indeed Admiralty Arch is in a way where WW1 started from.    Jump forward 30 years and we have the nearby Citadel where the last stand would have taken place should Nazi Germany have successfully invaded.

We will see how pivotal the King and Queen were in WW2. Learn how Buckingham Palace was bombed and how the Royal Parks once grew food for the war effort. 

Whitehall – the MOD, Spies and Downing Street

After the we will enter Whitehall, perhaps the most famous government district in the world.  We’ll see all sorts here but of course not to be missed is the old War Office and the Ministry of Defence.   See the statue of that great WW2 general Monty and hear of his unique relationship he had with Sir Winston Churchill.   Naturally we will see the war time home or Winston, Downing Street and don’t be surprised if you see the odd Prime Minister or cabinet minister as we are out and about.

We will stop by The Cenotaph, our primary war memorial. Also learn about the nearby Women of War Memorial erected by Tony Blair. Then it’s to Parliament Square, the home of the Houses of Parliament and Westminster Abbey. It is here we see the modest church where Sir Winston Churchill married Clementine in 1908.  Nearby is the most famous statue of Churchill and we will learn the story of why it is there and the story behind it. It is rather close to one of the pubs he used to visit too!

There is even more to see with this Winston Churchill walking tour including a very special remnant from WW2 if we have the time. Either way we will finish outside the Churchill War Rooms that were so long forgotten about and whose discovery again at the end of the 20th century was a great surprise.

War Rooms Tour with Audio Guide included

It wouldn’t be a Winston Churchill Walking tour without the Churchill War Rooms. Your priority skip the line tickets are included in this original Private Winston Churchill Walking Tour. Your tour of the Churchill war rooms is with an excellent Audio Guide.  Inside you can explore the amazing modern Churchill museum. Not forgetting the wartime rooms that Churchill himself lived and worked in.  From his bedroom to his office and the map rooms to the kitchens, you will see it all. 

Below on a rather cold March afternoon, I was honoured to be invited to record a piece for international television. The feature was on the achievements and legacy of Sir Winston Churchill. Even my tourist from Australia wanted to get involved! Stephen in the hat below has even had a WW1 history book published.