Let’s assume you’ve already found a tour that sounds interesting and sits comfortably within your budget. The next step is to look at three key things: the guide, the content, and the company.

1. The Guide

First and foremost, think about the guide. Are they enthusiastic about the subject? Do they present well and tell great stories? Are they experienced enough to anticipate the needs of the group? And—crucially—can they adapt when things change, adjusting the route yet keep everyone engaged?

In my early working life, I learned a simple truth: having the knowledge is one thing; presenting it is quite another. I once worked with someone who knew an extraordinary amount, but they didn’t know when to stop. Another colleague stumbled over their words, filling every pause with an “um”. Compare that with a curator who could tell a vivid story who stopped an entire room when he recited an Anglo-Saxon poem in Old English. Everyone was transfixed—listening to this otherworldly language, like something out of The Lord of the Rings.

That’s what a good guide does. They bring the past to life and fill it with sound and colour.

2. The Structure and the Content

Next comes the material itself. Is there a clear theme? Is the story coherent? Is the content genuinely interesting and worth sharing?

I’ve been on tours where the guide has simply memorised someone else’s script, and you can tell they’re bored. Others rely on the same old tourist tales—the ones everyone knows aren’t quite true, but they get repeated anyway. I don’t mind a good story, but I do mind when it’s dressed up as fact.

Yes, the past is often only partially knowable. Even so, I think we should aim to present the most accurate understanding we have.

3. The Company

And finally, the company behind the tour. How easy is it to book? Can you cancel if your plans change? Will you get clear instructions on where to meet? And if you can’t find the meeting point, will you have the guide’s number?

This often comes down to attitude: do they genuinely want you to have the best experience, or are they just after your money? I’ve worked for companies on both ends of that spectrum. I’ve seen bus drivers finish a tour early because they wanted to go home, and staff sell more tickets than they had space for. I’ve also seen bus crews go to extraordinary lengths to reunite a German family with their passports, left in a bag at a bus stop.

Some of this you can pick up from websites and reviews, but not all of it. In the end, you make a choice and hope for the best. Fortunately, most companies do try to get it right.

If you have never been to London before, the open top buses are a good introduction, you can travel around and get off to investigate things plus it lets you get an idea of where everything is, best done in the summer though as it gets a bit cold and wet in the winter.

Also take a river cruise, they are great, seeing London from the river is very cool and historical. Taking a boat from Westminster Pier to the Tower of London is a good option and if you do, Westminster pier was where everyone arrived before the advent of flying.

I rarely do London walks but these folks come highly recommended, London Walks, https://www.walks.com/ . They have been around a long time and have great guides.

I also like the folks at Fun London Tours, https://funlondontours.com/. I used to work with their founder many years ago and he is one of the good guys.

An informed choice won’t guarantee perfection, but it does increase your chances of hitting the mark.