Private Hidden Tudor History Walk, London

Take a trip back to the Tudor era with this entertaining two-hour walk through the atmospheric streets of Smithfield and Clerkenwell. Led by a witty private guide, you'll uncover the hidden sites and dramatic history of this ancient area of London—standing atop grassy squares that were once plague pits, stepping through a half-timbered gatehouse to see the 900-year-old church of St Bartholomew-the-Great, and passing the monastery-turned-palace where Elizabeth I spent the night before her coronation.

This two-hour walk begins when you meet your private guide at Barbican Station, ready to uncover the Tudor history hidden within the surrounding neighborhoods of Smithfield and Clerkenwell. As you set off into the city streets, your guide (a lifelong Londoner and witty storyteller) will set the scene by explaining how the area was once a lively settlement just outside London's walls.

Turn down Carthusian Street to learn about the monks it was named for, and continue over to Charterhouse Square to see the site of their monastery, built atop a medieval plague pit in 1371. As you stand at the carved gates, your guide will share stories of the turbulent days of the Reformation, when the complex was turned into a grand nobleman's manor that hosted Elizabeth I. You'll also weave your way through the stalls of Smithfield Market, where animals were traded 600 years ago, and spot tucked-away Tudor architecture (including one of London's oldest houses).

Stop at a plaque that commemorates the Smithfield Martyrs, burnt at the stake during the reign of "Bloody Mary," and see if you can spot London's only surviving statue of King Henry VIII (and learn why it stands over the entrance to the city's oldest hospital). You'll also pass the ancient church of St Bartholomew-the-Great, and pause to admire its half-timbered gatehouse, which survived the Great Fire of London. End with a stroll down East Passage, a narrow alley that feels straight out of the 15th century, before returning to modern-day London and parting ways with your guide back at Barbican Station.