South Bank Gin Safari by Bike, London

This spirited ride through South London takes you on a gin-flavored exploration of the cool, creative neighborhoods of Southwark and Bermondsey. Paired with a vintage-style Pashley bicycle and an irreverent guide, you'll pedal past renovated warehouses, cobbled alleys, and the Thames' South Bank—stopping for a series of convivial tastings from your guide's "GinCycle," learning about the city's 18th-century "gin craze," and trying your hand at some street art along the way. It's a perfect fit for travelers craving a distinctly London experience and a more offbeat, social style of sightseeing.

This 3.5-hour excursion begins near Lambeth North Station, where you'll join your guide and the rest of your small group, grab a British-made Pashley bike (complete with leather seat and wicker basket), and don an optional tweed cap or helmet. Then it's time to set off into the backstreets of Southwark and Bermondsey, discovering a more eccentric side of the city as your guide explains the area's deep ties to gin and brings its checkered history to life with plenty of irreverent humor and colorful anecdotes.

As you pedal past Dickensian alleys, leafy squares, bustling food markets, and edgy street art, you'll pause periodically for gin tastings served from your guide's custom "GinCycle," a quirky Victorian-style gin bar on wheels. Cut through the Dickensian streets of Shad Thames, where iron walkways link cool converted warehouses that once stored the city's tea, coffee, and spices, and follow the river to a spot overlooking the spires of Tower Bridge—where a refreshing gin and tonic and a perfect photo op await.

The final stretch follows the river west again as you enter the graffiti-filled Leake Street Tunnel beneath Waterloo Station. Known as the "Banksy Tunnel," this 984-foot (300 m) art installation is the city's largest graffiti wall—and everyone is free to leave their mark. Grab a can of spray paint and create your own quick masterpiece, then end with a toast and a final gin cocktail before cycling back to the starting point.