“What a great day! I know I saw parts of London that tourists never see and the rock history was fantastic!” Hettie, Netherlands

Full Day Tour:

9am - approx. 1pm  Sex, Drugs & Rock & Roll in Bohemian North London Tour

Lunch - free time for lunch between the morning and afternoon tours

1:30pm - approx. 5:00pm  Classic Rock and Beatles London Tour

London Calling!  Depending on your age, this is either a chance to wallow in glorious nostalgia, or grab an ‘education’ in Rock history, its legends and myths, as your informed guide takes you on a magical, musical journey. Have those lyrics come alive and make the London connection. Over 100 iconic rock sites and locations enlivened with gossip, trivia and background information! This is a combination of both the morning and afternoon tours.

MORNING - Rock Roots! This tour covers past and present Rock landmarks in bohemian Soho and the North London neighbourhoods of Camden Town, Islington and St John’s Wood. Neighbourhoods steeped in Mod, Hippie and Punk culture, and where tomorrow’s legends are creating today’s music! In addition to a collection of Beatle-related sites, including the Abbey Road crossing, discover locations bringing to life the colourful histories of classic, progressive, punk and Brit-Rock acts.

Rock music was born and raised in the tiny backstreets and alleys of Soho. It’s here you find basement clubs, rehearsal rooms, pubs and recording studios where the bands made their first tentative steps towards stardom. Legendary places such as the Marquee, the Roxy, Ronnie Scott’s Club, The Vortex and UFO. Studios like Trident and De Lane Lea where Queen, Stones, Bowie, Bolan and others made seminal albums. Beatles fans will enjoy seeing Macca’s office, the theatre the Beatles owned jointly, early NEMS office, and where Ringo brought his famed Ludwig drum kit. On ‘Tin Pan Alley’ where the the Stones made their very first recording, where Elton John worked, where the Sex Pistols rehearsed and lived, where Bob Dylan played his first London gig, and where Hendrix and Phil Lynott, amongst many past and present guitar heroes, bought and continue to buy their instruments.

See where Bill Haley launched rock’n’roll onto London and where Cliff Richard, Tommy Steel, Marty Wilde, Billy Fury and others followed his lead; see where Pink Floyd cut ‘The Wall’ and Joy Division made ‘Love Will Tear Us Apart’; where U2 played one of their first London gigs. See where Jimmy Page cut his first disc and learn about Joe Meek, a pioneer of electronic music. Also go by where Elton John had a life changing moment. Long before Amy Winehouse made this area of London her playground, here was the stomping ground for hippie London, The Clash, then Madness in the 80s, Oasis and their Brit Pop rivalries in the 90s. Glimpse the world-famous Camden Markets and canal – this is an area known for street art, where a guy called Banksy started.

Those on this FULL DAY MONSTERS OF ROCK have approximately 45 minutes/an hour to grab lunch independently near Trafalgar Square or on the edge of Soho.

AFTERNOON - We call this our Classic Rock legends tour because it covers sites and locations relevant to the history of so many 60s, 70s and 80s artists in the elite neighbourhoods of Chelsea, Kensington, Holland Park, Notting Hill Gate, St John’s Wood. Tour the sites that made the Sixties swing; where London’s hippie underground ‘counter-culture’ took off; and where the 70s punk revolution took place! See the boutiques, pubs and clubs that made these decades, inspiring hundreds of well-known lyrics. Ideal for Beatle fans, you’ll see Brian Epstein’s home, Ringo’s flat, John and Yoko’s first home, Paul’s current London home, and the Apple Boutique. And, YES, you do get to walk across that famed ABBEY ROAD crossing!

If other classic acts such as Clapton, Led Zeppelin, Hendrix, Bob Marley, Queen and the Rolling Stones are you favourites then this is the tour for you. The tour also covers where Geldof conceived Band Aid and Live Aid, where and how the Sex Pistols was formed, The Clash’s neighbourhood and the cradle of Reggae. We pass the homes of Freddie Mercury, Jimmy Page, Macca and Clapton, and see where Jimi Hendrix died. With so many celebrities living in these parts of London you never know who you might see in passing! For Stones fans there’s the legendary Edith Grove apartment, various of Jagger’s houses plus studios, record company offices, gig sites, secluded hotels, album cover locations and story after story from your informed rock guide.

Departure Details

Departs from: Duke of York Column Monument, St. James's, London SW1Y 5AJ,  Junction of Waterloo Place and Carlton House Terrace

Daily 9am - 5:00pm (Summer only)

Nearest Underground Station: Piccadilly Circus or Charing Cross