“Tally Ho!” cried our guide James as we cycled out of the depot to the rousing sounds of Gilbert and Sullivan emanating from a small speaker attached to the front of James’ bike.
There were eight of us in our group and we gingerly followed, one after the other, on our British-made vintage Pashley bicycles, ready to explore some of London’s most iconic landmarks.
There are plenty of tour groups cycling around the British capital but there are none quite like Tally Ho Cycle Tours. Forget reams of boring dates or endless stories of ancient Kings and Queens, this London bicycle tour company puts an emphasis on fun, entertaining and informative commentary all delivered with aplomb by its team of “hipster historians”.
Yes, the coolest London bike tours are led by guides in tweed.
If you’re considering booking Tally Ho Cycle Tours on your next trip to London then here is all you need to know.
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Tally Ho London Bike Tours
Tally Ho was first set up in February 2011 by Jack Harris who saw a gap in the market for a more exciting kind of London tour.
“At the time, the city was swamped with bus tours, and cycling adventures were few and far between,” says Jack. “This was before Airbnb Experiences made its mark with niche touring ideas. I saw a gaping need for something more – an opportunity to delve into the heart of London, beyond the typical tourist paths, especially into its cherished local pubs.”
The decision to use bicycles was, says Jack, a “no-brainer”.
“They’re the epitome of efficiency when it comes to navigating London’s wiggly streets, allowing for quick detours down quaint alleyways and into welcoming pubs.”
Tally Ho offer a number of different tours and we opted for their London Landmarks & Gems to see if we could learn anything new about our home city.
This tour starts near Waterloo where the company has its bike depot and where we met our tour guide, James. Dressed in a tweed waistcoat and jacket (the Tally Ho guides wear very dapper uniforms) and sporting a rather fine moustache and beard, James checked us in and handed out our bicycles.
The company uses Pashley bicycles and they are beautiful. Based out of Stratford-upon-Avon, this British company has been hand-building high-quality classic bicycles since 1926. Every bike is named – I had Robin Hood and my daughter was given Stephen Hawkins – and they all come with a delightful wicker basket, perfect for carrying your water bottle.
All riders are given the option of wearing either a bicycle helmet or a tweed flat cap or, you can do as we did, and take one of each. Although it is not a legal requirement to wear a cycling helmet in the UK, you may feel safer wearing one on the busier London streets and then use the flat caps for photo opportunities.
After a quick safety briefing we were off, following James out of the depot gates and into Archbishop’s Park where we had our first stop.
Landmarks & Gems
The London Landmarks & Gems is a 3.5 hour tour around some of the city’s most famous sights. At each stop, James regaled us with tales, trivia and quirky London history.
At Lambeth Palace, for example, we learned the origins of the saying “nosey Parker” and, standing on the banks of the River Thames opposite Westminster Palace, we were told why wooden tally sticks proved to be so incendiary. Other fun facts including the reason why Westminster bridge is painted green and why Lambeth Bridge is coloured red.
Of course, living in London, many of the major attractions on the tour such as Westminster Abbey, Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament, were ones that I was already familiar with. However, the wonderful thing about this tour are the number of secret gems that it includes.
For example, I had never visited Smith Square before. This leafy square sits in the heart of central London and is home to St John’s Smith Square, a former church built between 1713 – 1728 for Queen Anne.
Nicknamed “Queen Anne’s footstool” for its unusual shape featuring four corner towers, legend has it that when architect Thomas Archer asked the Queen how she would like the new church to look, she kicked dover her footstool, pointed at it and said “like that!”.
This tour was also the first time that I had been in Dean’s Yard, a large, gated quadrangle at the back of learned that only Westminster School students can ignore the “Keep off the Grass” signs.
After cycling to Horse Guards Parade – and learning why the British drive on the left – we pedalled up The Mall to see if the King was at home in Buckingham Palace.
After that we made our way to a very busy Trafalgar Square an onto Covent Garden where we stopped at a quintessentially British pub.
Established in 1772, the Lamb & Flag is Covent Garden’s oldest boozer. Charles Dickens enjoyed a drink here and, in the early 19th century, the pub garnered a reputation for staying bare-knuckle fights on the top floor, earning it the nickname “The Bucket of Blood”.
If it’s your first time to London then this is a great introduction to British pub culture the place to order a pint of beer. If you live in London then it’s a fun place to pause and chat more with you guide.
Leaving the pub we then had to cycle across Covent Garden. Traversing this busy square in the lead up to Christmas in London was rather comical but fortunately a combination of ringing our ding-dong bicycle bells and James’ booming voice shouting “coming through!” we made it to the other side, past the London Eye and onto our final stop.
The last port of call was Leake Street Arches, once part of the entrance to the old Eurostar tunnel (this has now moved to Kings Cross). The tunnel remained abandoned until 2008 when Banksy ushered in an army of graffiti artists to transform the dark, dank tunnel into a kaleidoscope of colour, creating a hidden street art zone.
Today Leake Street is a hugely popular destination and anyone can have a go at making their own graffiti art.
No sooner had we parked our bikes then James produced a number of spray paint cans in a variety of colours and told us to go forth and be creative. It was the perfect way to end one of the most unique London bike tours.
Tally Ho Tours
Tally Ho run a number of tours.
The 3.5-hour London Landmarks & Gems cycling tour leads visitors to the city’s major sights and covers about 5 miles (all done at a leisurely pace). The tours take place along pavements, through parks and along dedicated bike lanes.
Tours take place daily at 9.30am, 10am and 2pm although times vary seasonally and there may only be one ride during the winter months. There is a maximum of 12 people per tour. My daughter was 13 when she joined this tour and it worked well but if you are travelling with younger children or would like a private group then book a private tour. Private family tours are available for families with kids as young as 9 months old.
Tickets for the Landmarks & Gems tour starts from £45 per person, which I thought remarkably good value. Private tours start from £295 for up to six people.
Other tours offered by Tally Ho include a London Gin Safari (complete with a gin cocktail or two) and Sin & Salvation, an exciting introduction to London’s more murky past. Tally Ho can also personalise a private tour for you depending on what you are interested in whether that’s beautiful old buildings, alternative London, or a trip around East London.
