off-the-beaten path in London

street art in East London (c) 2019 by David Ourisman

An experienced traveler who's been to London before posed this question:

I've seen all the major sites, including some further afield sights (Oxford, Bletchley Park, Windsor Castle), although I do plan to drop into the Victoria & Albert because I love it so. Exploring markets is another priority. 

But aside from that, what hidden gem parks or museums or neighborhoods have you encountered that warrant my time?

Here are some opportunities that are off the beaten path...

Take a walking tour of East London. While you can certainly walk through this neighborhood all by yourself, it's infinitely more interesting and informative to go along with a well-informed guide. You can join a scheduled public tour (google walking tours London), or for a tour at your own pace that's focused on your and your interests, we can find you an expert Blue Badge guide. East London is a mix of old and new. You'll enjoy shopping in the Old Spitalfields Market, walking past historic buildings, learning about the history of the neighborhood, and viewing some quite interesting street art.

Explore London's secret Underground. The Charing Cross tube station contains the entrance to a virtually unknown secret hideaway. Located behind locked gates, you can get a tour of an empty, unused subway station and tube. You've probably seen it on movies with London underground scenes, and one of the coolest parts of the exhibit is a video presentation of some of the movies that have been shot in this secret location.

Experience the Changing of the Guard inside the Wellington Barracks. Thousands of tourists per day crowd in front of Buckingham Palace to witness the daily 11 a.m. changing of the guards, perhaps London's most popular tourist attraction. But savvy tourists can watch the spectacle from inside the Wellington Barracks (where the guard lives). You'll be up close and personal with the guard, enjoy their daily band concert with literally no one between you and the soldiers, and watch as they march down the short spur to Buckingham Palace.

View the Ceremony of the Keys. An uniquely British Experience, this ceremony take place nightly when the Tower of London closes for the evening. While the limited public tickets are usually reserved far in advance, our contacts might be able to get you space to view this little-known example of royal pageantry.

Sit in Churchill's chair. The general public can queue up to buy tickets to see the Churchill War Rooms, and they'll be part of a long line of tourists peering through the plexiglass window into the room where Churchill's war cabinet met. Sometimes, they'll see a small group of tourists inside the room, actually sitting in Churchill's chair, and wonder, "Just who are those VIP's?" We can get make you one of those VIP's!

Want a ticket to a sold-out V&A special exhibition? If you've booked a stay at nearby Egerton House Hotel through a Virtuoso travel advisor, you get an exclusive pair of member tickets to all current exhibitions with full access to the members lounge. You'll also received a fully daily English breakfast daily for two, Afternoon Tea for two, a martini making lesson, an upgrade if available, and a one-way airport transfer for Suite bookings of three or more nights. (You can even book online using this link).

copyright (c) 2019 by Ourisman Travel LLC. All rights reserved. We provide Virtuoso and other Preferred Partner amenities as an affiliate of Brownell, a Virtuoso® Member. If you have comments on this column, or questions about booking travel, email me or visit my website.

why London? | top five reasons

changing of the Guards (c) 2016 by David Ourisman, all rights reserved

The United Kingdom is a bargain. While the Pound Sterling was down to $1.37 last week, I just checked the exchange rates again, and the the pound is now down to $1.29. Just because something is a bargain is not a reason to buy it, but London is a most fabulous destination for a your summer vacation.

Here is my list of the top five reasons to visit London this summer.

1) comfortable weather... southern Europe is hot and humid, so unless you really enjoy a lot of summer heat, I encourage my clients to consider northern Europe. Consider places like northern France (Paris, Normandy, Brittany), Scandinavia (Denmark, Norway, Sweden), the Netherlands, Belgium, Switzerland, and the British Isles (England, Scotland, and Ireland).

2) the English speak English... though with a touch of British accent. Some travelers are uncomfortable going to a country where English is not the primary language, but that's not even an issue in the British Isles.

3) the pomp and glamour of the royals...  No one can put on a parade quite like they do in England, and one of the top attractions in London is the daily Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace. Crowds gather in front of the palace well in advance of the daily parade, but if you're in the know, you can avoid the crowds and come face to face with the new Guard before it marches out of the Wellington Barracks to replace the old Guard at the Palace. Ask me how you can have private access to the parade grounds above.

4) gardens and parks... Nobody does gardens quite like the British, and it's wonderful to get out of the city to tour some of England's most beautiful gardens. We can get you hard-to-get tickets to Prince Charles' gardens at Highgrove, his personal country estate in the Cotswolds — and there are lots of other opportunities for garden lovers to indulge this summer.

5) history and culture... London has so many great museums from the British Museum to the Tower of London to the Churchill War Room (where we can get you behind the plexiglass so you can sit in Churchill's chair from which he led his War Cabinet).

London's luxury hotels are all on sale this summer and available with Virtuoso amenities that will save you hundreds of dollars during a typical stay. Ask me about my favorites!

copyright (c) 2016 by David Ourisman LLC. All rights reserved. We provide Virtuoso and other Preferred Partner amenities as an affiliate of Brownell Travel. If you have comments on this column, or questions about booking travel, email me or visit my website.

the changing of the guard | avoid the crowds

changing of the guard (c) 2016 by David Ourisman, all rights reserved

The changing of the guards is perhaps London's most spectacular daily spectacle, and yesterday we experienced this event. But we did not do it the way most tourists do. Most head to the Victoria Memorial (in the center of the circle in front of Buckingham Palace) where thousands of tourists gather each day at 11:30 to be a part of the pageantry. This is certainly how I have done it in the past — as part of a massive crowd of tourists — but only because I didn't know there is a much better way.

You can avoid the crowds by heading to the Wellington Barracks (where the guard lives) just a few hundred feet away. If you look closely at the picture above, you can see the single row of tourists lined up behind the fence on Birdcage Walk. The map below shows just how close it is — but those few hundred feet mean no crowds standing between you and what you came to see.

But we got even closer than Birdcage Walk. We had the exclusive experience of witnessing the event from inside the Wellington Barracks. The new detachment of guards was lined up in the parade grounds (the rectangular area I've marked in the google map) preparing to march to Buckingham Palace. No crowds, no fence, just ourselves and our knowledgeable guide. We witnessed the inspection of the troops, heard several musical pieces performed by the band, and then watched as they processed out the gate at the northwest corner of the yard and marched to Buckingham Palace.

Brownell Travel has connections, and we can get you inside the Wellington Barracks. But even if this is beyond your budget, position yourself by the gate at the northwest corner of the parade square where the band marches straight out onto Spur Road. You'll have a thrilling experience, and it won't cost you a pence.

copyright  (c)  2016 by David Ourisman LLC.  All rights reserved. We provide Virtuoso and other Preferred Partner amenities as an affiliate of Brownell Travel. If you have comments on this column, or questions about booking travel, email me or visit my website.

London | places to stay, things to do

standing guard at Buckingham Palace

Looking for a great place to stay in London? A Virtuoso travel advisor can save you money with perks like free daily breakfasts, hotel credits, and room upgrades — typically at the same flexible rate that you're seeing online — and there's no cost for you to use a travel advisor.

We can save you money at over 50 luxury hotels in London (there's some overlap here, so the numbers add up to more than 50). See them on my Google maps of our London hotels by clicking here and here.

24 hotels come with Virtuoso amenities
2 hotels come with Dorchester Diamond Club amenities
2 hotels come with Four Seasons Preferred Partner amenities
27 hotels come with Travel Leaders Select amenities
2 hotels come with Starwood Luxury Privileges amenities
3 hotels come with Doyle Collection amenities
23 hotels come with Celebrated Perks

I'm flying to London on Thursday evening to do some hotel site inspections ... but also to write about some unique experiences that a Virtuoso travel advisor can arrange for you.

1. The Churchill War Rooms — actually going into the cabinet rooms, not seeing them from behind glass like most tourists must.

2. The Changing of the Guard — seen from the Wellington Barracks where the Guard begins and ends its parade, not from the midst of the huge crowd that gathers daily in front of Buckingham Palace.

3. Downton Abbey — I'm guessing here, because the actual activity is supposed to be a surprise; visiting Highclere Castle (setting of Downton Abbey) and meeting Jim Carter (who played the butler, Carson, in the series).

copyright (c) 2016 by David Ourisman LLC. All rights reserved. We provide Virtuoso and other Preferred Partner amenities as an affiliate of Brownell Travel. If you have comments on this column, or questions about booking travel, email me or visit my website.