London in a Day vs Best of London: Which WalksDevour Tour?

WalksDevour run two tours covering London’s big sights: London in a Day, which is a full eight hours, and Best of London, which is finished by mid-afternoon. Here is how they compare and how to pick the right one for your trip.

We have taken London in a Day ourselves and reviewed it in full.

The one-question shortcut: do you want to go inside Westminster Abbey? If yes, it’s London in a Day. If the Tower of London is your priority and you’d like the afternoon to yourself, it’s Best of London.

The two tours side by side

	London in a Day	Best of London
Length	Around 8 hours, 9 am to about 5 pm	Around 5 hours, 10am to about 2:45pm
Westminster Abbey	Inside, with your guide (9am start only)	Outside only
Tower of London	Mid-afternoon, guided, skip the line	At opening, first to the Crown Jewels, then explore at your own pace
Changing of the Guard	Yes, along the route (not on Tuesdays)	Not part of the itinerary
Thames cruise	Yes, Embankment to the Tower	Yes, the Tower to Westminster
Buckingham Palace	Exterior, on the royal walk	Exterior, at the end of the royal walk
Guide	Blue Badge guide throughout	Expert tour leader; the Tower is self-guided after the Crown Jewels
Lunch	About an hour, own cost, mid-tour	Not included; the tour ends at lunchtime
Group size	Max 20, headsets provided	Max 20, headsets provided
Price	The higher of the two	Somewhat cheaper; check both on their site, shown in your local currency

What you only get on London in a Day

The Abbey interior is the big one. Two hours inside Westminster Abbey with a Blue Badge guide, in before the crowds, past the Coronation Chair. If the Abbey is on your list, this is the tour, because on the Best of London tour you see it from the outside only.

You also have the Changing of the Guard woven into the day, seen from more than one spot without the long kerbside wait. And you get a Blue Badge guide beside you for the whole day, including inside the Tower of London.

What you only get on Best of London

The Tower at its best. With the Best of London tour you enter through the gates the moment they open and go straight to the Crown Jewels while the Jewel House is quiet (this is the best time to see them as the queues can be incredible as the morning progresses).

After that, the Tower is yours at your own pace, spend as long as you like walking the walls and exploring the White Tower without a group to keep up with.

How to decide

• Do you want to go inside Westminster Abbey?

If yes, book London in a Day.

• How are your legs over eight hours?

The full day is well paced, with the cruise and lunch as sit-downs, but it is still a full day on the go. The half day is a less active option, though both tours involve walking at a moderate pace on cobbles and uneven ground in places.

• Is the Changing of the Guard a priority?

Only London in a Day includes it (but check the day to confirm the Guard change is running)

• Do you prefer a guide throughout, or time on your own?

London in a Day is guided end to end. Best of London hands you the Tower after the Crown Jewels, which some people find is the best of both.

• Travelling with children?

Check the child pricing on both.

Note unfortunately neither tour is suitable for wheelchairs, and WalksDevour ask anyone with mobility concerns to contact them before booking

Our verdict so far

Having done London in a Day, it earns its full-day format: the Abbey alone justifies it, and the day is engineered so your time goes on seeing London rather than queuing for it. Best of London is the answer if the full day is too much, for those on shorter trips who would like the afternoon for other activities.

And if neither is quite right, WalksDevour run a dozen other London tours, from food tours to the VIP night tour of the Tower: our guide to all their London tours covers the full set.

Read more

• WalksDevour London tours: all our recommended tours
• Review: London in a Day Tour: Abbey, Guard, Tower + Cruise
• Review: Ultimate London Food Tour [with WalksDevour]
• Review: Ceremony of the Keys at the Tower of London
• Review: Tastes, Tales and Traditional Ales Food Tour

We were hosted by WalksDevour on the London in a Day tour. As always, our opinions and views are our own, and we only recommend companies we would book ourselves.