Frequently asked questions

What is Footprints of London?

About us

Footprints of London is a guided walks company with a difference; we’re owned by our guides, all our guides are qualified and accredited and all our Virtual and Walking Tours are researched and written by the guides leading them. Tours by and for those who love London delivered with care, professionalism, insight and enthusiasm, that’s the Footprints of London difference.

We are a private company limited by guarantee without share capital, registered at Companies House London with company number 7745179. Our registered office at 71-75 Shelton Street, Covent Garden, London, WC2H 9JQ.

Who am I making the booking with?

Our member guides offer a selection of walking and virtual tours, when you make a booking on any tour, you are entering a contract with the individual guide and not with Eventbrite or Footprints of London Limited.

Are your guides qualified?

All our member guides are qualified and hold at least one of the accreditation badges issued by the Local London Guiding Associations such as:

• City of London Guide Lecturers Association
• City of Westminster Guide Lecturers Association
• Clerkenwell and Islington Guides Association
• Camden Tour Guides Association
• Greenwich Tour Guides Association
• Lambeth Tour Guides Association
• Blue Badge London

Are your guides insured?

As qualified, accredited guides that are all members of their respective guiding associations, all our guides have appropriate public liability insurance, but it is important to stress that you are responsible for own safety whilst on a walking tour.

About our walking tours

How long do walking tours last?

Duration of individual walking tours is shown on the Eventbrite booking pages, but most walking tours will last between 1½ – 2 hours. Virtual tours normally last about 1 hour.

How far do we walk on a tour?

On average the walking tours cover between 1-2 miles.

How many people are on a walking tour?

It varies hugely according to the walking tour, but our policy for scheduled walking tours is an absolute maximum of 25 (although some guides prefer to set it at 15) as smaller groups make for a far more interactive experience on our walking tours and allow subjects to be covered in a little more depth.

It is possible that some walking tours might only attract a single booking. In this instance your guide will contact you to cancel the tour, or to offer you the opportunity either to transfer your booking or to proceed with the walking tour.

Are there any breaks on the walking tours?

We generally do not schedule breaks during the walking tours. If, however, you do need a break, please tell the guide as soon as possible and they will do their best to accommodate this.

Are your walking tours accessible to all?

Everyone is welcome on our walking tours and we strive to make our tours as accessible as possible.

However, there may be some walking tours which, due to their length, location or the specific terrain they cover, may be less accessible for those with limited mobility.

There may also be times due to unforeseen circumstances where we may need to change a route on the day, which may make a route less accessible.

We want everyone to have the opportunity to enjoy our walking tours. If you have a question regarding any accessibility issues, please contact the guide in advance of making a booking who will be able to advise on its suitability and what reasonable adjustments can be made.

If you experience (or think you may experience) any challenges on the day, please just let your guide know as soon as possible and we will try our best to make you as comfortable as possible.

Guide dogs or medical assistance dogs are naturally welcome on the walking tour, but please inform your guide in advance.

If you have a hearing impairment, you are welcome to bring along your own interpreter on the walk free of charge. Alternatively, if you lip read, do let your guide know and they will ensure to position themselves appropriately for you at each stop.

We offer a free carer/companion ticket to help with any accessibility issues you may have (physical or neurological). If you wish to bring a carer/companion with you, please notify the guide of this by email or text when the booking is made as there is a maximum number of customers that can be accommodated on any walk.

Can I bring a pet animal on your walking tours?

Pets are welcome, but we would please ask you to consider how your pet will behave on a walking tour (for example, in relationship to the weather and/or the specific environment of the tour). Pet animals must be kept on a lead at all times.

Booking a tour

Do I need to pre-book?

We operate a pre-booking system via Eventbrite for all our walking tours. In this way we can manage the numbers on our walking tours to ensure your maximum enjoyment of them.

If, however, for any reason you cannot pre-book via Eventbrite you are welcome to attend and pay on the day with cash, but you must please inform the guide of your intention to attend as attendance on any walking tour can only be guaranteed with prior notice.

Contact details are on each guide’s profile, please remember to provide a phone number and your guide will then confirm all the meeting details by return.

What is the cost?

The standard prices are:

£17.50 per person for a walking tour (£12.50 concession rate)
£10 per ticket for a virtual tour

Do I qualify for a concession rate?

We offer a concessions rate on all our guided walking tours for:

• Anyone aged over 65
• Student Discount – anyone in full time education
• Unemployed

Children under 16 can attend free of charge if accompanied by a fee-paying adult

Please bring evidence of your concession eligibility on the walking tour should the guide ask to verify it.

On the day of the walking tour!

Where do I meet the guide?

The start of the walk will be clearly stated on your booking confirmation email.

How will I recognise the guide?

All our guides (handsome bunch that they are!) have their photograph on their profile, which should help. They will also be holding a sign with either the Footprints of London logo or the title of the walking tour (or both). If for whatever reason you still can’t see them, give them a call on their mobile which will be in your booking confirmation.

What happens if I am running late?

On booking or confirming your place on a walking tour your guide will send you an e-mail confirming specific instructions for the meeting point, the location of the first stop on the walking tour and his or her mobile number (if you have not received this within 24 hours of the walking tour please contact the guide). So if you are running late, please inform your guide by telephone or text as soon as you can.

It usually takes around five minutes to muster the group and give an introduction to the walking tour at the meeting point before moving off to the first stop where the group will be for a further five minutes or so. All told, this should give you around 10-15 minutes to catch the group up.

If you are any later, the Guide may not be able to communicate with you as the tour would have already started and no refund is available.

Do I get a refund if I fail to turn up?

If you give your guide a minimum of 24 hours’ notice of cancellation of a booking you will be offered a refund or the opportunity to transfer the booking to another walking tour with the same guide. Otherwise, afraid not.

Will the walking tour ever be cancelled?

Extremely unlikely. The main possible causes for cancellation would be extreme weather conditions or some large-scale transportation failure.

In the unlikely event that a walking tour ever has to be cancelled, your guide will give you as much notice as possible of this and contact you by e-mail and text to offer you either a refund or the opportunity to transfer your booking to another occurrence of the walking tour.

If you are aware of and concerned about any possible extreme difficulties, then we suggest you contact your guide to confirm that the walking tour is going ahead.

Do I get a refund if the guide fails to turn up?

In the hugely unlikely event that this does ever happen, of course you do.

If for any reason a guide knows in advance that they are going to be unavoidably indisposed they will give you as much notice as possible of that and offer you either a refund or the opportunity to transfer your booking to another occurrence of the walking tour.

How about weather conditions?

Our walking tours generally take place rain or shine! So please ensure you arrive with appropriate clothing and footwear for the forecast conditions.

Will there be any changes to the walking tour as advertised?

We reserve the right to make changes to any walking tour we offer as there may be last minute changes to circumstances which are beyond our control.

If the walking tour is subject to substantial changes, we will contact you offering you a refund or a place on another walking tour.

Disruptive behaviour

We reserve the right to ask you to leave the walking tour if we believe you to be under the influence of alcohol or drugs or behaving in a manner which disrupts the tour for other guests. No refunds will be given under this circumstance.

Miscellaneous

Can I take photographs?

Unless the tour visits a site that specifically restricts this, of course you can! Please feel free to share your pictures with us on social media.

We would ask you, however, not to take videos of the guide while they are talking as this can be distracting.

Copyright

The text, images and videos on this website is the copyright of Footprints of London and our guides. Should you wish to make use of any of our material, please contact us for permissions.

Can I watch virtual tour at a later date?

All of our virtual tours are live via Teams or Zoom. They are not recorded for copyright reasons so cannot be watched at a later date.

How do I contact you?

Our email is , this is monitored on a daily basis and you should receive a reply the same day.

If however, you have a question about a specific tour either before or after booking, please contact the individual guide directly. All contact details can be found at https://footprintsoflondon.com/live/guides/. Your guide’s contact details including phone number will also be included on your booking confirmation.