Explore a secret world beneath London's streets
Tickets for London Transport Museum’s new season of Hidden London tours will go on sale to the public this Friday 6 March.
Hidden London is the Museum’s programme of exclusive tours and events across the capital at locations rarely seen by, and usually off limits to, the public.
Venturing beyond secret entrances and unassuming doorways, visitors will be led on atmospheric journeys into disused ‘ghost’ stations and concealed spaces on the Tube network, and to places steeped in history hidden in plain sight around the city.
From Clapham South’s eerie passageways, once a subterranean shelter for those seeking refuge during World War II and a temporary home to Caribbean migrants arriving on the Empire Windrush, to the wilderness of Highgate station, a railway now reclaimed by nature, or Piccadilly Circus – an iconic station whose tunnels were once used for the top-secret storage of priceless artefacts – expert guides will bring fascinating stories from London’s 2 past to life for lovers of social history, visitors to the city, and those seeking a unique experience in London.
The upcoming tour season will include Hidden London’s latest disused station experience - Moorgate Metropolitan maze tour.
Visitors will discover a secret underworld of dark passages as they explore the wonders of Moorgate, a portal into the City and one of the Capital’s first Underground stations. Highlights include getting up close to an original tunnel digging machine abandoned on site in 1904, and the only complete one of its kind on the London Underground network, and the chance to see corridors lined with the original glass tiles of the City and South London Railway – the world’s first deep-level Underground ‘Tube’ railway.
The latest series will include a brand-new walking tour, Secrets of Central London, that will take visitors off the beaten path around Covent Garden, Kingsway, and Victoria Embankment, to unearth fascinating tales about the history of the area.
Visitors will discover how these locations have been transformed over the last 200 years with the growth of public transport, see abandoned transport infrastructure, and learn about the remarkable feats of engineering that have shaped London.
Hidden London also offers a range of add-on tour packages. Film buffs can enjoy a ‘behindthe-scenes’ peek into the disused Underground spaces that have served as backdrops for iconic movie moments, then see them in context up on the big screen back at the Museum.
Bond fans will love the Charing Cross tour and Skyfall (2012) screening, where they’ll get to see the escalator Daniel Craig famously slid down in the film’s ‘Tube chase’ scene before heading to the Museum to watch the film in full while sipping on a classic Martini – shaken not stirred, of course!
For foodies and those looking to top-off their tour with a meal or sweet treat, a variety of dining packages are available. Visitors can indulge in the delicate delights of a traditional afternoon tea at the historic Amba hotel following a tour of Charing Cross station, or tuck into a ‘lunch that rocks’ at the famous Hard Rock Café after a tour of Piccadilly.
Those interested in making their tour of Down Street extra special will be spoilt for choice, with afternoon tea at The Athenaeum Hotel, a traditional tapas lunch at Mayfair’s El Pirata or a meal at the Ormer restaurant at the Flemings Hotel all on offer.
All Hidden London tour tickets include either a free or half-price day pass (discount rate is dependent on the tour) to London Transport Museum within a month of the 3 tour date