London Black Taxi Tour: Honest Review & Tips
Planning a trip to London and looking for a special way to experience the sights? You might have come across the idea of a London Black Taxi Tour. So, what is it actually like and is it perhaps the most suitable option for you? This review looks at the panoramic sightseeing tour available with a Black Taxi. It offers what to expect, the benefits, and if the costs are very fair in this modern day.
What is a Black Taxi Tour?
A Black Taxi Tour in London is a tour guided by a licensed taxi driver within one of London’s iconic black cabs. Yet, these aren’t your ordinary taxis. Instead, these tours frequently come with a specific theme or a pre-planned route, so in a way it’s more similar to what you may know from larger bus tours, though obviously far smaller and, as a matter of fact, personal. A highlight is that your cab driver doubles as a guide, they share anecdotes, bits of historical facts, and even show you secret spots most tourists probably won’t get to see all by themselves. The panoramic sightseeing part is pretty obvious. Given that London is like this massive canvas of great sights, famous landmarks and appealing local spots, you get to see a lot in one go from the comfort of a taxi cab.
Why Choose a Black Taxi Tour?
So, why should one think about choosing a Black Taxi Tour over say a regular tour bus, or maybe even seeing it on foot? Let’s get this bit understood first, perhaps the main perk is the personal experience. Unlike the rather large group tours, a Black Taxi Tour is nearly always for just you and whoever you’re traveling alongside, so it allows you the chance to ask questions and generally steer things toward your own personal areas of focus. Think of it, in some respects, as like having your own personal expert there and then.
Then there’s the flexibility. So, tour buses stick to set routes and timetables, that’s well-known. That said, with a Black Taxi, you can actually often change things slightly. You might want to spend some extra time at a specific location for you, or if you don’t feel like checking out that certain museum, then you don’t really need to. Plus, Black Cabs can usually access pretty much all of those small backstreets that big buses absolutely can’t, which could be important to you. In other words, this gets you closer to some secret gems, and cool photo opportunities.
Plus, let’s not forget the cab drivers know absolutely everything. I mean, they have passed this really challenging test called “The Knowledge” which requires complete memorization of London’s streets. Consequently, you aren’t just getting someone who drives you from spot to spot, rather you gain some proper knowledge and insights from somebody that is likely as local as it’s possible to be. They probably actually know the best cafes, where that specific movie scene was filmed and things of that nature that could enrich your travel experiences a bit.
What Will You See?
What one will actually see depends very much on which tour that you end up picking, though several standard sights come included in many tours, so do read up about which package would probably fit your ideal sightseeing tour. These will most likely be what comes to mind thinking of London. This list would include Buckingham Palace, in all its splendor, maybe catching the Changing of the Guard if it happens to be on at the time of your tour.
You would naturally visit The Houses of Parliament and Big Ben, to grab that iconic photograph of the Palace of Westminster. Most tours swing by Westminster Abbey, the home of royal coronations and so many centuries of British history. Also, the Tower of London. A place which comes with enough colorful tales of executions, prisoners and ravens to satisfy every curiosity.
Tower Bridge could feature on your specific tour for just the right kind of shot. Another is St. Paul’s Cathedral, one of London’s most iconic landmarks. Furthermore, the list stretches to spots like Trafalgar Square, Piccadilly Circus, the British Museum and perhaps some lesser-known gems the driver shows along the route, basically the options seem pretty unlimited.
What to Look for When Booking
If a Black Taxi Tour now sounds just like what you need to actually enjoy London, here is what to perhaps keep in mind whilst checking the offerings of various tour providers, in other words just some things that can possibly make sure you’re getting a very solid deal. Is the driver fully licensed? All official Black Cab drivers really should have passed “The Knowledge” exam. That is usually the mark for quality, by the way.
Do also double check that route. Can you go exactly where you expect, are there places you specifically would very much like to see that isn’t part of the advertised deal? Talk it through so it actually becomes the tour you dreamt of, that could enrich the experience even more. Look closely for included extras like refreshments, or entry fees, they aren’t really always part of the deal and also affect your costs. Check out feedback and ratings, too. So, you should be looking around the reviews on well-known sites, just what are fellow travelers actually reporting, and is the business really well regarded or maybe actually a bit on the sloppy side?
Confirm pricing completely. Will it be a rate per hour, or will you agree on a fee beforehand? And what if your trip goes on longer because you wish to spend slightly more time at location X or Y, maybe think these questions through.
Cost Considerations
So, how does one measure the cost? Black Taxi Tours will naturally be dearer than your ordinary bus tour. In a way, it is probably balanced to the more individualized experience. How long the tour lasts will certainly matter to its price as you would probably imagine, yet the going rate seems to fall within £50 – £75 hourly, thereabouts. Many companies, anyway, offer deals for either half or whole days which is almost certain to bring prices downwards a little compared to short notice hours.
Do please consider the tour length because that is always an aspect for cost. London actually has quite a lot, so even several hours barely seems quite enough. Factor in any entry tickets you have to buy. It’s good that you know in advance whether these come as part of the total price. Always figure out costs against that which matters the most to you personally in a travel tour. Can it tick off that special need and feeling as compared to other tours?
Personal Experience: My Black Taxi Adventure
On my Black Taxi Tour in London, I was certainly amazed at how it went. Instead of sitting packed tightly onto the bus with many other holiday-makers, I found myself moving around town in one of the most recognized cars around and feeling like one of those movie stars almost. This very knowledgeable taxi operator who guided our small, but friendly team made a lot more to see of the locations than what those tourist audio guides say when droning away non-stop. So, being able to discuss with someone what to see actually made those historical tales more alive to actually imagine.
Also, by taking to those small roads that big bus tours never reach, so that really boosted photo taking, actually seeing something completely separate from every other person. One morning when it poured down, traveling that city remained a pleasant journey in every possible meaning of that concept, to get dry was obviously really something and that flexibility and care of my experienced driver did help to see me fit exactly how I actually dreamt this great occasion would work to full effect.
Final Thoughts
- Personalization: Black Taxi Tours allow a level of customization simply not available with bigger group excursions.
- Knowledgeable Guides: London cab drivers provide really great historical and inside knowledge.
- Flexibility: You decide exactly how much time one can devote per destination, therefore making adjustments according to one’s interest is likely.
- Cost: This is usually quite more than a general tour; still some may look to the exclusivity with extra advantage.
- Accessibility: Cabs do have ease-of-access across small lanes generally hard to access for big transports.
A London Black Taxi Tour perhaps allows the ultimate experience if one considers the idea of a quite bespoke travel with both character together and know-how. While expensive at the time compared with other typical selections, a blend with special knowledge of places and versatile ability it displays renders a special journey through the centre, so with such close scrutiny, does this offer right feeling for exploring?