7 Best Private London Bike Tours (2025 Reviews)

London private tours reveal the capital’s hidden soul in ways that double-decker buses cannot match.

There’s something deliciously intimate about pedaling through centuries-old streets while your guide whispers secrets about royal scandals and Victorian mischief into the morning air.

The city transforms completely when viewed from a bicycle saddle. Suddenly, you notice architectural details that tour buses thunder past, catching glimpses of Londoners living their beautifully ordinary lives and feeling the pulse of this ancient metropolis beneath your wheels.

Our comprehensive reviews below showcase the finest private cycling adventures London has to offer, from secret route discoveries to gin-fueled jaunts through the capital’s most spirited neighborhoods.

Want to include the whole family in your private London adventure? These exclusive tours complement perfectly with family-oriented cycling experiences. Don’t miss our 7 best private London family bike tours featuring child-safe routes and engaging historical storytelling.

For more variety, explore our 8 London sightseeing bike tours offering diverse routes and group experiences. Check our complete London bike tours overview for additional private and group options.

Top 3: London Private Tours by Bike

Quick Picks: Private Tours of London

1. Private Bike Tour of London
2. London: Private Bike Tour
3. London’s Best Kept Secret Bike Tour
4. Secret London Tour by Bike
5. Private Royal London Bike Tour with pub & street art
6. Private London Gin Safari: A Spirited, Juniper-Fuelled Jaunt
7. Bike Tour of London – Top Attractions with Private Guide

Best Private Bike Tours in London (2025 Reviews)

Tour 1: Private Bike Tour of London

🟩 Start Location: Westminster Bridge, near Big Ben
🟩 Start Time: Flexible scheduling between 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM
🟩 Ride Duration: 3 hours
🟩 Cycling Guide: Professional English-speaking guide with London history expertise
🟩 Free Cancellation: Yes, up to 24 hours before departure
🟩 Your Ride Includes: Premium touring bikes, safety helmets, professional guide, customizable route planning, historical commentary, photo assistance

Tour Review:

You know that moment when you’re standing on Westminster Bridge, watching the Thames flow lazily beneath while Big Ben looms like a Victorian grandfather disapproving of your tourist enthusiasm? That’s precisely where our cycling adventure began, and I immediately felt that familiar flutter of “What have I gotten myself into?”

Our guide, Emma, appeared like some cycling fairy godmother, armed with bikes that looked suspiciously more professional than my usual weekend wobbles through suburbia. She had a wonderful way of sizing up our family dynamics within minutes, noting my teenager’s eye rolls, my partner’s competitive streak, and my own tendency to stop every thirty seconds for photos.

The genius of this tour lies in its complete adaptability. When my daughter declared herself “officially bored” by constitutional monarchy after our first royal palace encounter, Emma seamlessly pivoted to tales of Victorian London’s more scandalous residents. Suddenly, we were cycling past former gambling dens and learning about the city’s surprisingly colorful underground characters.

I particularly loved how we navigated through St. James’s Park, where Emma pointed out the exact spot where Charles II used to walk his spaniels (apparently, he was quite the dog enthusiast, a detail that immediately elevated him in my children’s estimation). The Private Bike Tour of London transformed what could have been a standard sightseeing checklist into an intimate conversation with centuries of London life.

By the time we reached Tower Bridge, even my skeptical teenager was asking thoughtful questions about medieval bridge engineering. Emma had somehow made history feel immediate and personal, like gossiping with old friends rather than memorizing textbook facts.

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Tour 2: London: Private Bike Tour

🟩 Start Location: Covent Garden Plaza, near the Royal Opera House
🟩 Start Time: Flexible daily scheduling from 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
🟩 Ride Duration: 3 hours
🟩 Cycling Guide: Local London expert with personalized storytelling approach
🟩 Free Cancellation: Yes, up to 24 hours before departure
🟩 Your Ride Includes: Quality hybrid bikes, safety helmets, route customization, professional guide, historical insights, refreshment recommendations

Tour Review:

Standing in Covent Garden at half-past nine on a crisp London morning, surrounded by the gentle chaos of street performers warming up their acts, I had that delicious flutter of anticipation you get before stepping into the unknown. Our guide, Sophie, appeared with bikes that looked reassuringly sturdy (always a relief when you’re about to entrust your well-being to two wheels and London traffic).

Sophie had this almost supernatural talent for reading our little family orchestra – spotting immediately that my husband would roll his eyes at any mention of “quintessentially British charm” while my daughter was already craning her neck at every gargoyle and weathered stone face carved into the building’s corners.

And me? Well, she clocked my tendency to get completely sidetracked by the most random historical footnotes within about ten minutes. One casual mention of plague pits beneath our feet, and I was ready to abandon the entire itinerary for a deep dive into medieval sanitation practices.

Sophie just smiled knowingly and tucked away these little observations, weaving them into our route like she was conducting some invisible symphony of curiosity and restlessness. Within minutes, she’d crafted what felt less like a tour and more like a personalized London love letter written in pedal strokes and pavement.

We meandered through the theatrical heart of the West End, where Sophie shared deliciously scandalous tales of Victorian music hall performers who once graced these very streets. “That building there,” she gestured toward a rather prim-looking facade, “once housed London’s most notorious can-can dancers.” My teenager’s eyes widened with the kind of genuine interest usually reserved for TikTok videos.

The real revelation came as we cycled along the South Bank, where the Thames sparkled like scattered diamonds in the morning light. Sophie had this gift for making centuries collapse – one moment, we were discussing medieval river crossings; the next, we were imagining Virginia Woolf walking these very embankments, wrestling with her next novel.

Halfway through our journey, having stumbled upon the London: Private Bike Tour quite by accident while researching authentic local experiences, I found myself marveling at how Sophie transformed familiar landmarks into intimate confidants sharing their deepest secrets.

Tour 3: London’s Best Kept Secret Bike Tour

🟩 Start Location: South Bank, near Tate Modern
🟩 Start Time: Daily tours at 10:00 AM and 2:00 PM
🟩 Ride Duration: 3.5 hours
🟩 Cycling Guide: Local London specialist with secret location expertise
🟩 Free Cancellation: Yes, up to 24 hours before departure
🟩 Your Ride Includes: Hybrid touring bikes, safety helmets, expert guide, hidden locations map, Victorian mystery stories, photo opportunities

Tour Review:

Oh, the delicious thrill of being promised London’s “best-kept secrets” while standing on the South Bank, watching tourists stream predictably toward the Globe Theatre like well-meaning lemmings! I confess that I approached this tour with the healthy skepticism of someone who has been disappointed by “secret” experiences that turned out to be as exclusive as a Starbucks queue.

However, Marcus, our guide, possessed that rare quality of looking genuinely conspiratorial while discussing bicycle maintenance, which was always a promising sign. Within moments of setting off, he’d whisked us down a cobblestone alley I’d walked past hundreds of times without noticing, revealing a hidden courtyard where medieval merchants once hawked their wares to suspicious Tudor housewives.

The genius of this adventure lies in its delightful subversion of tourist expectations. While other cyclists dutifully photographed Big Ben for the thousandth time, we found ourselves peering through the railings of a secret garden where Charles Dickens allegedly wrote portions of Oliver Twist (though Marcus admitted with charming honesty that this particular claim was “historically questionable but romantically irresistible”).

Each revelation felt like unwrapping a present I didn’t know I wanted. A tiny Victorian cemetery tucked behind a modern office building, complete with weathered headstones bearing wonderfully melodramatic epitaphs. A narrow passage where body snatchers once conducted their grisly trade is now home to the city’s most photogenic collection of street art.

Midway through our journey of discovery, having booked London’s Best Kept Secret Bike Tour on a whim after reading tantalizing reviews, I realized Marcus had achieved something rather magical – he’d made me fall in love with London all over again, like rediscovering my favorite songs I’d forgotten I knew.

Tour 4: Secret London Tour by Bike

🟩 Start Location: Borough Market, Southwark Street entrance
🟩 Start Time: Morning tours at 9:30 AM and afternoon at 2:30 PM
🟩 Ride Duration: 3 hours
🟩 Cycling Guide: Local historian with storytelling expertise and secret location access
🟩 Free Cancellation: Yes, up to 24 hours before departure
🟩 Your Ride Includes: Premium hybrid bikes, safety helmets, expert guide, secret location access, historical storytelling, complimentary refreshment stop

Tour Review:

You know that delicious moment when someone leans in close and murmurs, “Want to see something amazing?” and suddenly, the air itself seems to shimmer with secrets? That’s exactly what happened as I stood there outside Borough Market, practically drunk on the smell of aged Stilton and crusty bread that could make a person weep, when James appeared beside us like some culinary magician – complete with a fleet of bikes and this absolutely mischievous smile that promised trouble of the very best kind.

The man had the look of someone who’d spent years collecting London’s hidden stories, the way other people collect stamps or regrettable tattoos. And there we were, clutching our coffee cups like amateur adventurers about to be let in on the city’s best-kept conspiracy.

James possessed that rare gift of making you feel instantly complicit in something delightfully subversive, the sort of person who probably knows which pub Virginia Woolf frequented when she needed to escape Bloomsbury’s intellectual intensity (and indeed, he did). His first trick was pure theater – marching us straight toward what looked like solid brick, then watching our faces as we discovered the narrow Victorian passageway hidden behind centuries of grime and tourist oblivion. One moment, we were drowning in the usual Covent Garden scrum; the next, we’d slipped through some invisible portal into hushed cobblestone silence.

The whole experience unfolded like chasing clues through London’s private journal. Every corner we turned seemed to unlock another jealously hoarded secret – a sun-dappled courtyard that felt like stumbling into someone’s back garden, a pub so authentically crooked it looked ready to topple into the Thames, all stitched together by lanes that definitely weren’t on any tourist map.

I kept expecting to bump into other groups doing the exact same route, but we never did. It was as if our guide had discovered these places himself, maybe decades ago during some long-forgotten afternoon when he should have been doing something sensible instead of poking around London’s forgotten corners.

We discovered a Roman bathhouse lurking beneath a modern coffee shop, complete with original mosaic tiles that have been quietly witnessing human folly for nearly two millennia. James explained the archaeological significance while I secretly wondered if ancient Romans also struggled with their morning caffeine requirements.

Each revelation is built upon the last with the satisfying logic of a well-constructed mystery novel. A hidden Dickensian court where the great novelist allegedly conducted research for his grittier characters (though James admitted with scholarly honesty that Dickens probably visited half the questionable establishments in Victorian London). A smuggler’s tunnel that once connected Thames-side taverns to surprisingly respectable Georgian townhouses.

The absolute highlight came when we stumbled upon a secret garden tucked impossibly between two concrete office towers. Here, having booked the Secret London Tour by Bike, which I had chosen entirely based on my weakness for mysterious adventures, I found myself sharing afternoon tea with the ghosts of centuries past while pigeons conducted their ancient parliament overhead.

Tour 5: Private Royal London Bike Tour with pub & street art

🟩 Start Location: Trafalgar Square, near Nelson’s Column
🟩 Start Time: Tours available at 11:00 AM and 3:00 PM daily
🟩 Ride Duration: 4 hours
🟩 Cycling Guide: Cultural specialist with royal history and street art expertise
🟩 Free Cancellation: Yes, up to 24 hours before departure
🟩 Your Ride Includes: Quality touring bikes, safety helmets, expert guide, pub recommendations, street art locations, royal palace insights, refreshment breaks

Tour Review:

There’s something deliciously anarchic about beginning a royal tour beneath Nelson’s watchful gaze. At the same time, your guide, Alex, casually mentions that our first stop involves seeking out unauthorized Banksy works that would make the palace press office positively apoplectic. I found myself grinning like a conspirator as we wheeled our bikes past tourists dutifully photographing the Fourth Plinth, completely unaware of the subversive adventure about to unfold.

Alex possessed that magical quality of making you feel simultaneously educated and slightly rebellious, rather like having tea with a particularly entertaining history professor who also happens to moonlight as a street art curator. Within minutes, he’d transformed our innocent cycling expedition into what felt like an underground cultural safari through London’s most fascinating contradictions.

The genius of this tour lies in its absolutely bonkers juxtaposition of buttoned-up royal protocol and gloriously irreverent street culture. One moment, we’re cycling past Buckingham Palace. At the same time, Alex whispers scandalous tidbits about Queen Victoria’s notorious appetite for Highland servants (historically documented, apparently), and the next thing we know, we’re crouched in a Shoreditch alley examining a piece of guerrilla art that appeared overnight, like urban magic.

The pub component proved equally revelatory, not your typical tourist trap serving lukewarm fish and chips, but a proper Victorian gin palace where Charles Dickens allegedly nursed his creative demons while observing the theatrical parade of London life. Alex had clearly done his homework, producing historical anecdotes with the timing of a seasoned performer while somehow managing to navigate London traffic with the grace of a swan.

The absolute crescendo came when we discovered a spectacular Banksy hidden behind what appeared to be the world’s most boring office building. Standing there, having booked the Private Royal London Bike Tour with pub & street art on what felt like a wonderfully impulsive whim, I marveled at how Alex had woven together centuries of royal pomp with contemporary creative rebellion into one utterly coherent London love story.

Tour 6: Private London Gin Safari: A Spirited, Juniper-Fuelled Jaunt

🟩 Start Location: Camden Market, main entrance off Chalk Farm Road
🟩 Start Time: Afternoon tours at 1:00 PM and 4:00 PM
🟩 Ride Duration: 4 hours
🟩 Cycling Guide: Gin specialist and local food expert with distillery connections
🟩 Free Cancellation: Yes, up to 24 hours before departure
🟩 Your Ride Includes: Premium touring bikes, safety helmets, gin expert guide, distillery visits, tasting sessions, food market exploration, juniper history lessons

Tour Review:

Oh, the evil delight of being told you’re about to embark on a “gin safari” while standing in Camden Market surrounded by the intoxicating chaos of vintage leather jackets, artisanal pickle vendors, and buskers performing what I can only describe as interpretive jazz! I confess that I approached this adventure with the giddy anticipation of someone who had just been handed permission to misbehave in the most educational way possible.

Our guide, Rupert, resembled a Victorian gin scholar who had accidentally time-traveled into skinny jeans and cycling gear, complete with encyclopedic knowledge of London’s spirited past and the kind of infectious enthusiasm that makes you want to reorganize your entire social calendar around distillery visits immediately. His opening lecture on the “Gin Craze of 1720” was delivered with such theatrical flair that nearby tourists began eavesdropping as if they were attending a street theater performance.

The absolute genius of this tour lies in its gloriously boozy marriage of cultural education and responsible hedonism. We cycled through neighborhoods where “Mother’s Ruin” once flowed like rivers of liquid rebellion. At the same time, Rupert regaled us with tales of gin palaces that served as Victorian social media places where gossip, politics, and creative inspiration swirled together like botanical spirits in a perfectly crafted martini.

Each distillery stop revealed another layer of London’s fascinatingly complex relationship with juniper-infused enlightenment. A tiny craft operation tucked behind a Georgian townhouse, where the master distiller explained his process with the passionate intensity of someone describing their firstborn child. A historic gin palace restored to its original Victorian splendor, complete with etched mirrors and brass fittings that have witnessed centuries of London’s most interesting conversations.

The tour reached its magnificent crescendo at a rooftop distillery overlooking the Thames, where London sprawled beneath us like a living map of our afternoon’s adventures.

Standing there with a perfectly crafted gin and tonic, having booked the Private London Gin Safari: A Spirited, Juniper-Fuelled Jaunt in what I now recognize as a moment of pure inspirational genius, I realized Rupert had transformed what could have been simple day drinking into an absolutely profound meditation on London’s enduring capacity for reinvention and joy.

Tour 7: Bike Tour of London – Top Attractions with Private Guide

🟩 Start Location: Hyde Park Corner, Wellington Arch meeting point
🟩 Start Time: Multiple daily departures from 9:00 AM – 3:00 PM
🟩 Ride Duration: 3 hours
🟩 Cycling Guide: Professional London guide with major landmarks expertise
🟩 Free Cancellation: Yes, up to 24 hours before departure
🟩 Your Ride Includes: Premium hybrid bikes, safety helmets, professional guide, major attraction visits, photo opportunities, historical commentary, route flexibility

Tour Review:

Standing beneath Wellington Arch on a perfectly crisp London morning, watching double-decker buses lumber past like red elephants in some whimsical urban parade, I felt that familiar tingle of anticipation that comes with knowing you’re about to see familiar sights through completely fresh eyes. Our guide, Catherine, materialized with the kind of infectious energy that makes you immediately suspect she knows something wonderful that you don’t – which, as it turned out, was absolutely correct.

Catherine possessed that magical quality of making even the most photographed landmarks feel like personal discoveries shared between old friends. Within moments, she’d transformed our modest cycling expedition into what felt like a backstage pass to London’s greatest theatrical performance, complete with insider gossip spanning eight centuries of royal drama, political intrigue, and architectural ambition.

The absolute brilliance of this tour lies in its masterful choreography of London’s greatest hits, orchestrated with the precision of a symphony conductor who understands that timing is everything. We swept past Buckingham Palace just as the Guard was changing (Catherine had timed this with Swiss watch precision) paused at Westminster Abbey. At the same time, she whispered deliciously scandalous tales of royal weddings gone wrong and arrived at Tower Bridge precisely when the afternoon light transformed the Thames into liquid gold.

Each landmark revealed unexpected layers beneath its tourist-postcard veneer. Big Ben, I learned, once stopped for an entire day because a flock of starlings decided to stage an impromptu protest on its hands (apparently, even Victorian birds had political opinions). The London Eye, Catherine explained with deadpan humor, was originally intended as a temporary installation, much like Christmas decorations that somehow remain up until Easter in most households.

The tour reached its crescendo at St. Paul’s Cathedral, where Catherine’s passionate description of Christopher Wren’s architectural genius was delivered with such theatrical flair that passing tourists began clustering around us, as if we were performing street theater. Standing there, having booked the Bike Tour of London – Top Attractions with Private Guide with the pragmatic hope of efficient sightseeing, I realized Catherine had achieved something far more profound; she’d made London’s most familiar face feel wonderfully, mysteriously new again.

FAQs 7 Best Private London Bike Tours (2025 Reviews)

What should I wear for these private London bike tours?

Oh, the eternal London wardrobe dilemma! I’ve learned through delicious trial and error that layers are your absolute best friend. Think comfortable trousers (nothing too flowing that might tangle in spokes), sturdy shoes that won’t slip off the pedals mid-adventure, and a light jacket that you can into a backpack when the sun decides to make an appearance. Most importantly, forget about looking Instagram-perfect and embrace that wonderfully windswept “I’ve been cycling through centuries of history” aesthetic that honestly suits everyone.

Are these tours suitable for beginner cyclists or those who haven’t ridden in years?

Darling, if I can manage these tours after a decade of considering walking to the corner shop as adequate exercise, then absolutely anyone can! Most guides are remarkably patient with wobbly starts and forgotten gear-changing techniques. The routes cleverly utilize London’s extensive park systems and quieter streets, so you won’t find yourself playing chicken with black cabs while relearning how to balance. Plus, there’s something rather liberating about rediscovering your cycling legs while exploring one of the world’s great cities.

How do these private tours handle London’s unpredictable weather?

London weather is rather like a theatrical performance – you never quite know what act you’re going to get! Most operators provide waterproof gear faster than you can say “scattered showers,” and I’ve discovered that cycling in light London drizzle actually adds a wonderfully atmospheric quality to the experience (everything looks properly Dickensian and romantic). Heavy downpours usually trigger rescheduling, though some guides joke that “real Londoners consider umbrellas a sign of weakness.”

Can these tours be customized to suit specific interests, such as royal history or street art?

This is where private tours absolutely shine like the Crown Jewels! I’ve watched guides pivot from lectures on constitutional monarchy to histories of underground music venues faster than you can change gears, all based on subtle family dynamics they’ve read with Sherlock Holmes-level precision. Whether your passion involves Tudor scandals, Victorian engineering marvels, or contemporary street art that would make the Royal Academy positively scandalized, most guides possess encyclopedic knowledge that can be tailored to your particular obsessions.

What happens if someone in our group can’t keep up with the cycling pace?

That’s precisely where private tours shine – guides read the group like seasoned conductors, adjusting tempo without missing a beat. I’ve watched them seamlessly transform what could be awkward lagging moments into perfectly timed “historical pauses” beside conveniently positioned landmarks. The pace typically hovers around “leisurely constitutional” rather than “cardiovascular punishment,” designed for soaking up London’s atmosphere rather than building Olympic-worthy leg muscles. Most guides possess an almost supernatural ability to spot fatigue before it becomes a problem, suggesting strategic coffee breaks at historically significant cafes or creating photo opportunities that double as rest stops.

Are food and drink stops included in these London cycling tours?

This varies deliciously depending on your chosen adventure! The gin safari obviously involves rather more liquid refreshment than your average historical tour. At the same time, some guides point you toward their favorite hidden pubs or artisanal coffee shops that tourists never discover. I always pack emergency snacks (hungry cyclists can become remarkably grumpy). However, many tours include strategic stops at Borough Market or other foodie destinations where you can sample everything from proper British cheeses to international delicacies.

How safe is cycling through London with a private guide?

Having initially approached London cycling with the trepidation typically reserved for bungee jumping, experienced guides navigate traffic with the same ease as seasoned ballet dancers. They position themselves strategically, one leading and one following, creating a protective bubble around your group while utilizing bike lanes, park paths, and quieter residential streets that regular tourists often overlook. Most tours avoid the absolute chaos of rush hour, and guides possess an almost supernatural ability to anticipate traffic patterns and pedestrian movements.

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501Places Steve Rickers Ranking: Private Bike Tour of London