walk/tour
Guildhall Yard, EC2V 5AE
Trade and craft guilds have flourished for centuries. The City of London’s Livery Companies are unique in their survival, number, and diversity. While the original social and economic conditions that created these original guilds have long been overtaken by modern commerce, these fascinating institutions still flourish today. Join us to explore their enduring history and modern impact.
Bank, Cannon Street, Mansion House, Moorgate
Cannon Street, City Thameslink, Farringdon, Liverpool Street
133, 21, 25, 141, 26, 76
Tour end: Dowgate Hill Nearby tube stations: Cannon St, Bank Nearby train stations: Cannon St, Blackfriars
This is a walking tour, accessible where possible. There are some uneven surfaces and steps during this tour.
The City of London is not busy at the weekends. The environment would be quiet.
Walking tour
10:30–11:30
How to book
Please create a free visitor account to book your festival tickets.
Walking tour
11:30–12:30
How to book
Please create a free visitor account to book your festival tickets.
Walking tour
12:30–13:30
How to book
Please create a free visitor account to book your festival tickets.
Walking tour
13:30–14:30
How to book
Please create a free visitor account to book your festival tickets.
Walking tour
14:30–15:30
How to book
Please create a free visitor account to book your festival tickets.
Walking tour
10:30–11:30
How to book
Please create a free visitor account to book your festival tickets.
Walking tour
11:30–12:30
How to book
Please create a free visitor account to book your festival tickets.
Walking tour
12:30–13:30
How to book
Please create a free visitor account to book your festival tickets.
Walking tour
13:30–14:30
How to book
Please create a free visitor account to book your festival tickets.
Walking tour
14:30–15:30
How to book
Please create a free visitor account to book your festival tickets.
Step into a world of ancient commerce and enduring tradition. While the medieval social and economic conditions that created London’s original craft guilds have long since passed, the City of London livery companies are unique in their survival, number, and diversity, continuing to flourish today.
On this walk, we will explore the fascinating evolution of these trade associations, from the butchers and bakers of the Middle Ages to modern technological guilds. We’ll wind through historic streets to discover their grand architectural halls, rich pageantry, and how they shape the modern City through charity, fellowship, and education.
The tours will take place on Saturday 19 and Sunday 20 September 2026 at 10:30, 11:30, 12:30, 13:30, 14:30. Each tour will last 1h to 1h30m.
The City of London, famously known as the Square Mile, serves as London's premier financial district and a historic heart that has flourished since the Roman foundation. This dense urban landscape offers an exceptionally rich environment shaped by centuries of trade, commerce, and ceremony.
While home to only 8,000 residents, the City transforms on weekdays as it welcomes over half a million workers and attracts 10 million annual visitors. Its boundaries extend from the River Thames in the south to Barbican and Golden Lane in the north, and from Chancery Lane and Temple in the west to Liverpool Street and the Tower of London in the east.