London City Square Mile Empire, Trade & Finance History Walking Tour

From Roman port to global empire:
follow 2,000 years of London

Meet your expert guide in front of All Hallows by the Tower to begin the Square Mile walking tour. Over more than 2 hours, learn how a Roman riverside crossing became a global hub and how merchants and entrepreneurs built an empire through trade.

Follow the money past ruins and markets

Pass the ruins of St Dunstan in the East and the Monument to the Great Fire of London, stroll through Leadenhall Market, and at the Jamaica Wine House hear how ideas born in London's coffeehouses helped shape modern capitalism. Then stand before the Royal Exchange and the Bank of England to learn how institutions founded centuries ago still influence the world today.

Hear the honest story of empire's light and shadow

Stories of ambition and innovation are told alongside exploitation and cultural exchange. From the slave trade and the East India Company to India, Windrush and the legacy of empire in modern Britain, you hear both the good and the dark sides.

Pass the Guildhall and finish at the Barbican

After visiting the Guildhall, the tour ends at the Barbican, known for its modernist Brutalist architecture. Built on an area completely destroyed by bombing in 1940, it is a fitting place to wrap up the story of a city that keeps reinventing itself.

※ The itinerary is for reference only and may change depending on local conditions.
※ Entry to the Bank of England Museum and the Guildhall Art Gallery is not included.