Black History MonthFree
Camden Black History
Nine stories of resistance, community and independence are available wherever you are or along the Camden walk.
- 9 stories
- 71 min walk
- 4.4 km
London walking tour app: self-guided audio walks
WanderWalk audio tours of London
Take the
long way
home
Explore London with a self-guided audio walk on your iPhone. Choose a route or wander at your own pace while WanderWalk plays stories as you reach the places behind them.
Made in London for walks around the city.
Inside the app
Learn every time you walk
A different side of the city
Find a walk
that interests you
Featured collectionFree
Bankside
at Work
Explore working life on London's riverside with a free walk and a separate collection of 10 stories.
- 7 stops
- Bankside
Curated walkPaid access
Thief-Takers and Hidden Rooms
Covent Garden, Lincoln's Inn and the Temple
- 7 stops
- 34 min
- 1.3 miles
Curated walkPaid access
Cheyne Walk
Chelsea Riverside
- 5 stops
- 23 min
- 0.9 miles
The estimated times include walking and audio, so allow longer if you want to stop along the way.
Try a free story
How the Bow Street
Runners began
Hear how a magistrate at Bow Street started London's first official law enforcement service in 1749.
Explore the Bow Street storyFree full storyCovent Garden
Bow Street Police Museum
Listen to the full Bow Street story
without creating an account.
The audio could not play. Try again or read the transcript below.
Read the transcript
In seventeen forty-nine, a magistrate at Bow Street tried something London had never had. Henry Fielding paid a small group of men to go out and investigate crime, and they became known as the Bow Street Runners. They were trained, they were paid, and they were attached to the court. The museum here calls them London's first official law enforcement service, and this was decades before the Metropolitan Police existed. The building in front of you came much later, the police station and magistrates' court that opened in eighteen eighty-one. The cases heard here reached well beyond ordinary crime. In eighteen ninety-five, Oscar Wilde was held overnight in a cell here. In nineteen oh eight, Emmeline and Christabel Pankhurst stood in its dock, after a suffragette demonstration at Parliament. Most of the building is a hotel now. But part of the old station is the Bow Street Police Museum, where you can walk into the cells and see the police and court history kept inside.
Getting started
Hear stories
as you walk
- 01
Choose a walk
Choose a curated route or use Wander mode to explore at your own pace.
- 02
Listen as you reach each place
WanderWalk plays short stories based on historical sources as you reach the places they describe.
- 03
Stop whenever you like
You can pause for a coffee or take a detour before continuing to the next story.
Playback controls and transcripts
Listen with your
phone in your pocket
The audio keeps playing with your screen locked or your phone in a bag.
With the audio player, you can:
- read the full transcript of every story, alongside the audio or instead of listening
- see a street view of each location with Apple Maps Look Around
- pause or resume playback from the lock screen or Control Centre
- skip back 15 seconds if you miss something
- adjust the narration speed
- use autoplay to find the next nearby story, with a countdown before it begins
Passes and subscriptions
Choose how long
you want to explore
Your free 15-minute trial starts when GPS triggers your first story. Browsing and 20-second previews do not start the clock. Bow Street plays in full from anywhere.
How the trial works3-Day Pass
£4.99 / 3 days
Explore London for 3 days with a single payment that does not renew automatically.
7-Day Pass
£7.99 / 7 days
Explore London for 7 days with a single payment that does not renew automatically.
WanderWalk+ Annual
£29.99 / year
Explore throughout the year with a subscription that renews through Apple until you cancel.
Every paid option includes all London stories and curated walks. Camden Black History and Bankside at Work stay free.
Before you head out
Planning your walk
Can I do a London walking tour without a guide?
Yes. WanderWalk is a London walking tour app for iPhone, so you do not need a guide. Choose one of 35 curated walks or wander at your own pace. A short story plays as you reach each place.
How do I do a London walking tour on my own?
Download WanderWalk, choose a walk and put your headphones in. Follow the map to the first stop. Each story plays when you arrive, and you can pause whenever you like.
What is an alternative to a guided walking tour in London?
A self-guided audio walk is an alternative to a guided walking tour in London. You start when you like and walk at your own pace, with no group or fixed meeting time. WanderWalk has 35 curated London walks. Camden Black History and Bankside at Work are free.
What is the best audio guide for London?
The best audio guide for London depends on how you like to explore. WanderWalk suits people who want to walk. It plays short stories based on historical sources as you reach the places they describe. It covers 35 curated walks and 4,500 London stories on iPhone.
Can I take a London walk with commentary?
Yes. Every WanderWalk route is a London walk with commentary. The commentary plays as you reach each stop. You can read the transcript or pause the audio from your lock screen.
How location starts each story
WanderWalk uses your location to play short narrated stories as you reach places in London. Follow a curated walk or use Wander mode to hear stories nearby.
Listening with headphones
You can use any headphones or earbuds to listen while your phone stays in your pocket. The phone speaker also works.
Listening without a signal
Downloaded stories keep playing through poor signal, including in tunnels and basements. You need data to load the map and download audio before its first play.
Free listening and paid access
Your one-time 15-minute trial starts when GPS triggers your first London story. Browsing and 20-second previews do not start the clock. You can also hear Bow Street Police Museum in full from anywhere. All London stories and walks are included with a £4.99 3-Day Pass, £7.99 7-Day Pass or £29.99 annual subscription.
Walks and stories across London
WanderWalk has 35 curated walks and 4,500 individual London stories, with more to come.
Location and data use
WanderWalk uses location while you use the app, and your phone chooses which story to play. Downloaded audio stays on your phone, so it does not stream again each time you pass.
Location privacy
WanderWalk uses precise location only while you use the app, mainly on your phone, to choose a story. We do not sell your location or share it for advertising. The privacy policy has full details.
Where to download the app
WanderWalk is available for iPhone on the App Store. You can try 15 GPS-triggered minutes free in London, hear 20-second previews anywhere or play Bow Street in full.
Download WanderWalk for iPhone
Start your next
London walk
Download WanderWalk to hear the stories behind the places you pass in London.
