Black History seasonFree
Camden Black History
Eight stories of resistance, community and independence are available wherever you are or along the Camden walk.
- 8 stories
- 67 min walk
- 4.2 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.
Play full-length stories anywhere, including at home.
7-Day Pass
$8.99 / 7 days
Explore London for 7 days with a single payment that does not renew automatically.
Play full-length stories anywhere, including at home.
Wanderwalk+ Annual
$29.99 / year
Explore throughout the year with a subscription that renews through Apple until you cancel.
Play full-length stories anywhere, including at home.
Every paid option includes all London stories and curated walks. Camden Black History and Bankside at Work are always free.
Before you head out
Planning your walk
Wanderwalk is a London sightseeing app with audio. Stories play as you reach each place.
What is a London walking tour app?
Wanderwalk is a London walking tour app for iPhone. It has 35 curated walks.
Is there a self-guided walking tour London app?
Yes. Wanderwalk is a self-guided walking tour app for London on iPhone, with 35 walks.
Can I do a London walking tour without a guide?
Wanderwalk is a GPS audio walking tour app for iPhone, for people exploring London on foot at their own pace. Read how to do a London walking tour without a guide.
How do I do a London walking tour on my own?
You can do a London walking tour on your own with Wanderwalk.
What is an alternative to a guided walking tour in London?
You can start a self-guided audio walk when you like. A guided tour is better if you want to ask a guide questions.
Is Wanderwalk an audio guide for London?
Yes. Wanderwalk is an audio guide to London for iPhone, with 35 curated walks and 2 free walks.
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 has 35 curated walks, 2 free walks and about 4,500 London stories on iPhone. VoiceMap is better if you need Android or audio tours in other cities.
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.
Is there an app that tells me stories about London as I walk?
Yes. Wanderwalk is an iPhone app that plays a story of about 90 seconds when you come within about 40 metres of the place it describes. Choose one of 35 curated walks, or use Wander mode to hear nearby stories with no fixed route. Your phone can stay in your pocket while you listen.
Can I hear stories about the streets on my daily route?
Yes. Wander mode has no fixed route, so it works on a walk you already take every day. It plays stories you have not heard yet when you pass the places they describe. Wanderwalk has about 4,500 London stories, and Wander mode needs a pass or subscription after the free 15-minute trial.
Are there short London history stories I can listen to in 5 minutes?
Yes. A Wanderwalk story lasts about 90 seconds, and it plays when you reach the place it describes. In Wander mode you can stop after one story or keep walking for more. Curated walks take 5 to 34 minutes, including walking and audio.
Is there a 90-minute London walk with a proper story?
Wanderwalk does not have a 90-minute curated walk. Each curated walk follows one historical thread and takes 5 to 34 minutes, and the free Camden Black History walk takes about 67 minutes. For a longer outing, the app can make you a surprise route, with a story of about 90 seconds at each place along the way. When a walk ends, you can also switch to Wander mode and keep hearing stories nearby.
Can I listen to Wanderwalk at home before my trip?
Yes. With a pass or subscription, you can play full-length stories anywhere, including at home. Without one, you hear 20-second previews, plus the free Camden Black History and Bankside at Work collections and the full Bow Street story. A 3-Day or 7-Day Pass starts counting when you buy it, so buy it when you start exploring and see prices to compare.
Can someone who cannot come into London follow the same walk from home?
Yes. They can play the same walk's stories at home on their own iPhone while you hear them on the streets. The 2 phones are not linked, so each of you listens at your own pace. Passes cannot be shared and there is no Family Sharing, so they need their own pass or subscription for paid walks. Without one, they can listen to the free Camden Black History and Bankside at Work walks in full.
Can friends listen to a walk together on separate phones?
No. Wanderwalk does not have a shared or synced listening mode. Each person needs the app on their own iPhone and starts the walk themselves. A small group can also listen through one phone's speaker.
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, $8.99 7-Day Pass or $29.99 annual subscription.
Walks and stories across London
Wanderwalk has 35 curated walks, 2 free walks and about 4,500 London stories.
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.
