Around London using mobile apps: the unusual tour

London welcomes tens of millions of tourists every year, with people travelling from all around the world to experience the city and its fascinating history. With so many visitors, the well-established tourist spots can get extremely busy, especially during peak seasons, but there are lots of alternatives available to visitors.

Whether you want to sample the theatre, take in some top sporting events, shop for the latest fashions, visit historic sites, or experience the culinary culture of London, there is something for everyone, and exploring some alternative ways to tour the city can provide a unique perspective.

Gambling Tour

The UK is known for its love of gambling, with a great selection of race tracks, casinos, and betting offices (just think of the famous Hippodrome Casino, among many other venues). London has an excellent selection of betting locations worth checking out, and visitors can also browse the best online casino apps UK bettors have access to. 

This means that visitors can make the most of retail betting facilities and also place wagers in their hotels or while enjoying other attractions the city has to offer.

Hidden History

Finding a historic tour in London is easy, with many guides earning a living from taking people about the rich and fascinating history of the city. Everything from tales of royalty to ghosts and Jack the Ripper can be learned about in this way.

Alternatively, apps like Wanderbe, Uncovered London, and London History AR provide people with an excellent way to discover unusual locations, with map-linked narratives and AR integration to see what London might have looked like in the past.

Literary Tours

With the rise of booktok and bookstagram, the literary world is enjoying a renaissance, with readers hoping to learn more about their favourite British authors. London is a great location to visit, with iconic bookshops catering to all tastes.

Visitors can also learn more about locations used in literary works, as well as where famous writers lived and worked. With classic authors like Shakespeare, Dickens, and Virginia Woolf having spent time in the city, there are some great locations worth exploring, and TrailTale and GPSmyCity can help with this.

It is also worth noting that bookshop apps can be worth using to discover if they have any special events coming soon, like unique edition releases or author signings.

Street Art Tours

London is packed with museums and galleries, and art lovers will have no shortage of places to visit. One of the more fun ways to see modern art in the real world is by using the Street Art Cities app to discover some incredible pieces. 

While Banksy might be the big name in street art for many, this app will provide locations of some other incredible artists and their work. This can provide some of the most photogenic locations and artwork in the city.

Audio Tours

Anyone who has walked the streets of London will know that world-famous sites and incredible locations can appear out of nowhere, making it a truly magical place to visit. One of the best ways to enjoy walking the city is by listening to audio tours while on the move.

VoiceMap is an excellent option for visitors to London, with GPS-activated audio providing incredible content for visitors on the move. This gives people far greater freedom than more regimented group tours, and can be enjoyed while travelling to and from specific destinations.

Available on Android and iOS, VoiceMap gives users the choice of free and paid tours for 75 countries, making it an excellent option for people who enjoy travelling and want to learn more about the locations they visit. One of the things that users enjoy most about this is that it reacts to your location and provides directions, helping users enjoy the local area without being stuck to their phone screens.

Music History

London has an incredible music scene and has been instrumental in the development of some of the world’s most popular artists. Singing Streets gives users a great way of finding locations in London tied to historic recordings and more. Discover where some of your favourite songs were written while learning more about the backstories behind the UK music scene while touring London.

It is unlikely that anyone visiting London will find themselves bored, but there is nothing worse than getting back from a trip and finding out about an incredible location that you missed out on.

Taking advantage of a variety of tour apps to find the best locations will help tourists discover some incredible under-the-radar locations, avoid crowds at the bigger attractions, and enjoy a truly unique experience.

Loading up your phone with apps before visiting will give you the opportunity to plan your itinerary, or you can play it by ear and see what locations you can make it to when you have the time.