YOUR LONDON TOURS – ABOUT US

Your London Tours was established as an independent tour company in 2005. The company was restructured during 2021 and is now under new management based in Surrey. In London, we now offer private guided tours by tube, guided walks and internal tours of attractions. Out of London we offer private guided tours by car.

All our tours are aimed at couples, families, friends or small groups up to 10 persons.  Usually comprehensive or theme based, our tours been researched and designed by our staff and are exclusive to Your London Tours & associates (copyright applies). Selected elements may be combined to create other tour options. We endeavour to focus on an enjoyable tour experience, value for money and customer care. So, rest assured with Your London Tours, and make us your first port of call for a trip to remember.

COVID SPECIAL NOTICE: Your London Tours have been awarded the UK Government’s ‘Good To Go’ certificate, a safe consumer mark initiative which we trust will give our customers the reassurance they seek when using our services.

The ‘Good To Go’ industry standard and supporting mark means businesses can demonstrate that they are adhering to the respective Government and public health guidance. It means they have carried out a COVID-19 risk assessment including social distancing and cleanliness protocols. Businesses must also adhere to other specific guidelines and show the necessary processes had been put in place, before receiving the Good To Go certification.

CONTACTS
● All booking enquiries by email only: tours@yourlondontours.com.
● All other queries: including concerns regarding our prices, policies, payment options, terms & conditions are also by email only: tours@yourlondontours.com fao: Jo Bull.
● Phone: Sorry, but owing to cold-calling we do not take any enquiries or bookings by phone. Clients with queries on existing bookings may use the phone number on their booking form.

HOW TO BE SURE YOU ARE DEALING WITH A GENUINE TOUR COMPANY
● The company name ‘Your London Tours’ together with the eye logo is a UK Registered Trade Mark. Search the UK government trademark website for trademark UK3198138.
● Private driving tour services in the UK must be licenced by the appropriate local authority. Your London Tours operates under Transport for London (TFL). Search the TFL Operator Licence Checker. Enter the Operator Name ‘Your London Tours’ and you will find us listed under our Driver Guides Association licence #2114.
● BEWARE! You are taking a substantial risk booking operators who use vehicles without the appropriate private hire licence. If you are in doubt, check with the relevant local authority.

HOW TO BE SURE YOU WILL GET A PROPERLY ACCREDITED GUIDE
● Professional tour-guides in the UK must be registered with the Institute of Tour Guides (ITG) and hold a relevant qualification through them. The top accreditation, carried by all Your London Tours guides, is the Blue Badge. It allows the holder to conduct tours in private vehicles, on coaches and on foot. Search the ITG website by guide name.
● Licence address: Institute of Tour Guides, Coppergate House, 16 Brune St, London E1 7NJ.
● Insurance address: Guild of Registered Tour Guides, 52d Borough High St, London SE1 1XN.
● BEWARE! You are taking a risk booking tours with operators who employ unlicensed ‘guides’. If you are in doubt, check with the ITG that they have the relevant accreditation.

WHY  YOU SHOULD BOOK WITH YOUR LONDON TOURS
Quality: High standard of tours, expert guides and luxury vehicles.
Variety: Over 1,000 tour combinations – more choice than any UK tour agent.
Value: The best price direct to you – avoiding agency fees and concierge commissions.
Service: Professionally trained qualified staff. Don’t risk tours with amateur operators.
Repute: Recommended by the travel industry, the travel media and our customers.

OUR ETHICAL BUSINESS POLICY

Here at Your London Tours, we strive to maintain an honest and conscientious business approach, especially avoiding those sharp practices which can be rife in the tour industry. Regarding personal data, we adhere to strict regulations in order to protect your privacy. The details of our ethical business policy are listed below. Other policy details regarding bookings, prices and T&Cs will be found on the appropriate pages. We value your custom very much, so make us your first port of call for a trip to remember.

Personal Data Protection

  • We do not store personal information of any customer.
  • We do not share personal information of any customer with anyone else.
  • We do not store customer e-mail addresses, residential addresses or telephone numbers.
  • We do not share customer e-mail addresses residential addresses or telephone numbers with anyone else.
  • We do not operate ‘cookies’ or adware on our website.
  • We do not store customer banking or debit/credit card information. Third-party payment processors, eg, PayPal or WorldPay, may collect card data during transactions.
  • Apart from our own website, search engines and review sites, Your London Tours does not maintain a presence on social media platforms, such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, etc. This is because we feel our clients’ privacy may be compromised by the lax attitude towards data security historically demonstrated by these companies.

Pricing and bookings

  • We endeavour to maintain a policy of offering a wide choice of the very best tours at sensible prices.
  • We endeavour to maintain one simple price plan, avoiding complicated and confusing tariffs.
  • We publish prices and explanatory notes for ALL our services, avoiding unlisted extras.
  • We endeavour to deal directly with you, the customer, without do not pay commission to agents, concierges, or other third-parties for passing on business.
  • If we cannot take your booking, we will inform you and provide details of another trusted operator who may be able to help. We do not seek commissions for passing on business. We do not pass your personal details onto the recommended It is your choice if you want to contact them.
  • We offer a full immediate refund of the total cost of the tour, or alternatively, a discount on a rearranged tour, if a tour cannot go ahead for any reason, and the fault is accepted by Your London Tours or its partners.
  • Note: as per our Terms & Conditions, clients should acquire adequate insurance to cover any loss as a consequence of flight delays, illness, or circumstances causing the tour to be cancelled beyond the control of Your London Tours or its partners.

Entrance to attractions, gift shops, eating establishments

  • For most attractions it will be necessary for us to book standard tickets in advance.  However, some entrances to attractions can be paid for at the gate on the day. You will be notified if this is the case.
  • We do not seek a commission on entrance fees for taking customers into attractions.
  • We recommend lunch or refreshments options on their merit. We do not seek commissions for taking customers into eating establishments.
  • We promote gift or souvenir shops on their merit. We do not seek commissions for taking customers into premises.
  • We endeavour to take advantage of any discounts or special offers for entrances and pass them onto you.

INTRODUCING OUR CHIEF GUIDE: KEVIN FRANK MOLLOY MA; MITG.

Kevin Frank Molloy was born and bred in south London, his school overlooking the city. He studied production at the London College of Printing, journalism at St Martin’s College, guiding at Imperial College and City University, and history at the University of London. In 2009 he obtained a Master’s Degree in London History at the University of London. He holds a London taxi licence having passed ‘The Knowledge’, one of the most rigorous and gruelling tests of brain power in the world.

Kevin Frank Molloy is a professional guide officially registered with the British Tourist Guide Institute. He is registered to conduct private driver-tours, coach tours and walking tours. In 2006, he was awarded the highest professional qualification in the tour sector, the coveted London Blue Badge, making him part of an elite team exclusively permitted to guide in London attractions and UK sites. In 2007, he qualified as a City of London Guide allowing him exclusive access to places of interest in the heart of the capital. In 2011 he became an accredited examiner for the Institute. In 2012, he became an accredited guide for the London Olympics. In 2020, he qualified as a City of Westminster Guide. In 2022, he qualified as an Islington and Clerkenwell Guide.  Also admitted as a Freeman of the City of London, he is one of the select few London guides to hold all these relevant qualifications.

Kevin Frank Molloy has lectured for the James Joyce Society in Dublin (as producer of the official soundtrack to Ulysses), the Institute of Tour Guides training programme, and in 2010 delivered a series of talks on the ‘Swinging 60s’ for the National Portrait Gallery in London. He may be hired for lectures and talks. His expertise stretches from history, art and literature (writing on these subjects as a qualified journalist), to music, pubs and football (he has worked within the professional game and is a member of the Football Writers’ Association).

Guide Vacancies
We have no current vacancies but we may hire in the future. The five top characteristics we seek are:
1) A trouper: professional, punctual, reliable come rain or shine.
2) Entertaining: helping clients to ENJOY themselves.
3) A people person: friendly with the most eclectic of mixes.
4) No prima-donnas: remembering it’s the client’s tour – not yours.
5) Grace under pressure: dealing with obstacles in a calm manner.

Prospective CVs may be e-mailed to: tours@yourlondontours.com. For more information on the Blue Badge guides visit the Institute of Tourist Guides website.

 

Copyright 2023 Jo Bull.

Testimonials

LUXURY TOUR GUIDE AWARDS

Your London Tours has won the award for London Tour Operator of the Year for 2018 as nominated by the prestigious Luxury Travel Guide magazine. The Luxury Travel Awards recognise and celebrate excellence across all sectors of the travel and tourism industry throughout Europe. The full 2018 awards winners’ guide will be published and distributed to over 500,000 readers in airport lounges, cruise ships, hotels and tourism boards around the globe. Your London Tours chief tour administrator Frank Martins said: “It’s nice to have our work rewarded in this way, but most importantly, this award demonstrates our continued commitment to service excellence for our customers.”

Our Top Ten Tours