Few characters in literature are as intrinsically linked to a city as Sherlock Holmes is to London. Arthur Conan Doyle’s stories and the many TV and film adaptations are love letters to this city, the foggy back alleys and low lives of London as important and distinctive as Holmes himself, so grab your deerstalker hat and join us on our Free Sherlock Holmes Tour.

Your expert guide will lead you in the footsteps of the legendary detective, as we visit the real locations that feature in Arthur Conan Doyle’s books and in the various screen adaptations over the last century.

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As we delve deeper into the life of Arthur Conan Doyle, we will uncover the hidden connections between the author and the city where his character made his mark, from the library where he paused to research, to the bars and theatres where he spent his evenings. We also examine his friendship with Oscar Wilde and the bizarre truth that Doyle, who created arguably the most rational character in literary history, believed passionately in the supernatural and the paranormal.

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Our London walking tour adventure begins in Piccadilly Circus, outside the Criterion Theatre, where a plaque proudly states that this was the exact place where the very first Sherlock Holmes story began.

After a stroll along Piccadilly, you will find yourself in The Royal Academy’s courtyard, where the fictional Sherlock was made an honorary fellow of the Academy of Chemistry for being the first detective to employ chemical science as a method for catching criminals.

On the Sherlock Holmes Tour, we will pause on Pall Mall to take in the many Gentlemen’s Clubs that both inspired the creation of Mycroft Holmes and ultimately were used as filming locations in the BBC production and the Guy Ritchie film series.

After a visit to The Sherlock Holmes Pub near Trafalgar Square, the Sherlock Holmes Tour concludes with a walk along the Strand, to discuss how the character was thrust from the page onto the stages of first London and then the world.

Don’t worry if you haven’t read the books, as you will see places frequented by Benedict Cumberbatch, Robert Downey Jr, Christopher Plummer and Jeremy Brett in their screen appearances as the famous sleuth.

So book your tickets now, but hurry, the game’s afoot!

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But if you're looking for a suaver international man of mystery why not book our James Bond and the Art of Espionage Tour as a private tour?