Coutours

Coutours Coutours - A London based tour company offering a selection of fascinating tours of London.

Emma Parker is the founder of Coutours, a London based tour company offering a selection of fascinating tours of London. Choose from the Coutour - a 'made to measure' private, escorted tour of London or the £15 'Ready to Walk' tour from the calendar of events. The tours are a mix of all the best bits of London, quirky details and historical gems. Tours include The History of London in Four Drinks, Hidden London, East End Eats, Jack The Ripper to name but a few.

I know, I know, we’re barely out of Summer, but October in London is one of my favourite times to explore the city 🍂✨If ...
05/09/2026

I know, I know, we’re barely out of Summer, but October in London is one of my favourite times to explore the city 🍂✨

If you’re visiting this autumn (or you’ve been looking for an excuse to discover more of London), I’d love for you to join one of our walking tours this October.

We’ll wander through hidden streets, uncover fascinating London history, share fun facts you won’t find in guidebooks, and explore the stories behind some of the city’s most iconic places.

Whether it’s your first time in London or your tenth, I promise you’ll leave seeing the city differently.

🎟️ October tours are available to book now - save this post for your trip and come explore London with us.

Can’t wait to meet some more of you in person.

Emma x

03/09/2026

The London food story that’s still being argued over 300 years later... 🥚👀

Did Fortnum & Mason really invent the Scotch egg in 1738? That’s what they claim. The only problem? The original records have conveniently disappeared.

Their version says it was created for wealthy travellers leaving Piccadilly on the long journey to Bath: a perfectly portable luxury snack before meal deals were a thing.

But food historians have other theories, linking the Scotch egg to Mughal cuisine, Yorkshire, and even North Africa.

So... is it London’s original grab-and-go food, or one of the city’s greatest marketing stories?

Save this for your next London trip and follow for more London history, hidden stories, food facts, and unique places you won’t find in the guidebooks.

LondonFood

London Facts | London History | London Food | London Stories

Did you know Harrods started as a one-room tea shop in the East End? 🛍️In 1834, Charles Henry Harrod opened a tiny groce...
02/09/2026

Did you know Harrods started as a one-room tea shop in the East End? 🛍️

In 1834, Charles Henry Harrod opened a tiny grocery shop with two assistants and a delivery boy. Today it welcomes over 15 million visitors a year. Swipe to find out what happened in between.

Did you know about this? Have you ever been to Harrods?

28/08/2026

POV: You thought you knew The Shard… 👀

Here’s a London fact that completely changed how I see the city’s most famous skyscraper.

Did you know the top of The Shard is actually open to the sky? 🌤️ The iconic glass spire isn’t filled with offices or apartments, it’s exposed steel and glass, designed by architect Renzo Piano to disappear into the air rather than have a defined ending.

And the wildest part? During construction, workers found a fox living on the 72nd floor. They named him Romeo, and somehow he’d climbed all the way up from street level.

London is full of hidden history, surprising architecture, and unbelievable stories like this.

Follow for more London history, hidden gems, fun facts, and unique places you’ve probably walked past without noticing.



London History | London Facts | London Architecture | The Shard

24/08/2026

Did you know Emma has two favourite parks in London — and they couldn’t be more different? 🌿

One is grand, royal and right in the heart of the city. The other is a hidden East End gem that most tourists never find. Watch the video to find out which is which — and why Emma loves both.

Which London’s park is your favourite?

Did you know London has over 600 garden squares — and most of them weren’t built for the public? 🌿They were built to sel...
20/08/2026

Did you know London has over 600 garden squares — and most of them weren’t built for the public? 🌿

They were built to sell houses. And for centuries, only the richest Londoners had a key.
Swipe to find out the full story.

Have you ever found a hidden garden square in London?

16/08/2026

Did you know the best souvenir from a London tour isn’t something you can buy? 🇬🇧

Karen has been guiding London for years. And when we asked her what she most wants visitors to take away from her tours — her answer was simple, and said everything.

Watch the video to hear it.

What’s the one thing you want to take away from a trip to London?

16/08/2026

Ungatekeeping why Londoners walk so fast, because it is not rudeness and it is not just stress, and the reason goes back further than most people think.

There are three separate reasons and they all stack on top of each other.

First, this is measurable. Researchers have found a direct link between how fast a city’s residents walk and how wealthy and economically dense that city is. London is one of the most economically dense cities on the planet, so the pace on the pavement isn’t attitude, it’s basically baked into the economy.

Second, psychologists have found that crowded streets create so much sensory overload that people instinctively speed up just to get through it faster. That quickened walk down Oxford Street isn’t impatience, it’s your brain trying to escape the noise and the crowd as fast as possible.

Third, and this is the one barely anyone talks about. Some historians argue the Blitz left London with a deep keep moving mentality that never really went away, generations after the war ended.

So the person who just barged past you on the tube escalator isn’t being rude. They’re the product of economics, psychology, and one very long war.

London doesn’t slow down for anyone. It never has.

What’s your theory on why Londoners walk so fast. Let me know below.

Follow for more London facts and the real reasons behind the things you see every day.

London History | London Facts | Londoners | London Life

Did you know London has been the private members’ club capital of the world for over 300 years? 🚪The oldest one started ...
11/08/2026

Did you know London has been the private members’ club capital of the world for over 300 years? 🚪

The oldest one started as a hot chocolate shop. And the most secretive ones are still operating today — behind doors most Londoners will never walk through. Swipe to find out what’s been happening behind closed doors.

Have you ever been inside a private members’ club in London?

11/08/2026

a London bus driver jumped Tower Bridge with 20 passengers on board and got paid ten pounds for it.

30th December 1952. Albert Gunter was driving the number 78 bus across Tower Bridge when the road in front of him started to rise. The bridge was opening while he was still on it. He had seconds to decide what to do.

He’d driven tanks in the Second World War, and that same instinct kicked in. He put his foot down. The bus went airborne, cleared a six foot gap in the bridge, and landed safely on the other side. Every single passenger made it.

His reward from London Transport was ten pounds, about a week’s wages, and a couple of days off. He said he’d split the money, five for him and five for his wife. When someone asked if he’d been scared, he said it was horrifying, and that he felt they had to keep going or they’d be thrown into the river.
That’s it. That’s the whole reward for saving 20 lives on Tower Bridge.

Albert Gunter. Tank driver. Bus driver. One of the most underrated names in London history, and most people have never heard of him until now.

What’s the most unbelievable true London story you know. Drop it below.

Follow for more real London history and facts that actually happened.

London History | London Facts | Visit London | Londoners | TFL

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London

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 6pm
Tuesday 9am - 6pm
Wednesday 9am - 6pm
Thursday 9am - 6pm
Friday 9am - 6pm
Saturday 9am - 6pm
Sunday 9am - 6pm

Telephone

+442071189090

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