Soho’s LGBTQ+ Iconic Spots: A Self-Guided Audio Walking Tour

Highlights

Offline Mode: Download tours and listen without WiFi
Location Aware: GPS map allows you to enjoy the sites
Instagram Hotspots: We find the perfect picture spots
Enjoy a private experience in a COVID-19 safe environment

Summary

Get a local, queer perspective of Soho on this walking LGBTQ+ audio tour, and visit some of London’s most famous Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer and Intersex cultural spaces.

Tour info

Duration

1 hour -

Pricing (From)

Adult: (10-90 years)

£4.99

Commentary

English

Meeting Point

Greater London, England

Dropoff location

81 Wardour St, Wardour St, Greater London, England, W1D 6QD

Why take this tour?

Visit the must-see sites in Soho, as you discover the cultural heart of this neighbourhood, famous for its history, struggles, and vibrant culture of London’s LGBTQ+ community.

Join us in this private immersive guide narrated by local historians, and explore the most famous historic buildings as well as the secret tales that live in this neighbourhood. Together, we’ll learn more about the true cultural gem that remains iconic to the LGBTQ+ community, the best places to eat London street food, and the most Instagrammable spots where you can take the perfect pictures.

Embark on this epic historical adventure and explore the key sightseeing spots such as Trafalgar Square, Leicester Square, Chinatown, Greek Street, Soho Square and Old Compton Street. To cap off this cultural tour, listen to stories of the powerful individuals that have lived in this neighbourhood all with a pint in hand (or whatever you’re drinking)!

Begin your tour at Trafalgar Square and learn how the Stonewall riots in New York impacted London’s LGBTQ+ community. Hear how people were punished right here for their sexuality back in the 1500s and get an idea both of how much has changed, but also how far we have to go for quality in Britain.

Visit Leicester Square and learn about Molly Houses, or Mollies, to meet other queer men. It comes from the Latin mollis for effeminate. Then walk up towards Chinatown, but keep an eye out on your left to get a glimpse of Piccadilly Circus, another hub of gay life for Londoners where, in the 1960s, the underground bathrooms were the spot to pick up “renters” – male sex workers– and the Circus became known as the “Meat Rack.”

While this version of London’s Chinatown developed in the 1970s, before that, it was a very queer place to be. This street was home to the Flamingo Club, a nightclub which became an icon for British rhythm, blues and jazz. And before it became the Flamingo Club, it started life off as the Shim Sham Club and was one of London’s edgiest hangouts.

Hear about queerness in theatre as we wander down Shaftesbury Avenue and towards Greek Street. Look out for a posh white building on your left with a sign saying Kettner’s. Irish-born writer and poet Oscar Wilde used to dip in for lavish meals and meet young men.

Stop at Soho Square as we hear about London’s various Pride parades and events. Learn about the Trans Rights Parade in 2019 and how the T in LGBTQ+ has really made an impact on Soho in the past few years. A lot of this is thanks to some truly magnificent individuals such as the fabulous Ruby Venezuela, a phenomenal talent who ran her own club, Ruby’s, just down the road from here.

Wander down Old Compton Street as we take a deeper look into London’s pride culture and challenges. Stop by some gay icons, from the club G-A-Y to the cultural gem that is the Colony Room. Visit the Admiral Duncan pub, the site of the infamous “London Nail Bombings”, a terrible terrorist attack involving homemade bombs at three London locations.

Finish your tour at the Village, one of Soho’s original, purpose-built gay venues! It wasn’t a pub before but was opened as a gay bar in 1991.

The Vidi Guides experience is enriched with on-screen photos and videos. We also point out where to take the perfect Instagram photos during the tour, and include recommendations for food, drinks, and local attractions. Don't worry, none of our recommendations are sponsored - they are simply favourites of the locals who helped craft the experience.

What’s included?

Access to your self-guided audio tour
Audio tour provided by a local or historian
Offline Mode: Download tours in advance to listen without WiFi
Location Aware: GPS map allows you to enjoy sites, without getting lost
Instagram Hotspots: We find the spot for your perfect picture
Earphones
Mobile device

Things to know

Before you book

This product is suitable for all ages
Do it at your own pace. This product is suitable for all fitness levels
English speaking Audio guide only

Before you go

You will need to bring your own mobile phone
You will need to bring your own headset/earphones

Covid Policy

Social distancing enforced throughout experience

This is a covid safe tour. Socially distance from other visitors to Soho with your independent, self-guided tour!

Cancellation Policy

Up to 24 hours before the beginning of the activity: full refund Less than 24 hours before the beginning of the activity or no-show: no refund

Operator Website

Operated by:

About operator:

Too many people visit places without discovering anything about them. And we can’t let that happen.

We believe that the true essence of travelling lies in the joy of discovering the authentic face of cities, neighbourhood and cultural sites, and unlocking the many tales they hold.

With that spirit in our hearts, we started out in search of these stories hidden in the nooks and corners of Paris, London, Cambridge and Oxford's most iconic spots. We then dived into each place’s culture, history, and traditions by collaborating with historians, famous architects, photographers, street artists, and many more. What we ended up finding was a treasure trove of stories that we have meticulously tied together just for you!

But how to deliver this information? We didn’t want to create another Wikipedia, with people looking at their phones instead of the sites. And let’s face it, audioguides and headsets belong to the 20th century.. This is why we’ve created our own storytelling format. Podcast-style tours, enriched with photos and videos, that keep you wanting more.

Our goal is to create a form of travel that will make you truly discover the places you visit.