About this tour
When Lily from our BugBitten team booked this private rickshaw tour, she got a leisurely two-hour spin through London's heavyweight sights—Buckingham Palace, Big Ben, Westminster Abbey, then Trafalgar Square and Piccadilly Circus. The route wraps up in Mayfair, Covent Garden, and Soho, hitting the swagger spots without feeling rushed. One rickshaw seats three comfortably, and the outfit runs multiple vehicles as a loose group if you've got bigger numbers. It's the kind of tour where you actually see things from a seat that isn't a tour bus, and the pace lets you soak in the city's energy rather than sprint between photo stops.
Highlights
- Rickshaw beats coach—lower, slower, proper London street perspective.
- Buckingham Palace, Big Ben, Westminster Abbey clustered early for golden-hour light.
- Trafalgar Square and Piccadilly Circus buzz without the photo-mob feeling.
- Mayfair's quiet elegance and Soho's grit in one loop.
- WiFi and water on board; no scrambling for connection.
- Private booking means your pace, your stops, no herd mentality.
- Covent Garden's street performers and market feel mid-tour.
- Compact enough to hit major landmarks; relaxed enough to breathe.
What to expect
Lily settled into the rickshaw expecting a gentler take on the standard London circuit, and that's what she got. The driver knows the stops—Buckingham Palace comes first, then Big Ben and Westminster Abbey cluster together naturally on the south bank. It feels less frantic than a coach; you're low to the street, catching details a bus would miss. Trafalgar Square is busy but brief, and Piccadilly Circus still glitters even in daylight. The second half swings through Mayfair's moneyed calm, then pivots into Covent Garden's energy—street performers, market stalls, the works. Soho finishes the route with a jolt of neon and noise.
The two hours genuinely includes travel time between points, so there's no sudden shortfall at the end. WiFi works reasonably well, and the bottled water is a quiet courtesy on a tour that's fundamentally about watching rather than doing. Weather matters here—rain or bitter cold can dampen the openness of the experience—but spring and summer make this a proper pleasure.
What travellers say
- Open-air rickshaw feels more intimate than a tour coach.
- Major landmarks—Palace, Abbey, Big Ben—hit efficiently without rushing.
- Private booking, your pace, no waiting for large group rhythm.
- WiFi and water included; thoughtful small touches.
- Route flows naturally from royal Westminster through buzzy West End.
- Lower sightline catches street detail a bus misses entirely.
- Weather—rain and cold make open rickshaw experience miserable fast.
- Route fairly rigid; minimal time to linger or explore deeply.
- Bigger groups need multiple rickshaws, diluting the private feel.
- London traffic unpredictable; schedules depend on congestion luck.
Themes summarised by our team from public information about this tour. Verify specifics on the operator's page before booking.
Good to know
This beats a double-decker bus if you want the same sights without the tourist-herd feeling. The rickshaw angle is genuinely different—lower, quieter, more intimate. Private booking means you're not waiting for stragglers or listening to someone else's pace. Lily found the WiFi and water touches made it feel slightly more premium than a standard tour. Small groups or families of three fit perfectly.
Rain, wind, and cold can make sitting in an open rickshaw grim fast. The route is fairly fixed, so if you want deep dives into any single spot, you won't get them. Bigger groups need multiple rickshaws, which fragments the "private" feel. Infants have to sit on laps—fine for photos, annoying if the ride's bumpy. London traffic is unpredictable; you might lose a few minutes to congestion, though it's built into the total time. The stops are brief—great for photos, minimal for lingering.
Dress for the weather, bring a light layer. The ride itself is smooth, but London's street surface is lumpy. Service animals are welcome. No hidden costs—transport, water, and WiFi are sorted. Group size tops out at three per rickshaw; book extras if your crew's bigger. Peak times (late spring, summer, bank holidays) mean more traffic and busier landmarks.
Tour sold and operated by Viator via Viator. Descriptions on this page are original BugBitten summaries written by our team — not copied from the operator. Prices and availability are confirmed at checkout.