City of Spies
Highlights
- Meet at The Bar of The St Ermin`s Hotel (2 Caxton St, Westminster, London SW1H 0QW) or the Taj Hotel
- St Ermin’s is an essential part of the Bond story. Once known as the ‘House of Spies’ this beautiful Art Nouveau building sat opposite the first MI6 headquarters and was frequented by none other than Ian Fleming, author of James Bond. Fleming and his fellow MI6 spy colleagues crossed over to the hotel via a secret passage directly from MI6. You will sip a Vodka Martini here to loosen you up for your day as the greatest spy.
- Queen Anne's Gate. Home of the first Head of the Secret Intelligence Service (MI6) codenamed ‘C’ (that’s ‘M’ from the Bond movies to you and I) and was the base for all of the most prominent espionage personnel
- A walk through St James's Park is always a pleasure but you’ll never see it in the same light after this visit. Surrounded by Espionage history, there’s no better place to get into full 007 mode again.
- Carlton Terrace Gardens: A classic British scene of royal pageantry and a chance to hear the tale of ‘The Traitor King’, a true story lived-out in the early era of Bond himself
- A visit to London’s ‘Clubland’ will set the scene for the machinations and intrigue of World War II’s spies and bungling agents.
- Then, as we walk through the corridors of power, past the old War Office and the Air Ministry, we’ll stop off at The Admiralty…which some believe is the birthplace of Bond himself
- Then, to finish the day off, a very special and exclusive visit to a private club in the heart of Whitehall for a farewell toast and guests are welcome to join in a Q&A session with expert host
Overview
London is the true ‘City of Spies’ with over 10,000 agents hard at work in the capital! You will hear tales of Elizabethan intrigue, the Great Game, and the Cold War. You’ll tread in the footsteps of ‘The Cambridge Five’, SOE……and of course, the most famous spy in the world: “Bond, the name’s James
Bond.” This is a spy journey that John Le Carre, Frederick Forsyth, and Rudyard Kipling would be proud of.
We explore the successes and failures of MI5 and SIS (MI6), root out the treachery of the Cambridge Ring, find out the facts behind the invention of the world’ first computer and why many of it’s uses were top secret until recently…and many more are!
Created by an expert from the real world of espionage and the British secret service, you will discover the world of Spooks in an incredibly unique and practical way……and at the end, you can enjoy a well-earned Vespa – vodka Martini.
What's included
- Espionage expert host
- Tour of the hidden London areas where the first professional spy networks were formed
- Q&A session with spy expert in a private club in Whitehall
- Martini Vespa included in visit to private club
- PPE kit with reusable drawstring bag and face-mask
- Lunch
Know before you go
Please wear comfortable shoes and weather-appropriate clothing
Cancellation policy
Ticket can be cancelled up to 24hours before visit date.
