Elementary My Dear London: The Ultimate Sherlock Holmes Tour

Sherlock is a street-level puzzle you can walk. This 3 hour tour pairs Arthur Conan Doyle’s real life with the streets and buildings that fed his writing, plus modern BBC Sherlock stops if you want them.

I like the fact that the guide, Richard from Richard’s Tours of London, is a former Sherlock Holmes Museum employee and also a published author. Two more things I really appreciate are the small group size (up to 8) and the way the route can be tailored to your preference, TV Sherlock versus the original books.

One thing to consider: the tour does not include Sherlock Holmes Museum entry, so you may want to budget for that if you plan to go inside.

Why this Sherlock tour feels different from the usual London walks

This isn’t a big bus-and-bunch-of-faces style tour. It’s built for people who want to connect the dots between Doyle the man, Holmes the character, and the London that shaped both.

The guide’s background matters. Richard worked at the Sherlock Holmes Museum in Baker Street, and that museum experience shows up in how he talks about clues, eras, and what was plausible back then. The result is a tour that feels like a guided story, not a slideshow of landmarks.

And the small size changes the pace. You get time for questions, and you’re far more likely to be steered toward the spots that matter most to you.

Possible drawback: if you’re expecting a museum-style exhibit with lots of seated time, this is mostly a walking route with short stops.

The 8-person group and Richard’s museum inside-track

Let’s talk about why the format is a big deal. With a limit of 8 participants, you’re not competing for attention. In the small-group setting, it’s easier to adjust on the fly, including choosing whether the route emphasizes the original stories or the BBC version.

Richard also brings a specific kind of Sherlock credibility. He’s a true Sherlockian, and he has written The Adventure of Undershaw. That combination helps the tour move between themes, like medicine, crime reporting, and the London institutions Doyle used as real-world inspiration.

In practice, that means you should expect more than just where Holmes stood. You’ll also hear why certain places mattered to Doyle’s imagination, and how those locations connect back to the stories written from the 1880s through 1927.

What you’ll see in London, from police headquarters to Baker Street

The route is built around the idea that Holmes is not only a detective, he’s a London map. Along the way you’ll hit major landmarks, plus less expected corners in the City and around the legal and medical world.

The tour focuses on Sherlock Holmes and Dr John Watson through Doyle’s original work. If you’re also a fan of modern Sherlock, BBC filming locations can be added for you.

Here’s the big win for purists: because the group stays small, you have a better chance of visiting locations that bigger tours often skip. That includes old alleys and buildings that most standard walking itineraries don’t bother to include.

Starting at Embankment, with coffee as your Sherlock warm-up

The meeting point is right outside Embankment Underground Station, by the coffee stand called Blues & Royals. It’s a practical start for public transport, and it also gives you a moment to get your bearings before you head into the streets.

You begin the walk with a short stop at Great Scotland Yard. Even if you know it mostly as a famous name, you’ll get context on how Doyle’s London worked, especially around crime, authority, and the feel of the era.

This first stretch is about setting tone. It helps the later stops make sense, because the tour doesn’t treat each location as an isolated postcard.

Great Scotland Yard, then the Holmes Pub and Craven Street

After Great Scotland Yard, the tour moves to Sherlock Holmes Pub. This is the sort of stop that’s fun in the moment, but the value is in how your guide links it to the world Doyle built around Holmes.

Next comes Craven Street. This is one of those London streets that can disappear into your view if you’re not looking for it. On this route, you’re encouraged to notice what the street layout suggests, and how the surrounding buildings fit into the detective’s step-by-step routes.

The stop order matters because it keeps your brain in story mode, not tourist mode. You’re always being asked to see the city the way a writer would.

Host Café break, then St Paul’s with Holmes-flavored context

There’s a 10 minute break time at Host Café. This is a real breather, useful if you’re walking and taking in lots of details in a short window.

Then the tour reaches St Paul’s Cathedral. Even if you’ve seen St Paul’s from outside before, the guide’s job is to connect it to the larger London story. You get a sense of how grand civic London coexisted with the darker, more practical corners where crime and investigation felt possible.

It’s also a nice tempo shift. St Paul’s gives you a landmark moment, while the rest of the route keeps the focus tight on detective work and institutions.

St Bartholomew’s Hospital and St Bartholomew the Great, Holmes’ medicine meets London

Two stops follow that deepen the Doyle connection. First is St Bartholomew’s Hospital, with about 15 minutes there. Then you visit St Bartholomew the Great Church for roughly 10 minutes.

These stops matter because Holmes and Watson are not just characters chasing suspects. They operate in a world where medicine, care, and institutional life shape how stories unfold. Your guide ties those themes back to Doyle’s interest in real systems, not just fictional thrills.

There’s also a calm payoff here. A church and a hospital in the same route help you feel London as a place with layers, where the present sits on top of long-used spaces.

Speedy’s Sandwich Bar, Dr Firas Daoudi, and other stops that feel like a real walk

Next is Speedy’s Sandwich Bar & Cafe, with around 15 minutes. This kind of stop can sound random until you realize the tour is training you to notice ordinary London spaces that still anchor the story in daily life.

After that, you’ll see Dr Firas Daoudi for about 15 minutes. This is one of those additions that makes the tour feel more like a living city route than a packaged theme park.

Then you reach a Sherlock Holmes Statue area for about 10 minutes. It’s a good moment to pause, take in the surrounding streets, and connect what you’ve learned to what you can physically see in the street plan.

The Sherlock Holmes Museum and Baker Street, with a choice to go inside

The tour includes a stop at the Sherlock Holmes Museum with around 15 minutes of sightseeing, and it finishes at the museum. This is where the creator and creation finally sit side by side in one place.

It’s also where the Baker Street angle comes in. The tour includes 221B Baker Street, with an optional visit to the museum depending on how you want to spend time.

Important practical note: museum entry is not included, so you’ll need to pay separately if you choose to go in.

If you love collecting story details, the museum stop is the logical bookend. You’ve walked through the locations and themes first, so the museum feels like a reward rather than the start of everything.

Underground and street time, and how the 3 hours usually plays out

This tour is scheduled for 3 hours total. That’s long enough to cover multiple key institutions and still have time for brief breaks, but short enough that you aren’t dragging through the whole day.

Your route includes mix of walking and underground exploration in the sense that you use the local area’s transit-adjacent feel to shape the story stops. Tube travel between stops is not included, so you’ll primarily be doing walking and using the meeting point access.

Because the tour is small, you can usually ask questions and adjust your focus without the guide getting stretched thin.

If you prefer a tight, story-led route over a free-form wander, this timing fits well.

Stories from 1880s to 1927, plus optional BBC Sherlock locations

This tour focuses on the original Sherlock Holmes stories written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle from the 1880s through 1927. That gives the tour a strong literary spine, so the places you see connect back to the actual era of the writing.

For fans of modern Sherlock, BBC filming locations can be added. That flexibility is a smart way to serve two audiences at once: the Doyle purist and the screen-first Sherlock fan.

The tailoring also comes up in how the guide responds to your preferences. One of the best parts of the experience is that Richard checks whether you’re drawn to the TV Sherlock or the books, and he adjusts the route accordingly. For you, that can mean fewer irrelevant stops and more of the details you care about.

Hidden London sights and the advantage of not doing a mega-group

A big claim of this tour is that you’ll see hidden London sights not covered on other tours. You should take that seriously because the small group is part of why it’s possible.

In practical terms, this usually means two things. First, you’re more likely to walk into lesser-known lanes and areas that big groups avoid. Second, the guide can spend a little longer at key moments without the crowd pressure of a larger schedule.

The result is a route that feels more like exploring with a detective friend than following a printed list.

How good value works at $93 for 3 hours

At $93 per person for a 3 hour tour, you’re paying for more than basic sightseeing. You’re paying for an expert guide with a museum background, plus the ability to keep the group small and the route focused.

Is it cheap? No. But it can be good value if you match the tour’s strengths, meaning you care about Sherlock’s origins, you like story-based walking, and you want the guide to answer questions as you go.

Also, the museum entry is not included, so if you plan to go inside, add that to your budget. If you’re mostly here for the street-level connections and you skip the interior, you can keep costs contained.

Who should book this Sherlock Holmes tour

This is an excellent fit if you’re any of these:

• A Sherlock Holmes fan who likes the original Doyle stories and wants the London connections
• A Benedict Cumberbatch era BBC Sherlock fan who also enjoys seeing how modern locations relate to the older canon
• Someone who gets more out of travel when the guide can explain why a place matters, not just what it looks like

It can also work well for couples who want time for conversation. The small group size makes it easier to ask questions and get thoughtful answers.

If you have mobility issues, the tour is generally suitable for all, but you should contact Get Your Guide before booking so they can advise based on your specific needs.

Should you book Elementary My Dear London?

If you want a standard list of famous Sherlock sights, there are many options. But if you want a more personal, story-first walk with a guide who brings real Sherlock Museum experience, this one is a strong choice.

I’d book it if you care about the creator behind the characters, you like Victorian London context, and you enjoy being taken to places that don’t show up on the usual routes.

Skip it if your main goal is a long museum visit or if you prefer large-group tours that move on a fixed pace with minimal back-and-forth.

FAQ

How long is the Elementary My Dear London Sherlock Holmes tour?

It runs for 3 hours.

How big is the group?

The tour is limited to a small group of up to 8 participants.

Where do I meet the guide?

Meet right outside Embankment Underground Station by the coffee stand called Blues and Royals.

Does the price include entry to the Sherlock Holmes Museum?

No. Entry to the Sherlock Holmes Museum is not included.

What locations are on the route?

Stops include Great Scotland Yard, Sherlock Holmes Pub, Craven Street, St Paul’s Cathedral, St Bartholomew’s Hospital, St Bartholomew the Great, Speedy’s Sandwich Bar & Cafe, Dr Firas Daoudi, a Sherlock Holmes Statue, and the Sherlock Holmes Museum.

Is tube travel included between stops?

Tube travel between stops is not included.

Is the tour only about the original Doyle stories?

The focus is on Doyle’s original stories written from the 1880s to 1927, with optional additions of BBC Sherlock filming locations if you’re interested.

Is the tour available in English?

Yes, the live guide provides the tour in English.

Is it suitable for people with mobility issues?

It’s generally suitable for all, but if you have certain mobility issues you should contact Get Your Guide before booking.