Hazel Baker
CEO & Founder of London Guided Walks
What Hazel says:
“Greetings, I’m Hazel, the CEO and Founder of London Guided Walks. As a qualified and award-winning tour guide, and a History, Politics, and Science Tutor in the School of Culture and Communication I unite my passions for history, walking, and, of course, London. I established London Guided Walks to serve as a hub for individuals who, like me, are enthralled by the captivating narratives and landscapes that this magnificent city offers.
For the past ten years, I have been designing and leading walking tours in London that combine factual richness with compelling storytelling. With over 3,000 London walking tours to my credit, my objective remains steadfast: to provide each guest with an unparalleled, insightful experience of London.
My efforts in tour guiding have not gone unnoticed; they have earned me prestigious accolades such as the Tour Guiding Excellence Award and Best Christmas Tours in London. I take pride in my affiliations with notable organisations; I am a Freeman of the Worshipful Company of Marketors and an honorary member of The Leaders Council.
Beyond guiding walks, my expertise has also been sought for various television programmes. I’ve had the privilege of appearing as an expert guest on shows like Walking Wartime Britain (Episode 3) and Yesterday Channel’s The Architecture the Railways Built (Series 3, Episode 7). Het Rampjaar 1672, Afl. 2: Vijand Engeland and Arte.fr Invitation au Voyage, À Chelsea, une femme qui trompe énormément. Secrets of the London Underground (Series 3, Episode 2). New programme for 2024: Secrets of the London Underground Old Street Station (September 2024). On the radio front, I’ve been a guest of Robert Elms on Radio London and Jumoke Fashola on BBC Radio London.
In addition to my tours and media appearances, I am the host of the London History Podcast, which ranks in the top 1.5% of podcasts listened to globally. This platform allows me to share my love for London’s history with a wider audience, offering in-depth explorations of the city’s past and its many fascinating stories.
Beyond providing London walking tours, I am available for a variety of engagements including launch events, restaurant openings, afternoon tea experiences, book reviews, and radio and television interviews.
I invite you to explore the curated selection of guided walks and private tours I offer. Each one is designed to provide a rich, engaging experience, and I look forward to sharing the multifaceted charm of London with you.
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Private Tours with Hazel
Read Hazel's Reviews
Katrina D
10th March 2024
Hazel is extremely knowledgeable and presents that knowledge in a friendly, accessible way. We loved talking to her and learning about London even beyond the scope of the tour.
Mariana
June 2024
Melissa Kelly
May 2024
Hazel is extremely knowledgeable and presents that knowledge in a friendly, accessible way. We loved talking to her and learning about London even beyond the scope of the tour.
Claire
Claire
March 2024
A very enjoyable walk led by Hazel our knowledgeable and entertaining guide. Full of fascinating facts and insight into the lives of Londoners (and their relationship with drinks of the alcoholic sort) during the 18th Century, with visual aids in the form of a selection of Hogarth’s prints. The pace was just right, we could hear every word and only wish it had been longer!
Vicky
March 2024
‘Heretics and Horrors’ was an enjoyable and informative tour, our guide Hazel was interesting and knowledgeable and able to answer additional questions from the group. The walk covered an area of London I have spent a lot of time in so it was great to hear some grisly history! I will be looking to see what other walks are available in the future. We were also pleased to be able to bring our dog Ted with us.
Julie
I have recently done four walks with London Guided walks. The latest was the Oliver Twist walk around Clerkenwell and it was great. Hazel was our guide, this was my third walk with her. Her walks are very entertaining as well as educational, and we are encouraged to ask questions. The Oliver Twist walk featured places mentioned in the book, which I intend to read soon. I will definitely do more guided walks from this company, you learn so much.
Carol R
October 2024
We’re so glad this walk (Blackfriars) was recommended to us. Hazel is very knowledgeable and gave us glimpses into history and life in London that we would otherwise have missed totally. A great complement to our other activities.
Margaret G
April 2024
We booked the Victorian Covent Garden on 21 October and we are so pleased we did! Our guide Hazel was so friendly and engaging and she enthralled us with lots of stories and facts right from when we met. Our hour and a half walk absolutely sped by. Importantly, Hazel ensured we could always hear her (she had a head microphone which was great) and she gave us plenty of opportunity to ask questions. You won’t be disappointed if you book this walk. Thank you Hazel, you were brilliant.
Bridget P
November 2023
Fascinating tour given by a very knowledgeable and witty Hazel. One of the best tours I’ve done. I loved it.
Simone
June 2023
Hazel was wonderful!! So friendly and knowledgeable. The tour was so enjoyable and we absolutely loved it Thanks so much Hazel
J. Wilson
June 2023
We had an amazing Wonders of Whitehall guided walk today with Hazel. We learned so much and truly enjoyed the walk. Thank you!
Patty P
July 2023
I recommend London Guided Walks. They were extremely well organized and clear about when and where to meet. The guides were personable, inclusive, and friendly with the whole group. Most of all, they really knew their stuff. And it wasn’t all just dry facts. There was humor and deep conversation. I would advise you don’t just do one walk, do more than one – you won’t regret it. And yes, you can do more than 1 in a day. I did 3 in one day and felt so educated and excited to start the rest of my 2 weeks in London. Hazel and Ian were both great!
October 2023
Even with the weather against us Hazel kept the enthusiasm levels high. I really enjoyed the exploration of the nooks and crannies of the Covent Garden and hearing the stories that fed into the book. Recommended.
Cory F
March 2023
Hazel gave a private tour to over 25 visiting American guests as part of our wedding weekend. Everyone who attended had a wonderful time on the Victorian Covent Garden walk. Hazel is a gifted story teller and has a great way of making history come to life. She’s incredibly smart and her passion for the history that she shares comes through beautifully. I had done many London Guided Walks prior to hiring them for our private group and cannot recommend them more highly for a great day out.
Hazel literally brought Oliver Twist to life. This walk concentrated on chapter 8, following the footsteps of Oliver from The Angel pub in Islington to the likely lodgings of Fagin in Farringdon. The tour provides a snapshot of London in 1838 when Dickens wrote the story. It’s fascinating to discover why the Regency terraces of Pentonville Road had such long front gardens, and contrast it to the cramped, barely living, conditions of the ‘Rookeries’. Hazel’s engaging style detailed the implications of herding cattle through the streets to Smithfield meat market and why you might pay someone to cross the road. It made me think differently about pollution before combustion engines, the smells, noise, customs, and why the late Victorians sanitised certain street names.
As we twisted through the allies and streets Oliver’s narrative, Hazel enriched and contextualised Dickens’ London, it really was a great walking tour.
July 8, 2021
We went on a private guided tour called Road to Ruin. Hazel was our guide and we thoroughly enjoyed our 90 minutes with her. She was very knowledgeable and entertaining and could answer all our questions. There were four of us and we all felt it was good value for money and time well spent. We would go on another of these tours at the drop of a hat. Would highly recommend.
July 8, 2021
We went on a private guided tour called Road to Ruin. Hazel was our guide and we thoroughly enjoyed our 90 minutes with her. She was very knowledgeable and entertaining and could answer all our questions. There were four of us and we all felt it was good value for money and time well spent. We would go on another of these tours at the drop of a hat. Would highly recommend.
December 24, 2021
We went out with Hazel for a Dickens’s Christmas Carol tour on Christmas Eve with our three teenage boys. Hazel was both very knowledgeable and entertaining. The time sped by and we loved every minute of it. A fantastic way to learn more about London’s history and to discover lesser known areas. Highly recommended
November 14, 2019
We joined Hazel in Westminster to begin our tour. Hazel was a wealth of historical and architectural knowledge proving interesting and insightful facts along the way. We as a small group really enjoyed the tour. It was easy to access pretty much flat. Hazel was happy to provide a few detours of things we were interested to see. We finished in a fabulous little restaurant for lunch. I highly recommend if you’re a history geek like me. I certainly will be looking forward to joining another tour soon.
October 25, 2019
Have now done two walks and I have been so impressed. Hazel is a superb guide, very knowledgeable with a lovely personality. The time passes so quickly and it is so good to learn so much and see out of the way places. These walks are good for tourists and seasoned Londoners alike as everyone will benefit. I highly recommend these walks and will hopefully be going on many more.
October 24, 2019
London Guided Walks are a great way to see London. Hazel ran the guided walk around Blackfriars and opened our eyes to things that we would normally walk by without a second glance. She is warm and friendly and immediately put the group at ease. She communicates in an engaging way and her use of a microphone means that everyone can hear. We learnt about the history of the area as well as some of the more curious facts – the King’s Wardrobe area being one of them. Highly recommend the walk.
All the tours are fantastic. I’ve been on almost 10 of them and I felt that I had learned a lot on each of them. Hazel is incredible: she knows aa great deal and has a wonderful way to communicate her knowledge : she is funny, she is friendly, she’s a lovely person. Although she’s not the one responsible for the financial tour, I highly recommend the tour: the guide is such an expert on the financial district and of London as a financial center that you get so much interesting information that you almost need a second tour! It really is a very good value for your money.
September 30, 2019
Had a fantastic tour with Hazel. She is very knowledgeable, personable and very open to answering questions. She showed us things that we wouldn’t have noticed and we got a different perspective on London, despite the fact that we have all lived there at some point! She also did a little personalized piece about a restaurant we were surprising our friends with too. Great service and responsiveness beforehand as well. Thanks Hazel!
Greenwich Treasure Hunt
September 8, 2019
We had an amazing time on Hazel’s treasure hunt in Greenwich. Not only is it a fantastic way of seeing a beautiful part of London but it was also great to make you examine parts of Greenwich you’d otherwise gloss over. A fantastic afternoon!
July 31, 2019
Heretics and Horrors (the walk, not the walkers)
A ramble round the city, at a comfortable pace, brought to life by an amazing guide. Hazel has a wonderful way of explaining; her vivid descriptions of sometimes gruesome details of the past are delivered with humour and wit. This lady is a superb communicator!
Helen
September 10, 2023
Suffragettes of Westminster London Walking Tour
We would recommend this very interesting walk around Westminster with guide Kirsty. She is both personable and knowledgable. As always we learn something new on London Guided Walks and see things we may have previously walked past.
