London has been inspiring writers and poets for centuries and the city has a rich literary heritage. There is so much for book lovers to experience on a tailor-made tour – follow in the footsteps of Charles Dickens and William Shakespeare, uncover ancient manuscripts and historic texts at the British Library, browse timeless bookshops, enjoy a literary themed afternoon tea or relax with a pint in a traditional inn frequented by writers of yore.

A great place to start your literary tour of London is at the British Library, the UK’s biggest book repository, crammed full of first editions, manuscripts, ancient texts, historic letters and many other treasures of literature. From the Lindisfarne Gospels to early copies of the Talmud and the Qu’ran, and from the works of Jane Austen to Sylvia Plath, there are so many priceless documents you will not want to miss!

The distinctive British Library

A short stroll from the library is Gordon Square, where the influential Bloomsbury Group – or Bloomsbury Set – began. This distinguished collection of writers, artists and thinkers, which included Virginia Woolf, EM Forster and John Maynard Keynes, defined English Modernism in the early 20th century. Today Bloomsbury is still recognised as the literary heart of London and it’s certainly a delightful part of London to explore with it’s pretty squares and attractive buildings.

The Charles Dickens Museum in Bloomsbury

Bloomsbury is also the location of the Charles Dickens Museum. Much of Charles Dickens’s work was set in London, so the museum, which is based in one of his former homes, is a great place to start exploring his legacy. Then why not enjoy a walking tour discovering the many historic sights associated with the 19th century novelist?

Wander across Westminster Bridge and admire the view of London and the River Thames – in the words of William Wordsworth in his famous sonnet ‘Earth has not anything to show more fair’.

The view from Westminster Bridge inspired William Wordsworth

Shakespeare’s Globe on London’s South Bank is not only perfect for enjoying a play, but for discovering more about The Bard himself on a guided tour of the theatre. Shakespeare spent much of his life in London and it is here that he wrote many of his finest plays. A Shakespeare’s London Walking Tour will transport you back to Elizabethan times and will give you a glimpse into the life of one of the world’s greatest playwrights.

Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre

Of course, there are so many characters from literature associated with London it is impossible to mention them all, but many people will enjoy stepping back in time to the murky world of late Victorian London at the Sherlock Holmes Museum, at 221B Baker Street – one of the world’s most famous addresses!

Kids of all ages will want to pack their marmalade sandwiches for a tour discovering the haunts of Paddington Bear, from his statue in Paddington Station, to Mr Gruber’s antique shop and the world-famous Portobello Market, via the world’s only official Paddington Bear Shop.

Paddington – the bear from darkest Peru

Coming bang up to date, the Warner Bros Studio Tour London – The Making of Harry Potter is just a stone’s throw from the capital and a must for muggles everywhere. London itself is dotted with landmarks which inspired places in the Harry Potter books – none more so than Kings Cross Station: perfect for a selfie at the famous Platform 9¾!

Platform 9¾ at Kings Cross Station

For bookshop lovers, Charing Cross Road is the place to be. This has long been the traditional home of London bookshops, including Foyles – perhaps the most famous one still there today. While there are no longer as many bookshops as there once were, there's still a few to visit, but you’ll need to make your way to nearby Piccadilly to find London’s oldest surviving bookshop, Hatchards, which dates back to 1797. Cecil Court, off Charing Cross Road, nicknamed Booksellers’ Alley is a hidden gem bursting with curious old bookshops.

Poets’ Corner at Westminster Abbey is a place of pilgrimage for literature lovers. More than 100 poets and writers are buried there, including the first to be interred, Geoffrey Chaucer in 1400, as well as William Shakespeare, the Brontë Sisters, Thomas Hardy, Jane Austen and Charles Dickens. Highgate Cemetery is the place to find the graves of many other famous writers, from Karl Marx to George Eliot and Douglas Adams. Nearby Keats House is a wonderful museum dedicated to renowned English romantic poet John Keats.

Westminster Abbey – home of Poets’ Corner

Why not enhance your tour with a night or two in a hotel which conjures up literary London? The Georgian House Hotel’s Wizard Chambers invoke the magic of Harry Potter; Hazlitt’s boutique hotel – named after the essayist William Hazlitt - creates the kind of atmosphere 18th century writers would have relished; the landmark Kimpton Fitzroy on Russell Square is a taste of luxury in the heart of literary Bloomsbury.

Kimpton Fitzroy Hotel in Bloomsbury

A book lover's tour is bound to make you hungry, so how about a literature themed afternoon tea on your travels? Experience an Alice Wonderland style Mad Hatter’s Tea Party at Sanderson London, a hotel in the West End; enjoy a Charlie & The Chocolate Factory Afternoon Tea inspired by Roald Dahl's classic story at One Aldwych in the heart of Covent Garden, or indulge in a Much Ado About Tea Shakespeare-themed afternoon tea at The Swan restaurant at Shakespeare’s Globe.

A Sherlock Holmes themed pub in London

And to finish off a long day’s sightseeing, why not retire to one of the many pubs and inns with literary associations? The George Inn in Southwark is known as the ‘last coaching inn in England’ and was visited by Shakespeare and Dickens; the 18th century Marquis of Granby was a favourite of TS Eliot and Dylan Thomas; Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese in the City boasts literary greats such as Mark Twain, Alfred, Lord Tennyson and Arthur Conan Doyle among many others; The Grapes, owned by actor Sir Ian McKellen, featured in Oscar Wilde’s The Picture of Dorian Gray and Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes books.

If you or your group would like to enjoy a tailor-made book lover’s tour of London, following in the footsteps of your favourite writers, please do contact our friendly team today and we will create the perfect itinerary for you or your group.