We are headed across the pond for 9 days in Ireland and 10 in the UK. We have Ireland pretty well squared away and we know what we want to see in London, but I wanted to see if anyone has experience using a tour / guide company for seeing the sights in London (and a trip out to Stonehenge).

I have looked into Evan Evans and Luxury Vacations UK and like what they have to offer overall, but trying to narrow it down and determine if we want to book experiences individually or let one of these companies coordinate 2 to 3 days of touring in London with a trip out to Stonehenge (wife and I have been, but the 13yo son has this on the bucket list).

Without a doubt we are doing the 'behind the glass' tour of the Churchill War Rooms and I am equally as focused on a curated experience at the British Museum. Welcome any suggestions and insights.

Home base for us is the Capitol Hotel near Harod's, so we should have convenient access to just about everything. Appreciate it!

That's a lot of days if staying in London the whole time. Great hotel location near Hyde Park and you're getting great warm dry weather. Try to go to one of the BST Hyde Park concerts if timing works out. GnR for me next Friday. Springsteen and Billy Joel are also there this year.

I don't know of any tour guides to suggest but having lived here a while I can give some ideas outside of the normal touristy stuff.

A must is Kew Gardens. Spend a whole day out there. And then have dinner at The Grill Off The Green. Best and only place in London I've found for steak - get the 24oz rib chop. Have a pre or post pint at Coach & Horses across the street. Easy trip on the District line out to Kew.

Could also check out Richmond which is one stop past Kew. Great pubs and restaurants and suburban views of the Thames.

It's a bit tricky to get to but Hampton Court Palace is great. Can also wander around Bushy Park out there.

Brighton is a good day trip to check out a beach town as odd as that may seem for the UK. Easy on the train. As is Bournemouth I think, which has better beaches, at least more sand anyways.

Another day trip idea is Seven Sisters Country Park but would require you to rent a car and drive. Worth it IMO though if you have the time.

If you are drinkers, I recommend brewery tours at Fullers in Chiswick or Camden Town in Enfield (haven't been to Camden but I hear it's popular). Also Sipsmith Gin Distillery in Chiswick. If you can handle it, do the Fullers tour early afternoon, hit a local pub for a couple pints and nibbles, then Sipsmith tour late afternoon / evening

Brief update and appreciate the suggestions by 59 South. We are coordinating through Luxury Vacations Uk for a few days of guided tours. I will post the proposed itinerary when finalized. Though we are paying for the guide, much of the itinerary can be accomplished by someone doing their own scheduling and booking.

We recently had a private guide in Philadelphia and it was worth every single penny. Its hard to beat local knowledge, particularly when there is so much history to be digested.

sounds like you might have a guide. But, for your unguided days I highly recommend downloading the CityMapper app. It's a great tool for navigating any city. Makes train/bus selection in London simple.

Also make sure your debit/credit card is contactless or use ApplePay. You do not ever need an Oyster card, if your cards are contactless. You will see all the tourists lined up to get an Oyster when all they need is their debit card

Contactless and mobile pay as you go - Transport for London (tfl.gov.uk)

We used Golden a few years ago for Stonehenge and Bath. It was a bigger group, but we had a great guide.