Soho Punk Tour: Experience the Birthplace of British Punk with Aidan McManus
5.0
196 Ratings
Greater London
Experience the birthplace of British punk on the Soho Punk Tour with guide Aidan McManus. Explore iconic clubs, historic sites, and meet seminal punk characters. Join now!
Duration:
2 hours, 30 minutes
Cancellation:
1 day
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Highlights
- Soho - See legendary sites where punk gestated and grew into the worldwide phenomenon it became
What's Included
- In-depth tour commentary
What's Not Included
- Bottled water
Additional Information
Punk in the UK originated in Kings Road Chelsea and matured in various clubs and pubs of Soho and nearby locations. During the mid-seventies, Soho had a distinct character. Join the tour guided by Aidan McManus and step into the vibrant past as he introduces you to the iconic punk players and locations.
The clubs like Marquee, Vortex, 100 Club, Roxy, Louise’s and Notre Dame Hall, gigs in strip clubs, influential market stands and pubs offer an intriguing journey. You’ll unravel where the first Sex Pistols gig took place, explore crash pads, discover lesbian club meet up spots, and heed tales of The Jam’s legal troubles - this tour incorporates it all!
The duration of the tour is around two hours. However, actual walking constitutes less than half of the time as we pause while I illustrate the stories tied to the above-mentioned locales. Regardless of the weather conditions, the tour commences uninterrupted. It’s not a strenuous walk, but a leisurely journey through a rich history.
Location
Oxford Street
Outside Exit 1, opposite The Flying Horse Pub
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Customer Ratings
5.0
(196 Ratings)
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17daisyh
Mar 18, 2024
BriLLianT - LOVED it. Aidan really knows his stuff. Is funny and tour goes at a nice pace. I was a punk back in the day and it was great to reminisce with an expert.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
265barryn
Mar 17, 2024
Highly informative and entertaining tour - Absolutely fantastic tour! Highly recommended to anyone who fancies an informative, entertaining history of the punk scene in London. Aidan was superb. His knowledge and passion could only have come from someone who lived through, experienced and managed to survive it all. His humourous delivery was perfectly aligned with the Punk genre. If you fancy something a bit different; you'll struggle to find a more entertaining way to spend a couple of hours than Aidan's Original Soho Punk Tour.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
559noelm
Mar 12, 2024
A rock’n’roll history of London with a clever old punk! - Historical, Sociopolitical Punk Culture on a wet rainy day in Soho.
The weather was irrelevant as Aidan led us through the winding streets where we were drenched by his in depth knowledge of the period when punk exploded into our lives. I remembered some of the detail from my youth but being there brought it vibrantly to life. He knows lots of the characters who kicked off the movement and all his anecdotal titbits make this the best London walk I have ever done, and I have done a few. He does other tours too, so next time we are back in town, we will be on another one.
Thanks buddy, even my Mrs has told everybody what a great informative tour she had and you thought I had dragged her there!!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Iamdcg123
Mar 10, 2024
As you'll get to understaning the punk scene without a time machine! - Really enjoyed the Sofo Punk Tour with Aidan, it's probably as close as you'll get to understaning the punk scene without a time machine.
We visited the legendary venues which all but one have now closed down. We also checked out recording studios and, band squats other locations that are interweived with the 70s punk rock movement.
As Aidan was there at the time, there were loads of interesting anecdotes to bring the locations to life.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
993fredericm
Mar 10, 2024
Punk history 301. A fun & colourful deep dive. - Come for the punk history lesson, stay for the stories! Aidan is a fun, engaging and personable guide. How else are you gonna get in touch with the punk spirit? Why, oral history of course. -- Just make sure to buy it straight from the Flipside London page (via Eventbrite) and fund 'em directly.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Gatzs2023
Mar 2, 2024
Î’ack to the 70s - Thanks a lot, man! Perfect walking tour in London's best neighborhood!
You took us back to the 70s in an incredible way.
Even in the rain. I highly recommend Aidan.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
F8220ohdavidr
Feb 27, 2024
The real deal on organised crime - This wasn't the Punk tour but the Gangland Soho visit which was excellent!
An excellent Saturday afternoon. Aiden walked us around the now gentrified areas of Soho explaining the gangs’ rivalries and general organised crime that flourished last century; especially during the Second World War.
This is the real deal, not a cute tour. Their violence, intimidation, robbery and scams include the various corrupt authorities that operated at the time.
Brace yourself for a London trip that you won’t forget, your future visits to Soho will be seen in an entirely different light. Highly recommended
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Daveln545gq
Feb 25, 2024
Fantastic tour! - A huge thank you to Aidan our guide for the Punk tour of Soho, very entertaining walking tour from someone who experienced the Punk era first hand.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Austin
Feb 23, 2024
Great experience, 100% recommend. - Aidan was on time, super cool and knowledgeable. We have a punk rock teen in the family and Aiden talked about the hair styles and clothing of the historic punk founders before the tour even started. He is excited about the topic and sharing his experience living through the era. We only have one punk in the family but the tour was interesting for everyone.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
R5767bxkeving
Feb 21, 2024
Punk history and London culture. - Absolutely loved this. Aidan is so knowledgeable and charismatic. If you’re a Pistols fan this tour is a must but you get so much more. Aidan combines the history of UK punk with local anecdotes and uses his personal experiences to make this tour fascinating and enjoyable. Two and a half hours went over far too quickly. I highly recommend this tour.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
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