Guildhall
Guildhall
4.5
10:30 AM - 4:00 PM
Monday
10:30 AM - 4:00 PM
Tuesday
10:30 AM - 4:00 PM
Wednesday
10:30 AM - 4:00 PM
Thursday
10:30 AM - 4:00 PM
Friday
10:30 AM - 4:00 PM
Saturday
10:30 AM - 4:00 PM
Sunday
10:30 AM - 4:00 PM
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The area
Address
Neighbourhood: City of London
From its ancient past as a Roman trading outpost to its 21st century status as the wealthiest square mile in the world, the financial district known simply as “The City” is one of London's most historic and fascinating neighbourhoods. Here high rise office towers such as Norman Foster’s Gherkin mingle with Roman ruins and architectural marvels from virtually every era in between, including Christopher Wren's glorious St.Paul's Cathedral, and John Soane's dauntingly classicist Bank of England. This neighbourhood is also home to some of the finest restaurants and plushest hotels in Europe, in addition to an assortment of of watering holes, upscale shops, and Tube stations. During the week, the City is abuzz with white collar workers going about their business; the weekend sees this area turn into a quiet haven for sightseers.
How to get there
- Bank • 4 min walk
- Moorgate • 4 min walk
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Best nearby
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10,000 within 3 miles
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2,829 within 6 miles
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
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4.5
173 reviews
Excellent
99
Very good
63
Average
8
Poor
1
Terrible
2
TRBUK
Bristol, UK510 contributions
Mar 2022 • Business
I was there for s luncheon and the layout of the room meant that every time the staff moved they had no option but to shove your seat. Add to this the fact that the staff have zero idea which side to serve bread and you start to get the fell of the level of incompetence.
Food was pretty good though, so fair play to the kitchen.
The most ludicrous thing was the fact that after the Champagne reception you couldn't take your drink into lunch. So much for saving the planet!
Food was pretty good though, so fair play to the kitchen.
The most ludicrous thing was the fact that after the Champagne reception you couldn't take your drink into lunch. So much for saving the planet!
Written 31 March 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Estella P
7 contributions
Nov 2024 • Solo
I went there twice in one week. Firstly, my name was picked from a ballot to go and watch the Silent Ceremony. I, and everyone else who had received a ballot ticket, had to sit at the back. No talking was allowed as the new Lord Mayor of London was sworn in. We all had to sit and watch for twenty minutes before he left. Afterwards, I was allowed to walk round the room and take photos. Secondly, I went back and looked round the art gallery and the Roman ruins exhibition, which was on the ground floor. There wasn't much to see, for the ruins, but I would recommend anyone going to the art gallery.
Written 28 November 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
SandieBDerby
Derbyshire34 contributions
Aug 2024 • Friends
Visited The Guildhall with a friend today (Wednesday, 8th August) who hadn't been before. I had been many years before and it was just as good as I remembered it. So much to see, the art gallery is definitely worth a visit. Our visit was made very special by the staff who were welcoming and helpful, in particular the gentlemen who was checking the bags, so our first point of contact. I wish I had taken his name as he was so helpful and gave us lots of information about The Guildhall in the past and the present day, which made our visit very special. Many thanks to him. Hope he gets to read this review!
Written 8 August 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Peter M
London, UK33 contributions
Jun 2024 • Solo
Sadly there was too many things going on today to appreciate the tour. Three tours all at the same time. This meant very clumsy tour. Also large group meant you could not hear correctly. Finally there was a sports day taking place in the square which meant we could not enter the square and also competing with very loud music. In sadly was not impressed at all.
Written 20 June 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Jack R
Exeter, UK544 contributions
Feb 2020
We discovered this almost by accident, but very glad that we did. There are the remains of a Roman Amphitheatre in the basement - fascinating - and a really interesting Victorian art collection, including Rosetti and Millais. Well recommended.
Written 4 March 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Aaron L
38 contributions
Jul 2018 • Couples
This is really a special place. You can feel the history that took place in that building oozing into your skin, lol. I had not even heard of the Guildhall but our black cab tour operator driver took us there and it was fantastic. Seeing the remnants of the Roman amphitheater in the foundation levels of the gallery next door was the icing on the cake.
Written 6 July 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Colona1988
Conway, MA384 contributions
Jan 2019 • Friends
There isn't a lot at the Guildhall, yet I'm very glad I visited. First of all, it's in the City which is the oldest part of London. The area is filled with financial buildings and guild buildings. The area of the Guildhall itself was bombed out during WWII, but the hall itself was carefully rebuilt. That's where the statues of the giants Gog and Magog look down at you. Underneath the Art Museum are remnants of a Roman amphitheater. If you are interested in the Romans or the guilds and rise of trade, this area is worth a visit.
Written 29 January 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Nick W
Edinburgh, UK50 contributions
Jul 2017 • Solo
The Guildhall itself (the hall) is open to the public for free when not in use. You will not need more than 30 minutes tops to do it justice as it is just a single medieval all. There is no guide and it is not particularly well signed - it is what it is. Contains some monuments to famous Englishmen (Pitt the Younger and Elder, Nelson, Churchill) and the "official" city measures of an Imperial Foot and Yard. Perhaps most interesting are the two statues of the mythical giants, Gog and Magog, that overlook the entrance from the gallery above - they are references to the purely mythical formation of London by refugees from Troy.
The courtyard outside the hall is a lovely setting, the linked modern architecture less so. The curved black paving in the courtyard marks out the walls of the Roman Colosseum that was located on this same site.
The free Guildhall Art Gallery on the right hand side of the Guildhall's courtyard is highly recommended for a combined visit, not only for the art collection of old scenes of London, but the basement that contains the ruined walls of the Colosseum itself together with a small historical museum explaining the whole site.
The courtyard outside the hall is a lovely setting, the linked modern architecture less so. The curved black paving in the courtyard marks out the walls of the Roman Colosseum that was located on this same site.
The free Guildhall Art Gallery on the right hand side of the Guildhall's courtyard is highly recommended for a combined visit, not only for the art collection of old scenes of London, but the basement that contains the ruined walls of the Colosseum itself together with a small historical museum explaining the whole site.
Written 31 July 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
retireeVancouver
Vancouver, Canada1,828 contributions
Jun 2014 • Couples
On a late Sunday afternoon, we were the only visitors to the guildhall. The security officer, taking an interest in my question as to where I could find Gog and Magog, took my hubby and me on a personal tour of the guildhall banquet room pointing out all its historical facts and "behind the scenes" stories. I was just amazed with his knowledge of this building and very thankful for his time in showing us around. I saw the large straw statues of these 2 giants that are used in the mayor's parade as well as the stationary pair in the banquet room. The "guide" pointed out the names of mayors on the chevrons of the windows. Each year when a new mayor is chosen by the businessmen to represent the area - this year it was a lady - , his/her name gets placed on the window. They haven't run out of window space yet! He then directed our attention to the medieval shields of guilds like those for bakers, blacksmiths, leather workers, etc. Also noticeable were the large memorials around the sides of the room to Wellington, Nelson, and William Pitt. In the past - the 1500's-, this hall had been used as a courtroom. Names of people like Lady Jane Grey who were tried and executed for treason appeared on a plaque. Today, the hall is used for special occasions as a dining hall. The guide was obviously proud of how the hall looked for such occasions with long tables set with white cloths, flowers, silver, china, and crystal glasses. We were told to look for the open palm sign over the door on a building across from the square which was a sign to indicate its use as a courtroom. We were also directed to look for shoe scrappers by the outside door which were used to take mud off shoes from the roads before entering a building. Along side that building was an original lamp stand from the 1800's. Then, he pointed out the significance of the dark semi-circular bricks on the square outside that were used to outline the circumference of the Roman amphitheater. Without this guided tour, our visit would not have been so memorable. As we left this area, we could see the contrast between the old medieval guildhall and the surrounding modern office buildings. This part of London, The City, holds many surprises, and the Guildhall Banquet Hall was one of them. Save about 30 minutes to have a look around here after/before a visit to the London Museum which is very close by.
Written 5 August 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Stephen c
London, UK69 contributions
May 2013 • Solo
If you are interested in the history of the City of London then you will really enjoy a trip to Guildhall.
The City is proud of its heritage and independance which requires the reigning monarch to seek permission to enter it and even refers to William The Conqueror as William 1 because he never actually conquered the City.
Originally built in the 1400s and substantially rebuilt following the Great Fire of London in 1666 and the Blitz in 1940, there is still plenty of medieval architecture to see and even parts of the Roman Amphitheatre remain on shown in the basement.
Guildhall's many rooms are decorated with emblems of the 100 or so Guilds(trades) practised in the City (The Mercers are the most famous) as are the stainedglass windows together with details of the 700 or so Lord Mayors of the City of London since 1189 (as distinct from the separately governed boroughs of London now led by London Mayor Boris Johnson in City Hall).
The Lord Mayor is elected for only one year and there has only been one female Lord Mayor, in 1983.
There are plenty of memorial statutes on display and tributes to many of those who have made London great.
I particularly enjoyed the extensive display of paintings of memorable events in the City's past.
Guildhall is divided up into several different halls but the Great Hall is where the Court of Common Council meet to decide City of London policy and these meetings are open to the public.
Entry to all this is completely free and I believe on Fridays a free guided tour is also available.
So if like Samuel Johnson you are never tired of London, then like me you will just love a visit to Guildhall.
The City is proud of its heritage and independance which requires the reigning monarch to seek permission to enter it and even refers to William The Conqueror as William 1 because he never actually conquered the City.
Originally built in the 1400s and substantially rebuilt following the Great Fire of London in 1666 and the Blitz in 1940, there is still plenty of medieval architecture to see and even parts of the Roman Amphitheatre remain on shown in the basement.
Guildhall's many rooms are decorated with emblems of the 100 or so Guilds(trades) practised in the City (The Mercers are the most famous) as are the stainedglass windows together with details of the 700 or so Lord Mayors of the City of London since 1189 (as distinct from the separately governed boroughs of London now led by London Mayor Boris Johnson in City Hall).
The Lord Mayor is elected for only one year and there has only been one female Lord Mayor, in 1983.
There are plenty of memorial statutes on display and tributes to many of those who have made London great.
I particularly enjoyed the extensive display of paintings of memorable events in the City's past.
Guildhall is divided up into several different halls but the Great Hall is where the Court of Common Council meet to decide City of London policy and these meetings are open to the public.
Entry to all this is completely free and I believe on Fridays a free guided tour is also available.
So if like Samuel Johnson you are never tired of London, then like me you will just love a visit to Guildhall.
Written 16 May 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
I may hv previously posted on wrong site! Am disabled but attending the Treasures of Gold & Silver Threads exhibition. Could someone tell me where the entrance to the exhibition is located ie the name of road nearest entrance? And nearest tube to that entrance as my walking is compromised. Sorry to bother you all but Guildhall site looks massive!
Written 17 December 2023
Thank you both! So I’ll aim for Bank stn as allegedly 100 metres less to walk than the other nearby stns!
Written 21 December 2023
The ampitheatre is included as part of the Guildhall Art Gallery, which is free entry and adjacent to Guildhall itself (on its right as you face it). No need to book, all you need to do is go through airport-style security as you enter.
Written 9 August 2019
Is it open for public tours.
Written 6 December 2018
If you go through the modern building on the left, they will just let you in and see the Great Hall (which is really the main part). You just have to go through the airport-style security.
Written 9 August 2019
Vorrei sapere se la visita al guildhall è gratuita e quali sale si possono visitare? grazie
Written 4 September 2017
Si, la Guildhall e gratuita - solo uno sale. La grande hall.
Written 13 November 2017
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