Discover The City
after the sun
goes down
Join Open City for a night time walking tour exploring The City after dark, witnessing how London looks different — eerily beautiful — after the sun goes down
This tour around Smithfield, Charterhouse Square, St Bartholomew’s Hospital and the Barbican is a walk from twilight into night, moving between noise, lights and bustle, and quiet and darkness. Along the way, we'll take in markets, churches, hospitals and housing, and see how some of these places shift and change over the course of just a few hours.
We'll uncover how this part of London has been shaped from the 1100s to the late 20th century — exploring some of its oldest corners in the shadow of some of the city's newest buildings. And we'll look to the future too, considering what might be about to change, and what some of these places could feel like in a few years' time.
This is a chance to experience London at night in the company of a group — to slow down, and to see a familiar part of the city in a completely different light.
Key information
Meet: Outside Timpsons, outside Farringdon Station, Cowcross Street EC1M 6BY
What3words location: ///junior.banks.refuse
The 2nd stop on the tour is Smithfield Market, Grand Avenue EC1A 9PS
End: Smithfield Market
Duration: 2 hrs approx
Distance: 4.5km approx
Route notes: The walk is mostly on pavements. There are areas with uneven footing. The tour takes place in the dark. Much of the route is well lit, but not all of the route and there are moments where it can be quite dark.
Cost: £29.50 / £19.50 / £13.50 / £9.50
Tickets are non refundable and our tours go ahead rain or shine…
We aim to be inclusive and accessible where possible, please contact Adrianna at tours@open-city.org.uk to discuss your needs, reduced ticket prices and if you require a free carer ticket or have any additional queries.
Meet the tour guide…
Londoner Hannah Adler works in housing for a local authority, because she believes that the capital should be somewhere that everyone can live in. She took part in Open City’s Golden Key Academy to share London’s history, streets, buildings, stories, and folklore with others. She particularly enjoys walks across London, and other cities, at times when they are quieter, emptier, and more magical.
Adler is a graduate of the 2025 Golden Key Academy — a masterclass for urban and architectural tour guiding run by Open City. She joined the Open City tours team in May 2026.
Open City's year-round tours programme is supported by Bloomberg Connects, the free arts and culture app.