​Coutours is a walking tour company that aims to provide a unique and personal experience that will go beyond the factual and into the extraordinary. It's not a school history lesson; it's a discovery of the secret stories of our wonderful city. ​It was founded by Emma Parker whose PR background allowed her to look at London in terms of stories and uncover London’s most interesting secrets.

London is not an obvious city; it does not display all it has but you have to work hard at finding the really interesting parts. Coutours likes to reveal the many curiosities and quirky tales in her full day or shorter themed tours to make every client's tour a memorable experience for all the right reasons.


​The guides

Emma
CREATOR & guide
Founder of Coutours, she was formerly a PR specialist working in retail, food and travel industries. She was Head of Press & PR at House of Fraser for 10 years and ran her own PR agency before giving it all up to start her London tour guiding company. She launched Coutours in 2011 and has been getting through plenty of shoe leather ever since. Emma studied History at the University of London (UCL & Kings) which has been invaluable for the background to London.
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"Emma is energetic, funny and interesting and the hidden areas she unveiled to us were truly surprising. We had a fantastic time and left with a great deal of fun facts to share. We loved it and can't wait to book our next tour. Jack the Ripper is next on our list. See you soon Emma!" 
-Review by: Claudia A.
Karen
GUIDE
Karen has been in the travel business for most of her working life.  Re-locating from South Africa to London in 2009, she has been working on her own business, London Green Africa as well as being a tour guide for Coutours and for The National Trust.  Her great passions are London, history, gardens and gardening, art, the beautiful and the arcane and South Africa!
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"I had the pleasure of joining Karen for her delightful tour entitled 'The History Of London In Four Drinks', a fascinating jaunt around the western side of the City of London. Karen’s delivery, style and passion for what she does are second to none."
-Review by: Coco a Gogo
Greta
guide
She is a trained actress turned historian. She's currently studying for her BA in Military History at Kent University and loves scuba diving! Greta also conducts tours around the British Museum and is a London social history enthusiast with a keen interest in London’s drinks.
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"Really enjoyed the tour. Very informative, good mix of people,4 couples so a nice size group. Greta our guide was excellent. Going back again to explore what she showed us a bit more."
-Review by: Iggsy1960
Barbara
Guide
Barbara is an avid London enthusiast - totally captivated by the capital and everything it has to offer including its curiosities, history, architecture, museums and hidden secrets. She enjoys devising and leading private ‘off-the-beaten track’ London tours and has done so for over 15 years. Since the 2012 London Olympics, Barbara continues to be a Team London Ambassador providing guidance, advice and information to the city’s visitors.
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"We went on the Icons walking tour in London and Barbara made a fantastic guide and is so knowledgeable. we had a great tour and the timings were perfect. Thoroughly recommend this tour and we are looking forward to booking another tour soon."
-Review by: jezbar50
Mark
GUIDE
He has a BA French and German from Nottingham. He was born and raised in London but has lived in Austria, France and Japan. Mark has been doing tours for Coutours since 2011 and has found that he loves its history, culture and humour.
Mark is a stand-up comedian and comedy write for stage, online projects and BBC Radio 4.
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"Mark made my day! We went on the Hidden London tour and were amazed with all the fun and quirky facts we learnt and the interesting places we saw. We were only a few metres from the main road for much of the time but it was quiet and full of many marvels that we decided to retrace our steps to remember everything."
-Review by: joesob
Victoria
guide
She is a professional museum educator, passionate about heritage buildings, architecture, social history, and London’s museums and galleries. She has a BA in Hons in History and a MA in Museum and Gallery Education, and is a specialist in working with children. She works for the Museum of London, Royal Courts of Justice, Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Museum, Dickens Museum, Kenwood House, and Alexandra Palace.
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"We went on East End Eats, a tour around Spitalfields and filled with tasty treats. We learnt so much and ate enough that we didn’t need lunch. She was delightful. Thank you."
​-Review by: ScottStaff1

VIDEOS

Below are some videos we have created for use as marketing online content for businesses, hotels, etc. Contact emma@coutours.co.uk for how to license these videos.

​Pub in two halves

Nosey parker

Charles 1

​We aim to provide unique London tours unlike anything else you might have been on before. ​For a fun, educational and original experience, book your place on one of our walking tours today.