Some of my five star reviews. You can see a lot more here on Tripadvisor, from tours I’ve done for Context and on the Tours By Locals site.
Bespoke Tours of London
Every now and then you encounter truly remarkable individuals, and Don Brown is one of them. It was an absolute pleasure to be guided through London by him. Traveling alone to London for the holidays, and this being my first time, I decided to hire a guide the day after my arrival to help me navigate the city and get oriented. This was the best decision I could have made. Don set the stage for what became an unforgettable 10 days exploring London on my own. His thoughtful and engaging guidance gave me confidence to truly experience the city. As we explored iconic places like Westminster Abby and the Tower of London, Don expertly tailored his commentary to my questions and interests while also introducing me to food, culture and places I would not have discovered on my own. Our day was easily one of the highlights of my life, and worth every penny
“Only one day to see the sights, spend it with Don”
We had a full itinerary and feel like we saw and learned as much as anyone can in a day. Don’s personality is easy to warm up to and by the end it felt like my wife and I were touring the city with a new friend. His detail, knowledge, and familiarity of each spot beat any brochure you could read.
“Everything you hope for in a personal tour”
We have visited most of the famous London sites, and wanted to delve a little deeper. So, we arranged for a private, half-day, tour of St Pauls (& environs) with Don. Don is everything you hope for in a guide: very knowledgable on a wide range of things concerning the main subject (history, architecture, urban development, sociology, even psychology). Just as importantly, he is good at listening and answering a pretty diverse group of questions. Would love to come back and do another with him. Very much like having a local friend who just happens to be very knowledgable.
Westminster Abbey
For this Westminster Abbey Tour, my wife and I specifically requested Don Brown, because he was so good in many Context Conversations he led and we enjoyed. Don was even better in person. This tour was as good or better than any we have ever taken.
“Amazing first visit to Westminster Abbey”
I’ve never been to the Abbey before and this was an exceptional experience, so much knowledge and presented in such an interesting way – I felt I was really having a “behind the scenes” tour through it’s history and the personalities involved in shaping it. Would definitely sign up for another tour.
“Westminster Abbey Tour- My wife and daughter were Enthralled!”
My wife and daughter are big British history fans and were not disappointed. Don really helped make the Abbey come alive. He was very personable and was kind enough to also walk us across the Westminster Bridge for a photo op while describing the history of the Parliament and Big Ben structures. Wonderful!
Churchill War Rooms
Don is an excellent tour guide. He was comfortable digging deep into any of the topics on display or related to the subject of WWI or Churchill’s life. He presented his material with confidence and a classic British charm. I highly recommend the Churchill war museum tour and Don.
The tour was outstanding; it was everything we imagined and more. We were well schooled in the public Churchill but this tour rewarded us with the private and personal Churchill too.
Tower of London
Another great tour. Don provided a thorough and engaging stroll around the many aspects of the Tower. Would highly recommend.
Don was lovely. He managed to transfer centuries of history with humor and intelligence all while keeping two tweens engaged for 3 hours. A great way to see The Tower.
Don took us through the ages and made us feel as if we traveled back in time! He also paced and organized our tour to maximize our time. I have done this tour twice before, yet I learned new and very interesting today. Everyone in our group truly enjoyed this tour
British Museum
Intelligent, articulate and friendly. You feel involved and inspired, not just led around. His British Museum tour is the only one you really need to do.
Don’s tour far exceeded our expectations of a “greatest hits” visit to the British Museum. He is chatty and super-pleasant, knowledgeable and clearly has passion for connecting people to the riches of an amazing world museum. To be repeated!
Our tour of the British Museum with Don was absolutely fabulous. The museum is so vast and overwhelming, and we were trying to fit it in before a mid-afternoon flight. Thanks to Don’s expert guidance, we were able to cover an incredible amount in a short time without ever feeling rushed. He knew exactly where to take us, how to explain each highlight, and made the experience both efficient and enjoyable. There is no way we could have seen and appreciated as much on our own. Highly recommend Don for anyone who wants to make the most of their time at the museum.
Don’s tour around the museum was exceptional! He had a wealth of knowledge and made it exciting to hear him talk about each piece he took us to. I had a wonderful time!
National Gallery
Don’s tour was great, he is fun and shows off a bit of the gallery. Book the tour, you won’t regret the decision.
Don was a great guide! He provided quite a lot of very interesting information about different aspects that make the works outstanding pieces within the context of art history as well as how they came to be in the collection of the museum.
Rock and Roll Walk
“Really interesting rock n roll tour of Soho”
Anyone with a passion for music of the 60s and 70s will love to stroll around vibrant Soho and find out more about the history of music in the area, as we did. Just seeing the places of interest right under our noses, which we probably would have walked by had they not been pointed out to us, was so interesting. Don clearly loves music – he is very knowledgeable and presents the information in an enjoyable, fun and engaging way. We can wholeheartedly recommend the experience.