City of London Tour Guide - Ian McDIarmid

Ian qualified as a City of London tour guide in 2017 and has a particular passion for Roman and Medieval history, having in an earlier incarnation studied history at Cambridge and London universities.

He began working life in the early 80s in the City, and has since written extensively on the share and bond markets as a journalist. He loves talking finance and taking people around the narrow alleys where today’s massive trading centre was born.

When not walking and talking, Ian enjoys pottering about in the garden. His expertise is such that he often spends several hours doing this.

Coffee, Cash and Commerce (London Financial Tour)

This company is excellent and their walk leaders always provide in depth information in a clear and interesting way. Highly recommended. Susan

The tour guide was incredibly knowledgeable, friendly and my friend and I learnt so much. A great start to a Saturday morning. He was patient and waited for everyone to assemble at each stop of the tour and dealt brilliantly with people's queries. Definitely worth anyone going along to because it is fascinating how the City came about and its evolution through time to the present day. Will for sure go on more tours! Joya

The tour guide was very knowledgeable and responded to all our questions. He far exceeded his allocated time and not one person left on time as we were all enthralled and gripped with the knowledge that he provided about cash, coffee and commerce. A must for all to have a greater understanding of financial services, the traders and how they are governed and how the success of London impacts on our everyday lives. Shenis

Kings Cross Private Walking Tour

For a bitterly cold and wet lunchtime our guide did a great job in keeping us moving and out of the rain where possible. His stories illuminated more about the history of the area around Euston Station and Kings Cross than I was expecting and have inspired me to return to visit the locations again when the weather is a little warmer. It was nice to meet other people on the tour also, and there was time to chat as we strolled around. Although we didn't cover a huge distance, I think a comfortable pair of walking shoes is a must. Catherine

A very interesting Walk with a knowledgeable and animated guide. Iain is very widely read and excitedly communicates his passion for his subject. He brings the descriptions to life by communicating his personal perspectives on the stories. Woburn Walk was a wonderful revelation to so many of us in the group. How can we have not discovered before this gem of a shopping street?! So looking forward to another tour with Ian. Jan

Ian, our guide, was very informative. I thought I knew the area quite well but there are hidden areas that are just delightful. He covered the history of the area. It's amazing how you can walk around an area on your own and actually miss these 'gems'. Well worth doing. Not a strenuous walk at all. Would recommend. Rosalind

Roman London Private Walking Tour

Having thoroughly enjoyed Hazel’s guided walks in the past, this Roman Walk doesn’t really work as the distances between sites of interest means that there is a lot more walking than looking. This is no fault of the excellent guide Ian McDiarmid but inevitable given that most Roman remains are now deeply buried under the modern city. Diana Watt

Really enjoyed this very informative walk led by Ian. He made Roman London come alive, thoroughly recommend. Sue and Brian Smith

Excellent. Informative, interesting and presented in a clear way. John McGirr

Very interesting and informative walk by Ian. Delivered well and with passion. Distances between sites were a little long but he did make that clear at the beginning of tour. Melanie McKenzie

Great Fire of London Private Walking Tour

Taking part in ‘The Great Fire of London Walk’ was a real joy and a great opportunity to discover hidden gems of London. Led by a highly knowledgeable guide, it was possible to learn about the background and consequences of the fire, and gain an insight into the social, political and economic context of the 1660s. Tracing the route where the fire had originally spread and some fine buildings erected in the wake of the reconstruction effort, drew one’s attention to the role of architecture in shaping human life - both in terms of material conditions and aesthetics. Highly recommended. Jo and Klemens

Ian our guide was so knowledgeable - it was a very informative, interesting walk which we all enjoyed, despite Storm Jorge's attempts to spoil the day! Phillipa and Tim

This was a really interesting walk, the tour guide was pleasant and very well informed. The walk took us to some great places that I did not know about previously. I would highly recommend this walk. Cora

Guided Walks | Private Tours | Podcast

Ian McDiarmid - City of London Tour Guide

Ian's Blog Posts

Podcast Episodes with Ian

Reviews for Ian's guided walks and private tours:

Coffee, Cash and Commerce (London Financial Tour)

Kings Cross Private Walking Tour

Roman London Private Walking Tour

Great Fire of London Private Walking Tour

Other London Tour Guides