Group Walks
Group and Private Walks Are you looking to find an activity for your group or club? Or are you visiting the city and looking for a private guided tour? Our usual group/private tours last for one hour, 90 minutes or two hours – depending on what is best for your group and the theme of your walk – but we can tailor timings to your specific requisites. Most of our tours centre around the Old City, but we can also cover other areas of Southampton as required. Southampton has the most amazing history to discover and wealth of hidden stories! Many groups choose to do a private version of our history of Southampton walk – taking people through from the Romans to the Normans, the elegant and chic spa town of the Georgian era, to the time of the Second World War. Additional themed walks include : The Titanic and the very personal Southampton story Southampton and the Second World War The Pilgrim Fathers and the Mayflower Notable and Notorious Women of Southampton Southampton’s Parks Southampton and the Spitfire story Southampton’s docks Novelist Jane Austen – one of Southampton’s most famous residents Churches and other religious buildings in Southampton Or choose your own theme! Dates and Cost Please contact us to discuss charges and dates. Special rates and contents are offered for school parties, and especially for younger children. Illustrated Talks Many of our guides offer illustrated talks on a variety of subjects. Please contact us to discuss availability and charges.
Hidden History
Hidden History See Southampton and the Southampton Tourist Guides Association popular Hidden History Walks* are a stroll through the past of the City, exploring the Walls of the Old Town, with your Guide recounting tales of yesteryear, and bringing to life historical characters, and life-changing events.ee We will tell you about Southampton’s association with the Romans, Saxons and Vikings, the building of the Town Walls – standing since the 1300s – and the City’s ancient legends. We have ‘keys to the city’, enabling us to open up the locked doors of the Medieval Towers and Wine Vaults! We will see the Bargate, Southampton’s most famous monument; walk along the Western Walls with distant views to St. Mary’s Church and the New Forest; pass the oldest Church in the City, St. Michael’s, and the oldest Museum, Tudor House. Places associated with Jane Austen’s time in the city are included, and the City’s Spa Period from 1750-1830 is described. The Mayflower and Speedwell departed from Southampton, and important locations associated with the Pilgrim Fathers are covered, as is the City’s connections with the Titanic, which sailed from here. The City’s role in conflicts from the Battle of Agincourt, through to the Blitz and Normandy Landings on D-Day are also addressed. Walks last 1&1/2 hours and are gently-paced, however some stairs are involved. If you have any problems with these, or with heights or enclosed spaces, please let our Guide know, and they will be able to adjust to help you. Walks will finish near the lower end of the High Street – your guide can assist with directions to any part of the town you wish to visit or head to thereafter. Walks run at 10.30am and 1.30pm on Saturday and Sundays from April until end September, starting from the Lions at the Bargate in the City Centre. The cost is £7, children below 16 are free, but must be accompanied. Walks will then take place on Saturdays and Sundays during the winter months October – March, commencing at 1.30pm at the Bargate (but not on 24 or 31 Dec). The majority of City Centre Car Parks are well placed for access to the Bargate, especially the Eastgate and Albion Place Car Parks. Please note parking is free on the Western Esplanade on Sundays until 1pm, which gives time enough to enjoy our Sunday ‘Hidden History’ summer morning walk! * For 2023/24, Southampton’s two guiding associations, See Southampton and the Southampton Tourist Guides Association are working in partnership to deliver a series of Southampton History Walks on weekends throughout the year. SEE Southampton – More history than you ever imagined!
Events
See Southampton – Upcoming events and tours
Contact
Contact and bookings We will be delighted to speak to you concerning any aspect of a visit to Southampton, accessibility, volunteering, or to arranging a private tour for you or your group in the City. Tel: +44 (0)7770 842728 Email: info@seesouthampton.co.uk See Southampton SouthamptonHampshire, UK Meeting & starting point at Bargate, Southampton (by the statue of the lions).
See Southampton Heritage Guides
Welcome to See Southampton Heritage Guides Welcome to See Southampton Guided Tours See some of Southampton’s wonderful architectural, historical and cultural heritage with our tour guides. Tours & Events Private Group Walks Book a walk for a group or private party, tailored for your interests, with a qualified local history expert. Contact us Accessible Guided Tours Guided tours are for everyone! We offer a sign language interpreter, voice amplifiers, ramps, lifts, and accessible toilet facilities. More information More history in Southampton than you ever imagined! See Southampton Heritage Guides is a team of qualified local heritage experts and tour guides, delivering an entertaining programme of walks and talks for local residents, visitors and cruise ship passengers. Events & Tours Discover Southampton’s Amazing, Hidden – and Surprising – History Book Events 90-minute walking tours on Saturday and Sunday starting from February 2026 Meet at the Southampton Bargate, beside the statues of the lions Saturday and Sunday in February, April, June, August, October, December 2026: 13:30-15:00Saturday and Sunday in May, July, September 2026: 10:30-12:00 Explore the hidden history of Southampton – from the Romans to the Normans, to the city’s years as an elegant spa town, and on to the amazing part the city played in the Second World War as a military port and home to wartime industry. Visit the medieval walls and wine vaults, and hear the stories of Southampton’s most famous ships, including the Mayflower and the Titanic, along with tales of Southampton’s famous residents, such as novelist Jane Austen. Tickets: £10 – book online or pay on the day (cash or card) The Westgate – open on Sundays Visit the historic 14th Century Westgate, one of the main gates leading into medieval Southampton. Henry V with his band of brothers on their way to the Battle of Agincourt in 1415 passed through West Gate, as did the Pilgrim Fathers in 1620, ready to board the Mayflower at the busy, bustling medieval West Quay. Exhibitions explore the fascinating stories of the Mayflower and Southampton’s heritage steamship SS Shieldhall, Southampton’s wartime history, and look at the lives of some of the famous people connected to Southampton – such as the novelist Jane Austen. Opening times: Sundays 10:00-12:00, 13:00-15:00 – free entry Upcoming Public Themed and Group and Private Tours Upcoming Public Themed Tours:Check back in January for details of our public themed tours for 2026! Group and Private Tours: We offer private tours for individuals and groups, on subjects ranging from Titanic themed, to the Second World War, to the story of the Mayflower, covering the city’s churches, Christmas in Southampton, or Medieval or Georgian Southampton – whatever your interest, we can find a guide to tailor a tour for you. To find out more about our Group and Private Walks, contact us for more details. Contact Us 2026 Talks at Portswood and Woolston Libraries – FREE! Library talk dates & times A series of monthly Wednesday evening talks covering the history of Southampton will be given by See Southampton guides and Bevois Mount History at Portswood Library, starting in March 2026. The talks begin at 19:00 and admission is free. 11 March: Rebuilding the town Southampton after the Blitz Godfrey Collyer 8 April: Gatti’s Restaurant – the Titanic’s ‘Ritz’ Ally Hayes and Wendy Stokes 13 May: TBC 10 June: Southampton’s American Connections Nigel Philpott 8 July: The First Public Libraries in Southampton Ally Hayes and Wendy Stokes 12 August: Bevois – Prince of Southampton Jack Wilson 9 September: Early Development of Southampton Docks David Hornsby 14 October: The French Raid of 1338 Ally Hayes and Wendy Stokes If you would like to book a talk, our team is always happy to provide guest speakers on a range of subjects. Contact us for details. Southampton’s ‘American’ story 2026 is the 250th anniversary of the American Declaration of Independence in 1776, and America and Americans feature throughout many parts of Southampton’s history – from 1620 and the departure from Southampton’s West Quay of the Pilgrim Fathers on board the Mayflower and the Speedwell, to the major role America played in Southampton’s Second World War story, Weekend See Southampton walks throughout 2026 will recount many of the fascinating stories of Americans in Southampton, with details of special America-themed walks to be announced shortly. See Events for more details. Map and Tour – “From Parks to Port” See Southampton’s Accessible Guided Tours We ensure that our Accessible Guided Tours are accessible to those with (visible or non-visible) physical and learning difficulties, and are wheelchair and mobility scooter friendly. Accessibility Information “From Parks to Port” – See Southampton’s map with Accessible Trail See Southampton have produced a map that details accessible places of interest, and includes lifts, toilets, ramps and facilities that can be easily accessed by wheelchair and mobility scooter users. Information & Map Award Beautiful South Award See Southampton has won a prestigious accolade at the Beautiful South Awards for Excellence 2023. Read the full article in the Southern Daily Echo Reviews Click here to leave us a review!