Churchill War Rooms

A fascinating underground museum preserving the bunker from which Churchill's government directed the war effort.

TravelCurious Tip

The perfect activity for a rainy day.

For those with any interest in the Second World War, and Britain’s involvement in it, the Churchill War Rooms should not be missed. Located beneath the Treasury at the southeast corner of St. James’ Park, this underground complex was the nerve centre from which the war effort was orchestrated by Winston Churchill. All the furniture and equipment has been left exactly as it was in August 1945 at the war’s end, and the result is an astonishing time-capsule insight into what it was like to live and work with the hopes of a nation and a continent resting on their shoulders.


Leading from Below

Foreseeing the outbreak of war, construction on the War Rooms began in 1938, and they were made fully operational shortly before Germany’s invasion of Poland. After Churchill’s appointment as Prime Minister, he visited the complex in May 1940 and declared: “This is the room from which I will direct the war”.


A Man and his Plan

As you dip beneath the massive layer of concrete known as “The Slab”, you discover that the Churchill War Rooms actually consists of two separate museums. The Cabinet War Rooms, whose centrepiece is the fascinating Map Room, detail the strategic and tactical exploits of the war room as a whole. This is where Churchill held no less than 115 cabinet meetings, hammering out the details of Allied offensives across Europe. The Churchill Museum unpicks the life and works of the great man himself, from his early childhood to his state funeral. Particularly interesting is the large collection of passionately devoted letters he wrote to his wife Clementine, exposing the softer side of this famously tough statesman.


Nearby Attractions

See all attractions in London
Downing Street
The home of some of the most important members of the British Government, including the Prime Minister himself.
Westminster Abbey
One of London's oldest and most magnificent churches, with a long-standing connection to the royal family.
Horse Guards Parade at St James's Park
An old tournament ground that now serves as an area for royal and military ceremonies.
Whitehall Place
Recognised as the centre of Her Majesty's Government and the seat of power for the United Kingdom.
Winston Churchill Statue
A bronze sculpture of the former British prime minister Winston Churchill located in Parliament Square.
The Cenotaph
A national war memorial in London.

Related Tours

City of Spies: Espionage in London & Churchill War Rooms Private Tour
This exciting City of Spies private tour has been created exclusively to take you on a fascinating journey through London's espionage history during the Cold War, the origins of MI5 and MI6, and to learn about Churchill's role in bringing down the Nazi regime. 

On your private city of spies tour of London, you will: 

  • Learn London's rich history of espionage at St Ermin's Hotel, where Winston Churchill's meeting known as 'Setting Europe Ablaze’ occurred in 1940, and walk past the Caxton bar located inside this famous spy hotel used by intelligence service officials to meet up;
  • Discover the stories of double agents known as the Cambridge Five: Kim Philby, Donald Maclean, Guy Burgess, John Cairncross, and Sir Anthony Blunt;
  • Hear the plots to overthrow the government at some of the most powerful institutions in Westminster, including Downing Street, Whitehall, and Westminster Palace;
  • Learn about the extraordinary life of Sir Mansfield Cumming, the Secret Intelligence Service (SIS) first director, known as MI6; 
  • Explore the Churchill War Rooms with your private guide and get up close to the Cabinet Room;
  • See the Map Room, the beating heart of the war rooms;
  • And discover the Telephone Room that allowed direct communication between the US and the UK government.

Your tour guide will take you on a journey through the streets of London to uncover the main characters and buildings that shaped the history of the world while telling you stories that seem more like Le Carré novels than real life. 

After your walking tour, you will visit the Churchill War Rooms, located below the streets of Westminster. An underground network of bunkers that functioned as British wartime offices, planning, and map rooms.

It was here that much of Allied intelligence and strategy was discussed and planned in WWII, as well as serving as a place of refuge and shelter for the government during the blitz. Your guide will give a detailed and fascinating tour of this place that has been left exactly as it was since 1944. 
Churchill War Rooms: Westminster Underground Bunkers Private Tour
Step into the world of Wartime London in the late 1930s and 1940s, where you will hear the stories of larger-than-life Winston Churchill, explore the underground bunkers that British wartime officers used during that time known as the Churchill War Rooms and learn about the resilience of Londoners during that time. 

On your private Churchill War Rooms tour, you will: 

  • Enjoy the personalised attention of a knowledgeable private guide throughout your tour;
  • See the Winston Churchill memorial and the partially bombed buildings from the blitz;
  • Stop at some of the most iconic buildings in London: Houses of Parliament, Westminster Abbey, Downing Street, The Cenotaph, the Old War Office, MI6 headquarters and the Gurkha Soldier memorial;
  • Visit the Churchill War Rooms and travel back in time to the times of the Second World War while your tour guide gives you a private tour of these underground bunkers;
  • Explore the Cabinet Room, hidden under the streets of Westminster and hear the stories about those who worked and lived here;
  • Discover the Transatlantic Telephone Room, which connected Churchill directly to the US president and find out how they disguised this tiny room;
  • See the BBC Broadcast Room, where all speeches were televised from;
  • Visit the Map Room, used around the clock to collate information for King George VI, Churchill,  and the armed forces;
  • Walk the Churchill War Rooms' top-secret winding corridors and get a glimpse of what life would have been from 1939 to 1945.

Begin exploring the heart of London’s parliamentary district. This was the brain and nerve centre for British and Allied forces in Europe and abroad. See the Winston Churchill memorial, and learn about his adolescence, personal life and fascinating rise to government. 

Your guide will take you to see the partially destroyed buildings from the blitz and visit The Houses of Parliament, Big Ben and the Prime Minister's residence. Next visit The iconic Cenotaph war memorial, special service headquarters and Ghurka memorial.

After your walking tour, dive into the Churchill War Rooms, an underground network of bunkers that functioned as British wartime offices, planning and map rooms. It was here that much of Allied intelligence and strategy was discussed and planned in WWII, as well as serving as a place of refuge and shelter for the government during the blitz.

As you explore the massive layer of concrete known as “The Slab”, you discover that the Churchill War Rooms actually consists of two separate museums. 

The Cabinet War Rooms, whose centrepiece is the fascinating Map Room, detail the strategic and tactical exploits of the war room as a whole. This is where Churchill held no less than 115 cabinet meetings, hammering out the details of Allied offensives across Europe. 

The Churchill Museum unpicks the life and works of the great man himself, from his early childhood to his state funeral. Particularly interesting is the large collection of passionately devoted letters he wrote to his wife Clementine, exposing the softer side of this famously tough statesman.

Your tour finishes in the War Rooms, and you are free to continue exploring at your own leisure or ask your guide for recommendations for food, including Churchill’s local pub. 
007 James Bond Locations in London: Private Black Cab Tour
Delve into the world of espionage with Bond, James Bond on a private tour of London to uncover many filming locations in the city of London that you have seen in your favourite movies for over 40 years.

On your James Bond filming locations tour, you will:

  • Travel in the comfort of a private and iconic London Black Cab;
  • Relive your favourite spy flicks and their lead characters with an accredited London Driver Guide who's a 007 aficionado; 
  • Become a special agent of "His Majesty’s Secret Service" and explore the haunts throughout London where Connery, Lazenby, Moore, Dalton, Brosnan and Craig each brought Bond to life;
  • Explore the places behind the stories in Ian Fleming’s iconic novels and the subsequent films;
  • Learn about the real-life world of the Secret Service as you tour Westminster, Whitehall, Downing St, and the National Gallery.

London is a city unlike no other in respect of its long associations with the world of espionage - the spies, double agents, traitors, heroes and villains from every continent played out their cloak-and-dagger games of cunning, deceit and treachery on the mean streets that we shall traverse. 

Like in real life, the city has played host to some incredible spy moments on the big screen, including in Bond film scenes over the past 55 years. Your 007 expert tour guide is here to take you undercover and whisk you through the film locations from ‘Dr. No’ through to ‘Spectre.’
 
James Bond fans will not only get to see those film scene sites - but also most of London's iconic landmarks, plus a special visit inside one of the world's most famous spaces, the National Gallery.
City of Spies: Discover London's Espionage History Private Tour
Immerse yourself in one of the world’s largest centres of international trade, finance, geopolitics, and espionage history. Journey through London's role in the Cold War, the origins of MI5, MI6 and Churchill's role in WWII bringing down the Nazi regime. 

On your private City of Spies tour, you will: 

  • Experience the worlds of fiction and reality, uncovering hidden places, bunkers, and luxury hotels.
  • Hear stories of double agents and plots to overthrow the government at some of the most powerful institutions in Westminster, including Downing Street, Whitehall, and Westminster Palace.
  • Follow in the footsteps of the key double agents in the Cold War, such as Kim Philby, Donald Maclean, and Guy Burgess - and ask if there was an unidentified "Fifth Man".
  • Learn about the extraordinary life of Sir Mansfield Cumming, the first director of the Secret Intelligence Service (SIS), known as MI6. 
  • Finish your tour with a drink included at the Caxton Bar where, during WWII,  MI5, SIS and Naval Intelligence Division officers such as 007 author Ian Fleming himself met their agents.

In this unique experience, you will walk by and learn about many of the protagonist buildings and sites where these world-changing events have taken place. 

Your guide will mesmerise you with stories that seem more like Le Carré novels than real life. Of course, these stories are not confined to the Second World War and Cold War History, as foreign operatives in London continue to make splashes across global headlines.

Venture out onto the streets of Westminster and discover the area's colourful history of espionage, dirty politics and death. The toppling of regimes, battle against ideology and revolution have all been orchestrated and exercised along these streets. Revisit the setting of infamous covert operations, traitorous meetings involving double agents and murder plots.

Along your walking tour, you will retrace the steps of Britain's most famous spies, enjoy the remarkable tales that later inspired Ian Fleming’s James Bond novels, and hear of the extraordinary success of the Cambridge Spy ring. 

Come and enjoy this unique experience, but please be discreet, the information given on this tour is classified...
Customise Your Own 7-hour Private London Tour in a Black Cab
At Black Cab Heritage Tours, we have a wide range of private tours and day trips from London, but our priority is to make sure you have a memorable experience, and that every detail of your tour is taken care of.

This “Customise Your Own Tour” will allow you to work with one of our staff members to create the perfect customised tour according to your requests.

These tours have been designed to be delivered within the city of London. If you want to do a day trip out of town or to a different area, please reach out directly so we can reconfirm the duration and the itinerary for the day.
We look forward to welcoming you to London soon!

Please note
  • No entrance fees are included
  • Guides are not allowed to guide inside certain venues
  • Hotel Pick-Up & Drop-Off  is only included from Central London
Customise Your Own 8-hour Private London Tour in a Black Cab
At Black Cab Heritage Tours, we have a wide range of private tours and day trips from London, but our priority is to make sure you have a memorable experience, and that every detail of your tour is taken care of.

This “Customise Your Own Tour” will allow you to work with one of our staff members to create the perfect customised tour according to your requests.

These tours have been designed to be delivered within the city of London. If you want to do a day trip out of town or to a different area, please reach out directly so we can reconfirm the duration and the itinerary for the day.
We look forward to welcoming you to London soon!

Please note
  • No entrance fees are included
  • Guides are not allowed to guide inside certain venues
  • Hotel Pick-Up & Drop-Off  is only included from Central London
x

Guides

Join the fastest growing community of professional tour guides.

Become a guide

Partners

Use our easy to integrate toolset to include Tours & Attractions in your customer journey.

Become a partner