Free tour

London: History of Money and Power Walking Tour - Babylon to Bitcoin

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City of London

Duration: 2 hours and 30 minutes

Languages: English

Guru: Arjun

PRO

Verified quality

Registered on 18 April 2023

Dragon Lore Tours specialises in immersive walks that go far beyond traditional sightseeing. Each route is built from careful historical research and designed to reveal the deeper stories, symbols, and meanings hidden beneath familiar streets and landmarks. Instead of just ticking off “must‑see” sights, we explore the layers of history, myth, and power that shaped them. Your guide connects you with the symbolic and spiritual heritage of each place, turning churches, banking halls, and old stones into living narratives about the human journey. Our approach blends solid history with vivid, accessible storytelling. We don’t just show you places; we invite you into the myths, legends, and cultural wisdom embedded in every stone, street, and structure—so you leave not only informed, but genuinely transformed in how you see the world.

Free reservation and cancellation

Pay-what-you-want tour, no set price, reservation and cancellation are free

Tour description

This is not a typical tour. It’s an accessible, narrative‑driven walk for curious travellers who enjoy history, symbolism and big questions about what money and power really mean today.

Walk through the heart of London’s financial district and discover how money and power shaped the City from ancient empires to today’s global markets. On this tour we follow backstreets, temples and churches to uncover how war, technology, sovereignty, ambition, and belief systems all influenced the evolution of money.

We’ll visit the remains of a Roman temple linked to older Babylonian ideas about trade, law and sacred authority, then connect these to the rise of the City of London, the Bank of England, insurance markets and modern finance. Along the way, you’ll see familiar landmarks with new eyes and hear the stories behind coins, credit and capitalism.

We uncover how London’s financial district, this one‑square‑mile City rose to dominate global finance and conclude with current affairs to see why Bitcoin is seen as one of the most important discoveries of the modern world.About contributions

About contributions

This is a free‑booking, tip‑based tour. You are welcome to tip at the end according to your budget and the value you feel you received. I also pay a booking fee for each guest, so your contribution directly helps keep this experience running.

You may also like other walks with Dragon Lore Tours:

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Highlights

What will we see on this tour?

Meeting point:

Outside Pret

We meet outside the Pret. You will recognize me by my longish hair and beard, and I will have a dragon on the back of my ruck sack.

Outside visit

London Mithraeum Bloomberg SPACE

The God Mithras was worshipped at this ancient Roman Temple, whose story stretches back to Babylon where the modern money first came to be.

Free entry

Royal Exchange

The first purpose-built trading centre in England was built by the Father of English Banking, Thomas Gresham, in the 16th centrury.

Outside visit

Pope's Head Alley

We see how the Papacy begins the story of Money and Power in the West.

How much does this tour cost?

Free tours don't have a fixed price. At the end, each person contributes to the guide the amount they consider fair based on their satisfaction. As a guideline, Guruwalk recommends between €15 and $50 per participant.