Hidden London Tube Station Tours

Hidden London is the London Transport Museum's programme of expert-led guided tours that open up parts of the Underground normally sealed off from the public: disused stations, closed platforms, wartime deep-level shelters, ventilation shafts and time-capsule corridors. Launched in 2015, the programme now covers around a dozen secret locations plus an above-ground walking tour, with tours running on set dates released several times a year. It is operated by the London Transport Museum, a registered charity (No. 1123122) based in Covent Garden, and profits support the conservation of London's transport and design heritage.

The flagship site is Aldwych (originally named "Strand"), which opened in 1907 as the terminus of a short Piccadilly line branch from Holborn. Designed by Leslie Green with his signature ox-blood red glazed-tile façade, the station was never as busy as intended and closed to passengers in 1994 after nearly nine decades. Tours descend a 130-step spiral staircase to two disused platforms and a period ticket hall, where original 1907 lifts and decades-old advertising posters survive frozen in time. Aldwych sheltered Londoners from air raids during both World Wars and was used to store artworks from national collections; it is now one of the capital's most-used filming locations, seen in Sherlock, 28 Weeks Later, Atonement, Darkest Hour, Mr Selfridge, Luther: The Fallen Sun and Netflix's Bodies.

Other locations in the rotation include Clapham South (one of eight deep-level shelters built during the Second World War, with over a mile of corridors), Charing Cross, Baker Street (birthplace of the world's first Underground railway), Holborn, Moorgate, Euston, Dover Street and Piccadilly Circus. The programme has featured in the TV series Secrets of the London Underground on the U&Yesterday channel and won Tiqets' Best Hidden Gem in the UK at the Remarkable Venue Awards.

Photography is permitted on the tours and the disused stations are highly photogenic: the tiled Aldwych ticket hall, the two bare platforms with their vintage enamel and paper posters, the original 1907 lifts, and the long spiral staircase all make striking subjects. Bear in mind the light is low throughout and there are periods when guides switch the lights off entirely for projections, so a camera that handles dim conditions helps. Large bags and tripods are impractical as there are no cloakroom facilities and the spaces are confined; check each tour's specific photography guidance, as rules can vary by location.

For railfans, Hidden London offers rare access to Edwardian station architecture and Underground engineering that no ordinary journey can reveal. At Aldwych you walk through Leslie Green's 1907 design, stand on platforms that saw their last passengers in 1994, and hear the story of how two railways merged in 1902 to create the Piccadilly line and its Holborn–Aldwych branch. Guides draw on the Museum's archive to explain features like the Aldwych crossover (viewable on the Holborn tour), the deep-level shelter engineering at Clapham South, and the wartime uses of tunnels at Piccadilly Circus.

The tours are led by expert guides and reward anyone interested in transport history, disused infrastructure, wartime London or film locations. Because each station has its own character — the programme lets enthusiasts return again and again for a different site each time.

Expect a walking tour of roughly 80 minutes (Aldwych) through dimly lit, disused spaces with no trains or crowds, led by a Hidden London guide in a small group. Most of the experience is underground, in confined, dusty areas with uneven floors and no natural light; at Aldwych the route involves descending and re-climbing a 130-step spiral staircase (about eight floors), and there are no working lifts or toilets on site. Some tours include moments when the lights are turned off for archive film projections, and guides warn guests beforehand.

Tours are available to guests aged 10 and over, and physical photo ID is required for every ticket holder (including minors). Flat, sturdy shoes are mandatory — open-toe shoes and heels are refused on health-and-safety grounds. Each Hidden London ticket also includes half-price one-day entry to the London Transport Museum in Covent Garden (kids 17 and under go free) within a month of the tour, plus 10% off full-priced items at the Museum shop.