Sunday | Welcome to London

Welcome to our London - Our City English Language Programme in London. We're transferring you from London airports today. We'll take you to our city centre dorm or our English host family neighbourhood in Richmond near the world-famous Thames River. After a short break, we will begin exploring both neighbourhoods by introducing bus stops, supermarkets, pharmacies and other important local points. When you visit a new place, this is what you need. A light welcome meal is served for tonight.

Depending on your choice your accommodation will be either provided in English families or in the school's dorm.

Monday's English Activity Programme : Westminster City - Buckingham Palace

The Houses of Parliament, known also as the Palace of Westminster is where the two Houses of the Parliament of the United Kingdom (the House of Lords and the House of Commons) conduct their sittings. They lie on the north bank of the River Thames in the London borough of the City of Westminster, close by other government buildings in Whitehall. The oldest part of the building is still in existence, Westminster Hall, which dates from 1097. The palace originally served as a royal residence, but no monarch has lived in it since the 16th century. Most of the present Houses of Parliament structure dates from the 19th century when the Palace was rebuilt after it was almost entirely destroyed by a fire in 1834. The architects responsible for rebuilding the Palace was Sir Charles Barry and Augustus Welby Pugin, and the building is an example of the Gothic revival.

Westminster Abbey is a Church, burial ground, coronation site and much more, Westminster Abbey continues to attract visitors over 900 years after its founding. In many respects the architecture is common. There's the traditional cross-shaped floor plan with a nave, north and south transepts and several round side areas. But both its execution and use raise The Collegiate Church of St Peter, Westminster (the official name) to among the highest examples of church construction. Here at Westminster Abbey lie buried kings and poets, scientists and philosophers who have themselves raised humankind to the highest levels. Isaac Newton and James Clerk Maxwell (discoverer of electromagnetic theory, which later lead to radio and TV), Chaucer and Kipling, Dr. Samuel Johnson (creator of the first English dictionary) and many other justly famous names are interred here.

Buckingham Palace is still the official residence of Britain's monarchy, as it has been since Queen Victoria's designation in 1837. Much of the Buckingham Palace was constructed as early as 1703 for the Duke of Buckingham. Buckingham House (as it was then known) was purchased in 1762 by George III, who used it as a private residence. Over the following 75 years the house was expanded to form three wings around a central courtyard. When Queen Victoria discovered Buckingham Palace lacked several 'necessary' rooms - such as a formal ballroom, a nursery, visitor's bedrooms and others - major additions were undertaken, including adding an entire wing to form a quadrangle. Buckingham Palace is the home of the Changing Guard Ceremony in London. The Changing of the Guard has been a tradition for hundreds of years whereby the Household Regiment, the Queen’s Guards at Buckingham Palace, change shift in a fascinating show of pomp and circumstance.

After seeing some of London’s iconic landmarks including The Houses of Parliament, Westminster Abbey and Buckingham Palace, it's time to return to Balham for your English lessons which are scheduled between 14:30 and 17:30 at our language school in London.

Depending on your choice your accommodation will be either provided in English families or in the school's dorm.

Tuesday's English Activity Programme - The Museum of London

The Museum of London is a must-see place for the ones who really are interested in the history of our 2000 year Roman City. Although London's history starts in 43 AD as Londinium, it goes back to prehistoric times. We will be able to discover many different collections and archives held by the museum and learn more about their history. We will also find out about the Archaeological Archive and the Centre for Human Bioarchaeology, London people and events, collections as well as objects and important remnants derived from the boroughs of London. This museum is a cultural treasure with many bounties. Today in the museum we will discover how Londinium came to life and what daily life was like for Romans in the city 2,000 years ago. Not only the museum but also other remnants in the City area will give us a clue about Roman life in the city. Roman Walls from example, an important milestone in London's history in 250 AD when our little town turns into a city. Did you know that our first ever built bridge was the London Bridge in the 76 AD by the Romans?

After visiting the world’s favourite history museum we will return to Balham for your city's history-themed English lessons that are scheduled between 14:30 and 17:30 at our language school in London.

Depending on your choice your accommodation will be either provided in English families or in the school's dorm.

Wednesday's English Activity Programme - The London Eye

What a wonderful idea to start our day with a British engineering marvel. Our Millennium Wheel is the first-built and largest observation wheel in the world (a type of evolution on the Ferris wheel) and has been since its opening at the end of 1999. The London Eye stands 135 metres (443 feet) high on the western end of Jubilee Gardens, on the South Bank of the River Thames in Lambeth, London, England, between Westminster and Hungerford Bridges. It is adjacent to London's County Hall and stands opposite the offices of the Ministry of Defence situated in Westminster which it overlooks to the west. The London Eye was designed by architects David Marks, Julia Barfield, Malcolm Cook, Mark Sparrow hawk, Steven Chilton, and Nic Bailey. The London Eye's wheel carries 32 sealed and air-conditioned passenger capsules attached to its external circumference. Rotating at a rate of 0.26 metres per second so that one revolution takes about 30 minutes to complete, the London Eye wheel does not usually stop to take on passengers (the rotation rate is so slow that passengers can easily walk) except for the wheelchair users. What a lovely panoramic sightseeing attraction in the city. Our guide will gladly tell you the history of the landmarks that you will see from the sky.

After visiting London’s fancy landmark, we will return to Balham for your London's history-themed English lessons that are scheduled between 14:30 and 17:30 at our language school in London.

Depending on your choice your accommodation will be either provided in English families or in the school's dorm.

Thursday's English Activity Programme - Walking Tour of the City of London

Today we will start our day with St Paul's Cathedral in the City of London. The present building dates from the 17th century and is generally reckoned to be London's fourth St Pauls Cathedral, although the number is higher if every major medieval reconstruction is counted as a new cathedral. The first cathedral was built by the Saxons in wood. It burned down in AD 675 and was rebuilt, again in wood, ten years later. After this version was sacked by the Vikings in 962, the "second" St Pauls was built, this time mainly in stone. The predecessor to Wren's cathedral, The third St Pauls (known as Old St Pauls), was begun by the Normans after the late Saxon cathedral suffered in a fire of 1087. Work took over two hundred years, and a great deal was lost in a fire in 1136. Nonetheless the roof was once more built of wood, which was ultimately to doom the building. The church was "completed" in 1240 but a change of heart soon led to the commencement of an enlargement programme, which was not completed until 1314. The cathedral was however consecrated in 1300. It was the third longest church in Europe at 596 feet (181 metres) and boasted one of Europe's tallest spires at some 489 feet (149 metres). England's first classical architect Sir Inigo Jones added the cathedral's new west front in the 1630s, but "Old St Pauls" was finally ruined in the Great Fire of London of 1666. Building work on the latest St Pauls Cathedral commenced in June 1675 to a design by a great English scientist and architect of the 17th century Christopher Wren, and St Pauls Cathedral was completed on October 20 1708. The story starts from this point on and you can't wait to hear the rest of it from us.

Who started the Great Fire of London? The Monument to the Great Fire of London, more commonly known simply as the Monument, is a Doric column in London, United Kingdom, situated near the northern end of London Bridge. Commemorating the Great Fire of London, it stands at the junction of Monument Street and Fish Street Hill, 202 feet (62 m) in height and 202 feet west of the spot in Pudding Lane where the Great Fire started on 2 September 1666. Constructed between 1671 and 1677, it was built on the site of St. Margaret's, Fish Street, the first church to be destroyed by the Great Fire. The Monument comprises a fluted Doric column built of Portland stone topped with a gilded urn of fire. It was designed by Christopher Wren and Robert Hooke. Its height marks its distance from the site of the shop of Thomas Farriner (or Farynor), the king's baker, where the blaze began. Hear the story of how London missed its opportunity to be a highly planned city of all times.

On the way from St Paul's Cathedral, we will walk through Millenium Bridge to Tate Modern first. For sure, you will love London's vista from the bridge. Without a trip to Tate Modern, a visit to London surely is not complete. Tate Modern is a National Gallery for International Modern Art featuring masterpieces by Henri Matisse, Salvador Dalí, Magritte, Mirò, Louise Bourgeois, Yayoi Kusama, Cornelia Parke, Mark Rothko and many more. Built-in 2000 from a disused power plant and extended in 2016 with a newer Blavatnik building, Tate Modern is Britain's national museum of modern and contemporary art from around the globe, and the world’s most visited contemporary art gallery. Housed in the former Bankside Power Station on the banks of the Thames, the awe-inspiring Turbine Hall is the dramatic setting for new art commissions. The collection is free to visit and the most important, our APTG Blue Badge art professional guides promise a unique way for our guests to find out more about the art on display in this greatest works of art shrine.

William Shakespeare is arguably the most famous British writer of all time, he wrote about life, love, death, revenge, grief, jealousy, murder, magic and mystery. His plays were the blockbuster entertainment of his day - some of his most famous are Macbeth, Romeo and Juliet, and Hamlet. You will understand how Shakespeare’s plays had a changing impact on the world by visiting the reconstructed Elizabethan theatre where there will be live commentary of the productions in Elizabethan times showing the power of performance, cultivating intellectual curiosity and excites learning to make Shakespeare accessible for all — the Shakespeare’s Globe Tour can give you an opportunity to learn more about this unique building and its most famous playwright, Shakespeare. Hidden under the Globe Theatre, the fascinating Exhibition delves into the life of Shakespeare, how London was at the time he lived there, and the theatre for which he wrote. You will be able to imagine the Globe as it would have been, nestled in the notorious entertainment district, surrounded by raucous taverns and bawdyhouses. Just let our APTG qualified blue badge tourist guides take you there.

After visiting London's Bankside, the home of Shakespeare's Globe Theatre and the world-famous Tate Modern Gallery, as well as London's glorious St Paul's Cathedral we will return to Balham for our London's-history-themed lessons in our school. Your lessons are scheduled between 14:30 and 17:30 for today.

Depending on your choice your accommodation will be either provided in English families or in the school's dorm.

Friday's English Activity Programme - Shopping in London

Let’s go shopping in some of London’s most iconic shops. it's time to practise in English while shopping. Shopping = Oxford Street we say. Oxford Street is one of London’s stretching between Tottenham Court Road and Marble Arch. It’s also Oxford Street is one of London’s artery stretching between Tottenham Court Road and Marble Arch. It’s also Europe’s busiest shopping street hosting around half million visitors daily. Today, there are more than 300 shops, cafes, restaurants, language schools, department stores and many more. It’s the heart of daily business, fun, leisure and of course shopping in London. Like everywhere in London, Oxford Street has its history. The street route used to be part of the Via Trinobantina, a Roman route that passes through London between Hampshire and Essex. It was known as the Tyburn Road during the Middle Ages when Tyburn Gallows was also known for its public hangings. It became known as Oxford Road and then Oxford Street in the 18th century and began to change from residential to commercial and retail use by the late 19th century, attracting street traders, confidence tricksters and prostitution. The first department stores in the UK opened in the early 20th century, including Selfridges, John Lewis & Partners and HMV. Unlike nearby shopping streets such as Bond Street, it has retained an element of downmarket trading alongside more prestigious retail stores. The street suffered heavy bombing during World War II, and several longstanding stores including John Lewis were completely destroyed and rebuilt from scratch. Oxford Street, with several chain stores on the street and a number of buildings listed, remains in demand as a retail place amid the competition of other shopping malls, including Westfield Stratford City and the Brent Cross Shopping Centre. Because shopping is simply a tradition on this street and especially tourists love this experience during their stay in London.

After our shopping in Oxford Street, we will proceed to our English school for London's history themed lessons. Your last lessons will be scheduled between 14:30 and 17:30 at our language school in London.

Depending on your choice your accommodation will be either provided in English families or in the school's dorm.

Saturday's English Activity Programme - Full Day Excursion to Greenwich - Docklands

If you want to see more about London's history, Greenwich is an obvious choice. Greenwich is a town, now part of the southeastern urban sprawl of London, on the south bank of the River Thames in the London Borough of Greenwich. The Royal Greenwich Observatory is located in Greenwich and the Prime Meridian passes through the building. Greenwich Mean Time was at one time based on the time observations made at the Royal Greenwich Observatory, before being superseded by Coordinated Universal Time. While Greenwich no longer hosts a working astronomical observatory, a ball still drops daily to mark the exact moment of 1 p.m. (13:00), and there is a good museum of astronomical and navigational tools. The Greenwich observatory is situated in Greenwich Park, which used to be the grounds of the Royal Palace of Placentia. At the bottom of the park is the National Maritime Museum which also includes the Queen's House, designed by Inigo Jones. It is free to visit all these buildings. Greenwich also features the world's only museum dedicated to fans, the Fan Museum, in a Georgian townhouse at 10–12 Croom's Hill (fee payable). Also on Croom's Hill, on the corner of the junction with Nevada Street is Greenwich Theatre, formerly Crowder's Music Hall. The Cutty Sark (a clipper ship) is moored in a dry dock by the river. Nearby for many years was also displayed Gipsy Moth IV, the 54ft yacht sailed by Sir Francis Chichester in his single-handed, 226-day circumnavigation of the globe during 1966–67. In 2004, Gypsy Moth IV was removed from Greenwich for extensive restoration work to be followed by a return to the sea and a second sailing career. By the Cutty Sark, there is a pedestrian tunnel, the Greenwich foot tunnel, to the Isle of Dogs. This comes out in Island Gardens, from where the famous view of Greenwich Hospital painted by Canaletto can be seen. On the riverside in front of the north-east corner of the Hospital is an obelisk erected in memory of Arctic explorer Joseph René Bellot. The Millennium Dome was built on a disused British Gas site here. It is next to North Greenwich tube station, about three miles from Greenwich town centre, north of Charlton. The Greenwich Millennium Village is a new development nearby. The church dominating the western side of the town centre is St Alfege's Church, designed by Nicholas Hawksmoor in 1714, and marks the place where Archbishop of Canterbury Alfege (also spelt 'Alphege') was murdered in 1012. The town centre features Greenwich Market, a covered market popular with tourists at the weekends. In 1997, maritime Greenwich was added to the list of World Heritage Sites, and in recognition of the suburb's astronomical links, Asteroid 2830 has been named Greenwich.

Since the middle ages, all stalls have constantly been trading in the historic district of Greenwich where you can find a wide range of goods including street foods, books, vinyl, CD’s, DVD’s, vintage clothes, beads, crocheted and knitted items, jewellery, antiquity, fruits, vegetables, olives, freshly prepared products such as breads, cakes, cookies, scones, healthy foods, meat products, fish and dairy products, any type of second hand goods including bikes, garden plans, flowers, electronic gadgets, mobile phone accessories, typical English art and craft stands, hand made things, yarns, embellishments, totes, bags, suitcases, simply beyond your imagination. The Greenwich Market also offers to flourish local street food, arts and crafts market on scheduled days selling organic produce from local farmers and work from some of the region's most talented artists, craftsmen, potters, sculptors and photographers. To feel the soul of this vibrant district, historic Greenwich Market would the best hit in this historic naval town. For art & craft lovers, do visit market on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and weekends; for antique and collectable buffs don't forget to pop in on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays. You will love this lovely market we bet.

Greenwich Tunnel is one of the marvels of late Victorian period in England. The project began in June 1899 and the tunnel opened on August 4, 1902. The tunnel is actually replaced an expensive and often unreliable ferry service enabling staff living south of the Thames to access their workplaces in the London docks and shipyards in or around Isle of Dogs. It’s the only pedestrian tunnel beneath the River Thames that allows walkers, cyclists passing by. The tunnel is restored after destruction during World War II. The entrance shafts at both ends are under glazed domes. Built-in 1904, lifts were upgraded in 1992 and again in 2012, and helical staircases allow pedestrians to enter this sloping, tiled tunnel. This cast-iron tunnel is 1,215 feet (370.2 m) wide, 50 feet (15.2 m) deep and about 9 feet (2.74 m) in diameter. The cast-iron rings are coated with some 200,000 white glazed tiles. Bombs weakened the northern end during World War II, and repairs required thick steel and concrete inner lining that significantly reduces diameter for a short span. The North Tower has 87 steps, the South Tower has 100 steps. Greenwich Foot Tunnel is actually one of the best examples to understand London’s subway system. Because cast iron tunnelling is the main principle of building the tunnels in the late Victorian eras.

London Docklands is the riverfront and former docks in London. It is located in inner east and southeast London, in the boroughs of Southwark, Tower Hamlets, Lewisham, Newham, and Greenwich. The docks were formerly part of the Port of London, at one time the world's largest port. Once upon a time, it was the commercial heart of the city. Because of the latest technology developments and container shipping made this Elizabethian trade site redundant. Therefore the whole area was gentrified in the early '80s. The urban redevelopment of the London Docklands is one of the largest and most successful projects in the world, transforming a dying industrial area into one of the most thriving financial hubs in the world. London's history was shaped in Docklands, commercial heart of the city. Listen to the story of the Docks in London.

Depending on your choice your accommodation will be either provided in English families or in the school's dorm.

Sunday | Transferring to the Airport

Today is the last day in London unless you continue our program. Well, all good things must come to an end. We provide your transfer service back to the airport with a private vehicle. This is the end of our service and we hope to see you in our various programs here in London.