Brilliant walking tour of Durham - we thoroughly enjoyed learning about the history of the area from the Ice Age onwards. Alex was entertaining, informative and extremely knowledgeable. He pointed out things we would never have seen without a guide.

This was the perfect socially distanced way to see Durham and learn loads about the City, on our first ever visit. Jan and I were the only two in the Group and Alex, our excellent guide, from Iles Tours, made sure that he kept his distance from us and avoided being close to others in the streets. Alex’s Knowledge was so broad yet in depth too. Ranging from the geological history of the north to the warring factions of Northumbria, right up to the Victorian architecture of Durham’s buildings. The tour explored the narrow chares, crossed over the Wear three times and gave us fab views of the magnificent cathedral. Recommended to anyone. Don’t wait, book it now!

Very informative trip around Durham by Alex. really puts all the jigsaw pieces together to understand how Durham arrived as it is today. Alex's presentation style is easy digest and at a pace that is just right. Although there are a few hill in the city - this walking tour was not too strenuous.

Fun and very informative tour. Alex has great passion and knowledge of the area and the history. This was a wonderful introduction to our stay in Durham. To top this off, Alex is a very personable and friendly guide.

Alex is an outstanding guide to this wonderful place. He's a great and entertainment speaker, but equally importantly, he listens and takes the time to tailor what he discusses on to his group, not just churning out facts. He's considerate of disabilities, which is very helpful in this small but very hilly city, and best of all has a great sense of humour. Highly recommended.

Very interesting and informative tour of Durham with a friendly and knowledgeable host. Absolutely loved it!

Amazing depth of knowledge & a really friendly tour guide who clearly had a passion for his work! Highly recommend to anyone interested in the history & architecture of Durham. 10/10

Alex doesn't just know his stuff; he knows everybody's stuff from pre-Roman days to the present. Brilliant tour.

This was the perfect tour. Informative, broad in subject, deep in knowledge and full of fascinating facts and anecdotes. The best part being the focus via the anthropological story of life in Durham. Great value, top class.

He showed me all the nice Durham history. It was really insighful and he was really good at answering all my questions. Thanks

I recently moved up to the North East and had heard a lot about Durham City so i thought i would go see it for myself. Alex, was brilliant at explaining the historic details of the area in a simplistic and clear way. The weather was a bit temperamental to say the least but he changed the tour accordingly which was appreciated. In terms of value for money, i had seen equivalent tours on ABnB going for cheaper however given that Alex has qualifications in the subject and is passionate in the topic, I found the the tour overall to be informative, entertaining and extremely good value for money.

Alex is a very accommodating and knowledgeable guide and we spent a thoroughly enjoyable two and a half hours learning all about the history of Durham and its surrounds. A gentle stroll through the town enabled us to see and learn about the architecture, historical developments and key figures playing their roles in the story of the city. Alex is clearly an enthusiastic devotee of the cultural and spiritual life of the area which he imparts in a clear and friendly way. A highly recommended way to orient yourself in the city and its rich past.

I chose this tour for two reasons: (1) our guide would meet us at the train station entrance, and (2) my husband was working, and there was no 2-person minimum like other tours. I expected for our guide to point out a few sites, but I was blown away by his in-depth knowledge of the area. Alex's educational background is in political science and anthropology, and his passion for these fields of study as they relate to the history of the region was evident. He could answer any questions thrown his way, regardless of the era. And he was such a likable guy. We stopped by churches, bridges, notable pubs and hotels, the town market/square, the university (Castle)...Our tour was supposed to end at Durham Cathedral, but when Alex learned they were not giving guided tours that day, he stayed past the end time and guided us through the Cathedral as well. He even pointed out Harry Potter filming locations when he learned there were fans. Durham was lovely - a quintessential old English town. I would recommend a visit, and this tour especially, to anyone in the area.