Shakespeare Tourism: Explore London’s Living Legacy of the Bard

When you think of Shakespeare tourism, the practice of visiting sites connected to William Shakespeare’s life and works in London. Also known as Bard tourism, it’s not just about plaques and statues—it’s about walking the same streets where actors once shouted lines that still echo in modern theatres. This isn’t a museum experience. It’s a journey through the city that shaped his voice, hosted his first audiences, and still performs his stories every night.

At the heart of it all is the Globe Theatre, a faithful reconstruction of the 1599 playhouse where Shakespeare’s plays premiered. Also known as Shakespeare’s Globe, it’s where you can stand in the yard like a groundling, feel the rain on your shoulders during a summer show, and hear the same crowd reactions audiences had 400 years ago. Nearby, the Southwark Cathedral, a medieval church that stood in the shadow of the original Globe, holds the graves of actors and playwrights who worked alongside him. Walk down Bankside, and you’ll find the same riverfront pubs where actors drank after rehearsals—now serving ale to tourists, but still humming with the same energy.

Shakespeare tourism isn’t just about one building. It’s tied to the rhythm of London itself. The West End theatre district, the modern hub of British drama, traces its roots directly to the venues where Shakespeare’s plays first drew crowds. You’ll find his stories still running on stage—Hamlet in the Barbican, A Midsummer Night’s Dream in the Old Vic—because his characters still feel real. And then there’s Poet’s Corner, in Westminster Abbey, where writers from Chaucer to Zadie Smith are buried. Shakespeare isn’t buried here—he was denied a monument, likely because he wasn’t a nobleman—but his name hangs over the whole room. You can’t talk about literary London without him.

What makes Shakespeare tourism different from other cultural trips is how alive it feels. You don’t just read about the Blackfriars Theatre—you stand where the first indoor lighting in a playhouse changed how audiences experienced tragedy. You don’t just learn that he wrote for the Queen—you walk through the courtyard of the Inns of Court where lawyers and students were his first fans. Even the name of the Shakespeare tourism trail isn’t made up—it’s a real path locals follow, with guided walks, pub crawls, and hidden plaques you’d miss if you weren’t looking.

There’s no ticket needed to feel his presence. Just wander down Holborn, where he likely walked to the Royal Exchange. Stop by the Royal Courts of Justice—its Gothic arches were built on land once owned by the same families who funded his plays. Visit the British Library, where you can see his original First Folio, ink still smudged from 1623. These aren’t exhibits. They’re artifacts of a city that never let go of him.

Below, you’ll find real guides to the places that still carry his voice. Whether you’re climbing the stairs of the Globe, tracing his footsteps along the Thames, or finding where he lived in Southwark, these posts give you the practical side of Shakespeare tourism—no fluff, no myths, just where to go, what to see, and why it still matters today.