LONDON CITY TOUR FIELD GUIDE
Londra Romana — Walk the Bones of Londinium
A focused city walk through London’s Roman remains: original city walls, an underground Mithras temple, the rediscovered amphitheatre and the Museum of London’s Roman holdings reveal a 2,000‑year‑old metropolis.
Londra Romana — Walk the Bones of Londinium.
Beneath the modern grid of the City of London are traces of Londinium: original Roman walls that once guarded a bustling provincial capital, an intimate subterranean temple of Mithras, the footprint of a Roman amphitheatre and tens of thousands of objects recovered inside the old city perimeter. This guide distills those discoveries and the stories they tell about life in London more than two millennia ago.
Highlights
Outing Highlights
The Roman Walls — City’s Silent Guardians
See sections of the original Roman walls that stood watch after the fall of the empire and later protected the medieval city; today they read like shadows of a buried civilization that still yields archaeological surprises.
The Temple of Mithras — An Underground Cult Revealed
Descend to a Roman mithraeum discovered in 1954 and opened to the public: a window into a private, windowless worship space where the tauroctony (Mithras killing the bull) was central to ritual life.
The Amphitheatre — A Forgotten Stage
Stand where Londoners once watched gladiators, beast hunts and executions in an arena given a stone structure in the early second century — a venue that could hold up to 6,000 spectators and was only rediscovered by chance in 1986.
What the day feels like
What the walk feels like
The route threads together exposed masonry, museum reconstructions and subterranean rooms: you move from city streets past the Roman wall, descend into a dark mithraeum, visit museum displays that recreate the domestic life of Londinium, and stand inside the footprint of the amphitheatre — a compact sequence that maps the civic, religious and public spectacle of Roman London.
Suitability
Who it's for
Who this walk suits — and who should think twice.
Practical planner
Details to review before reserving
Expect short stair descents and enclosed, windowless spaces when visiting the mithraeum; dress in layers for cool underground rooms and wear sturdy walking shoes for mixed urban surfaces.
The route links exposed ruins, museum galleries and an underground temple; sites are accessed on foot within the City of London and rely on public-entry openings for subterranean areas.
Original Roman wall fragments, an underground Mithras temple with tauroctony imagery, reconstructions of domestic life in the Museum of London and the footprint of the Roman amphitheatre.
Review cancellation policies before reserving.
Frequently asked questions
Planning Your Outing
When was the Mithras temple discovered?
The Roman mithraeum was discovered in 1954 and has been made accessible to the public in recent times.
When and how was the amphitheatre found?
The London amphitheatre was uncovered by chance in 1986; it had been given a stone structure in the early second century and could hold up to 6,000 spectators.
How extensive is the Roman collection from the City?
The full Roman collection found within the City perimeter numbers 47,000 objects.
What is the story of Boudica in relation to Londinium?
Boudica led a devastating revolt against the Romans that resulted in the destruction of the first settlement of Londinium; she was later commemorated with a statue overlooking Westminster Bridge erected in 1902.
How large was Londinium at its peak?
At its height Londinium held about 45,000 inhabitants and was the largest city in what is now the United Kingdom for more than 1,000 years; that population level was not reached again until the 13th century.