London Canary Wharf Walking Tour: Homelessness Revisited｜United Kingdom

Join Stefan on an impactful Unseen Tours walking tour of Canary Wharf and West India Quay. Explore the history of the area - including old warehouses used for industrial global trade, the lodgings of dockworkers and their masters, and the walled remains of a blazing fire.

Unseen Tours is a not-for-profit social enterprise. Our mission is to support and empower vulnerable individuals with experience of homelessness, through providing the opportunity to become a tour guide which boosts their confidence and amplifies their voices. Our brilliant guides know the local streets intimately and will show you the real London through their stories and unmatched knowledge of the area’s history. Your ticket helps our guides to earn a living doing something that they love, with the majority of our sales going back directly to them. It also allows our guides to lead conversations that challenge perceptions about homelessness and generate social change.

On this tour of Canary Wharf and West India Quay, you will learn about the area's history, including the origins of West India Quay and how it got its name, the Transatlantic Slave Trade which played a significant role in building London, and the contrasting conditions of workers and the dockmasters. This will uncover how local history has helped create and mold the area into what it is today: London's business hub. Throughout the tour, Stefan will not only provide information but also present his own experience of homelessness. This will allow you to gain insight into different types of homelessness and living conditions alongside the difficulties of contract work.

Hear more from Stefan himself: "Hi, I’m Stefan and I’m excited to take you around West India Quay. I’m a local guide, born in Lambeth and raised in Peckham and am proud to represent people on the autism spectrum.

In 2023, I took part in a competition hosted by Theatreship to speak about the Docklands - this sparked my interest in Canary Wharf and West India Quay, which I remain passionate about today. Canary Wharf has a rich history to learn about, located between its many offices and businesses. My experience with homelessness also presents the hidden nature of temporary housing and poor living conditions, and I want to help uncover lesser known forms of homelessness.

Outside of tours, I enjoy acting alongside playing the drums and percussion. I also provide bar support for events at some of London’s biggest and busiest arenas and stadiums!"

Wheelchair and mobility scooter accessible upon request, and pet friendly.

Any donations added at checkout will help us to deliver our mission in training more vulnerable individuals to become tour guides and challenge stigmas around homelessness. Thank you for your support!