Tour reviews
Have a look at Explore Birmingham's reviews on Tripadvisor and Google - we have a 5 star rating on both. Below is a selection from some of our wonderful tour guests.
City Sights & History Tour
A fantastic tour by Al who is very friendly and informative and although I have lived in the city all my life I learned lots of new interesting and fun facts and saw bits of Birmingham I didn’t even know existed! I also feel these tours are good for solo travellers too as Al is very welcoming and if you’re new to the city the tour is good for getting your bearings of where things are - Al even teaches you a bit of Brummie! Looking forward to seeing what tours Explore Birmingham will come up with next :))
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Shell
Having enjoyed Al’s dark tour previously was excited to see what was different about this tour
Being a proud brummie it was astonishing how much I didn’t know about my home town - we have a statue of Lord Nelson for a start !
Had a lovely day for the two hour walk, some of which was on the canals - really enjoyable and came away feeling proud of our history. Will be recommending to friends and family.
Bev
As a Birmingham local for over 10 years, I didn't realise I had so much still to discover. Al is incredibly knowledgeable and shares his passion for Birmingham in a friendly & fun way. A great way to spend a couple of hours.
Russ
We love a walking tour and have toured many cities. This was possibly the best constructed tour and very well presented. We loved it
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Jason
A great tour of the city and an amazing way to kick off your time in Birmingham. AI was super friendly, fully knowledgeable about Birmingham's history, and always sharing great facts. Highly recommended.
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Wassim
It was a very interesting walk through the city. Al interestingly told about the history of the city, adding many curiosities. I highly recommend :)
100% professionalism :)
Al thanks a lot!
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Marta
Al was a very cheerful guide and knowledgeable regarding the evolution of his favourite city - Brum !!
The tour could prove useful to both visitors and locals and is very reasonably priced.
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W
Excellent and truly enjoyable Birmingham walking tour today in the capable hands of Al Hassall.
History, architecture, industry, canals and cultural highlights of our second City were all up for scrutiny and covered in a fun, knowlegeable and informative way.
Think Birmingham doesn't have much to offer? Do this tour and see those prejudices disappear. It's more than worth it.
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Martin
Birmingham's Dark Side Tour
This tour was a fantastic and original look at Birmingham’s dark and macabre past, with so many fascinating stories and facts, I learned so much!
Al, the host, is a witty, knowledgeable and charming chap, and I am astounded at his memory for detail!
HIGHLY recommend booking a ticket!
Ed
Amazing tour of Birmingham. I discovered so many parts of Birmingham that I didn't even knew existed!
Adil
Brilliantly told stories of old…. Such a fantastic night experiencing the dark side of Birmingham. Myself and my daughter really enjoyed it history mixed with tales. I recommend this tour to everyone wanting something a little bit different you won’t be disappointed book today 🤩
Nicola
This tour was excellent as was our guide Al. We loved every moment of it. Tales of crime, ghosts, mysteries and more...all from someone with so much passion for the city and the history behind it. The delivery was clear, brilliantly paced, interactive and humorous. It's always better to listen to stories told by someone who does the research themselves. The only regret I have is not posting a review sooner! If anyone is thinking of taking this tour themselves, don't think! Do it! You won't be disappointed.
Kerry
This walking tour with Al was fantastic. We learnt lots this evening. Thank you for such an informative and entertaining evening showing us the social history and dark tales that brimingham has to offer. Al is very knowledgeable, enthusiastic and passionate about all things Brum. You won't be disappointed.
Sareeta
This is not an experience to be missed! I have never enjoyed a walking tour as much as this one. Al was everything you would want from a tour guide; knowlegable, entertaining and a great story teller. I learnt so much that I didn't know before about Birmingham and the eclectic mix of people who have lived, worked and walked these city's streets long before any of us. If you want a guide who knows his stuff, as well as seeing a side of Birmingham you've never seen before, Alan is the perfect person to book a tour with.
Hayley
Al was our guide and made us all feel at ease straight away. We walked at a steady pace and stopped frequently at sites of interest. Even though I've lived in Birmingham all my life I realised I knew none of the information he gave us. It was really enjoyable even though some of the stories were of murders and gruesome deaths. I won't go into detail or it will be a spoiler.
Cal
Under Spaghetti Tour
I was looking forward to this unusual tour and it did not disappoint. I was pleased that this tour was available as a completely solo walk under Spaghetti Junction may not be wise. Al is a very friendly and knowledgeable guide. He was very liberal with facts and figures and melded the recent history of the structure with the human interaction from the early days of Aston to the present day. Al showed us some pictures and maps to illustrate this world-famous edifice's development. Every stop on the walk revealed an awe-inspiring view and another facet of history (including prehistoric caves). I felt quite emotionally effected, in a tunnel bridge covering the Tame Valley Canal, at an almost spiritual sight where a square hole in the roof of the tunnel shines daylight onto a patch of wall, which has been adopted by a local artist. I considered that however much modern gigantic structures impinge on humans they will interact and make something beautiful or thought provoking from it. In conclusion a thoroughly enjoyable tour. Good for avid photographers too.
Richard
What a fantastic tour! We took the spaghetti junction tour with Al and my goodness, what a plethora of interesting tales and facts! It was very enjoyable- we really recommend it!
Sher
Really great tour of spaghetti, very interesting and engaging. We really recommend it for those who enjoy experiences 'off the beaten track'! It's a unique way to see the city of Birmingham!
Franny
Having driven across Spaghetti junction several times I wondered about the history of it and what lies beneath.
I then saw a clip on BBC breakfast time tv about Als guided walking tour.
It looked interesting and it was! A surprisingly complex system with layers of rivers, roads and canals. We really appreciated Als knowledgeable and informative tour. It was also fun and friendly.
Craig
My wife and I went on Al's spaghetti junction tour and loved every minute of it. It was a small group of 11, very friendly and informal and Al was a great guide and very informative. We are already looking to book up for another of his tours soon!
Shaun
My son and I had an absolutely fantastic time on Al's Under Spaghetti Junction tour. Al has clearly done his research and is very knowledgeable about the history of Spaghetti Junction and the history of the things that lurk beneath the junction (rivers, canals, railways lines) as well as the positive and negative impacts it has had. Getting to explore underneath was a fun experience (particularly having someone knowledgeable with us) and it was interesting to see the junction from such an unusual perspective and the sense of scale that it also provided. Despite knowing a little bit about the junction and area already, we learnt a few surprising things too - but I won't spoil the surprise here. Can't recommend this highly enough and we're planning on doing the other Explore Birmingham tours when we get chance.
Dave
Historical Pub Tour
My wife and I recently took the historical pub walking tour through Birmingham city centre, and we were absolutely delighted. We visited four fantastic pubs, and the entire experience was incredibly engaging and educational.
What really set this tour apart was the depth of the history covered. It wasn't just about the pints! Our guide, Al, did a phenomenal job of weaving together the history of the specific areas we walked through, the broader evolution of Birmingham's brewing tradition, and the unique stories behind the pubs themselves. Every stop felt like a step back in time, and we left with a much deeper appreciation for the city.
Al was an excellent guide—knowledgeable, personable, and great at making the history feel accessible and fun.
We would highly recommend this tour to anyone, whether you're a local or a visitor, who loves history, traditional pubs, or both!
Peter
Despite living in Birmingham we visited 3 pubs we’ve never been to, learnt a lot and had a thoroughly enjoyable afternoon.
Al was friendly, engaging and knowledgeable. The history he shared was interesting and fun and I’d definitely recommend.
E H
Completed my second walking tour with Al earlier this month - we did the Historic Pubs tour this year, and last Heritage Week we did the Spaghetti Junction tour - both were excellent and I'm hoping to do Al's other tours in the future! He is an excellent tour guide, has tours on really unique and interesting topics, and is also a fountain of knowledge on the Birmingham. I particularly like how he makes effort to speak to and walk with the guests individually between destinations and makes you feel super welcomed! I would recommend to anybody visiting Brum, but especially to anybody who has been living in Brum for a while and wants to learn some niche facts, because I guarantee you Al will surprise you!! Thank you again!!
Megan
Last week I went on one of Al's Historic Pub Tours and thoroughly enjoyed myself. Al set the scene ie that we would be walking through Birmingham centre and would visit 4 really interesting pubs and he didn't disappoint. He chatted to us as we walked and explained the history of brewing in Birmingham and then the history of each fascinating pub. We had time to ask questions and have a drink in each pub. I would definitely recommend this to locals and those new to Birmingham and will be booking more tours with him.
Pete
I've completed many walking tours in cities across Europe and the Heritage Pub tour was right up there.
Al knew his subject very well and didn't need prompts to give the necessary information. I had visited the pubs before and still managed to learn plenty of knew facts.
The group was at capacity but small enough to not be overbearing. They were great fun and we all got on well. I loved their anecdotes about the changing face of Birmingham.
Great afternoon Al!