The Churchill War Rooms - "Behind The Glass Tour" is it worth it?

The Churchill War Rooms, previously known as The Cabinet War Rooms in Westminster, London is one of the treasures of this great city.

For anyone even remotely interested in World War Two history this is a must see stop when visiting London. A perfectly preserved time capsule of the Top Secret Bunker used by the British War Cabinet from 1939-1945.

Normal entry cost at the time of writing is £33 for Adults, with discounts for children and the over 65's, but there's a special VIP experience offered by the War Rooms for those with a deeper interest in WW2 and Sir Winston Churchill, the "Behind The Glass Tour"

What is it? And is it's premium VIP price tag worth it?

Priced between £600-£1500 depending on the season, and the level of expert guide you want accompanying you, it may seem very expensive for a one hour tour.

But read on, and I will explain why I believe the price is extremely good value, and how you can get the most out of this once in a life time experience.

Essentially the Behind The Glass Tour takes you inside the rooms beyond where the general public can go on a standard ticket, so you are quite literally standing in the very rooms that changed world history. You can get up close to the maps in the map room, see thousands of pin pricks charting convoy positions, stand behind Churchill's desk and broadcasting equipment in his personal bedroom and walk around the Cabinet Meeting Room where the War Cabinet met and decided the direction and operations of WW2.

Recently I was invited in to the War Rooms to take this very special tour by my wonderful tour clients Shelly and Kevin.

Kevin is a major WW2 history buff and big fan of Sir Winston Churchill, so Shelly had booked my Private Winston Churchill's London and The War Rooms Walking Tour. My private tour takes people on a journey through Mayfair, St James and Westminster following the life and career of Churchill, including stops at his homes, tailors, cigar merchants etc.

We finished my tour, and Shelley told me that she had also booked the Behind The Glass Tour to follow on from when my tour ended.

As the tour is priced per group, they had plenty of extra spots available, and I was very lucky to be invited on the experience with them. I was planning to treat myself to the tour for my birthday this year, but my birthday present came early, what a treat!

Inside the Cabinet Meeting Room

So how was it?

Well let's be clear, I am some what biased, as I am already a huge admirer of Churchill, and have been to the War Rooms professionally and personally hundreds of times. But this was my first time behind the glass.

We had an Expert level Guide, (You can opt for a Director level Guide for higher fee)

I was clear with him from the start that this is very much Shelly and Kevin's experience and I am tagging along, therefore encouraging him to focus on them. He also knew I was a tour guide. I decided that I would be pretty much silent on the tour and not chip in too much, out of respect for a fellow Tour Guide.

Our guide was nothing short of brilliant, a man who really knows his history and clearly has a passion for the War Rooms and the genius that was Winston Churchill. There was nothing I could add apart from agreement with all he told us. And while I am proud to consider myself an expert on the life of Churchill, our guide certainly gave me extra knowledge and details specific to the War Rooms.

To be inside the very room where Winston Churchill chaired the discussions of the War Cabinet was incredible, it has a different smell when you enter the room. The maps, the chairs, and the desks are all original and where they were when left in 1945.

But the real treat is seeing Winston Churchill's chair. There are scratch marks on the arms from his nails, and signet ring, and you can still feel his presence.

As general ticket holders are looking in from behind the other side of the glass, you feel very special to be inside the room.

After receiving a thorough history of the room, and it's key features and indeed vulnerabilities from air attack, we moved on to a place that used to be so secure and secret that only 40 security passes were ever issued during the War.

The Map Room.

This was the nerve centre, all the information from the various fields of battle, convoys, bombing raids and secret operations of the war fed into this amazing room.

A series of telephones all colour coded with scrambling devices cover the main desk, while chalk boards and maps cover the walls full of vital information and thousand of tiny pin holes to mark convoy positions, truly fascinating, and 100% original.

Thanks largely to Mr. George Rance who was the caretaker and custodian of the rooms, and the efforts of Lord Heseltine who appealed to Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher to preserve and open the War Rooms, thousands visit this special place every year.

I asked our guide if there will be a point when they can't bring people inside the rooms, and he replied that the conservation team constantly monitor things, and at some point they will either have to severely reduce the number of visitors, or stop this kind of tour all together to preserve the rooms for future generations. So this is truly an opportunity to consider now before it is too late.

Churchill's Bedroom

Our next stop was extremely special, and intimate.

Stepping inside Winston Churchill's bedroom.

Still complete with all the furniture, including his specially adapted bed, and the desk and broadcasting equipment from which the Prime Minister addressed the nation.

I stood inside thinking of the great man with literally the weight and fate of not only his nation, but the world on his shoulders.

This was his sanctuary, and only accessible to him.

As you stand behind his desk, you can see marks and scratches and each one has a story to tell.

Winston Churchill really disliked spending a night in the bunker, and much preferred the comforts of the Number 10 annex above, but above meant bombs and very real danger!

Clementine Churchill (his wife) and body guard Walter Thompson pretty much had to beg him to remain in safety during the height of the Blitz, but instead Churchill walked about on the roof as 500 pound bombs rained down on London.

He was a General on a Battlefield, not a coward in a bunker!

Worth the Price?

If you are interested in WW2 History and Sir Winston Churchill this behind the glass tour is a once in a lifetime experience.

It may sound expensive, but let's break it down.

This tour is per group, not per person, and you are allowed a maximum of 10 people in your group. Therefore if you pull together a group of like minded enthusiasts, book in the off peak season and choose the expert level guide, you get an incredible private tour for £60 per person, which is extremely great value.

Even if you pull together 4 people, and you are all deeply interested in WW2 history, and want to see up close where world history changed and was directed, £150 each for a tour of this quality is exceptional, and similar price to big music concerts or theatre shows.

You also have to remember that this experience may be stopped at any time. And if you think, well maybe we can do it in 5-10 years, well actually maybe you can't!

So my advice, if you are planning a trip to London, or live here and want a truly special experience that takes you on a deep dive into one of the most important WW2 sites in the world, do it before it's too late!

I will be forever grateful to Kevin & Shelley for inviting me on this incredible experience. Something I was intending to do was gifted to me and was the best tour gratuity I have ever received!

Talking of tours, if you want a tour that follows the life and career of Sir Winston Churchill in London via the places he lived, worked and shopped, (that is one the highest rated Churchill Tours in London) then you can see my reviews and tour details below.

Winston Churchill's London Private Walking Tour.

Richard's Tours Review's