London Tourism & Travel Guide - Places to see in London

London Tour & Travel Guide - Places to See in London

Buckingham Palace

Let’s start with the Queen. During summer, visitors have access to the State Rooms, the Throne Room, the Galleries and the Music Room. The oohs and aahs are heard mostly from the Queen’s Room with its exhibits from the Royal Collection. No less imposing is the Royal Mews with its collection of royal coaches including the four-ton Gold State Coach. The gardens are also open to visitors from August to September. A visit to the Palace takes around three-four hours and entrance fees are steep at £14.00. If you’d prefer a cheaper (read zero cost) route, park yourself at the Victoria Memorial opposite and watch the Changing of the Guard for free or stroll up to the Palace through the green swards of St James’s Park or Green Park.

Westminster and the Houses of Parliament

Continuing with things political, head out to Westminster to see the Abbey and the Palace, home to both Houses of the English Parliament. Standing guard to the north is one of London’s most recognized symbols, the Big Ben. Victoria Tower, opposite indicates when Parliament is in session with its flag (if you’re interested, it also houses copies of every single Act of Parliament since 1497). If you’re keen to see the noisy debates within, you’ll need to pre-order tickets. Keep in mind that you may need to wait almost two hours to get in. Westminster Abbey, the home to all but two Coronations, is much easier to visit and more peaceful. In the Abbey precincts you can visit the Great and Little Cloisters, the Chapter House and Museum, and College Garden, reputedly the oldest garden in England. Just north of the Abbey lies St. Margaret’s Church, famous as the venue for almost every society wedding in London. Real history soakers can also stroll down Whitehall, the stretch of road that connects Trafalgar Square to Parliament Square and squint at Great Scotland Yard, lionised (and reviled) scores of times in British fiction. The nearest Tube is Westminster.

The City

Somewhat confusingly called “the City”, this tiny area of London city measures only a single square mile – an area that has remained unchanged since medieval times. Small it may be but the City still deserves to be called the world’s business centre and can give New York a run for its money. It also houses several historic icons such as the Monument to the Great Fire of London ("the Monument"), St Paul's Cathedral (with Nelson, Florence Nightingale and Wellington buried in its crypts), the Guildhall, the Royal Exchange, Dr. Johnson's House and Mansion House. It is also home to the Temple, famed as the setting for barristers in fiction and the Royal Courts with two of the four Inns of Court, the Inner Temple and the Middle Temple located here. The nearest Tube is Temple Station.

The Tower of London and Tower Bridge

Cheerfully described in most guidebooks as being steeped in blood and history, there is no doubt that the phrase “sent to the tower” would have elicited severe alarm in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. The Tower, actually a historic castle located on the north banks of the Thames, has served a royal residence but is associated far more as a prison and torture house for unpopular royalty, ending (usually) with their execution. It is consequently home also to several ghosts including that of Anne Boleyn who reputedly walks there with her head under her arm. The Tower has also served variously as an armoury, a treasury, a menagerie, home to the Royal Mint, a public records office, and as the home of the Crown Jewels including, of course, the legendary Kohinoor. Close by is Tower Bridge usually mistaken for London Bridge. The Tower Bridge Exhibition hosted on its walkway is an excellent one and the views of the river are expectedly stunning. Begin your visit early to beat the crowds. The famous tours given by the Yeomen Warders meet every half hour near the entrance. The nearest Tube is Tower Hill.

The South Bank

Whether you’re into the Bard or not, to give the Globe a miss is indeed a crime. Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre, located in the South Bank, has been designed as an exact replica after the Elizabethan original burned down in 1613 due to a misfired cannon during Henry the Eighth. You might be relieved to know that the only casualty was a gentleman whose breeches caught fire - subsequently put out with a bottle of ale. Regular performances are staged here and there is also an exhibition that displays Elizabethan costumes, armour and the like. The Globe is the chief attraction of the South Bank but Southwark Cathedral with its archaeological exhibit of a first-century Roman road is also worth a visit. The nearest tube is Mansion House.

London Eye

You wouldn’t expect a mere eleven year old to compete with thousand-year old tourist attractions but London Eye, built in 2000 to commemorate the millennium, manages to attract just as many visitors as its more venerable counterparts (3.5 million a year at last count). The world’s biggest observation wheel, the Eye attracted plenty of horrified gasps when first unveiled but is now one of London’s top attractions. At 135 metres, the views are incomparable and take in the Parliament, Aquarium and St Paul’s among others. The nearest Tube is Westminster.

Madame Tussaud’s

Needs no introduction, does it? No self-respecting tourist can come away without a visit to the most famous waxworks in the world. The “Spirit of London” ride is recommended. On the way here, fans might like to visit 221B on Baker Street and pay homage to the man himself. The nearest Tube for Madame Tussaud’s is Baker Street.

Trafalgar Square

Dominated of course, by Admiral Nelson’s statue (some would say by the super-aggressive pigeons), Trafalgar Square is considered by many as the heart of London. Whether it be celebrating the Year of the Ox, jamming to a reggae concert or attending a Save Gaza rally, the action always seems to happens here. The square is pedestrianized and it’s therefore easier to walk around and appreciate the magnificent buildings edging it including the National Gallery or the church of St-Martin-in-the-Fields. The nearest tube is Charing Cross.

Hyde Park

Much more than just a park, Hyde Park has it all. A river, green spaces, woods and for the really picky even a few haunted walkways. Come summer and a bit of sun and practically all of London goes and suns itself on its lawns. The Rose Gardens are an especial hit. The nearest Tube is Hyde Park Corner.

National Gallery

What the Louvre is to Paris and the Prado to Madrid. National Gallery boasts one of the most impressive art collections in the world with representative work from every period. From Titians to Van Goghs, the collection is truly breath-taking with over 2,000 European masterpieces. Need yet another reason to visit? It’s free. Trust us, in London that’s big. The nearest Tube is Charing Cross.

British Museum

Believe it or not, this symbol of London started life as a “cabinet of curiosities’’ bequeathed to the nation by Royal Physician Hans Sloane in 1749. There is relatively little of “Britain” in the Museum yet it is a fascinating place to explore antiquities from Egypt, Greece, the Orient, Africa – practically the world. The place is huge so exploring it in a day or even two is impossible although there are conducted ninety minute tours and audio-guides. The nearest Tube is Tottenham Court Road.