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Sightseeing & Attractions
Guide to Sightseeing in London
London has a bit of
everything. Undeniably most people come here to see the sights of
the city that was the heart of the greatest empire of modern times,
but the city's history is combined with a dynamic everchanging
wealth of attractions rivalled by only a few cities on earth.
The London Pass gives you free entry to over 50 attractions within
the city, as well as free travel on all public transport. The card
is available from tourist offices and costs:
1 day: GBP29 (GBP34 incl transport)
2 days: GBP42 (GBP55 incl transport)
3 days: GBP52 (GBP71 incl transport)
6 days: GBP72 (GBP110 incl transport)
Westminster Abbey
With more than a thousand years of history, the awesome Gothic
interior of Westminster Abbey has seen the coronations, marriages
and funerals of British Royalty. Also buried and commemorated in the
abbey grounds and mausoleum are the nation's most famous poets,
including Chaucer, Tennyson and Charles Dickens. The memorial to the
Unknown Soldier is a particularly poignant reminder of Britain's
many war dead.
Westminster. Open: Mon-Fri 09h30-15h45; Wed 09h30-19h00; Sat
09h30-13h45. On Sundays the cathedral is open for worship only.
Admission: GBP10, adults; GBP6, children; GBP22, family. Tel: +44
(0)20-7654-4900 . Tube: Westminster.
British Museum
The British Museum remains England's greatest cultural attraction.
Replete with the accumulated wealth of an Empire its galleries can
almost boast more world class art works and attractions within its
walls than exist in the entire city without.
The whole complex is now oriented around its splendid Great Court,
opened by the Queen in 2001. Around this large covered space are
over 80 galleries packed to the rafters with pieces from the world
of art and history. The collections span the entire globe, exploring
cultures and societies through artefacts that range from
housekeeping to warfare. Naturally Britain is well represented, with
displays such as the Mildenhall Treasure (a priceless collection of
Roman silver discovered in Suffolk in the 1940s) and the remains of
Lindow Man, an early Briton pulled from a peat bog in Cheshire.
The British Museum can also boast one of the largest Egyptian
collections outside Cairo, as well as extensive Greek, Roman, and
Japanese galleries. Some of the pieces are only on display in the
face of controversy. The presence of the Elgin Marbles in particular
has long been a bone of contention between the museum and Greece,
and political movements have been made to have the frieze returned
to Athens.
Great Russell St. Open: Sat-Wed 10h00-17h30; Thu-Fri 10h00-20h30.
Note that some galleries such as the Mausoleum of Halikarnassos open
at limited times only. Admission: free. Tel: +44 (0)20-7323-8299.
Tube: Holborn or Tottenham Court Rd or Russell Sq.
London Eye
The British Airways London Eye is the world's highest observation
wheel and since its inception in 2000 has become one of the most
popular attractions in the city. Unsurprisingly the Eye is extending
its South Bank tenure beyond the five years originally planned and
will now remain a feature on the London skyline until at least 2025.
Revolving slowly like the wheel of time itself, the Eye takes its
passengers on a half-hour "flight", in 32 glass-enclosed capsules,
reaching a height of 137m above the River Thames. The view from the
highest point is extraordinary, a fully panoramic view of the
capital it stretches all the way to the edge of the city on a clear
day. Book ahead to avoid disappointment or lengthy queues.
Thames South Bank. Tel: 0870-500-0600 (within UK). Tube: Waterloo or
Westminster. Admission: GBP13 adult; GBP6.50 child.
Tower of London
First established by William the Conqueror, over 900 years ago, the
Tower of London was designed to be the seat of the king and a
fortress to defend the City of London, both from invaders and from
internal insurrection. The tower was originally only the square
keep, today commonly referred to as the "White Tower". Over the
centuries subsequent monarchs extended the tower's walls and
defences to their still impressive present size.
As well as being the garrison for the city of London militia, the
tower served as the royal armoury and even private zoo (whose
menagerie was the basis of London Zoo) but it is most famous for
being the site of incarcerations and executions during the Middle
Ages. The prisoner's roster here includes Walter Raleigh, Thomas
More and Elizabeth I (as Princess Elizabeth). Henry VIII's wives
Anne Boleyn and Katherine Howard were both executed on the green
here, while the Bloody Tower was the site of several murders,
including allegedly that of the "Princes in the Tower".
The traditional Yeoman Guards (commonly known as "Beefeaters")
provide free tours that tell you the tales of the various people who
inhabited the tower, and the many myths and legends instilled in the
bricks and mortar. In the Armoury you can see the robust original
battle armour of Henry VIII and various weaponry, while the Jewel
Tower holds the Crown Jewels, the ceremonially trappings of the
monarchy dating back centuries, and including the bejewelled crown
of current Queen Elizabeth II. It takes at least half a day, and
plenty of shoe leather to explore the Tower's attractions fully.
Tower Hill. Open: Tue-Sat 09h00-18h00 (Mar-Oct), 09h00-17h00
(Nov-Feb); Sun/Mon 10h00-18h00 (Mar-Oct), 10h00-17h00 (Nov-Feb).
Admission: GBP15, adults; GBP9.50, children. Tel: +44
(0)870-756-6060. Tube: Tower Hill.
Buckingham Palace
When it's open (in August and September) most visitors find the
prospect of peeking behind palace doors irresistible. You don't get
access to the Royal Family's private quarters but the sumptuous
interior and portrait gallery make this visit worthwhile. Even out
of season it's worth seeing the majesty of the Queen's main home
from the outside.
The biggest attraction though is the ever popular Changing of the
Guard ceremony. The big event takes place every day at 11h30 and if
you want a good view you will have to get there early. The best
vantage points are in front of the Victoria Memorial and in front of
the palace railings, near the entrance. There is no charge to view
the ceremony.
The Mall. Opening hours: daily 09h45-18h30 (Jul-Sept). Palace
admission: GBP14, adults; GBP8, children. Tel: +44 (0)20-7766-7300
(credit-card booking). Tube: St James's Park or Victoria.
Tate Modern
The most successful of the capital's Millennium projects, the Tate
Modern art gallery occupies the massive Bankside power station
building, on the south side of the Thames. Now fronted by the
glittering Millennium Bridge that connects the attraction to St
Paul's it is no exaggeration to say that the gallery has
revolutionised the way people see Modern Art in Britain.
The addition of a glass roof has been the only external change from
when the gallery was a power station, and the distinctive central
tower has turned from eyesore into cultural exclamation mark in most
people's minds. An incredible five and a quarter million people
visited the gallery in its first year of opening, and with a
constantly evolving collection of art on display over its three
exhibition floors, people return time and time again.
Inside you can find works from Britain's enfants terribles of Modern
Art: Tracey Emin, Damien Hirst and anyone who's anyone have all
exhibited here. You'll also find classic works that sparked the
Modern Art movement such as Marcel Duchamp's "Urinal" and Salvador
Dali's "Lobster Telephone".
Thames South Bank. Open: Sun-Thu 10h00-18h00; Fri-Sat 10h00-22h00.
Admission: free (optional donation). Tel: +44 (0)20-7887-8008. Tube:
Blackfriars or London Bridge.
Science Museum
Science comes to life through highly innovative exhibitions that
engage adults and children equally at London's Science Museum. The
emphasis throughout is on interaction with the many exhibits.
Among the many highlights are the aviation lab with hands-on flight
simulator; Digitopolis, which allows visitors to explore a digital
landscape and consider how technology impacts on everyday life; and
the fascinating Secret Life of the Home which looks beneath our
domestic surfaces.
The top two floors of the museum are given over to medical and
veterinary history, with over 5000 exhibits from across the world
that collectively demonstrate the strange confluence between art and
science that can characterise anatomical science. Traditional
subjects such as classical physics, engineering and astronomy are
well represented with detailed displays.
Exhibition Rd, South Kensington. Open: daily 10h00-18h00. Admission:
free. Tel: +44 (0)870-870-4868. Tube: South Kensington.
Leicester Square and Covent Garden
Leicester Square and the area around it is the classic tourist
magnet for any visitor to London. With hundreds of restaurants, bars
and nightclubs, the plaza is the natural starting point for your
exploration of London Town. From the central square ringed with its
famous cinemas you are just five minutes' walk from salacious Soho,
and its dubious delights.
Up Charing Cross Road you come across a bibliophile's heaven: more
than 30 bookstores ranging from the triple-levelled Waterstones to
highly specialised antiquarian treasure troves. Tube: Leicester
Square.
Nearby Covent Garden is a popular place for shopping and an ideal
starting point for a night out with always plenty going on in this
European-style plaza and its central Victorian market hall. The main
London theatres are all in close proximity, and the old market plays
host to an array of buskers interspersed with cafés and bars. The
nearby opera house relays live performances onto an open-air screen
during the summer months. Tube: Covent Garden.
Shakespeare's Globe Theatre
First built in 1598, the Globe was William Shakespeare's resident
theatre where many of his most famous plays were premiered. The
building featured a distinctive cyclindrical shape with a thatched
roof and seating was tiered with the moneyed upper classes in the
galleries and the "groundlings" at the bottom.
The original Globe Theatre burned down during a particularly
enthusiastic performance of Henry VIII and although a replacement
was quickly built, the acoustics were considered poor and the
general design inferior. Within 20 years of Shakespeare's death in
1616 the Globe had been pulled down and its foundations buried. In
1970 American actor Sam Wanamaker set about rebuilding the Globe on
its original site to its original design and the result was opened
in 1987. The Globe has hosted a regular Shakespeare season since
1996, allowing audiences to participate in an authentic London
ritual - some 400 years after the curtain was first raised on Julius
Caesar.
If you simply want to have a look around, the Globe Exhibition is a
treat for fans of Shakespearean theatre with displays of Elizabethan
costumes and original manuscripts, with regular guided tours showing
you what's what behind the scenes.
New Globe Walk. Exhibition open: daily 10h00-17h00 (Oct-Apr);
09h00-12h00 & 12h30-17h00 (May-Sep). Tours held every 15-30 minutes.
Admission to exhibition: GBP9, adults; GBP6.50, children. Tickets to
performances cost from GBP5 (standing) to GBP31. Tel: +44
(0)20-7902-1500. Tube: London Bridge.
St Paul's Cathedral
St Paul's Cathedral rose from the ashes of the Great Fire of 1666,
designed by England's most famous church builder, Sir Christopher
Wren. The cathedral took ten years to design and over 40 years to
build, but even several centuries on the massive dome and the
fabulous acoustics are objects of architectural admiration.
During the war the cathedral became a symbol of British resilience
in the face of the Blitz bombing campaign that saw areas of the city
reduced to rubble - the dome proving indestructible even on the
occasion that it was diectly hit by a Luftwaffe bomb. Although it
has since been dwarfed by the skyscrapers of the financial "City"
that surrounds it, the cathedral remains an indomitable part of the
London skyline.
Climb the 530 steps to The Golden Gallery for an outstanding view
and try out the amazing acoustic properties of the Whispering
Gallery. Entombed in the Crypt are the remains of some great English
heroes including Admiral Horatio Nelson, General Wellington,
Florence Nightingale, and fittingly, Christopher Wren.
Open: Mon-Sat 08h30-16h30. Admission: GBP9, adults; GBP3.50,
children. Note that service is held on Sundays and while you will
not be required to pay to enter during worship, neither will you be
able to visit all parts of the cathedral. Tel: +44 (0)20-7236-4128.
Tube: St Paul's.
The National Gallery
The British National Gallery houses an extensive collection of
European paintings from the 13th to 19th centuries, including all of
the big names from Van Gogh to Leonardo. Excellent audio-tours are
available in several languages, and there is even a Micro gallery
that allows you to browse the collection from a CD-ROM and print
reproductions of your favourite works.
Trafalgar Sq. Open: daily 10h00-18h00 (Wed until 21h00). Admission:
free, donations are encouraged. Tel: +44 (0)20-7747-2885, Tube:
Leicester Sq or Charing Cross.
Thames Cruise
The muddy Thames snakes its way to the sea through the city and en
route links several of London's top bankside attractions. A cruise
is a fantastic way to relax and see the sights roll by, accompanied
by often rather corny, but quite amusing banter from the captain.
Several companies operate "hop-on, hop-off" cruises leaving from
Embankment or Westminster pier, or you can take a cruise down to
Greenwich or Richmond. Prices start at around GBP8 return although
if you have a London Travelcard you will get a reduction. Tube:
Embankment.
Hyde Park
The mark of any great capital is the amount of space left open for
its citizens. London is dotted with dozens of parks, but Hyde Park,
right at its heart, is one of its most popular. This vast open space
is a bolt of green amid the city grey where the picnic blanket and
the rollerblade rule in peace. On a summer's day it's just about
possible to forget you are in one of the world's busiest cities.
You can also ride a horse down Rotten Row, take a boat on to
Serpentine Lake or listen to people share their views at Speakers'
Corner. Tube: Lancaster Gate, Hyde Park Corner or Marble Arch (for
Speakers' Corner).
Greenwich
Historic Greenwich makes for a pleasant weekend excursion to visit
the fleamarket and craft stalls and enjoy the numerous restaurants
and cafés. Just next to the town the Cutty Sark is moored in a dry
dock near the water. The beautifully restored deck and immaculate
rigging take you back to the late-19th century when this was the
fastest ship of its kind in the world. A trip to the Observatory
where you can walk the zero degree meridian line is also worthwhile,
as is a visit to the Maritime Museum.
To get there you can take the Docklands Light Railway to Cutty Sark,
or get off at Island Gardens and then walk the Greenwich foot tunnel
under the Thames. Alternatively combine a visit with a boat trip
down the Thames. Boats leave from Westminster Pier and the Tower of
London regularly for Greenwich.
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