What To Visit In London
From Reddit London wiki
Contents |
[edit] The Classics
- This fine redditor has put together a great MAP with his personal favourites all over London. Most of the famous stuff is in there.
- Another London map by another redditor and his (ongoing) guide to London.
- You can also try out Plnnr, a funky website that plans your visit day by day!
- You may want to look into a London Pass. It gives you access to unlimited travel through zones 1-6, free entrance to 55 attractions throughout London, discounts at some stores and restaurants, plus a guidebook.
[edit] Major Landmarks
[edit] The Houses of Parliament
One of the top attractions on any tourist checklist, home to Big Ben and having nearly 1000 years of history.
UK Residents can arrange a free tour through their MP, visitors can pay for tours on Saturdays or at various times in the Summer.
UK residents are also able to climb he clock tower to see Big Ben, again this is arranged through contacting your MP. The clock tower tour is unavailable to overseas visitors.
[edit] Westminster Abbey
Adult Entry £16, other prices vary.
Founded in 960AD is a functioning place of worship which 'has been the coronation church since 1066 and is the final resting place of seventeen monarchs.'
It has been the location of many events in British history, recently it hosted the marriage of Prince William and Kate Middleton.
[edit] The London Eye
Tickets: online = £31.08 (prices vary with deals, 2 for 1 offers are often available - it's worth googling for them)
Tallest Ferris Wheel in Europe, and is situated on Southbank. It was erected to celebrate the turn on the Millennium.
It is London's most popular paid tourist attraction and is open nearly every day of the year (longer opening hours in the summer).
Going on a clear day is essential to get the most from a ride, I preferred going on at night, but it's a good experience at any time. 1 ride takes about 30 mins (not including the '4D experience' beforehand.
In the 1530s one of Grace's distant anrtsecal cousins, Brother John Holyman, a monk from Reading, preached at St. Paul's Cross against the divorce by Henry VIII of Queen Catherine, who wanted to marry Anne Boleyn. John later was appointed Roman Catholic Bishop of Bristol during the reign of Queen Mary Tudor.
[edit] Horse Guards Parade
The Horse Guards is a large parade ground, closely associated with the Household Cavalry, a recognisable component of the British Army.
Located just off Whitehall, between Westminster and Trafalgar Square, the actual parade ground is through a ceremonial arch that leads off the main road. This arch is flanked by two mounted guards, who tourists love to have their photo taken with.
Horse Guards is where two large military traditions take place - Trooping the colour as part of the Queen's Birthday Parade and Beating Retreat.
If you like pageantry or want to get the quintessential photo of the 'British guards with the furry hats' this is a good place to hang out. You may also recognise it from such events as the Royal Wedding.
[edit] Trafalgar Square
Trafalgar Square is a large, distinctive square which is very centrally located and easy to find.
At the centre of the square is the famous Nelson's Column, erected to commemorate Admiral Horatio Nelson who was killed at the battle of Trafalgar in 1805. The column is surrounded by the equally well-known lion statues and fountains, home to much merriment on New Years Eve.
The square is home to the National Gallery, which dominates its Northern end. Continuing North leads to Leicester Square and China Town. To the south, Whitehall leads to Westminster. Opposite the East Wing of the national gallery is the picturesque, and quaintly named, St Martins in the Field, with Charing Cross and the Embankment close behind. Heading West will take you into theatreland and eventually to Hyde Park.
Trafalgar Square is a natural gathering space for people either celebrating or protesting. Marches, sporting events or major celebrations usually lead to it becoming very busy.
[edit] The Tower of London
(In)Famous prison for persons of quality for many years. Now a very popular tourist spot. Home to the Crown Jewels, if you're into that sort of thing.
Tickets cost £17 (for adults) if you buy online in advance. Full list of admission prices available here. Opening hours: Monday-Friday: 09.00-17.00 Weekends and Bank Holidays: 10.00-17.00.
The Yeoman Warders (Beefeaters) aren't just tits in costume, so don't take the piss. They're pretty hard and do good tours. Especially if you get the really bloodthirsty one.
[edit] Tower Bridge
Often confused with London Bridge(notably by US singer Fergie in her video for 'London Bridge'), which is the next bridge upstream.
Completed in 1894 Tower Bridge is one of the most famous bridges in the world, and the focus of much tourist tat.
It is a fully functioning bascule bridge, to see when to the bridge is due to lift check Here. There is an exhibition which allows to go inside the bridge and view the inner workings. This costs £8 for an adult.
[edit] Museums
[edit] The British Museum
FREE - 09:00 - 18:00 daily, 09:00 - 20:30 on Fridays
Nearest tube: Holborn (Central/Piccadilly)/Tottenham Court Road (Central/Northern)
The British museum is full of artefacts and art from around the world, from marbles to mummies its content is very varied - and so you're almost certain to find something which interests you.
If you want to take a good look at everything and read all the information then you can easily spend a whole day here, I'd recommend splitting your visit over a few days though, taking in a few sections at a time.
[edit] The Natural History Museum
FREE - 10:00 - 17:50 daily
Nearest tube station: South Kensington (District/Circle/Picadilly)
The Natural History Museum is a huge museum dedicated to our planet and its nature, from the beginning to present day.
Highlights include Dinosaur fossils, exhibits showing the evolution of life on Earth and areas showing the Earth's own evolution, workings and treasures.
There is also a fairly new 'Darwin Centre' which aims at providing an interactive 'behind-the-scenes' experience with the science of nature.
Visiting each area and reading everything could take days, but you could walk through it all looking at the main information in around a day.
[edit] The Science Museum
FREE - 10:00 - 18:00 daily
Nearest tube station: South Kensington (District/Circle/Picadilly)
The Science Museum is another large museum displaying and explaining scientific advancement through the centuries. It is another vary varied museum, looking at science and technology from the past, present and looking towards the future.
It has many interactive exhibits and houses a large 3D IMAX (the films are not free. I've seen 2 films there, one about the Hubble telescope which was excellent and one about the sardine run which wasn't so good - the BBC documentary about it was much better). The museum is also fantastic for children with many ways to get them involved - especially a play area in the basement.
Although I wouldn't say it needed as much time to visit as the British Museum or Natural History Museum you can still easily spend all day here if you want to read through most things, have a play on the interactive exhibits and catch a film.
Tip: There are large 'stepped' areas in the basement designed to allow you to eat a packed lunch here, which can save some pennies.
[edit] The Victoria & Albert Museum (V&A)
FREE - 10:00 - 17:45 daily, 10:00 to 22:00 on Fridays
Nearest tube station: South Kensington (District/Circle/Picadilly)
The Victoria and Albert is the museum of Art and Design throughout the ages. It houses many permanent exhibits from all around the world covering topics such as architecture, fashion, sculpture, photography and different types of art. Like most other large london museums, they also run temporary exhibitions all the time.
I think it is worth visiting just to have a (slightly expensive) cup of tea in the gorgeous V&A cafe, it's a beautiful room. If you like to draw, the sculpture rooms are a great place to rock up with a sketch pad and sit for an hour or two drawing (they are happy for you to do this as long as you only use dry materials - no paints - and you don't block passageways or lean your sketchpad on any plinths or anything). The V&A is also just a really pleasant place to wander around.
[edit] The Imperial War Museum
FREE - Open 10:00 - 18:00 daily
Nearest tube station: Lambeth North (Bakerloo)/Southwark (Jubilee)
The Imperial War Museum offers visitors a close look at the UK's involvement in overseas conflict. It was originally set up during the First World War to provide information about the conflict, so the bulk of its collection focuses on 20th and 21st Century warfare. Don't expect to see medieval stuff here.
The museum has an excellent collection of items, such as tanks, planes and other weapons on display. It also does a great job of telling the human story, particularly in a way that's accessible to kids. The Holocaust exhibition is very moving.
The IWM is a fascinating way to spend a day - particularly for military history buffs - but probably isn't a must-see for everyone. Speaking personally, it always leaves me feeling a bit sad.
Fun fact: The IWM is housed in an old mental hospital.
[edit] The Design Museum
£11 adults/£10 concessions/£7 students - 10:00 - 17:45 daily
Nearest tube station: Tower Hill (District/Circle)/London Bridge (Jubilee/Northern)
The Design Museum is a small museum with regularly changing exhibitions documenting various different aspects of design. It can be viewed in a few hours, and is a bit expensive, but 2 for 1 offers can be found occasionally. It's highly recommended for anyone interested in design in general.
[edit] The Museum of London
FREE - 10:00 - 18:00 daily
Nearest tube station: Barbican (Circle/H&C/Metropolitan)
The Museum of London is (no prizes for guessing) a museum documenting the history of London.
It covers many different aspects of the city's history and provides a focus on London lacking from the other major museums.
[edit] Sir John Soane's Museum
FREE - Tuesday to Saturday, 10:00 - 17:00
Nearest tube station: Holborn (Northern/Central)
"Soane designed this house to live in, but also as a setting for his antiquities and his works of art. After the death of his wife (1815), he lived here alone, constantly adding to and rearranging his collections. Having been deeply disappointed by the conduct of his two sons, one of whom survived him, he determined to establish the house as a museum to which ‘amateurs and students’ should have access."
[edit] Famous Shops
[edit] Harrods
Mon-Sat 10:00 - 20:00, Sun 11.30 - 18.00
Arguably the most famous department store in the world.
[edit] Selfridges
Mon-Sat 9:30 - 21:00, Sun 11.30 - 18.15
Selfridges flagship London store is the second largest store in the UK (after Harrods). It's a high-end department store selling a variety of things, especially clothes, accesories and homeware.
[edit] Hamleys
Mon-Wed & Sat 10:00 - 20:00, Thurs & Fri 10:00-21:00, Sun 12:00-18:00
Hamleys Toy Shop is a huge toy shop for all ages, with a massive range of toys organised roughly by floors. There are numerous displays and demonstrations nearly every day, with many areas designated so you can just have a play. You could just walk around Hamleys in an hour to experience it, but if you want to get involved or actually shop then there's really no limit to how long you could take!
[edit] Fortnum & Mason
Mon-Sat 10:00 - 20:00, Sun 12:00 - 18:00
One of London's foremost tea shop, Fortnum & Mason is also famous for bringing the world's best food to the capital, having done so since 1707!
[edit] Harvey Nichols
Mon-Sat 10:00 - 20:00, Sun 11:30 - 18:00
Harvey Nichols flagship store, opened in the 1880's is one of the is the leading international luxury fashion destinations. If you like that sort of thing...
[edit] Liberty
Mon-Sat 10:00 - 21:00 - Sun 12:00 - 18:00
[edit] Parks/Open Spaces
[edit] Regent's Park
The Regent's Park is a large, well-maintained park that roughly marks the Northern border of 'central' London. As a Royal Park, it enjoys a very high level of care and is widely seen as safe and welcoming.
Regent's Park is popular amongst joggers, families and walkers. It is home to London Zoo, which can be found at the Northern end. Regent's Canal, which runs from the river Thames at Limehouse to Paddington Basin on the Grand Union Canal, also cuts through the park.
As you walk North through the park, you begin to leave the Thames basin and the land gently slopes uphill toward Hampstead. Primrose Hill, which is a separate annex to the main park, offers fantastic views over London and is a popular choice for picnics or general outdoors drinking during the summer.
Getting there: Its central location means that Regent's Park is very easy to get to. In addition to its own tube station (Regent's Park - Bakerloo Line) at the South End, it can also be easily accessed from Baker Street (Jubilee, Bakerloo, Circle, Hammersmith & City, Metropolitan) in the South West, St John's Wood (Jubilee) in the North West and Mornington Crescent (Northern) in the North East.
[edit] Hyde Park
Covering 350 acres Hyde Park is one of Central London's largest parks. Kensington Gardens (275 acres) joins seamlessly resulting in a huge green public space.
Hyde park is a very popular gathering spot for events, often hosting large screens. Concerts are often held in the park also.
Running through the middle of the park is the Serpentine - a large lake with areas sectioned for swimming and boating.
Some of the features inside Hyde park include the Diana, Princess of Wales memorial, London's Holocaust memorial and a memorial for the victims on the 7/7 terrorist attack. Also of note is Speakers Corner, where open-air public speaking & debate is allowed (this isn't restricted anywhere else in the UK, but debate and discussion is encouraged here).
[edit] St James's Park
The oldest Royal Park in London, and is surrounded by 3 palaces.
It is perhaps best known for its pelicans, which have been a feature since they were first introduced in 1664 as a gift from the Russian ambassador. The pelicans are fairly well known on the internet for their habit of eating Pidgeons a clip of which can be seen Here.
[edit] Richmond Park
London's largest, almost three times as big as NYC's Central Park. It is famous for hosting herds of wild red and fallow deer (as well as much other wildlife), and a protected view of St Paul's Cathedral over 10 miles away.
[edit] Greenwich Park
Part of the Maritime Greenwich World Heritage Site, next to the National Maritime Museum. The Royal Observatory, where Greenwich Mean Time historically originated, is on a hill in the park - the observatory now charges for entry, but the spectacular views of the City and the Docklands come for free.
[edit] Kew Gardens
Adults £14.50, Concessions £12.50, Children FREE
[edit] Other Notable Attractions
[edit] London Zoo
[edit] Thorpe Park (Theme Park)
Thorpe Park is the thrill seeking Londoner's go-to theme park. Among its 'bullet point' attractions are rides such as Nemesis Inferno, Colossus, Stealth, Tidal Wave, and Saw: The Ride (based on the popular movie franchise). As you'd expect, entry prices are high and food/trinket prices once inside are far higher. Be prepared for at least an hours queue for major rides during weekends and school holidays. A variety of 'fast track' passes can be purchased to ease the pain. More information, pricing details and transport options are available at the official website.
I say this through gritted teeth but, if you're american, there is no point going out of your way to visit an english theme park. You guys do theme parks and rollercoasters better than us.
