What's In This Article
Things to do in london
There are so many things to do In London, but here you will find the best one and few tips on where to sleep and eat.
1. BIG BEN AND THE HOUSES OF PARLIAMENT
Big Ben is a tower clock known for its accuracy and for its massive hour bell. Strictly speaking, the name refers only to the bell, which weighs 15.1 tons (13.7 metric tons), but it is commonly associated with the whole clock tower at the northern end of the Houses of Parliament, in the London borough of Westminster.
Famous for its reliability and accuracy, the clock has rarely stopped (over 150 years old).
Visiting Big Ben is an opportunity to dive into the history of London and learn about some of the events that shaped the city such as the bomb that destroyed the House of Commons chambers in World War II but left the tower standing. As well as how it got a new name honoring Queen Elizabeth in 2012. While the tower is amazing during the day, what leaves a lasting impression on all visitors is seeing it in the night while brightly lit alongside the river Thames.
The tour inside the tower is only limited to residents of the United Kingdom. However, the Elizabeth Tower can be enjoyed from several vantage points in the area and you can take a tour of the Houses of Parliament next to the tower. On this tour you will visit the tower climbing the 334 stone steps to get to the top of the tower and enjoy some incredible views of the city.
2. BRITISH MUSEUM
There are thousands of artifacts in the British Museum (check website for tickets and info here), like the following ones:
The Rosetta Stone: In 1799, a group of French soldiers rebuilding a military fort in the port city of el-Rashid (or Rosetta), Egypt, accidentally uncovered what was to become one of the most famous artifacts in the world — the Rosetta Stone.
Mummy of Katebet: The British Museum is home to many amazingly preserved mummies. But, perhaps the most impressive is of Katebet, Chantress of Amun. Wrapped in linen and bearing a striking golden mask, the exhibit dates all the way back to 1300BC.
Assyrian Lion Hunt Reliefs: In Assyria, lion hunting was a mark of kingly prowess. And many Assyrian alabaster panels in the museum tell the tale of King Ashurbanipal’s exploits. Discovered in 1853 by Assyrian archaeologist Homuzd Rassam, the stunning depictions are eerily realistic.
The Elgin Marbles: These gorgeous sculptures have long been at the centre of controversy. Originally built to honour the goddess Athena, Lord Elgin…acquired…them from the Greek Parthenon in the 19th Century. Still, the collection of intricate marbles catalysed a fascination with classical Greece in Europe.
Lewis Chessmen: This collection of chess pieces, unearthed in 1831, are carved from mainly walrus ivory and whale teeth. Depicting real kings, queens, and bishops, they date way back to around 1200AD. They were discovered in Scotland, off the Isle of Lewis, formerly part of the Kingdom of Norway.
Samurai Armour: This Japanese warrior armour still cuts an imposing figure today. Harkening back to the Edo period, this armour forged by Unkai Mitsunao is unique. A number of its pieces come from different times. That includes a 16th-century bulletproof breastplate, and elaborate neck and leg pieces from the 18th century.
Easter Island Head: A legacy of a lost tradition, this massive statue named Hoa Hakananai’a (lost or hidden friend) is one of the moai of Easter Island. These huge sculptures are built to honour sacred ancestors. Brought to Britain by Commodore Richard Ashmore Powell in 1868, the basalt statue also features carvings of birds and rings on its back. Definitely one of the best things to see at the British Museum.
Colossal Granite Head of Amenhotep III: This red granite statue was one of many commissions by King Amenhotep III. The head alone weighs an incredible 3600 kilograms. Who knows how much the entire statue once weighed. Discovered in the Temple of Mut, it was acquired by British archaeologist Henry Salt in a Cairo warehouse. It’s believed that the face, originally of Amenhotep III, was recarved to resemble proceeding king Rameses II.
Oxus Treasure: These delicate Persian relics were crafted in the fourth and fifth century BC. Yet, they’re still impressive thousands of years later. The British Museum holds one of the most important collections of Achaemenid gold on the planet. Here, you’ll see a stunning Oxus horse and chariot sculpture.
3. BUCKINGHAM PALACE
There’s plenty to see and do at Buckingham Palace, the Queen’s London residence.
For just 2 months each year, Buckingham Palace’s state rooms open their doors to the public, allowing visitors a unique glimpse inside this remarkable building ( the tour takes in the 19 magnificent state rooms and admission also includes the Royal Gifts exhibition, which features a display of official gifts presented to the Queen during her reign.)
Outside, you can see the tribute to Diana or visit the Gardens ( 3-acre lake, summer house, herbaceous border, Rose Garden, enormous Waterloo Vase and the palace tennis court, where King George VI and Fred Perry played in the 1930s.)
4. TOWER OF LONDON
It’s one of the oldest buildings in London. William the Conqueror built the Tower of London to keep hostile locals off his back. The original White Tower is actually the oldest structure (completed in 1086), but there are many other buildings in the complex. It’s been used as a state prison and a place of torture for anyone who didn’t please the current monarch. Well-known prisoners have included Lady Jane Grey, two of Henry VIII’s wives (Anne Boleyn and Catherine Howard), the royal twins Edward of England and Henry of Shrewsbury, and the religious martyr John Frith.
Lots of information is available on printed signs and memorials, as well as the tours given by the Beefeaters. You should visit the Tower of London just to learn the details you might not have known otherwise.
5. PORTOBELLO ROAD MARKET
Portobello Road has one of the most famous street markets in the world and is home to one of the UK’s most diverse communities. The market has a great selection, from vintage books to antiques to vintage clothing to some great street food.
Info: Many shops along Portobello Road and Goldborne Road are open for business 7 days a week. Shops normally open at around 10 am Monday to Saturday, later on, Sundays. Coffee shops usually open earlier, many at around 7 am for breakfast.
6. WESTMINSTER ABBEY
Westminster Abbey (UNESCO World Heritage site), close to the Houses of Parliament, is an outstanding medieval Gothic church, with some even older parts. The vast collection of tombs, statues, and other memorials is a fascinating three-dimensional encyclopedia of British history: the Saxons built a church to honor Saint Peter on the site in the early 700s. Around 960, that church became a small Benedictine abbey. In the mid-1000s, the last Saxon king, Edward, built a new abbey called West Minster. He also built the original Palace of Westminster.
7. PICCADILLY CIRCUS
Piccadilly Circus has to be the most famous road intersections in the world and an ideal destination for anyone hoping to visit Chinatown, Soho’s theatre district, Oxford Street’s shopping area, Leicester Square or Trafalgar Square. Buckingham Palace, Hyde Park, the Houses of Parliament and Big Ben are all within walking distance as well.
8. HYDE PARK & KENSINGTON GARDENS
Hyde Park is one of the greatest city parks in the world. If the weather is good you can enjoy swimming, boating, cycling and skating. There are pitches for team games, tennis courts, tracks for horse riding and a spectacular children’s playground.
Kensington Gardens, once part of Hyde Park, offers a mix of old and new park pastimes and green space.
9. NATIONAL GALLERY
The National Gallery is one of the most famous art museum in the world and it contains some of the biggest and most diverse painting collections on the planet (from the French Impressionists, the Italian Renaissance, late medieval period and much more).
Located in Trafalgar Square, the National Gallery’s location was chosen specifically because the historic square is considered by many to be the “heart” of central London.
Here the top list of art you can expert to see:
- “The Virgin of the Rocks” (Leonardo da Vinci, around 1491/2-9 and 1506-8)
- “A Young Woman standing at a Virginal” (1670-2, Johannes Vermeer)
- “The Arnolfini Portrait” (Jan van Eyck, 1434)
- “The Toilet of Venus” (‘The Rokeby Venus’) (Diego Velázquez, 1647-51)
- “The Fighting Temeraire” (Joseph Mallord William Turner, 1839)
- “Sunflowers” (Vincent van Gogh,1888)
- “Venus and Mars” (Sandro Botticelli, circa 1485)
- “Bacchus and Ariadne” (Titian, 1520-3)
- “Bathers at La Grenouillère” (1869, Claude Monet)
- “The Supper at Emmaus” (Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio, 1601)
- “Equestrian Portrait of Charles I” (Anthony van Dyck, circa 1637-8)
- “Samson and Delilah” (Peter Paul Rubens, circa 1609-10)
- “Self Portrait at the Age of 34” (Rembrandt, 1640)
- “The Baptism of Christ” (Piero della Francesca, 1450s)
- “The Madonna of the Pinks” (‘La Madonna dei Garofani’) (Raphael, circa 1506-7)
Info: The National Gallery is free to enter, and is open every day from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. (except on January 1st, December 24th, December 25th and December 26th). The National Gallery stays open later on Fridays (until 9 p.m.)
The National Gallery hosts ten-minute talks by art experts which take place from Monday to Friday at 4 p.m. The talks last ten minutes and cover specific topics, artwork, themes and artists, depending on when you visit; (for more information check out the National Gallery’s official website).
There are also free daily guided tours which take place at:
11 a.m., 2:30 p.m. and 7 p.m. (Monday to Friday)
11:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. (Saturday and Sunday)
The Cloakroom is open every day from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., and on Fridays from 10 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. and costs:
£1 (for coats and small bags)
£4 for large bags (max. 66 cm x 43 cm).
The National Gallery audio tours cost:
£4 for adults
£3.50 for seniors and students
£2 for groups of ten or more people
£10 for families (consisting of two adults and up to three children under the ages of 12)
10. TOWER OF BRIDGE
Tower Bridge is a combined bascule and suspension bridge in London, built between 1886 and 1894. The bridge crosses the River Thames close to the Tower of London and has become a world-famous symbol of London. As a result, it is sometimes confused with London Bridge, about half a mile (0.8 km) upstream.
I recommend the Tower Bridge Exhibition, famous for its Glass Floor which offers an incredible view of the city below, and the River Thames – you might even get to see the bridge being raised.
11. TATE MODERN
The Tate Modern is a cool place to visit, free attraction spread over 5 with some great exhibitions that are different from the usual art gallery.
You can also enjoy a drink at the Tate Modern Terrace Bar or an English tea at The Tate Modern Café enjoying riverside views.
12. CAMDEN MARKET
Called also Camden Lock, The Camden market is famed for their cosmopolitan image, products sold on the stalls include crafts, clothing, bric-a-brac, and fast food.
You can really spend hours weaving in and out of stalls, down little nooks and up a flight of stairs discovering the never ending offerings.
The vast majority of the shops and a high proportion of the stalls take cards. There are also several free-to-use cash machines at the Market. Some of the bigger stalls and vendors accept credit cards but some of the smallest vendors may ask for cash only.
13. THE LONDON EYE
This is the London’s symbol to let people climb above the city and look back down on it as it is in a great position at the heart of London (the view is breathtaking).
Most people will recognise The London Eye from photographs and images of the iconic London skyline, but knowing where to find the attraction isn’t always obvious. It is located on London’s Southbank close to the London Aquarium and the London Dungeons. the Palace of Westminster, Waterloo International and Embankment London Underground stations are all a short walk away which makes it a quick journey from the Park Grand London.
14. THE JACK RIPPER TOUR
Each night, lots of tours set out to explore the mean streets where the Whitechapel Murders occurred. Check this link , book a tour where you will be taken round by guides and you will be brought up to date on all the latest findings on the crimes.
15. TRAFALGARE SQUARE
Trafalgar Square is a public square that features some of London’s top attractions, from galleries and historic buildings to statues and monuments, plus a gateway between the main shopping district of the city centre and the West of the city.
There is the Nelson’s column and statue, designed by William Railton to honour the Admiral Nelson, after his victory in the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805.
16. ICE BAR – Belowzero
Made of crystal clear ice, the Belowzero is the UK’s only permanent ice bar keeping things a cool -5℃ all year round.
Whilst you’re chilling in the frozen bit, you’ll get one spirit-based cocktail, such as a Garden of Eden with vodka, apple purée, apple juice and lemon juice, or a Subourbon with bourbon, passion fruit purée, lemon and cranberry juice. Then, when you’re back out in room temperatures, you’ll get to choose from a different list, featuring the likes of the Skull and Bones with rum, apricot liqueur, orgeat syrup, pineapple juice and lemon juice or the Mix & Matcha mocktail with matcha green tea syrup, fresh lemon juice and soda.
Price: £19.50 for entry, plus two cocktails (one inside the ice bar, one in the warm bit).
17. WARNER BROSS STUDIO TOUR LONDON
If you love Harry Potter, check GetYourGuide website and book the tickets for an absolutely magic day.
London is filled with Harry Potter spots – whether that’s filming locations, cool graphics stores or Potter-inspired bars, there’s plenty to keep your wands busy. Even so, the Harry Potter Studio Tour is phenomenal.
All eight of the films were filmed in the Leavesden Studios over a period spanning more than a decade.
There’s nowhere else that you can visit where you can see so many of the places, costumes and details that made the iconic films the biggest movie series in history.
18. MADAME TUSSAUDS
Opened in London in 1884, Madame Tussauds Museum displays worldwide celebrities made out of wax, making it the most famous wax museum due to its quality and innovation.
You can find the Museum in different cities like Amsterdam, Bangkok, Berlin, Blackpool, Hollywood, Hong Kong, Las Vegas, New York, Shanghai, Washington and Vienna.
The sculptor Marie Tussaud organized her first wax exhibition in London in 1835, charging six pennies for the admissions ticket. It became a huge success, and in 1884 the museum was moved to the building that currently houses the wax figures.
Location: Marylebone Rd
Schedule: Every day from 9am to 4pm/6 pm (the opening times can vary depending on the days. We recommend checking Madame Taussaud’s official website for more information).
Price: Adults: £ 35 (€ 39) – Children 3-15: £ 30 (€ 33.50) – Children under 3: free
WHERE TO SLEEP IN LONDON
Here the list of the hotels (cheap and not) that you could book for your trip in London.
PARIS
1290
2000
1.20k
4300
