Top Ten Attractions to See on a London Vacation
This list is my top ten popular tourist attractions in London. These aren’t ‘off the beaten track’ places. These are the ones that everybody has heard of and will ask you if you have seen when you tell them you went to London! So if you are planning your first trip, this is the list for you.
Tower of London, The White Tower
Tower of London
My American husband visited London with his family before we met, and he is always talking about what a fun, memorable experience the ‘beefeater’ tour was. Definitely his favourite memory of London! The beefeaters (or Yeoman Warders, to give them their official title) are more than just costumed tour guides. Yeoman Warders are a detachment of the ‘Yeomen of the Guard’, and they’ve formed the Royal Bodyguard since at least 1509. Their origins stretch back as far as the reign of Edward IV (1461-83). Today, Yeoman Warders are required to have served in the armed forces with an honourable record for at least 22 years. The tour includes access to the Crown Jewels, the greatest working collection of Crown Jewels in the world and priceless symbols of British monarchy (watch for the ‘in use’ signs) and to the Royal Armouries. You might even catch a glimpse of the tower ravens! Legend says that the kingdom and the Tower will fall if the six resident ravens ever leave the fortress.
St Paul’s Cathedral
A Cathedral dedicated to St Paul has overlooked the City of London since 604AD, a constant reminder to this great commercial centre of the importance of the spiritual side of life.
St Paul's Cathedral, London
The magnificent baroque cathedral which currently occupies the site was designed by Sir Christopher Wren and built between 1675 and 1710. In the crypt are effigies and fragments of stone that pre-date the Cathedral, relics of a medieval world. From Wren’s original vision, Jean Tijou’s beautiful wrought iron gates of 1700 still separate the quire from the ambulatory; children still test the acoustics in the Whispering Gallery; and the 1695 organ which Mendelssohn once played is still in use. The magnificent mosaics are the result of Queen Victoria’s mid-19th century complaint that the interior was “most dreary, dingy and undevotional.” The American Memorial Chapel stands behind the High Altar in an area that was bomb-damaged during the Second World War – a gesture of gratitude to the American dead of the Second World War from the people of Britain.
The Tower Bridge Exhibition
Tower Bridge is an internationally recognised symbol of London (that’s why its in our header graphic!). The best reason to visit the Tower Bridge exhibition is to enjoy fabulous views of the ever-changing London skyline from the upper walkways, 140ft above the River Thames. You can also visit an exhibition about the history of the bridge and how it was built. You can then visit the Victorian Engine Rooms, home to the original steam engines that used to power the lifts. Tower Bridge walkways have specially-designed windows, giving visitors a unique opportunity to take photos of the views without them being obscured by glass.
Windsor Castle
Windsor Castle is an official residence of The Queen and the largest occupied castle in the world. A Royal home and fortress for over 900 years, the Castle remains a working palace today. Visitors can walk around the State Apartments, extensive suites of rooms at the heart of the working palace. For part of the year visitors can also see the Semi State rooms, which are some of the most splendid interiors in the castle. They are furnished with treasures from the Royal Collection including paintings by Holbein, Rubens, Van Dyck and Lawrence, fine tapestries and porcelain, sculpture and armour. Within the Castle complex there are many additional attractions, including the Drawings Gallery, Queen Mary’s dolls’ house, and the fourteenth-century St. George’s Chapel, the burial place of ten sovereigns and setting for many Royal weddings. It’s also close to Legoland !
London Zoo
emeie is the world’s oldest scientific zoo. It was opened in London on April 27th, 1828 and was originally intended to be used as a collection for scientific study. It was eventually made open to the public in 1847. Today it houses a collection of 755 species of animals, with 15104 individuals, making it one of the largest collections in the UK. London Zoo is home to smaller animals. Larger species were moved to the Whipsnade Zoo in Bedfordshire, which is more spacious. In 2000 the Burmese scene from the 2001 film Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone was filmed at the Zoo’s Reptile House. In the film the inhabitant of the tank is a Burmese python, however in reality it is home to a black mamba. A plaque beside the enclosure commemorates the event.
Kensington Palace
Kensington Palace, Golden Gates
Kensington Palace is another official royal residence. It was the official residence of Diana, Princess of Wales and of Princess Margaret until 2002. Although Princess Diana’s apartments are not open to the public, a selection of her dresses is on display in the Royal Ceremonial Dress Collection, where you can also see Queen Victoria’s wedding dress and other fabulous royal garments. The palace also houses a number of other exhibits, both permanent and temporary. Take time to visit the beautiful Sunken Garden, which is celebrating 100 years since its planting this year and take tea in the Orangery, one of the finest tea rooms in London.
HMS Belfast
HMS Belfast is a Royal Navy battle cruiser, who served throughout the Second World War, playing a leading part in the destruction of the battle cruiser Scharnhorst, and also the Normandy Landings. In service with the Royal Navy until 1965, she was saved in 1971 as a unique reminder of Britain’s naval heritage. She is now a museum moored on the Thames between Tower and London Bridge. When you visit HMS Belfast you will have nine decks of living history to explore. The ship has been carefully preserved to reflect the different decades of her service and the campaigns that she served in. HMS Belfast is a popular site with kids and adults and they run lots of events for children throughout the summer.
Churchill Museum & Cabinet War Rooms
Created in 1938 from a humble storage basement of what is now Her Majesty’s Treasury, the Cabinet War Rooms operated throughout the Second World War and were the scene of hundreds of crucial meetings of Winston Churchill’s War Cabinet and Defence Committee. It was from here that Churchill delivered several of his famous speeches. The Rooms closed finally on 16 August 1945 and have been kept to this day as they looked in 1940, with the War Cabinet Room, the Map Room and Winston Churchill’s Room still containing all their wartime contents. Recently, a museum dedicated to the life of Winston Churchill was opened on the site. Admission to both the war rooms and the museum are included in the entrance fee.
Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre Tour and Exhibition
Shakespeare's Globe Theatre
Shakespeare’s Globe Exhibition explores the life of Shakespeare, the London where he lived, and the theatre for which he wrote. A fascinating guided tour then takes you into the unique space. The Globe Exhibition has now been refurbished with most exhibits re-presented to improve your journey through the history of Shakespeare and the Globe. Find out about extravagant Elizabethan costumes, Renaissance instruments and how they were used, and the dramatic stories of the first Globe crossing the Thames, and the new Globe being reconstructed on Bankside. The Theatre season runs from 23 April through 5 October if you want to take in a show. Productions include plenty of Shakespeare (and a variety of others. But it seems a shame for visitors to come to the Globe and not see Shakespeare!)
Kew Gardens
The Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew (or Kew Gardens) are one of the world’s most important botanical gardens. It is an internationally important botanical research and education institution with 700 staff as well as a visitor attraction. The gardens occupy approximately 300 acres (so you’ll need plenty of time). In addition to incredible plant collections, there are several interesting buildings, including the pagoda, Kew Palace, the smallest of the royal palaces and Queen Charlottes’s Cottage, given to her as a wedding present on her marriage to George III. Visitors can view a woodland glade from above on the treetop walkway and view an extensive collection of carnivorous plants (eww)! Kew Gardens are a little outside London, but can be reached by tibe from Earls Court in about 15 minutes.
