If you are planning to visit London and have no plans of where to go and how to make a great trip, then you are at the right place. Well! London is a place that offers one of the greatest concentrations of cultural attractions. Starting from the royal palaces to the people’s parliament, cathedrals to museums, the breathtaking views over the River Thames, and the exotic restaurants to try out the delicious delicacies.
Since London is massive and it might take you days to cover it entirely, hence it is pretty essential for you to make a list of places you want to visit. If you are still confused and don’t know what all places to cover and how to make it, then do follow this article. You will at least have an idea of what to do and where to go while in London and will be great for you in case, you are visiting London for the very first time.
So, without further delay, let’s start with the Top 10 Things To Do In London.
1. Buckingham Palace and the Changing of the Guard
Talking about top things to do in London, you simply can’t miss out on Britain’s most iconic building- the Buckingham Palace. It is also the scene of London’s most reputed and popular display of circumstance and pomp, the Changing of the Guard.
Regardless of the season, it draws the crowd at around 11:30 am and this colorful yet free display of precision marching along with music happens at St. James’s Palace.
Right after that, you can start following the band along The Mall as they will be marching between the sites. Buckingham Palace was actually built in the year 1837 and it is the place where the Royal Family since the time of Queen Victoria resides.
Now, if you are wondering whether the Queen is inside the palace, then look at the flagpole right at the top of the building and if you see the royal standard is flying day and night, then she is at home.
In fact, when the Queen is not that and staying at her summer palace in Scotland, then visitors can buy tickets for tours of the Royal Mews, the State Rooms, and the Queen’s Gallery.
2. The British Museum
If you want to have a look at the world’s finest collections of antiquities, then you can’t miss out on the British Museum. In fact, it consists of around 13 million artifacts that top from the ancient world.
With priceless objects from Assyria, Babylonia, China, Europe, and elsewhere, it’s hard to know where to begin. However, there are several tourists who would like to head first for the museum’s most famous exhibits: the controversial Elgin Marbles from the Parthenon, the Rosetta Stone, the colossal bust of Ramesses II, the Egyptian mummies, and the spectacular hoard of 4th-century Roman silver known as the Mildenhall Treasure.
Apart from the well-stocked, archaeology and art history as well as an onsite bookshop, then you will see a shop selling kids’ souvenirs and games, along with that it sells replica jewelry as well as sculptures.
If you can linger a little longer, then the museum will offer several kinds of lectures as well as workshops along with a cafe and a restaurant.
3. The Tower of London and Tower Bridge
From palace to prison, private zoo to treasure vault, the super amazing Tower of London has fulfilled all the different roles down the centuries. It is one of Britain’s most iconic structures and is a spectacular World Heritage Site. This actually offers the tourist with hours of fascination to know more about the country’s rich history- after all so many things have happened here.
The massive White Tower that was built in the year 1078 by William the Conqueror, holds some truly remarkable displays of royal armor and armaments. Talking about other highlights, you can see the very popular Crown Jewels exhibition, the Royal Mint, the Beefeaters, and gruesome exhibits about the executions that took place on the grounds. The adjacent Tower Bridge, its two huge towers rising 200 feet above the River Thames, is one of London’s best-known landmarks where some fascinating tours are available.
And if you want to use your time the most, mainly during the busy summer days, then you can get your hands on the Tower of London Entrance Ticket Including Crown Jewels and Beefeater Tour that too in advance to avoid the ticket lines. You will get the tickets at a lower price, which will save your time, and hassle as well.
4. National Gallery
If you are planning for a trip to London, then you should not miss out on visiting the National Gallery. It ranks among the top art museums in the world and you can see that it represents an entire survey of European painting starting from 1260 to 1920.
It is highly popular among the tourist visiting London and the greatest strengths of this museum are the collection of Italian Schools and Dutch Masters of the 15th as well as the 16th centuries. Apart from all of that, the highlights are a cartoon or the preliminary sketch of the Child by Leonardo da Vinci, Madonna, Michelangelo’s The Entombment, Botticelli’s Venus and Mars, van Gogh’s Sunflowers, and The Water-Lily Pond by Monet.
5. Big Ben and Parliament
The 318 feet tall tower housing the giant clock screams “London” more emphatically than anything else. And this resounding bell is known as Big Ben. This one is the iconic one just like the Tower Bridge and the tolling of Big Ben is known all throughout the world as the time signal of the BBC.
Right below Big Ben, just stretching along the River Thames, you will find the Houses of Parliament. It is the seat of Britain’s government for several centuries and once the site of the royal Westminster Palace occupied by William the Conqueror.
Tours of the parliament buildings offer a unique chance to see real-time debates and lively political discussions. From Parliament Square, Whitehall is lined by so many government buildings that its name has become synonymous with the British government.
6. Piccadilly Circus and Trafalgar Square
London is a place of art, culture, royalty, and two of the best and reputed tourist spots in London are Piccadilly Circus as well as Trafalgar Square. They don’t lie far apart and marks the actual gateways to Soho which is London’s lively theater and entertainment district.
Trafalgar Square was actually built to commemorate Lord Horatio Nelson’s victory that was over the French as well as the Spanish at Trafalgar in 1805. Nelson’s Column, a 183-foot granite monument, overlooks the square’s fountains and bronze reliefs, which were cast from French cannons. Admiralty Arch, St. Martin-in-the-Fields, and the National Gallery surround the square.
In the Piccadilly Circus, you will be able to see the irregular intersection of the several busy streets – Piccadilly, Regent, Haymarket, and Shaftesbury Avenue. In fact, it will overlook the untidy snarl of the traffic stands and is London’s most known sculpture. If you are in London, I think you won’t like to miss out on visiting this spot.
7. The Two Tates: Tate Britain and Tate Modern
Another great tourist attraction in London is “The Two Tates: Tate Britain and Tate Modern”. They have the world’s most important art collections and the gallery was actually opened in the year 1897. Apart from that, it was based on the collection of significant British art and it needed more space with the huge collection.
And that actually resulted in the development of the Tate Britain in Millbank which is on the north side of the Thames. It is the home of historic British paintings. What is even more amazing is that a power station across the Thames has been transformed into the home of modern art collections. Being art lovers, you can spend an entire day over there seeing the sites and the art collection.
You can walk across the Millennium Bridge which is basically a footbridge. It connects the two banks of the river close to the Tate Modern. The views are spectacular.
8. The Victoria and Albert Museum
The V&A or the Victoria and Albert Museum is basically a part of the South Kensington group of museums which has the Science Museum as well as the Natural History Museum. It was founded in the year 1852 and this museum covers around 13 acres and holds 145 galleries that have nearly 5000 years of artifacts as well as art.
This exhibits several things including glass and ceramics, costumes and textiles, jewelry and silver, sculpture, ironwork, photos, and prints. They are easily and comfortably arranged into four kinds of categories such as Asia; Furniture, Textiles, and Fashion; Sculpture, Metalwork, Ceramics, and Glass; and Word and Image.
It is pretty much impossible to get around this huge museum with just a single visit. Hence, it is best for you to make a plan and decide in advance where to go and which sections to cover first. I recommend you to take a tour of the V & A museum and often free, with options including everything from daily introductory tours to specific gallery or themed tours.
You can check out the Friday Late programs that happen at the month-end or on the last Friday of the month. There you can enjoy popular exhibitions that too late at night with good food as well as drinks.
9. The Shard
The Shard was opened in the year 2012 and since then it has become one of the most reputed and highly attracted landmarks in London. It stands around 1016 feet tall and encompasses somewhat 95 stories. This is a highly remarkable structure and named Shard as it resembles the shard of glass and dominates the skyline with the pleasing design.
Apart from all that, it offers office space on the lower levels and the Shard is actually the home to the stunning and amazing Shangri-La Hotel and three superb restaurants, all boasting some of the most incredible views over London. And for people who will not be staying there, they have the upper levels that consist of a great choice of viewing platforms such as outdoor and indoor.
10. Westminster Abbey
Another tourist attraction that is related to the British royalty, the Westminster Abbey stands on the site that is again associated with Christianity since the early 7th century. It is officially called the Collegiate Church of St. Peter in Westminster. This was actually founded by Edward who is the Confessor in the year 1065 as the place of interment.
From the time of his burial in the year 1066 until that of George II almost 700 years later, most sovereigns were not only crowned here but were buried here, too. Furthermore, quite recently, this has become a famous as well as a preferred location for the Royal Weddings.
This is basically a masterpiece of Gothic architecture and is not the only highest Gothic nave in England which is around 102 feet but this one is the most renowned tourist attraction in London. It has drawn around a million visitors each year.
You can visit around 600 or more memorials in the Nave that includes the Tomb of the Unknown Warrior. In fact, you will get to see the Poet’s Corner in the Transepts that has the memorials along with the likes of Chaucer, Shakespeare, and Dickens, the attractive gardens as well as the Westminster Abbey Museum.
So these are the top 10 things that you can do while you are in London. You can’t afford to miss out on any one of these as all are equally worth visiting. There are several other tourist spots as well to visit while you are in London. Do let us know what all places you have visited or planning to visit while you are in London. You can comment down below and we all will be happy to take your suggestions. Happy Traveling!
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