London - Twenty (or so) most popular places to visit

Start here:

Get a map before you go,  find the places you want to visit and work out a route - it will save time later but be prepared for a change if something more interesting should come up. You're bound to come across someone who'll tell you somewhere better to go! Want to find your way around then explore the

London A-Z  before you go. Excellent maps covering the whole on London.

Firstly, a quick rundown of the most important places to see:

Tower of London where you can take in the Beefeaters and Crown Jewels. Westminster with Parliament, Big Ben and Westminster Abbey. Trafalgar Square (just because everyone's been there). National Gallery. Buckingham Palace. Covent Garden. British Museum. Imperial War Museum. Tate Galleries. St Paul's Cathedral.  London Eye Ferris wheel. Greenwich. Madame Tussauds. Science Museum. Soho. Piccadilly Circus (because everyone goes there)

Work out what you want to see area by area to save time.

If you want to feel you've 'arrived' the first day then here's some ideas for a walk from Westminster, the heart of London.  How many films have you seen showing Westminster from Westminster Bridge?  Well get a photo from there first, send one back to your friends on your mobile. Stare at Big Ben for that feeling of having 'arrived'. Zoom in now and wander past Westminster Abbey up Whitehall and take a peek at 10 Downing Street (through bars!). Keep an eye open for the Horse Guards, especially if you're there at 4pm and see the dismounting ceremony. Next into Trafalgar Square where Lord Nelson dominates the scene. Here we have the National Gallery and St Martin-in-the-Fields Church. Hop on now to Leicester Square, the home of theatres and cinemas, down to Piccadilly Circus which has become somewhat seedy and then continue on through Soho up Shaftesbury Ave.

Westminster Abbey  where all our monarchs are crowned and buried, at least since 1066. The acoustics are brilliant - watch out for an organ recitals and such like.

Houses of Parliament and Big Ben The seat of ruling can be viewed by all!. You can visit both the Commons and the Lords. There are tours in high season if you're interested call 020 7344 9966

If you have time then the Cabinet War Rooms are worth looking at. This was the underground HQ of our fight against the Nazis 1939 - 1945. Some things have not been changed since the end of the war.

Downing Street. Number 10 is where it all happens but you'll have to be satisfied with peeking through the railings. Gone are the days when you could stand outside and admire the door knocker!

While on Whitehall you may as well stop and see Horse Guards. At their most interesting at 11am when inspection takes place and again at 4pm when their have their dismounting ceremony (when do they get to go to the loo?!).

Trafalgar Square. Another place where you can feel you have 'arrived' Lord Nelson dominating this large open space at the top of his huge column. Pigeons no longer abound but I suppose we'll get used to that. This is one of 'the places' to be on New Years Eve - if you like cuddling perfect strangers that is!

National Gallery is a must if you like art at all.  Host our best collection of paintings - Turner, van Gogh, Rembrandt to mention just a few. Join the 'quickie' or overview tours at 11.30am or 2.30pm.

If  you need a lunch break and a bit of peace from the hurly burly of Trafalgar Square then try the free lunch time concerts here to St Martin-in-the-Fields - Built in the 1720's and famous for its concerts. on Mon.Tue or Friday at 1.05.

Piccadilly Circus. They say that if you sit in Piccadilly long enough you'll see everyone you ever knew.

Soho - well, what can we say. Take a look, it's amusing, titillating, seedy. It's Soho. Careful not to get done if you go into any of the shows, it may be more expensive than you bargained for.

Covent Garden. Cornucopia or what?  shopping, eating and off-the-cuff performances to name but a few.  Just go, enjoy the flavour.

Buckingham Palace.  What can one say - this is home. If you want a visit you can do it in August and Sept. Call 020 7321 2233. It's very popular so save time and book.

Changing of the Guard. This can be seen at 11.30am April to August and every even numbered day 'off season'. You could see the Royal Mews while in the vicinity. This is  the Queen's stables and is in daily use. You can see the wonderful coaches too.

Hyde Park. Acres and acres of greenery with a man-made lake to boot. The merest hint of sunshine and we're out there stripping down as far as we dare!

Madame Tussauds Waxworks. A load of fun once you get in.

Wren's most famous church is St Paul's Cathedral. The cathedral where the wedding of Prince Charles and the late Princess Diana took place in 1981. See the crypt, anybody who's anybody's there! Have a spooky time in the whispering gallery at the top of the dome. At 1pm every day you can hear Great Paul, the largest swinging bell in Europe, being rung for five minutes. If you climb the Golden Gallery you will have a fine view of London. St Paul's was first built in 604 but burned down (it was made of wood) a few times.

Take the Beefeater tour - lasts about an hour - join it at the gate.  Closing time in season is 18.00.  Tel: 020 7709 0765. Get your tickets at any TI and avoid the queues. If you like a bit of  pageantry then see the Ceremony of the Keys at 21.30. You'll need an invite - to get one write to Ceremony of the Keys, HM Tower of London, London EC3N 4AB. Send an sae giving names and addresses of people attending plus date requested (and probably a back-up date just in case). You'll need to write  few months ahead - this should impress your friends!.

Open: Monday-Friday: 09.00-21.00
Saturday, Sunday, Bank Holidays: 10.00-17.00
To purchase tickets by telephone, please call: +44 (0)870 756 7070. You can buy online.

(If you're ready for lunch now then pop over to the Katherine Yacht Harbours situated next to Tower Bridge and the Tower of London, St Katharine Docks has been the focus of worldwide trade and commerce for over 1,000 years. Once a working dock, today, it is one of London's undiscovered treasures, an attractive waterside environment with a mixture of shops, restaurants, offices and luxury apartments as well as yachts and motorboats which come each year to use the berthing facilities at this, London's premier marina.)
 

Tate Modern  Just across the river from St Paul's - go via the wobbly Millennium Bridge. This could be a controversial visit but art is a matter of opinion. If you like a mixture of art then you'll enjoy Picasso, Matisse, Monet and Warhol and many others plus extreme exhibits that make you think. The audio guide is a good idea at around £1.  If you're highly into Tates then try the river bus which connects the Tate Modern with Tate Britain

Natural History Museum just across the way from the V&A. Wonderful stuff from origin of the species type things to meteors. All kids learn about dinosaurs at school, there is a super  example that is amazingly life-like. Well worth a visit. 

The British Museum   There is so much packed into this museum - something for everyone. A must. 

A few other places not top of the list but worth a look:

Harrods. Knightsbridge.  I have yet to meet anyone who bought either toothbrush or an elephant from Harrods but that is their range! A shopaholics delight - huge and magical.

City of London: St Paul's Cathedral.  Goldsmith's Hall has exhibitions open to all.  Museum of London.  The Barbican. Bank of England.  Threadneedle St. The Stock Exchange.  Emperor Claudius founded London in AD43 so it's pretty old! St Paul's Cathedral. The patron saint of London is St Paul. The first St Paul's was built in 604 but being made of wood burned down. Oddly enough this was to happen a number of times. The one we see today  is thanks to our famous architect Sir Christopher Wren.

Other stuff:

Tower Bridge - The Tower Bridge Exhibition

Check out movie locations in London

Highgate Cemetery - Karl Marx, George Eliot to name but a few VIP graves.

Charles Dickens Museum - not just for Dickensian fans

Some events in London through the year

Tourist info:

General London

Getting around

Museums

Theatre/Entertainment

Art Galleries

London by River

South Bank

Shops

Outwith London

Events

Hotel accommodation in London

 

Hotel chains & groups London

Swissotel The Howard London

*****

12 Temple Place , London,  WC2R 2PR

Riverside setting with panoramic views of the sweep of the River Thames from the Houses of Parliament across the London Eye and to the Tower Bridge.

From around £141

Sheraton Park Tower

*****

101 Knightsbridge , London, SW1X 7RN

Far too easy to get to luxury shops and boutiques, including Sloane Street!

From around £280

The Hotel Russell

****

Russell Square , London, WC1B 5BE

Close to Covent Garden, British Museum, Oxford Street & the West End and is within easy reach of  Buckingham Palace, St Paul's Cathedral, the London Eye, Tower of London and the Houses of Parliament.

From around £89

Thistle Piccadilly

****

Coventry Street , London, W1D 6BZ

From around £140

Radisson Edwardian Sussex Hotel

****

19-25 Granville Place , London, , W1H 6PA

Located by Marble Arch, Radisson Edwardian Sussex provides a luxury retreat in the heart of London to unwind, work and play

From around £105

Radisson Edwardian Marlborough Hotel

****

9-13 Bloomsbury Street , London, WC1B 3QD

From around £140

The Montague On The Gardens

****

15 Montague Street, Bloomsbury, Camden , London, , WC1B 5BJ

From around £135

Thistle Royal Horseguards

****

2 Whitehall Court, Whitehall London, , SW1A

Tucked away in a quiet area of Whitehall, this Grade I listed building overlooks the River Thames

From around £128

Days Hotel Waterloo

***

54 Kennington Road , London,  SE1 7BJ

From around £85

Mercure London Bankside

***

71-79 Southwark Street, Southwark , London,  SE1 OJA

From around £99

Citadines Apart'hotel Holborn/Covent Garden

***

94-99 High Holborn, London,  WC1V 6LF

From around £118

Hanover Hotel

***

30 St. Georges Drive, Victoria, Westminster , London,  SW1V 4BN

Budget accommodation hotel within easy access to main attractions, all within a 30 min walking distance while access to all of London is easy through Victoria Rail, Tube and Coach Station and the Gatwick Express Terminal at Victoria.

From around £40

Hotels in the West End area W1

Hotels in Kensington area W8

Hotels in the Buckingham Palace, Belgravia & Pimlico area  SW1

Hotels in the Earls Court area SW5

Hotels in South Kensington & Knightsbridge area SW7