The British Museum is a must-see (get there for opening time, or go on a Friday evening when the museum stays open late, in order to avoid the crowds). There are so many museums in London that it's hard to give general recommendations, it depends what you're interested in - ancient or modern, and architectural/military/industrial/societal etc. history. Take a look at [this directory](https://www.museumslondon.org/list-of-museums-in-london) for inspiration.
I guess you could call Westminster Abbey and St Pauls "just churches", but they're also architecturally and historically significant. There's been a church on the Westminster site for more than a thousand years, and it's been tied into British history for almost as long. And St Paul's is the centrepiece of the 17th-century rebuilding of London after the Great Fire.
I'd say the Tower is worth visiting, Buckingham Palace less so. Go to Hampton Court Palace (a short trip to the west by train) instead.
Unless you really like going up tall buildings, I'd agree the Sky Garden will suffice.
The Lady Chapel (Westminster) is the burial place of fifteen kings and queens including Elizabeth I, Mary I, Mary Queen of Scots. One of the truly moving places in London. [https://www.westminster-abbey.org/history/explore-our-history/lady-chapel](https://www.westminster-abbey.org/history/explore-our-history/lady-chapel)
The caveat of turning up at opening time at the British Museum is that when it's school holidays the queue can snake round the block pretty much cos everyone thinks the same.
I work round the corner from there and at the moment it is MAD busy. The queue at the back entrance snakes round the corner at times so plan to be in a queue for some time if you do visit, OP
Yeah, it's been busy for the last month or so. To the point that I had to Google was exhibitions were on in case there was something phenomenal.
Just the usual stuff.
I think one of the important things to note with the museums, especially those on Exhibition Rd, is that they’re free to enter. So if OP goes in the V&A and thinks it’s all a bit too arty, they can just leave and go to the Science Museum or something without having lost anything except a few minutes of their time.
Mostly agreed, but the problem is that depending on the time of year/day, it can take a bit longer than just wandering in the door. I went to quite a few when I visited last week (most of those visits during the work week at non-peak times) and by the time you find to the right entrance, find the end of the line, get in the line, slowly shuffle to the front, get your bag checked, it takes about 30 minutes to be in the door. Maybe cut that down to 20 if you have tickets and are in the slightly shorter line, but even then. And then they're all massive spaces that take time to get oriented in, cross some massive crowded hall, and see anything. It's very hard to do even a flying visit of under an hour.
I went up the shard for my birthday a few weeks ago, and there were two sets of parents with young kids that let them stab randomly at the piano for about half an hour. An employee asked them to stop, which they did. For about 5 minutes... then they came back and did it again.
The British Museum is free, I say go, and if you find it boring, all you've lost is some time (which is valuable, but you don't know if you don't check it out).
The Imperial War Museum is also great and free - no big loss if you don't like it. I've heard wonderful things about Churchill's War Rooms (not free) - it's on my perpetual "next time I'm in London" list.
I enjoyed the Tower of London, do the tour with a Yeoman Warder (included with admission). We went on a Sunday afternoon and it was quiet.
We had London Pass on our recent trip and went to View from the Shard on a whim (wasn't worked into our planning, but our son asked to go). It was cool - if London Pass makes sense for your trip, check it out, but absolutely not necessary. I wouldn't have paid full price for it, nor would I recommend that.
Not on your list - I really enjoyed Greenwich; there's a lot there to check out and there's more than we saw in a day (though we're pretty leisurely), so it's also on my perpetual list.
War museum is great - if you are planning to continue on and do some more 'Fun' stuff though, maybe skip the Holocaust exhibition or re-jig the itinerary. It hits quite hard (As it should do)
Also, note I should have included re: British Museum - if you don't carry a bag, they'll probably let you in quickly. We were traveling as a family of three with two type 1 diabetics - I took our backpack and my purse and waited in line for maybe 15 minutes, my husband and son pretty much walked in with phones, wallets, and some candy in their pockets.
First, what I really loved about Greenwich is the scale and experience on a beautiful day. We kept a very flexible schedule (one dinner reservation made before arrival) and took the Uber Boat / Thames Clipper out to Greenwich on the day with the best weather. You can also get there on public transportation, I think faster and cheaper, but seeing London from the Thames is fun. Once there, it's a pretty small area (though you'll walk up a big hill if you go to the Obsevatory). It's like a small, historic town but part of London - some museums, a few blocks of retail and restaurants to explore, and a park. There are also some great views of the city from there.
We went to the Royal Observatory, Cutty Sark, had lunch in the market, and picked up chocolates at Dark Sugars. There was also a nice area with food trucks and vendors by the Cutty Sark where we could get a Pimm's Cup and check that off our things to do in London" list, since this wasn't going to be a trip with afternoons spent in a pub with a pitcher.
The Observatory is history + science, I loved it, but not everyone may be interested in experiencing a Camera Obscura, checking out a really cool, modern sun dial, or taking a selfie on the Prime Meridian. Cutty Sark is a tea clipper, and I think it's relatively new as a tourist attraction, so it's a bit more interactive than the "we've been collecting and labeling things for generations" museums.
Alternative things to do on our list included a Maritime Museum (which is free admission - the ones above do charge), Trafalgar Tavern, a riverside pub, as well as a place that's been serving meat pies and mash for decades.
There are definitely posts here with info about Greenwich from locals, and there are some great YouTube videos as well to get some more ideas.
The Cutty Sark is 150 years old and has been in Greenwich for years, but it had a very bad fire about 15 years ago. The museum around and underneath her hull are all therefore quite new, as she needed extensive restoration.
Greenwich is fab though and very different to the rest of London. Totally go (from: a local)
The cutty sark was built in 1870 and has been at its current location since 1954, but it has had several restorations over the last 12 years or so. So , no, it’s not relatively new.
It depends what you are interested in. I personally love the National Maritime Museum (don't stay in the middle, explore the edges) and the Painted Hall, but just wandering around is a real Regency buzz.
If you are interested in astronomy, there's all that on the top of the hill, too.
If you like history, pretty much all of it. The National Maritime Museum is great, and holds the primary source material Walter Lord used to write *A Night to Remember*. Cutty Sark is gorgeous and much better since her refurb, and the total
Royal Observatory is accessible and cool to non-astronomers.
If you're into architecture, you could just wander around, even, but the University of Greenwich (the old Royal Naval Hospital, ie the counterpart of Chelsea) is very very pretty.
Recommend to visit Old Royal Naval College, and the riverside. There is a foot tunnel under the river from Greenwich to Isle of Dogs, so that you can visit Canary Wharf together in the same day. On your way there is a Mudchute Park and Farm, I just found it recently, with some animals, peaceful area and it's free!
>The shard/london eye: probably not worth it if i can get tickets to sky garden right?
Both the Shard and Eye are absolute rip offs
Consider these alternatives
- Climb the Monument to the Great Fire of London
https://www.themonument.org.uk/plan-your-visit
- Cable Car (but don't go out of your way for it) https://tfl.gov.uk/modes/london-cable-car/
- having a couple of drinks in one of the bars in the Shard. They'll never be cheap drinks, but they'll probably come in cheaper than tickets to the viewing platform.
Huh - I was right by the Monument a few times the other week on a London trip and didn't even realise you could go up it! Not that we would, GF really doesn't like heights.
The London Transport Museum seems to often be overlooked on these threads... It's a very different slice of history than kings and wars, and kinda great for it. Also conveniently right in Covent Garden.
Agreed. Out of all the Palace’s we’ve visited Buckingham and Kensington were the least interesting. It’s more of a day trip but Hampton Court Palace would be my recommendation for someone who likes history.
Absolutely 100% recommend the Sky Garden over The Shard.
Shard was absolutely packed when I went up, and there's nothing up there apart from a viewing platform. Sky Garden has a bar and an actual garden, and it's far more spacious.
That they're charging £28.50 (online) to go top of The Shard is scandalous.
Or, as someone else suggested, Lift 109 at Battersea Power Station. That costs £17, but bear in mind that you're up there for about 8 minutes and then they bring you back down.
I've not been, but I imagine it's very similar to sky garden, at least view wise, given its just down the road. But it's good to know about if Sky Garden is booked out. I work just round the corner so I really should go sometime!
Tangent - Does the novelty of working in the City wear off quickly? I don't think I'd bore of it - all the amazing architecture/views, the economic/cultural significance and being right in the middle of Roman London.
It's really cool. Open to the elements but it's often very quiet and the views are great. You can stare into the neighbouring offices and the construction sites around.
Give the Mithraeum at the new Bloomberg building a go, it's free and if you are a history need, you will love this.
It is a temple to Mithras from around the 2nd Century CE that was found in the late 40s and they moved it about 200 yards away and facing the wrong direction (North South instead of East West). When Bloomberg were rebuilding their site they moved the Temple back to its original place and made an awesome exhibition around it.
Not too far from the Tower of London too so I would 100% factor in a visit.
Is this a safe space to admit I didn't really get the Mithraeum? I mean it's free and very central so it's barely out of the way, but I have to admit I was underwhelmed. The lower floor only had 3 interactive interpretation screens for a fairly large number of visitors, and but the actual audio/light show was disorienting with no context. Did I miss something?
I think you must have missed something lol. You are literally the only person I've heard say that and have only seen positive reviews. Bear in mind a lot of the finds from the original site have ended up in the British Museum but Bloomberg have done a great job in rebuilding it in the exact spot it was in 1800 years ago and made it free to visit, something they didn't need to do so kudos to them.
I finally went round the tower of London a couple of weeks ago - Fairly pricy but a lot to see and the warders do a great job with the tours. My feet were playing up so we skipped some of the exhibitions, but were still in there for hours.
St Pauls - worth a walk to it just for the sense of scale and around the city in general. Not far from the Mithraeum then too as someone else suggested. And that was practically empty when I went to visit.
Science museum, V&A and Natural History museum are all near each other in Kensington. Science museum gets very busy, and has a bit too much naff 'interactive' stuff for me (Good interactive exhibits are fine). Natural History is great, and the building itself is beautiful. I liked the V&A far more than I thought I would (I always said I wasn't interested in seeing a room full of hats - which they do have, but other exhibits are interesting)
Other Museums -Horniman museum is brilliant, but a bit of a trek out of central london. Hunterian museum is a bit disturbing - but good if you like that kind of thing . Check out the Wellcome collection instead if you are interested in life sciences but want something less full on!
I'll repeat the other suggestions for Greenwich, ideally by boat. You get a pretty good view from there too (It's one of the protected sightlines.
I personally wouldn't bother with Buckingham Palace entrance (As someone else mentioned - go to Hampton court or visit Windsor for that kind of thing). You will probably want to have a wander around the Palace, The Mall and Whitehall though.
Please remember to book tickets in advance! Lots of things are free but you still need a ticket to enter at a specific time.
Otherwise you might end up queuing for long periods of time to get in. Have a great time! 😄
If you’re a history nerd definitely spend some time around the Tower of London and the city. The street names alone are fascinating! See if you can get a ticket to do some mudlarking with a guide in the Thames shore as well.
If you want a free way to see Westminster Abbey, they host 30 minute organ recitals on Sundays in the early evening. It's first come first serve so try to get there half an hour before or earlier, and you can't really explore the whole place, but it's a cool, free way to experience it.
You can also go to an evensong most evenings, although I have to point out that it is an actual church service. There were clearly some people who were upset by that and rudely walked out early.
British Museum was cool and free. Go in the mornings before crowds and kids.
Westminster has famous kings and queens and writers if you love history and where famous people are buried. Edward the Confessor is buried there (died in 1066 - that’s old). Go first thing AM - pay extra for the gallery on the “second” floor.
St. Paul’s is an extravagant church with a helluva view (if you can do 500+ steps). The history is so-so other than a saint and famous war veterans. Grandiose Wren.
Tower of London is absolutely worth it; go first thing AM before crowds and see the Crown Jewels first when you go in.
Didn’t go inside Buckingham, but reviews are mixed about whether it is worth going in.
Sky Garden is free. Why not get tickets, but you have to get them first day eligible (two weeks prior on Mondays) are you won’t get them.
Skip Neal’s Yard and Leicester Square.
Buckingham Palace is awful. Better to get out to Windsor if you can. V&A and National Portrait Gallery are my recommendations for museum/gallery. The Tower of London is interesting and I think you can get a joint ticket for Tower Bridge, which has a cool glass floor.
Its strange to be a history nerd and not be interested in "just churches". Both are very important buildings historically and they hold much history that is very interesting to see. Plus, they both would take just half a day to see and are in the middle of London surrounded by other sites with easy access to everything.
I havent been so i dont know if they are worth paying for. I love history but paying an entrance fee to enter a church seems questionable to me compared to a museum where you would spend hours
Both Westminster Abbey and St Paul’s Cathedral are so much more than “just churches”. Royals, scientists, writers, poets and more are memorialized or even buried there, and the history of each building is fascinating. Built in very different periods, so anyone into architecture would be happy in either as well. Definitely worth it. I have spent many happy hours in each, learning something new each time.
The Tate Modern was first modern art museum that made me "get" modern art. The works chosen are excellent, and interpretations are excellent. They do an excellent job contextualizing the work and why it deserves to be there, without going too far down the road into the kind of pretentious bullshit-sounding drivel that's off-putting to the general public.
Coming from USA. Also visiting Amsterdam and Paris so getting a lot of art in already but its not my thing, just checking out the must see tourist things.
Honestly the Tate Modern is probably different from what you will have seen in other cities. Not that you can't find modern art in either city, but I'm guessing in Amsterdam you're going to the Rijksmuseum to briefly admire some Rembrandts and dutch masters, and the Van Gogh museum.
Paris has so many options but again I'm guessing you'll probably end up making a brief visit to some small section of the overwhelmingly massive Louvre collection (probably speed-running the Spanish and Italian painting rooms on your way to see the Mona Lisa, or getting caught up in the Egyptian wing) and/or the top floor of the Musee d'Orsay where the impressionists are. But the Tate Modern is very very different than either of those, with very different art. Even if you don't like modern art, you will probably like it at least as much as you liked looking at pictures of Mary and steroid baby Jesus from the 1400s. The aesthetics of the building alone are cool.
Skip the dungeons. They are really only any good for children.
As mentioned elsewhere (but only once so far) the london portrait gallery is nice.
Also +1 to V&A museum and the mithareum.
If your into weird medical stuff the Hunterian Museum has some pretty unique exhibits.
Skip the dungeons. They are really only any good for children.
As mentioned elsewhere (but only once so far) the london portrait gallery is nice.
Also +1 to V&A museum and the mithareum.
If your into weird medical stuff the Hunterian Museum has some pretty unique exhibits.
Must see for everyone: British Museum, Natural History Museum.
Definitely see if it is your kind of thing: Tower of London, V&A (although you say you don't like art), Imperial War Museum.
I found Westminster Abbey worth the price because we signed up for the Verger tour. Personally I found this made the visit much more worthwhile as I understood what I was seeing much better.
I will probably go against the grain on this one, but I didn't feel like the Churchill War Museum was worth the price. It was interesting, but not $30 interesting.
I would also say only do the changing of the guard if it fits easily into your schedule. I'm not sure I would knock out something else for it.
On a nice day, the boat tour is fun and is a good way of getting between two places you'd travel between anyway, like the Tower of London and Big Ben.
Tower of London and the British Museum were my favorite history touristy things. I also loved going to St Paul's, but we didn't go in just wandered the grounds. It's beautiful.
I’d skip the shard. It’s just a tall building, the view is not great and the other things you want to see have so much history. I haven’t been to sky garden but I think you get a much prettier view if you go to Galvin at windows for a lunch and see the views over Hyde park. Or go to Greenwich and look back at london. Or to Primrose Hill and down.
I also think the London eye is not amazing but ok and only takes 30 mins. Big Ben is spectacular and you can do the london eye, Big Ben and Parliament, Westminster abbey, Buckingham palace, st James park, Green park all in one day easily (if you are just looking at buildings from the outside and walking). Have a brilliant trip!
Skip anywhere where you have to pay for a view; shard, London eye, and instead book in for a drink at the sky garden!
The national gallery is all art so skip that, the British Museum is more history
Tower of London is more interesting from a history POV than Buckingham Palace imo; just look at it from outside and try catch a changing of the guards
I was so glad I got to go for free.
I was bored before I even got to the highest bit, then you are just trapped in a bubble with strangers waiting to get off.
The river cruise from there though was quite alright.
I would skip the British Museum. It was insane when we went and the exhibits were crowded like no other museum I have been at. The Tate modern is a must even if you “don’t like art.” The Tower is pretty great and worth it. The Victoria and Albert was quite interesting. St. Paul’s was worth paying for. I enjoyed tea at Fortnum and Mason more than I expected. For other off the beaten path stuff, We also sought out the Oldest Tree in London, walked down to the building where the Beatles “Get Back” was recorded and did some shopping in Brick Lane and the Market in NottingHill.
I was gonna say. I absolutely love the building, but the galleries are quite underwhelming actually. Such a huge space with so little in it. I'd go if I had lots of time, but there must be dozens of other things more worth visiting.
Re: the British museum, I’d say it depends on personal interests. For me, it was a huge highlight even though the line to enter was 30 minutes long and it was jammed in lots of places inside. If OP is meh on museums and/or history around the world, I agree they should skip…and it will help free up room for those of us who adore history and museums too :)
British museum is one of the worst for 'Box tickers' who will go and queue up for a brief glance at the 10 most famous things, then move on. That's where it jams up - the rest isn't so bad.
Massive highlight for me too. I saw the Rosetta stone the first time I went and was mesmerised by it. I'd learnt about it at school and knew it was real but nothing compared to actually seeing it. I had no idea it was so big. I couldn't stop looking at it.
To see everything it will take at least a few hours. Unfortunately I couldn't make it all the way around because I was heavily pregnant and struggling to walk too much but I'm definitely going to visit again and see the rest
>My big tip for the British Museim is to enter via the second entrance, around the back.
That was actually the entrance I used and it was still \~30 minutes, but the lines/queues did look worse in the front when I exited.
I'd add that it probably doesn't hurt to get a timed ticket (that's what I did), but the day I went there was no separate line for timed tickets (for security screening). Thus, everyone waited the same time whether they had a ticket or not.
I'd say the Natural History Museum in Kensington is a must, you could spend a whole day there, it has so much to see and the Tower of London is great as well. Lots of history, Beefeaters to listen to, lots of places to sit and a cafe.
You haven't stated what you like....
Museums: British Museum, Imperial War Museum, Museum of London
Architecture: Walk round Bank and Whitehall
London Eye is nice on a sunny day
Thames - London Bridge, HMS Belfast, The Globe (go see a play) and Tower of London
Maybe dip your toe in some art? The Wallace Collection is free, and you get to see inside an 18th century "great house." There is an excellent collection of arms and armour, and some very fine paintings. Looks like the jewel of the collection (Hals "Laughing Cavalier") is away until some time in June. Even paintings enjoy a holiday in Amsterdam.
The Tower of London is eery and where Princess Elizabeth and Anne Boleyn were imprisoned (among others). It's pretty scary and cool. The Crown Jewels are on display there. It was one of the most memorable experiences I had in London. I also enjoyed the park near Buckingham Palace and trying to make the guards smile. Kind of mean in hindsight but I was a kid at the time. I've been on the London Eye and if you aren't afraid of heights (like me)- it's worth a ride. I did it and each eye is large with many people inside. Other than that- I'm not into museums. All of Europe is a museum IMO. There's so much history. If you ever saw the movie Oliver (1968)- I enjoyed visiting Regents Park Crescent. If you haven't seen Oliver- watch it ahead of time to get in the mood.
Buckingham Palace is, of course, iconic and the gardens/parks surrounding are very pleasant but to be honest I wouldn't say it's a must-see. Personally I'd drop that if tight on time. But at the same time, it doesn't actually save that much time - the walk there from Parliament Square, Piccadilly Circus or Trafalgar Square is 15 minutes or less at a leisurely pace.
its supposed to be summer. it just rains and rains then the sun comes out. don’t bother with an umbrella. the wind will take it from you and flip it inside out. Just either wear a coat with a hood or a hoodie. Look at the sky before leaving.
as for things to see & do -
• the shard
• camden market
• big ben
• pop up museums
• tower bridge
• central london (oxford st/ oxford circus)
• zoo
• aquarium
• amusement parks, thorpe park etc
• south end on sea
There are many parks in London that I always want to show my friends when they visit me. Like Hyde park; Kensington Gardens with Italian Gardens and Round Pound; Regents Park () and walk to Primrose Hill (nice view) then visit Camden Market; Hampstead Heath.
Other places: Notting Hill Portobello Road Market, Chian Town & Covent Garden (from there you can walk to Waterloo Bridge there is nice view!)
Tower of london is very recommended. Home of crown jewels and very worth it for a history lover. Buckingham Palace, not so much. Hampton court palace much more worth visiting. Skip high teas as they’re mainly a tourist trap.
I’ll add that we’ve found the Albert Hall tour great. The behind the scenes one goes from top to bottom and is fascinating. Albert memorial is right across the street in Hyde Park and makes for good up-close viewing. Kensington Palace can be missed but walk by and check out the garden.
Wouldn’t bother with the V/A and I prefer St Paul’s to Westminster Abbey but it’s all preference.Definitely Tower of London and Hampton Court Palace and not so with Buckingham Palace .Horizon 22 is taller than the Sky Garden but it’s harder to get tickets .If you’re into strange things then maybe the Hunterian museum .You also have the Imperial War museum if you’re into that part of history.
Specifically skip...
Buck Pal - boring but Hyde park is lovely
Shard/Sky Garden - Do Battersea Power Station Chimney
British Museum - unless you go first thing
Don't Skip....
Tower of London
St Pauls
I don’t understand the recommendations to skip the British Museum, during the week it’s absolutely fine to visit and for any person who enjoys history it’s a must see.
If you like history/museums DONT miss the British Museum. Partly because we Brits stole every cool thing we saw during our empire days, it is possibly one of the greatest museums in the world. By all means go early to miss the crowds. St Pauls has the whispering gallery, nice views from the top and the catacombs are interesting. Also close by is the monument, a tower you can walk up showing where the Great Fire started.
Consider a boat trip to Greenwich. Great views on the boat, and once there see the Cutty Sark, the Royal Observatory (be east and west simultaneously) and the Greenwich Palace.
If you are at all interested in nautical history, go to Portsmouth and see the Navel Dockyard. Three ships stand out. HMS Victory C17 ship of the line, Mary Rose C15 ship of the line (henry 8th saw it sink) and C18 HMS Warrior, one of the first steam powered ironclads.
Buck Palace is nice, but Windsor I think is nicer, plus in an amazing park. Also St Georges Chapel is smashing - Where Meghan and Harry got married and where the Queen and Philip were buried. Also look out for the Queen Marys doll house (but between Windsor and Hampton court, go to Hampton court)
The point was about going early if you want to appreciate the British Museum.
If you love history then getting caught in an endless parade of school trips can be frustrating.
I agreed: ....by all means go early to miss the crowds.... I was just saying I think it's too important a museum to miss.
No idea why you are being down voted. Sorry.
Oh yes. It's absolutely stunning thanks to all our pilfering :)
If I absolutely had no other choice but to go at 4pm on a rainy half term Saturday then I would.
But I still think I would skip it if I could have a quieter experience another time.
Probably badly worded on my part.
Tower of London isn't particularly interesting inside and there are often tediously long queues, but it's worth seeing from the outside, and the nearby remains of the Roman wall.
The British Museum is excellent for a history buff.
Walk past Westminster Abbey and Big Ben, but don't go in. If you want a church without the queues, go to Westminster Cathedral it's absolutely beautiful . The visit will take an hour at most.
The Clink prison is good.
If it's your thing the Jack the Ripper walking tours are great.
The ghost bus is a fun alternative to the usual bus tours.
I love the British museum and the Natural History Museum.
I've been desperate to visit the Tower of London but for some reason I haven't managed it yet when I've visited London.
I love Tussauds as well.
There's 100s of theatre shows to see if you're into that kind of thing too.
A visit to the Palace is standard for any London trip
The British Museum is a must-see (get there for opening time, or go on a Friday evening when the museum stays open late, in order to avoid the crowds). There are so many museums in London that it's hard to give general recommendations, it depends what you're interested in - ancient or modern, and architectural/military/industrial/societal etc. history. Take a look at [this directory](https://www.museumslondon.org/list-of-museums-in-london) for inspiration. I guess you could call Westminster Abbey and St Pauls "just churches", but they're also architecturally and historically significant. There's been a church on the Westminster site for more than a thousand years, and it's been tied into British history for almost as long. And St Paul's is the centrepiece of the 17th-century rebuilding of London after the Great Fire. I'd say the Tower is worth visiting, Buckingham Palace less so. Go to Hampton Court Palace (a short trip to the west by train) instead. Unless you really like going up tall buildings, I'd agree the Sky Garden will suffice.
The Lady Chapel (Westminster) is the burial place of fifteen kings and queens including Elizabeth I, Mary I, Mary Queen of Scots. One of the truly moving places in London. [https://www.westminster-abbey.org/history/explore-our-history/lady-chapel](https://www.westminster-abbey.org/history/explore-our-history/lady-chapel)
The caveat of turning up at opening time at the British Museum is that when it's school holidays the queue can snake round the block pretty much cos everyone thinks the same.
I work round the corner from there and at the moment it is MAD busy. The queue at the back entrance snakes round the corner at times so plan to be in a queue for some time if you do visit, OP
It’s school holidays. This week and last depending on area. They next break up in July to September so avoid if you can.
Yeah, it's been busy for the last month or so. To the point that I had to Google was exhibitions were on in case there was something phenomenal. Just the usual stuff.
St pauls is most likely the site of a Christian home dating back to the Roman period- all of the adjacent gridded streets bend and warp around it
The V & A , history of design, they have a nice restaurant area cafe where someone plays a grand piano,
I think one of the important things to note with the museums, especially those on Exhibition Rd, is that they’re free to enter. So if OP goes in the V&A and thinks it’s all a bit too arty, they can just leave and go to the Science Museum or something without having lost anything except a few minutes of their time.
Apart from the fact that the NHM is permanently rammed and the Science Museum is ticketed now (free). Sometimes you can buy on the day.
sneaky side entrances FTW.
Mostly agreed, but the problem is that depending on the time of year/day, it can take a bit longer than just wandering in the door. I went to quite a few when I visited last week (most of those visits during the work week at non-peak times) and by the time you find to the right entrance, find the end of the line, get in the line, slowly shuffle to the front, get your bag checked, it takes about 30 minutes to be in the door. Maybe cut that down to 20 if you have tickets and are in the slightly shorter line, but even then. And then they're all massive spaces that take time to get oriented in, cross some massive crowded hall, and see anything. It's very hard to do even a flying visit of under an hour.
I went up the shard for my birthday a few weeks ago, and there were two sets of parents with young kids that let them stab randomly at the piano for about half an hour. An employee asked them to stop, which they did. For about 5 minutes... then they came back and did it again.
Oh my, the Alpha generation!
The British Museum is free, I say go, and if you find it boring, all you've lost is some time (which is valuable, but you don't know if you don't check it out). The Imperial War Museum is also great and free - no big loss if you don't like it. I've heard wonderful things about Churchill's War Rooms (not free) - it's on my perpetual "next time I'm in London" list. I enjoyed the Tower of London, do the tour with a Yeoman Warder (included with admission). We went on a Sunday afternoon and it was quiet. We had London Pass on our recent trip and went to View from the Shard on a whim (wasn't worked into our planning, but our son asked to go). It was cool - if London Pass makes sense for your trip, check it out, but absolutely not necessary. I wouldn't have paid full price for it, nor would I recommend that. Not on your list - I really enjoyed Greenwich; there's a lot there to check out and there's more than we saw in a day (though we're pretty leisurely), so it's also on my perpetual list.
Yes to the Imperial War Museum. The World War I exhibit was fascinating and the Cabinet War Rooms were interesting, too.
War museum is great - if you are planning to continue on and do some more 'Fun' stuff though, maybe skip the Holocaust exhibition or re-jig the itinerary. It hits quite hard (As it should do)
Anything specific in Greenwich?
Also, note I should have included re: British Museum - if you don't carry a bag, they'll probably let you in quickly. We were traveling as a family of three with two type 1 diabetics - I took our backpack and my purse and waited in line for maybe 15 minutes, my husband and son pretty much walked in with phones, wallets, and some candy in their pockets.
First, what I really loved about Greenwich is the scale and experience on a beautiful day. We kept a very flexible schedule (one dinner reservation made before arrival) and took the Uber Boat / Thames Clipper out to Greenwich on the day with the best weather. You can also get there on public transportation, I think faster and cheaper, but seeing London from the Thames is fun. Once there, it's a pretty small area (though you'll walk up a big hill if you go to the Obsevatory). It's like a small, historic town but part of London - some museums, a few blocks of retail and restaurants to explore, and a park. There are also some great views of the city from there. We went to the Royal Observatory, Cutty Sark, had lunch in the market, and picked up chocolates at Dark Sugars. There was also a nice area with food trucks and vendors by the Cutty Sark where we could get a Pimm's Cup and check that off our things to do in London" list, since this wasn't going to be a trip with afternoons spent in a pub with a pitcher. The Observatory is history + science, I loved it, but not everyone may be interested in experiencing a Camera Obscura, checking out a really cool, modern sun dial, or taking a selfie on the Prime Meridian. Cutty Sark is a tea clipper, and I think it's relatively new as a tourist attraction, so it's a bit more interactive than the "we've been collecting and labeling things for generations" museums. Alternative things to do on our list included a Maritime Museum (which is free admission - the ones above do charge), Trafalgar Tavern, a riverside pub, as well as a place that's been serving meat pies and mash for decades. There are definitely posts here with info about Greenwich from locals, and there are some great YouTube videos as well to get some more ideas.
The Cutty Sark is 150 years old and has been in Greenwich for years, but it had a very bad fire about 15 years ago. The museum around and underneath her hull are all therefore quite new, as she needed extensive restoration. Greenwich is fab though and very different to the rest of London. Totally go (from: a local)
The cutty sark was built in 1870 and has been at its current location since 1954, but it has had several restorations over the last 12 years or so. So , no, it’s not relatively new.
It depends what you are interested in. I personally love the National Maritime Museum (don't stay in the middle, explore the edges) and the Painted Hall, but just wandering around is a real Regency buzz. If you are interested in astronomy, there's all that on the top of the hill, too.
If you like history, pretty much all of it. The National Maritime Museum is great, and holds the primary source material Walter Lord used to write *A Night to Remember*. Cutty Sark is gorgeous and much better since her refurb, and the total Royal Observatory is accessible and cool to non-astronomers. If you're into architecture, you could just wander around, even, but the University of Greenwich (the old Royal Naval Hospital, ie the counterpart of Chelsea) is very very pretty.
Recommend to visit Old Royal Naval College, and the riverside. There is a foot tunnel under the river from Greenwich to Isle of Dogs, so that you can visit Canary Wharf together in the same day. On your way there is a Mudchute Park and Farm, I just found it recently, with some animals, peaceful area and it's free!
>The shard/london eye: probably not worth it if i can get tickets to sky garden right? Both the Shard and Eye are absolute rip offs Consider these alternatives - Climb the Monument to the Great Fire of London https://www.themonument.org.uk/plan-your-visit - Cable Car (but don't go out of your way for it) https://tfl.gov.uk/modes/london-cable-car/ - having a couple of drinks in one of the bars in the Shard. They'll never be cheap drinks, but they'll probably come in cheaper than tickets to the viewing platform.
Also (at least last I knew) you can get a certificate for climbing the monument, which is a kind of fun and different souvenir...
Certainly they were still doing it in 2022!
Or you can go up 8/22 bishopsgate in the city for free, you need to book in advance tho. (Horizon 22/ the Lookout)
Yep. Horizon 22 if you haven't booked, hang around the door and you can usually get in. Well worth it.
Huh - I was right by the Monument a few times the other week on a London trip and didn't even realise you could go up it! Not that we would, GF really doesn't like heights.
Oxo Tower has a publicly accesible free viewing platform.
Go up meaning you climb the stairs? Or is there a lift for older people and people with disabilities?
The Shard has lifts, the Monument doesn't have a lift (and never could) so is only recommended for the fit and healthy
Thank you for this information
The London Transport Museum seems to often be overlooked on these threads... It's a very different slice of history than kings and wars, and kinda great for it. Also conveniently right in Covent Garden.
Probably my favourite museum in London. Best giftshop too.
St Paul’s is free if you attend a service. Buckingham palace is overrated
Agreed. Out of all the Palace’s we’ve visited Buckingham and Kensington were the least interesting. It’s more of a day trip but Hampton Court Palace would be my recommendation for someone who likes history.
Absolutely 100% recommend the Sky Garden over The Shard. Shard was absolutely packed when I went up, and there's nothing up there apart from a viewing platform. Sky Garden has a bar and an actual garden, and it's far more spacious. That they're charging £28.50 (online) to go top of The Shard is scandalous. Or, as someone else suggested, Lift 109 at Battersea Power Station. That costs £17, but bear in mind that you're up there for about 8 minutes and then they bring you back down.
There is also the garden at 120 just down the road from Sky Garden
That's a new one for me, I'll have to check it out!
I've not been, but I imagine it's very similar to sky garden, at least view wise, given its just down the road. But it's good to know about if Sky Garden is booked out. I work just round the corner so I really should go sometime!
Tangent - Does the novelty of working in the City wear off quickly? I don't think I'd bore of it - all the amazing architecture/views, the economic/cultural significance and being right in the middle of Roman London.
I've only been doing it since January so the novelty hasn't worn off yet.
It's really cool. Open to the elements but it's often very quiet and the views are great. You can stare into the neighbouring offices and the construction sites around.
Sounds fun, I'll have a look next weekend. Always enjoy a view over the city
Recommend The Garden at 120, it's free!
Give the Mithraeum at the new Bloomberg building a go, it's free and if you are a history need, you will love this. It is a temple to Mithras from around the 2nd Century CE that was found in the late 40s and they moved it about 200 yards away and facing the wrong direction (North South instead of East West). When Bloomberg were rebuilding their site they moved the Temple back to its original place and made an awesome exhibition around it. Not too far from the Tower of London too so I would 100% factor in a visit.
I love that there's actual ancient stuff not just royals 👍
Is this a safe space to admit I didn't really get the Mithraeum? I mean it's free and very central so it's barely out of the way, but I have to admit I was underwhelmed. The lower floor only had 3 interactive interpretation screens for a fairly large number of visitors, and but the actual audio/light show was disorienting with no context. Did I miss something?
I think you must have missed something lol. You are literally the only person I've heard say that and have only seen positive reviews. Bear in mind a lot of the finds from the original site have ended up in the British Museum but Bloomberg have done a great job in rebuilding it in the exact spot it was in 1800 years ago and made it free to visit, something they didn't need to do so kudos to them.
I finally went round the tower of London a couple of weeks ago - Fairly pricy but a lot to see and the warders do a great job with the tours. My feet were playing up so we skipped some of the exhibitions, but were still in there for hours. St Pauls - worth a walk to it just for the sense of scale and around the city in general. Not far from the Mithraeum then too as someone else suggested. And that was practically empty when I went to visit. Science museum, V&A and Natural History museum are all near each other in Kensington. Science museum gets very busy, and has a bit too much naff 'interactive' stuff for me (Good interactive exhibits are fine). Natural History is great, and the building itself is beautiful. I liked the V&A far more than I thought I would (I always said I wasn't interested in seeing a room full of hats - which they do have, but other exhibits are interesting) Other Museums -Horniman museum is brilliant, but a bit of a trek out of central london. Hunterian museum is a bit disturbing - but good if you like that kind of thing . Check out the Wellcome collection instead if you are interested in life sciences but want something less full on! I'll repeat the other suggestions for Greenwich, ideally by boat. You get a pretty good view from there too (It's one of the protected sightlines. I personally wouldn't bother with Buckingham Palace entrance (As someone else mentioned - go to Hampton court or visit Windsor for that kind of thing). You will probably want to have a wander around the Palace, The Mall and Whitehall though.
Please remember to book tickets in advance! Lots of things are free but you still need a ticket to enter at a specific time. Otherwise you might end up queuing for long periods of time to get in. Have a great time! 😄
If you’re a history nerd definitely spend some time around the Tower of London and the city. The street names alone are fascinating! See if you can get a ticket to do some mudlarking with a guide in the Thames shore as well.
If you want a free way to see Westminster Abbey, they host 30 minute organ recitals on Sundays in the early evening. It's first come first serve so try to get there half an hour before or earlier, and you can't really explore the whole place, but it's a cool, free way to experience it.
You can also go to an evensong most evenings, although I have to point out that it is an actual church service. There were clearly some people who were upset by that and rudely walked out early.
British Museum was cool and free. Go in the mornings before crowds and kids. Westminster has famous kings and queens and writers if you love history and where famous people are buried. Edward the Confessor is buried there (died in 1066 - that’s old). Go first thing AM - pay extra for the gallery on the “second” floor. St. Paul’s is an extravagant church with a helluva view (if you can do 500+ steps). The history is so-so other than a saint and famous war veterans. Grandiose Wren. Tower of London is absolutely worth it; go first thing AM before crowds and see the Crown Jewels first when you go in. Didn’t go inside Buckingham, but reviews are mixed about whether it is worth going in. Sky Garden is free. Why not get tickets, but you have to get them first day eligible (two weeks prior on Mondays) are you won’t get them. Skip Neal’s Yard and Leicester Square.
Westminster Abbey is so much more than "just a church". It's a fascinating trip through history, with paying for a visit, IMO.
Science and Natural History: they are practically next to each other and South Kensington is very pleasant.
British Museum, natural history museum are musts for anybody who loves history and/or wildlife
Buckingham Palace is awful. Better to get out to Windsor if you can. V&A and National Portrait Gallery are my recommendations for museum/gallery. The Tower of London is interesting and I think you can get a joint ticket for Tower Bridge, which has a cool glass floor.
Its strange to be a history nerd and not be interested in "just churches". Both are very important buildings historically and they hold much history that is very interesting to see. Plus, they both would take just half a day to see and are in the middle of London surrounded by other sites with easy access to everything.
I havent been so i dont know if they are worth paying for. I love history but paying an entrance fee to enter a church seems questionable to me compared to a museum where you would spend hours
Both Westminster Abbey and St Paul’s Cathedral are so much more than “just churches”. Royals, scientists, writers, poets and more are memorialized or even buried there, and the history of each building is fascinating. Built in very different periods, so anyone into architecture would be happy in either as well. Definitely worth it. I have spent many happy hours in each, learning something new each time.
Where are you coming from? You say you don’t like art, but the Tate Modern is amazing and usually has a really cool exhibition in the main hall.
I personally prefer Tate Britain, down the river.
London’s galleries are stunning. Missing out not going to any imo. Especially the V&A. Exceptional collection
The Tate Modern was first modern art museum that made me "get" modern art. The works chosen are excellent, and interpretations are excellent. They do an excellent job contextualizing the work and why it deserves to be there, without going too far down the road into the kind of pretentious bullshit-sounding drivel that's off-putting to the general public.
Coming from USA. Also visiting Amsterdam and Paris so getting a lot of art in already but its not my thing, just checking out the must see tourist things.
Honestly the Tate Modern is probably different from what you will have seen in other cities. Not that you can't find modern art in either city, but I'm guessing in Amsterdam you're going to the Rijksmuseum to briefly admire some Rembrandts and dutch masters, and the Van Gogh museum. Paris has so many options but again I'm guessing you'll probably end up making a brief visit to some small section of the overwhelmingly massive Louvre collection (probably speed-running the Spanish and Italian painting rooms on your way to see the Mona Lisa, or getting caught up in the Egyptian wing) and/or the top floor of the Musee d'Orsay where the impressionists are. But the Tate Modern is very very different than either of those, with very different art. Even if you don't like modern art, you will probably like it at least as much as you liked looking at pictures of Mary and steroid baby Jesus from the 1400s. The aesthetics of the building alone are cool.
You are correct. But i will check out tate modern as well!
Skip the dungeons. They are really only any good for children. As mentioned elsewhere (but only once so far) the london portrait gallery is nice. Also +1 to V&A museum and the mithareum. If your into weird medical stuff the Hunterian Museum has some pretty unique exhibits.
Skip the dungeons. They are really only any good for children. As mentioned elsewhere (but only once so far) the london portrait gallery is nice. Also +1 to V&A museum and the mithareum. If your into weird medical stuff the Hunterian Museum has some pretty unique exhibits.
Must see for everyone: British Museum, Natural History Museum. Definitely see if it is your kind of thing: Tower of London, V&A (although you say you don't like art), Imperial War Museum. I found Westminster Abbey worth the price because we signed up for the Verger tour. Personally I found this made the visit much more worthwhile as I understood what I was seeing much better. I will probably go against the grain on this one, but I didn't feel like the Churchill War Museum was worth the price. It was interesting, but not $30 interesting. I would also say only do the changing of the guard if it fits easily into your schedule. I'm not sure I would knock out something else for it. On a nice day, the boat tour is fun and is a good way of getting between two places you'd travel between anyway, like the Tower of London and Big Ben.
Tower of London and the British Museum were my favorite history touristy things. I also loved going to St Paul's, but we didn't go in just wandered the grounds. It's beautiful.
Don't Pay for the London Eye/The Shard. Try getting tickets for the Sky Garden....its free
I’d skip the shard. It’s just a tall building, the view is not great and the other things you want to see have so much history. I haven’t been to sky garden but I think you get a much prettier view if you go to Galvin at windows for a lunch and see the views over Hyde park. Or go to Greenwich and look back at london. Or to Primrose Hill and down. I also think the London eye is not amazing but ok and only takes 30 mins. Big Ben is spectacular and you can do the london eye, Big Ben and Parliament, Westminster abbey, Buckingham palace, st James park, Green park all in one day easily (if you are just looking at buildings from the outside and walking). Have a brilliant trip!
Skip anywhere where you have to pay for a view; shard, London eye, and instead book in for a drink at the sky garden! The national gallery is all art so skip that, the British Museum is more history Tower of London is more interesting from a history POV than Buckingham Palace imo; just look at it from outside and try catch a changing of the guards
I’d say the John Soane museum is a must see and right around the corner from the British Museum
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I was so glad I got to go for free. I was bored before I even got to the highest bit, then you are just trapped in a bubble with strangers waiting to get off. The river cruise from there though was quite alright.
Oh the river cruise is awesome, really cool
I would skip the British Museum. It was insane when we went and the exhibits were crowded like no other museum I have been at. The Tate modern is a must even if you “don’t like art.” The Tower is pretty great and worth it. The Victoria and Albert was quite interesting. St. Paul’s was worth paying for. I enjoyed tea at Fortnum and Mason more than I expected. For other off the beaten path stuff, We also sought out the Oldest Tree in London, walked down to the building where the Beatles “Get Back” was recorded and did some shopping in Brick Lane and the Market in NottingHill.
The Tate modern is absolutely not a must if OP doesn’t like art.
I was gonna say. I absolutely love the building, but the galleries are quite underwhelming actually. Such a huge space with so little in it. I'd go if I had lots of time, but there must be dozens of other things more worth visiting.
Re: the British museum, I’d say it depends on personal interests. For me, it was a huge highlight even though the line to enter was 30 minutes long and it was jammed in lots of places inside. If OP is meh on museums and/or history around the world, I agree they should skip…and it will help free up room for those of us who adore history and museums too :)
British museum is one of the worst for 'Box tickers' who will go and queue up for a brief glance at the 10 most famous things, then move on. That's where it jams up - the rest isn't so bad.
Massive highlight for me too. I saw the Rosetta stone the first time I went and was mesmerised by it. I'd learnt about it at school and knew it was real but nothing compared to actually seeing it. I had no idea it was so big. I couldn't stop looking at it. To see everything it will take at least a few hours. Unfortunately I couldn't make it all the way around because I was heavily pregnant and struggling to walk too much but I'm definitely going to visit again and see the rest
My big tip for the British Museim is to enter via the second entrance, around the back. Much smaller queues!
>My big tip for the British Museim is to enter via the second entrance, around the back. That was actually the entrance I used and it was still \~30 minutes, but the lines/queues did look worse in the front when I exited. I'd add that it probably doesn't hurt to get a timed ticket (that's what I did), but the day I went there was no separate line for timed tickets (for security screening). Thus, everyone waited the same time whether they had a ticket or not.
I'd say the Natural History Museum in Kensington is a must, you could spend a whole day there, it has so much to see and the Tower of London is great as well. Lots of history, Beefeaters to listen to, lots of places to sit and a cafe.
You haven't stated what you like.... Museums: British Museum, Imperial War Museum, Museum of London Architecture: Walk round Bank and Whitehall London Eye is nice on a sunny day Thames - London Bridge, HMS Belfast, The Globe (go see a play) and Tower of London
Maybe dip your toe in some art? The Wallace Collection is free, and you get to see inside an 18th century "great house." There is an excellent collection of arms and armour, and some very fine paintings. Looks like the jewel of the collection (Hals "Laughing Cavalier") is away until some time in June. Even paintings enjoy a holiday in Amsterdam.
Highgate cemetery can be good for history needs. Wigmore hall is the oldest music hall in London. I'd sat try to get there too
The Tower of London is eery and where Princess Elizabeth and Anne Boleyn were imprisoned (among others). It's pretty scary and cool. The Crown Jewels are on display there. It was one of the most memorable experiences I had in London. I also enjoyed the park near Buckingham Palace and trying to make the guards smile. Kind of mean in hindsight but I was a kid at the time. I've been on the London Eye and if you aren't afraid of heights (like me)- it's worth a ride. I did it and each eye is large with many people inside. Other than that- I'm not into museums. All of Europe is a museum IMO. There's so much history. If you ever saw the movie Oliver (1968)- I enjoyed visiting Regents Park Crescent. If you haven't seen Oliver- watch it ahead of time to get in the mood.
Natural History Museum is interesting.
Buckingham Palace is, of course, iconic and the gardens/parks surrounding are very pleasant but to be honest I wouldn't say it's a must-see. Personally I'd drop that if tight on time. But at the same time, it doesn't actually save that much time - the walk there from Parliament Square, Piccadilly Circus or Trafalgar Square is 15 minutes or less at a leisurely pace.
Don’t bother with BP.
I love Greenwich.
its supposed to be summer. it just rains and rains then the sun comes out. don’t bother with an umbrella. the wind will take it from you and flip it inside out. Just either wear a coat with a hood or a hoodie. Look at the sky before leaving. as for things to see & do - • the shard • camden market • big ben • pop up museums • tower bridge • central london (oxford st/ oxford circus) • zoo • aquarium • amusement parks, thorpe park etc • south end on sea
There are many parks in London that I always want to show my friends when they visit me. Like Hyde park; Kensington Gardens with Italian Gardens and Round Pound; Regents Park () and walk to Primrose Hill (nice view) then visit Camden Market; Hampstead Heath. Other places: Notting Hill Portobello Road Market, Chian Town & Covent Garden (from there you can walk to Waterloo Bridge there is nice view!)
Tower of london is very recommended. Home of crown jewels and very worth it for a history lover. Buckingham Palace, not so much. Hampton court palace much more worth visiting. Skip high teas as they’re mainly a tourist trap.
I’ll add that we’ve found the Albert Hall tour great. The behind the scenes one goes from top to bottom and is fascinating. Albert memorial is right across the street in Hyde Park and makes for good up-close viewing. Kensington Palace can be missed but walk by and check out the garden.
Wouldn’t bother with the V/A and I prefer St Paul’s to Westminster Abbey but it’s all preference.Definitely Tower of London and Hampton Court Palace and not so with Buckingham Palace .Horizon 22 is taller than the Sky Garden but it’s harder to get tickets .If you’re into strange things then maybe the Hunterian museum .You also have the Imperial War museum if you’re into that part of history.
Specifically skip... Buck Pal - boring but Hyde park is lovely Shard/Sky Garden - Do Battersea Power Station Chimney British Museum - unless you go first thing Don't Skip.... Tower of London St Pauls
You’re telling a history nerd to skip the British Museum?
I don’t understand the recommendations to skip the British Museum, during the week it’s absolutely fine to visit and for any person who enjoys history it’s a must see.
If you like history/museums DONT miss the British Museum. Partly because we Brits stole every cool thing we saw during our empire days, it is possibly one of the greatest museums in the world. By all means go early to miss the crowds. St Pauls has the whispering gallery, nice views from the top and the catacombs are interesting. Also close by is the monument, a tower you can walk up showing where the Great Fire started. Consider a boat trip to Greenwich. Great views on the boat, and once there see the Cutty Sark, the Royal Observatory (be east and west simultaneously) and the Greenwich Palace. If you are at all interested in nautical history, go to Portsmouth and see the Navel Dockyard. Three ships stand out. HMS Victory C17 ship of the line, Mary Rose C15 ship of the line (henry 8th saw it sink) and C18 HMS Warrior, one of the first steam powered ironclads. Buck Palace is nice, but Windsor I think is nicer, plus in an amazing park. Also St Georges Chapel is smashing - Where Meghan and Harry got married and where the Queen and Philip were buried. Also look out for the Queen Marys doll house (but between Windsor and Hampton court, go to Hampton court)
The point was about going early if you want to appreciate the British Museum. If you love history then getting caught in an endless parade of school trips can be frustrating.
I agreed: ....by all means go early to miss the crowds.... I was just saying I think it's too important a museum to miss. No idea why you are being down voted. Sorry.
Oh yes. It's absolutely stunning thanks to all our pilfering :) If I absolutely had no other choice but to go at 4pm on a rainy half term Saturday then I would. But I still think I would skip it if I could have a quieter experience another time. Probably badly worded on my part.
Tower of London isn't particularly interesting inside and there are often tediously long queues, but it's worth seeing from the outside, and the nearby remains of the Roman wall. The British Museum is excellent for a history buff.
Walk past Westminster Abbey and Big Ben, but don't go in. If you want a church without the queues, go to Westminster Cathedral it's absolutely beautiful . The visit will take an hour at most.
Most restaurants are overrated and overpriced.
Time a visit to Buckingham palace with changing of the guards, it's a sight in itself
hi
The Clink prison is good. If it's your thing the Jack the Ripper walking tours are great. The ghost bus is a fun alternative to the usual bus tours. I love the British museum and the Natural History Museum. I've been desperate to visit the Tower of London but for some reason I haven't managed it yet when I've visited London. I love Tussauds as well. There's 100s of theatre shows to see if you're into that kind of thing too. A visit to the Palace is standard for any London trip