Best London Attractions to Visit – The Top 10

London is the Capital of England and is the largest European city. Located in the South East of England, the city is rich in heritage, making a visit worthwhile. The river Thames flowing across the middle of the city from West to East and the large number of parks gives London a scenic setting.

The city’s public transport primarily relies on a network of London underground stations, supported by the famous red Double Decker London buses and railways. The all famous black London cabs are also readily available. To date, with the increased number of bus and taxi lanes, public transport remains the best method for getting around London quickly.

During July and August London will also host the 2012 Olympic games in the East end of the city. This has resulted in heavy development in this area including new stadiums and transport links.

Below, you will find a list of sites I would highly recommend visiting, all easily accessible with public transport.

The London Eye

Located on the banks of River Thames, in Westminster, the London Eye was developed as part of the Millennium Celebrations. The Ferris wheel structure is 135 meters tall and carries 32 capsules, each holding a maximum of 25 people.

A ride on the London Eye takes approximately 30 minutes, embracing the landmarks and spectacular views of London. The site is open daily, except for Christmas Day, and can be easily accessed from Westminster, Embankment and Waterloo tube stations.

Buckingham Palace

The official London residence of HRH Queen Elizabeth the II is located in the City of Westminster. Built in 1702 by the Duke of Buckingham, the palace measures a width of 108 meter, a depth of 120 meters and a height of 24m and contains 775 rooms. The palace is used to entertain guests of state, and official ceremonial occasions of the Royal family.

The Palace is accessible with a short walk from Victoria, St James’s Park and Hyde Park Corner tube stations. The state rooms and gardens can be visited during August and September, but tickets are limited and advance booking is strongly recommended.

Queen’s Guard are the soldiers that have the responsibility for guarding Buckingham Palace. Changing of the guards is a ceremony that lasts approximately 45 minutes, and probably is the best time to visit the palace. The ceremony can be seen for free from the street at the front of the palace.

Trafalgar Square

The site was made famous by the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805 between the British Navy and the combined forces of the French and Spanish Navy. The British Navy, led by Admiral Lord Nelson were victorious. However, Lord Nelson was shot during the battle and died. Nelson’s Column was erected between 1840 and 1843 in memory of this fine officer.

The site containing four lions and beautiful water fountains is easily accessible from Charing Cross station. The site is located at the opposite end of The Mall, to that of Buckingham Palace and is free to visit.

Tower Bridge and Tower of London

Tower Bridge is a bascule and suspension bridge in central London for crossing the river Thames, located to the east of London Bridge. Built in 1894, the bridge is approximately 240m in length with each of the two towers an awesome 65m in height. The Tower Bridge Exhibition, located on the bridge, provides a good historical background, including the need for Tower Bridge as a second river crossing to support London Bridge, as East London became commercialised.

The bridge takes its name from the Tower of London, located on the north bank of the river. The Tower of London was built by William the Conqueror in the 1080s.

Both the Tower of London and Tower Bridge are easily accessible from Tower Hill tube station. For both Tower of London and Tower Bridge, an entrance fee exists. A view of Tower Bridge, when dark with its lights on is an awesome sight not to be missed.

House of Parliament and Big Ben

House of Parliament, also known as Westminster Palace, is the meeting place for both the House of Commons and the House of Lords. The palace is located on the north side of the river next to Westminster Bridge and the London Eye and is easily accessible from Westminster tube station.

Located next to the House of Parliament is Big Ben, the most famous clock tower in England. Big Ben was built in 1858 and is slightly less than 100 meters tall. Big Ben is an iconic landmark that can be found in various films and is the centre for the New Year celebrations in England.

Very limited tours of the clock tower exists to permanent UK residents and must be arranged through the local member of parliament, and must be booked well in advance. While it is possible to attend parliamentary debates during the week, tours of the House of Parliaments are limited to Saturdays and summer time and pre-paid tickets must be bought in advance. UK residents can arrange a free tour during the week, but it must be arranged via your local member of parliament.

Oxford Street

Oxford Street is one of Europe’s busiest shopping streets with around 300 shops that typically open between 10 am and 7pm (except for Sundays, 12pm – 6pm). Located in the West End of London, Oxford Street is approximately 1.25 miles long.

The main department stores the street houses includes names such as, Selfridges, John Lewis, Debenhams, Marks and Spencer and House of Frazer. The street also holds many designer names.

The street is full of the symbolic red London Buses and the black London Taxis. Turning into Oxford Street with private vehicles is prohibited, and hence these icons of London, gives the street a rather symbolic look.

Oxford Street can be accessed through Bond Street tube station from the west, Tottenham Court Road tube station from the east and Oxford Circus from the centre. The time of year to visit should be carefully chosen, as Oxford S street gets extremely busy during the Christmas shopping period and early January sales.

HMS Belfast

HMS Belfast is an old British warship located between London Bridge and Tower Bridge. The 187 meter long ship was first launched on St Patrick’s Day in March 1938. The Second World War and the Korean War were when HMS Belfast was mainly deployed.

After travelling nearly half a million miles, she came to the end of her working life in 1963, and has been open to the public since 1971. HMS Belfast is accessible from London Bridge Tube station and is opened daily, except for 24, 25 and 26^th December.

Thames River Cruises

Many operators provide river cruises in the Thames. Many attractions can be seen as you gently ride along the river, beside the busy streets of London.

You can board a boat at either Westminster pier located near the House of Parliaments or Tower pier located near Tower Bridge or the Greenwich pier, which is located slightly away from the city.

Madame Tussaud

Madame Tussaud was set up approximately 200 years ago and is named after Marie Tussaud, famous for making her sculptures with wax. Sites are now located in many cities of the world including New York, Berlin and Bangkok.

The London site contains many wax sculptures including HRH the Queen, sports stars such as David Beckham, characters such as Captain Jack Sparrow, Bollywood stars such as Aishwarya Rai, Hollywood stars such as Angelina Jolie, world leaders such as Barack Obama and many more.

The site is easily accessible by Baker Street tube station and is opened daily except for Christmas day.

London Dungeon

Opened since 1974, London Dungeon aims to present the Horrors of History. Actors are used to provide an interactive experience. The torture chamber, blood and guts surgery, Jack the Ripper experience and other such exhibits are not for the faint hearted.

The London Dungeon is located in London Bridge and is easily accessible from London Bridge tube station. The site is open daily except for Christmas day.

It is worth noting that London Eye, Madam Tussaud, The London Dungeon and SEALIFE the London Aquarium are owned by Merlin Entertainments. Therefore, you can purchase a discounted ticket combining the attractions you wish to visit.

If you are a regular visitor to London or wish to visit other attraction in the UK, a Merlin Annual Pass may be suitable for you. Outside of London, the pass will allow you to visit rides and attractions such as Chessington, Thorp Park and Alton Towers. You can also visit the very British seaside resort of Blackpool and gain entry into the Blackpool Tower as well as Sea Life Centres and Sanctuaries. The pass will also allow you to visit Legoland in Windsor (where you can also visit Windsor Castle and Royal Ascot Racecourse, but separate tickets are necessary).

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