Sightseeing Overview

Before setting off sightseeing, it is wise for visitors to study a London Underground map, to get a feel for the straightforward color-coded system. Visitors should also bear in mind, however, that many of the Underground stations are very close to each other and many central areas are easily navigable on foot.

Walking the streets of London, or strolling through its parks, one realises that, in a city hailed for its ability to embrace modernity and change, the past is, however, never far away: there are four world heritage sites in London (the Palace of Westminster, the Tower of London, Maritime Greenwhich and Kew Gardens) and some 40,000 listed buildings and structures. Three of Britain’s top 10 paying attractions and six of the top ten free ones can be found in London. The London Eye, since it made its appearance on the banks of the Thames to mark the turn of the millennium, has since become the most popular attraction for visitors to the capital.

The tourist heart of London lies mainly on the north bank of the River Thames, with the chunk of flat land between South Kensington in the west to Tower Bridge in the east stuffed full of things to do and see. Starting in the west, there are the three major South Kensington Museums - the Victoria and Albert Museum, the Natural History Museum and the Science Museum.

Moving eastwards, the next key attraction is Buckingham Palace, back in vogue after the Jubilee Year in 2002. A short walk away, through St James’s Park, is Westminster, with the Houses of Parliament, Big Ben and Westminster Abbey. From here, it is another short walk up Whitehall to Trafalgar Square, with the National Gallery and other attractions. This is where the ‘West End’ starts, heading slightly north to Leicester Square - a busy tourist-infested piazza where many Londoners would not be seen dead - connecting up with Piccadilly Circus to the west and Covent Garden to the east, with the stately old British Museum a little further away to the northeast. In the middle of the West End, Theaterland and Chinatown merge into Soho, with its nightlife and new media offices.

Along the river itself, on the north bank is the Tate Britain gallery in the west, followed by Westminster and then the Embankment. Crossing over the River Thames from the Embankment can by done on the new pedestrian Hungerford Bridge. The south bank of the river now has its own throngs of tourists, at the British Airways London Eye and London Aquarium. This side of the river also dominates culturally, with the South Bank Center and, further east, the Tate Modern and the Globe Theater. Another pedestrian bridge, Lord Foster’s Millennium Bridge, connects the Tate Modern with St Paul’s Cathedral, back on the north bank. From St Paul’s, it is possible for one to walk through the City of London, reaching the Tower of London further east. Tower Bridge connects this ancient seat of power to City Hall, on the south bank, the new state-of-the-art home of London Mayor Ken Livingstone and the London Assembly, designed by Lord Foster (website: www.london.gov.uk).

London’s main tourist information center is the Britain and London Visitor Center (BLVC), 1 Lower Regent St, SW1. Opening hours: 0930-1830 Mon, 0900-1830 Tue-Fri and 1000-1600 Sat-Sun. (Jun-Sep, Sat-Sun 1000-1700).

There are various London Tourist Information Centers (TIC) situated throughout the city, including one at Pepys House, 2 Cutty Sark Gardens, Greenwich, SE10 open daily 1000-1700; and one at Vinopolis, 1 Bank End, SE1 , open Tue-Sun 1000-1800, Mon closed.

Passes

The London Pass (website: www.londonpass.com) allows free access for one child or adult to over 50 attractions (including the London Aquarium, London Zoo, Tower of London, Hampton Court Palace and Buckingham Palace in summer). The ‘with transport’ option also includes free transport on all London buses, Tubes and trains. The price varies depending on whether or not you take the ‘with transport’ option. A pass for one day costs £23 without transport and £27 with transport; for two days £36 or £47, three days £44 or £60 and six days £62 or £94. Children pay £15 or £17 for one day, £25 or £29 for two days, £29 or £38 for three days and £41 or £52 for six days. Add 17.5% tax to all these prices. The London Pass can be purchased at the airport and tourist information offices around London.

Key Attractions:

British Airways London Eye and County Hall

Towering 135m (444ft) into the heavens, right in the heart of London, the BA London Eye is literally an unmissable attraction. The world’s tallest observation wheel has become one of London’s most popular attractions, which usually means a ‘flight’ requires booking in advance and often queuing as well. However, the experience (one revolution of the wheel, lasting approximately 30 minutes) is absolutely worth it - the unparalleled views of the city reach as far away as 40km (25 miles).

Although the London Eye is the focus of the area, sitting right next door and directly across the River Thames from the Houses of Parliament, County Hall, the former home of the Greater London Council (abolished by Margaret Thatcher in 1986), comes a close second. The enormous building is home to the London Aquarium, the Dali Universe and, most recently, The Saatchi Gallery, majestically situated on the first floor above the rabble.

Here, Charles Saatchi’s extensive collection of modern British art is displayed, with a permanent exhibition and a changing temporary exhibition. The 3,716sq meters (40,000sq feet) of County Hall that make up the gallery have been restored to their original splendor and much of the art is hung in former offices among the oak panelling. The central conference hall contains the most (in)famous pieces, such as Marcus Harvey’s portrait of Myra Hindley, Tracey Emin’s Unmade Bed and Damien Hirst’s The Physical Impossibility of Death in the Mind of Someone Living, better known as ‘the shark in formaldehyde’.

For live sharks in tanks, visitors should go to the London Aquarium, home to over 350 different aquatic species from around the world, including a touch area where visitors can stroke the friendly rays. The Dali Universe meanwhile contains over 500 works of art by the famous surrealist, including the painting, Spellbound, which was created specially for the set of the 1945 Hitchcock thriller, and the sofa in the shape of Mae West’s lips. County Hall is also home to two hotels (Marriott and Travel Inn), numerous bars and restaurants and a Namco Station, a vast entertainment center offering video games, ten-pin bowling, bumper cars, a pool hall, as well as a licensed bar and lounge with big TV screens.

South Bank, SE1

Transport: London Underground Waterloo, Westminster or Embankment.

Tate Gallery of Modern Art and Bankside

Opened in 2000, the Tate Modern is a £130-million project that is regarded as a model of urban regeneration, with the disused Bankside power station transformed into an avant-garde space dedicated to 20th-century art. The permanent exhibition changes biannually so that much of the Tate Gallery’s collection of modern work can be on show, displayed thematically rather than chronologically. This includes major works by Matisse, Picasso, Rothko and Warhol, as well as contemporary pieces. The Turbine Hall displays changing pieces of artwork, specially commissioned to fit the enormous space. The last artist to exhibit here was Olafur Eliasson with his huge ‘Sun’ installation.

The Bankside area itself is becoming one of the most exciting corners of the capital, especially now the £14-million Millennium Bridge has opened. Designed by Lord Foster, it provides a pedestrian link from the Tate Modern to St Paul’s Cathedral on the north bank. Bankside’s cultural regeneration is enhanced by the beautifully reconstructured Shakespeare’s Globe Theater and Exhibition, which is open all year round, although plays are only performed at the outdoor venue during the summer. Other attractions along the river, past Southwark Bridge towards London Bridge, include Vinopolis, an interactive celebration of wine, and the Golden Hinde, a replica of Sir Francis Drake’s flagship. Southwark Cathedral, with its Visitor Center and Exhibition, is nestled under London Bridge, on the edge of the nearby Borough Market (website: www.boroughmarket.org.uk), a heaven for gourmets.

Bankside, SE1

Transport: London Underground Southwark, Blackfriars or London Bridge.

Palace of Westminster

The Palace of Westminster contains the Houses of Parliament, part of which is one of the city’s most famous landmarks- Big Ben. Big Ben is actually the name of the huge bell, whose tolling tune is instantly recognizable, while the clock tower itself, which rises above the seat of British government, is called St Stephen’s. The most ancient part of the whole Palace, Westminster Hall, is 900 years old. After almost total destruction by fire, the rest of the palace was rebuilt in neo-Gothic style, during the 19th century, to designs by Charles Barry.

All year round, free tours of the Palace of Westminster are available to UK residents, if they contact their MP who can arrange them. It is no longer possible to provide overseas visitors with small group tours. However, during late July/August and mid September/early October, Parliament is in recess and the Summer Opening of the Palace of Westminster takes place. Extensive guided tours are offered for all visitors; these last about 75 minutes and include the Royal Robing Rooms, the House of Lords and the House of Commons and Westminster Hall. These are not free and they must be booked in advance (in person or from Firstcall). All visitors who want to watch Parliament at work, rather than tour the Palace, can watch from the Strangers’ Gallery. When Parliament is in session, there are two long queues (one for the Lords and one for the Commons) outside the Palace.

Westminster Abbey

Across Parliament Square is Westminster Abbey - a magnificent Gothic structure where innumerable members of the British royal family have been christened, married, crowned and interred. Consecrated under Edward the Confessor, in the 11th century, it was rebuilt over the next four centuries in Gothic style. Highlights include Henry VII’s Chapel, Poet’s Corner and the Coronation Chair.

Trafalgar Square

London Mayor Ken Livingstone has made the once-congested and pigeon-infested Trafalgar Square a ‘World Square’, pedestrianising more of this famous space and banning seed-sellers, in an attempt to stop what he considers a nuisance. The pedestrianization links Nelson’s Column in the center with the north side of the square, where one of the world’s greatest galleries, the National Gallery, is to be found. It houses an incredible collection of Western paintings from the 13th to the early 20th century, as well as frequent special exhibitions. Round the corner, the National Portrait Gallery displays the country’s famous, infamous and forgotten in the media of oil, watercolor, marble and photography. The new Ondaatje Wing includes a lecture theater and restaurant. Opposite the gallery is the beautiful 18th-century neo-classical church, St Martin-in-the-Fields, which hosts regular concerts and has a cafe in the crypt.

Trafalgar Square, WC2

Transport: London Underground Charing Cross or Leicester Square

Buckingham Palace

Buckingham Palace, the London home of the Queen, is hugely popular with tourists. They flock to the palace, to witness royal pageantry dating back centuries at the Changing of the Guard ceremony, which takes place daily at 1130 from April to July and on alternate days at other times of the year. There is also the rare chance of seeing inside a royal residence (summer only). The building, by John Nash and Edward Blore, was built around the shell of the older of the older Buckingham House, in the 19th century.

The rather drab façade was added in 1913. The 19 State Rooms of the Palace, including the Throne Room and the Picture Gallery, are only open to the public during August and September, when the Queen moves to her Scottish residence. The recently refurbished and expanded Queen’s Gallery is open to the public throughout the year. It displays a changing exhibition of selected works from the Royal Collection, which covers five centuries’ worth of art collecting and treasures, now held in trust by the Queen for the nation. The 17-hectare (42-acre) garden, long hidden from view, is also now open to visitors touring the palace.

Tower Hill

The infamous royal fortress on Tower Hill, the Tower of London, was begun by William the Conqueror in 1078 and remained a royal residence until the mid-16th century. Today, it houses the priceless Crown Jewels and the Royal Armouries collection. The history of the tower is a catalog of intrigue and bloodshed - key historical figures, including members of the royal family, were imprisoned, tortured and/or executed here. The nearby Tower Bridge (a prime example of Victorian architecture and engineering) spans the River Thames. Hydraulic machinery, hidden in twin neo-Gothic towers, lifts the central section to allow ships in and out of the Pool of London. Visitors can learn about the bridge in the Tower Bridge Experience or enjoy the excellent views towards Canary Wharf and the City of London. On the northeast side, the harbor at St Katharine’s Dock marks the beginning of the London Docklands, while the warehouses to the south house the stylish Design Museum.

Tower Hill, EC3

Transport: London Underground Tower Hill or London Bridge.

St Paul’s Cathedral

The dome of St Paul’s Cathedral is the third largest in the world and one of the most distinctive features of the London skyline. The present building, designed by Sir Christopher Wren, was completed in 1710, on the site of the original cathedral that was destroyed in the Great Fire of London in 1666. On the inside of the dome, the Whispering Gallery, named for its incredible acoustics, offers a close-up of the frescoes of the life of St Paul that decorate the interior of the dome. From there, visitors can climb higher, up to two further galleries, which are outdoors and which offer magnificent views across the whole of London. Guided tours, lasting 90 minutes, are also available at 1100, 1130, 1330 and 1400 Monday to Saturday. Sunday services are held at 0800, 1015, 1130, 1515 and 1800.

British Museum

The British Museum, the centerpiece of which is the construction of Lord Foster’s glass-roofed Great Court, is one of the world’s finest museums. Visitors must contend with a mind-boggling six million artifacts from all corners of the globe, plucked (or plundered) by collectors. The awesome scale of the museum means it is essential to select just a few of the 94 galleries for close attention. Highlights include the Rosetta Stone, a copy of the Magna Carta and the controversial Parthenon Sculptures, known as the Elgin Marbles, taken from the Parthenon in Athens, which Greece want back before the 2004 Olympic Games. A new British Museum souvenir shop next to the museum opened in 2000. A 90-minute ‘Highlights’ tours is available daily at 1030, 1300 and 1500.

South Kensington Museums

The Victoria and Albert Museum (VandA) is one of three major museums in South Kensington - the others being the Natural History Museum and the Science Museum. Founded in the 19th century as a museum of the decorative arts, the VandA’s 11km (seven miles) of corridors trace a path through paintings, jewelry, furniture and textiles dating from 3000BC to the present day. Highlights include the Raphael Cartoons, the sculpture court, the dress collection from 1700 onwards, as well as the ‘British Galleries 1500-1900′, a comprehensive history of Britain’s design and art.

The Science Museum has been voted London Visitor Attraction of the Year in 2001 and 2002. It offers interactive exhibits on all kinds of scientific topics, from Space, Time or Weather to Agriculture or Food, from Computing or Mathematics to Nuclear Physics or Veterinary History. One key gallery is ‘Making the Modern World’, which includes objects such as early cars and computers.

The incredible Victorian building that is the Natural History Museum is divided into Earth Galleries and Life Galleries. The Earth Galleries explore our planet, while the Life Galleries explore the creatures that have inhabited it, from the dinosaurs to creepy crawlies. For live specimens, there is the Wildlife Garden outside. The new Darwin Center will house the museum’s extensive collections of specimens, which date as far back as the 16th century but also include recent new species discoveries. It will also allow visitors to interact with the scientists using the collections and carrying out current research. Phase One is now open to the public, although Phase Two completes the project in 2007.

Tate Britain

The Gallery of Modern British Art opened in 1897, around the collection of sugar merchant Henry Tate. It now holds an unrivalled collection of English paintings from 1500 to the present day. Much 20th-century art has moved to the Tate Modern (see above), however, some remains on rotation here, from Gaudier Brzeska to Gilbert and George. There is also the ‘Art Now’ room, which shows a changing contemporary exhibition. The magnificent Turner Bequest is housed in the purpose-built Clore Gallery, with hundreds of Turner paintings on display.

Further Distractions:

London’s Parks

Together, St James’s Park, Green Park, Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens stretch from Whitehall to Kensington in the west. St James’s Park and Green Park are at the heart of royal and governmental London, cantilevered around Buckingham Palace, while Hyde Park’s Speaker’s Corner is the place for soapbox philosophers to harangue passers-by on Sunday mornings. Kensington Gardens contains the delightful Serpentine Gallery, as well as the glittering Albert Memorial. The more recent memorials to Diana, Princess of Walkes currently take the form of a playground and a 11km (seven-mile) Memorial Walk through Kensington Gardens, Hyde Park, Green Park and St James’s Park, although the official Memorial Fountain is due for completion in summer 2004. Regent’s Park, just north of Oxford Circus, is home to London Zoo, while immediately next door is Primrose Hill, with a fabulous view and chic village atmosphere. Of the many other parks in London, two are huge but further out - Hampstead Heath in north London and Richmond Park in south London. Hampstead Heath boasts acres of natural parkland, the 18th-century Kenwood House, numerous bathing ponds and another fantastic view over the capital. Richmond Park is the largest open space in London, first enclosed as a hunting park by King Charles I in 1637, it still boasts deer. Last, but not least, Greenwich Park is the oldest enclosed royal park. Situated on a hilltop with impressive views across East London, it provides a setting for several historic buildings, including the Old Royal Observatory, the Royal Naval College, the National Maritime Museum and the Queen’s House.

All Royal Parks , except Hampstead Heath

Highgate Cemetery

Resonating with the ghosts of such luminaries as Karl Marx and George Eliot, Highgate Cemetery is one of London’s most extraordinary places. With some of the finest Victorian funerary architecture in the country, many of the memorials are architecturally listed sites. The East Cemetery contains Karl Marx’s grave and monumental bust. The West Cemetery contains the remarkable Lebanon Circle, formed of 20 family catacombs surrounding an ancient cedar tree, as well as other notable monuments. Visitors can freely explore the East Cemetery but can only visit the West Cemetery by booking the one-hour guided tours in advance (by telephone).

Theater Museum

A little gem that will delight all theater lovers. This museum, which showcases the making of the West End since 1843 to the present day, gives an overview of the evolution of the West End, London’s Theaterland, over the past 160 years. Historic prints, plans, maps, posters, props, photos and models from the museum’s collection and other sources, are all on display, with educational and insightful explanations provided. The museum also hosts changing exhibitions.