1. Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament
The Palace of Westminster is the meeting place of the House of Commons and the House of Lords, the two houses of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Commonly known as the Houses of Parliament after its occupants, the Palace lies on the northern bank of the River Thames in the City of Westminster, in central London.
Big Ben can be seen over a long distance and it is wonderful walk along the Victoria and the Albert Embankments, past Big Ben and view it from different angles. The best view of this is from the Westminster Bridge.
2. Buckingham Palace
Buckingham Palace is the London residence and principal workplace of the monarchy of the United Kingdom. Located in the City of Westminster, the palace is often at the center of state occasions and royal hospitality. It has been a focus for the British people at times of national rejoicing.
As we all know this is a magnificent building. It is centrally located to the tourist area. The state rooms, used for official and state entertaining, are open to the public each year for most of August and September, as part of the Palace’s Summer Opening. Well organized tours of one of history’s most notable addresses.
3. The London Eye
The London Eye is a giant Ferris wheel on the South Bank of the River Thames in London. It is currently Europe’s tallest Ferris wheel, and offered the highest public viewing point in london until it was superseded by the 245-metre (804 ft) observation deck on the 72nd floor of The Shard, which opened to the public on 1 February 2013. It is the most popular paid tourist attraction in the United Kingdom with over 3.75 million visitors annually, and has made many appearances in popular culture.
It is a fantastic experience with great views of all London. The ride itself is a great experience and offers amazing views. If you have a fear of heights then fear not as it is extremely smooth, no jolts at all and moves so slowly you hardly notice it.
4. Tower Bridge
Tower Bridge (built 1886–1894) is a combined bascule and suspension bridge in London. The bridge crosses the River Thames close to the Tower of London and has become an iconic symbol of London.
The bridge deck is freely accessible to both vehicles and pedestrians, whilst the bridge’s twin towers, high-level walkways and Victorian engine rooms form part of the Tower Bridge Exhibition, for which an admission charge is made. The nearest London Underground tube stations are Tower Hill on the Circle and District lines, London Bridge and Bermondsey, and the nearest Docklands Light Railway station is Tower Gateway.
Famous historical bridge that connects the city to the south of the Thames. Definitely most gorgeous and famous of all the bridges in London, Great architecture, Elizabethan Engineering at its best. This has got to be one of the most quintessentially British of all Landmarks. Looks great any time of day but is glorious lit up on fine evening. A must visit if you are every in London.
5. Tower of London
Her Majesty’s Royal Palace and Fortress, known as the Tower of London, is a historic castle located on the north bank of the River Thames in central London. It lies within the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, separated from the eastern edge of the square mile of the City of London by the open space known as Tower Hill.
The Tower of London is one of the country’s most popular tourist attractions. Under the ceremonial charge of the Constable of the Tower, it is cared for by the charity Historic Royal Palaces and is protected as a World Heritage Site.
6. Trafalgar Square
Trafalgar Square is a public space and tourist attraction in central London, built around the area formerly known as Charing Cross. It is situated in the City of Westminster. At its centre is Nelson’s Column, which is guarded by four lion statues at its base. There are a number of commemorative statues and sculptures in the square, while one plinth, left empty since it was built in 1840, The Fourth Plinth, has been host to contemporary art since 1999. The square is also used for political demonstrations and community gatherings, such as the celebration of New Year’s Eve.
If the weather’s okay, you can spend a pleasant hour taking in Nelson’s Column, the lions and whatever’s on the fourth plinth.
7. National Gallery
The National Gallery is an art museum in Trafalgar Square in the City of Westminster, in Central London. Founded in 1824, it houses a collection of over 2,300 paintings dating from the mid-13th century to 1900. Its collection belongs to the public of the United Kingdom and entry to the main collection is free of charge. It is among the most visited art museums in the world, after the Musée du Louvre, the British Museum, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
8. The British Museum
The British Museum is a museum dedicated to human history, art, and culture, located in the Bloomsbury area of London. It was established in 1753, largely based on the collections of the physician and scientist Sir Hans Sloane.
9. St Paul’s Cathedral
St Paul’s Cathedral, London, is an Anglican cathedral, the seat of the Bishop of London and the mother church of the Diocese of London. It sits on Ludgate Hill, the highest point of the City of London. The cathedral is one of the most famous and most recognisable sights in London. Its dome is among the highest in the world. St Paul’s is the second largest church building in area in the United Kingdom after Liverpool Cathedral.
10. Piccadilly Circus
Piccadilly Circus is a road junction and public space of London’s West End in the City of Westminster, built in 1819 to connect Regent Street with Piccadilly. In this context, a circus, from the Latin word meaning “circle”, is a round open space at a street junction.
Piccadilly now links directly to the theatres on Shaftesbury Avenue, as well as the Haymarket, Coventry Street (onwards to Leicester Square), and Glasshouse Street. It is close to major shopping and entertainment areas in the West End.
Piccadilly Circus is particularly known for its video display and neon signs mounted on the corner building on the northern side, as well as the Shaftesbury memorial fountain and statue of Eros. Directly underneath the plaza is Piccadilly Circus tube station, part of the London Underground system.
11. Madame Tussauds
Madame Tussauds is a wax museum in London with branches in a number of major cities. It is a major tourist attraction in London, displaying waxworks.
12. The Science Museum
The Science Museum is a major museum on Exhibition Road in South Kensington, London. It was founded in 1857 and today is one of the city’s major tourist attractions, attracting 3.3 million visitors annually.
Like other publicly funded national museums in the United Kingdom, the Science Museum does not charge visitors for admission. Temporary exhibitions, however, may incur an admission fee.
13. London Zoo
London Zoo is the world’s oldest scientific zoo. Today it houses a collection of 806 species of animals, with 19,178 individuals, making it one of the largest collections in the United Kingdom. The zoo is situated at the northern edge of Regent’s Park.
14.The Shard
The Shard is the tallest building in Western Europe’s and one of the most famous tourist destination in London. The Shard is London’s highest viewing platform.
