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Things to do in London

London packs a lot into a compact centre. Here are all 65 sights in our planner, starting with the must-sees and then grouped by theme, each with opening hours, price and the time you need.

Last updated: 22 October 2026

Don't miss

Big Ben & the Houses of Parliament, LondonWestminster & St James's

Photo: Christian David · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia

Big Ben & the Houses of Parliament

The Elizabeth Tower and the Gothic Houses of Parliament, best seen from Westminster Bridge; guided tours can be booked.

Buckingham Palace, LondonWestminster & St James's

Photo: Julian Herzog (Website) · CC BY 4.0 · Wikimedia

Buckingham Palace

The King's London residence, seen from the Victoria Memorial, with the Changing of the Guard on set days.

Tower of LondonThe City & East

Photo: [Duncan] from Nottingham, UK · CC BY 2.0 · Wikimedia

Tower of London

A 900-year-old fortress with the Crown Jewels, the White Tower and free Yeoman Warder tours.

Sightseeing: squares, landmarks and viewpoints

Westminster Abbey, LondonWestminster & St James's

Photo: Antiquary · CC BY 4.0 · Wikimedia

Westminster Abbey

The coronation church of English monarchs, with royal tombs, Poets' Corner and a multimedia guide.

St James's Park, LondonWestminster & St James's

Photo: Colin · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia

St James's Park

The oldest Royal Park, with a lake, pelicans and views to Buckingham Palace and Horse Guards.

Trafalgar Square, LondonWestminster & St James's

Photo: Diliff · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia

Trafalgar Square

London's grand square with Nelson's Column, the fountains and the lions, right next to the National Gallery.

Piccadilly Circus, LondonWest End

Photo: Jimmy Baikovicius · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Wikimedia

Piccadilly Circus

The famous junction with its giant screens and the Eros statue, at the foot of Regent Street and Soho.

London EyeSouth Bank & Bankside

Photo: Khamtran · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia

London Eye

A 30-minute ride in a glass pod on the giant observation wheel, with views over the Thames and Parliament.

Shakespeare's Globe, LondonSouth Bank & Bankside

Photo: Diego Delso · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia

Shakespeare's Globe

A reconstruction of Shakespeare's open-air theatre, visited on a guided tour with the exhibition.

The View from The Shard, LondonSouth Bank & Bankside

Photo: Colin · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia

The View from The Shard

Western Europe's tallest viewing platform, on floors 68 to 72 of the Shard with views up to 60 km.

St Paul's Cathedral, LondonThe City & East

Photo: Mark Fosh · CC BY 2.0 · Wikimedia

St Paul's Cathedral

Wren's baroque cathedral: climb the Dome's Whispering Gallery and see the crypt with Nelson's tomb.

Sky Garden, LondonThe City & East

Photo: Colin · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia

Sky Garden

A glass-domed garden at the top of the Walkie-Talkie, with free views over the City; timed tickets.

Tower Bridge, LondonThe City & East

Photo: Fuzzypiggy · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia

Tower Bridge

The Victorian bascule bridge, best seen from the walkway or the river path; the Exhibition has glass-floor walkways.

Hyde Park, LondonKensington & Chelsea

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Hyde Park

London's great Royal Park, with the Serpentine lake, rowing boats and Speakers' Corner.

Kensington Palace, LondonKensington & Chelsea

Photo: Colin Smith · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Wikimedia

Kensington Palace

A royal residence in Kensington Gardens, with the King's State Apartments and the Sunken Garden.

Greenwich Park, LondonGreenwich

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Greenwich Park

Royal park on a hill with the best free view over Canary Wharf, the Thames and the Observatory.

Primrose Hill, LondonBloomsbury & Camden

Photo: Louise Ireland · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Wikimedia

Primrose Hill

Grassy hill north of Regent's Park with one of the classic free views of the London skyline.

Regent's Park, LondonBloomsbury & Camden

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Regent's Park

Royal park with rose gardens, a boating lake and open lawns, between Marylebone and Camden.

Museums and galleries

Churchill War Rooms, LondonWestminster & St James's

Photo: Kaihsu Tai derivative work: SilkTork (talk) · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia

Churchill War Rooms

Winston Churchill's underground WWII bunker, kept as it was, with an excellent museum and audio guide.

The National Gallery, LondonWestminster & St James's

Photo: Diego Delso · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia

The National Gallery

Western European painting from Van Eyck to Van Gogh, with Turner, Constable and Monet; free entry.

The British Museum, LondonBloomsbury & Camden

Photo: Ham · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia

The British Museum

A vast museum of world history with the Rosetta Stone, Egyptian mummies and the Parthenon sculptures; free entry.

Tate Modern, LondonSouth Bank & Bankside

Photo: Acabashi · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia

Tate Modern

Modern and contemporary art in a former power station on the Thames, with a viewing terrace on the Blavatnik Building.

Natural History Museum, LondonKensington & Chelsea

Photo: Julian Herzog (Website) · CC BY 4.0 · Wikimedia

Natural History Museum

Dinosaurs, a blue whale skeleton and gems in a Romanesque palace; a favourite with children and free to enter.

Victoria and Albert Museum, LondonKensington & Chelsea

Photo: Ewan-M · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Wikimedia

Victoria and Albert Museum

The world's largest museum of decorative arts and design: fashion, ceramics, jewellery and sculpture.

Science Museum, LondonKensington & Chelsea

Photo: Shadowssettle · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia

Science Museum

Hands-on galleries from steam engines and Apollo 10 to space and medicine; great for families and free.

Cutty Sark, LondonGreenwich

Photo: Ethan Doyle White · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia

Cutty Sark

The world's last surviving tea clipper from 1869, raised on dry dock so you can walk beneath its hull.

Royal Observatory Greenwich, LondonGreenwich

Photo: Unknown author · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia

Royal Observatory Greenwich

Stand on the Prime Meridian line and see the Harrison clocks and Flamsteed House, with views over London.

National Maritime Museum, LondonGreenwich

Photo: Katie Chan · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia

National Maritime Museum

Britain's seafaring story, from Nelson to the modern navy, with big family galleries and a view of Greenwich Park.

The British Library, LondonBloomsbury & Camden

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The British Library

National library with the free Treasures gallery: Magna Carta, Beatles lyrics and Shakespeare's First Folio.

The Wallace Collection, LondonWest End

Photo: Anthony O'Neil · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Wikimedia

The Wallace Collection

Townhouse museum of French 18th-century art, armour and masterpieces, including Fragonard's The Swing.

Tate Britain, LondonWestminster & St James's

Photo: Tony Hisgett from Birmingham, UK · CC BY 2.0 · Wikimedia

Tate Britain

British art from 1500 to today, from Turner and Constable to Hockney and contemporary work.

National Portrait Gallery, LondonWestminster & St James's

Photo: DiscoA340 · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia

National Portrait Gallery

Portraits of the people who shaped Britain, from the Tudors to today, in a refurbished gallery next to the National Gallery.

Sir John Soane's Museum, LondonBloomsbury & Camden

Photo: Sarah Smith · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Wikimedia

Sir John Soane's Museum

The eccentric home of an architect, packed with antiquities, paintings and clever light.

Wellcome Collection, LondonBloomsbury & Camden

Photo: David Samuel, User:Hellodavey1902 · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia

Wellcome Collection

Free museum and library about health, medicine and what it means to be human, with quirky objects.

Design Museum, LondonKensington & Chelsea

Photo: Ben Sutherland · CC BY 2.0 · Wikimedia

Design Museum

Museum of product, fashion and graphic design in a former modernist building; the permanent collection is free.

Architecture

The Painted Hall (Old Royal Naval College), LondonGreenwich

Photo: Dmitry Tonkonog · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia

The Painted Hall (Old Royal Naval College)

Baroque 'Sistine Chapel of the UK', with Thornhill's painted ceiling, in the Old Royal Naval College.

Southwark Cathedral, LondonSouth Bank & Bankside

Photo: Ethan Doyle White · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia

Southwark Cathedral

Gothic cathedral beside Borough Market, with a Shakespeare memorial and free entry.

Food and markets

Soho & Chinatown, LondonWest End

Photo: Leandro Neumann Ciuffo · CC BY 2.0 · Wikimedia

Soho & Chinatown

Lively streets of theatres, restaurants and bars, with London's Chinatown around Gerrard Street.

Borough Market, LondonSouth Bank & Bankside

Photo: Øyvind Holmstad · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia

Borough Market

London's best-known food market under the railway arches, with fresh produce, cheese and hot street food.

Maltby Street Market, LondonSouth Bank & Bankside

Photo: William Harold Amos · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia

Maltby Street Market

Weekend street-food market under railway arches in Bermondsey, quieter than Borough.

Beer

Fuller's Griffin Brewery, LondonKensington & Chelsea

Photo: Chiswick Chap · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia

Fuller's Griffin Brewery

London's oldest brewery site, with guided tours and tastings by the Thames in Chiswick.

Camden Town Brewery, LondonBloomsbury & Camden

Photo: Ewan Munro from London, UK · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Wikimedia

Camden Town Brewery

Craft brewery with a taproom under railway arches in Kentish Town and tours by booking.

Bermondsey Beer Mile (taprooms), LondonSouth Bank & Bankside

Photo: Bex Walton · CC BY 4.0 · Wikimedia

Bermondsey Beer Mile (taprooms)

Craft brewery taprooms in railway arches along Druid Street and Bermondsey Street, best on weekends.

Meantime Brewery Tap Room, LondonGreenwich

Photo: N Chadwick · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Wikimedia

Meantime Brewery Tap Room

Craft brewery taproom in the Old Brewery within the Old Royal Naval College grounds.

Shopping

Covent Garden, LondonWest End

Photo: Diliff derivative work: SilkTork (talk) · CC BY 2.5 · Wikimedia

Covent Garden

A historic piazza with street performers, covered market stalls, shops and the London Transport Museum nearby.

Camden Market, LondonBloomsbury & Camden

Photo: en:User:Grim23 · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia

Camden Market

Canal-side market halls with street food, vintage clothes, crafts and alternative fashion.

Portobello Road Market (Notting Hill), LondonKensington & Chelsea

Photo: Schellack at English Wikipedia · CC BY 3.0 · Wikimedia

Portobello Road Market (Notting Hill)

A long street market in pastel-coloured Notting Hill, famous for antiques on Saturdays plus food and fashion stalls.

Charbonnel et Walker (Royal Arcade), LondonWest End

Photo: Daderot · CC0 · Wikimedia

Charbonnel et Walker (Royal Arcade)

Royal-warrant chocolatier in the Victorian Royal Arcade off Old Bond Street, known for its truffles.

Melt Chocolates (Notting Hill), LondonKensington & Chelsea

Photo: Malc McDonald · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Wikimedia

Melt Chocolates (Notting Hill)

Small-batch chocolate shop and café on pretty Ledbury Road in Notting Hill.

Harrods, LondonKensington & Chelsea

Photo: user: Sokkk y · Public domain · Wikimedia

Harrods

The famous Knightsbridge department store with its Food Halls, Egyptian Escalator and luxury floors.

Liberty LondonWest End

Photo: Luis Villa del Campo · CC BY 2.0 · Wikimedia

Liberty London

Tudor-revival department store known for its prints, fabrics and design-led gifts.

Fortnum & Mason, LondonWest End

Photo: Tony Hisgett from Birmingham, UK · CC BY 2.0 · Wikimedia

Fortnum & Mason

Royal grocer on Piccadilly, famous for its tea, hampers, food hall and the chiming clock.

Selfridges, LondonWest End

Photo: Alan Hughes · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Wikimedia

Selfridges

Huge Oxford Street department store with a famous food hall and fashion floors.

Carnaby Street, LondonWest End

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Carnaby Street

Pedestrian shopping streets of independent fashion and design, the heart of 1960s London style.

Leadenhall Market, LondonThe City & East

Photo: Diliff · CC BY 2.5 · Wikimedia

Leadenhall Market

Victorian covered market with a painted ironwork roof, now shops, cafés and pubs.

Old Spitalfields Market, LondonThe City & East

Photo: Diliff · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia

Old Spitalfields Market

Historic covered market with independent stalls, street food and small designer shops.

Greenwich Market, LondonGreenwich

Photo: Steve F-E-Cameron · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia

Greenwich Market

Covered market with crafts, vintage and street food, a short walk from the Cutty Sark.

Brick Lane, LondonThe City & East

Photo: James Cridland · CC BY 2.0 · Wikimedia

Brick Lane

Street of vintage shops, street food, street art and curry houses, liveliest at the Sunday markets.

With kids

Hamleys, LondonWest End

Photo: Matt Brown · CC BY 4.0 · Wikimedia

Hamleys

One of the world's oldest and biggest toy shops, seven floors of play and demonstrations.

ZSL London ZooBloomsbury & Camden

Photo: heena_mistry · CC BY 2.0 · Wikimedia

ZSL London Zoo

The world's oldest scientific zoo, in Regent's Park, with gorillas, penguins, tigers and a walk-through rainforest.

SEA LIFE London AquariumSouth Bank & Bankside

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SEA LIFE London Aquarium

Aquarium in County Hall by the London Eye, with sharks, rays, penguins and a glass tunnel.

London Transport MuseumWest End

Photo: Colin Park · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Wikimedia

London Transport Museum

Hands-on museum of London's buses, trams, tube trains and posters, popular with children.

HMS Belfast, LondonSouth Bank & Bankside

Photo: Alvesgaspar · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia

HMS Belfast

Second World War Royal Navy cruiser moored on the Thames, with nine decks to explore.

Madame Tussauds LondonWest End

Photo: self-made · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia

Madame Tussauds London

Waxwork museum of film stars, royals and sports heroes, with a Marvel and a Spirit of London ride.

Diana Memorial Playground, LondonKensington & Chelsea

Photo: Mark Ahsmann · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia

Diana Memorial Playground

Pirate-ship playground in Kensington Gardens, for children up to 12 and their grown-ups.

Plan your trip → Put these places in a day plan with walking times.

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