London can perhaps be called the most iconic city in the world. It is brimming with history and has been home to the Royal Family for a long time. Visitors here love its modern vibe but more than that, they are charmed by its old world charm that can only be felt when you do actually visit the city. Needless to say, if you’re planning a trip to this charming city (be it business or pleasure), you must not miss on these best places to visit in London for without it, you will surely go back home with a trunk full of regrets. But we don’t want that, do we?
Best Places To Visit In London
So here is a list of all the London main attractions that you should definitely indulge in on your London vacay! Take a look! Do not forget to add amazing attractions in your bucket of wander from this list of places to visit in London.
1. London Eye – Iconic Ferris Wheel
The London Eye is perhaps the world’s most iconic Ferris wheel. It was built to mark the millennium celebrations in London in 2000 and right from the day one, it has been London’s foremost attractions. The individual glass capsules on the wheel rise up to 443 ft above the Thames resulting in some of the most splendid views of the city. The whole ride lasts for about 30 minutes and is usually accompanied by a long queue. However, if someone is in a hurry, they can experience it before others with a London Eye: Skip-the-line Ticket.
2. Warner Bros. Studio Tour London – The Making Of Harry Potter
A delight for all the Harry Potter fans, this one will give you a behind the scenes look at how the movie was made and will take through some of the most incredible and magical looking sets. Visitors can take a guided tour or explore on their own and also wander through famous places in the movie like The Great Hall. One can also learn the whole experience of filming. The ticket also includes transportation to and from from the studios in central London and also the entry.
3. Madame Tussauds London – Lifelike Wax Statues
Madame Tussauds London is one of the best places to see in London and has lifelike wax statues and interactive areas that bring your favorite movie characters and celebrities to life. From Benedict Cumberbatch to Johnney Depp to Her Majesty, The Queen – enjoy a red carpet walk the icons of your dreams or visit your favorite movie scenes in a special zone dedicated to Star Wars™.
4. Westminster Abbey – For Royal Weddings
Out of all, Westminster Abbey is perhaps one of the most famous London’s points of interest. An iconic site that has been associated with Christianity since the seventh century and has been witness to many burials and coronations, this one is a must visit attraction for all. Recently, however, the place has gained popularity as a preferred location for Royal Weddings.
5. London Dungeon – Go Through 1000 Years Of History
London Dungeon is one of the most entertaining ways to go through the past 1000 years of history of London. Visitors walk through the dungeons from one show to another and get a sense of historical events in an interactive live-action manner. Accompanied by a guided tour of actors, one gets to visit the dark hisrtott and famous characters like Sweeny Todd on the way.
6. Kew Gardens – Royal Botanic Gardens
The Royal Botanic Gardens or the Kew Gardens is a perfect place to catch that ever so rare sunshine in London. Situated in the southwest London on the banks of river Thames, this 300-acre place is perfect to wander along with your loved ones. Laid in 1759, the gardens are now government property and has a variety of tours available with free admission. Apart from this, many musical and cultural events are also held here throughout the year.
7. National Gallery – An Incredible Collection Of Paintings
One of the famous places to visit in London, the National Gallery Museum has an almost complete survey of European paintings from 1260 until 1920. The incredible collection in the museum includes paintings from the world’s most iconic painters like Child by Leonardo da Vinci, Botticelli’s Venus and Mars, The Waterlily Pond by Monet, and van Gogh’s Sunflowers among many others.
8. Piccadilly Circus And Trafalgar Square – Must Visit Places
Piccadilly Circus and Trafalgar Square are one of the best places in London and luckily are located very near to each other. Trafalgar Square was built to commemorate Lord Horatio Nelson’s victory over the French and has a 56-meter granite monument, Nelson’s Column overlooking the square’s fountains.
Picadilly Circus, on the other hand, marks the intersection of several London’s busy streets – Piccadilly, Regent, Haymarket, and Shaftsbury Avenue and overlooking this busy traffic stands London’s most famous sculpture – the winged Eros delicately balanced on one foot.
9. Hyde Park – Largest Open Space
Hyde Park is one of the most iconic and best places to visit in London. This 350-acre open space is the largest in the city has been open to sightseers since 1635. It has an 18th Century man-made lake called Serpentine, famous for boating and swimming. Other attractions include Speaker’s Corner and Apsley House (former home of the first Duke of Wellington).
10. Big Ben – A Legendary Monument
The first thing that comes to your mind when you think about London is The Big Ben and it truly is a legendary monument. This 97-meter tower housing a giant clock is known throughout the world as the time signal of BBC radio. It is one of the greatest places to be in the world and let’s just leave it to that. This is amongst the best places in London.
11. Buckingham Palace – Changing Of The Guard
The Buckingham Palace, built in 1837 is the London residence of the Royal Family ever since Queen Victoria came into power. One can take tours of the palace and one of the most popular attractions here is the Changing of the Gaurd. This free display of precision marching is tuned to music and is treat to the eyes.
12. The Victoria And Albert Museum – For History Buffs
The Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A) is one of the most diverse museums in the world and houses a Natural History Museum and Science Museum in it. It covers 13 acres and has 145 galleries containing artifacts that are more than 5000 years old.
13. The British Museum – For A Variety Of Artifacts
The British Museum comes under the finest places to visit in London and rightly so for it has more than 13 million artifacts ranging from ancient world to the modern times. The priceless objects are from all over the world and civilizations including Assyria, Babylonia, Europe, China, and more. Most famous exhibits include controversial Elgin Marbles from Parthenon, the colossal bust of Rameses II, the Egyptian mummies, and much more.
14. St Paul’s Cathedral – Most Famous Church
The largest and most famous church in London, St Pauls Cathedral sits atop the site of a Roman temple and is a rebuilt structure after the earlier one was destroyed in a fire. Today, the 365 ft dome of St Paul along with its twin Baroque towers represents the zenith of English architecture.
15. Covent Garden – A Visual Treat
Covent Garden is one of those places in London that need to be visited to be visualized. Filled with restaurants, streets, shops, and street performances, one can find stuff ranging from handicrafts to flowers and places from museums to the Royal Opera house.
16. Tower Of London – A World Heritage Site
The splendor and magnificence of the Tower Of London attracts the visitors towards it and makes it one of the top London visiting places. One cannot resist visiting this beauty when they visit London. Initially a prison converted into a palace to a treasure vault then a private zoo, the Tower Of London has played many roles over the past centuries and is now a world heritage site.
17. St. James’ Park – The Royal Park
London won’t be the same without its royal parks and St. James’ Park happens to be one of them. It’s on you if you wanna take a stroll or lose yourself in the beauty of the famous flower beds in this garden. For 400 years Pelicans have inhabited the St. James’ Park and the park is surrounded by many important landmarks and is certainly worth a visit.
18. Notting Hill Gate – An Opulent Area
One of the places that you would definitely not want to miss out on your trip to England is Notting Hill. One of the opulent and high class areas of England is renowned for being multicultural and cosmopolitan. Wandering around the place you will see beautiful pastel houses and pastel vintage cars outside these houses.
19. Hampton Court Palace – A Fascinating Attraction
Another one of the famous sites of London and something you would certainly not want to miss, the Hampton Court Palace dates back to Henry VIII’s time and is the place where Elizabeth I got to know of how the Spanish Armada lost. The palace also is home to an interesting astronomical clock which dates back to 1540 and has other very fascinating details which are not to be missed.
Mesmerized? Yes, we know! And just so that you know London is not the only iconic city in Europe, and to witness those too, we suggest you to go through the customizable options and plan with us your most legendary Europe tour ever. Do not miss adding these best places to visit in London to your itinerary! And if you know of any unusual places to visit in London, then share with us in the comments below!
Disclaimer: TravelTriangle claims no credit for images featured on our blog site unless otherwise noted. All visual content is copyrighted to its respectful owners. We try to link back to original sources whenever possible. If you own rights to any of the images, and do not wish them to appear on TravelTriangle, please contact us and they will be promptly removed. We believe in providing proper attribution to the original author, artist or photographer.
Please Note: Any information published by TravelTriangle in any form of content is not intended to be a substitute for any kind of medical advice, and one must not take any action before consulting a professional medical expert of their own choice.