The gongs of Big Ben are arguably London’s most recognisable sounds, and adjoined to it is the Palace of Westminster where the House of Commons and the House of Lords convene. The most ancient part of the place is over 900 years old and tours - including afternoon tea, should you so wish - are bookable throughout the year.
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Things to see in London
Tourist offices
London Travel Information Centre
Address: Piccadilly Circus Underground Station, Picadilly, London, W1J 9HS, United Kingdom
Tel: +44 343 222 1234
Opening Hours:
Daily 0930-1600.
www.visitlondon.comThere are tourist information centres scattered across London, although the Piccadilly Circus Travel Information Centre is the most central office.
City of London Information Centre
Address: St Paul’s Churchyard, City of London, EC4M 8BX, United Kingdom
Tel: +44 20 7332 1456
Opening Hours:
Mon-Sat 0930-1730. Sun 1000-1600
www.visitlondon.comThe information centre has a team of multilingual helpers eager to assist, plus furnish you with all the flyers, guides, tickets, travel cards and foreign exchange options you need to kick your holiday into gear.You’ll find smaller information centres at Holborn and Greenwich stations.
The London Pass (www.londonpass.com) allows free access to over 60 attractions (including the London Aquarium, Tower of London, Hampton Court Palace and Shakespeare’s Globe). The ‘London Pass +’ option also includes an Oystercard to cover all London buses, tubes and trains. The card is available for one, two, three, six or ten days ranging in price from £62 to £169 for adults, and you can buy one at the airport and tourist information offices around London. While the card does get you into most of the big ticket attractions in town, you’ll want to have your sightseeing boots on to get your money’s worth.
Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament
Opening Times: Mon-Sat 0900-1700 (days subject to change throughout the year)
Admission Fees: Yes
Disabled Access: Yes
UNESCO: Yes
Address:
Elizabeth Tower - Houses of Parliament , London, SW1A 0AA, United Kingdom
Telephone: +44 20 7219 3000
Website:
http://www.parliament.uk
British Museum
Millons of visitors pass through the doors of British Museum each year to admire its vast collection of antiquities, art and sculpture. It has the world's most comprehensive collection of Egyptian antiquities outside of Cairo. Priceless collections include the famous Rosetta Stone and a 5,000 year-old sand-dried mummy. Admission is free.
Opening Times: Daily 1000-1730 (Fridays until 2030)
Admission Fees: No
Disabled Access: Yes
UNESCO: No
Address:
Great Russell Street, London, United Kingdom
Website:
britishmuseum.org
Buckingham Palace
The Queen’s London home is an icon and it's worth timing your visit to catch the Changing of the Guard ceremony, which takes place daily at 1130 from April to July and on alternate days the rest of the year. From late July to September you can also tour the interior State Rooms while the Queen goes to Scotland for her summer holiday.
Opening Times: State Rooms: Daily 0930-1930 (22 Jul-31 Aug). 0930 - 1830 (01 Sep - 01 Oct)
Admission Fees: Yes
Disabled Access: Yes
UNESCO: No
Address:
Buckingham Palace Road, London, SW1A 1AA, United Kingdom
Telephone: +44 303 123 7300.
Website:
https://www.royalcollection.org.uk/
St Paul's Cathedral
The dome of St Paul's Cathedral is 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. The inside of the dome, named the Whispering Gallery due to its incredible acoustics, offers a close-up of the frescoes of the life of St Paul.
Opening Times: Mon-Sat 0830-1630. Sun open for worship only,
Admission Fees: Yes
Disabled Access: Yes
UNESCO: No
Address:
St Paul’s Churchyard, London, EC4M 8AD, United Kingdom
Telephone: +44 207 246 8348.
Website:
http://www.stpauls.co.uk
Tower of London
This infamous royal fortress on Tower Hill 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, the Royal Armouries collection and its famous ravens who - should they ever leave the tower - legend says would instigate the falling of the British Crown.
Opening Times: Tues-Sat 0900-1730 and Sun-Mon 1000-1730 (Mar-Oct); Tues-Sat 0900-1630, Sun-Mon 1000-1630 (Nov-Feb).
Admission Fees: Yes
Disabled Access: No
UNESCO: Yes
Address:
St Katharine's & Wapping, Tower Hill, London, EC3N 4AB, United Kingdom
Telephone: +44 20 3166 6000.
Website:
http://www.hrp.org.uk
Natural History Museum
The vast Victorian building that is the Natural History Museum is divided into different zones exploring all our planet’s natural beauties. Highlights include a full-size, 4.5 tonne skeleton of a blue whale, an earthquake simulator and the state-of-the-art, £78 million Darwin Centre that - among 22 million-odd specimens - houses an 8.62 metre (28.28 ft) long squid called Archie.
Opening Times: Daily 1000-1750. Closed December 24-26.
Admission Fees: No (except for major exhibitions)
Disabled Access: Yes
UNESCO: No
Address:
Cromwell Road, Kensington, London, SW7 5BD, United Kingdom
Telephone: + 44 20 7942 5000.
Website:
http://www.nhm.ac.uk
Tate Modern
Tate Modern’s Turbine Hall is arguably the most impressive gallery room in London, with its changing pieces of artwork created bespoke to fill the 3,300m2 space. As well as unique temporary exhibitions, its impressive permanent collection features the likes of Salvador Dali, Damien Hurst, Henri Matisse and Pablo Picasso.
Opening Times: Sun-Thu 1000-1800, Fri and Sat 1000-2200.
Admission Fees: No.
Disabled Access: Yes
UNESCO: No
Address:
53 Bankside, London, SE1 9TG, United Kingdom
Telephone: +44 20 7887 8888.
Website:
http://www.tate.org.uk/modern
The Shard
London's highest skyscraper is a vertigo-inducing 72 stories and 310m (1,016ft) high. The striking, tapered, glass-panelled edifice houses restaurants, apartments, and a luxury hotel. Close to the summit, it boasts a viewing area where visitors are treated to spectacular 360 degree views that extend for 64km (40 miles) across the city.
Opening Times: Daily 1000-2000 (winter); 1000-2100 (summer)
Admission Fees: Yes
Disabled Access: No
UNESCO: No
Address:
32 London Bridge Street, London, SE1 9SG, United Kingdom
Telephone: +44 84 4499 7111.
Website:
http://www.the-shard.com
Victoria & Albert Museum (V&A)
This stunning museum of art and design is a must visit for all lovers of pretty things. Founded in the 19th century as a museum of the decorative arts, the V&A's 11km (7 miles) of corridors trace a path through paintings, jewellery, furniture and textiles dating from 3000BC to the present day.
Opening Times: Sat-Thurs 1000-1745, Fri 1000-2200.
Admission Fees: No
Disabled Access: Yes
UNESCO: No
Address:
Cromwell Road, Knightsbridge, London, SW7 2RL, United Kingdom
Telephone: +44 20 7942 2000.
Website:
http://www.vam.ac.uk
London Dungeon
This interactive horror theme park gives visitors the opportunity to explore the darker side of British and European history. Visitors can go on various themed rides based around historical murders and executions, and escape the whims of the Dungeon’s actors, who dressed in gruesome costumes, lurk in dark corners and pounce at at unsuspecting tourists.
Opening Times: Sat-Wed, Thurs 1100-1700, Fri 1000-1600
Admission Fees: Yes
Disabled Access: Yes
UNESCO: No
Address:
Westminster Bridge Road, Lambeth, London, SE1 7PB, United Kingdom
Telephone: +44 20 7654 0809
Website:
http://www.thedungeons.com
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 British paintings from 1500 to the present day. Much 20th-century art has moved to the Tate Modern, however, some remains on rotation here, from Paul Nash to David Hockney.
Opening Times: Daily 1000-1800.
Admission Fees: No
Disabled Access: Yes
UNESCO: No
Address:
Millbank, Westminster, London, SW1P 4RG, United Kingdom
Telephone: +44 20 7887 8888.
Website:
http://www.tate.org.uk/britain
The Fan Museum
This unusual but elegant museum houses the world's finest collection of handheld fans. On the first Saturday afternoon of each month, visitors can also join a fan making workshop (advance booking is required). Alternatively, enjoy a delicious Afternoon Tea in its beautiful muraled orangery overlooking a secret Japanese garden.
Opening Times: Tue-Sat 1100-1700, Sat 1200-1700
Admission Fees: Yes
Disabled Access: Yes
UNESCO: No
Address:
12 Crooms Hill, Greenwich, London, United Kingdom
Website:
https://www.thefanmuseum.org.uk/
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