Study, work or travel in the UK. British
culture and life.
Take a sightseeing bus in London
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Study, work or travel in the UK. British
culture and life.
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Take a sightseeing bus in London
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Sections:
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Introduction | |
| Baker Street | ||
| Regent Street | ||
| Trafalgar Square | ||
| Whitehall | ||
| Waterloo | ||
| St Paul's | ||
| Tower Bridge | ||
| Southwark | ||
| Westminster | ||
| Buckingham Palace | ||
| Links |
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INTRODUCTION
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 Regent's Park |
 The City Sightseeing Tour bus |
 Buckingham Palace |
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BAKER STREET (and surrounding area)
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| Sherlock Holmes Museum | In the stories by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, the great detective Sherlock Holmes lived at 221b Baker Street. There is a statue of Sherlock Holmes in front of Baker Street underground station, and there is a museum dedicated to the character at 221b Baker Street: http://www.sherlock-holmes.co.uk |
| Madame Tussaud's | Madame Tussaud's is a famous museum with wax models
of famous people. See how many you can recognise! There is often a long queue to get in, but you can save time by buying a ticket in advance. http://www.madame-tussauds.co.uk |
| The London Planetarium | Next to Madame Tussaud's is the London Planetarium. You can
learn about the stars and planets here. http://www.london-planetarium.com |
| Regent's Park | A few minutes' walk from Madame Tussaud's is Regent's Park,
a very attractive park. The land is owned by the royal family but
can be visited free by the public. You can enjoy a walk around the lake
and gardens. In the summer there are often free musical performances, or
you may want to buy a ticket for one of the open air theatre productions. http://www.royalparks.gov.uk/parks/regents_park |
| London Zoo | On the northern side of Regent's Park is London Zoo. As well
as meeting many different types of animals you can learn about conservation. http://www.zsl.org/london-zoo |
| BT Tower |
The BT Tower is a communications tower. It is a well-known landmark which is visible from many parts of the city. Many years ago it used to be possible to go to the top to have a meal while enjoying the views, but the public cannot enter the building these days. |
 Sherlock Holmes (Baker Street) |
 Madame Tussaud's and the Planetarium |
 BT Tower |
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REGENT STREET (and surrounding area)
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| Oxford Street Regent Street Bond Street |
Oxford Street, Regent Street and Bond Street are the busiest
shopping streets in London. Among the biggest department stores in
Oxford Street are Selfridges, Debenhams and John Lewis. In Regent Street
you can find In November and December these streets are lit up with Christmas lights (see: Ideas/Album/ChristmasLights) Hold onto your bag carefully while shopping - thieves often target tourists in this area. http://www.oxfordstreet.co.uk http://www.regentstreetonline.com http://www.bondstreetassociation.com |
| Piccadilly Circus | The intersection of Regent Street, Piccadilly and Shaftesbury Avenue. The fountain is a memorial to the Earl of Shaftesbury, topped by a statue of the Angel of Christian Charity. |
 Regent Street |
 Piccadilly Circus |
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TRAFALGAR SQUARE (and surrounding area)
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| Leicester Square | Take a walk into Chinatown to the north of the square (the area is known as Soho) |
| Trafalgar Square | In the middle of Trafalgar Square is Nelson's Column, surrounded by four lions and two fountains. Nelson was the British naval commander who defeated Napoleon's fleet at the Battle of Trafalgar (off the coast of Spain). Free public events often take place in the square, especially at weekends. For more information see: Travel/Tours/London/TrafalgarSquare. |
| National Gallery | The National Gallery is an art gallery containing many
famous European paintings. Entry to the permanent collection is free. http://www.nationalgallery.org.uk |
| National Portrait Gallery | The National Portrait Gallery contains paintings and photographs
of people. Entry to the permanent collection is free. http://www.npg.org.uk |
 The National Gallery |
 Nelson's Column |
 National Portrait Gallery |
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WHITEHALL (and surrounding area)
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| Cenotaph | This war memorial is the focus of a special ceremony each
year on Remembrance Sunday. For photos, see: Ideas/Album/RemembranceSunday |
| Downing Street | The British Prime Minister lives in this road (at "number 10"). You cannot visit here, but you can have a quick look through the security gates and take a photo of the street sign. |
| Horse Guard's Parade | At Horse Guard's Parade you can see some of the guards (some on horses) who protect the British Queen (Elizabeth the Second). Each year the Queen's official birthday is celebrated here in a ceremony called Trooping the Colour (for pictures of this, see: Ideas/Album/TroopingTheColour) |
 Cenotaph |
 The entrance to Horse Guards' Parade |
 Inside Horse Guards' Parade |
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WATERLOO (and surrounding area)
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| London Eye | You can enjoy lovely views of London from this large wheel.
A ride (one revolution of the wheel) takes about half an hour (you may need
to queue). http://www.londoneye.com |
| IMAX Cinema | Watch a film on the huge screen at the London IMAX cinema.
Some 3-dimensional films are shown (you need to wear special glasses
for these). http://www.bfi.org.uk/incinemas/imax |
| South Bank Centre | If you go for a walk along the south bank of the River Thames
you will pass in front of the South Bank Centre: a series of buildings for
the arts, including classical music, dance, films or
plays. During the summer there is often some kind of free entertainment
in this area. http://www.southbankcentre.org.uk |
 The London Eye & County Hall |
 IMAX Cinema |
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ST PAUL'S (and surrounding area)
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| St Paul's Cathedral | A magnificent church designed by Sir Christopher Wren.
If you have time, climb to the Whispering Gallery in the dome at
the top. There is an entrance charge for visitors (it is free if you attend
one of the services). http://www.stpauls.co.uk |
| Bank of England | This is part of the financial district known as the City of London. |
| The Monument | A large stone pillar which was put up after the Great
Fire of London (1666), near the place where the fire started. You can climb the steps for good views of the city. |
 St Paul's Cathedral |
 The Monument |
 The financial district of the City of London |
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TOWER BRIDGE (and surrounding area)
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| London Dungeon | A scary visitor attraction based on the dark side of London's
history http://www.thedungeons.com |
| HMS Belfast | This battleship saw action in World War Two and is now open
to visitors http://hmsbelfast.iwm.org.uk |
| Tower Bridge | A beautiful bridge which sometimes opens to let tall
ships pass underneath. For the schedule of bridge opening times, see: http://www.towerbridge.org.uk/TowerBridge/English/BridgeLifts/schedule.htm There is a museum inside called the Tower Bridge Exhibition http://www.towerbridge.org.uk |
| Tower of London | This historic castle has been used as a fortress, as a palace
and as a prison. Visitors can see the Crown Jewels http://hrp.org.uk/TowerOfLondon |
 Tower Bridge |
 Crossing Tower Bridge on the sightseeing bus |
 The Tower of London |
 Traitor's Gate |
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SOUTHWARK (and surrounding area)
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| Globe Theatre | This is a copy of a theatre where William Shakespeare staged
his plays. http://www.shakespeares-globe.org |
| Tate Modern | A gallery of modern art. Entry to the permanent exhibits is
free. There are excellent views from the upper floors. http://www.tate.org.uk/modern |
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WESTMINSTER (and surrounding area)
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| Houses of Parliament | See the famous clock tower known as Big Ben, and the Houses of Parliament. Guided tours can be taken during the summer break. See: Travel/Tours/London/Parliament |
| Westminster Abbey | Westminster Abbey contains graves of many famous people
and has been used for coronations and royal marriages. http://www.westminster-abbey.org |
 Big Ben and Houses of Parliament |
 Westminster Abbey (view from east) |
 Westminster Abbey (view from north) |
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BUCKINGHAM PALACE (and surrounding area)
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| Buckingham Palace | Watch the Changing of the Guards, or visit the Queen's Gallery or the Royal Mews. The State Rooms can be visited during the summer. See: Travel/Tours/London/BuckinghamPalace |
| St James's Park | Enjoy a walk through the park and by the lakes. You can also visit the Guards Museum nearby. |
| Green Park | Enjoy a walk through the park. |
 Buckingham Palace |
 Guard in front of the palace |
 Victoria Memorial |
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BLOOMSBURY (and surrounding area)
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| British Museum | World-class museum. Entry is free. http://www.thebritishmuseum.ac.uk |
 British Museum |
 Statue within the museum |
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PICCADILLY (and surrounding area)
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| Royal Academy of Arts | Museum of fine arts from the 18th century to the present day http://www.royalacademy.org.uk |
| Fortnum & Mason | Department store famous for its teas, jams and other fine
foods. Afternoon tea is served here (no formal dress code) http://www.fortnumandmason.com |
| The Ritz | One of London's top hotels. Tea is served in the Palm Court
(a formal dress code applies) http://www.theritzlondon.com |
 Royal Academy of Arts |
 The Ritz Hotel |
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KENSINGTON (and surrounding area)
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| Hyde Park | A large park. Features include a large lake, the Princess
Diana Memorial Fountain and the Albert Memorial http://www.royalparks.gov.uk/parks/hyde_park |
| Harvey Nichols | A well-known department store on Knightsbridge. http://www.harveynichols.com |
| Royal Albert Hall | Large circular concert hall, most famous for the summer series
of classical concerts called the Proms. http://www.royalalberthall.com |
| Kensington Palace | Palace with attractive gardens. http://hrp.org.uk/KensingtonPalace |
| Natural History Museum | Museum about the natural world. Entry to the permanent collection
is free. http://www.nhm.ac.uk |
| Science Museum | Museum about science. Entry to the permanent collection is
free. http://www.sciencemuseum.org.uk |
| Victoria & Albert Museum | Decorative arts museum. Entry to the permanent collection
is free. http://www.vam.ac.uk |
| Harrods | A large high-quality department store http://www.harrods.com |
 Royal Albert Hall |
 Albert Memorial |
 Natural History Museum |
 Victoria & Albert Museum |
 Harrods store front (along Brompton Road) |
 A shop window at Harrods |
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FURTHER INFORMATION
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Lonely Planet verdict: London
"This is one of the world's truly great capitals, a city the world revolves around, and home to more sights than virtually any other metropolis. It's exhilarating, irrepressible, intimidating and brimming with spectacle and possibilities. It can be different things to different people but always in abundance. In fact, it's the quantity of its qualities that make London such a vital destination. Not only is it home to magnificent historical architecture and such familiar landmarks as Big Ben, the Tower of London, and the timeless Thames, London is a cornucopia of cultural wealth, boasting some of the greatest museums and art galleries anywhere. What's more, since 2001, most of these treasures are ours for free" (extracts from "Lonely Planet Great Britain - 2003 edition", used with permission) |
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Lonely Planet Great Britain Publisher: Lonely Planet Publications Date: May 2007 |
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Lonely
Planet London Publisher: Lonely Planet Publications Date: January 2006 |
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