Itineraries
Where to stay
Covent Garden or Westminster for first-timers who want the sights on foot, South Kensington for museums and calm streets, Shoreditch for nightlife and value.
The areas: Covent Garden and Soho, Westminster and the South Bank, South Kensington, Shoreditch.
Where to stay in London: areas and adviceHotels in LondonPlaces to see
All things to do in United KingdomMarketBorough MarketLondon's best-known food market, under the railway arches by London Bridge.Entry: Pay as you go
FoodBrick LaneAn East End street known for its curry houses, street art and 24-hour bagel bakeries.Entry: Pay as you go
MuseumBritish MuseumTwo million years of history, from the Rosetta Stone to the Parthenon sculptures.Entry: Free
ViewpointBuckingham PalaceThe King's London residence, across St. James's Park.Entry: Free to view outside. State Rooms prices below apply from July 8 to September 26, 2027.
FoodChinatownGerrard Street and the lanes around it, lined with Chinese and other East Asian restaurants and bakeries.Entry: Pay as you go
NeighborhoodCovent GardenThe old market hall, street performers and the theaters around it.Entry: Free to visit
FoodEdgware RoadA long road north of Marble Arch, lined with Lebanese and other Middle Eastern restaurants and cafes.Entry: Pay as you go
FoodFortnum & MasonA Piccadilly store founded in 1707, famous for its tea, hampers and food hall.Entry: Pay as you go
FoodHarrodsA Knightsbridge department store famous for its ornate, tiled food halls.Entry: Pay as you go
ViewpointHouses of Parliament and Big BenThe Gothic Palace of Westminster and its famous clock tower, best seen from Westminster Bridge.Entry: Free to view from outside
NatureHyde ParkLawns, the Serpentine lake and Kensington Gardens on its western side.Entry: Free to visit
NeighborhoodLeicester SquareA West End square of cinemas close to the theaters, with the TKTS booth for same-day tickets.Entry: Free to visit
MuseumNational GalleryWestern painting from the 1200s to the 1900s on Trafalgar Square.Entry: Free
MuseumNatural History MuseumDinosaurs and a blue whale skeleton in a cathedral-like hall.Entry: Free
ChurchSt Paul's CathedralChristopher Wren's domed cathedral, with the Whispering Gallery inside the dome.Entry: Sightseeing Monday to Saturday
MuseumTate ModernModern art in a former power station on the South Bank.Entry: Free; some exhibitions cost extra
ViewpointTower BridgeThe Victorian bridge beside the Tower, with walkways and glass floors high above the road.Entry: Free to cross the bridge
MuseumTower of LondonA fortress nearly 1,000 years old that guards the Crown Jewels.Entry: Adult ticket excludes the optional donation.
ChurchWestminster AbbeyWhere English and British monarchs have been crowned since 1066.