One day in London –what to do in London

1. The Tower of London

History! If you like the TV show Game of Thrones (and who doesn’t?), then you’ll
love the Tower of London. This place was home to so much plotting, scheming, death and
betrayals that it almost makes George’s epic tale of Westeros seem pale in comparison.
Queens, princes and archbishops died here, and history was literally made on the grass
underfoot.
Expect to spend a least two hours here, exploring all there is to see, from the tower, to
the execution block, to the crown jewels themselves. At the time of writing adult entry was in
the region of £21, with full ticket pricing information here. It’s free for holders of the London
Pass too.
While you’re at the Tower of London, you might as well take the opportunity to pop
across the Thames on Tower Bridge, easily the most famous of London’s bridges, and for
good reason!

2. The South Bank and London Eye

Once you’ve crossed over Tower Bridge, you’ll find yourself on the South Bank,
cunningly named because it’s on the south bank of the river Thames. As you walk west along
this lovely bit of pedestrianized river way you’ll find yourself passing such sights as HMS
Belfast1 (one of our favourite military museums in London) and London’s City Hall.
If you’ve picked up a London Pass, you can drop into HMS Belfast for free, which is well
worth doing.
You’ll also be walking past the recreation of Shakespeare’s famous Globe theatre, the
Shard (Western Europe’s tallest building), the Millennium Bridge which leads to St. Paul’s
cathedral and the quite magnificent Tate Modern Art Gallery, all of which are likely to tempt
you in. Go on, I won’t tell anyone.
Once you’ve made it past all these attractions, and maybe grabbed a bite to eat at
Borough Market just behind London Bridge, you’ll find yourself coming around the corner,
with the Houses of Parliament swinging into view and the giant Ferris wheel known as the
London Eye looming large.

1HMS Belfast is a Town-class light cruiser that was built for the Royal Navy. She is now permanently moored as a museum
ship on the River Thames in London and is operated by the Imperial War Museum.
3. The Houses of Parliament

After your London Eye ride, walk or boat ride (whichever you opt for!), you’ll want
to pop across the river to take in the Houses of Parliament, home to the English lawmakers
and the bell known as Big Ben. This is one attraction that is easy to see from the outside, but
not many people know that you can also drop inside if you want to, and go on a guided tour.
The building is very impressive from the outside, and you can sate your thirst for
history quite easily by popping to Westminster Abbey, which happens to be just behind the
Houses of Parliament.
Westminster Abbey has played host to some of the most important historical events of
the last thousand years in the UK, hosting 16 royal weddings, around 50 coronations and a
host of memorial services, including that of Diana, Princess of Wales.
It is also home to some of Britain’s most famous dead, including Charles Darwin,
Isaac Newton, notable royals, and many more. Very much worth a visit, although it is a little
pricey at £20 per adult at time of writing if you book in advance.

4. Buckingham Palace

Ah, the Queen. Depending on you who you talk to in the UK, she’s either a lovely old
dear who the country needs, or a tragic waste of tax payers’ money.
Whichever, she does happen to have a number of rather lovely houses to live in, the
most famous of which is of course Buckingham Palace. Here you can peer through the
railings to watch the changing of the guard and wonder as to how the other half live, and
wave frantically at the windows on the off-chance that someone waves back.
You can also visit and actually go inside Buckingham Palace in very narrow windows
of opening during the summer, with full details of pricing and opening hours available on this
website.
Of course, whilst you’re at Buckingham Palace, you should probably take a moment
to explore some of the other local attractions. A quick stroll down the Mall will take you past
the pretty St James’s Park, home to a number of pelicans, and out onto Trafalgar Square,
where you can enjoy seeing the lions, Nelson’s famous column and sate your art appetite at
the excellent, and free, National Gallery.

5. Trafalgar Square and the West End

From Buckingham Palace you could either stroll up the Mall, or head back towards
Westminster Abbey, and go up Whitehall. I’d advise the latter, and not least because one of
the Harry Potter London locations is nearby.
Going up Whitehall takes you through the heart of government in Britain, and you’ll
pass right by 10 Downing Street. Don’t be upset if you miss it though, you can’t actually see
the famous door from the street.
As you walk along Whitehall you’ll find yourself passing the Cenotaph, one of
Britain’s most well known war memorials. You’ll also pass the Horse Guards, where you can
get photos of the, well, Horse Guards atop their horses, before finally arriving at Trafalgar
Square.
This is home to Nelsons Monument and the National Gallery, and a photo with one of
the lions is pretty much mandatory. From here, you’re an easy walk to the West End, where
you might want to take in a show to round off your day in London!