29 Must-see places to visit in London

If you’re going on a trip to London and you want to know which are the must-see places you can’t miss in the city, read on! In this guide I’ll tell you about the best places to visit in London, the best things to do in the city and what you have to visit during your stay in the city.

🗺 29 must-see places to visit in London

📍Buckingham Palace

The residence of the British monarchy and one of the most iconic buildings to see in London, it has 775 rooms and 78 of them are bathrooms! This is where the famous Changing of the Guard takes place at 11am.

Buckingham Palace opens its doors to the public during the summer months to visit its famous State Rooms. You can buy your tickets here.

📍St James’s Park

One of London’s nine royal parks, it is located next to Buckingham Palace, Horse Guards Parade and the Churchill War Rooms. St James’s Park overlooks the London Eye and is considered a must-see place to visit in London.

In addition, some of its adjacent streets are of great historical interest such as The Mall or Downing Street, the street where the British Prime Minister lives.

📍 Green Park

Green Park is another of London’s royal parks and, like St James’s Park, is located next to Buckingham Palace. If you cross it you’ll come to Piccadilly St, one of London’s most iconic streets, home to the famous Ritz Hotel, Burlington Arcade and Fortnum & Mason. Did you know they were the ones who introduced baked beans to the country?

📍 Piccadilly Circus

Piccadilly Circus is one of London’s most iconic squares and one of the top places to see in London. It is the site of the Eros Fountain, the famous London screens and is joined by the streets of Piccadilly, Regent St, Shaftesbury Avenue and Coventry St.

📍Oxford St & Regent St

These two streets are two of the most famous streets in the city. Regent Street is one of the most beautiful streets in London and Oxford Street is the shopping street par excellence. Also, at Christmas time they become some of the most magical streets to visit in London at Christmas.

📍 Leicester Square

Leicester Square is one of London’s most iconic squares, famous for being the place where London’s premieres take place. Major cinemas such as Odeon, Vue and Empire are located here.

The square is also home to the Lego store, M&M’s World shop and a collection of statues of film characters including Harry Potter, Mary Poppins and Batman.

📍 Soho and Chinatown

Soho is known for its nightlife and for being the LGBT+ neighbourhood (at least in the past it was much more so). Soho is also home to Chinatown, London’s Chinatown, a must-see in London, and Carnaby Street, one of the city’s busiest streets.

📍 Trafalgar Square and National Gallery

Trafalgar Square is the city’s most famous square. Presided over by its famous lions, it is home to one of the most important museums: National Gallery. Inside you can find paintings by Rembrandt, Van Gogh, Caravaggio, among other painters. Admission is free and it is considered one of the best free things to do in London.

📍 Westminster Abbey

Westminster Abbey is one of the most important buildings to visit in London. Its interior has been the scene of some of the most important events in the country’s history such as the funeral of Diana of Wales or the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II.

📍 Big Ben

Big Ben is the most famous clock tower in the world. It is located next to the Houses of Parliament, next to the River Thames. Did you know you can visit Big Ben from the inside? Check out the tours available!

📍 Westminster Bridge

Westminster Bridge is considered one of the most beautiful bridges in London.

📍 London Eye

The London Eye is one of London’s top tourist attractions. Thousands of people visit it every year to enjoy a unique panoramic view of the city.

Near the London Eye we can find Jubilee Gardens, an ideal place to enjoy the city, with food and drink stalls all around. If you walk a little further, you will also find a second-hand book stall.

📍 Millennium Bridge

As well as being another of London’s iconic bridges, Millennium Bridge is one of the stops on any Harry Potter tour of London – it was the setting for one of his films!

📍 St Paul’s Cathedral

St Paul’s Cathedral is one of the most important historic buildings to visit in London. This is where the ceremony of Diana of Wales and Prince Charles was held, as well as the funeral of Winston Churchill.

Unfortunately, the former St Paul’s Cathedral was totally destroyed during the Great Fire of London. The interior is open to visitors and entry is included in the London Pass – don’t forget to visit the Golden Gallery for great views of London!

📍 Tower Bridge

Tower Bridge is one of the main symbols of London and crossing it is a must-do in London. You can also visit its interior and cross its glass walkway – which has a breathtaking view!

Near Tower Bridge you can visit St Dunstan’s in the East or St Katharine Docks – check out this City of London Borough Guide to add more places to your itinerary!

📍 Tower of London

The Tower of London is a fortress that was once used as the residence of the British royal family. Although it has a dark past – this is where the execution of Anne Boleyn took place – today visiting it is one of the best things to do in London.

Discover the Crown Jewels, take a tour with one of the beefeaters or tower guards, or be amazed by the number of crows that live here.

📍 Sky Garden

Sky Garden is one of the best free things to do in London. To visit it you need to book your ticket in advance to guarantee your access to one of the most spectacular sights in London. Close to Sky Garden is The Garden at the 120, another place with a great view of London.

📍 The Shard

The Shard is the tallest building in London. It is recognisable by its glass pyramid-like appearance. It is 310 metres high and has 95 floors. Inside it has several restaurants such as Aqua Shard or Oblix, the iconic Shangri-La hotel and a viewing platform known as The View from the Shard.

The View from the Shard is located on the 68th and 69th floors, although you can go all the way up to the 72nd floor for incredible views of London. It costs around £28 and is included in the London Pass. And because it’s located right next to London Bridge tube and train station, you can enjoy a unique view of Tower Bridge – a must-see in London!

📍 British Museum, a must-see museum in London

Did you know that the British Museum is one of the most visited museums in the world?

The British Museum is one of the most important museums in London. Like most museums in the city, admission is free. Inside you will find mummies, sarcophagi and one of the most precious objects in the museum: the Rosetta Stone.

This museum is HUGE. You will need several days to see it in depth, and even then, I can tell you that you would still be short of time. My advice is to book a guided tour. You can also make a list of things you want to see or have a look at my article on what to see in the British Museum.

📍 Notting Hill

Notting Hill is one of London’s most picturesque neighbourhoods. It is famous for its colourful houses, its antiques market and for having been the set of movies like Notting Hill or Love Actually.

📍 Natural History Museum

The Natural History Museum is one of the most impressive buildings in the city and one of the main places to visit in London. Neo-Romanesque in style, this museum opens the doors to the natural world like never before.

The reason everyone chooses to visit the Natural History Museum in London is because of its dinosaur skeletons. But that’s not the only thing you’ll see here. Animal fossils, an authentic recreation of a dinosaur, remains of meteorites from the moon or that are more than 4.5 billion years old.

The Natural History Museum is an ideal museum for adults and children. Admission is free and is located very close to the Science Museum and the V&A Museum.

📍 Science Museum

The Science Museum is located in South Kensington and admission is free. It is also one of the best things to do in London with children.

This museum is characterised by its interactive and didactic exhibitions. It has more than 300,000 objects inside, divided into areas and themes. If you’re travelling with children, I recommend booking Wonderlab: The Equinor Gallery, where the little ones will feel like real scientists.

📍 V&A Museum

This museum houses one of the largest collections of decorative and applied arts in the world. It also has the largest and most complete collection of costumes in the world. Admission is free and inside you can’t miss its fashion collection, Tipu’s Tiger, the replica of Trajan’s Column or Raphael’s cartons.

Did you know that a replica of Michelangelo’s David is also hidden here?

📍 Harrods

You’ve probably already heard of Harrods, one of the most luxurious shopping centres in the world. It’s an institution in London, but it’s not for everyone’s pocket. However, a visit to Harrods is a must in London.

Harrods is located in Knightsbridge, very close to the Natural History Museum, the Science Museum and the V&A Museum. At Christmas, its façade becomes one of the most beautiful postcards of London.

Did you know that the world’s first escalators were installed here?

📍 Camden Town

This London neighbourhood is one of the most alternative in the city and one of the main neighbourhoods to visit in London. It is the cradle of London rock and, at one time, the home of Amy Winehouse. Although the most characteristic of this neighbourhood is its market, its extravagant facades and its peculiar shops such as Cyberdog – a shop you must visit in Camden Town.

📍 Greenwich and boat trip on the Thames: a perfect plan to do in London

Greenwich is one of my must-see places in London and one of my favourite neighbourhoods in the city – I recommend it to everyone! It is much more remote than Notting Hill or Camden Town, but it has a lot of charm. My recommendation is to book a boat trip on the Thames from Westminster Pier to Greenwich and start your visit enjoying unique views of London.

Also, in this neighbourhood you can stroll through its famous park (where you can see the London skyline and deer in the wild), visit the Greenwich Meridian, cross the Thames by cable car and admire Painted Hall, London’s Sistine Chapel.

📍 Tate Modern

Tate Modern, or the British National Museum of Modern Art, is a museum located in London’s Southwark district and a must-see in London. Admission is free and its collection contains over 100 years of art, with works by most of the most important artists of the 20th century, such as Pablo Piccasso and Salvador Dalí.

In addition, its café has some of the best views of St Paul’s Cathedral.

📍Madame Tussauds

This is the most famous wax museum in the world. It houses more than 150 wax figures of famous people such as Queen Elizabeth II, Beyoncé, Audrey Hepburn and Lady Gaga.

It is a very popular museum in London and a perfect activity to do with the family in London. It is located near Regent’s Park, in the Marylebone district.

📍 Harry Potter Studios, a must-see in London

The most famous wizard in history was born in the UK. In fact, there are many places where you’ll find traces of his story, including Alnwick Castle, The Shambles in York, Christ Church College in Oxford and the streets of London.

It is here, in London, where you will also find the famous Harry Potter Studios, an essential visit to make in London if you are a fan of the saga. My recommendation is to book your tickets as soon as possible because they FLY!

The Warner Studios where the 8 Harry Potter films were created are located in Watford, North London. If you can, I would recommend booking the bus tour to avoid any problems in case of cancellations, tube strikes, etc.

During your visit you will see the Great Dining Hall, Dumbledore’s office, Gringotts Wizarding Bank. You will also see items such as the Nimbus 2000 broomstick and learn the secret behind all the special effects in the films – don’t forget to try the butterbeer!

📍 Tour London on a sightseeing bus

Sightseeing buses are one of the city’s most popular activities. With them you can visit London’s must-see sights in just a couple of hours. Plus, you can hop on and off as many times as you like to explore an area in more depth or enter a building.

You can choose 1-day, 2-day or even 3-day tickets. All of them include a boat trip on the Thames – ideal for visiting Greenwich 😉. The 2-day and 3-day tickets also include a walking tour of London and a night tour by open top bus.

The sightseeing bus is also included in the London Pass.

Buffer

Pocket

0 Shares