71 of the best · London, United Kingdom

The Best Things to See and Do in London

Palaces, cathedrals, markets and views: the essential London.

Our 71 favourites, listed A–Z · Updated October 2026

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Insiders' picks

Three of our favourites from this list, vetted by people who know and love London.

Coronation church since 1066

Westminster Abbey

Westminster·Abbey church·£££

The great Gothic abbey church where English and British monarchs have been crowned since 1066, and where many are buried.

20 Dean’s Yard, SW1P 3PAExplore View on map
The Crown Jewels

Tower of London

City of London·Historic castle·£££

A castle by the Thames founded by William the Conqueror, home to the Crown Jewels, the Yeoman Warders and the ravens.

Tower of London, EC3N 4ABExplore View on map
Wren’s masterpiece

St Paul’s Cathedral

City of London·Cathedral·£££

Sir Christopher Wren’s great domed cathedral, completed in the early 18th century, with galleries to climb for views over London.

St Paul’s Churchyard, EC4M 8ADExplore View on map

The full list: Sights, A–Z

Show 62 of 70 places on a map

The back story 8

London: the back story.

The back story

Borough and Bermondsey: the back story

Southwark·In depth: neighbourhood

Coaching inns and markets, railway arches and warehouses: the story of the south bank behind London Bridge.

Explore View on map
The back story

Chelsea and the King’s Road: the back story

Chelsea·In depth: neighbourhood

From a riverside village of artists to the birthplace of the miniskirt and punk: Chelsea’s colourful history.

Explore View on map
The back story

Hidden London: secret corners of the centre

City of London·In depth: hidden London

A ruined church garden, an architect’s house of wonders, a lane of antiquarian booksellers and a police box in Trafalgar Square: the quieter side of central London.

Explore View on map
The back story

London from above: rooftops, towers and viewpoints

London·In depth: views

The best ways to see London from on high, from the Monument’s gallery to the Sky Garden, Horizon 22, The Shard and Primrose Hill.

Explore View on map
The back story

Royal London: palaces, parades and parks, the back story

Westminster·In depth: royal London

Coronations at Westminster Abbey, the State Rooms of Buckingham Palace, Changing the Guard and the Royal Parks: how to see royal London.

Explore View on map
The back story

Shoreditch and Spitalfields: the back story

Spitalfields·In depth: neighbourhood

Huguenot weavers, Georgian streets, markets and the creative energy of Shoreditch, just beyond the City.

Explore View on map
The back story

Stalls, halls and street food: London’s markets, the back story

London·In depth: markets

From the medieval market at Borough to Victorian Leadenhall, Covent Garden’s old flower market and the street food of Camden and Maltby Street.

Explore View on map
The back story

Two thousand years on the Thames: London, the back story

London·In depth: history

From Roman Londinium to the Great Fire, the Blitz and the global city of today: the story of London in a few pages.

Explore View on map

The icons 24

The unmissable London.

The Beatles’ crossing

Abbey Road Studios and the zebra crossing

St John’s Wood·Music landmark

The recording studios on Abbey Road, where the Beatles recorded, and the zebra crossing outside made famous by their 1969 album cover.

3 Abbey Road, NW8 9AYExplore View on map
London’s great food market

Borough Market

Southwark·Food market·£

A historic food market by London Bridge, with stalls of produce, cheese and street food under Victorian ironwork.

8 Southwark Street, SE1 1TLExplore View on map
Markets by the canal

Camden Market

Camden·Markets

The sprawling markets around Camden Lock on the Regent’s Canal, with independent shops, street food and vintage stalls.

Camden Lock Place, NW1 8AFExplore View on map
Booksellers’ Row

Cecil Court

Covent Garden·Historic shopping lane

A Victorian pedestrian lane between Charing Cross Road and St Martin’s Lane, lined with antiquarian bookshops and print dealers.

Cecil Court, WC2NExplore View on map
Gerrard Street and its gates

Chinatown

Soho·Neighbourhood

London’s Chinatown, around Gerrard Street and Lisle Street, full of restaurants, bakeries and supermarkets under red lanterns.

Gerrard StreetExplore View on map
Victorian coal stores reborn

Coal Drops Yard

King’s Cross·Shopping and dining

A shopping and dining quarter in two restored Victorian coal-drop buildings at King’s Cross, linked by Heatherwick Studio’s dramatic “kissing” roofs.

Stable Street, N1CExplore View on map
Sundays only

Columbia Road Flower Market

Shoreditch·Flower market

A Sunday street market of flowers and plants on Columbia Road, a narrow Victorian street of independent shops.

Columbia Road, E2 7RGExplore View on map
The heart of Covent Garden

Covent Garden Piazza and Market

Covent Garden·Market square

The square and the 19th-century market building at the heart of Covent Garden, with shops, cafés, market stalls and street performers.

Covent Garden PiazzaExplore View on map
A garden over the Elizabeth line

Crossrail Place Roof Garden

Canary Wharf·Roof garden

A covered roof garden above the Elizabeth line station at Canary Wharf, under a timber lattice roof by Foster + Partners.

Crossrail Place, E14Explore View on map
Home of the Bishops of London

Fulham Palace

Fulham·Historic house and garden

The former country home of the Bishops of London by the Thames in Fulham, with a museum, walled garden and riverside Bishop’s Park.

Bishop’s Avenue, SW6 6EAExplore View on map
Victorian London’s garden of the dead

Highgate Cemetery

Highgate·Historic cemetery·££

A Victorian cemetery on the hillside at Highgate, with Egyptian Avenue, the Circle of Lebanon and the tomb of Karl Marx.

Swain’s Lane, N6 6PJExplore View on map
A Victorian covered market

Leadenhall Market

City of London·Victorian market

An ornate Victorian covered market in the City, with painted ironwork and glass roofs over shops, pubs and restaurants.

Gracechurch Street, EC3V 1LTExplore View on map
Narrowboats by Warwick Avenue

Little Venice

Little Venice·Canal basin

A pool of moored narrowboats where the Grand Union and Regent’s canals meet, with waterside cafés and boat trips to Camden.

Warwick Avenue, W9Explore View on map
The golden dome by the park

London Central Mosque

Regent’s Park·Mosque and Islamic cultural centre

The London Central Mosque and Islamic Cultural Centre on Park Road, beside the Regent’s Park, known for its golden dome and minaret.

146 Park Road, NW8 7RGExplore View on map
The home of cricket

Lord’s Cricket Ground

St John’s Wood·Cricket ground and museum·££

The famous cricket ground in St John’s Wood, owned by Marylebone Cricket Club, with guided tours and the MCC Museum.

St John’s Wood Road, NW8 8QNExplore View on map
A colourful hidden courtyard

Neal’s Yard

Covent Garden·Courtyard

A tiny courtyard of brightly painted shopfronts between Monmouth Street and Shorts Gardens, with cafés and the original Neal’s Yard Remedies.

Neal’s Yard, WC2H 9DPExplore View on map
Food hall in a banana warehouse

Seven Dials Market

Covent Garden·Food hall·£

A food hall over two floors in a Victorian warehouse once used to ripen bananas, with independent traders and bars.

Earlham Street, WC2H 9LXExplore View on map
London’s oldest Gothic church

Southwark Cathedral

Southwark·Cathedral

A Gothic cathedral beside Borough Market and London Bridge, with links to Shakespeare and a peaceful churchyard.

London Bridge, SE1 9DAExplore View on map
A garden in a ruined church

St Dunstan-in-the-East

City of London·Church ruin garden

The shell of a Wren-era church, damaged in the Blitz, now a garden of climbing plants and trees in the heart of the City.

St Dunstan’s Hill, EC3R 5DDExplore View on map
Wren’s masterpiece

St Paul’s Cathedral

City of London·Cathedral·£££

Sir Christopher Wren’s great domed cathedral, completed in the early 18th century, with galleries to climb for views over London.

St Paul’s Churchyard, EC4M 8ADExplore View on map
High-level walkways

Tower Bridge

City of London·Bridge and exhibition·££

London’s most famous bridge, opened in 1894, with high-level walkways, glass floors and the Victorian engine rooms to visit.

Tower Bridge Road, SE1 2UPExplore View on map
The Crown Jewels

Tower of London

City of London·Historic castle·£££

A castle by the Thames founded by William the Conqueror, home to the Crown Jewels, the Yeoman Warders and the ravens.

Tower of London, EC3N 4ABExplore View on map
Nelson’s Column

Trafalgar Square

Westminster·Public square

The great square at the heart of London, with Nelson’s Column, four bronze lions, fountains and the National Gallery along one side.

Trafalgar Square, WC2N 5DNExplore View on map
In Regent’s Park

ZSL London Zoo

Regent’s Park·Zoo·£££

The zoo of the Zoological Society of London, on the northern edge of Regent’s Park, open to the public since 1847.

Outer Circle, Regent’s Park, NW1 4RYExplore View on map

Royal & political London 7

Palaces, Parliament and the guards.

Rubens’s painted ceiling

Banqueting House

Westminster·Historic palace·££

The only surviving building of the Palace of Whitehall, designed by Inigo Jones, with a ceiling painted by Rubens.

Whitehall, SW1A 2ERExplore View on map
The State Rooms in summer

Buckingham Palace

St James’s·Royal palace·£££

The London residence and office of the monarch, whose State Rooms open to visitors in summer, with Changing the Guard in the forecourt.

Buckingham Palace, SW1A 1AAExplore View on map
The mounted sentries

Horse Guards and the Household Cavalry Museum

Westminster·Museum and parade ground·££

The Household Cavalry’s headquarters on Whitehall, with mounted sentries, a museum and Horse Guards Parade behind.

Horse Guards, Whitehall, SW1A 2AXExplore View on map
The Palace of Westminster

Houses of Parliament

Westminster·Parliament building·£££

The Palace of Westminster, home of the House of Commons and House of Lords, with Westminster Hall and the Elizabeth Tower, home of Big Ben.

Palace of Westminster, SW1A 0AAExplore View on map
A royal home in the gardens

Kensington Palace

Kensington·Royal palace·£££

The palace in Kensington Gardens where Queen Victoria was born and grew up, with State Apartments and gardens open to visitors.

Kensington Gardens, W8 4PXExplore View on map
Home of the Chelsea Pensioners

The Royal Hospital Chelsea

Chelsea·Historic veterans’ home

The Royal Hospital Chelsea, founded by Charles II in 1682 as a home for army veterans, the Chelsea Pensioners, with buildings by Christopher Wren.

Royal Hospital Road, SW3 4SRExplore View on map
Coronation church since 1066

Westminster Abbey

Westminster·Abbey church·£££

The great Gothic abbey church where English and British monarchs have been crowned since 1066, and where many are buried.

20 Dean’s Yard, SW1P 3PAExplore View on map

Views 7

London from above.

Level 58 of 22 Bishopsgate

Horizon 22

City of London·Viewing gallery

A viewing gallery on Level 58 of 22 Bishopsgate in the City, with 300-degree views; visits are booked in advance in timed slots.

22 Bishopsgate, EC2N 4BQExplore View on map
A half-hour turn above the Thames

London Eye

South Bank·Observation wheel·£££

The giant observation wheel on the South Bank, with glass capsules that take about 30 minutes to make a full rotation.

Westminster Bridge Road, SE1 7PBExplore View on map
A garden in the sky

Sky Garden

City of London·Viewpoint and garden

A three-storey garden with viewing terraces at the top of 20 Fenchurch Street, with views across London.

1 Sky Garden Walk, EC3M 8AFExplore View on map
The Great Fire memorial

The Monument

City of London·Column and viewpoint·£

Wren and Hooke’s column commemorating the Great Fire of 1666, with 311 steps to a viewing gallery over the City.

Fish Street Hill, EC3R 8AHExplore View on map
A view protected by Parliament

The view from Richmond Hill

Richmond·Viewpoint

The view of the Thames winding through meadows and trees below Richmond Hill, protected by an Act of Parliament since 1902.

Richmond Hill, RichmondExplore View on map
London’s highest views

The View from The Shard

Southwark·Viewpoint·£££

Viewing galleries near the top of The Shard, the tallest building in the UK, including an open-air skydeck.

Joiner Street, SE1 9QUExplore View on map
Views over Hyde Park Corner

Wellington Arch

Mayfair·Triumphal arch·£

The triumphal arch at Hyde Park Corner, crowned by a great bronze quadriga, with viewing balconies over the parks.

Hyde Park Corner, W1J 7JZExplore View on map

Museums 24

History up close.

Ernő Goldfinger’s home

2 Willow Road

Hampstead·Modernist house·££

The modernist home that the architect Ernő Goldfinger designed for his family in Hampstead in 1939, now cared for by the National Trust.

2 Willow Road, NW3 1THExplore View on map
Number One, London

Apsley House

Mayfair·Historic house·££

The Duke of Wellington’s London home at Hyde Park Corner, known as Number One, London, with his art collection and Canova’s statue of Napoleon.

149 Piccadilly, W1J 7NTExplore View on map
Hampstead’s own museum

Burgh House

Hampstead·Historic house and museum

A Queen Anne house of 1704 in the heart of Hampstead village, home to the Hampstead Museum and a café.

New End Square, NW3 1LTExplore View on map
Dickens’s London home

Charles Dickens Museum

Bloomsbury·House museum·££

The Georgian terraced house on Doughty Street where Charles Dickens lived and wrote Oliver Twist, now a museum of his life.

48 Doughty Street, WC1N 2LXExplore View on map
Churchill’s wartime bunker

Churchill War Rooms

Westminster·Museum·£££

The underground rooms where Winston Churchill and his government directed the Second World War, preserved as they were left, with a museum of Churchill’s life.

King Charles Street, SW1A 2AQExplore View on map
The tea clipper

Cutty Sark

Greenwich·Historic ship·££

The 19th-century tea clipper in a dry dock in Greenwich, where you can walk the decks and stand beneath the hull.

King William Walk, SE10 9HTExplore View on map
A still-life drama

Dennis Severs’ House

Spitalfields·Historic house·££

A Georgian house in Spitalfields arranged by the artist Dennis Severs as if a family of Huguenot silk weavers had just stepped out of the room.

18 Folgate Street, E1 6BXExplore View on map
Freud’s couch

Freud Museum London

Hampstead·House museum·££

The Hampstead house where Sigmund Freud lived after fleeing Vienna in 1938, with his study and famous couch.

20 Maresfield Gardens, NW3 5SXExplore View on map
A Second World War cruiser

HMS Belfast

Southwark·Museum ship·£££

A Royal Navy cruiser from the Second World War, moored on the Thames near Tower Bridge and open to explore.

The Queen’s Walk, SE1 2JHExplore View on map
Rembrandt on the Heath

Kenwood House

Hampstead·Historic house

A neoclassical villa remodelled by Robert Adam on the northern edge of Hampstead Heath, with paintings by Rembrandt, Vermeer and Gainsborough.

Hampstead Lane, NW3 7JRExplore View on map
Canals and the ice trade

London Canal Museum

King’s Cross·Museum·£

A small museum of London’s canals in a former ice warehouse by Battlebridge Basin near King’s Cross.

12-13 New Wharf Road, N1 9RTExplore View on map
Buses, trams and the Tube

London Transport Museum

Covent Garden·Museum·££

A museum of London’s buses, trams, trains and Tube in the old flower market on Covent Garden Piazza, with a shop famous for its posters.

Covent Garden Piazza, WC2E 7BBExplore View on map
Rooms through the centuries

Museum of the Home

Shoreditch·Museum

A museum of home life in 18th-century almshouses on Kingsland Road, with period rooms from 1600 to today and gardens.

136 Kingsland Road, E2 8EAExplore View on map
Britain and the sea

National Maritime Museum

Greenwich·Museum

The national museum of Britain’s seafaring history, beside the Queen’s House in Greenwich.

Park Row, SE10 9NFExplore View on map
Stand on the meridian

Royal Observatory and the Prime Meridian

Greenwich·Historic observatory·££

The observatory on the hill in Greenwich Park, home of Greenwich Mean Time, where you can stand astride the Prime Meridian.

Blackheath Avenue, SE10 8XJExplore View on map
Science and invention

Science Museum

South Kensington·Museum

The national museum of science and technology on Exhibition Road, from Stephenson’s Rocket to the Apollo 10 command module.

Exhibition Road, SW7 2DDExplore View on map
Sharks under County Hall

SEA LIFE London Aquarium

South Bank·Aquarium·£££

An aquarium in the old County Hall beside the London Eye, with sharks, rays and penguins.

County Hall, Westminster Bridge Road, SE1 7PBExplore View on map
Treasures of the written word

The British Library

King’s Cross·National library

The national library of the UK on Euston Road, with the Treasures gallery of manuscripts and changing exhibitions.

96 Euston Road, NW1 2DBExplore View on map
Two million years of human history

The British Museum

Bloomsbury·Museum

One of the world’s great museums of human history and culture, in Bloomsbury, home to the Rosetta Stone, the Parthenon sculptures and the Egyptian mummies.

Great Russell Street, WC1B 3DGExplore View on map
The story of the Foundling Hospital

The Foundling Museum

Bloomsbury·Museum·££

A museum on Brunswick Square telling the story of the Foundling Hospital, London’s first home for abandoned children, and its links with Hogarth and Handel.

40 Brunswick Square, WC1N 1AZExplore View on map
Drake’s galleon on the Thames

The Golden Hinde

Bankside·Historic ship replica·££

A full-size replica of Sir Francis Drake’s Tudor galleon, berthed in St Mary Overie Dock by Southwark Cathedral.

St Mary Overie Dock, Cathedral Street, SE1 9DEExplore View on map
Thornhill’s painted ceiling

The Painted Hall, Old Royal Naval College

Greenwich·Historic hall·££

The great hall of Wren’s Old Royal Naval College, painted by Sir James Thornhill over nineteen years.

King William Walk, SE10 9NNExplore View on map
Ride the Mail Rail

The Postal Museum

Clerkenwell·Museum·££

A museum of the Royal Mail’s history in Clerkenwell, where you can ride the little underground Mail Rail train.

15-20 Phoenix Place, WC1X 0DAExplore View on map
Medicine, life and art

Wellcome Collection

Bloomsbury·Museum

A museum and library on Euston Road exploring health and human experience through science, history and art.

183 Euston Road, NW1 2BEExplore View on map