St Pancras Renaissance Hotel London

London

　　Housed in the former Midland Grand Hotel, a red-brick Gothic Victorian marvel designed by Sir George Gilbert Scott in 1873, the St Pancras Renaissance counts 245 rooms but only 38 of them are in the original building, and only one, the architect's namesake suite, is restored to its Victorian design....

Hampstead Heath

London

　　Sprawling Hampstead Heath, with its rolling woodlands and meadows, feels a million miles away from the city – despite being about 3.5 miles from Trafalgar Square. It covers 320 hectares, most of it woods, hills and meadows, and is home to about 180 bird species, 25 species of butterflies, grass...

Sky Garden

London

　　The ferns, fig trees and purple African lilies that clamber up the final three storeys of the 'Walkie Talkie' skyscraper are mere wallflowers at this 155m-high rooftop garden – it's the extraordinary 360-degree views of London that make this vast, airport-terminal-like space so popular. The Sky Garden has front-row seats...

Harry Potter Shop at Platform 9¾

London

　　Pottermania refuses to die down and Diagon Alley remains impossible to find, but if you have junior witches and wizards seeking a wand of their own, take the family directly to King's Cross Station. This little wood-panelled store also stocks jumpers sporting the colours of Hogwarts' four houses (Gryffindor having...

King's Cross Station

London

　　With its clean lines and the simple arches of its twin train sheds, you might be forgiven for thinking that King's Cross is a more modern building than its show-off neighbour St Pancras, but in fact it opened its doors more than a decade earlier in 1852. Designed by Lewis...

Royal Observatory

London

　　Rising like a beacon of time atop Greenwich Park, the Royal Observatory is home to the prime meridian (longitude 0° 0' 0''). Tickets include access to the Christopher Wren–designed Flamsteed House (named after the first Royal Astronomer) and the Meridian Courtyard, where you can stand with your feet straddling the...

Covent Garden Piazza

London

　　London’s wholesale fruit-and-vegetable market until 1974 is now mostly the preserve of visitors, who flock here to shop among the quaint Italian-style arcades, eat and drink in the myriad cafes and restaurants, browse through eclectic market stalls in the Apple Market, toss coins at street performers on the West Piazza...

William Morris Gallery

London

　　Fans of Victoriana and the Arts and Crafts Movement should make time for this sensational little gallery. The beautiful Georgian mansion, located in Walthamstow in northeast London, was the family home of William Morris (1834–96), founder of interior-design company Morris & Co, famous far and wide for its patterned wallpaper....

Serpentine Gallery

London

　　This gallery is one of London’s most important contemporary-art galleries. Damien Hirst, Andreas Gursky, Louise Bourgeois, Gabriel Orozco, Tomoko Takahashi and Jeff Koons have all exhibited here. A leading architect (who has never built in the UK) is annually commissioned to build a new ‘Summer Pavilion’ nearby, open from June...

Southbank Centre

London

　　Southbank Centre, Europe's largest space for performing and visual arts, is made up of three brutalist buildings that stretch across seven riverside hectares: Royal Festival Hall, Queen Elizabeth Hall and Hayward Gallery. With cafes, restaurants, shops and bars, this complex is always a hub of activity, from the singing lift...

Victoria & Albert Museum

London

　　The Museum of Manufactures, as the V&A was known when it opened in 1852, was part of Prince Albert’s legacy to the nation in the aftermath of the successful Great Exhibition of 1851. It houses the world's largest collection of decorative arts, from Asian ceramics to Middle Eastern rugs, Chinese...

Borough Market

London

　　For a thousand years, a market has existed at the southern end of London Bridge, making this still-busy ancient gathering point a superb spectacle. Overflowing with small shops, food stalls and wholesale greengrocers catering to London's top-end restaurants, Borough Market makes a delicious lunch stop, afternoon grazing session or pure...

Royal Albert Hall

London

　　Built in 1871, thanks in part to the proceeds of the 1851 Great Exhibition organised by Prince Albert (Queen Victoria's husband), this huge, domed, red-brick amphitheatre, adorned with a frieze of Minton tiles, is Britain’s most famous concert venue and home to the BBC’s Promenade Concerts (the Proms) every summer....

Houses of Parliament

London

　　Both the elected House of Commons and the House of Lords, who are appointed or hereditary, sit in the sumptuous Houses of Parliament, officially called the Palace of Westminster. This neo-Gothic building dates from the mid-19th century – its oldest part is 11th-century Westminster Hall, one of only a few sections...

White Horse

London

　　A lovely pub in a very busy corner of Soho, the White Horse ticks all the boxes: friendly staff, cheap drinks (it’s part of the Sam Smith brewery empire) and a great traditional interior with etched glass and wood panels. The upstairs restaurant is particularly cosy and usually quieter than...

Buckingham Palace

London

　　Built in 1703 for the Duke of Buckingham, Buckingham Palace replaced St James's Palace as the monarch's official London residence in 1837. Queen Elizabeth II divides her time between here, Windsor Castle and, in summer, Balmoral Castle in Scotland. If she’s in residence, the square yellow, red and blue Royal...

Changing the Guard

London

　　The full-on pageantry of soldiers in bright-red uniforms and bearskin hats parading down the Mall and into Buckingham Palace is madly popular with tourists. The event lasts about 45 minutes and ends with a full military band playing music from traditional marches, musicals and pop songs. The pomp and circumstance...

Museum of London Docklands

London

　　Housed in an 1802 warehouse, this educational museum combines artefacts and multimedia displays to chart the history of the city through its river and docks. The best strategy is to begin on the 3rd floor and work your way down through the ages. Perhaps the most illuminating and certainly the...

Shard

London

　　Puncturing the skies above London, the dramatic splinter-like form of the Shard has become an icon of the city and is one of the tallest buildings in Europe. The scene from the 244m-high viewing platforms on floors 69 and 72 is like none other in town, but it comes at...

Big Ben

London

　　The most famous feature of the Palace of Westminster (Houses of Parliament) is Elizabeth Tower, more commonly known as Big Ben. A major £61-million refurbishment project is covering the tower in scaffolding, hampering that perfect London picture, and the famous chimes will be silenced until the work is finished, scheduled...

Soho

London

　　In a district that was once pastureland, the name Soho is thought to have evolved from a hunting cry. While the centre of London nightlife has shifted east, and Soho has recently seen landmark clubs and music venues shut down, the neighbourhood definitely comes into its own in the evenings...

St James’s Palace

London

　　The striking Tudor gatehouse of St James’s Palace is the only surviving part of a building initiated by the palace-mad Henry VIII in 1531 on the grounds of a famous leper hospital. While it's not open to the public, you can admire it from the outside; it's best approached from...

Albert Memorial

London

　　This splendid Victorian confection on the southern edge of Kensington Gardens is as ostentatious as its subject wasn't. Queen Victoria’s humble German husband Albert (1819–61) explicitly insisted he did not want a monument. Ignoring the good prince’s wishes, the Lord Mayor instructed George Gilbert Scott to build the 53m-high, gaudy...

Bar Termini

London

　　Cool, assured, and expertly staffed, this tiny Soho cafe-bar is perfect for a Negroni (the speciality), house cocktail (mostly £12) or top-notch coffee, sandwich or charcuterie plate. You won't need long to ponder alternative drink choices (only three wines and one beer are offered) and it's wise to book a...

Lamb & Flag

London

　　Perpetually busy, the pint-sized Lamb & Flag is full of charm and history: there's been a public house here since at least 1772, when it was known as the Cooper's Arms and infamous for staging bare-knuckle boxing matches. Rain or shine, you’ll have to elbow your way through the merry...

French House

London

　　This legendary, twin-storied bohemian boozer has quite a history: it was the meeting place of the Free French Forces during WWII and de Gaulle is said to have drunk here often, while Dylan Thomas, Peter O’Toole and Francis Bacon all measured their length on the wooden floor at least once....

Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese

London

　　Rebuilt in 1667 after the Great Fire, this is one of London’s most famous – and most crowded – pubs. It has strong literary connections, with Mark Twain, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and Charles Dickens on the list of regulars. The gloomy interior, narrow passageways and convoluted layout add to...

Science Museum

London

　　The Science Museum will mesmerize with its interactive and educational exhibits covering everything from early technology to space travel. Take the family along to nurture a wide-eyed fascination for the complexities of the world and the cosmos. Here are the most popular galleries and displays at the Science Museum, along...

Yard

London

　　This Soho favourite attracts a cross-section of the good, the bad and the beautiful. Fairly attitude-free, it's perfect for pre-club drinks or just an evening out. Grab a seat in the upstairs loft bar or join the friendly crowd in the open-air courtyard bar (heated in season) below. ...

Kensington Palace

London

　　Built in 1605, Kensington Palace became the favourite royal residence under William and Mary of Orange in 1689, and remained so until George III became king and relocated to Buckingham Palace. Today, it remains a residence for high-ranking royals, including the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge (Prince William and his...

Kensington Gardens

London

　　A delightful collection of manicured lawns, tree-shaded avenues and basins immediately west of Hyde Park, the picturesque expanse of Kensington Gardens is technically part of Kensington Palace, located in the far west of the gardens. The large Round Pond in front of the palace is enjoyable to amble around, and...

London Eye

London

　　It’s hard to imagine South Bank without the London Eye (officially named the lastminute.com London Eye after its current sponsor), the world’s largest cantilevered observation wheel, which began twirling in 2000 to mark the turn of the millennium. It was originally a temporary attraction, intended to be dismantled after five...

Hyde Park

London

　　One of London’s best parks, Hyde Park spreads itself over 142 hectares of neat gardens, wild expanses of overgrown grass and glorious trees. As well as being a fantastic green space in the middle of the city, it's home to a handful of fascinating sights, and hosts live concerts and...

British Museum

London

　　Why you should goWith almost six million visitors trooping through its doors annually, the British Museum in Bloomsbury, one of the oldest and finest museums in the world, is Britain’s most visited attraction. Through the varied (and occasionally controversial) collection, you'll see some of the world's greatest treasures, and learn a...

Shakespeare's Globe

London

　　Seeing a play at Shakespeare's Globe – ideally standing under the open-air wooden O – is experiencing the playwright's work at its best and most authentic. You can also join an informative guided tour, which takes you around the theater and gives access to an exhibition about Shakespeare, theater in the 17th century and...

Tower of London

London

　　Why you should goFew parts of the UK are as steeped in history or as impregnated with legend and superstition as the titanic stonework of the Tower of London. Not only is this fabulous fortress an architectural odyssey, but also there are the world's largest diamond, free tours from magnificently...

St Paul's Cathedral

London

　　Why you should goSir Christopher Wren’s 300-year-old architectural masterpiece is a London icon. Towering over diminutive Ludgate Hill in a superb position that's been a place of Christian worship for more than 1400 years (and pagan before that), St Paul’s Cathedral is one of London’s most magnificent buildings. For Londoners,...

Natural History Museum

London

　　Why you should goWith its thunderous, animatronic dinosaur, riveting displays about planet earth, outstanding Darwin Centre and architecture straight from a Gothic fairy tale, the Natural History Museum is astonishing. Kids are the target audience, but adults will be equally mesmerized. 　　Go on a journey through the times of dinosaurs...

Tate Modern

London

　　One of London's most amazing attractions, Tate Modern is an outstanding modern- and contemporary-art gallery housed in the creatively revamped Bankside Power Station. A spellbinding synthesis of modern art and capacious industrial brick design, this gallery has been extraordinarily successful in bringing challenging work to the masses, both through its...

Westminster Abbey

London

　　A splendid mixture of architectural styles, Westminster Abbey is considered the finest example of Early English Gothic. It's not merely a beautiful place of worship – the Abbey is still a working church and the stage on which history unfolds. Never a cathedral (the seat of a bishop), Westminster Abbey is...