London City Guide - Sightseeing

Before setting off sightseeing, it is wise for visitors to study a London Underground map to get a feel for the straightforward colour-coded system. Visitors should also bear in mind, however, that many of the Underground stations are very close to each other and many central areas are easily navigable on foot.

Walking the streets of London, or strolling through its parks, you realise that, in a city hailed for its ability to embrace modernity and change, the past is, however, never far away: there are four UNESCO World Heritage sites in London (the Palace of Westminster, the Tower of London, Maritime Greenwich and Kew Gardens) and some 40,000 listed buildings and structures.

The tourist heart of London lies mainly on the north bank of the River Thames, with the chunk of flat land between South Kensington in the west to Tower Bridge in the east stuffed full of things to do and see.

Starting in the west, there are the three major South Kensington museums - the Victoria & Albert Museum, the Natural History Museum and the Science Museum. Moving eastwards, the next key attraction is Buckingham Palace. A short walk away, through St James's Park, is Westminster, with the Houses of Parliament, Big Ben and Westminster Abbey.

From here, it is another short walk up Whitehall to Trafalgar Square, with the National Gallery and other attractions. This is where the West End starts, heading slightly north to Leicester Square connecting up with Piccadilly Circus to the west and Covent Garden to the east, with the stately old British Museum a little further away to the northeast. In the middle of the West End, Theatreland and Chinatown merge into Soho, with its nightlife and new media offices.

Along the river itself, on the north bank is the Tate Britain gallery in the west, followed by Westminster and then the Embankment. Crossing over the River Thames from the Embankment can be done on the pedestrian Golden Jubilee Bridges.

The south bank of the river now has its own throngs of tourists, at the London Eye and London Aquarium. This side of the river also dominates culturally, with the South Bank Centre and, further east, the Tate Modern and the Globe Theatre.

Another pedestrian bridge, Lord Foster's Millennium Bridge, connects the Tate Modern with St Paul's Cathedral, back on the north bank. From St Paul's, it is possible to walk through the City of London, reaching the Tower of London further east. Tower Bridge connects this ancient seat of power to City Hall, on the south bank, the new state-of-the-art home of London Mayor Boris Johnson and the London Assembly, designed by Lord Foster.

Visit London
Website: www.visitlondon.com

Britain and London Visitor Centre (BLVC)
1 Regent Street, SW1
Opening hours: Mon 0930-1830, Tues-Fri 0900-1830, Sat (Oct-May) 1000-1600, Sat (Jun-Sep) 0900-1700, Sun 1000-1600.                                  

City Information Centre
St Paul's Churchyard (opposite St Paul's Cathedral)
Tel: (020) 7332 1456.
Website: www.cityoflondon.gov.uk
Opening hours: Mon-Sat 0930-1730.

The London Pass (website: www.londonpass.com) allows free access to over 50 attractions (including the London Aquarium, London Zoo, Tower of London, Hampton Court Palace and Buckingham Palace in summer). The ‘with transport' option also includes transport on all London buses, Tubes and trains. The card is available for one, two, three or six days and you can buy one at the airport and tourist information offices around London. The card is fairly expensive though, so only worth buying if you are planning on doing a lot of sightseeing during your stay in London, or if you are pressed for time (card holders can avoid queues at many of the attractions).