Madame Tussauds
Madame Tussauds is a famous wax museum in London with branches in a number of major cities. It was set up by wax sculptor Marie Tussaud. It was formerly spelt "Madame Tussaud's", but the apostrophe is no longer used.
Address: Marylebone Road
Website: www.madame-tussauds.com Telephone: (0)870 999 0046
Transport: Baker Street underground station, or buses 13, 18, 27, 30, 74, 82, 113, 139 and 274
Opening time: Off-peak, open daily 9.30am to 5.30pm. Peak, open daily 9am to 6pm.
Admission: Online booking is £22.50 (adults) and £18.50 (children), cheaper after 5pm
Tower of London
Her Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress, more commonly known as the Tower of London (and historically as The Tower), is a historic monument in central London, England, on the north bank of the River Thames. It is located within the London Borough of Tower Hamlets and is separated from the eastern edge of the City of London by the open space known as Tower Hill. It is the oldest building used by the British government.
The Tower of London is often identified with the White Tower, the original stark square fortress built by William the Conqueror in 1078. However, the tower as a whole is a complex of several buildings set within two concentric rings of defensive walls and a moat.
The tower's primary function was a fortress, a royal palace, and a prison (particularly for high status and royal prisoners, such as the Princes in the Tower and the future Queen Elizabeth I). This last use has led to the phrase "sent to the Tower" (meaning "imprisoned"). It has also served as a place of execution and torture, an armoury, a treasury, a zoo, the Royal Mint, a public records office, an observatory, and since 1303, the home of the Crown Jewels of the United Kingdom.
Address: Tower Hill
Post code: EC3N 4AB
Website: www.hrp.org.uk Telephone: +44 (0)844 482 7777
Transport: Tower Hill tube station, or buses 15, 42,78 or 100
Opening time: Tuesday to Saturday, 9am to 5.30pm; Sunday to Monday, 10am to 5.30pm
Admission: £16.50 (adults), £9.50 (children under 16); concessions and discounts for advance/online booking available
Houses of Parliament
The Palace of Westminster, also known as the Houses of Parliament, is a complex of buildings in London. It is the seat of the two houses of the Parliament of the United Kingdom (the House of Lords and the House of Commons). The palace lies on the north bank of the River Thames in the London borough of the City of Westminster, close to the government buildings of Whitehall.
The palace contains around 1,100 rooms, 100 staircases and 5 kilometres (3 mi) of corridors. Although the building mainly dates from the 19th century, remaining elements of the original historic buildings include Westminster Hall, used today for major public ceremonial events such as lyings in state, and the Jewel Tower.
Control of the Palace of Westminster and its precincts was for centuries exercised by the Queen's representative, the Lord Great Chamberlain. By agreement with the Crown, control passed to the two Houses in 1965. Certain ceremonial rooms continue to be controlled by the Lord Great Chamberlain.
Address: Westminster
Post code: SW1A 0AA
E-mail: hcinfo@parliament.uk
Website: www.parliament.uk Telephone: 0870 906 3773
Transport: Westminster underground station
Opening time: Open during summer recess, see the website for details.
Admission: £12 (adults), £5 (children)
London Eye
Since opening in March 2000 The London Eye has become an iconic landmark and a symbol of modern Britain. The London Eye is the UK’s most popular paid for visitor attraction, visited by over 3.5 million people a year.
A breathtaking feat of design and engineering, passengers in the London Eye's capsules can see up to 40 kilometres in all directions.
The London Eye is the vision of David Marks and Julia Barfield, a husband and wife architect team. The wheel design was used as a metaphor for the end of the 20th century, and time turning into the new millennium.
Address: Thames South Bank
Post code: SE1 7PB
E-mail: customer.services@ba-londoneye.com
Website: www.ba-londoneye.com
Telephone: (0)870 990 8883 or (0)870 5000 600 (bookings)
Transport: Westminster, Waterloo or Embankment underground stations, or bus RV1, 211, 77 or 381
Opening time: Daily October to May 10am to 8pm, June and September 10am to 9pm, July and August 10am to 9.30pm
Admission: See website for details
Buckingham Palace
Buckingham Palace’s 19 state rooms are open to visitors during August and September while the Queen makes her annual visit to Balmoral.
The State rooms house some of the Royal family’s greatest treasures including paintings by Rembrandt, Rubens, Poussin and Canaletto. They are also exquisitely furnished with some of the finest French and English furniture.
Visit the spectacular Palace Ballroom and see the traditional horseshoe-shaped table lavishly decorated for a State Banquet. On display you can see the silver gilt from the Grand service, first used to celebrate the birthday of George III in 1811 as well as jewelled cups, ivory tankards, chased dishes, sconces, shields and basins.
The end of the tour takes you along the south side of the Palace’s gardens with views of the west front of the Palace and the lake.
The Changing of the Guard takes place in the forecourt of Buckingham Palace at 11.30 every day in summer, every other day in winter, and lasts about 45 minutes.
The New Guard marches to the Palace from Wellington Barracks with a Guards band, the Old Guard hands over in a ceremony during which the sentries are changed and then returns to barracks. The New Guard then marches to St James's Palace leaving the detachment at Buckingham Palace.
Address: Buckingham Palace Road
Post code: SW1A 1AA
E-mail: bookinginfo@royalcollection.org.uk
Website: www.royal.gov.uk
Telephone: (0)20 7766 7300
Transport: Green Park underground station
Opening time: Various, see website for details.
Admission: State Rooms: £16.50 (adults), £9.50 (children under 17 years); concessions and combined tickets available. Queens Gallery: £8.50 (adults), ££4.25 (children under 17).
British Museum
The British Museum is a museum of human history and culture situated in London. Its collections, which number more than seven million objects,[3] are amongst the largest and most comprehensive in the world and originate from all continents, illustrating and documenting the story of human culture from its beginning to the present.
Address: Great Russell Street
Post code: WC1B 3DG
E-mail: information@britishmuseum.org
Website: www.britishmuseum.org
Telephone: (0)20 7323 8299 or (0)20 7323 8000
Transport: Russell Square underground station
Opening time: Saturday to Wednesday 10am to 5.30pm; Thursday and Friday 10am to 8.30pm; closed 24, 25 and 26 December, 1 January and Good Friday
Admission: Free
St Paul’s Cathedral
St Paul's Cathedral is the Anglican cathedral on Ludgate Hill, in the City of London, and the seat of the Bishop of London. The present building dates from the 17th century and is generally reckoned to be London's fifth St Paul's Cathedral, although the number is higher if every major medieval reconstruction is counted as a new cathedral. The cathedral sits on the highest point of the City of London, which originated as a Roman trading post situated on the River Thames. The cathedral is one of London's most visited sights.
Address: St Paul’s Churchyard
Post code: EC4M 8AD
E-mail: visitsdepartment@stpaulscathedral.org.uk
Website: www.stpauls.co.uk
Telephone: (0)20 7246 8357
Transport: St Paul’s underground station
Opening time: Monday to Saturday 8.30am to 4pm. Note that the Cathedral may be closed to visitors at any time due to special services or events, so it is always advisable to enquire beforehand
Admission: £10 (adults); £3.50 (children 7-16)
Camden Market
The Camden Markets are a number of adjoining large markets in Camden Town near the Hampstead Road Lock of the Regent's Canal (which is usually called Camden Lock), often called collectively "Camden Market" or "Camden Lock". The stalls sell crafts, clothing, bric-a-brac, fast food, and other things. It is the fourth most popular visitor attraction in London, attracting approximately 100,000 people each weekend.[1] It began in its present form in 1974 when the Camden Lock crafts market was formed. There was a small local food market in Inverness Street long before that; as of 2008 this market retains only three fruit and vegetable stalls in addition to stalls like those in the other markets.
Address: Camden Lock, Chalk Farm Road
Post code: NW1 8AF
Website: www.camdenlock.net
Transport: Camden Town and Chalk Farm underground stations. Numerous buses also pass Camden Lock
Opening time: The market is open daily from 10am to 6pm
Admission: Free