Table Of Content

TABLE OF CONTENTS Welcome to London Exploring London Top 10 London Highlights British Museum National Gallery National Portrait Gallery Natural History Museum Science Museum Buckingham Palace London Eye Tate Modern Tate Britain Westminster Abbey Parliament Square Tower of London St Paul’s Cathedral The Top 10 of Everything Moments in London’s History Famous Residents Literary London Royal London Royal Parks and Gardens Churches Museums Art Galleries River Sights Off the Beaten Track Children’s London Performing Arts Venues Live Music Venues Best Places to Eat Pubs Shops and Markets London for Free Festivals and Events London Area by Area Westminster, the South Bank and Southwark Soho and the West End Covent Garden Bloomsbury and Fitzrovia Mayfair and St James’s Kensington and Knightsbridge Regent’s Park and Marylebone The City North London South and West London East London Streetsmart Getting To and Around London Practical Information Places to Stay Maps Copyright Clockwise from top: British Museum, Big Ben, red telephone boxes, St Paul’s and the Millennium Bridge, Westminster Abbey, Tate Britain, Kew Gardens WELCOME TO LONDON River city. Royal city. City of palaces and pubs, museums and monuments. Hotbed of theatre. Shopping mecca. Financial powerhouse. London is all these things and more… so who could argue when we say that it’s the world’s most exciting metropolis? With Eyewitness Top 10 London, it’s yours to explore. We love London: the culture, the chaos, the noise. What could be better than strolling along the cobbled streets of Covent Garden, sipping a cocktail in a rooftop bar, sailing along the Thames between the Houses of Parliament and Tate Modern, browsing the cutting-edge boutiques of Spitalfields and scouting the stalls for a bargain or time-travelling back to Shakespeare’s England, standing rapt among the crowds at the Globe Theatre? It’s all here, packed into a few square miles of the world’s most energetic streetscape. This city is a cultural colossus, boasting the world’s busiest theatre district, a bar or restaurant on every corner, and a packed calendar of eye-catching ceremonies and festivals, from Trooping the Colour to the Notting Hill Carnival. It does history and pageantry like nowhere else, but we think it’s also the most cosmopolitan city on Earth. Home to 300 languages, it’s a modern-day Babel, where every neighbourhood has its own vibrancy and verve. Whether you’re coming for a weekend or a week, our Top 10 guide brings together the best of everything the city can offer, from hip Hoxton to sophisticated St James’s. The guide gives you tips throughout, from seeking out what’s free to avoiding the crowds, plus 13 easy-to-follow itineraries, designed to help you visit a clutch of sights in a short space of time. Add inspiring photography and detailed maps, and you’ve got the essential pocket- sized travel companion. Enjoy the guide, and enjoy London. EXPLORING LONDON For things to see and do, visitors to London are spoiled for choice. Whether here for a short stay or just wanting a flavour of this great city, you need to make the most of your time. Here are some ideas for two and four days of sightseeing in London. Two Days in London DAY 1 Morning Take a Beefeater tour of the Tower of London, then visit St Paul’s Cathedral. Afternoon Cross Millennium Bridge, for a panorama of the River Thames. Explore the Tate Modern before taking in a play at Shakespeare’s Globe. Shakespeare’s Globe is a replica of the original Globe Theatre. DAY 2 Morning Begin at Buckingham Palace and, if it’s August or September, tour the State Rooms. Afterwards, head to Westminster Abbey to see the monuments of English monarchs. Afternoon After lunch, spend 2 hours at the National Gallery in Trafalgar Square. Then take a “flight” on the London Eye. Trafalgar Square, London’s central point, is beautifully lit up at night. Four Days in London DAY 1 Morning Start with a full morning exploring the Tower of London, then cross imposing Tower Bridge and stroll along the river past HMS Belfast.