Book ahead
Tower of London & Tower Bridge
The Crown Jewels, 1,000 years of walls, and the bridge that everyone photographs. Timed entry sells out first in summer.
Start with these
London's must-sees
The eight places almost every first visit includes — what to expect, which are free, and where to read the full guide before you go.
First-visit essential
Westminster & Big Ben
Parliament, the Abbey and the clock tower within one short walk. The most recognisable half mile in the country.
River views
The London Eye & South Bank
A slow turn above the Thames, then the easiest landmark walk in London along the South Bank.
Free entry
The British Museum
The Rosetta Stone, the Parthenon sculptures and eight million objects. Reserve a free timed slot and skip the queue.
Dome climb
St Paul’s & the City
Wren’s cathedral, the Whispering Gallery and Roman remains tucked between the glass towers.
Full day out
Greenwich & the Observatory
World time, the Cutty Sark, a royal park and the best free skyline view in south London.
Free entry
South Kensington museums
The Natural History Museum, Science Museum and V&A stand within three minutes of each other.
Theatreland
Covent Garden
Street performers on the Piazza, Seven Dials, and forty theatres within a fifteen-minute walk.
Jump straight in
What are you planning?
A city like no other
Every visit reveals a different side of London
From iconic landmarks and free world-class museums to the vibrant West End and the street markets of Borough, Camden and Brick Lane, London rewards every kind of traveller. Come for the history, the food, the art or the football — there is always something you have not seen yet.
Use this guide to book the big-ticket experiences, then fill the gaps with our planning tools: where to stay, how to get around, what costs nothing, and when to visit.
Around 20 million international visitors arrive in London every year. This guide is built to help you skip the queues and see more of it.
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Top London tours & attractions
Skip-the-line tickets, guided walks and day trips beyond the city. Booked through our travel partner GetYourGuide, with free cancellation on most experiences.
Ad · Affiliate links — Tours are supplied and booked through GetYourGuide. We receive a commission if you book, at no extra cost to you.
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Theatre
Tonight in the West End
Seven long-running musicals in venues within a fifteen-minute walk of each other. Midweek matinees are usually the cheapest seats of the week.
Epic & emotional
Les Misérables
Sondheim Theatre
Find out more
Family spectacle
The Lion King
Lyceum Theatre
Find out more
Big songs & friendship
Wicked
Apollo Victoria Theatre
Find out more
Gothic romance
The Phantom of the Opera
His Majesty’s Theatre
Find out more
Clever family favourite
Matilda The Musical
Cambridge Theatre
Find out more
Feel-good favourite
MAMMA MIA!
Novello Theatre
Find out more
Outrageous comedy
The Book of Mormon
Prince of Wales Theatre
Find out more
Also on stage
More shows & plays
Across the West End
See the full listAffiliate disclosure: Ticket links are affiliate links. If you book after following one, ilovelondon.com may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.
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Theatre
West End show offers
London's theatre district is the best in the world and it is smaller than most visitors expect — around 40 venues within a 15-minute walk of each other. Long-running musicals such as The Lion King and Wicked sit alongside new plays, comedy and opera, and midweek matinees are usually the cheapest seats of the week.
Book theatre ticketsStart here
Plan your trip
Everything you need before you land, from first-timer basics to where to sleep.
First time in London?
Transport, safety, tipping, etiquette and the mistakes that cost visitors money on day one.
Read the guideWhere to stay
From five-star suites in Mayfair to boutique rooms and budget beds near the Tube.
Compare hotelsLandmarks & sightseeing
Tower of London, Big Ben, the London Eye, Buckingham Palace and the views worth queuing for.
See the sightsLondon planning tools
Work out fares, find your hotel's zone and see when walking beats the Tube. Included with access.
Open the toolsChoose an area
Thirty-two neighbourhood guides, each with a map, a realistic route and where to eat.
Explore the areasWhen to visit
Season by season, school holidays, what sells out, and the quietest weeks to travel.
Read the answers
Explore neighbourhood by neighbourhood
Find the right London area for your day
London is easier to enjoy when you explore one area properly instead of spending the day crossing the city. Our complete area guides bring the best sights, food stops, useful maps and practical advice together on one page.
- Ready-made walking routes and realistic timings
- Greenwich, Westminster, Covent Garden, Soho and more
- Transport advice, local tips and places to eat
Where to stay
48 hotels, 6 partners
Central London, the airports and a few country escapes. Filter the full list by company, neighbourhood or airport on our hotels page.
1hotels
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The Royal Horseguards Hotel
Historic riverside elegance in Whitehall, beside Embankment.
Affiliate disclosure: Some hotel links on this page are affiliate links. If you make a booking after following one, ilovelondon.com may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.
Tools
Answers a guidebook can't give you
Built for visitors and honest about what they can't tell you. All eight tools are included with the 32 area day guides.
Tube fare calculator
What your travel will cost
Daily and weekly caps, buses, Hopper transfers and Heathrow.
Work out my faresWalk it instead
When the Tube is slower
118 stations and 23 landmarks, against a realistic door-to-door Tube time.
Check my journeyZone finder
Which zone is my hotel in?
Every station in TfL’s published list, searchable by neighbourhood.
Find my zoneIncluded tool
How much will your travel actually cost?
Tap in with the same card all day and TfL simply stops charging you once your fares hit a ceiling — usually after three journeys. Everything after that is free, and nobody at the barrier tells you it has happened. Our calculator does that arithmetic for your real dates.
- Day-by-day breakdown of what you'll be charged
- The Monday-to-Sunday weekly cap that catches out midweek arrivals
- Buses, Hopper transfers and Heathrow included
- Tells you plainly whether to tap or buy a Travelcard
- Zone finder for your hotel and accommodation area
Money-saving ideas
See London for less
Four things that quietly cut the cost of a trip, none of which require a discount code.
01
The best museums are free
Permanent collections at the British Museum, Natural History Museum, Science Museum, V&A, National Gallery and Tate Modern cost nothing to enter.
Which ones, and how to book 02Fares stop at the cap
Tap the same card all day and TfL stops charging once you hit the daily ceiling — usually after three journeys. Nobody tells you at the barrier.
Work out your week 03Some journeys are free on foot
Leicester Square to Covent Garden is one stop on the Tube and four minutes on the pavement. Central London is smaller than the map suggests.
Compare your journey 04Matinees beat Saturday nights
The same production, the same cast, a considerably cheaper seat. Midweek afternoon performances are the best value in the West End.
Browse the shows
Time travel
Walk through 2,000 years of history
London's story is one of conquest, plague, fire and reinvention. A small Roman trading post named Londinium became a medieval walled city, burned almost entirely in 1666, powered an empire through the Victorian era, survived the Blitz, and emerged as the global metropolis you see today.
Much of it is still standing. Roman wall fragments sit beside glass towers, and Tudor palaces are a short walk from Georgian squares.
Explore London's historyIncluded with access
Practical guidance for your London trip
Transport, money, museums, safety and common travel questions are covered inside our protected first-time visitor guide.
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