Travel

Historic City Of London

Places Of Interest:
Before starting your sightseeing tours, it is absolutely necessary to get The London Pass which can give you many benefits such as free entry to many attractions, free guide books, fast track entry without queues, additional transport options on the Tube and buses, discounts and many more. You don't need to carry too much cash, and the London Pass keeps control on your spending.

1.Central London:

- Marylebone:
A.Madame Tussauds and the London Planetarium, Marylebone Road. (Nearest tube: Baker Street). Madame Tussaud's is a world famous waxwork museum, best known for its Grand Hall, with a collection of international royalty, statesmen and world leaders.
B.Wallace Collection, Manchester Square. (Nearest tube: Bond Street). The Wallace Collection is one of the world's finest private art collections, the best known of which is Frans Hals's work The Laughing Cavalier. Other artists on display include Rembrandt, Titian, Poussin, and Reynolds.

- Mayfair:
A.Royal Academy of Arts, Piccadilly. (Nearest tube: Piccadilly Circus). The Royal Academy no longer has a permanent exhibition space, instead hosting art exhibitions. Visitors should book tickets in advance, as exhibitions are often very popular.

- St James's:
A.Hyde Park: The West End's back garden, Hyde Park is the largest central London park at 140 ha (350 acres) in size. Noted for the large number of recreational possibilities, for the Serpentine (the central large lake) its collection of public sculpture, and for being a venue of choice for world-class music and other events, such as the annual 'Party in the Park', a concert in aid of the Prince's Trust, and the record-breaking Live8 concert of 2005.
B.Kensington Gardens - Blends into Hyde Park at its western end, features Kensington Palace and the Albert Memorial, 111 ha (275 acres) in size.
C.St James Park - With its royal, political and literary associations, St James's Park is at the very heart of London and covers 23 hectares (58 acres) with a lake harbouring ducks, geese and pelicans.
D.Buckingham Palace, The Mall. (Nearest tube: Green Park or Hyde Park Corner) Opens August-September, while The Queen is visiting Scotland. Mo-Su 9:30am-4:30pm. Changing of the Guard each day at 11:30am, April-June, and on alternate days for the rest of the year, weather permitting. Nineteen of the State Rooms are open to the public in the Summer, and visitors are strongly advised to book in advance to tour them.
E.Apsley House, No. 1, London, Hyde Park Corner. (Nearest tube: Hyde Park Corner). The former home of the 1st Duke of Wellington, boasting an impressive collection of paintings, sculpture, medals and swords.
F.Palace of Westminster (more widely known as the Houses of Parliament), Parliament Square. (Nearest tube: Westminster) When Parliament is in session, visitors can sit in the viewing gallery of the House of Commons and the House of Lords, by entering through St Stephen's Entrance (opposite Westminster Abbey). There is no admission for this, but visitors have to leave bags, mobile phones, cameras, and any writing material with the staff outside the viewing gallery. Visitors must also be silent while watching proceedings. There is generally a queue to sit in the viewing gallery, which is shorter towards the end of the day. During the summer, the Palace opens for tours led by Parliamentary employees, which are well worth the money for the chance to see behind-the-scenes.
G.Clock Tower(Big Ben), Palace Of Westminster- The Clock Tower is the world's largest four-faced, chiming turret clock. The structure is situated at the north-eastern end of the Houses of Parliament building in Westminster, London, United Kingdom. It is often mistakenly called "Big Ben" — which is actually the main bell housed within the Clock Tower.
H.Westminster Abbey, Parliament Square. (Nearest tube: Westminster) There are several areas of Westminster Abbey that are open to the public. The site of the coronation of every British monarch since William I in 1066, and the site of numerous significant events in British history - the marriage and funeral services of Princess Diana took place here. Well worth the admission fee for the stunning architecture and incredible sense of history.
I.Whitehall (Nearest tube: Westminster, Charing Cross) This street runs between Parliament Square and Trafalgar Square, and is the site of several British Government buildings. Horseguards Parade, and the heavily guarded entrance to Downing Street are on the west side. Banqueting House is on the east side. In the centre of the street sits the Cenotaph - a war memorial erected following the First World War, which is the centre of the annual Remembrance Day ceremony on 11 November.
J.Tate Britain, Millbank. (Nearest tube: Pimlico) This gallery houses the Tate collection of British art from 1500 through to contemporary art.

- South Bank:
A.Tate Modern, South Bank. (Nearest tube: Blackfriars, Southwark). An enormous art gallery converted from the former Bankside Power Station, a visit to Tate Modern could easily take half a day on its own. The gallery collects together contemporary and modern art from around the world, arranged thematically. The most stunning aspect of the building, however, is the enormous Turbine Hall, which plays host to a single piece of work commissioned for the space each year.
B.London Eye, South Bank. (Nearest tube: Waterloo, Westminster). Opened in 2000, The British Airways London Eye is now one of London's most recognizable and popular landmarks. The world's largest observation wheel, it is situated on the South Bank of the Thames with magnificent views over London.
C.Saatchi Gallery, County Hall, South Bank. (Nearest tube: Waterloo, Westminster) An exhibition of works from Charles Saatchi's collection of contemporary art, predominantly Britart, including works by Damien Hirst, Tracey Emin and Sarah Lucas. Themes of the art on display may not be suitable for all ages. The admission fee is the highest of any art gallery in the world, so tourists should consider if they are sufficiently interested in the genre of art on display before entering.
D.Shakespeare's Globe, South Bank. (Nearest tube: Mansion House, Southwark) Sam Wanamaker's reconstruction of Shakespeare's Globe Theatre, built using traditional techniques, stages plays in the Summer months. Around the year, there is an exhibition ending with either a tour of the theatre itself (in Winter, and mornings in the Summer), or a virtual tour (Summer afternoons).
E.South Bank Centre (Royal Festival Hall, Hayward Gallery, National Theatre and National Film Theatre), South Bank. (Nearest tube: Embankment). The South Bank Centre is an concrete monstrosity on the south bank of the river, comprising a number of cultural institutions. The Royal Festival Hall hosts almost daily classical music concerts throughout the year, tickets often available on the day. The Hayward Gallery is a gallery hosting a single temporary exhibition at any one time. The National Theatre has three large auditoriums, and puts on a wide variety of shows - tickets should generally be booked in advance, but availability depends on the performance. The National Film Theatre has two screens showing less mainstream films.

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