London is huge, complex and one of the most famous cities on planet earth. But London is still a surprise destination for a lot of people, because of the many known and undiscovered attractions, scattered around this vast cosmopolitan city. So, if you are visiting for the first time, simply relax and plan your journey well.
The list of attractions is overwhelming – so it will be a miracle if you can see half of them in one trip. Some guests even struggle to visit a quarter of the city’s sites that are in different areas in a single day.
London can also be a challenge to navigate, especially if you’re not familiar with the city’s street map.
Don’t be surprised to find yourself on the second day, visiting another attraction which is only two blocks away from the place you visited on the first day.
You can end up moving around while wasting much of your time and cutting down on the places you can visit during your stay.
Not only that, you can incur unnecessary costs for extra traveling on buses, Tube trains, and taxis. It’s possible however to avoid all these inconveniences if your itinerary is well planned.
It’s better to have a plan that allows you to see attractions while walking rather than taking underground trains. All attractions that are near can be planned in a way that will be easy to visit in a day. With that, you’ll be able to see more of London with a minimum or no extra cost.
Navigate this Complex City and Discover New Things
Traveling on the bus can take you to see a lot of this great city. But getting off it and walk is a terrific way of exploring the city more.
You’ll be able to go down in alleyways where buses don’t go and see what in the area. You can find interesting, unusual, or just plain strange things found in those areas such as murals, or cool graffiti.
You’ll even find fantastic places to eat or stores to shop at. Also, London has some quiet and attractive places, that not too many people know about. You’ll get more fun and excitement than what you are hoping to find.
Central London has many attractions within a walking distance of each other. That’s where you’ll find the top of any London must-see attraction, the Big Ben, and the World-famous Houses of Parliament.
After being inspired to visit the Houses of Parliament, then head down the road to the infamous Churchill’s war rooms.
The Churchill war rooms are quite interesting if you like that kind of thing. From here, you will also find another must West Minister Abbey church. It’s the biggest in England and a very important church built-in 1050. It’s a very good place to visit.
Also flowing through this amazing city is the glorious River Thames and along its banks, there are a whole host of great things to see.
The city became even more creative with some new attractions like the London Eye. This observation wheel is the highest in the world, and it’s a favorite with the crowd.
The slow-moving glass capsules can give you a good view of the Buckingham Palace’s back garden.
The London Aquarian is just next door. The Aquarium is a vast underground and underwater world with a lot of wonderful creatures to suit visitors of all ages.
While there, you’ll come into a closer encounter with several sharks. You will also see a pacific reef display with a dramatic shipwreck scene.
Still around the area, step inside the London Dungeon for an exceptional, exciting entertainment that will take you back to the darkest times in London.
One negative thing to say is the Dungeon is not recommended for children or anyone with the fear of horror shows.
Satisfy Your Quench for Adventure
If you want to satisfy your London wanderlust, then find more interesting things at the South Bank, including going to the Shrek Adventures, and the National Theatre.
And a short walk from the South Bank is the Tate Modern and the Globe Theatre brings you modern art and London’s oldest theatrical traditions.
The millennium bridge is a great place to stroll while taking in a few sights and you’ll find another attraction on the other side which must be at the top of everyone’s “to visit” list, the St Pauls Cathedral.
Climb up to the top of this Cathedral and have an amazing view of London City. But don’t get super excited with that view, until you go to the Monument.
The Monument commemorates the fire of London. So, if you are more energetic, climb 311 steps to the top of the Monument, and get a better view than that from St Paul’s Cathedral.
Another attraction on everyone’s list is Trafalgar Square where you can take many selfies with the lion as you want. Once you’ve taken enough selfies, walk down to Piccadilly Circus, or the National gallery.
And right next door is Leicester Square – where if you’re lucky, you’ll see some celebrities walking the red carpet. All these attractions are just a few minutes apart. there’s no need to jump on the bus or go down to the tube.
From Trafalgar Square, go in the other direction and head down the Mow. Then stroll to Buckingham Palace to get closer to the Queen. From there you get all the information about when the changing of the guard will take place.
Buckingham Palace is a very popular attraction in London. When you see the British Union flag flying on top of the palace, it means the Queen is not at home. If she is at home, the royal flag will be the one flying at the top.
Take a canal boat cruise. It’s wonderful because it goes past south of the London zoo, which you can also get into. The zoo is home to more than 12,000 animal species.
Quirky Museums in London
When you feel exhausted looking around, take a little break. Luckily, London accommodates so many of the great known museums in the world.
Some museums are traditional and others are quirky, but you are assured to get an amazing museum experience. And the most interesting thing about these museums is that a lot of them are free.
The British Museum is like a center of learning, which will take you back to Athens in the golden age of Pericles. The Museum holds some of the greatest collection of antiques from all over the world. It’s a great place to wander around in the evening. As soon as you enter inside you’ll gasp at how amazing the all building is lit up.
But please, make sure you check out other great museums. Like the Old Operating Theatre Museum & Herb Garret at London Bridge, is an atmospheric museum offering a unique insight into the history of medicine and surgery.
The Sir John Soane Museum in Lincoln’s Inn Fields is a quirky London Museum. It exhibits architectural models, casts and drawings that are organized into rational categories.
The Geffrye Museum of the Home in Hoxton gives a glimpse into the lives of London’s poor and elderly in the 1780s and 1880s.
The London Postal Museum at Phoenix Place is another one you must add on the long list of interesting museums to visit while in the city.
Other Cool Areas to Visit in London
Things don’t get much newer than the Shard, Britain’s tallest building. And just a few steps straight from here you’ll find the city hall.
Then head across the river and then you hit the Tower Bridge and Tower of London. You can’t afford to miss any of these two iconic London landmarks otherwise your visiting will mission incomplete.
Related article: Why You Must Travel by Thames River Taxi
Most people when they visit London spend too much time in the city center. There are more interesting places to see outside of Central London.
Change to a different environment and go to Stratford in East London to see one of the most regenerated parts of London. From there you’ll see the Olympic Park that hosted the 2012 Olympics, and be able to shop in the nearby Westfield shopping center.
Get more from your visit by going to the Greenwich Meridian, or Zero degrees longitude if you are a geography enthusiast. There’s also the Royal Observatory and the Cutty Sark for Maritime Greenwich.
And just a short distance away but still in Greenwich is the London premiere concert venue the O2 Arena, formerly known as the Millennium Dome. From here you can get on London’s first urban cable car known as “the Emirates Airline cable car.”
Expect an amazing view from this cable car – as it runs over the Thames river, connecting the Greenwich Peninsula on the south bank and the Royal Victoria Docks on the north. It links the O2 Arena with the London ExCeL center in East London.
And while in Docklands, make sure to jump on a bus, Docklands light railway (DLR), or just walk to the Canary Wharf – it’s a major financial district in London.
It’s a base to some of the world’s richest companies and smartest corporate people. There’s more to Canary wharf than the eyes can see. It’s magic and buzzing here, especially on Fridays.
But you can find quiet and enticing places to eat delicious food and drink marvelous cocktails. There are also many restaurants, bars, and pubs that get packed with people from the area shaking off the stresses of the day. This is the perfect place to chill down and let all think in.
