London is one of the fascinating cities on the planet. Ancient laneways lined with historic landmarks, high-end boutiques, and award-winning theatres are interspersed with modern architectural wonders like the Shard. The gorgeous streets wound their way around iconic tourist attractions of London like Buckingham Palace, Westminster Abbey, and St. Paul's Cathedral, leading visitors to gape at their beauty and run out of photo storage on their phones.
With so many stunning tourist sites and intriguing things to do, it's no surprise that London is one of the most visited cities in the world, with over 20 million visitors annually. The busy capital of the United Kingdom has something for everyone, including shopaholics, foodies, adventurers, historians, and children; yet, deciding what to do first can be difficult.
Should you visit one of the city's finest museums (many of which are free to attend), have a picnic in one of the many parks, take a tour of a royal castle, or stroll through a beautiful garden? Maybe you'd rather see a show, ride a horse through a grove, ride the London Eye, or have a classic afternoon tea at Harrods. We as a Pickvisa family give the list of main tourist attractions in London. Moreover, for detailed information about visa details to the UK, you can go to the "Services" section of the website.
Top 10 tourist attractions in London:
1. Buckingham Palace
We start our guide with Buckingham Palace for the map of London tourist attractions Buckingham Palace, one of the most famous structures in the United Kingdom, is also the Changing of the Guard site. This colourful and free show of precise marching and song draws crowds at 11:30 a.m., regardless of the season, and also takes place in St. James's Palace, after which you may follow the band along The Mall as they march between venues.
Look at the flagpole atop the building whether the royal standard is flying day and night to see if the Queen is in. She and members of the Royal Family may even appear on the central balcony on important state occasions.
Visitors can purchase tickets for the State Rooms, the Queen's Gallery, and the Royal Mews while the Queen is away at her summer residence in Scotland.
2. The Tower of London and Tower Bridge
The majestic Tower of London has served various purposes, from jail to castle, treasure vault to private zoo. This majestic World Heritage Site, one of the main tourist attractions in London, provides hours of intrigue for tourists interested in the country's rich history. After all, so much of it happened here. The 17th-century Line of Kings, with its magnificent displays of royal weaponry and armour, is housed within the enormous White Tower constructed in 1078 by William the Conqueror.
The famed Crown Jewels display, the Beefeaters, the Royal Mint, and horrific exhibitions depicting the executions that took place on the grounds are among the other attractions. The Bloody Tower tells the story of ancient torture and the mystery of two princes missing many years ago.
One of the tourist attractions of London is the nearby Tower Bridge, with its two massive towers standing 200 feet above the River Thames (fascinating behind-the-scenes tours are available). Walk across the Thames for the greatest Tower views, as well as a sight of London Bridge (which many people incorrectly assume is Tower Bridge) in the distance.
Butler's Wharf, a quirky part of town with several eateries, is located on the south side of the bridge.
3. British Museum
The British Museum has about 13 million objects from the ancient world, making it one of the world's greatest collections of antiquities. It's difficult to know where to begin at this sprawling attraction with magnificent artefacts from Assyria, Babylonia, China, Europe, and beyond.
The disputed Elgin Marbles from the Parthenon, the Rosetta Stone, the enormous bust of Ramesses II, the Egyptian mummies, and the magnificent hoard of 4th-century Roman silver known as the Mildenhall Treasure are among the museum's most famous exhibits.
There's a shop offering kids' toys and souvenirs, as well as one selling replica sculptures and jewellery, in addition to a well-stocked on-site bookshop with an extensive assortment of publications on ancient history, archaeology, and art history.
The museum provides a range of lectures and seminars and a restaurant and café for those who choose to stay longer.
4. Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament
The 318-foot tower holding the enormous clock and its booming bell known as Big Ben screams "London" more forcefully than anything else. It's as well-known as Tower Bridge, and the tolling of Big Ben is recognized across the world as the BBC's time signal. The Houses of Parliament, which run down the Thames for centuries and were formerly the location of the regal Westminster Palace inhabited by William the Conqueror, are located underneath it.
Crossing Westminster Bridge and gazing back provides the greatest vista. Alternatively, after crossing the bridge, turn left and follow the walkway to the SEA LIFE London Aquarium (a fun spot to take kids). For a beautiful shot with Big Ben in the backdrop, gather your team around the wall.
Tours of the parliament buildings provide a rare opportunity to see live debates and vibrant political arguments. Whitehall, which runs parallel to Parliament Square and is lined with many government buildings, has become synonymous with the British government.
5. National Gallery
It's nearly impossible to visit London without seeing the magnificent National Gallery. This famous, columned museum, located on the outskirts of Trafalgar Square, houses amazing artworks, making it one of London's top attractions.
The National Gallery in London, one of the world's best art institutions, provides a nearly comprehensive overview of European painting from 1260 to 1920. The museum's holdings of Dutch Masters and Italian Schools from the 15th and 16th centuries are its finest assets.
A cartoon (preliminary drawing) of Leonardo da Vinci's Madonna and Child, Michelangelo's The Entombment, Botticelli's Venus and Mars, van Gogh's Sunflowers, and Claude Monet's The Water-Lily Pond are among the highlights.
6. Victoria and Albert Museum
The Victoria and Albert Museum (often known as the V&A) is part of a collection of museums in South Kensington that includes the Natural History Museum and the Science Museum. The V&A, founded in 1852, is a 13-acre museum with 145 galleries spanning 5,000 years of art and associated objects.
Ceramics and glass, fabrics and costumes, silver and jewellery, ironwork, sculpture, prints, and photographs are among the exhibits neatly divided into four categories: Asia; Furniture, Textiles, and Fashion.
Because it's difficult to view everything in this massive museum in one visit, the best strategy is to select the areas you want to see ahead of time. Taking a tour of the V&A is widely recommended and frequently free, with options ranging from daily introduction tours to the particular gallery or themed excursions.
The Main and Garden Cafés are unlike any museum eatery you've ever seen. The exquisite craftsmanship on everything from the floor to the columns to the ceiling elevates them to the status of works of art in their own right. Furthermore, the cuisine is extremely delectable.
Also, don't miss out on the John Madejski Garden, which is so lovely and tranquil that you'll forget you're in the heart of one of the world's most populous cities.
If you're in the area, check out one of the entertaining "Friday Late" events, which are held on the last Friday of each month (excluding March and December) and are known for their late-night food and drink experiences as well as art openings.
7. Piccadilly Circus and Trafalgar Square
Piccadilly Circus and Trafalgar Square, two of London's most well-known tourist attractions, sit close together and serve as entrances to Soho, the city's vibrant theatre and entertainment area. The stroll between the two is delightful, with its quirky stores, excellent cafes, ice cream shops, and meandering laneways suggesting a bygone period when only horses and buggies traversed these old streets.
Lord Horatio Nelson's victory over the French and Spanish at Trafalgar in 1805 inspired the construction of Trafalgar Square. Nelson's Column, a 183-foot granite monument, stands in the centre of the square, overlooking the fountains and bronze reliefs made from French cannons. The plaza is surrounded by the Admiralty Arch, St. Martin-in-the-Fields, and the National Gallery.
Piccadilly Circus is the unruly junction of many bustling streets - Piccadilly, Regent, Haymarket, and Shaftesbury Avenue - and it is here that London's most famous sculpture, the winged Eros, carefully balanced on one foot, bow poised, sits. "It's like Piccadilly Circus," a frequent phrase used to describe a crowded and perplexing sight.
8. Shard
Since its debut in 2012, The Shard has established itself as one of London's most iconic and frequented monuments. This amazing building - called for its resemblance to a shard of glass - dominates the skyline yet, owing to its attractive form, doesn't look out of place when viewed alongside neighbors such as Tower Bridge.
9. The Two Tates
The two Tates, London's most stunning art museums, are a must-see for art enthusiasts. Tate Britain and Tate Modern are on opposing banks of the Thames. The first gallery opened in 1897 as the foundation of a national collection of major British art, and it proceeded to make acquisitions, requiring extra room to adequately show its holdings. It now houses one of the world's most important art collections.
As a result, Tate Britain was established in Millbank, on the north bank of the Thames, as the permanent home of its permanent collection of ancient British paintings.
The modern art collections were housed in a magnificently renovated power plant across the Thames. Art enthusiasts may spend a whole day seeing both locations, which are connected by a high-speed boat. Even better, cross the Millennium Bridge, a footbridge that unites the river's two sides near the Tate Modern. The vistas are breathtaking.
10. Westminster Abbey
Westminster Abbey, another landmark with a long history of affiliation with British aristocracy, is built on a site that has been linked with Christianity since the early seventh century. Peter in Westminster was founded in 1065 by Edward the Confessor as his burial site.
Most sovereigns were crowned and buried here from Henry II's burial in 1066 until George II's burial over 700 years later. It has recently gained notoriety as the favourite site for Royal Weddings.
This Gothic masterpiece not only boasts England's highest Gothic nave (102 feet), but it's also one of London's most popular tourist attractions, with well over a million visitors each year. The Tomb of the Unknown Warrior, among the more than 600 memorials in the Nave; Poet's Corner in the Transepts, with tributes to Shakespeare, Chaucer, and Dickens; the Westminster Abbey Museum; and the beautiful gardens are all highlights of a visit.
So, in this article, top 10 tourist attractions in London are given. You can find more information about visa issues related to London from our site - Pickvisa.com.
