Top 20 sightseeing the best attractions to see on your holiday

Top 20 London

Top 20 Sightseeing in London

Now let’s visit London, the most densely inhabited and the most visited city in the United Kingdom and in England. “The Square Mile”, as what the city of London is oftentimes referred to, has something to offer for everyone: from tireless innovate culture and art to mind-blowing historical glory, from fine and scrumptious gastronomy to amusements and night life. London is also known to be a city of imagination and ideas. The great number of contemporary and high end museums and structures can testify to this fact.

Let us virtually tour around London and see what are the top 20 sightseeing spots including the most renowned historical museums, impressive monuments, contemporary galleries and stunning gardens.

1

Tower of London

tower of londonA royal palace and at the same time her Majesty’s Fortress, this is how the Tower of London is described in few words. The Tower of London is an ancient castle with 22 towers that sits inside the Tower Hamlets’ London Borough on the northern side of the River Thames bank in central London. If you visit the Tower of London you will as well get the chance to see the most remarkable structure known as the White Tower. Inside the castle lies some wild animal sculptures, raven, great architectural design, the armor suitable for very huge king, the multi-colored Yeoman Wonders and the dazzling Crown Jewels.

2

British Museum

British Museum londonFeel the excitement of witnessing one of the most ancient human history collections that date back more than two million years ago at London’s British Museum. Dedicated to culture, art and human history, this one remarkable museum houses a great number of world famous objects that illustrates the human culture story from its beginnings up till the modern days including the Parthenon sculptures, the legendary Egyptian mummies which receives as many as six million visitors every year and the Rosetta Stone. The British Museum keeps around 8 million objects as part of the museum’s permanent collection, making it one of the most comprehensive and the largest historical collection ever in existence. The good news is that you can be able to see the incredible collections in the museum free of charge.

3

St Paul’s Cathedral

St Paul’s Cathedral londonSt Paul’s Cathedral is a major basilica in London that has stood in the city and has serves as a house of God for more than 1400 years already. It is marked as the highest place of Christian worship and the tallest structure ever completed in 1700s. This towering house of worship has been standing at the highest spot in London, the Ludgate Hill. The basilica is especially dedicated to St. Paul. It is known to be among the most iconic and most majestic structure in the city. The cathedral’s cosmic dome which symbolizes pride and resilience has been dominating the skyline for more than 300 years.

4

Westminster Abbey

Westminster Abbey londonThe Westminster Abbey is a special place in London where each and every monarch from William the Conqueror to the present generation has been crowned. The Westminster Abbey, once known as Collegiate Church of St Peter at Westminster, is a massive church in the City of Westminster, London. The abbey is not only considered as a wonderful place of worship because of its mixture of architectural styles but also regarded as the best exemplar of the Early English Gothic.

5

Houses of Parliament

Houses of Parliament london dayThe best way to reach the heart of the United Kingdom democracy is to pay a visit to the Houses of Parliament or better known as the Palace of Westminster. The roof of the Houses of Parliament is said to be the most primitive known example of a hammer beam roof. It highlights a clock tower known as Big Ben or Elizabeth Tower.

6

Buckingham Palace

Buckingham Palace london frontFeel a scent of royal atmosphere by visiting the Buckingham Palace or Buckingham House situated in the City of Westminster. The Buckingham Palace is the central venue for royal occasions and state ceremonies just like State Visits and Investitures and national rejoicing. The Palace is the official residence and primary place of work in London of the United Kingdom’s monarchy. This huge townhouse was specially built for Buckingham’s Duke in 1703.

7

Windsor Castle

Windsor Castle londonGet mesmerized by the fascinating sights of the Royal Residence of Her Excellency the Queen by visiting the Windsor Castle located at Windsor, Berkshire in England. The Windsor Castle is the most gigantic and the most ancient occupied fortress in the world dating almost 1000 years back. Inside the vicinity of the castle rests one of the most striking ecclesiastical structures in England, the St George’s Chapel. The chapel also serves as the place of entombment for 10 monarchs.

8

National Gallery of London

National Gallery of London fountainHousing one of the richest art collections in the world is the National Gallery of London. It is located in Trafalgar Square, City of Westminster. This art museum keeps more than 2300 European paintings dating from the mid-13th century to the early 20th century. Included in the ancient works displayed in the museum are the masterpieces of Renoir, Titian, Michelangelo, Van Gogh and Leonardo da Vinci. The National Gallery is also one among the art museums in the world that receives the most number of visitors per year.

9

Museum of London

Museum of LondonDiscover the richness of the capital’s history and its turbulent past through taking an unforgettable journey at the Museum of London. Through the great collections displayed inside the museum, you will get to time travel from the prehistoric London to its present glory and witness the changes that the city had gone through from the reign of Romans and Saxons. The museum highlights a couple of interesting interactive exhibits that aim to emphasize and to provide memorable experience than mere learning.

10

Kew Royal Botanic Gardens

Kew Gardens london violetThe Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, also known simply as Kew Gardens, is regarded as the most popular botanical garden and the largest orchid collection in the world. The Kew Gardens is included in the list of Unesco World Heritage Sites. This non-departmental public body is located just half an hour away from the central area of England’s capital city. The Gardens highlights wonderfully made landscapes, a number of historical structures, glasshouses and a wide range of exquisite and exotic plants.

11

Hampton Court Palace

From the towering medieval structures, decorative Tudor brick chimneys and the Great Watching Chamber’s alluring stained glass windows to the wonderfully landscaped gardens and Parkland, you will surely venerate the glory of the Hampton Court Palace. The palace, located in the Richmond upon Thames, Greater London, is the finest as well as the largest Tudor structure in England and also among the most sophisticated castles in the entire Europe. The Hampton Court Palace is the most favorite royal residence of Henry VIII. More than the Tudor castle the palace also highlights a 300-year-old maze, 24 hectares riverside gardens, a Haunted Gallery and another Baroque Palace.

12

Royal Academy of Arts

Photo credit: (c) Royal Academy of Arts, London; Photographer: Prudence Cuming Associates Limited

Photo credit: (c) Royal Academy of Arts, London; Photographer: Prudence Cuming Associates Limited

The Royal Academy of Arts, abbreviated as RA, is an arts institution centered Burlington House and is the most ancient in Britain. It is considered a unique institution as it is a privately funded. It is an independent institution that is run by a couple of highly distinguished architects and artists. The RA is situated on Piccadilly, in the heart of the West End of London. The academy was founded with the main purpose of promoting the different creations of the artists and academicians. The academy is also known for being the host of a variety of touring exhibitions and temporary art displays.

13

Trafalgar Square  

Trafalgar Square londonThe Trafalgar Square, originally named the Charing, is the greatest square in London. It is located in the City of Westminster in central London. It is most often regarded as the heart of England’s capital. The square is the usual venue for community gatherings, political demonstrations and other public events like cultural performances, shows, occasions and other special events. During Christmas, you can see the tallest and grandest Christmas tree in the city standing at the square. The Trafalgar Square also holds Nelson’s Column, the renowned Fourth Plinth, four iconic stone lions, some commemorative sculptures and statues as well as a large number of pigeons.

14

Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park

Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park londonOn the eastern part of the city just nearby the Stratford City development rests a huge sporting complex known as the Queen Elizabeth II Olympic Park. This sporting facility was intentionally built for the 2012 Summer Paralympics as well as for the 2012 Summer Olympics. The complex which occupies a total land area of 227-hectare houses a number of sporting venues including a stadium, main Olympic venues, walking and cycling trails, playgrounds and gardens. The complex also features the Copper Box Arena, the London Aquatics Centre, the ArcelorMittal Orbit and the Lee Valley VeloPark.

15

London Dungeon

Take a dose of a mixture of fun, trepidation and excitement at one of London’s signature attractions, the London Dungeon. Visitors will absolutely experience mixed feelings as they walk through the Dungeon, stepping from one show to another. The London Dungeon has been delighting a wide range of audiences for almost 4 decades already. The London Dungeon offers a one and a half hours journey together with its 20 live actors through the 1000 years of the misty history of London. This popular attraction features two breathtaking underground rides, 18 interactive shows as well cutting-edge special effects and theming.

16

ZSL London Zoo

zsl-london-zoo-underwater-penguin-for-webThe ZSL London Zoo, also occasionally called the Regent’s Zoo, is the zoological gardens in London that is located in the grassy Regent’s Park. This zoo is known to be the most ancient scientific zoo in the world. The ZSL London Zoo is also known to be one of the zoos in the United Kingdom that houses the most number of animal individuals and species. It has been a home to 806 amazing animal species and a total of 19 178 individual animals.

17

Tower Bridge

London Tower BridgeThe Tower Bridge of London is one among the highly recognizable bridges on earth. A trip to London will never be complete without a visit to this world famous bridge. You can take and post for great photographs at the bridge and enjoy the spectacular view from the bridge. You may also enter the bridge and discover the history of the bridge as well as learn how the bridge has become what it is today through the photographs, films and interactive displays exhibited at the Tower Bridge Exhibition. This iconic symbol of London also houses the Victorian Engine Rooms which provide the power needed by the bridge lifts.

18

London Eye

 London EyeIf you want to see England’s capital city from a different perspective, then a visit to the tallest cantilevered observation wheel in the world known as the London Eye could satisfy what you are looking for. The Coca-Cola London Eye or simply the London Eye is regarded as a global icon and a modern symbol of London. This 135 meters high landmark can be found in the Jubilee Gardens on the South Bank of the River Thames. This giant ferries wheel provides scenic 360-degree views of the entire city as well as of the iconic structures and landmarks in the city.

19

Piccadilly Circus

Piccadilly Circus londonPiccadilly Circus is actually not a circus festival as what its name implies but it is rather a wide public open space and a road junction at the heart of London. It is situated in the West End, City of Westminster. This highly busy square is one of the city’s most popular tourist spots. It is a famous meeting place for both tourists and locals. You can just relax and sit by the renowned statue of Eros or perhaps post for a quick photograph in front of the iconic neon advertising which is known to be London’s miniature version of the Times Square.

20

Camden Market

Camden Market londonThe Camden Market is surprisingly the fourth most popular tourist destinations in London. It is also a famous shopping destination for many interesting people and for those shopaholics from all around the world who are looking for design and fashion alternatives. The Camden Market is consists of four major market areas namely; the Lock Market, the Stables Market, the Buck Street Market and the Canal Market.