Big Ben refers to the 13 ton bell in the clock tower of Westminster Palace. Opinion is divided as to whether it was named after the then Commissioner of Works, or a famous prize-fighter of the time.
Westminster Abbey was built by Edward the Confessor and completed just before his death in 1065. Since William the Conqueror all the kings & queens of England have been crowned here.
The British Museum began from the collection of naturalist Sir Hans Sloane which he left to the nation on his death in 1753. Now it houses 7 million objects including more than 100 Egyptian mummies.
One of London's most iconic landmarks offers a spectacular view, if you have a head for heights that is.
Built in 1703 for the Duke of Buckingham, George III acquired it in 1762 as a private house. It became an official royal residence in the reign of Queen Victoria, when it was greatly enlarged.
TRAVEL FACT: In British culture, the name implies a bussing about with people. Piccadilly Circus is referred to the Times Square of London.
The market is bustling with shoppers, tourists and performers on the weekend. Except for the many restaurants and cafes, there is also the famous Royal Opera.
Opened in 1881, the museum facade uses terracotta tiles which were resistant to the soot of Victorian London. The largest of the famous dinosaur skeletons in the central hall is a diplodocus.
Marie Tussaud, born in Strasbourg in 1761, made her first wax figure of the great French philosopher Voltaire in 1777. She opened a museum in London in 1835.
Much of the collection was inherited from the Museum of Patents (est 1858) and includes early locomotives such as Stephenson’s Rocket and Puffing Billy, and the first jet engine.
Holding concerts of The Beatles and Led Zeppelin, and events attended by personalities like The Queen and the Dalai Lama, this hall never fails to hold great shows. Box Office open 9am - 9pm daily.
TRAVEL TIP: Surf the web while you are in London - a lot of great artists perform in the Park
King's Cross Station is used again in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002) as platform 9¾, really platform 4, from where the Hogwart's express departs, this time without Harry and Ron.
London’s most exciting market has it all: antiques, food, streetwear and even typically British bits and pieces.
London Bridge was once crowded with buildings and prone to fires. It survived the 1666 Great Fire because an earlier fire had destroyed houses at the north end, creating a fire break!
Visit the London Beatles Store, for the world's largest selection of Beatles memorabilia!
In 1894 a French anarchist named Martial Bourdin was carrying a bomb through the park to the Observatory when it exploded and killed him. No one knows why he had decided to target the Observatory.
Set in a stunning park, and sitting precisely on the Prime Meridian of the world, the Royal Observatory is a great way to spend an afternoon in South London.
This grand Tudor palace was built by Henry VIII’s Lord Chancellor Cardinal Wolsey, but passed to the king in 1529. His 4th queen Catherine Howard is said to haunt the gallery outside the chapel.
Considered as London's shopping Mecca, this place is home to department stores like John Lewis and Selfridges and flagship stores like Debenhams and Zara. There are 300 more stores to choose from.
Begin with the venerable discount theatre ticket booth, TKTS, in Leicester Square (tkts.co.uk): try to arrive well before opening time (9am) to get the best choice of shows for the evening.
TRAVEL FACT: These well-known groups of standing stones are one of the Seven Wonders of the Medieval World.
Harrods’ magical Christmas window display was created with the help of Oscar de la Renta, Valentino and Marchesa, who dressed Disney’s fairy-tale princesses. See the gowns here: bit.ly/TR7FPp Read more.
In the area around here we saw 58% more threatened homelessness related problems than last year but enquiries about social housing rent arrears were down 18%.
Pickpockets operate in this area, so always keep your valuables hidden and your bag zipped up. Watch the ‘tricks of pickpockets’ and the tell-tale signs at http://goo.gl/UfI24 Read more.
The second bridge here was completed in 1945. Because there was a war on, much of the work was carried out by women and so this used to be known as ‘the ladies’ bridge’.
Sculpted from Italian marble and based on the Arch of Constantine in Rome, this was built in 1827 as the entrance to Buckingham Palace. It was moved here in 1851 when the palace was enlarged.
Siège du Parlement Britannique, le Palais de Westminster est un bijou architectural, de style néogothique. Écoutez le son de Big Ben à 17h, avec un bon thé! So british. ;)
Finally! A British train station that actually has free WiFi and which you don't have to pay for using the toilets!
This mother church of English Roman Catholics was completed in Early Christian Byzantine style in 1903. Since that day Masses have been sung here everyday without interruption.
Although firstly a scientific organisation, this British institution houses numerous collection of plants and botanical information and as such is a living encyclopaedia on the plant kingdom.
We're sure we saw a documentary in which the bridge was destroyed. Someone called Harry Potter was involved somehow. Anyhow, it appears to still be here, helping you get from Tate Modern to St Paul's.
On 14 June 1971, two wild & crazy Americans opened up a burger joint in the heart of London. Thankfully for us, their venture proved successful, now counting Cafe, Hotel & Casino locations worldwide.
One of the most famous stadiums in the world, this venue will host some of the world’s best in the London 2012 Olympic Football Tourney.
If you get your Windsor Castle ticket stamped before you leave it is valid for a whole year
The lion sculpture was once painted red and stood over the Red Lion Brewery on the South Bank in the 18th century. When the area was redeveloped in the 1950s the lion was saved and moved here.
You're very close to the Best Geek Store in the World... well, we think so anyway. Find us at the top of Neal Street!
Currently the third tallest Ferris wheel in the world (the tallest when built in 1999, but now behind Singapore and Nanchang), it moves at 0.6mph, and you can see 25 miles from the top.
Oxford Circus got its new diagonal pedestrian crossing in 2009. It was inspired by crossings in Tokyo like the one at Shibuya, and in recognition of this Japanese musicians played at the opening.
Do visit this bustling food market where top London chefs come to buy their ingredients. If you don’t find it here, where will you? Open from Thursday to Saturday, but come early to avoid the crowds! Read more.
The name of this place has nothing to do with birds, but with the exotic goods that were once brought here from the Canary Islands. Canary comes from the Latin ‘canaria’, so ‘Islands of the dogs’.
The temporary exhibitions are always worth a look, no more so than the current Maps exhibition. Reasonably good for free wifi, but can be patchy. Love the quirky gift shop.
Two traffic milestones occurred in this square. In 1868 the world’s first traffic lights were installed here (which later blew up) and in 1926, it became Britain’s first official roundabout.
