London

The UK capital, made up of 32 Greater London boroughs plus the City of London, combining royal landmarks, free museums, West End theatres and Thames riverside views in one city.

This region is Greater London, comprising the City of London and 32 boroughs such as Westminster, Camden, Kensington and Chelsea, Greenwich and Richmond. It is surrounded by South East England (Kent, Surrey, Berkshire and others) and the East of England (Essex, Hertfordshire), with the M25 orbital motorway roughly marking the boundary. The core highlights are concentrated along both banks of the Thames: the Palace of Westminster and Big Ben, Westminster Abbey, the Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace, the Tower of London and Tower Bridge, St Paul's Cathedral, and on the South Bank, Tate Modern and the London Eye. The permanent collections at the British Museum, the National Gallery, the Natural History Museum and the Victoria and Albert Museum are free. Kew Gardens and Hampton Court Palace to the southwest, and the Royal Observatory and National Maritime Museum at Greenwich to the southeast, each make a good half-day trip. We suggest 4–6 days: 2 days for central landmarks, 1 for museums, 1 for Greenwich or Kew, and evenings for West End musicals. London is also the starting point for day trips to Oxford, Cambridge, Bath, Windsor and the Cotswolds. Getting around is mainly by Tube, the Elizabeth line and red buses, and you can pay directly with a bank card or phone using contactless, with daily fare capping; Heathrow, Gatwick and other airports all have express links into the city. Prices and accommodation costs are high, so book popular attractions and musicals in advance.

Destinations

Itineraries