There are 10 attractions in London that you cannot miss if you are planning a trip to the British capital, especially if it is your first time in London, you must make sure that you see at least the 10 things that we name below. In addition to the best attractions in London, we recommend that you visit one of London’s markets and one of its famous parks.
10 London attractions you can’t miss
Here we tell you what are the 10 essential London attractions that you need to take into account if you are organizing a trip to London:
Tourist bus
One of the things we most often recommend is the tourist bus, as we consider it to be one of the best ways to see London for the first time. You can get on and off as many times as you want during the day, without having to use public transport and it also includes a free Thames cruise (highly recommended!) and 3 free walking tours, as well as several discount coupons for attractions and restaurants.
London eye
Riding on the famous London Ferris wheel is one of the things that you surely do not want to miss when visiting the British capital. In high season the lines to buy tickets are usually very long, so I definitely recommend that you buy tickets in advance. With this ticket, you must go to the prepaid ticket office, where sometimes there is also a queue but it is usually very fast when compared to the normal ticket office.
Tower of London
Visiting the famous Tower of London is undoubtedly one of the most outstanding attractions in London. Here you can see the famous crown jewels, stroll through the city’s most famous historic castle, and watch the beefeaters in action. I would have 2 – 3 hours to visit the Tower of London.
Thames Cruise
The Thames cruise is definitely something I recommend, probably because it was the experience I enjoyed the most the first time I visited London. The cruise is included if you buy tickets for the tourist bus or if you buy the London Pass, or it is also possible to buy:
- A combined London Eye + Cruise ticket.
- Cruise Only: Thames Cruise.
Harry Potter: Warner Bros. Studios
One of the most famous attractions in recent years is the Warner Bros studios where numerous scenes from the Harry Potter movies were filmed. In our article Harry Potter in London we talk about the locations of the film in central London and how to get to the studios, since it is a bit complicated to get there as they are located outside of London.
Westminster abbey
Located practically next to Big Ben, Westminster Abbey is one of the must-sees in London, and is one of the most visited places in the city. This is where the coronations and royal weddings of England take place, and where monarchs and famous people are also buried. It is necessary to buy a ticket to be able to enter, and you can easily dedicate about 2 hours to your visit.
St Paul’s Cathedral
The famous St. Paul’s Cathedral is another must-see if you visit London. Many people choose to see it only from the outside, but if you have time, I recommend entering and climbing the dome. As a secret corner, I will tell you that in the basement there is a cafeteria perfect for having a tea…
Madame Tussauds Wax Museum
The London Wax Museum is one of the best known in the world, and unlike other London museums you need to buy a ticket to see it. We recommend buying the ticket in advance as there is usually a long queue and groups to buy tickets at the box office.
The Shard
Climb to the 72nd floor of Europe’s tallest building for the best views of the city, one of London’s newest attractions. Located on London Bridge, you will have all of London at your feet.
London Transport Museum
One of the few museums that requires an entrance fee, but highly recommended, especially if you are traveling with children.
Buy tickets for London attractions
It is possible to buy tickets for the most famous attractions in London at the same box office of each of them, but this way you will have to queue, wasting time, and I can guarantee you that this way it will most likely work out for you. more expensive, since for most attractions you can get the cheapest tickets by buying them in advance online or taking advantage of some offer that they do not usually offer at the door. And also, best of all, if you already have the ticket, you can skip the queues. If you plan to visit several attractions, it is still more profitable to get a London Pass, a tourist pass that allows you to enter more than 55 attractions for free. Here we tell you in detail what this card is and how it works, as well as how to make the most of it: London Pass.
Day trips from London
London is very close to other famous cities such as Cambridge, Oxford, Stratford Upon Avon, Bath… So taking a day trip from London is very easy and the truth is that it is something that I recommend if you are going to be in London for several days and you want to make the most of your time.