Tower of London, England, UK by xiquinhosilva

1. The Tower of London

One of London’s oldest and most popular attractions, the Tower of London was built in 1078, and remains one of the most well preserved medieval castles in the country. Its central location within the skyscrapers of the City of London financial district make it even more unique, as does its multiple galleries, and housing of the Crown Jewels.

2. St. Paul’s Cathedral

Located on the outskirts of the City of London financial district (about 10 minutes by Tube from the West End), St. Paul’s Cathedral has survived fire and the WWII Blitz to remain one of the capital’s most loved landmarks. Giving yourself the time to explore its artifacts, and the Whispering Gallery on the upper levels, is recommended.

Photo of St. Paul’s Cathedral, London, England, UK by Garry Knight

3. Westminster Abbey

While a visit to Westminster, which contains the Houses of Parliament and Big Ben, is always recommended, it’s worth taking the time to visit Westminster Abbey. The Gothic church is a regular destination for Royal weddings, contains a number of important burial sites, and includes fascinating museums exhibits.

Photo of Westminster Abbey, London by thetravelguru

4. Buckingham Palace

The Queen’s main residence is a constant favourite of visitors to London, and can be explored via guided tours of certain areas of the Palace. The Palace also includes art galleries, a gift shop, and the daily sight of the Changing of the Palace Guards.

Photo of Buckingham Palace, London by OwenXu

5. British Museum

Home to one of the world’s best collections of art and rare items, this Bloomsbury-based museum demands repeated exploration. First developed in the 18th century, the Museum, only a short walk from the West End, is particularly recommended for its Ancient Egyptian, Greek, and Roman artifacts.

Photo of British Museum, London by DAVID HOLT

6. Victoria & Albert Museum

Part of a street of famous museums in Kensington, which also includes the National History Museum and the Science Museum, the V&A was opened in 1852 as a home for decorative art, and today represents one of the best places to see photography and contemporary design exhibits.

Photo of Victoria & Albert Museum, London by gailf548

7. London Eye

This enormous Ferris wheel represents the best way to get a panoramic view of London. Based by the Thames, and near to London Waterloo train station, the Eye offers 30 minute rides in its passenger capsules, with varying prices.

Photo of London Eye, England by Jim Bahn

8. The National Gallery

This art gallery by Trafalgar Square is home to over 2,300 paintings, and is free to enter. The gallery’s pillared facade takes you into a vast holding of art from painters such as Leonardo Da Vinci, Caravaggio, and Van Gogh.

Photo of The National Gallery on Trafalgar square, London by Maurice

9. Tate Modern

London’s best modern art gallery sits on the banks of the Thames, and faces towards St Paul’s on the other side of the river. The gallery contains changing and permanent exhibitions, and is free to enter.

Photo of Tate Modern, London by aaron.bihari

10. Natural History Museum

Another of Kensington’s world class museums, the Natural History Museum is dedicated to the natural sciences, and animal and insect collections. Particularly recommended is the enormous Blue Whale, and the museum’s dinosaur exhibits.

Photo of Natural History Museum, London by Heather Cowper

Author bio: Liam Ohm is a keen writer with a particular interest in things-to-do in London. He highly recommends Charlie and the Chocolate Factory Tickets for another great day out during your time in London.

The post London’s Top 10 Attractions that you should not miss appeared first on Best of European Union.

With so many options in terms of what to see and do though, you may wish to put a bit of thought into planning London weekend breaks beforehand, so that you can maximise the time you have available.

One thing you may not wish to be doing as part of your whirlwind tour is to spend precious time queuing for tickets, so if you can buy these in advance, so much the better.

The London Eye by Trine Juel

The London Eye is emerging as one of the top tourist destination in the city. It’s on the south bank of the river and provides a panoramic view of the entire city and beyond. The Eye is close to the Tate Modern Art Gallery and not too far for the reconstruction of the Globe Theatre where Shakespeare’s plays were first performed.

On the other side of the river sits the City of London where you’ll find St Paul’s Cathedral. This magnificent building was designed by Christopher Wren in the years following the great fire of London (1666) and contains the graves of many famous people including Wellington, Nelson and Wren himself. It is a fair old climb to the top of the dome but worth it to experience the Whispering Gallery and of course the views.

East again into the city and you’ll find the Tower of London where you can immerse yourself in more than 900 years of history. The Beefeaters, famous ravens and of course the crown jewels all help to provide a fascinating insight into London’s sometimes gory past.

Tower Bridge London by Steve Wilson

The British Museum and the National Gallery must be on your list of places to visit in London if you are interested in history and art. With literally millions of exhibits and paintings from many of the world’s most famous artists, these two locations are truly awe-inspiring.

No weekend in London would be complete without the opportunity to do some shopping. Depending on your own personal tastes there are the famous markets at Camden Lock and Portobello Road. For more conventional shopping, there’s the world famous Harrods in Knightsbridge and of course the Oxford Street, Bond Street, Regent Street and Piccadilly.

After all that sightseeing you may need some well-earned refreshment and the one thing that London is not short of is a huge variety of restaurants and bars. You’ll find food from all corners of the world.

There is, of course, a huge variety of entertainment on offer and you may wish to include a visit to one of the fantastic west end shows to your itinerary.

With many of the famous tourist attractions all relatively near each other, you can obviously fit in a fair number in your 48 hours in London. You may have to be realistic though and acknowledge that you’re just going to have to come back again!

About the Author
Stella Jones is a freelance travel writer who has set herself the task of seeing every country in the world by the time she is fifty! Her articles cover all things travel and travel related, including Weekend breaks in London

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