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The Houses of Parliament lit up at night across the Thames, with the Big Ben clock tower on the right

Collection · London

London essentials

8 placesFreeUpdated November 5, 2026

The Tower of London and Tower Bridge, Parliament and Westminster Abbey, St Paul's, Buckingham Palace, the British Museum and the National Gallery.

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8 places

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  1. Essential

    Museums & culture· Tower Hill

    Tower of London

    The fortress William the Conqueror built beside the Thames, later a palace, prison and royal mint. It holds the Crown Jewels and is still guarded by the Yeoman Warders.

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    The Tower of London seen from the Thames, with its walls and the White Tower
  3. Essential

    Museums & culture· Westminster

    Westminster Abbey

    The Gothic church where English monarchs have been crowned since 1066. Kings, queens, Newton and Darwin are buried here, and Poets' Corner honours the writers.

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    The Gothic west front of Westminster Abbey with its twin towers
  4. Essential

    Museums & culture· Bloomsbury

    The British Museum

    Two million years of human history around the glass-roofed Great Court: the Rosetta Stone, the Parthenon sculptures and Egyptian mummies, with free entry.

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    The colonnaded front of the British Museum
  5. Essential

    Viewpoint· Tower Hill

    Tower Bridge

    The Victorian twin-towered bascule bridge that still lifts to let ships through. Its high walkways have glass-floor sections looking straight down to the Thames.

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    Tower Bridge over the Thames, with its two stone towers and blue walkways
  6. Essential

    Museums & culture· City

    St Paul's Cathedral

    Christopher Wren's masterpiece, rebuilt after the Great Fire of 1666. Its dome rules the City skyline, and you can climb all the way to the outer gallery.

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    Aerial view of St Paul's Cathedral and its dome among the buildings of the City
  7. Essential

    Special place· St James's

    Buckingham Palace

    The monarch's official London home at the end of The Mall. The Changing of the Guard takes place at its gates, with red tunics and bearskin hats.

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    The main facade of Buckingham Palace behind its railings
  8. Essential

    Museums & culture· Trafalgar Square

    The National Gallery

    The national art collection overlooks Trafalgar Square, with seven centuries of European painting from Van Eyck and Leonardo to Velázquez, Turner and Van Gogh's Sunflowers. Entry is free.

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    The porticoed front of the National Gallery above Trafalgar Square

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Save to Google Maps8 places · London essentials

Before you go

How to see the London essentials

  1. Three walks

    Westminster, the Abbey, St James's Park, Buckingham Palace and Trafalgar Square link up on foot. St Paul's, the Tower and Tower Bridge fill another day in the City, and the British Museum is a stroll from Soho.

  2. No cathedrals on Sundays

    Westminster Abbey and St Paul's close to sightseeing on Sundays, which are kept for services. Plan them for a weekday.

  3. The Tower, first thing

    Book a timed ticket on the Historic Royal Palaces website and head for the Crown Jewels as soon as you're in: between noon and 3pm the queue is far longer.

  4. Tap in with contactless

    On the Tube and buses you just tap your bank card or phone on the reader; there's no need to buy a ticket or an Oyster card.

Checked on November 3, 2026. Opening hours and tickets can change, so check each place’s website before you go.

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