London - Key Attractions

London Eye and County Hall
Towering 135m (444ft), right in the heart of London, the London Eye is literally an unmissable sight. It's become London's most popular attraction, which usually means a flight' requires booking in advance and often queuing as well. However, the experience (one revolution of the wheel, lasting approximately 30 minutes) is absolutely worth it - the unparalleled views of the city reach as far away as 40km (25 miles).

Although the London Eye is the focus of the area, sitting right next door and directly across the River Thames from the Houses of Parliament is County Hall, the former home of the Greater London Council. The enormous building is home to the London Aquarium, which features over 350 different aquatic species from around the world, and some huge water tanks, and the Dal Universe, which contains over 500 works of art by the famous surrealist, including the painting Spellbound, which was created specially for the set of the 1945 Hitchcock thriller, and the sofa in the shape of Mae West's lips. County Hall is also home to two hotels, numerous bars and restaurants and a Namco Station, a vast entertainment centre offering video games, ten-pin bowling, bumper cars, a pool hall, as well as a bar and lounge with big TV screens.

South Bank, SE1

London Eye
Jubilee Gardens, South Bank, SE1
Tel: 0870 500 0600 (booking line).
Website: www.londoneye.com
Opening hours: Daily 1000-2000 (Oct-May); daily 1000-2100 (Jun and Sep); daily 1000-2130 (Jul and Aug).
Admission charge.

Tate Modern and Bankside
Opened in 2000, the Tate Modern is a 130 million project that is regarded as a model of urban regeneration, with the disused Bankside power station transformed into an avant-garde space dedicated to 20th-century art. The permanent exhibition changes biannually so that much of the Tate Gallery's collection of modern work can be on show, displayed thematically rather than chronologically. This includes major works by Matisse, Picasso and Warhol, as well as contemporary pieces. The Turbine Hall displays changing pieces of artwork, specially commissioned to fit the enormous space.

The Bankside area itself is becoming one of the most exciting corners of the capital, and the 14 million Millennium Bridge is one of the newest additions here. Designed by Norman Foster, it provides a pedestrian link from the Tate Modern to St Paul's Cathedral on the north bank. Bankside's cultural regeneration is enhanced by the beautifully reconstructed Shakespeare's Globe Theatre & Exhibition, which is open all year round, although plays are only performed at the outdoor venue during the summer. Other attractions along the river, past Southwark Bridge towards London Bridge, include Southwark Cathedral on the edge of the nearby Borough Market (website: www.boroughmarket.org.uk), a heaven for foodies.

Bankside, SE1

Tate Modern
Bankside, SE1
Tel: (020) 7887 8888 or 8008 (recorded information line).
Website: www.tate.org.uk
Opening hours: Sun-Thurs 1000-1800, Fri and Sat 1000-2200.
Free admission (donations welcome); charge for some of the temporary exhibitions.

Shakespeare's Globe Theatre & Exhibition
21 New Globe Walk, Bankside, SE1
Tel: (020) 7902 1400 or 7401 9919 for tickets.
Website: www.shakespeares-globe.org
Opening hours: Daily 1000-1700 (exhibition and theatre tour) (early Oct-Apr); daily 0900-1230 (exhibition and theatre tour) and 1300-1700 (exhibition only) (May-Oct).
Admission charge.

Palace of Westminster and Westminster Abbey
The Palace of Westminster contains the Houses of Parliament, part of which is one of the city's most famous landmarks - Big Ben. Big Ben is actually the name of the huge bell, whose tolling tune is instantly recognisable. The most ancient part of the whole palace, Westminster Hall, is 900 years old. After almost total destruction by fire, the rest of the palace was rebuilt in neo-gothic style during the 19th century, to designs by Charles Barry.

During late July/August and mid September/early October, Parliament is in recess and the Summer Opening of the Palace of Westminster takes place. Extensive guided tours are offered for visitors; these last about 75 minutes and include the Royal Robing Rooms, the House of Lords and the House of Commons and Westminster Hall. These are not free and they must be booked in advance (in person or from Keith Prowse ticketing, see below). Visitors who want to watch Parliament at work, rather than tour the palace, can watch from the Strangers' Gallery. When Parliament is in session, there are two long queues (one for the Lords and one for the Commons) outside the palace.

Across Parliament Square is Westminster Abbey - a magnificent gothic structure where innumerable members of the British royal family have been christened, married, crowned and interred. Consecrated under Edward the Confessor, in the 11th century, it was rebuilt over the next four centuries in Gothic style. Highlights include Henry VII's Chapel, Poet's Corner and the Coronation Chair.

Parliament Square, SW1

Summer Opening of the Palace of Westminster
Tel:0844 209 0381 (Keith Prowse ticketing).
Website: www.parliament.uk or www.keithprowse.com
Opening hours: Mon-Sat 0915-1630 or 1315-1630 (depending on schedules).
Admission charge.

Westminster Abbey
Tel: (020) 7654 4900.
Website: www.westminster-abbey.org
Opening hours: Mon-Fri 0930-1645 (Wed until 1900) and Sat 0930-1445 (sightseeing; last admission one hour before closing); all day Sun (religious services only).
Admission charge, service free.

Trafalgar Square
Former London Mayor Ken Livingston has made the once-congested and pigeon-infested Trafalgar Square a 'World Square', pedestrianising more of this famous space and banning seed-sellers, in an attempt to stop what he considers a nuisance. Nelson's Column dominates the centre of the square while on the north side, one of the world's greatest galleries, the National Gallery, is to be found. It houses an incredible collection of Western paintings from the 13th to the early 20th century, as well as frequent special exhibitions. Round the corner, the National Portrait Gallery displays the country's famous, infamous and forgotten in the media of oil, watercolour, marble and photography. The Ondaatje Wing includes a lecture theatre and restaurant. Opposite the gallery is the beautiful 18th-century neoclassical church, St Martin-in-the-Fields, which hosts regular concerts and has a cafe in the crypt.

Trafalgar Square, WC2

National Gallery
Trafalgar Square, WC2
Tel: (020) 7747 2885.
Website: www.nationalgallery.org.uk
Opening hours: Sat-Thurs 1000-1800,Fri 1000-2100.
Free admission; charge for some of the temporary exhibitions.

National Portrait Gallery
2 St Martin's Place, WC2
Tel: (020) 7312 2463 (recorded information) or 7306 0055.
Website: www.npg.org.uk
Opening hours: Sat-Wed 1000-1800, Thurs and Fri 1000-2100.
Free admission; charge for some of the temporary exhibitions.

Covent Garden
This area has long been associated with the market trade. For some 300 years, it has hosted traders of all sorts of wares, perhaps most famously the fruit and vegetable market, which was centred in the Piazza. The market is still here, and today, the area is also home to many shops, bars and restaurants. The street performers, and the cheering crowds they attract, give the area a very special atmosphere, and make Covent Garden a must see for all first time visitors to London. The world famous Royal Opera House can be found here too.A popular museum in the area is the London Transport Museum, which retraces the history and development of the city's transport system. The museum reopened in November 2007 following extensive renovation.

Piazza, Covent Garden
Website: www.coventgarden.uk.com

London Transport Museum
Piazza, Covent Garden
Tel: (020) 7379 6344.
Website: www.ltmuseum.co.uk
Opening hours:Sat-Thurs 1000-1800, Fri 1100-2100.
Admission charge.

Buckingham Palace
Buckingham Palace, the London home of the Queen, is hugely popular with tourists. They flock to the palace to witness royal pageantry dating back centuries at the Changing of the Guard ceremony, which takes place daily at 1130 from April to July and on alternate days at other times of the year. There is also the rare chance of seeing inside a royal residence (summer only). The building, by John Nash and Edward Blore, was built around the shell of the older of the older Buckingham House, in the 19th century. The rather drab facade was added in 1913. The 19 State Rooms of the palace, including the Throne Room and the Picture Gallery, are only open to the public during August and September, when the Queen moves to her Scottish residence. The refurbished and expanded Queen's Gallery is open to the public throughout the year. It displays a changing exhibition of selected works from the Royal Collection, which covers five centuries' worth of art collecting and treasures, now held in trust by the Queen for the nation. The 17-hectare (42-acre) garden, long hidden from view, is also open to visitors touring the palace.

Buckingham Palace Road, SW1
Tel: (020) 7321 2233 or 7766 7300 (credit card booking line).
Website: www.royalcollection.org.uk
Opening hours: Daily 0945-1800 (last admission 1545) (end of Jul-end of Sep only).
Admission charge.

Tower Hill
The infamous royal fortress on Tower Hill, the Tower of London, was begun by William the Conqueror in 1078 and remained a royal residence until the mid 16th century. Today, it houses the priceless Crown Jewels and the Royal Armouries collection. The history of the tower is a catalogue of intrigue and bloodshed - key historical figures, including members of the royal family, were imprisoned, tortured and/or executed here. The nearby Tower Bridge (a prime example of Victorian architecture and engineering) spans the River Thames. Hydraulic machinery, hidden in twin neo-gothic towers, lifts the central section to allow ships in and out of the Pool of London. Visitors can learn about the bridge in the Tower Bridge Exhibition or enjoy the excellent views towards Canary Wharf and the City of London. On the northeast side, the harbour at St Katharine's Dock marks the beginning of the London Docklands, while the warehouses to the south house the stylish Design Museum.

Tower Hill, EC3

Tower of London
Tel: 0844 7582 7777.
Website: www.hrp.org.uk
Opening hours: Tues-Sat 0900-1730 and Sun-Mon 1000-1730 (Mar-Oct); Tues-Sat 0900-1630, Sun-Mon 1000-1630 (Nov-Feb).Admission charge.

Tower Bridge Exhibition
Tower Hill, EC3
Tel: (020) 7403 3761 (exhibition) or 7940 3984 (bridge lifting times).
Website: www.towerbridge.org.uk
Opening hours: Daily 1000-1800 (Apr-Sep); daily 0930-1800 (Oct-Mar).
Admission charge.

Design Museum
Shad Thames, SE1
Tel: 0207 940 8790.
Website: www.designmuseum.org
Opening hours: Daily 1000-1745.
Admission charge.

St Paul's Cathedral
The dome of St Paul's Cathedral is the third largest in the world and one of the most distinctive features of the London skyline. The present building, designed by Sir Christopher Wren, was completed in 1710, on the site of the original cathedral that was destroyed in the Great Fire of London in 1666. On the inside of the dome, the Whispering Gallery, named for its incredible acoustics, offers a close-up of the frescoes of the life of St Paul that decorate the interior of the dome. From there, visitors can climb higher, up to two further galleries, which are outdoors and which offer magnificent views across the whole of London. Guided tours are available, book in advance.

Paternoster Square, EC4
Tel: (020) 7246 8350.
Website: www.stpauls.co.uk
Opening hours: Mon-Sat 0830-1600 (sightseeing); sightseeing is restricted on Sun and religious holidays. At the time of writing, hours were reduced to 0830-1530 due to maintenance work.
Admission charge.

British Museum
The British Museum, the centrepiece of which is Norman Foster's glass-roofed Great Court, is one of the world's finest museums. Visitors must contend with a mind-boggling 6 million artefacts from all corners of the globe, plucked (or plundered) by collectors. The awesome scale of the museum means it is essential to select just a few of the 94 galleries for close attention. Highlights include the Rosetta Stone, the Anglo-Saxon Sutton Hoo treasures and the controversial Parthenon Sculptures, known as the Elgin Marbles, taken from the Parthenon in Athens. A 90-minute 'Highlights' tours is available daily at 1030, 1300 and 1500.

Great Russell Street, WC1
Tel: (020) 7323 8299 or 8181 for tickets.
Website: www.thebritishmuseum.ac.uk
Opening hours: Mon-Wed 0900-1800, Thurs-Fri 0900-2300, Sat 0800-2300, Sun 0800-1800.
Free admission, charge for some of the temporary exhibitions

Tate Britain
The Gallery of Modern British Art opened in 1897, around the collection of sugar merchant Henry Tate. It now holds an unrivalled collection of British paintings from 1500 to the present day. Much 20th-century art has moved to the Tate Modern (see above), however, some remains on rotation here, from Gaudier Brzeska to Gilbert and George. There is also the 'Art Now' room, which shows a changing contemporary exhibition. The magnificent Turner Bequest is housed in the purpose-built Clore Gallery, with hundreds of Turner paintings on display.

Millbank, SW1
Tel: (020) 7887 8888 or 8008 (recorded information line).
Website: www.tate.org.uk
Opening hours: Daily 1000-1750.
Free admission; charge for some of the temporary exhibitions.

South Kensington Museums
The Victoria & Albert Museum (V&A) is one of three major museums in South Kensington - the others being the Natural History Museum and the Science Museum. Founded in the 19th century as a museum of the decorative arts, the V&A's 11km (7 miles) of corridors trace a path through paintings, jewellery, furniture and textiles dating from 3000BC to the present day. Highlights include the Raphael Cartoons, the sculpture court, the dress collection from 1700 onwards, as well as the British Galleries 1500-1900', a comprehensive history of British art and design.

The award-winning Science Museum offers interactive exhibits on all kinds of scientific topics, from space, time or weather to agriculture or food, from computing or mathematics to nuclear physics or veterinary history. One key gallery is Making the Modern World', which includes objects such as early cars and computers.

The incredible Victorian building that is the Natural History Museum is divided into different zones exploring varying aspects of the planet. Highlights include a full-size model of a blue whale, the dinosaur exhibits and the earthquake simulator. For live specimens, there is the Wildlife Garden outside. The Darwin Centre houses the museum's extensive collections of specimens, which date as far back as the 16th century but also include recent new species discoveries. It also allows visitors to interact with the scientists using the collections and carrying out current research.

V&A Museum
Cromwell Road, SW7
Tel: (020) 7942 2000.
Website: www.vam.ac.uk
Opening hours: Sat-Thurs 1000-1745, Fri 1000-2200.
Free admission; charge for some of the temporary exhibitions.

Science Museum
Exhibition Road, SW7
Tel: 0870 870 4868.
Website: www.sciencemuseum.org.uk
Opening hours: Daily 1000-1800.
Free admission.

Natural History Museum
Cromwell Road, SW7Tel: (020) 7942 5000.
Website: www.nhm.ac.uk
Opening hours: Mon-Sat 1000-1750.
Free admission.