What to see

See the Best of London,
Icons, Museums and Tours

From the Tower of London to the British Museum, London holds two thousand years of history in one walkable city. Compare skip-the-line tickets, book a guided tour or plan a day trip, then discover the world-class museums you can visit for free. Pick a category below to jump straight in.

170+museums to explore
100+free to enter
4UNESCO world sites
6.5Mvisit the British Museum
Book ahead, skip the line

London Attraction Tickets,
Compared in One Place

From the Tower of London and the London Eye to the Shard and Kew Gardens, book your tickets before you go and walk straight past the queue. Search the full catalogue below or browse our picks, all at the same official prices you would pay at the door, with instant confirmation on your phone.

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Skip-the-line entry
Free cancellation on many
Instant tickets on your phone
Official partner prices
Go deeper with a guide

Guided Tours
and Experiences

See London through the eyes of someone who knows it. Explore live tours and experiences on the map, compare the widest range with our partners, or take a self-guided audio walk at your own pace. Every option is booked with a trusted provider at the official price.

GetYourGuide, on the mapBrowse tours and experiences by location, then book in a couple of taps.

Tours and Day Experiences

From hop-on hop-off buses and Thames cruises to Windsor, Bath and Stonehenge day trips, Viator lists thousands of London tours with free cancellation on most and reviews from real travellers.

Viator Browse London tours on Viator

Tickets and Local Experiences

KKday curates a hand-picked London collection, from attraction passes and afternoon tea to airport transfers and unusual experiences you will not find everywhere. Handy for combining tickets in one booking.

KKday See London on KKday
Self-guided audio toursWalk London at your own pace with a narrated guide in your pocket, no group, no fixed time.
Free to enter

London's Best
Free Museums and Galleries

One of the great joys of London is that its finest museums cost nothing to enter. The national collections are free every day, so you can see the Rosetta Stone, stand under a blue whale or admire a Van Gogh without paying a penny. Here are the ones worth planning your days around, with what they are famous for, where to find them and when they open.

MuseumBest known forArea and nearest TubeTypical hours
British MuseumFree The Rosetta Stone, Egyptian mummies and the Parthenon sculptures. Bloomsbury, WC1B. Tube: Tottenham Court Road or Holborn. Daily 10:00 to 17:00, Fridays to 20:30.
National GalleryFree Van Gogh, da Vinci and Turner among 2,300 European masterpieces. Trafalgar Square, WC2N. Tube: Charing Cross or Leicester Square. Daily 10:00 to 18:00, Fridays to 21:00.
Natural History MuseumFree Dinosaurs, the blue whale skeleton and the grand Hintze Hall. South Kensington, SW7. Tube: South Kensington. Daily 10:00 to 17:50, last entry 17:30.
Science MuseumFree Space rockets, engineering and hands-on interactive galleries. South Kensington, SW7. Tube: South Kensington. Daily 10:00 to 18:00, last entry 17:15.
Victoria and Albert MuseumFree Art, design and fashion spanning five thousand years. South Kensington, SW7. Tube: South Kensington. Daily 10:00 to 17:45, Fridays to 22:00.
Tate ModernFree Modern and contemporary art in a former riverside power station. Bankside, SE1. Tube: Southwark or Blackfriars. Daily 10:00 to 18:00.
Tate BritainFree Five centuries of British art, including the Turner collection. Millbank, SW1P. Tube: Pimlico. Daily 10:00 to 18:00.
National Portrait GalleryFree The faces of British history, from the Tudors to today. St Martin's Place, WC2H. Tube: Leicester Square or Charing Cross. Daily 10:30 to 18:00, Fri and Sat to 21:00.
Imperial War MuseumFree The story of modern conflict and its human impact. Lambeth Road, SE1. Tube: Lambeth North or Elephant and Castle. Daily 10:00 to 18:00, last entry 17:30.

Entry to the permanent collections is free, though some special exhibitions are ticketed and a few museums ask for a free timed slot at busy times. Hours can change for late openings and public holidays, so check the museum's own site before you travel. For the full list, read our guide to the 22 free museums in London.

Save on multiple attractions

The London Pass,
One Card, Dozens of Sights

If you plan to see more than a couple of attractions, a pass almost always beats buying tickets one by one. Go City bundles 90 of London's best sights into a single pass on your phone, with skip-the-line entry and savings of up to half the gate price. Pick the pass that fits your trip below.

Go City
90+attractions covered
50%up to, in savings
1-10days of access
60days to use Explorer

All-Inclusive Pass

Unlimited entry to 90 and more attractions for 1 to 10 consecutive days. Best if you want to see as much as possible and move fast, from the Tower of London and a Thames cruise to a hop-on hop-off bus.

Best for busy sightseeing

Explorer Pass

Choose 2 to 7 attractions and visit any time within 60 days of your first use. Best for a relaxed trip or a long weekend, at your own pace, with the same skip-the-line convenience.

Best for a slower pace
One pass on your phone Skip-the-line at most sights Pays for itself in a few visits
See London Pass options and prices
See London from the water

Thames
River Cruises

The Thames is the best seat in the house. From a quick sightseeing hop to a full dinner cruise, seeing London's landmarks glide past from the water is one of the finest and most relaxing ways to take in the city. Pick your cruise and book in seconds.

Sightseeing Cruise on the River Thames, London

Sightseeing Cruise

Glide past Big Ben, the Eye and Tower Bridge with live commentary on board.

Book tickets
Hop-on Hop-off River Pass on the River Thames, London

Hop-on Hop-off River Pass

A full day of unlimited river hops between the main central piers.

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Dinner Cruise on the River Thames, London

Dinner Cruise

Dinner and live music as the city lights up along the water after dark.

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Afternoon Tea Cruise on the River Thames, London

Afternoon Tea Cruise

Scones, tea and skyline views on a relaxed afternoon sailing down the river.

Book tickets
Beyond the city

Day Trips
from London

Some of Britain's greatest sights are a short drive from the capital. Stonehenge, Windsor Castle, Bath, Oxford, the Cotswolds and the Harry Potter studios all make an unforgettable day out. Travel in private comfort with our own chauffeurs, or join a great-value group tour below.

Chauffeurz Private Tours

Private, chauffeur-driven day trips

Skip the crowded coach. Travel door to door from your hotel in a private, chauffeur-driven car, at your own pace, with a driver who knows the roads and the history. It is the most comfortable and flexible way to see beyond London, ideal for families, couples and small groups who want a day that runs on their schedule, not a timetable.

See all private day trips
Travelling on a budget?Join a shared group day trip instead. Great value, fixed departures, and still all the highlights.
Group day trips onGetYourGuideGroup day trips onViatorGroup day trips onTiqets
What to see

Things to See in London,
Tips from Our Editor

Honest, up to date guides to London's attractions: which sights are worth your time, how to skip the queues, the best free museums and viewpoints, and the landmarks you should not miss. Every guide is checked and curated by our resident editor.

CW
Curated by Clara WhitbyResident London editor
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Good to know

What to See in London,
Every Question Answered

Everything visitors ask about what to see in London: the top attractions, the best free museums, guided tours, iconic landmarks, Thames cruises, day trips and the finest views. Tap any question to open the answer.

Top attractions
The British Museum, Tower of London, Buckingham Palace, London Eye, St Paul's Cathedral, Westminster Abbey, Tower Bridge, The Shard, Hyde Park and Covent Garden are London's essential sights. Each shows a different side of the city's history, architecture and culture. Compare tickets and book skip-the-queue access in our tickets section above.
The British Museum consistently leads on visitor numbers, welcoming over 6 million people a year. Entry to the permanent collection is free, including icons like the Rosetta Stone and the Egyptian mummies. Find tickets for special exhibitions in our tickets section.
Big Ben, Buckingham Palace, the Tower of London, the London Eye and Trafalgar Square give the perfect introduction to London's royal, historic and modern highlights. For a smooth first visit, book a private sightseeing tour with Chauffeurz and cover the highlights in one day, without queuing or juggling luggage on public transport.
London sparkles after dark at The Shard's viewing platform, along the South Bank, at floodlit Tower Bridge and around Covent Garden. Sky Garden offers free panoramic night views if you book ahead. For a stylish evening out, arrive and leave in comfort with Chauffeurz evening transfers.
A three to five day trip gives you time to cover the major attractions, enjoy a Thames cruise, visit the key museums and explore a few neighbourhoods. For a faster pace, a private guided tour can cover in one day what would otherwise take three, with no queuing or transport hassle. Compare options in our tours section.
Beyond the tourist trail, seek out God's Own Junkyard for neon art in Walthamstow, Neal's Yard for its colourful courtyard in Covent Garden, Little Venice for canalside strolls, and the Brunel Museum in Rotherhithe, home to the world's first tunnel shaft beneath the Thames. Find hidden-gem tours in our tours section.
Free attractions and museums
The National Gallery, Tate Modern, British Museum, Natural History Museum and Science Museum are all free to enter every day. Outdoors, Hyde Park, Regent's Park and the South Bank riverside walk are free too. Read our full guide, 22 Free Museums in London.
The British Museum, Science Museum, Natural History Museum, National Gallery, Victoria and Albert Museum, Tate Modern, Tate Britain and the Imperial War Museum all offer free permanent collections. Some temporary exhibitions carry a charge. See them all in our free museums section.
Yes, general admission to the Natural History Museum is free every day of the year. Optional charges apply for special temporary exhibitions such as the popular Wildlife Photographer of the Year display. The museum is in South Kensington, Zone 1.
Tate Modern, Tate Britain, the National Gallery, the National Portrait Gallery and the Serpentine Galleries all offer free access to world-class permanent collections. Tate Modern on the South Bank also gives you a fine view of St Paul's across the Thames. Compare paid exhibition tickets in our tickets section.
Yes. The Museum of London, the Imperial War Museum and the Museum of London Docklands all offer rich, free historical experiences, while the Churchill War Rooms are paid. The Imperial War Museum is free and particularly good for families and history lovers.
Guided tours and experiences
London offers walking tours, hop-on hop-off bus tours, Thames river cruises, ghost tours, cycling tours and private chauffeur sightseeing. Compare the main types in our tours section, with live availability from GetYourGuide, Viator and other trusted partners.
Very much so. Guided tours reveal hidden history, add local stories and often include skip-the-queue access at landmarks like the Tower of London and Buckingham Palace. For the most personal experience, a private chauffeur tour with Chauffeurz covers the highlights at your own pace.
Big Bus London and The Original Tour are the most popular, covering the major attractions with multilingual audio guides and 24 or 48 hour passes with unlimited boarding. Compare prices in our tours section and read our guide, Hop-On Hop-Off London: 7 Brilliant Reasons to Ride.
Yes. Chauffeurz Premium Services offers fully bespoke private sightseeing in executive vehicles with professional drivers, ideal for families, couples or business visitors who want to see London at their own pace without queues or public transport. See the private options in our day trips section.
For families or groups of three or more, private tours often work out comparable to multiple individual tickets plus transport, while offering far more flexibility, privacy and comfort. Chauffeurz provides executive vehicles including the Mercedes V-Class for larger groups.
Iconic landmarks
A full rotation on the London Eye takes about 30 minutes, with sweeping views of Big Ben, Westminster and the Thames. It is especially good at sunset and after dark. Book fast-track tickets ahead in our tickets section to skip queues of up to an hour in peak season, and read our guide, London Eye Tickets: 12 Reasons Not to Miss It.
Yes. The State Rooms open to visitors in summer, typically July to September, with a tour of around two to two and a half hours including the State Rooms, garden walk and, on select dates, the Royal Mews. Book well ahead as availability is limited. Compare tickets in our tickets section.
Definitely. The Tower of London is one of the city's most captivating landmarks, home to the Crown Jewels and the famous Yeoman Warders. Allow at least two to three hours to explore the grounds, towers and medieval exhibits. Compare tickets in our tickets section.
Yes. The View from The Shard, on levels 68 to 72, offers 360-degree views across London, stretching up to 64km on a clear day. It is one of the city's most popular paid viewpoints and stunning at night. Book ahead in our tickets section.
The Changing of the Guard takes place at Buckingham Palace at around 11am on select days, and daily at Horse Guards Parade in Whitehall. It is free to watch but crowds gather early, so arrive at least 45 minutes ahead, or book a private guided tour that includes the ceremony as part of a full London day.
Sky Garden at 20 Fenchurch Street offers free panoramic views of Tower Bridge, The Shard, St Paul's and the Thames from the 35th floor. Tickets must be booked ahead on the Sky Garden website and are released several weeks in advance. A great free alternative to The View from The Shard.
UK residents can book guided tours of the Elizabeth Tower, which houses Big Ben, via the UK Parliament website. Overseas visitors can admire the tower from Parliament Square or take a river cruise past the Houses of Parliament for the best photos.
Thames river cruises
Options include hop-on hop-off City Cruises, luxury dinner cruises, speedboat experiences and Thames Clipper river services. Most sightseeing cruises depart from Westminster Pier, Tower Pier or London Eye Pier. Compare the options in our cruises section.
Yes. A Thames cruise gives you waterside views of Tower Bridge, Shakespeare's Globe, the Houses of Parliament and Tate Modern that you simply cannot get from street level. Evening dinner cruises are especially popular with couples. Compare and book in our cruises section.
Day trips from London
Yes. Windsor Castle is about 45 minutes from London Paddington by Great Western Railway, or book a comfortable private day trip with Chauffeurz for door-to-door service. The castle houses the State Apartments, St George's Chapel and Queen Mary's Dolls' House. See more in our day trips section.
Windsor Castle, Hampton Court Palace, Hever Castle and Leeds Castle in Kent are the top royal and historic properties within easy reach. Hampton Court is famous for its Tudor kitchens, gardens and hedge maze. All are reachable by train or by private transfer with Chauffeurz.
Windsor, Stonehenge, Bath, Oxford, Cambridge, Brighton and the Cotswolds are the most popular day trips, most reachable in one to two hours by train or private car. Compare guided day trips in our day trips section, or book a private day trip with Chauffeurz for maximum flexibility.
Seasonal and special experiences
Hyde Park Winter Wonderland, the Oxford Street lights, Covent Garden's giant tree, ice skating at Somerset House and the Southbank Christmas Market are the essential festive experiences. Most are free to enter, with paid options for skating and rides. Compare Christmas tickets in our tickets section.
Yes. Rooftop Film Club screens across several London rooftops, Somerset House hosts its summer cinema series in the courtyard, and Luna Cinema screens at outdoor locations including Hampton Court Palace. Compare tickets in our tickets section.
The Lion King, Les Miserables and Wicked are long-running West End classics, while Hamilton, The Phantom of the Opera and Mamma Mia remain perennial favourites. Book ahead for the best seats and prices in our tickets section.
Sunset rides on the London Eye, romantic Thames dinner cruises, rooftop cocktails at Sky Garden or Madison, and evening walks along the South Bank are the most romantic experiences. For a special evening, add a private evening chauffeur transfer. Compare couple experiences in our cruises section.
The SEA LIFE London Aquarium, Natural History Museum, Science Museum, the Harry Potter Studio Tour and hop-on hop-off bus tours are the top family experiences, and the Southbank Centre offers free family activities in summer. Compare family tickets in our tickets section.
Views and photography
The View from The Shard, Sky Garden, Primrose Hill, Greenwich Park and Tate Modern's Blavatnik Building viewing level all offer exceptional skyline shots. Primrose Hill and Greenwich Park are free. Compare paid viewpoint tickets in our tickets section.
Potters Fields Park by City Hall gives you the classic Tower Bridge shot from the south bank. For an elevated angle, the Tower Bridge Exhibition lets you walk the glass-floor walkway 42 metres above the Thames. River cruises passing underneath offer unique angles too.
Yes. St Paul's is one of London's most spectacular buildings. Climb the Whispering, Stone and Golden Galleries for 360-degree views, and see the tombs of Nelson and Wellington in the crypt. Compare admission in our tickets section.
Parks and green spaces
Hyde Park, Regent's Park, St James's Park, Hampstead Heath and Greenwich Park are London's finest green spaces, all free to enter. Hyde Park hosts events year-round including Winter Wonderland, St James's Park has the best view of Buckingham Palace, and Greenwich Park offers panoramic skyline views from the Royal Observatory hill.
Very much so. Hampstead Heath offers 790 acres of open parkland, bathing ponds, and Parliament Hill with one of the best free panoramic views of the skyline. It is a beloved local escape, a 20-minute Tube ride from Zone 1, and a perfect half-day addition to any itinerary.
London weather

15°C, overcast

High 17, low 13. 45% chance of rain today

The Underground

Disruption on 5 lines

Central: minor delays. District: severe delays. Elizabeth line: minor delays. Metropolitan: minor delays

Next up in London

JUSTIN HAYWARD: THE STORY IN YOUR EYES TOUR

Mon 12 Oct, 18:00 · Cadogan Hall

Checked at 10:30 London time

The practical bits

What nobody tells you before you arrive

The small things that catch visitors out, in one place. None of it is exciting and all of it saves an afternoon.

Money and paying

What things cost, and the two traps

London is expensive but rarely confusing, and two habits save most visitors more than any discount card. Nothing here needs cash, and the museums that matter are free.

  • Always pay in pounds When a card machine or an ATM offers to charge you in your own currency, say no. That conversion is set by the machine and costs you a few percent every time.
  • Tax free shopping is gone The UK ended VAT refunds for visitors in 2021. Whatever a shop assistant suggests, there is no airport counter that gives you the tax back.
  • Cash is optional Contactless works everywhere, including buses, which take no cash at all. Take a little for markets and tips, and stop worrying about the rest.
  • What things actually cost A flat white about £4, a pint about £7, a single Tube fare about £3 with the day capped near £9, and the big national museums free.
  • Tipping, briefly Restaurants usually add 12.5 percent to the bill already. Nothing is expected in a pub, and rounding up covers a taxi.
  • Cash machines Use one attached to a bank. The free standing machines in tourist streets charge a fee that the bank ones do not.

Prices on this site are shown in pounds and converted live, so you can switch to your own currency at the top of any guide.

Every guide in this section

Things to see in London

The full list, newest first. Each one is researched from official sources and checked by our editor before it goes up.

Clara Whitby
London Insider News

London, from someone who checks the details

Where to stay for the trip you are actually taking, what things really cost, and the parts of the city that guidebooks keep getting wrong. Twice a month at the most, and never a word we would not want to read ourselves.

Clara Whitby AI travel curator

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Welcome2.London is your independent local guide to the UK capital, built to make trip planning simple. We focus on high-conversion London hotel bookings, reliable airport transfers and top-rated London attractions. Our curated platform connects you with the best of the city, from luxury chauffeur services to West End tickets, for a seamless, professional and memorable visit.

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