The Tower of London is almost a thousand years old and is home to the crown jewels. Make sure to plan ahead and get tickets to the Ceremony of the Keys, a 700 year long tradition of locking up the Tower at night. Tickets are free but you’ll need to get them 6-8 weeks in advance. Because the Tower of London is a hot tourist spot, lines are hours long. To avoid the long lines, buy tickets at any Tower Hill tube station. With your tickets in hand you can bypass the line and walk right in.

Buckingham Palace is probably London’s most famous building, and still a working Palace and home to the Queen. If you go in the summer months when the Queen is in Scotland you can get a tour of the staterooms. Buckingham Palace is also where the famous “Changing of the Guards” takes place. You can see this every day at 11:30am.

The Palace of Westminster and what is now the Houses of Parliament features the famous clock tower Big Ben, which chimes every 15 minutes. If you think of any postcard from London, you’ll recognize the Palace of Westminster and Big Ben. It contains the House of Commons and the House of Lords. While there you can see the Parliament in action by making an appointment ahead of time. The building itself is a masterpiece in its own right. Big Ben and the House of Parliament is one of the top attractions in London.

Westminster Abbey is a cathedral used by the Royals for funerals, coronations, and weddings. It is considered to be the nation’s cathedral. Its architecture is breathtaking and its history is astounding. Poet’s Corner pays tribute to Shakespeare, Chaucer, Dickens, T.S. Eliot, and several others, some of which are buried there. Also here, is the tomb of the Unknown Soldier. Famous Royals like Queen Elizabeth I is entombed here as well as Edward the Confessor.

Once atop the Tower Bridge, the views are outstanding. This is the most famous bridge that spans the Thames River. When you buy a ticket you can go into the engine room that is responsible for lifting the bridge. You can also see video and interactive displays inside the bridge. This is a must-see for London tourists.

If you are visiting London soon, please check into the Westbury Mayfair Hotel. They have exclusive rooms and an ideal location next to the finest stores in London. While it may be a bit pricey, your experience will be unmatched.

A trip to London just wouldn’t be complete with visiting the Tower of London, Buckingham Palace, the Houses of Parliament, the Tower Bridge, and Westminster Abbey. Make sure you add these destinations to your itinerary. You won’t be disappointed!

The best way to see London is simple: take a walk along the River Thames. The Thames has lots of amazing bridges, and they have a tendency to be right next to whatever it is you want to see.

Let’s start out at Tower Bridge – arguably London’s most famous bridge, with its opening middle to let through large ships. Just over this bridge is the Tower of London, the fortress where criminals were imprisoned centuries ago.

Carry on to the west, and you’ll come to London Bridge, then Southwark Bridge, and then to the more recent Millennium Bridge. The Millennium Bridge is a feat of engineering, a suspension bridge held up by nothing but a set of steel cables. When it was first opened, it turned out to be a bit wobbly – but don’t worry, they’ve fixed it now! The Millennium Bridge marks three great attractions in one place: the Tate Modern art gallery and Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre on the south bank, and St Paul’s Cathedral on the north side.

Keep going, and you’ll come to Waterloo Bridge and just past there the London Eye on the south bank – the biggest Ferris wheel in the world, where you can get a great view of London.

You can finish your walk at Westminster Bridge, which has the most famous of all London’s tourist attractions on its north side: Big Ben, and the Houses of Parliament. Go over the bridge and have a little look around, and you’ll find that Westminster Abbey is nearby too.