Things to see & do
Your host will be able to suggest interesting local sights and events. Across London there are many more.
Some of the most popular, collected with the help of guests and hosts, are listed in our Insider Guide below. So start planning your trip now!
We’ve highlighted some items as follows:
FREE LONDON – places to go where you don’t have to pay;
VIEWPOINTS – places (generally high up) where you can get an interesting view.
When you return home, why not let us know of any special discoveries you have made? Just send us your suggestions by e-mail or by Online Message and we will include them in future editions of the Guide.
CYCLING IN LONDON | If you fancy hiring a bike for a short ride around the city then look no further. London now offers Barclays Cycle Hire at very reasonable rates. You get a free map/guide so can explore those more hidden areas. Click the link for details. http://www.tfl.gov.uk/roadusers/cycling/14808.aspx |
GETTING AROUND LONDON FOR LESS | BUSES Although I’ve lived here all my adult life I still enjoy being a tourist. One of my favourites is to catch a red bus around the main sightseeing areas. With my map I am my own tour guide. For the best view I sit on top of the bus, in the front seat if possible, and get on or off wherever I choose. A daily travel card for Zones 1 & 2 gives me unlimited, off-peak underground and bus travel for £6.60 a day. The only snag for early risers is that journeys must start after 9.30am. The main sights are in Zone 1, so don’t buy a ticket for all the zones. Here are my favourite routes for sightseeing and shopping. NUMBER 11 BUS: Fulham, Chelsea, Victoria, Westminster, Trafalgar Square, Aldwych, Fleet Street, St Paul’s, Bank of England. NUMBER 22 BUS: Chelsea, Sloane Square, Knightsbridge, Hyde Park Corner, Green Park, Piccadilly Circus. NUMBER 9 BUS: Piccadilly Circus, Trafalgar Square, Strand, Aldwych [Covent Garden]. NUMBER 10 BUS: Hyde Park Corner, Marble Arch, Oxford Street, Tottenham Court Road, Euston, King’s Cross and Archway tube station. RIVER THAMES For a more peaceful view of the city I take a riverboat from Westminster Pier to Greenwich. I usually pack a picnic as the fresh air makes me hungry. An adult single ticket costs £7.00. A humorous commentary points out the sights. The boat stops at the Tower of London and continues on under Tower Bridge to Canary Wharf, the Docklands and Greenwich. I never return by boat as it takes too long and you see the same sights but in reverse. So from Greenwich, close to the clipper Cutty Sark, I take the Victorian pedestrian tunnel under the river to Island Gardens [look out for great views of Royal Greenwich Observatory] and catch the Docklands Light Railway from Island Gardens Station back to the Tower of London. Taken from Grapevine, At Home in London’s insider’s guide. |
GREEN LONDON | Here are some eco-friendly ideas for your visit to London. KEW GARDENS, recently given a Gold Award by GREEN TOURISM, is 132 hectares of landscaped gardens attracting over one million visitors a year. TUBE: Kew Gardens. GREEN EVENTS, is a free magazine with what’s on that’s green. WETLANDS CENTRE. London is the only capital city in the world with a bird and wildlife centre. And it has the best waterside cafe in London. Included in admission are free daily tours and bird feeds. Nearest tube is Hammersmith and then 283 duck bus. UNPACKAGED is a shop specialising in selling unpackaged goods. When you buy here you know that you have not created any waste. |
HAMMERSMITH GHOST | The ghost of Thomas Millwood has haunted Black Lion Lane in Hammersmith since 1804, when he was shot by Francis Smith. There has been a pub on the site for over 200 years. CLICK HERE |
HANDEL HOUSE MUSEUM | Where Handel composed Messiah and Music for the Royal Fireworks. http://www.gfhandel.org/handelhouse |
JOURNEY PLANNER | Up to the minute London travel information http://www.tfl.gov.uk/ |
LITTLE VENICE | Take a walk or a canal boat trip along Regent’s Canal built in 1820. TUBE: Warwick Avenue |
LONDON THEATRE WALKS | by Jim de Young and John Miller and recommended by several of our clients. |
LONDON TOUR GUIDE | Don’t miss out! Discover more with your own private, professional London Tour Guide. Tel: +44 (0) 794 1809 534 www.tourguideoflondon.co.uk |
LONDON TRANSPORT MUSEUM | Trams, trains, red double decker buses and hands-on exhibits bringing the story of London’s transport system alive. Open daily 1Oam-6pm. TUBE: Covent Garden |
MAYFLOWER PUB | The spot from which the Pilgrim Fathers set sail for America. 117 Rotherhithe St, London SE16. |
NUMBER ONE, LONDON | Apsley House, Hyde Pk Corner, W1, once the home of the Duke of Wellington. Open Tues-Sun 11.00-17.00. Tel 020 7499 5676. TUBE: Hyde Park Corner. http://www.vam.ac.uk/vastatic/microsites/apsley/ |
PIAZZA COVENT GARDEN | A vibrant Piazza with a market, shops and street entertainers. TUBE: Covent Garden Covent Garden site |
REGENT’S CANAL | 60 Blomfeld Road,Little Venice, W9. 1½ hour trips in traditional painted canal boat ¾ hour each way. Tel 020 7286 3428. Departures 10am, 12.30pm, 2.30pm daily. £5.95 adult return, £4.95 adult single. £4.50 children & OAP return. £3.75 children & OAP single. TUBE: Warwick Avenue CLICK HERE |
THE LONDON PAGEANT (history of London) | A history of London from earliest times to the present. TUBE: Tower Hill |
FREE LONDON | ![]() Changing the Guard, 11.30 am Buckingham Palace. See a free radio or TV show. Contact the BBC for more details. Free view, from the top of a London bus. Routes passing the sights include numbers 8,11,12,15 53 and 73. Free Music: on weekdays, some City churches offer free lunchtime classical music. Ring +44 [0]20 7332 1456. Or http://www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/leisure_heritage/index.htm |
NATURAL HISTORY & SCIENCE MUSEUM | ![]() |
PORTOBELLO MARKET | ![]() |
SIR JOHN SOANE MUSEUM | ![]() |
ST MARTINS IN THE FIELDS | ![]() |
ST MARY LE BOW | ![]() |
THE OLD BAILEY | ![]() |
VICTORIA & ALBERT MUSEUM | ![]() FREE ENTRANCE |
LONDON EYE | ![]() Opposite Westminster on the South Bank. Open daily. 24 hour ticket line: 0870 5000 600. TUBE: Westminster or Charing Cross. |
NATIONAL PORTRAIT GALLERY. | ![]() Open 10am-6pm [until 9pm on Thursday & Friday] FREE. Nearest tube: Charing Cross. |
OPEN-TOPPED BUS TOUR | ![]() |
PARLIAMENT HILL | ![]() |
PRIMROSE HILL | ![]() TUBE: St John’s Wood or Chalk Farm. |
ST PAUL’S CATHEDRAL | ![]() CLICK HERE |
TATE MODERN | ![]() TUBE: Southwark or Blackfriars |
THE MONUMENT | ![]() TUBE: Monument |