London
We’ve compiled the best of the best in London - browse our top choices for the top things to see or do during your stay.
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1. Buckingham Palace
St. James'sQueen Elizabeth II's main residence until her death in 2022, Buckingham Palace has been home to every British monarch since Victoria in 1837. It's still to be seen if King Charles III will be in residence as often as his mother, and whether the palace will still maintain the same limited visiting hours. When the Queen reigned, the palace only opened its doors to the public in the summertime, with a handful of other dates throughout the year. It's possible King Charles will make the palace more available to the public, but no matter what, you'll still be able to tell if the monarch is home: if he's in residence, the Royal Standard flies above the palace; if not, it's the more famous red, white, and blue Union Jack. The tour covers the palace's 19 State Rooms, with their fabulous gilt moldings and walls adorned with old master paintings. The Grand Hall, followed by the Grand Staircase and Guard Room, are visions in marble and gold leaf, filled with massive, twinkling chandeliers. Don't miss the theatrical Throne Room, with the original 1953 coronation throne, or the sword in the Ballroom, used by Queen Elizabeth II to bestow knighthoods and other honors with a touch on the recipient's shoulders. Royal portraits line the State Dining Room, and the Blue Drawing Room is dazzling in its splendor. The bow-shaped Music Room features lapis lazuli columns between arched floor-to-ceiling windows, and the alabaster-and-gold plasterwork of the White Drawing Room is a dramatic statement of wealth and power. Admission is by timed-entry ticket every 15 minutes throughout the day. It's also worth adding a guided tour of the sprawling gardens to your visit. Allow up to two hours to take it all in. Changing the Guard remains one of London's best free shows and culminates in front of the palace. Marching to live military bands, the old guard proceed up The Mall from St. James's Palace to Buckingham Palace. Shortly afterward, the new guard approach from Wellington Barracks. Then within the forecourt, the captains of the old and new guards symbolically transfer the keys to the palace. Get there early for the best view.
View Tours and ActivitiesBuckingham Palace Rd., London, Greater London, SW1A 1AA, England030-3123–7300Sight Details
Rate Includes: £30; palace and garden highlights tour £37.80, Closed Oct.–July except on selected dates -
2. Eltham Palace
ElthamOnce a favorite getaway for Henry VIII (who liked to spend Christmas here), Eltham Palace has been drastically remodeled twice in its lifetime: once during the 15th and 16th centuries, and again during the 1930s, when a grand mansion was annexed onto the Tudor great hall by the superwealthy Courtauld family. Today it's an extraordinary combination of late medieval grandeur and art deco masterpiece, laced with an eccentric whimsy—the Courtaulds even built an entire room to be the personal quarters of their beloved pet lemur. Be sure to get a glimpse of the Map Room, where the Courtaulds planned their round-the-world adventures, and the reconstruction of a lavish 1930s walk-in wardrobe, complete with genuine dresses from the time period. Outside you'll find a mix of medieval and modern in the 19 acres of surrounding gardens.
View Tours and ActivitiesCourt Rd., London, Greater London, SE9 5QE, England020-8294–2548Sight Details
Rate Includes: £17.60, Closed weekdays Nov.–Jan. and Mon. and Tues. in Mar. -
3. Hampton Court Palace
The beloved seat of Henry VIII's court, sprawled elegantly beside the languid waters of the Thames, Hampton Court is steeped in more history than virtually any other royal building in England. The Tudor mansion, begun in 1515 by Cardinal Wolsey to curry favor with the young Henry, actually conceals a larger 17th-century baroque building, which was partly designed by Sir Christopher Wren. The earliest dwellings on this site belonged to a religious order founded in the 11th century and were expanded over the years by its many subsequent residents until George II moved the royal household closer to London in the early 18th century. After entering through the magnificent Tudor courtyard, start with a look through the State Apartments, decorated in the Tudor style, and on to the wood-beamed magnificence of Henry's Great Hall, before taking in the strikingly azure ceiling of the Chapel Royal. Watch out for the ghost of Henry VIII's doomed fifth wife, Catherine Howard, who lost her head yet is said to scream her way along the Haunted Gallery. (Believe it or not, what is certainly true is that the corridor is prone to sudden drops in temperature—and no one quite knows why.) Latter-day masters of the palace, the joint rulers William and Mary (reigned 1689–1702), were responsible for the beautiful King's and Queen's Apartments and the elaborate baroque of the Georgian Rooms. Well-handled reconstructions of Tudor life take place all year, from live appearances by "Henry VIII" to cook-historians preparing authentic feasts in the Tudor Kitchens. (Dishes on offer in the adjacent café include a few of these traditional recipes.) The highlight of the formal grounds is undoubtedly the famous maze (the oldest hedge maze in the world); its half mile of pathways among clipped hedgerows is still fiendish to negotiate. There's a trick, but we won't give it away here; it's much more fun just to go and lose yourself. Meanwhile, the Lower Orangery Garden shows off thousands of exotic species that William and Mary, avid plant collectors, gathered from around the globe.
View Tours and ActivitiesHampton Court Rd., East Molesey, Surrey, KT8 9AU, England020-3166–6000Sight Details
Rate Includes: £26.10 palace, maze, and gardens -
4. Kensington Palace
KensingtonThis is a rare chance to get a glimpse into the more domestic and personal side of royal life. Neither as imposing as Buckingham Palace nor as charming as Hampton Court, Kensington Palace is something of a royal family commune, with various close relatives of the late Queen occupying large apartments in the private part of the palace. After purchasing the existing modest mansion in 1689 as a country retreat, Queen Mary and King William III commissioned Sir Christopher Wren to transform it into a palace, and over the years young royal families have made it their home. Princess Diana lived here with her sons after her divorce, and this is where Prince William now lives with his wife, Catherine, Princess of Wales, and their three children. Prince Harry shared his cottage on the grounds with Meghan Markle before their marriage. The State Apartments are open to the public. The Queen's State Apartments are the private quarters of Queen Mary II, who ruled jointly with her husband, William II. By contrast, the lavish King's State Apartments, originally built for George I, are a stage set, a circuit of sumptuous rooms where Georgian monarchs received and entertained courtiers, politicians, and foreign dignitaries. Look for the King's Staircase, with its panoramic trompe-l'oeil painting, and the King's Gallery, with royal artworks surrounded by rich red damask walls, intricate gilding, and a beautiful painted ceiling. One permanent exhibition,Victoria Revealed, is devoted to the private life of Queen Victoria, who was born and grew up here. A temporary exhibition entitled Crown to Couture displays occasion wear ranging from court dresses like a silk and silver-thread gown worn to the court of King Charles II in the 17th century to a Thom Browne creation for Lizzo's 2022 Met Gala red carpet appearance. Outside, the grounds are almost as lovely as the palace itself. You can picnic on one of the benches or head for the Pavilion overlooking the Sunken Garden, serving breakfast, lunch, and an elegant afternoon tea. There are more casual cafés in the Italian Gardens and on the Broad Walk.
View Tours and ActivitiesThe Broad Walk, London, Greater London, W8 4PX, England0203-166–6000Sight Details
Rate Includes: £16; Gardens free, Closed Mon. and Tues. -
5. Kew Palace and Queen Charlotte's Cottage
KewThe elegant redbrick exterior of the smallest of Britain's royal palaces seems almost humble when compared with the grandeur of, say, Buckingham or Kensington Palace. Yet inside is a fascinating glimpse into life at the uppermost end of society from the 17th to 19th centuries. This is actually the third of several palaces that stood here; once known as Dutch House, it was one of the havens to which George III retired when insanity forced him to withdraw from public life. Queen Charlotte had an orné (a rustic-style cottage retreat) added in the late 18th century. In a marvelously regal flight of fancy, she kept kangaroos in the paddock outside. The main house and gardens are maintained in the 18th-century style. Entry to the palace itself is free, but it lies within the grounds of Kew Gardens, and you must buy a ticket to that to get here.
Kew Rd. at Lichfield Rd., London, Greater London, TW9 3AB, England020-3166–6000Sight Details
Rate Includes: Free with entry to Kew Gardens (£22.60), Closed Oct.–Apr. -
Recommended Fodor’s Video
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6. The Tower of London
City of LondonNowhere else in London does history seem so vividly alive as in this minicity begun by the Normans more than 1,000 years ago. In its time, the Tower has been a fortress, a mint, a palace, an archive, and the Royal Menagerie (which formed the kernel of London Zoo). Most of all, however, it has been known as a place of imprisonment and death. Thousands of unfortunate souls, including numerous aristocrats and even a few sovereigns (some notorious traitors, some complete innocents), spent their last days here, several etching their final recorded thoughts onto their cell walls, and pints of royal blood have been spilled on its stones. Executions at the Tower were reserved for the nobility, with the most privileged beheaded in the privacy of Tower Green instead of before the mob at Tower Hill. In fact, only seven people received this dubious "honor," among them Anne Boleyn and Catherine Howard, two of Henry VIII's six wives. The White Tower, the oldest building in the complex (which is actually made up of 20 towers, not just one) is also its most conspicuous. Begun by William the Conqueror in 1078 and whitewashed (hence the name) by Henry III (1207–72), it contains the Armouries, a splendid collection of arms and armor. Across the moat to the right is the riverside Traitors' Gate, to which the most famous prisoners were rowed to bring them to their impending doom. Opposite is the Bloody Tower, where the "little princes in the Tower"---the uncrowned boy king Edward V and his brother---were consigned by their wicked uncle, who then took the crown for himself, thus becoming Richard III. The boys were never seen again, widely assumed to have been murdered in their tower prison. Also not-to-be-missed are the gorgeous Crown Jewels in the Jewel House. The original crown, orb, and scepter, symbols of monarchial power, were destroyed during the English Civil War; the ones you see here date back to after the Restoration in 1661. The most impressive gems were added only in the 20th century, when their countries of origin were part of the British Empire. Free 60-minute tours of the Tower depart every half hour or so (until midafternoon) from the main entrance. They are conducted by the Yeoman Warders, more popularly known as Beefeaters, who have guarded the Tower since Henry VII appointed them in 1485. Veterans of Britain's armed forces, they're easy to spot in their resplendent navy-and-red Tudor uniforms (scarlet-and-gold on special occasions). Keep an eye out for the ravens upon whose residency of the Tower, legend has it, the safety of the kingdom depends. Avoid lines by buying a ticket in advance online, by phone, or from the automatic kiosks on Tower Hill. For free tickets to the 700-year-old Ceremony of the Keys (the locking of the main gates, nightly between 9:30 and 10), write several months in advance; check the Tower website for details.
View Tours and ActivitiesTower Hill, London, Greater London, EC3N 4AB, England020-3166–6000Sight Details
Rate Includes: £32.90 -
7. Banqueting House
WestminsterJames I commissioned Inigo Jones, one of England's great architects, to undertake a grand building on the site of the original Tudor Palace of Whitehall, which was (according to one foreign visitor) "ill-built, and nothing but a heap of houses." Jones's Banqueting House, finished in 1622 and the first building in England to be completed in the neoclassical style, bears all the hallmarks of the Palladian sophistication and purity that so influenced Jones during his time in Italy. James's son, Charles I, enhanced the interior by employing the Flemish painter Peter Paul Rubens to glorify his father and himself (naturally) in a series of vibrant painted ceiling panels called The Apotheosis of James I. As it turned out, these allegorical paintings, depicting a wise monarch being received into heaven, were the last thing Charles saw before he stepped through the open first-floor window onto the scaffold, which had been erected directly outside for his execution by Cromwell's Parliamentarians in 1649. Twenty years later, his son, Charles II, would celebrate the restoration of the monarchy in the exact same place. At some point in 2024 (though the dates keep changing), these magnificent artworks will be taken down so conservators can get to work on a yearslong conservation process. Until then, Banqueting House is open for guided tours on an ad hoc basis, so check before your visit. Eager-eyed art buffs can catch a glimpse of the paintings from the sidewalk across the street.
View Tours and ActivitiesWhitehall, London, Greater London, SW1A 2ER, England03-3320–6000Sight Details
Rate Includes: £7 -
8. St. James's Palace
St. James'sCommissioned by Henry VIII, this Tudor brick palace was the residence of kings and queens for more than 300 years; indeed, while all monarchs have actually lived at Buckingham Palace since Queen Victoria's day, it is still one of the official residences of the Royal Family. (This is why foreign ambassadors are received by the "Court of St. James.") Today it contains various royal apartments and offices (it was the working office of King Charles III before he became king). The palace is not open to the public, but the surprisingly low-key Tudor exterior is well worth the short detour from The Mall. Friary Court out front is a splendid setting for Trooping the Colour, part of the monarch's official birthday celebrations. Everyone loves to take a snapshot of the scarlet-coated guardsman standing sentry outside the imposing Tudor gateway. Note that the Changing the Guard ceremony at St. James's Palace occurs only on days when the guard at Buckingham Palace is changed.
View Tours and ActivitiesFriary Ct., London, Greater London, SW1A 1BS, England
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