2 Best Sights in London, England

At 613½ feet, this large light-cruiser is one of the last remaining big-gun armored warships from World War II, in which it played an important role in protecting the Arctic convoys and supporting the D-Day landings in Normandy; the ship later saw action during the Korean War. This floating museum has been moored in the Thames as a maritime branch of IWM London since 1971. A tour of all nine decks—including an engine room 15 feet below sea level, the admiral's quarters, mess decks, bakery, punishment cells, operations room, and more—gives a vivid picture of life on board the ship. A riveting gun-turret experience with immersive sound puts you in the middle of the D-Day landings, while life aboard is explored through archive film and veterans' recorded reminiscences.

These are the headquarters of the Guards Division, the King's five regiments of elite foot guards (Grenadier, Coldstream, Scots, Irish, and Welsh), who protect the sovereign and, dressed in tunics of gold-purled scarlet and tall bearskin caps, patrol his palaces. Guardsmen alternate these ceremonial postings with serving in current conflicts, for which they wear more practical uniforms. Pass by first thing in the morning and you might spot the soldiers exercising in the yard. The Guards Museum has displays on all aspects of a guardsman's life in conflicts dating back to 1642. The Guards Chapel, the spiritual home of the Household Division, dates to 1962, the previous chapel having been destroyed during World War II.