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BEST OF LONDON
TOP SIGHTS, AUTHENTIC EXPERIENCES
Contents

Plan Your Trip


This Year in London
Need to Know
Top Days in London
Hot Spots For…
What’s New
For Free
Family Travel

Top Experiences

Westminster Abbey
British Museum
Buckingham Palace
Houses of Parliament
National Gallery
Trafalgar Square
Covent Garden
Tower of London
A Sunday in the East End
Walking Tour: East End Eras
Borough Market
Tower Bridge
Tate Modern
St Paul’s Cathedral
The South Bank
Hyde Park
Victoria & Albert Museum
Natural History Museum
Leicester Square & Piccadilly Circus
Day Trip: Hampton Court Palace
Royal Observatory & Greenwich Park
King’s Cross
Walking Tour: A Northern Point of View
Day Trip: Kew Gardens
A Night Out in Shoreditch
Soho
Design Museum

Dining Out

Clerkenwell, Shoreditch & Spitalfields


East London
Greenwich & South London
Kensington & Hyde Park
North London
Richmond, Kew & Hampton Court
The City
The South Bank
The West End
West London

Treasure Hunt

Clerkenwell, Shoreditch & Spitalfields


East London
Greenwich & South London
Kensington & Hyde Park
North London
The City
The South Bank
The West End
West London

Bar Open

Clerkenwell, Shoreditch & Spitalfields


East London
Kensington & Hyde Park
North London
Richmond, Kew & Hampton Court
The City
The South Bank
The West End
West London

Showtime

Clerkenwell, Shoreditch & Spitalfields


East London
Greenwich & South London
Kensington & Hyde Park
North London
The City
The South Bank
The West End
West London

Active London

Walking Tours
Bus Tours
Boat Tours
Swimming & Spas
Cycling
Tennis
Climbing
Rest Your Head

Hotels
B&Bs
Hostels
Rates & Booking
Long-Term Rentals
Where to Stay

In Focus
London Today
History
Architecture
Literary London
Art

Survival Guide
Directory A–Z
Customs Regulations
Discount Cards
Electricity
Emergency
Entry & Exit Formalities
Etiquette
LGBT + Travellers
Health
Internet Access
Legal Matters
Money
Opening Hours
Public Holidays
Safe Travel
Telephone
Toilets
Tourist Information
Travellers with Disabilities
Visas
Women Travellers
Transport
Arriving in London
Getting Around
Behind The Scenes
Our Writers

Map Section
London City Maps
City & South Bank
West End
Kensington & Hyde Park
Shoreditch & Spitalfields
North London
East London
Greenwich
Symbols & Map Key
Welcome to London
One of the world’s most visited cities, London has something for
everyone: from history and culture to fine food and good times. Its
energy is intoxicating and its diversity inspiring.

TOWER BRIDGE AND THE SHARD | R.CLASSEN / SHUTTERSTOCK ©

This city is deeply multicultural, with one in three Londoners


foreign-born. Britain may have voted for Brexit (although the
majority of Londoners didn’t), but London remains one of the
world’s most cosmopolitan cities, and diversity infuses daily life,
food, music and fashion.
A tireless innovator, London is a city of ideas. The city’s creative
milieu is streaked with left-field attitude, whether it’s theatrical
innovation, contemporary art, pioneering music or world cuisine.
No matter how often you come, there is always something new to
eat, visit or experience.
Contrasting with the up-to-the-minute restaurant and arts scene,
London is also a city immersed in history. The city’s buildings are
striking milestones in a unique and beguiling biography, and a great
many of them - the Tower of London, Westminster Abbey, Big Ben -
are instantly recognisable landmarks. Amazingly, all this culture
and history still leave glorious amounts of green and leafy spaces,
which are a joy to explore or simply relax in.
Plan Your Trip
This Year in London
London
Another year, another cracker: there are festivals and events galore,
big-ticket exhibitions and small pleasures to enjoy. The Elizabeth
Line, a new train line that opens in stages this year, also makes
London a little easier to visit.

NOTTING HILL CARNIVAL | BIKEWORLDTRAVEL / SHUTTERSTOCK ©


THE PROMS | JOHN PHILLIPS / STRINGER / GETTY IMAGES ©
WIMBLEDON LAWN TENNIS CHAMPIONSHIPS | BOB THOMAS / GETTY IMAGES ©
FIREWORKS OVER BIG BEN ON NEW YEAR’S EVE | BIKEWORLDTRAVEL / SHUTTERSTOCK ©

o Top Festivals & Events


Van Gogh & Britain exhibition, March–August
Wimbledon Championships, July
The Proms, July–September
Notting Hill Carnival, August
New Year’s Celebrations, December
0 1 January
London is in the throes of winter, with short days:
light appears at 8am and is all but gone by 4pm.

3 London International Mime Festival Jan


Held over the month of January, this festival
(www.mimelondon.com) is a must for lovers of originality,
playfulness, physical talent and the unexpected.

7 London Art Fair 16-20 Jan


More than 100 major galleries participate in this contemporary-art
fair (www.londonartfair.co.uk), now one of the largest in Europe,
with thematic exhibitions, special events and the best emerging
artists.

PADMAYOGINI / SHUTTERSTOCK ©

3 A Night at the Opera Jan


The nights are long and cold so what better way to cosy up than
inside the stunning Royal Opera House to revel in world-class opera
or ballet? (Plus, it’s a really good opportunity to dress up.)

1 Ride the Elizabeth Line Jan


Some 15 years in the making, this new train line, which will open in
stages throughout the year, zooms east to west across the city,
connecting places such as Heathrow Airport, Paddington, Oxford
St, the City and Stratford. A boon for locals and visitors alike.
February
02 February is usually chilly and wet (sometimes even
snow-encrusted). Schools break off for a week in mid-
February.

MS JANE CAMPBELL / SHUTTERSTOCK ©

z Chinese New Year 5 Feb


To usher in the year of the pig, Chinatown fizzes, crackles and pops
in this colourful street festival, which includes a Golden Dragon
parade, feasting and partying.

z St Valentine’s Day 14 Feb


Whether you’re single or part of a loved-up couple, you’ll be able to
choose from themed and alternative parties, special movie nights
and dedicated menus. Book ahead as it’s a popular night.

3 BAFTAs mid-Feb
The British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA;
www.bafta.org) rolls out the red carpet mid-February to hand out
its annual cinema awards. It’s the British Oscars, if you will. Expect
plenty of celebrity glamour.

6 Pint by the Fire Feb


What better way to thaw after sightseeing in the cold than with a
drink by the fire? Amazingly, London still has plenty of pubs with
working fireplaces so make the most of them.

1 Painted Hall Reopens Feb


After two years of meticulous renovation, the ‘UK’s Sistine Chapel’
is reopening to the public. Be one of the first to experience the
newly restored, vibrant paintings of the stunning baroque Old Royal
Naval College, Greenwich.
March
03 March sees spring in the air, with trees beginning to
flower and daffodils emerging across parks and
gardens. London is getting in the mood to head
outdoors again.

z Pancake Races 5 Mar


On Shrove Tuesday, you can catch pancake races and associated
silliness at various venues around town (Spitalfields Market, in
particular).

z St Patrick’s Day Parade & Festival 17 Mar


Top festival for the Irish in London, with a colourful parade through
central London and other festivities in and around Trafalgar Sq.

3 Flare late Mar


This LGBTIQ film festival, organised by the British Film Institute
(www.bfi.org.uk/flare), runs a packed program of film screenings,
along with club nights, talks and events.

3 Head of the River Race 30 Mar


Some 400 crews take part in this colourful annual boat race, held
over a 7km course on the Thames, from Mortlake to Putney.
PRES PANAYOTOV / SHUTTERSTOCK ©
April
04 London is in bloom, with warmer days and a light-
hearted vibe. British Summer Time starts late March,
moving clocks forward an hour, so it’s now light until
7pm.

3 Oxford & Cambridge Boat Race early Apr


Crowds line the banks of the Thames for the country’s two most
famous universities going oar-to-oar from Putney to Mortlake
(www.theboatraces.org).

3 London Marathon mid-Apr


Some 35,000 runners – most running for charity – pound through
London in one of the world’s biggest road races
(www.virginmoneylondonmarathon.com), heading from
Blackheath to the Mall.
MS JANE CAMPBELL / SHUTTERSTOCK ©

z Easter 21 Apr
With Good Friday and Easter Monday both being public holidays,
Easter is the longest bank holiday in the UK. Chocolate, which you’ll
find in many shapes and flavours, is a traditional Easter treat, as are
hot-cross buns, a spiced, sticky-glazed fruit bun.

3 Udderbelly Festival Apr-Jul


Housed in a temporary venue in the shape of a purple upside-down
cow on the South Bank, this festival of comedy, circus and general
family fun (www.udderbelly.co.uk) has become a spring favourite.
1 Van Gogh & Britain at the Tate 27 Mar-11 Aug

Tate Britain is putting together the largest exhibition of the


Dutch painter’s work in over a decade. The show will examine
Van Gogh’s relationship with Britain – the ideas that influenced
him and the artists he inspired in turn.

VINCENT VAN GOGH / GETTY IMAGES ©


May
05 A delightful time to be in London: days are warming
up and Londoners begin to start lounging around in
parks, popping on their sunglasses and enjoying two
bank-holiday weekends (the first and the last in May).

PADMAYOGINI / SHUTTERSTOCK ©

3 Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre late Apr-Oct


Watch the work of the world’s most famous playwright in a faithful
reproduction of a 17th-century theatre. The theatre is outdoors and
most of the audience is standing.

1 Museums at Night mid-May


For one weekend in May, numerous museums across London open
after-hours (http://museumsatnight.org.uk), with candlelit tours,
spooky atmospheres, sleep-overs and special events such as talks
and concerts.

1 Chelsea Flower Show 22-26 May


The world’s most renowned horticultural event
(www.rhs.org.uk/chelsea) attracts London’s green-fingered and
flower-mad gardeners. Expect talks, presentations and spectacular
displays from the cream of the gardening world.

3 Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre May-Sep


A popular and very atmospheric summer-time fixture in London,
this 1250-seat outdoor auditorium (www.openairtheatre.com)
plays host to four productions a year: famous plays (Shakespeare
often features), new works, musicals and usually one production
aimed at families.
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