Londra Hotel Guide

With more than a thousand years of history , the awesome Gothic interior of Westminster Abbey has seen the coronations, marriages and funerals of British Royalty . Also buried and commemorated in the abbey grounds and mausoleum are the nation's most famous poets, including Chaucer, Tennyson and Charles Dickens. The memorial to the Unknown Soldier is a particularly poignant reminder of Britain's many war dead.

Open Mon-Fri, 09h30-15h45, Sat, 09h30-13h45. On Sundays the cathedral is open for worship only. Admission: GBP7.50 adults, GBP5 children, and family GBP15. Tel: +44 (0)20-7222-5152. Tube: Westminster.

The British Museum remains England's greatest cultural attraction . Replete with the accumulated wealth of an Empire its galleries can almost boast more world class art works and attractions within its walls than exist in the entire city without.

The entire complex is now oriented around its splendid Great Court , opened by the Queen in 2001. Around this large covered space are over 80 galleries packed to the rafters with pieces from the world of art and history. The collections span the entire globe, exploring cultures and societies through artefacts that range from housekeeping to warfare. Naturally Britain is well represented, with displays such as the Mildenhall Treasure (a priceless collection of Roman silver discovered in Suffolk in the 1940s) and the remains of Lindow Man , an early Briton pulled from a peat bog in Cheshire.

The British Museum can also boast one of the largest Egyptian collections outside Cairo, as well as extensive Greek, Roman, and Japanese galleries.

Some of the pieces are only on display in the face of controversy. The presence of the Elgin Marbles in particular has long been a bone of contention between the Museum and Greece, and political movements have been made to have the frieze returned to Athens.

Great Russel St. Open: Sat-Wed 10h00-17h00 Thu & Fri 10h00-20h30. Note that some galleries such as the Mausoleum of Halikarnassos open at limited times only. Admission: Free. Tel: +44 (0)20-7323-8299.

The British Airways London Eye is the world's highest observation wheel and since its inception in 2000 has carried over seven million people on its 30-minute revolution. The demand from passengers shows no signs of slackening and, having been voted London's favourite attraction for two years running, unsurprisingly the Eye is to extend its South Bank tenure beyond the five years originally planned. The wheel will now remain a feature on the London skyline until at least 2025.

Revolving slowly like the wheel of time itself, the Eye takes its passengers on a half-hour "flight", in 32 glass-enclosed capsules, reaching a height of 137m above the River Thames. The view from the highest point is extraordinary, a fully panoramic view of the capital it stretches all the way to the edge of the city on a clear day. Book ahead to avoid disappointment or lengthy queues.

Tel: 0870-500-0600 (within UK). Tube: Waterloo or Westminster.

Home to the Crown Jewels and the site of more executions and incarcerations than you can wave an axe at, the Tower of London is one the capital's most important attractions.

The White Tower in the centre was built in Norman times and is one of the city's oldest buildings. Traitor's Gate and the Bloody Tower are other highlights that bring to life details of England's macabre history.

The seemingly high price of admission is well worth it and it takes at least half a day, and plenty of shoe leather to explore the Tower's attractions fully. The traditional Yeoman Guards (commonly known as " Beefeaters ") provide free tours and their commentary is typically informative and amusing.

Tickets can be bought in person on the day, although you are advised to arrive early as long queues build up by lunchtime.

Open: Nov-Feb 09h00-17h00 Tues-Sat; and 10h00-17h00 Sun & Mon. Mar-Oct 09h00-18h00 Mon-Sat, and 10h00-18h00 Sun. Admission: GBP13.50, adults; GBP9, children. Tube: Tower Hill. Tel: +44 (0)870-756-6060.

When it's open (summer months August to September) most visitors find the prospect of peeking behind palace doors irresistible. You don't get access to the Royal Family's private quarters but the sumptuous interior and portrait gallery make this visit worthwhile. Even out of season it's worth seeing the majesty of the palace from the outside.

The biggest attraction though is the ever popular Changing of the Guard ceremony. The big event takes place every day at 11h30 and if you want a good view you will have to get there early. The best vantage points are in front of the Victoria Memorial and in front of the Palace railings, near the entrance. There is no charge to view the ceremony.

Palace admission: GBP12.50 adults; GBP6.50 under-17s; free under-5s. Tel: +44 (0)20-7321-2233 (credit-card booking). Tube: St James's Park or Victoria.

Science comes to life through fascinating and highly innovative exhibitions that will engage adults and children equally. The emphasis throughout is on interactive displays that allow you to experience the exhibit.

Among the many highlights are the aviation lab with hands-on flight simulator; Digitopolis, which allows visitors to explore a digital landscape and consider how technology impacts on everyday life; and the astounding exhibit The Secret Life of the Home which looks beneath our domestic surfaces.

The top two floors of the museum are given over to medical and veterinary history , with over 5000 exhibits from across the world that collectively demonstrate the strange confluence between art and science that can characterise anatomical science. Traditional subjects such as classical physics, engineering and astronomy are well represented with detailed displays.

Leicester Square

Leicester Square and the area around it is the classic tourist magnet for any visitor to London. With hundreds of restaurants, bars and nightclubs, the plaza is the natural starting point for your exploration of London Town. From the central square ringed with its famous cinemas you are just five minutes' walk from salacious Soho , and its dubious delights.

Up Charing Cross Road you come across a bibliophile's heaven: more than 30 bookstores ranging from the triple-levelled Waterstones to highly specialised antiquarian treasure troves. Tube: Leicester Square.

First built in 1598, the Globe was William Shakespeare's resident theatre and where many of his most famous plays were premiered. The building featured a distinctive cyclindrical shape with a thatched roof and seating was tiered with the moneyed upper classes in the galleries and the "groundlings" at the bottom.

The original Globe Theatre burned down during a particularly enthusiastic performance of Henry VIII and although a replacement was quickly built, the acoustics were considered poor and the general design inferior. Within 20 years of Shakespeare's death in 1616 the Globe had been pulled down and its foundations buried.

In 1970 American actor Sam Wanamaker set about rebuilding the Globe on its original site to its original design. Opened in 1987, the Globe has hosted a regular Shakespeare season since 1996. Watching a performance in the Theatre allows the visitor to participate in an authentic London ritual - some 400 years after the curtain was first raised on Julius Caesar .

The Globe's museum is a treat for fans of Shakespearean theatre with displays of Elizabethan costumes, original manuscripts and some intriguing medieval special effects...

The Globe Theatre. New Globe Walk, Bankside, SE1. Tube: London Bridge. Admission: GBP8, adults; GBP5.50, children (Oct-Apr) and GBP8.50 adults, GBP6 children (May-Sept). Tel: +44 (0)20-7902-1500.

Covent Garden

A popular attraction and an ideal starting point for a night out with always plenty going on in this European style plaza and its central Victorian market hall. The main London theatres are all in close proximity, and the old market plays host to an amusing array of buskers interspersed with cafés and bars. The nearby opera house relays live performances onto an open-air screen during the summer months.
Tube: Covent Garden.

London's flower power bloom has long since withered but Camden retains a certain charm not entirely eroded by the gentrification of its venues and high price accommodation. The bustling and irrepressible market is always good for a bargain, a rare LP, an unusual antique - or a taste of Peruvian cuisine. Beware the weekend when the town gets so crowded they have to close the tube station. Mornington Crescent tube station is your best bet for getting to Camden at such times.

Tube: Camden Town.

St Paul's Cathedral rose from the ashes of the Great Fire of 1666, being designed by England's most famous church builder, Sir Christopher Wren. The cathedral took ten years to design and over 40 years to build, but even several centuries on the massive dome and the fabulous acoustics are objects of architectural admiration.

During the war the cathedral became a symbol of British resilience in the face of the Blitz bombing campaign that saw areas of the city reduced to rubble - the dome proving indestructible even on the occasion that it was diectly hit by a Luftwaffe bomb. Although it has since been dwarfed by the skyscrapers of the "City" that surrounds it, the cathedral remains an indomitable part of the London skyline.

National Gallery

The National Gallery houses an extensive collection of European paintings from the 13th to 19th centuries, including all the big names from Van Gogh to Leonardo. Excellent audio-tours are available in several languages, and there is even a Micro gallery that allows you to browse the collection from a CD-ROM and print reproductions of your favourite works.

Trafalgar Sq. Admission: free, donations are encouraged. Tel: +44 (0)20-7747-2885, Tube: Leicester Sq or Charing Cross.

Thames Cruise

The muddy Thames snakes its way to the sea through the city and en route links several of London's top bankside attractions . A cruise is a fantastic way to relax and see the sights roll by, accompanied by the amusing banter of the captain.

Several companies operate "hop-on, hop-off" cruises leaving from Embankment or Westminster pier. Prices start at around GBP7 return although if you have a London Travelcard you will get a reduction. Tube: Embankment.

Hyde Park

The mark of any great capital is the amount of space left open for its citizens. This vast park is a bolt of green amid the city grey where the picnic blanket and the rollerblade rule in peace. On a summer's day it's just about possible to forget you are in one of the world's busiest cities.

You can also ride a horse down Rotten Row, take a boat on to Serpentine Lake or listen to people share their views at Speakers' Corner. Tube: Lancaster Gate, Hyde Park Corner or Marble Arch (for Speakers' Corner).

Historic Greenwich makes for a pleasant weekend excursion to try out the indoor fleamarket and enjoy the numerous restaurants and cafés. Just next to the town the Cutty Sark is moored in a dry dock near the water. The beautifully restored deck and immaculate rigging take you back to the late 19th century when this was the fastest ship of its kind in the world. A trip to the Observatory where you can walk the zero degree meridian line is also worthwhile, as is a visit to the Maritime Museum.

To get there you can take the Docklands Light Railway to Cutty Sark, or get off at Island Gardens and then walk the Greenwich foot tunnel under the Thames. Alternatively combine a visit with a boat trip down the Thames. Boats leave from Westminster Pier and the Tower of London regularly for Greenwich.