50 Famous London landmarks

1. Buckingham Palace

2. Big Ben – The Most Famous London Landmark

3. Trafalgar Square

The Coca-Cola London Eye has been one of the top London attractions since the day it opened. If you plan to visit London for the first time, this vast ferris wheel is a great place from which you can get your bearings. It’s over 500 feet above the city and gives great views across London.

Tip: If you can, keep a close eye on the weather forecast so that you get the best views possible. Your best chance of doing this, and having maximum flexibility, is during the winter ‘low season’, which isn’t especially low. Also, sunset and dusk are magical times for your ‘flight’ above the city.

Address: Riverside Building, County Hall, South Bank, London SE1 7PB, United Kingdom

Nearest Tube: Waterloo or Westminster.

This magnificent cathedral is one of the most enduring symbols of London, and has been top of my personal list of what to see in London since I was a kid. The dome of the cathedral has dominated the western end of the City of London skyline since the 17^th century, when it was built by Sir Christopher Wren to replace Old St Paul’s, which was destroyed in the Great Fire of London in 1666.

It’s not just one of the finest London monuments, but one of the greatest of its age. It’s impressive enough outside, but be prepared to be blown away by the glittering golden Baroque interior.

Tip: You can also climb the dome for some of the best views in London.

Address: St. Paul’s Churchyard, London EC4M 8AD, United Kingdom

Nearest Tube: St Paul’s (Central Line)

See Also: 17 Beautiful Churches In London

The modern skyline of the city of London, 500 metres or so to the east of St Paul’s, now dwarfs the great old cathedral. It has long been one of the financial powerhouses of the world, and has been acquiring a skyline to match its status over the last two decades or so.

Some of its skyscrapers resemble household gadgets and implements, like the Walkie-Talkie and Cheese Grater. Another, the Gherkin, is an elegant glass and steel structure in the shape of a humble vegetable. More skyscrapers are being added as we write this.

Tip: Some of the best viewpoints of the City aren’t the most obvious. The walkway just to the east of Southwark Bridge is one. The front of the DLR train from Shadwell offers another, very dynamic view of it.

Nearest Tube: Tower Hill, Liverpool Street, Monument or London Bridge.

The Tower of London is one of the most famous places in London to visit. This fortress is over 900 years old, built by William the Conqueror in the late 11^th century to consolidate his hold over his new realm. It has served as a castle, prison, home to the Royal Menagerie and now home to the Crown Jewels.

It’s also home to some of the most famous London icons, the uniformed Beefeaters, or Yeomen Warders, who help show visitors around.

Tip: Don’t miss the gorgeous St John’s Chapel in the White Tower – it’s one of the most beautiful Romanesque buildings in the UK. But you’re not allowed to photograph it.

Nearest Tube: Tower Hill, and Tower Gateway on the DLR.

Address: St Katharine’s & Wapping, London EC3N 4AB, United Kingdom

One of the most beautiful bridges in London, this unique bascule and suspension bridge has spanned the Thames since the late 19^th century. Its middle section is occasionally raised to allow tall vessels to pass through.

It also makes for a stunning viewpoint over the Tower of London, the City, the Shard and down river to the skyline of the financial district of Canary Wharf. It’s perennially one of the most popular places to see in London, and justifiably so.

Tip: One of the best viewpoints is from near St Katharine’s Dock, form a jetty on the riverfront. It’s also magical at dawn in winter.

Nearest Tube: Tower Hill, or Tower Gateway DLR.

See Also: 26 Famous UK Landmarks

Piccadilly Circus is one of the best-known London tourist places, a meeting point at the busy junction of several major streets in the heart of London‘s West End.

The best-known Piccadilly sights are the statue of Eros in the heart of the square and the huge advertising screens across the street.

It’s not really one of the best places to visit in London – if anything, it’s just famous for, well, being famous. Still, it’s one of the most Instagrammable places in London, and its busy future is assured for a long time yet.

Insider Tip: The best time to visit Piccadilly Circus is at dusk, but bear in mind that it’s also popular with groups of pickpockets.

Nearest Tube: Piccadilly Circus

When I was a child, the tallest building in London was the space-age (well, it seemed like it at the time) Post Office Tower. It was opened in 1965, and in its early years the upper area was home to a revolving restaurant (these were de rigueur back in the day). 

Now known as the BT Tower, it’s a very important telecommunications hub, but no longer open to the public. Nowadays it’s somewhat forgotten in Fitzrovia, but still one of the most prominent landmarks in north London. The best place to see it is from the Regent’s Park.

Insider Tip: The BT Tower is only open to the public one weekend a year – Open House Weekend, which is usually in September. The BT Tower is one of the most popular buildings to visit, so entry is decided by ballot in advance.

Nearest Tube: Goodge Street, Warren Street or Great Portland Street.

Camden became a kind of alternative cultural nexus in the 1970s, with music venues like the Roundhouse and Electric Ballroom hosting many punk gigs.

Camden Market opened in 1974, with just 16 stalls near another music venue, Dingwalls. Out of the music scene Camden became one of the main centres of London fashion.

Since then, Camden Market and Camden Stables Market have become as much a part of the London tourist trail as Big Ben and Trafalgar Square.

It’s especially busy at weekends, when the throngs descend to explore the hundreds of clothes, music, craft and street food stalls.

Tip: Kim’s Vietnamese Food Hut, in the Stables part of the Market, serves fantastic food – we’ve been returning there for over a decade.

Nearest Tube: Camden Town or Chalk Farm.

One of the newer must do in London sights is Tate Modern, home to one of the best modern art museums in the world. It’s housed in the vast former Bankside Power Station, an awesome exhibition and performance space.  

It’s at the southern end of the Millennium Bridge, the famous formerly wobbly footbridge that spans the River Thames, leading directly north to St Paul’s.

Insider Tip: The Tate Modern Switch House is an extension of the original gallery, and its rooftop 65 metres above the ground offers wonderful panoramas of London and the Thames.

Nearest Tube: Southwark

The Albert Bridge links the suburbs of Chelsea and Battersea. It’s a unique bridge that’s part beam bridge, part suspension bridge and part Ordish-Lefeuvre design (no, I hadn’t heard of it either). It’s another of my personal favourite London landmarks, partly because I’ve passed it hundreds of times on the Cardiff-London coach route I used.

It’s a little off the beaten path in London terms, and its relatively long distance from Tube stations keeps it that way. If you’re wondering where to go in London away from the crowds, the Albert Bridge, along with nearby historic Cheyne Walk, is a great place to start.

Insider Tip: It’s lit up beautifully at night.Nearest Tube: Sloane Square or South Kensington, both around a mile (1.6km) away. The 170 bus from Victoria stops right next to it.

The traditional red telephone boxes are among the most famous London landmarks, and they are also among the most common and widespread. They’re without doubt among the best sights in London, a huge favourite for photographers and for those selfies to send to your friends around the world

They can be found all over central London, and there are different versions. Both the K2 – which you can find on Parliament Square – and the later K6 version were designed by Sir Giles Gilbert Scott – in 1924, and were partly inspired by the tomb of Sir John Soane in Old St Pancras churchyard.

Most of the red telephone kiosks in London are still operational, though rarely used for what they were designed for. Elsewhere in the country, they are used to house micro-libraries and even defibrillators.

Their numbers have declined across the UK, but as the red phone box was voted the greatest British design of all time, many will hopefully survive in perpetuity.

Tip: Covent Garden is a good place for red phone box photos in London.  As well as some examples on the Piazza, there is also a row of five red telephone boxes on Broad Court, just off Bow Street and a few steps away from the Royal Opera House.

Did You Know: Sir Giles Gilbert Scott also designed Battersea Power Station and one of the most famous landmarks in England, Liverpool Anglican Cathedral.

Nearest Tube: Covent Garden for those described above, but there are many around central London

The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, are one of four World Heritage Sites in London, and it’s well worth making the trip out west to see them. The vast site, founded in 1759, is home to over 50,000 plant species, and it’s one of the best places to go in London on a sunny day, with a stroll along the glorious broad border walks or the shade of the incredible arboretum.

Kew also has an incredibly rich architectural heritage, with several outstanding buildings worthy of a place on any London landmarks list. The Palm House is one of the first buildings you’ll see at Kew, and it’s the first glass house of such a magnitude to have been built – in 1844, to a design inspired by that of a ship. 

Allow plenty of time at Kew (last time we spent a whole day there). This will give you enough time to explore other London treasures around the Gardens, including Kew Palace, a 17^th century gem where King George III lived for some years. And at the opposite end of the Gardens, the Great Pagoda, a superb Chinese-inspired tower offers wonderful views of the Gardens.

Getting There: Train to either Kew Gardens (London Overground – followed by a 5-minute walk) or to Kew Bridge (South Western Railway, not connected with Kew Gardens station), from where it’s a 15-20 minute walk to the Victoria Gate entrance, or a short hop on the 65 bus which leaves from Kew Bridge stop H.

See Also: Things To Do In West London – Parks, Pints And Palaces

The Roman London Wall was built around 200 AD to defend and fortify the garrison town and trading port of Londinium. The Romans built the wall from what is now Tower Gate, below the Tower of London, to a roughly rectangular plan with a series of Gates, continuing north to the modern Barbican, south to Ludgate (close to what is now St Paul’s Cathedral) and along the riverfront.

The Roman London Wall hindered development until the Middle Ages, from when it gradually ceased to have any meaningful role. Much of it was built over or destroyed, but there is one section that is very well preserved, in Tower Hill Gardens, across the street from the Tower of London. 

One of the oldest London historical sites, it is also graced by a replica statue of the Emperor Trajan, who ruled from 98 to 117 AD.  It’s no more than a three-minute walk from the Tower of London entrance, so you can see one of the oldest landmarks in London as well as the Tower and Tower Bridge. 

Canary Wharf is one of the most famous London landmarks, a district of high-rise towers that is essentially overspill from the crowded City of London. It’s one of the biggest and busiest financial districts in the world, which began in the 1980s as a development of docklands in the Isle of Dogs in the East End of London.

We can recall when it was little more than a single skyscraper – now it’s a huge cluster of them, burgeoning and showing no sign of stopping. The best views of Canary Wharf are from across the river at Greenwich, and upriver in the City of London, the Shard and, surprisingly, as far away as Waterloo Bridge (pictured).

Exploring London ? You may like to take a look at our famous streets in London and our 50 famous buildings in London article.

Another of London’s most famous landmarks, the Natural History Museum is one of the great museums of the United Kingdom, indeed Europe. As you approach Central London from the west, there’s a strong chance you’ll pass it, a gigantic Victorian Gothic edifice that greets you as you pass through South Kensington. 

The scope of the Museum is astonishing, essentially covering the history of life on Earth and indeed beyond. What’s more, admission is free, although at the time of writing you may need to book your entry online in order to comply with ovid-19 measures.

We always head for the dinosaurs which our Little Man finds particularly captivating, but with each visit we find something new to discover.

It hosts a series of exhibitions, including the annual Wildlife Photographer of the Year. We confess to a tiny touch of bias with this famous London landmark, as it’s where we met for the first time. 

Getting there: South Kensington Tube

One of the great, ubiquitous, universally recognised icons of London, the red London double decker bus makes it into our famous London landmarks selection by virtue of its near-omnipresence. OK, they move – at least that’s the idea – but they’re more often than not stuck in London traffic and you can’t possibly miss them.

The forerunner of the London double decker bus was the horse-drawn omnibus, which was introduced in 1829 – the motorised omnibus was first used in the early 20^th century.

All London buses were painted red from 1907 onwards, with the route number and destination n the front. While living in London we frequently used London double decker buses to get around, and they are often more convenient, and offer a far more scenic perspective. They are also considerably cheaper, especially if you’re using an Oyster card.

We loved delving into the history of London buses and the Tube at the excellent London Transport Museum in Covent Garden, which has a wonderful collection of London red double-decker buses, omnibuses, trains and more.

The British Museum in Bloomsbury is a vast Neo-Classical building housing an astounding collection of cultural artefacts from around the world. The Museum was founded in 1753, but the present main building was completed over a century later, in 1857, to a design by Robert Smirke. Within 50 years even this proved inadequate due to the Museum’s ever-increasing collections, so the enormous North Wing was also added.

The Museum underwent further changes at the Millennium when the Queen Elizabeth II Great Court, designed by Lord Foster, was opened. This is the largest covered square in Europe, with a glass roof covering the space between the central dome and the galleries. It’s a great improvement on the previous set-up, making the Museum easier to navigate.

That said, seeing even the highlights could detain you for quite some time.

This mile-long market in Notting Hill is one of the most famous places in London. It’s typical London in that you see so many different sides to the city in a relatively short stretch, starting at the pastel-painted houses at the southern end and ending at the junction with Gonville Road, a couple of blocks beyond the Westway Flyover.

Portobello Road Market is only in full swing on Saturdays, when all five sections open – the food and produce sections are open on weekdays. It’s best-known for its antique stalls and shops, which are open on Fridays and Saturdays, and there are usually hundreds of these stalls to browse. 

Portobello Road has been used as the setting for many movie scenes, including Notting Hill and our son’s favourite, Paddington 2, where the famous Alice’s Antiques shop doubles as Gruber’s Antiques, owned by the bear’s long-standing friend.

The Cutty Sark is one of the most iconic London landmarks, located close to the River thames and part of the Maritime Greenwich UNESCO World Heritage Site, one of four in London.

This beautiful ship was the fastest of its time – it was launched in 1870 – and first served as a tea clipper, carrying cargo to China and returning with tea. With the advent of the steam ship a few years after its construction, it was used to transport wool from Australia, often venturing as far south as the dangerous Roaring Forties winds to save time on the journey.

Its heyday was in the 1880s and 1890s, after which it was sold to a Portuguese company.  It was later acquired by a British owner and eventually opened as a museum ship in 1957. The Cutty Sark suffered devastating fire damage in 2007, but was impressively restored within just five years.

The vast brick Art Deco Battersea Power Station was built in the 1930s by Sir Giles Gilbert Scott, who was also responsible for Liverpool Anglican Cathedral and the iconic K6 red telephone boxes you still see around London.

A second, almost identical structure was added in the 1950s, completing the iconic 4-chimneyed edifice we see today.

For many years after decommissioning, Battersea Power Station was largely derelict, but over the last decade it has been transformed, with apartments, offices, bars and restaurants now occupying this amazing building. It even has its own brand-new Tube station on the Northern Line.  

One of the finest landmarks in North London, this spectacular red-brick Victorian Gothic edifice could pass for one of ‘Mad’ King Ludwig’s Bavarian castles, and it wouldn’t look out of place looming above a valley in Slovakia or Transylvania either.

Instead, it has to make do with the busy Euston Road, next door to King’s Cross Station.  Designed by George Gilbert Scott and opened in 1873 as the Midland Grand Hotel, it formed the front of St Pancras Station, which in recent years has been the London terminus for Eurostar trains from continental Europe. 

The original Hotel closed in 1935, and it wasn’t until 2011 that it was rescued from decades in the doldrums as rail offices and later disuse, restored to its ornate grandeur and glory and the new Hotel was opened. The interior, should you visit, is as impressive as the exterior.  

Address: Euston Rd, London, NW1 2AR

Shakespeare’s Globe is a reconstruction of the late medieval galleried theatre where plays would have been performed during the lifetime of Britain’s most famous playwright, William Shakespeare.

There are two theatres on the site, and the Globe is open-air with a thatched roof, unique in London as these had been banned since the Great Fire of London in 1666. It’s an amazing theatre space, where the actors and audience can see each other throughout performances.

The exterior is a faithful replica of the 16^th century, with half-timbered walls typical of the time. It’s just a couple of minutes’ walk from the bulk of Tate Modern, making a striking contrast indeed.  

HMS Belfast is one of the most prominent famous London landmarks, occupying prime river space between London Bridge and Tower Bridge.

This former warship, which was used during the Second World War including at the Normandy D-Day landings in 1944, is now a fascinating museum, one of five branches of the Imperial War Museum.

The ship, which served until 1963, was the first British warship since HMS Victory (used by Lord Nelson in the early 19^th century) to be preserved for posterity as a museum. It’s one of the most fascinating museums in London, with everything from a radar room to gun turrets and the crew’s living quarters.

Address: The Queen’s Walk, London SE1 2JH, United Kingdom
Nearest Tube: London Bridge

Unless you’re driving on the North Circular or approaching London Euston on the train, chances are you won’t see this famous London landmark, out in suburban north-west London.

But if you get close its 133 metre high arch is an impressive sight, as iconic as the twin towers of the original Wembley Stadium which it replaced in 2007.

Its capacity is 90,000, and it’s best known as a football (soccer) venue, hosting the annual English FA Cup Final, most England home football internationals, several NFL games a year, as well as various other one-off sporting events and music concerts.  

Address: London HA9 0WS, United Kingdom
Nearest Tube: Wembley

We’ve included the Palace of Westminster – more commonly referred to as the Houses of Parliament – as a separate landmark to Big Ben / the Elizabeth Tower as the latter is only a small part of a vast building. 

The present Palace of Westminster is possibly the ultimate masterpiece of Victorian Gothic architecture, heavily influenced by the 15^th century English Perpendicular style.  It was built between 1840 and 1876 to designs by Charles Barry and Augustus Pugin, incorporating Westminster Hall, one of a few parts of the Palace to survive a devastating fire in 1834. 

The Palace of Westminster is home to the to chambers of British government, the House of Commons and the House of Lords. As the seat of parliamentary democracy for over 300 years, it has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site along with Westminster Abbey and St Margaret’s Church, both of which are also on Parliament Square.   

Nearest Tube: Westminster 

The Piazza in Covent Garden is one of the most famous squares in London,  and was the work of renowned architect Inigo Jones, the first British architect to embrace Roman classical principles. 

His Piazza was the first modern square in London, and was initially intended as a residential area. It was built between 1630 and 1635, and nobles and aristocrats sought out property on the new square. One of Jones’ main inspirations was the Piazza d’Arme (now Piazza Grande) in Livorno, one of Tuscany’s hidden gems. 

The one surviving part of Jones’ original Piazza is the actors’ church of St Paul’s, Covent Garden, which stands in the western corner of the square. 

The most popular part of Covent Garden is the famous Covered Market, which is packed with boutique shops, cafes and restaurants. Covent Garden is a perennial hit with visitors, and the many street performers never take very long to pull a crowd. 

Nearest Tube: Covent Garden or Charing Cross   

The London Transport Museum is housed in one of the 19^th century buildings that made up the Covent Garden flower and produce market. The market moved out in 1971, to be replaced by the London Transport Museum which has been there since 1980. 

It’s one of the best transport museums we’ve seen anywhere in the world, with an amazing collection of vintage train carriages, trolleybuses, iconic red double decker buses and more. 

For us, using London public transport is an essential part of the whole London experience, and if you enjoy doing so you’ll love delving into a bit of London history in this superb museum. 

Nearest Tube: Covent Garden 

London’s original Chinese community – and Chinatown – was based around Limehouse in the East End until the 1970s, when the present location, around Soho and Theatreland, became established. 

Since then, many Chinese restaurants, food stores, herbalists and massage parlours have moved to the area, which is marked by two gates – one at the east end of Gerrard Street, on the junction with Newport Place, and another on Wardour Street, around 20 metres away. The latter was opened in 2016 by Prince Andrew. 

Nearest Tube: Leicester Square  

The National Gallery, on the north side of Trafalgar Square, is a fine Neoclassical building housing one of the world’s great art collections. 

It was built between 1832 and 1838 by William Wilkins, replacing two earlier inadequate locations on nearby Pall Mall. It was expanded in stages during the 19^th century, and the interior has been modernised. The Sainsbury Wing, which houses temporary exhibitions, was added in 1991. 

Entry to the Gallery is free. Compared with, say, the Louvre, the number of paintings is relatively small, but the quality is unsurpassed, ranging from the likes of Holbein’s The Ambassadors to Seurat’s Bathers at Asnieres to Vincent van Gogh’s Sunflowers.    

Nearest Tube: Charing Cross 

Downing Street is one of the most famous streets in London as Number 10 is the official residence of the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. In recent years there have been four different occupants, but one constant – the resident mouser, Larry the cat. 

Located off Whitehall, a short walk from Parliament Square, the street is somewhere few of us ever get to tread.  That doesn’t stop many visitors trying to peer through the railings at the end of the street trying to catch a glimpse of famous politicians walking along the street. 

Number 10 is more than an official home – it’s a government department, along with 11 Downing Street and 70 Whitehall, housing the Cabinet Office, the nerve centre of the UK Government. 

The Victoria & Albert Museum – widely called the V & A – is one of the three outstanding museums in South Kensington, and it’s just across the street from the other two – the Natural History Museum and Science Museum. 

The Museum came into being following the Great Exhibition of 1851, and moved to its current site in 1857. It initially included many science-related exhibits, but these were eventually moved to the new Science Museum, and in 1899 it was formally renamed the Victoria & Albert Museum.  

The buildings housing the V&A were added throughout the 19^th century. The collection focuses on design, fine arts and decorative arts, and includes sculpture, furniture, photography and fashion. An exceptional museum, one of the best in the world. 

Nearest Tube: South Kensington 

The original Imperial War Museum in London is housed in the main building of the former Bethlem Royal Hospital (also known colloquially as Bedlam), which was built in the early 19^th century. It replaced an inadequate earlier building, and was built at a site then known as St George’s Fields in Southwark. 

This is the ‘home’ branch of the Imperial War Museum – others include another of our famous landmarks of London, HMS Belfast, and Churchill’s War rooms. The others are at the former air base at Duxford in Cambridgeshire and IWM North at Salford Quays in Manchester.   

Nearest Tube: Lambeth North or Elephant & Castle 

The Barbican Centre, on the northern boundary of the City of London, is not the prettiest of our famous London landmarks, but if you’re a Brutalist aficionado, you’ll be in heaven. 

The Barbican is a large housing estate, with around 2,000 apartments in a mixture of tower blocks and squares, and at its heart is the amazing Barbican Centre, one of the best arts centres I’ve visited anywhere on the planet, somewhere I’ve been a hundred times or more. 

I’d suggest taking a quick look around the Barbican if you’re in this part of London (close to Smithfield Market and St Bartholomew the Great Church). It’s somewhere that grew on me over many visits.  

It was built between 1965 and 1976, and a great way to experience it is to play something contemporary on your headphones. I once played Wendy Carlos’ A Clockwork Orange soundtrack on my iPod as I walked through the estate to a concert, and I recommend doing the same for the all-in immersive experience. 

Nearest Tube: Barbican 

The London Millennium Bridge also happens to be one of the best viewpoints in London. It commands superb views downriver towards Tower Bridge, and if you stand in the middle you have fantastic views of two other famous London landmarks – St Paul’s Cathedral to the north and Tate Modern to the south.  

The Millennium Bridge opened in 2000, but a slight sideways wobble meant that it had to be closed for two years while repairs were carried out. But it’s now a must see in London, not least for those views. 

Nearest Tube: Blackfriars or Mansion House 

This famous London skyscraper is one of the most iconic London buildings, and acquired its nickname years before its completion.  

The Gherkin was built on the site of the Baltic Exchange, which was destroyed by repair by an IRA bomb in 1992. Norman Foster was commissioned to build the Millennium Tower on the site, but these plans were scrapped because it was deemed too high – around 1,200 feet, even higher than The Shard across the Thames. 

Eventually it was decided to proceed with the Gherkin, a circular glass and steel tower housing over 40 storeys of commercial offices. It contrasts wonderfully with the 16^th century tower of the church of St Andrew Undershaft on the corner of the street below. 

Nearest Tube:  Aldgate or Liverpool Street 

Modern London was shaped by the Great Fire of 1666, which destroyed most of the medieval city, leaving an enormous rebuild required. 

One of the first buildings to rise from the ruins was what became known as The Monument, a memorial Doric column commemorating the Fire. It was built by Sir Christopher Wren, architect of St Paul’s Cathedral and many other London churches, between 1671 and 1677. 

The site was chosen because of its proximity to Pudding Lane, where it is believed the Great Fire started on 2^nd September 1666. 

It’s 160 feet (49 metres) high and is well worth the climb for the view above the surrounding rooftops to the City of London skyline. 

Nearest Tube: Monument 

Hyde Park is the largest of the four Royal Parks in Central London. The 350-acre site is bounded by Park Lane to the east, Bayswater Road to the north, Knightsbridge to the south and Kensington Gardens to the west. 

The Park was originally founded by King Henry VIII and at first it was used as a royal hunting ground. The area was opened to the public a century later, in 1637. Speakers Corner, on the eastern edge of the park, has, since 1866, been a place where free speech can be espoused, and the right to do so is protected by law.  

Hyde Park is also known for its vast concerts, including the likes of Pink Floyd and the Rolling Stones, and has also been the scene of mass protests. 

Nearest Tube stations: Hyde Park Corner, Marble Arch, Lancaster Gate or Knightsbridge.  

Like Hyde Park, the Regent’s Park was originally used as hunting grounds by Henry VIII. In the early 19^th century the area was landscaped by John Nash, who also built some of the Park’s surrounding terraces. Nash was also responsible for other famous London landmarks including Buckingham Palace and Marble Arch, and the Royal Pavilion in Brighton.  

Regent’s Park has long been one of our favourite London parks. There are some wonderful walks in both the formal and informal gardens, and four different children’s playgrounds where the kids can have a run around. They may also be tempted by London Zoo, which is in the north-west of the Park. 

The northern end of Regent’s Park is also close to Primrose Hill, which offers a higher viewpoint over the skyline of Central London.    

Nearest Tube: Regent’s Park, Baker Street, Great Portland Street (south side) and Mornington Crescent (north side, 5 minutes’ walk from Gloucester Gate) 

Kensington Palace is a 17^th century royal palace that is home to several members of the royal family – the Prince and Princess of Wales and their children, the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester, Prince and Princess Michael of Kent and the Duke and Duchess of Kent. It is also renowned for being the former residence of Diana, Princess of Wales. 

The Palace dates from the Jacobean period (early 17^th century, during the reign of James I), and was later expanded by royal residents including William II and Mary II (who also resided at Hampton Court below). Their successors, Queen Anne, George I and George II also lived there. 

Kensington Palace is situated at the western end of Kensington Gardens, a short walk from the popular Diana Memorial Playground. Parts of the Palace are open to the public, including the State Rooms, where some of the immensely impressive Royal Collection of art is on display. 

Nearest Tube: High Street Kensington  

The Princess Diana Memorial Fountain is in Hyde Park, just to the south of the Serpentine lake. It was opened in 2004, seven years after the death of Diana, Princess of Wales, in a car crash in Paris. 

The fountain – which resembles a stream – is made from over 500 blocks of granite from Cornwall. It is meant to reflect the princess’s open, friendly personality, with many people able to sit on the side of the fountain and dip their feet in the water, or for kids to take a walk in it. 

It’s very popular with families during the warmer months, and together with the nearby (1 km walk) Princess Diana Memorial Playground makes for a great day out with the kids. 

Nearest Tube: Knightsbridge or Lancaster Gate  

Hampton Court Palace is a royal palace in East Molesey, 12 miles (19 km) from the centre of London. It was begun in 1514 for cardinal Thomas Wolsey, but eventually given over to King Henry VIII, who made it his principal residence. 

Hampton Court is one of the best examples of Tudor architecture in England, especially its gatehouse, Great Hall and Great Kitchens. 

At one time during the 17^th century demolition was considered, but the existing Palace was retained, and the Baroque part of it added by Sir Christopher Wren. 

Nearest station:  Hampton Court 

Tip: If you have kids, there’s a great play area and also a Maze. 

By far the largest of our famous London landmarks, Hampstead Heath is a hill in North London overlooking much of the metropolis.  It’s one of the parks in London, with some wooded areas, country walks and Parliament Hill, with its famous view over London. 

You can also go swimming in Hampstead Heath Ponds, three natural ponds, or Parliament Hill Lido, an outdoor swimming pool open all year. 

We often explore the gardens around Kenwood House, which has a superb art collection (Rembrandt, Vermeer and Turner among others) – this is one of the best free places to visit in London. 

From Kenwood, it’s less than a five-minute walk to one of the best historic pubs in London, The Spaniards Inn.  

David Angel is a British photographer, writer and historian. He is a European travel expert with over 30 years’ experience exploring Europe. He has a degree in History from Manchester University, and his work is regularly featured in global media including the BBC, Condé Nast Traveler, The Guardian, The Times, and The Sunday Times.  David is fluent in French and Welsh, and can also converse in Italian, German, Portuguese, Spanish, Czech and Polish.

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