London sightseeing tour
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Big Ben

Big Ben is probably the world’s most famous clock. Big Ben is a four faced clock that at the north end of the Palace of Westminster / Houses of Parliament.

Big Ben is one of London’s best-known landmarks, and looks most spectacular at night when the clock faces are illuminated. You even know when parliament is in session, because a light shines above the clock face.

The four dials of the clock are 23 feet square, the minute hand is 14 feet long and the figures are 2 feet high. Minutely regulated with a stack of coins placed on the huge pendulum, Big Ben is an excellent timekeeper, which has rarely stopped.

The name Big Ben actually refers not to the clock-tower itself, but to the thirteen ton bell hung within. The bell was named after the first commissioner of works, Sir Benjamin Hall.

Unfortunately the clock is not open to the public.

Buckingham Palace

Buckingham Palace is the British Queen’s London Residence. Although it is a working building, tourists are allowed to visit some of its many rooms.

The Houses

of

The Houses of Parliament

Parliament

Hyde Park

Hyde Park is one of the largest parks in London. It covers an area of 350 acres (4000 hectares) and is popular with Londoners and visitors, especially on a sunny day.

With a lake, 4000 trees, a meadow, horse rides and more its easy to forget you are in the centre of London.

London Eye

A trip on The London Eye, or Millennium Wheel as it is sometimes known, is a must for all visitors to London and a great place to take photos.

At 135 metres it is the world’s tallest observation wheel and the perfect way to see the whole city. You can book tickets in advance from the official website.

One whole rotation of the Eye takes 30 minutes and visitors step on and off without the wheel ever stopping. From the top, on a clear day you can see as far as Windsor Castle, almost 25 miles away.

London Sightseeing Tours

London Bus Tours

One of the best ways to see the sights of London is on a open top double decker bus tour. Sat atop the open-top upper deck you get a fantastic view of London’s most famous sights. Most of the operators allow you to buy tickets when you arrive. Many feature a hop-on, hop-off facility allowing you to break your journey to visit sights along the way and rejoin the tour on another bus.

Recommended operators: The Big Bus Company, The Original Tour

London Black Taxi Tours

If you prefer something more intimate than a bus, why not go sightseeing in an iconic Black London Cab, organised by the Affordable London Taxi Tours. Prices are approx £100 for 2 hours for the taxi which can hold up to 5 people. All drivers are experienced tour guides.

Madame Tussauds

Madame Tussauds is a waxworks museum that contains wax sculptures of famous celebrities ,world leaders.and cultural icons. Set up by wax sculpture Marie Tussaud in the late 19th century, it is over 100 years old and is one of London’s favourite tourist attractions.

The sculptures are lifesize and range from Princss Diana to Hollywood A list stars like Nicole Kidman and Daniel Craig to David and Vctoria Beckham and Adolf Hitler. One of the most popular sculptures is of High School Musical’s Zac Ephron.

Location: Madame Tussauds is on the Marylebone Road , Central London.

Nearest tube:  Baker Street.

Opening times: Open every day of the year.
But the queues for entry can get very long, so its best to buy your tickets in advance.

The British Museum

The British Museum is one of the largest and most important museums in the world. Its collections, which number more than seven million objects, originate from all continents, illustrating and documenting the story of human culture from its beginning to the present.

The British Museum was established in 1753. It has over 6 million visitors a year.

Admission: Free.
Although charges are levied for some temporary special exhibitions

Opening Hours: The Museum is open every day from 10.00 – 17.30 with late opening every Thursday and Friday until 20.30

The only days it is closed are  1 January, 24, 25, 26 December.

Location: Great Russell Street, London WC1

Nearest Tube:  Russell Square (Piccadilly LIne)

The Tower of London

The Tower of London is a Royal Palace and Fortress. It is a UNESCO world heritage site and one of the city’s oldest buildings. The Queen’s Royal Jewels are kept here, guarded by the Tower’s Beefeater guards in their famous red and black uniforms.The Tower of London is a fantastic place to visit, full of history and stories.

Tower Bridge

Tower Bridge is probably the world’s most famous bridge.
Opened in 1894, the bridge is 800 feet (244 meters) in length with two towers each 213 feet (65 m) high, built on piers. The central span of 200 feet (61 m) between the towers is split into two equal bascules or leaves, which can be raised to an angle of 83 degrees to allow river traffic to pass.

Trafalgar Square

Trafalgar Square is London’s most famous square and is the fourth most popular tourist attraction on Earth with more than fifteen million visitors a year.

The square commemorates the Battle of Trafalgar (1805), a British naval victory over the French and a key battle of the Napoleonic Wars.

At the center of Trafalgar Square is Nelson’s Column a 46 m (151 ft) granite column that has on its top a statue of Admiral Horatio Nelson, who was killed in the Battle of Trafalgar.

Trafalgar Square is at the heart of London and is used as a location for concerts, political demonstrations and celebrations such as New Year’s Eve.