My husband and I are going to be in London next month for two days. We've both been long, long ago on a very "tourist" centric trip (bus tour, etc)...would love to know what you think the must see places are...not necessarily the "best known" but the off the beaten track places/neighborhoods :)
Thanks!!
I agree that the Cabinet War Rooms is a must see--a really fascinating place. Temple Church is very interesting--on Fleet St behind huge gates which are not always open. St Bartholomew The Great Church is a place where many movies scenes have been shot and is one of the oldest churches in London. The London Silver Vaults, Royal Mews, the markets, King's Road for antiques, Chelsea hospital, etc. So much to see/do in London. Have a great trip!
If you want to see the "real" London, check out the offerings from
London Walks. I've taken over a dozen of their walks and have never been disappointed. The guides are great and knowledgeable.
My favourite part of London is the City of London aka the Square Mile. A real mixture of ancient (Roman and Medieval), Victorian and modern with some interesting nooks and crannies hidden amongst all the new build.
Some of the places in London that were liked by me and Millions of people : Victoria & Albert Museum of Decorative Arts. Saint Paul's Cathedral. British National Gallery, located at Trafalgar Square.
Erin, go, have fun!
I took my family there 5 years ago, both children were teenagers then and my wife. I was during Christmas holiday and we walked everywhere! Must see for me was Tower of London, Crown Jewels, Anne Boelyn, all that armor, etc. two hours min. 5 hours max. For my wife, the gardener of the family, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. For our 18 year old son it was Greenwich, Royal Observatory, Maritime Museum, Prime Meridian, etc. For our 13 year old daughter it was any shop with clothes, cute guys, and anything Beatles. For all of us it was touring through St. Pauls, Evensong at Westminster Abby and Queenswalk, Southwark, along the South shore of the Thames west of the Tower Bridge toward Globe Theater and Tate Modern. Have a ball and let us all know what you chose to do!
erin,
It's difficult to recommend "must sees", as my preferences will probably be different than yours. The best suggestion I can make would be to have a look at the Guidebook as there are really good descriptions there of all the major sites (along with admission costs, opening and closing times, transportation details, etc.). With good information, you can both decide what interests you the most.
Some of the sites I enjoy in London:
BA London Eye
Buckingham Palace / Changing of the Guard
Cabinet War Rooms (I'm interested in WW-II history)
HMS Belfast
Imperial War Museum
Tower of London / Crown Jewels
Musicals (check the TKTS Booth in Leicester Square for discounted tickets)
Dining in good restaurants (Santini's in the London Victoria neighborhood has great Italian food; you could also try Jamie Oliver's Fifteen Restaurant)
British Museum
Tate Modern (and of course a walk across the Bridge) - it's quite extensive so will take a while to tour all the different areas.
South Bank of the Thames (seems to be quite a vibrant area at times, especially when there's a festival or other event happening)
There are LOTS of choices! With only two days, you'll have to plan well and be very selective.
Happy travels!
