London Things to Do

From watching the changing of the guards at the lavish Buckingham Palace to exploring the dungeons of the infamous Tower of London, there are plenty of things to do in London, but before you embark on a tour of the British capital, here are a few things NOT to do.

England’s longest river running all the way from the Cotswolds Hills in Gloucestershire through to the North Sea, the Thames has long been the lifeline of London running right through the heart of the city center and flanked by many of the city’s key attractions.

London’s most popular paid-for tourist attraction and one of the city’s most iconic landmarks, the EDF Energy London Eye towers over the banks of the River Thames in London’s city center. At 135-meters high, the London Eye is one of the world’s tallest observation wheel, offering 360-degree panoramic views spanning up to 40km away on a clear day. The famous glass viewing pods each take up to 28 people but with almost 10,000 visitors taking to the skies each day, the queues can be overwhelming.

Along with the vintage red telephone boxes, black taxi-cabs and the red-suited Royal guards with their towering bearskin hats, the double decker bus, traditionally painted in fire-engine red, has become one of the most famous symbols of London. While the classic red versions are now more commonly found emblazoned across souvenir mugs and key rings than chugging along the streets (although there are still some in action), the double-decker bus is still one of the most popular methods of transport for Londoner’s to get from A to B.

With its magnificent dome presiding over London’s skyline, St Paul’s Cathedral is not only the seat of the bishop of London, but is one of the city’s most famous landmarks. One of the largest churches in Europe, dedicated to Paul the Apostle, the cathedral sits atop Ludgate hill, the highest point of the City of London financial district, and remains a major tourist attraction, not least for the spectacular views afforded from its tower.

London’s new Shard is not just the tallest tower in the city, but also by far the best building to experience the most spectacular 360 degree views of the city and beyond. Walking up to the Shard we were straight away in awe of this building’s magnificent size and striking structure.

Like the fire-engine red telephone boxes, double decker buses and suited Royal guards in their bearskin hats; London’s famous Black Cabs are so iconic, they’ve even been immortalized in wax at Madame Tussauds. Despite recent fears that the Coventry manufacturer who produces the ubiquitous Black Cabs is going bankrupt, the Austin FX designs are still very much a part of everyday life in the capital. London celebrities fall in and out of them on a seemingly nightly basis; politicians opt for them over a limo; Sir Laurence Olivier and Stanley Kubrick owned their own; and even Arnold Schwarzenegger allegedly had a fleet shipped out to California. Regardless of economic difficulties, it seems like the time-honored Black taxicab is here to stay.

In a country where you’re never more than 113 km (70 miles) from the coast, it’s little surprise that London is a popular cruise destination, with the southern England ports of Southampton, Dover, Tilbury and Harwich frequently used as launch points for domestic and international cruises. First stop on the itinerary has to be the capital, but with limited time to explore London’s myriad of sights, book a shore excursion and dodge the crowds.

The mania of 2012′s Olympic games may have died down, but there’s still plenty of reasons to visit London in 2013. Here’s our top picks of the capital’s best attractions.

1. Best Museum

With its maze of crisscrossing streets, swarming crowds and traffic-clogged squares, England’s cosmopolitan capital can be a bit overwhelming to the first-time visitor. Once you’ve plowed through the guidebook and organized your itinerary, here are a few tips to help you make the most of your first visit to the big smoke.