Five sites you have to see in London on your first visit
Never been to London? These five iconic sites have to be on your Instagram list to make the folks back home jealous.
Buckingham Palace
Buckingham Palace is King Charles’ official residence in London and a working building, not a museum. In summer, visitors can tour the State Rooms, which host formal ceremonies and receptions. Outside, people gather to watch the Changing of the Guard, a short display of military routine that takes place four days a week around 11am.
Big Ben
Big Ben – the world’s most famous clock – actually refers to the bell, not the tower, which is properly called the Elizabeth Tower. It’s a great spot for iconic selfies.
Tower Bridge
Tower Bridge was built in the late 1800s, and designed to lift open for river traffic which it still does, on average twice a day. Visitors can walk across the upper level, which has glass floors and views in both directions along the Thames. Inside, there’s a small museum on how the bridge was originally powered.
Westminster Abbey
Westminster Abbey has been the site of every British coronation since 1066. It’s a working church with daily services, but also a national space, filled with tombs and memorials to monarchs, scientists, writers, and politicians – in fact around 3,300 people in total. The abbey’s atmosphere is quiet but charged with history.
The Tower of London
The Tower of London was built to control the city after the Norman conquest in 1066. Over time, it became a royal palace, prison, and execution site. Today, it houses the Crown Jewels and is guarded by the Yeoman Warders, more often known as Beefeaters.
London Tourist Guiding with Will Hide
Let me know what you’d like to see in London and I can make it happen.
Whether it’s a morning spent inside Westminster Abbey, St Paul’s Cathedral or the Tower of London, exploring Camden Market and the quaint streets of Hampstead or Greenwich, or taking your teens on a Taylor Swift trail, I can make it happen.
And if you want to get out of town and see the sites of Bath, Oxford, Canterbury or Stone Henge, just let me know.
Cover photo credit: Jurica Koletić