London Attractions: Book Tickets Now

The London sights that are worth planning a day around.

Brooklands Museum: Explore a World War II bomber plane!

From £27.24

Changing of the Guard Walking Tour

From £14.98

Cutty Sark Afternoon Tea in London

From £43.00

Cutty Sark: Entry Ticket

From £23.32

Eltham Palace and Gardens

From £18.53

Hampton Court Palace, Gardens & Maze Tickets

From £32.40

Kensington Palace: Entry Ticket

From £14.04

London Eye: River Cruise

From £16.59

London Transport Museum

From £28.62

Stonehenge & Bath: Guided Day Trip from London with Bath Admission

From £145.80

Stonehenge, Windsor Castle & Oxford: Day Trip from London

From £151.20

Stonehenge: Day Trip from London

From £63.72

London's best days out mix history, views and a few surprises, from the Tower of London and Stonehenge to the top of The Shard and the riverside at Greenwich. Whether you want royal palaces, a hop-on hop-off bus tour or a trip to the Royal Observatory, there's plenty to build a trip around.

Browse the attractions here and book your tickets online to save your date and time.

Which London Attractions Should I Visit?

Top Attractions in London

The Tower of London is the obvious starting point, with the Crown Jewels and nearly a thousand years of history beside the Thames. For the skyline, The View from The Shard puts you at the top of the UK's tallest building, with the whole city laid out below.

Stonehenge sits further out in Wiltshire and makes a full day of its own, while a hop-on hop-off bus tour is a simple way to see several central sights in one go.

Royal and Historic Attractions in London

London's royal side is easy to explore. Kensington Palace and Hampton Court Palace give you State Apartments, Tudor kitchens and gardens, Eltham Palace adds an Art Deco house inside a medieval hall, and The King's Gallery at Buckingham Palace shows works from the Royal Collection.

A Changing of the Guard walking tour helps you make sense of the ceremony near Buckingham Palace, which is much easier to enjoy when someone explains what you're watching.

Museums, Greenwich and the River

The London Transport Museum in Covent Garden covers buses, trams and the Tube, and The Postal Museum has Mail Rail and five centuries of mail. Brooklands Museum in Surrey brings motor racing and aircraft, including a WWII bomber.

In Greenwich, the Royal Observatory has the Prime Meridian line, Cutty Sark is a tea clipper in a dry dock, and the River Thames is the best way to see it all, including on the London Eye River Cruise.

Planning a Day Out in London

A good London day usually pairs two or three attractions that sit close together, such as the Royal Observatory and Cutty Sark in Greenwich, or the Tower of London and The Shard on either side of the river.

Booking tickets online in advance lets you choose the date and time that fit, and it matters most in summer, at weekends and in school holidays. Hampton Court, Eltham and Brooklands are all outside central London, so a booked slot also helps you plan the journey.

Good to Know Before Visiting Attractions in London

Book your date and time online in advance, as popular attractions can sell out on busy days.

Allow around three hours at the Tower of London to see the Crown Jewels and the White Tower without rushing.

Stonehenge is in Wiltshire, roughly two hours from London, so plan a full day for the trip.

Hampton Court Palace, Eltham Palace and Brooklands Museum are all outside central London, so allow extra travel time.

The Royal Observatory, Cutty Sark and the other Greenwich sights are close together, which makes a combined day easy.

Clear days give the best views from The Shard, so check the forecast when choosing your slot.

The Changing of the Guard doesn't take place every day, so check the schedule before you plan your visit.

Expect a security check at many attractions, so travel light and leave large bags behind.

London Attractions - Gallery

London's Top 5 Picks

Kensington Palace

A royal residence in Kensington Gardens, once home to Queen Victoria and Princess Diana, with State Apartments and changing exhibitions on royal life.

Stonehenge

A prehistoric stone circle on Salisbury Plain in Wiltshire, built over 4,500 years ago and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The View from The Shard

Observation floors near the top of Western Europe's tallest building, with panoramic views of London from 244 metres up.

Tower of London

A 900-year-old riverside fortress that has served as a royal palace, prison and armoury, and today houses the Crown Jewels.

London Transport Museum

A Covent Garden museum tracing the history of London's buses, trams, Tube and railways, with historic vehicles and interactive displays.

FAQs about London Attractions

What is the best way to coordinate a visit to the historic venues in Greenwich?

The major maritime sites, including the Cutty Sark and the National Maritime Museum, sit close together on the waterfront, while the Royal Observatory is a short walk up the hill within Greenwich Park. Combining these locations into a single day trip is highly efficient, and taking the river bus from central London provides direct access to Greenwich Pier.

Can I take photos inside the primary exhibition spaces at the Tower of London and the King's Gallery?

Photography for personal use is fully permitted across the open courtyards of the Tower of London and inside the regular galleries of the King’s Gallery at Buckingham Palace. However, photography and filming are strictly prohibited inside the high-security Jewel House vault where the Crown Jewels are displayed.

Are historic sites like Hampton Court Palace and Eltham Palace fully accessible to visitors?

Both properties offer step-free access across their modern visitor centers, ground-floor state rooms, and primary paved garden pathways via ramps and lifts. Because these are ancient structures, certain historic areas, such as the upper levels of the Tudor apartments or specific split-level rooms in the Art Deco mansion, can only be reached by stairs.

How long does a typical visit to the observation deck at The View from The Shard last?

There is no maximum limit on your time at the top once you pass security, but most visitors find that ninety minutes to two hours provides ample time to experience the panoramic views. This allows you to explore all three public levels, including the open-air skydeck on Level 72, and take photographs of the skyline.

What unique historical eras are represented at Eltham Palace?

The property presents a rare architectural combination, directly connecting the surviving fifteenth-century medieval Great Hall of a former Tudor palace with a highly stylized 1930s Art Deco mansion. This layout allows visitors to walk immediately from a grand timber-roofed medieval space into a sleek, circular modernist home.

Can you explore the underground spaces at the Postal Museum and the London Transport Museum?

The Postal Museum features a dedicated fifteen-minute subterranean train ride through the historic Mail Rail tunnels that were once used to transport mail beneath the city streets. The London Transport Museum focuses on street-level galleries in Covent Garden, showcasing historic underground trains, vintage buses, and transport design artifacts.

What happens if there is poor weather during a scheduled Changing of the Guard Walking Tour?

The walking tour proceeds through standard London drizzle and overcast conditions, so wearing a waterproof jacket and comfortable shoes is highly recommended. However, during periods of exceptionally heavy rain or severe weather, the military may cancel the musical elements or scale back the marching parade entirely for safety reasons.

Are the open-top vehicles on the Tootbus London Discovery Bus Tour fully enclosed?

The buses are designed with a hybrid layout featuring a completely open or canvas-covered top deck for panoramic sightseeing alongside a fully enclosed, climate-controlled lower deck. This ensures that you can remain warm and dry on the lower level if the weather changes unexpectedly during your route.

Is it possible to see a World War II bomber plane at the Brooklands Museum?

The museum proudly displays a recovered and restored Wellington bomber plane inside its aviation sheds, alongside a vast collection of historic aircraft and vintage racing cars. Visitors can explore these exhibits while walking along preserved sections of the world’s first purpose-built motor racing circuit.

How do I travel to the Brooklands Museum from central London?

Regular rail services depart from London Waterloo station and arrive at Weybridge station in approximately forty minutes. From Weybridge, the museum grounds can be reached either by a twenty-minute walk along a marked path or via a short ride on the local 436 bus route.

What is the best way to get from the Tower of London to Kensington Palace?

The most efficient route is taking the Underground’s District or Circle line from Tower Hill station directly to High Street Kensington station, which takes roughly twenty-five minutes. This simple transit link connects the historic medieval fortress in the east with the royal palace and gardens in the west.

Can you walk right up to the stones at Stonehenge during a standard visit?

To preserve the ancient monument, visitors must remain on the designated pathways that circle the stone structure during regular opening hours. Touching the stones is strictly prohibited unless you secure a specialized, limited-capacity inner circle tour that takes place outside normal public operating hours.