London Travel Guide and Hotel Reviews

London has many varied museums and galleries and they make perfect outings for people on holiday in the bustling city of England’s capital.

The British Museum offers insights into the works of man from prehistoric times to modern day inventions, whilst the Science Museum offers interesting insights into scientific advances through the ages and looks forward into the exciting possibilities of space travel.  The Imperial War Museum displays the horror of the trenches in First World War, and gives insights into espionage during war times; the critically acclaimed Holocaust Exhibition gives a haunting insight into some of the most horrific pages in the history of the world.

Galleries such as the Royal Academy of Arts of the Tate Modern provide tourists with collections of art that have been wondered upon over the ages, work from renowned artists such as van Gogh or da Vinci can be enjoyed.

Most galleries and Museums in London are free to enter; however, some exhibitions do require ticket purchase.  More information can be obtained from Tourist Information websites and centres.

As the capital city of England, London offers plenty of options for visitors.  For impressive history, art and culture, shopping and beautiful palaces and parks, London is in a class of its own.

With so much to see, if your time is limited, then a cruise along the river Thames in London is a relaxing way to cross a few famous sights off your list.  Boats sail in all weathers and seasons and most have indoor and outdoor seating areas from which to enjoy the views.  Thames river boats weave their way through the heart of London giving unbroken views of iconic buildings such as The Tower of London, The Houses of Parliament and Big Ben, St Paul’s Cathedral, Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre and the Tate Modern art gallery.

Catch a boat from Westminster Pier and let it take you south east along the sweep of the river to Greenwich, where historic buildings by Christopher Wren sit in stunning parkland opposite modern architecture such as Canary Wharf across the river in Docklands.

To enjoy the many sights of London in a relaxing and unhurried fashion, splashing out on a Thames river cruise is highly recommended.

If this is your first visit to London here are some first-timer tips to help you get the most out of your stay.

A guide book is invaluable and allows you to plan in advance what you want to see and do. Are you a culture vulture? London has fabulous museums and many of them are free. Perhaps royal attractions are your thing? The Royal Palaces and traditional British ceremonies such as The Changing of the Guard are tourist favourites.

London is a big city so consider how you will get from A to B. Grab a free map of the Underground system (or Tube) which is generally the easiest way of getting around. Investigate travelcard options such as the Oystercard and daily travelcards which can offer better value. If you prefer to see the sights as you travel, why not splash out on an open topped double-decker bus tour?

Getting your accommodation right is key to an enjoyable stay in the capital. London welcomes 30 million international visitors per year so there is something to suit everyone. Choose from luxury hotels to tourist hotels, apartments or a London bed and breakfast – London has it all.

There are many children’s attractions in the city of London which makes finding something to suit everyone simple.  Here are three ideas to get you started.

Madame Tussauds

The queues along Marylebone Road bear testimony to its enduring popularity.  This museum of historic and contemporary waxwork figures fascinates children of all ages.  Kids rub shoulders with heroes like David Beckham or dance along with Beyoncé.  To avoid queues, book online.

The London Dungeon

Kids love the ghoulish and creepy, and it does not get much creepier than the London Dungeon, a museum celebrating London’s dark past.  Gruesome accounts of beheading, murder, torture and plague have kids screaming in terrified delight.  Features include good theme-park style rides and costumed staff that leap out of exhibits to frighten visitors when least expected.  Do expect to be repulsed, horrified and made slightly nervous.

Sea Life London Aquarium

Situated in County Hall, right by the Thames, this fantastic aquarium features sea life from around the globe.  Watch divers swim amongst the fish and enjoy busy feeding times.  Interactive displays and a supervised ‘touch-pool’ mean kids can get up close to some fascinating creatures.

As the official residences and office of Her Majesty the Queen, Buckingham Palace is one of the top destinations for visitors to London.

It is one of the few remaining working palaces in the world today, and its staterooms are used frequently by the Queen and her family when entertaining guests during official and ceremonial occasions.

Visitors can tour the 19 staterooms during the summer months, viewing the fantastic design and interior furnishings, which include some of Britain’s most precious treasures, including works by the likes of Rembrandt and Canova.

The gardens are also open to the public during the summer, when a visit to the palace itself can end in the beautiful outdoor surroundings. There are more than 350 rare and varied wild flowers in the grounds, great views of the palace and a beautiful lake.

For those interested, there is an exclusive tour with an expert guide and a copy of the guidebook, a glass of champagne and a discount on items bought in the Royal Collection shop, all included in the price.

A London icon for over half a century as the Bankside Power Station in South London, and now acting as a world renowned art gallery for over a decade, the Tate Modern building is a memorable site. With its tall, distinctive chimney stack, riverside location and selection of some of the most modern and exciting art in the world, this art gallery is a popular destination for many art lovers. 

Most recently, the Tate Modern has housed the incredible exhibition of Ai Weiwei’s Sunflower Seeds.  This challenging exhibit features 100 million perfectly realistic seeds, all painted and hand crafted from finest Chinese porcelain.  Other exhibits include works by Picasso, Matisse, Louise Bourgeois, and Anish Kapoor.  Visitors of any artistic inclination will find something of interest amongst this huge variety of modern artwork.

To get the most out of your visit it is best not to book just any random hotel London offers.  The Tate Modern and many other landmarks are on the banks of the River Thames, so it makes sense to book your London hotel somewhere nearby.  For the low budget backpacker, there are numerous hostels that offer comfortable rooms, facilities and breakfast, all for a low price.  The staff are friendly and you will find many like-minded travellers staying in these establishments.  In the middle of the range, there are many hotels in London well suited to families and those looking for a little more luxury.  For the ultimate in luxury, the most expensive hotels in London compare favourably with those anywhere in the world.

The London Eye is one of London’s newest tourist attractions.  Built in 1999 by British Airways and originally known as the ‘Millennium Wheel’, it has quickly become one of the most iconic structures in England.  Because of its location the London Eye is no ordinary Ferris wheel.  Tourists can climb aboard one of the 32 air-conditioned cabins and settle down to enjoy a leisurely half-hour aerial spectacular of London.

The London Eye provides a truly unique view of the Thames, the Houses of Parliament, and St. Paul’s Cathedral, among many other iconic London landmarks.  During special events, such as the celebrations for New Year, the London Eye becomes an exciting place to be to catch the proceedings, with the fireworks display and the jubilant crowds below.  Due to demand, visitors interested in visiting the facility may need to book in advance since the London Eye attracts up to four million visitors every year but doing this will also almost guarantee you cheap tickets as you often find discounted and two for one offers online.

The wide variety of hotels in London means that there are places to stay to suit every need and budget.  Ranging from low cost cosy hostels, to the spectacular penthouse at the Dorchester Hotel, at £2950 per night, each hotel London has offers that are specifically for tourists.  Those wishing to see the London Eye and other popular attractions in central London will find that there are many hotels in London situated in the vicinity.  Prices for a London hotel are usually lower further away from the centre.  Travel around London using the famous Underground railway system or the buses, is typically fast and easy. 

The Natural History Museum is best known for its amazing collection of dinosaurs.  One of the main attractions is Dippy; a huge cast of a diplodocus which stands in the Central Hall of the Museum.  Dippy caused an incredible stir when he was first shown to the public back in 1905.

As well as Dippy, there is plenty more to see in the museum:  you can see a huge replica of a blue whale from all angles suspended in one room of the museum.  Elsewhere you can discover everything there is to know about the huge power of earthquakes and watch how a volcano can destroy everything in its path.

The museum also contains countless works of art that all have a relevance to natural history.  While many of these are paintings, prints and water colours others are more unusual.  One such example is a 3D image of a shark’s head. 

The best thing about the Natural History Museum, aside from the fact that it is free, is that it is an ideal day out for all the family.  The museum is in Cromwell Road, London and is easily accessible from one of the exits at South Kensington tube station.  There are plenty of hotels in London in this area so you may want to book a room to stay in overnight too, thus making your day out into a weekend to remember.  You can also visit the museum two days running and see more as a result.

It is common for a museum to capture your attention regardless of its subject matter, but the British Museum remains one of the most notable examples of its kind in the world, standing head and shoulders above many others.  The name may mislead you into thinking it only focuses on British exhibits but nothing could be further from the truth.

The museum can be found in Great Russell Street, London and was founded in 1753.  The intervening two hundred and fifty years have seen many notable exhibits in the museum; most recently these have included prints and drawings from Australia, mummies from ancient Egypt and sculptures that come from the Parthenon in Greece.

The museum is free to enter and you can also attend free talks on various subjects of interest.  The museum holds 1.8 million objects in its vast collection so as you may imagine these are not all on display at the same time, and some of the exhibits are carefully preserved behind the scenes.  However you will still be able to view lots of amazing relics and items that show us a lot about how history unfolded in various parts of the world.

The British Museum is a great place to go for an inexpensive day out in London.  No matter which London hotel you choose to in, you will find it relatively easy to get to the museum to start your exploration of all it has to offer.

It is not difficult to see why Madame Tussauds is one of the most popular venues in London.  If you are spending a long weekend in the city and staying in a London hotel, make sure you save some time to rub shoulders with the rich and famous in Madame Tussauds while you are there.

So who can you expect to see in the waxworks museum?  There is a large section of waxworks of people from the Royal Family, including the Queen and Prince Charles.  You can also see Prince Harry and the late Princess Diana.

Also on display are the waxworks of various pop stars including Robbie Williams, Justin Timberlake and even Elvis Presley.  You can see that some famous people are popular enough to stay in the Madame Tussauds gallery for many years.

But the waxworks museum does not only choose real people for their models.  You can also meet Jack Sparrow from the Pirates of the Caribbean films.  Elsewhere you can see the superhero Spiderman and the fictional detective Sherlock Holmes, looking remarkably like Robert Downey Jr.  Watch out for the Invisible Woman and the Incredible Hulk as well.

The best thing about a visit to Madame Tussauds is the variety of waxworks you will be able to see.  Sports stars, world leaders and many more besides are all waiting to greet you as you enter Madame Tussauds to explore in more detail.