Book ahead
Tower of London & Tower Bridge
The Crown Jewels, 1,000 years of walls, and the bridge that everyone photographs. Timed entry sells out first in summer.
Start with these
London's must-sees
The eight places almost every first visit includes — what to expect, which are free, and where to read the full guide before you go.
First-visit essential
Westminster & Big Ben
Parliament, the Abbey and the clock tower within one short walk. The most recognisable half mile in the country.
River views
The London Eye & South Bank
A slow turn above the Thames, then the easiest landmark walk in London along the South Bank.
Free entry
The British Museum
The Rosetta Stone, the Parthenon sculptures and eight million objects. Reserve a free timed slot and skip the queue.
Dome climb
St Paul’s & the City
Wren’s cathedral, the Whispering Gallery and Roman remains tucked between the glass towers.
Full day out
Greenwich & the Observatory
World time, the Cutty Sark, a royal park and the best free skyline view in south London.
Free entry
South Kensington museums
The Natural History Museum, Science Museum and V&A stand within three minutes of each other.
Theatreland
Covent Garden
Street performers on the Piazza, Seven Dials, and forty theatres within a fifteen-minute walk.
Jump straight in
What are you planning?
A city like no other
Every visit reveals a different side of London
From iconic landmarks and free world-class museums to the vibrant West End and the street markets of Borough, Camden and Brick Lane, London rewards every kind of traveller. Come for the history, the food, the art or the football — there is always something you have not seen yet.
Use this guide to book the big-ticket experiences, then fill the gaps with our free planning tools: where to stay, how to get around, what costs nothing, and when to visit.
Around 20 million international visitors arrive in London every year. This guide is built to help you skip the queues and see more of it.
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Top London tours & attractions
Skip-the-line tickets, guided walks and day trips beyond the city. Booked through our travel partner GetYourGuide, with free cancellation on most experiences.
Ad · Affiliate links — Tours are supplied and booked through GetYourGuide. We receive a commission if you book, at no extra cost to you.
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Theatre
Tonight in the West End
Seven long-running musicals in venues within a fifteen-minute walk of each other. Midweek matinees are usually the cheapest seats of the week.
Epic & emotional
Les Misérables
Sondheim Theatre
Find out more
Family spectacle
The Lion King
Lyceum Theatre
Find out more
Big songs & friendship
Wicked
Apollo Victoria Theatre
Find out more
Gothic romance
The Phantom of the Opera
His Majesty’s Theatre
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Clever family favourite
Matilda The Musical
Cambridge Theatre
Find out more
Feel-good favourite
MAMMA MIA!
Novello Theatre
Find out more
Outrageous comedy
The Book of Mormon
Prince of Wales Theatre
Find out more
Also on stage
More shows & plays
Across the West End
See the full listAffiliate disclosure: Ticket links are affiliate links. If you book after following one, ilovelondon.com may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.
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Theatre
West End show offers
London's theatre district is the best in the world and it is smaller than most visitors expect — around 40 venues within a 15-minute walk of each other. Long-running musicals such as The Lion King and Wicked sit alongside new plays, comedy and opera, and midweek matinees are usually the cheapest seats of the week.
Book theatre ticketsStart here
Plan your trip
Everything you need before you land, from first-timer basics to where to sleep.
First time in London?
Transport, safety, tipping, etiquette and the mistakes that cost visitors money on day one.
Read the guideWhere to stay
From five-star suites in Mayfair to boutique rooms and budget beds near the Tube.
Compare hotelsLandmarks & sightseeing
Tower of London, Big Ben, the London Eye, Buckingham Palace and the views worth queuing for.
See the sightsFree planning tools
Work out fares, find your hotel's zone and see when walking beats the Tube. All free, all offline.
Open the toolsChoose an area
Thirty-two neighbourhood guides, each with a map, a realistic route and where to eat.
Explore the areasWhen to visit
Season by season, school holidays, what sells out, and the quietest weeks to travel.
Read the answers
Explore neighbourhood by neighbourhood
Find the right London area for your day
London is easier to enjoy when you explore one area properly instead of spending the day crossing the city. Our complete area guides bring the best sights, food stops, useful maps and practical advice together on one page.
- Ready-made walking routes and realistic timings
- Greenwich, Westminster, Covent Garden, Soho and more
- Transport advice, local tips and places to eat
Where to stay
48 hotels, 6 partners
Central London, the airports and a few country escapes. Filter the full list by company, neighbourhood or airport on our hotels page.
1hotels
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The Royal Horseguards Hotel
Historic riverside elegance in Whitehall, beside Embankment.
Affiliate disclosure: Some hotel links on this page are affiliate links. If you make a booking after following one, ilovelondon.com may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.
Free tools
Answers a guidebook can't give you
Built for visitors, updated with the 1 March 2026 fare revision, and honest about what they can't tell you. No sign-up, and they work with no signal underground.
Tube fare calculator
What your travel will cost
Daily and weekly caps, buses, Hopper transfers and Heathrow.
Work out my faresWalk it instead
When the Tube is slower
118 stations and 23 landmarks, against a realistic door-to-door Tube time.
Check my journeyZone finder
Which zone is my hotel in?
Every station in TfL’s published list, searchable by neighbourhood.
Find my zoneFree tool
How much will your travel actually cost?
Tap in with the same card all day and TfL simply stops charging you once your fares hit a ceiling — usually after three journeys. Everything after that is free, and nobody at the barrier tells you it has happened. Our calculator does that arithmetic for your real dates.
- Day-by-day breakdown of what you'll be charged
- The Monday-to-Sunday weekly cap that catches out midweek arrivals
- Buses, Hopper transfers and Heathrow included
- Tells you plainly whether to tap or buy a Travelcard
- Zone finder for your hotel — and it works offline on the Tube
Money-saving ideas
See London for less
Four things that quietly cut the cost of a trip, none of which require a discount code.
01
The best museums are free
Permanent collections at the British Museum, Natural History Museum, Science Museum, V&A, National Gallery and Tate Modern cost nothing to enter.
Which ones, and how to book 02Fares stop at the cap
Tap the same card all day and TfL stops charging once you hit the daily ceiling — usually after three journeys. Nobody tells you at the barrier.
Work out your week 03Some journeys are free on foot
Leicester Square to Covent Garden is one stop on the Tube and four minutes on the pavement. Central London is smaller than the map suggests.
Compare your journey 04Matinees beat Saturday nights
The same production, the same cast, a considerably cheaper seat. Midweek afternoon performances are the best value in the West End.
Browse the shows
Time travel
Walk through 2,000 years of history
London's story is one of conquest, plague, fire and reinvention. A small Roman trading post named Londinium became a medieval walled city, burned almost entirely in 1666, powered an empire through the Victorian era, survived the Blitz, and emerged as the global metropolis you see today.
Much of it is still standing. Roman wall fragments sit beside glass towers, and Tudor palaces are a short walk from Georgian squares.
Explore London's historyEssential info
Visitor essentials
The practical answers — transport, money, museums, safety — in one place.
Getting around
London has one of the world's best public transport networks. Tap in with a contactless card or an Oyster card on the Tube, buses, DLR and Overground.
- Contactless fares cap automatically each day and week
- Children under 11 travel free with a paying adult
- Touch in and out on the Tube; buses are touch in only
- The Night Tube runs Friday and Saturday on selected lines
Free museums
Most of London's great museums charge nothing for general admission — a serious advantage on any budget.
- British Museum — ancient artefacts and the Rosetta Stone
- Natural History Museum — dinosaurs and the blue whale hall
- Science Museum — hands-on exhibits, great for children
- V&A — art, design and fashion
- National Gallery — European masterpieces on Trafalgar Square
- Tate Modern — contemporary art in a former power station
Book a free timed slot online to skip the entry queue.
Best time to visit
London works year-round, but each season gives you a different city.
- Spring (Mar–May) — parks in bloom, mild and quieter
- Summer (Jun–Aug) — warmest, longest days, busiest
- Autumn (Sep–Oct) — colour in the parks, fewer crowds
- Winter (Nov–Feb) — Christmas markets and festive lights
Pack a compact umbrella whenever you come — light rain is possible all year.
Money & payments
The currency is pounds sterling (£ / GBP), and London is close to cashless.
- Cards accepted almost everywhere, including small shops
- Apple Pay and Google Pay widely supported
- Buses do not take cash at all — card or Oyster only
- ATMs are common; avoid the ones charging a fee
Tipping etiquette
Tipping is appreciated in London but far less expected than in the United States.
- Restaurants — 10–15%, and check whether service is already added
- Pubs — not expected when ordering at the bar
- Taxis — round up the fare or add 10%
- Hotels — £1–2 per bag for porters
Safety & emergencies
London is a generally safe city, but stay aware in crowded tourist areas and on public transport.
- Emergencies — call 999
- Non-emergency police — call 101
- NHS — emergency care at A&E; call 111 for advice
- Keep phones and bags secure on the Tube and around Oxford Street
Good to know
London travel questions
Quick answers to what visitors ask us most.
How many days do you need in London?
Three to four days is enough to cover the headline sights — the Tower of London, Westminster, Buckingham Palace and a West End show. Five to seven days gives you time for the major museums, neighbourhoods such as Greenwich and Notting Hill, and a day trip to Windsor, Oxford or Stonehenge.
What is the best time of year to visit London?
May to September brings the warmest weather and the longest days. March to April and October are quieter and cheaper, with mild conditions. November and December are cold but bring Christmas markets and festive lights. Light rain is possible in any month, so pack a compact umbrella whenever you travel.
Do I need to book London attractions in advance?
Yes for the big paid sights. The Tower of London, London Eye, Westminster Abbey, St Paul’s Cathedral and popular West End shows regularly sell out in summer and school holidays, and advance tickets are usually cheaper than buying at the door. Free museums often use timed entry slots too, so it is worth reserving one.
Are London museums really free?
Permanent collections at the British Museum, Natural History Museum, Science Museum, V&A, National Gallery and Tate Modern are free to enter. Temporary blockbuster exhibitions are ticketed separately, and most museums invite an optional donation on the way in.
What is the cheapest way to get around London?
Tap in with a contactless bank card or an Oyster card on the Tube, buses, DLR and Overground. Fares cap automatically each day and each week, so you never pay more than the equivalent travelcard. Buses are card only and never take cash, and central London is compact enough that many Zone 1 journeys are quicker on foot.
How do I get from Heathrow to central London?
The Piccadilly line is the cheapest option and takes roughly 50 to 60 minutes to the West End. The Elizabeth line reaches Paddington in about 30 minutes and Liverpool Street in about 45. Heathrow Express is fastest at around 15 minutes to Paddington, and also the most expensive.
What can you do in London for free?
A great deal. Entry is free at the British Museum, Natural History Museum, Science Museum, V&A, National Gallery, Tate Modern and Tate Britain. The Changing of the Guard, Borough Market, Sky Garden, the Thames Path, Hyde Park, Greenwich Park and the view from Primrose Hill all cost nothing, and the South Bank walk takes in a run of landmarks without a single ticket.
Is London expensive to visit?
It can be, but the two biggest costs are usually accommodation and paid attractions rather than day-to-day spending. Fares are capped automatically, the best museums are free, and midweek matinees are the cheapest theatre seats of the week. Booking attractions in advance is normally cheaper than buying at the door.
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