Buckingham
Palace:
Built in
1705, Buckingham Palace has served as the royal family's London home
since 1837. For two months each summer (usually August and September)
nineteen of the 661 staterooms are open to the public, giving you a
chance to peek inside one of the world’s last working palaces. Even
when the Palace is closed, though, the famed
Changing of the Guard
takes place daily at the gates: fresh Foot Guards in full-dress
uniform exchange position with Guards coming off duty, all
accompanied by a military band playing everything from patriotic
marches to show tunes. It’s one of the nation’s most popular
attractions. ~ Perhaps an even bigger treat is the annual
Trooping of the Guards,
which, in a tradition dating from the 1600s, celebrates the
Sovereign's birthday. More than 1400 marching troops—accompanied by
horses, drum corps, and military bands—march from the Palace along a
parade route to the waiting Queen. She, in turn, inspects them while
driving slowly past in a carriage. Later, the Royal Air Force flies
overhead. This event takes place on a Saturday in early June, close to
the Queen's birthday. Much of the excitement can be seen from the
Mall.
Tower of London:
Dating back to 1078, the
Tower of London sits on the north bank of the
Thames, securely nestled within two parallel rings of defensive
walls and a moat. Originally a fortress, it's also served as a royal
palace, a place of execution and torture, a zoo, an armory, and a high-status
prison whose guests included the future Queen Elizabeth I and Sir
Walter Raleigh. And, since 1303, it’s been home
to Britain’s impressive
Crown
Jewels.
The Tower is guarded by Yeomen
Warders (aka Beefeaters), who also act as tour guides and provide
colorful photo ops. The Tower is a
World Heritage Site.
Kensington Palace. The outwardly
modest but inwardly sumptuous
Kensington Palace
(1605) was
the birthplace of Queen Victoria and the final home of Diana, Princess
of Wales—it was at these gates that tens of thousands of bouquets were
left in the days following her death. On a visit here you'll tour the
lavish King's and Queen's State Apartments and the Royal Ceremonial Dress Collection,
which includes an up-close look at many sensational evening dresses
worn by Diana. Later, stroll just beyond the lovely
Palace gardens and into public
Kensington
Gardens (perhaps
finding a shaded bench in a leafy nook where you can hang out for a
while). The Gardens eventually merge into
Hyde Park, where in
nice weather you can rent a boat and paddle about on the popular
Serpentine. On Sundays, near Marble
Arch (1828) on the Park's
northeast side, take in the famous "soapbox" orations at Speakers' Corner; listening to people spout off here is a London custom
harking back to the mid-1800s.
Honeymoon Splurge:
If you're up for
old-style opulence and sophisticated living, camp out in the
Infinity Suite at the Five-Star Langham London (see
photo). The most expensive accommodation in all of Britain, the Suite
comes with its own car and driver, a colossal Sharon Marston fibre-optic
chandelier, and an overflowing Infinity Bath. When it was built in 1865,
the Langham was considered the first Grand Hotel in Europe, and for quite
a while it was the haunt of the continent's royalty. But over time the
hotel lost its luster and was almost demolished in the 1980s. Thankfully,
a new owner came along and refurbished the hotel's excellent bones (at
staggering cost). Among the many delights you'll get to experience while
staying in the Infinity Suite is the Landau, considered one of London's
top restaurants; it's a place of soft, brushed gilt panelling, timber
floors, antique brass chandeliers and Chinoiserie silk screens, and it
also sports an award-winning chef. Within walking distance: Regent's Park,
the British Museum, the National Gallery, Royal Albert Hall, and
West End theatres.
»»Read about
other honeymoon splurges around the world
The Shops: One of the pleasures in
visiting London is just exploring ancient streets on foot, discovering
quaint shops and chic boutiques on your own. But a few
well-known shopping locales are definitely worth checking out. Saturday's
Portobello Road Market
is a unique assortment of antique shops, street stalls, clothing
boutiques, pubs, cafes, food vendors, and more—you may or may not find bargains,
but you'll definitely have fun.
Oxford Street, with
its more than 300 stores—including iconic purveyors Marks & Spencer
and Selfridge's—is the largest shopping street in all of Europe.
For decidedly upmarket browsing, head for the 15-acre terracotta building that
houses Harrods. With
nearly 350 departments, this store lives up to its motto, "Everything,
for Everyone, Everywhere." And absolutely check out Harrods' legendary,
and lavish, food halls; you won't believe your eyes (and be on the
lookout for employees handing out free tastes of something or other).
Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew: Set on 300 acres
along the River Thames, Kew Gardens, as it's known, holds the largest
plant collection in the world, with specimens from everywhere on the
planet. The Victorian-era glasshouses are filled with tropical wonders
year-round, and summer and spring bring vibrant, colorful displays to
the grounds. These gardens date back to 1772, when scientist Joseph
Banks returned to England with exotic plants after a round-the-world
voyage with Captain Cook (the oldest building on-site, the 1761
10-story Pagoda, predates the gardens). While you're in the area, spend time in peaceful Kew
Village. Painter Thomas Gainsborough is buried here at charming,
yellow-brick St. Anne's Church (1714). You can check out antique steam
pumping engines and ride a steam railway at the award-winning
Kew Bridge Steam Museum; take in
antique automated musical instruments ranging from tiny music boxes to
a giant Wurlitzer at the Musical
Museum; or just enjoy a slow-moving cricket match on Kew Green.
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Museums²: It's no exaggeration to say that London contains some of
the world's greatest museums. The
British
Museum,
for instance: a treasure-house of art, architecture, artifacts and
more that covers the history of civilization across the planet, or the
National
Gallery,
with its incomparable assortment of world art through the 19th
century.
Tate
Britain
holds the nation's superb assembly of British art; the 20th and 21st
century art at
Tate Modern
rank among the world's
best collections. The
Victoria &
Albert Museum
contains the planet's largest collection of decorative and fine arts.
The
Imperial
War Museum
offers a look at 20th century warfare from a variety of viewpoints. There are many more museums, both large (the
Natural
History Museum,
the
Science
Museum,
the
National
Maritime Museum)
and small (The
Florence
Nightingale Museum,
the
Freud
Museum,
the
Lawn Tennis
Museum).
How about visiting the world's largest collection of toys (Bethnal
Green Museum of Childhood)
or learning about the history of gardens (the
Museum of
Garden History)?
We could go on—and on!—but you really need to come here and see for
yourself.
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The
London Eye: On the
South Bank of the River Thames, the
London Eye
is the world's
tallest cantilevered observation wheel. At 443-feet high, it offers
unrivalled views of London and famous nearby landmarks such as the
Houses of Parliament, St. Paul's Cathedral, and Westminster Abbey.
Each rotation takes about 32 minutes, allowing plenty of time for
videos and snaps. Since its official opening by then-Prime Minister
Tony Blair on December 31, 1999, the wheel has become the most popular
paid-for attraction in the UK, visited by about 10,000 people each
day—more than 3 million per year.
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Westminster: This area of London is highly popular with visitors.
One reason: taking photos of the famed clock tower known
as Big Ben, which juts above the massive
Houses of
Parliament.
You can, by
the way, tour the Parliament building in summer, when government is
not in session. Another area attraction: walking over Westminster
Bridge (1862), with its seven wrought-iron arches. For some, the walk
is an end in itself; others head to the
London
Aquarium
or
London Eye,
both on the
bridge's east side. Or stroll along nicely-paved Victoria Embankment,
which runs along the west bank of the Thames River. Then there's
Westminster Abbey,
dating back to 1050 and famed for its amazing architecture.
Don't just come to look, though: try to fit in a church service,
experiencing the heavenly-voiced choirboys accompanied by the abbey's
giant pipe organ. Other local sights include the
magnificent
Banqueting
House,
the
Cabinet
War Rooms,
and
St.
Martin-in-the-Fields church.
St. Paul’s Cathedral: Seventeenth-century St. Paul's Cathedral, one of London’s most renowned landmarks, was
designed by Sir Christopher Wren. The first thing you'll notice is its huge
dome; inspired by St. Peter's Basilica in Rome, it dominates the
city's skyline. Tour the magnificent interior, with its
hand-carved choir stalls and organ case. Climb the 259 steps up and
into the dome's Whispering Gallery, so-called because someone standing
on the gallery's opposite side can easily hear your whispers. Climb
higher, past the Stone and Golden Galleries, until you reach the very
top, where you'll have a view overlooking much of London. Before
leaving, check out the Crypt to see the tombs of many famous Brits,
including Wellington and Wren himself. ~ Leaving, cross the
Thames River on the pedestrians-only Millennium Bridge—the first new
bridge in London since the 1894 completion of Tower Bridge. When you
reach the bridge's southern end, you'll be within easy walking
distance of
Tate Modern, Shakespeare's
Globe Theatre, and the Bankside Gallery.
West End Theatre: Similar to New York's
Broadway, London's West End is the epicenter of the city's exciting
professional stage scene, with about 40 theatres. Among the better-known
traditional venues are the
Royal National Theatre
and the Royal Shakespeare Company.
Shakespeare's Globe
Theatre (see photo), built according to an Elizabethan plan,
opened in 1997; it's 200 yards from the site of the original Globe,
which was destroyed in 1644. Many other theatres can be found
throughout London—usually classified
as "fringe" theatre, this scene is roughly equivalent to New York's
off-Broadway.
The weekly publication, Time Out, has the scoop on what's showing, where, and curtain
times. Ticketmaster
or First Call are
good choices for advance tickets. Half-price tickets are available on
performance day only at the
TKTS
booths at Leicester Square and Canary Wharf.
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