Explore London's rich history and influential monarchy at regal Buckingham Palace and the Houses of Parliament, home of the British Government. Follow the winding River Thames to see masterpieces by artists like Dalí and Matisse at the industrial-looking Tate Modern art gallery. Savour the international nightlife of thrilling Chinatown and neon-lit Soho.
The River Thames divides London into north and south, with the South Bank and Shakespeare's Globe Theatre on one side and the Houses of Parliament, home of British politics, on the north. London's financial hub, The City, lies deserted at weekends while the West End constantly buzzes with theatre, art and clubs. Head to exclusive Kensington and Chelsea in the west for a spot of designer shopping and then hit Camden in the north for its edgy nightlife scene. It's a big place, but try walking as much as possible in London, as there's so much to see above ground. When you get tired, there's always the Tube, the world's oldest underground railway system.
Beat the crowds by arriving early at the Tower of London. Then wander riverside to scrubbed up Saint Paul's Cathedral, crossing The Thames for contemporary art at the Tate Modern. The best place for breathtaking city views is the London Eye observation wheel. March to the Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace before choosing which world-class museum to tour in South Kensington. Enjoy a slice of the Orient with dinner in Chinatown and a show on Shaftesbury Avenue or a champagne toast in a Soho club.
See Parthenon sculptures inside the British Museum and paintings by Monet and van Gogh at the National Gallery. Walk along Whitehall to glimpse Downing Street, where the Prime Minister lives. Then read an original Magna Carta and Beatles' lyrics at the British Library. Cobbled streets, boutiques and entertainers cluster in and around Covent Garden. Venture out to the centre of time at the Observatory in Greenwich, not far from the Millennium Dome exhibition space and concert venue (now called The O2). If you want to take things slow for a while, walk along the canals of Little Venice or through London's large Hyde Park and verdant Hampstead Heath.
London City Airport is just 10 miles (16 km) from the West End and Westminster, six miles (10 km) from the City and three miles (5 km) from Docklands business centre in the heart of London. The Docklands Light Railway connects with all major London Underground lines, whisking you into central London within 25 minutes.
London Gatwick is the second-largest airport in the UK, and the busiest single-runway airport in the world. Around 90 airlines operate from its two terminals, serving 200 destinations and handling 32 million passengers a year.
London Heathrow Airport is one of the busiest in the world, transporting almost 67 million passengers a year. From the airport, 15 miles (24 km) west of Central London, the Heathrow Express whisks you into London Paddington Station in 15 minutes.
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