Travel to London - the ultimate guide
Discover the most interesting London attractions you can see on a weekend.
Considered by many to be the cultural and entertainment centre of Europe, the British capital is one of the top major metropolises. The city offers so much that if we wanted to see everything and visit every attraction, even a month-long trip might not be enough.
London is a city of world-class museums, galleries, theatres, stores, monuments, churches and countless landmarks. A city steeped in tradition, it also boasts of being a world leader in setting trends and innovations in fashion, technology and the arts. If you're planning a trip to London, but don't have much time for sightseeing and don't have a faint idea of what to see and which attractions to focus on, we've prepared a plan for you. It covers the most important tourist attractions of this huge bustling metropolis.
Notting Hill
This fashionable and affluent neighbourhood full of Victorian-style houses has been made famous in recent years by the movie "Notting Hill" starring Julia Roberts and Hugh Grant and the Caribbean carnival held there, which is the largest festival of its kind in Europe. Crowds of tourists and Londoners are also drawn by the street market on Portobello Road. The natural charm of this one of London's wealthier neighbourhoods lies in the pastel-coloured houses and beautiful doorways.
Harrods
London's Harrods is described as the world's most exclusive department store. It is housed in an elegant seven-story building in London's most expensive neighbourhood of Knightsbridge. Its current form, which we can visit today, dates back to 1905. Its motto is " We have everything you want." Indeed, in Harrods' range of 300 departments, you will find almost everything - from exclusive shoes, handbags or dresses from top designers, to the world's finest champagne, prestigious watches or its own food products. About 15 million customers visit Harrods every day. Interestingly, the mall has a special dress code - customers should wear clean, aesthetically pleasing clothes and shoes. Shorts, flip-flops, clothes exposing a fair amount of flesh, and T-shirts with vulgar inscriptions or pictures are not welcome.
Tower Bridge
The drawbridge crossing the Thames is one of the most recognizable symbols of London and the second most viewed landmark right after Big Ben. It was made in the Victorian style and symbolizes the mighty British empire and the busy Thames. Of the 29 bridges over the Thames. Tower Bridge is the only movable bridge, and its spans are lifted only on special occasions.
Buckingham Palace
The official residence of the British monarchs, built-in 1703. It was also the London residence of Queen Elizabeth and one of the last functioning royal palaces in the world. It contains 600 chambers, including 19 representative rooms, 70 bathrooms, and 200 bedrooms. It is one of the symbols of the United Kingdom, a place for all ceremonies and meetings at the state, and international levels. During the queen's vacation (in August and September) for 10 weeks a year, visitors could tour the palace apartments, normally off-limits to tourists.
For most of the year, the ceremonial changing of the guard is held every other day (Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays) at 11:00 a.m. During the summer (generally from May to July), the ceremonial changing of the guard is held every day. Note: In case of bad weather and during various important state events, the changing of the guard ceremony may be cancelled.
Big Ben
Big Ben is actually the name of the 13-ton bell, inside the tower, not the tower itself. The Elizabeth Tower is mistakenly called Big Ben, and the common name has become so popular that almost no one uses the original and correct nomenclature anymore. Since 1859, this huge bell crowning a 96-meter clock tower built in a neo-Gothic style has been ringing every hour and is one of the most recognizable symbols of London. On each outer wall is a clock face with a diameter of 7 meters. There are 334 steps leading up to the observation deck at its top. In 2017, the renovation of Westminster Palace began. As a result, Big Ben was closed for four years until 2021.
London Eye
The London Eye or London Eye is a Ferris wheel-type attraction, which is also the world's tallest observation wheel with a height of 135m. Once the London Eye ranked first in the world for the tallest Ferris wheel, in 2006 the title was taken away by the Singapore Flyer in Singapore. The Millennium Wheel, as the London Eye is also sometimes called, consists of 32 glass capsules, with a full rotation taking about 30 minutes. Placed inside each capsule, interactive guides will enable you to learn about the capital's iconic landmarks, a maximum of 20 people are allowed into the "carriages," the capsules are large, and there is a small bench in the middle where you can rest while admiring the city skyline. The attraction is open daily, from about 10:00-11:00 a.m. to 6:00-20:30 p.m., and in some months even until 9:30 p.m. Exceptions are holidays and public holidays. Opening hours change depending on the season, so it's best to keep all information up to date on the London Eye website.
Covent Garden
Covent Garden is said to be the artists' district. There probably isn't a day there that doesn't resound with music played by street players. Actors, circus performers and musicians meet here. Its central part is the so-called Piazza - a market more than 500 years old, where you can buy food products, flowers, and souvenirs. It is also worth seeing one of the shows, or performances, in the square between the market and St. Paul'sChurch. This place is officially known as a field for street entertainment. It is also where auditions are held to select the cast for the plays, played there almost daily.
When is the best time to go to London?
London's climate can be capricious and you should expect frequent rainfall. According to Synoptics, the driest month throughout the year is February and the rainiest is November. If you care about the weather you should consider visiting London from May, through September. Unfortunately, there are crowds of tourists during this period and sightseeing may not be very pleasant. To avoid crowds and have a chance of nice weather in London, you should take a trip in March or April. Although we love London during Christmas, when we can enjoy London decorated with beautiful lights and Christmas trees
