Touring London in a day seems ridiculous at fi rst, considering that it’s a sprawling metropolis fi lled with treasures, but it can be done if you get an early start and have a certain discipline, plus a lot of stamina. Since Britain is the world’s most famous kingdom, this “greatest hits” itinerary focuses on royal London, monu- mental London, and political London, with some great art thrown in to satisfy the inner soul. After an early morning trip to Westminster Abbey, you’ll want to see London’s greatest plaza, Trafalgar Square, take a grand “royal stroll,” visit the National Gallery, and perhaps poke into Whitehall, seeing No. 10 Downing St.
(home of the prime minister). A pint of lager in a Victorian pub and a night in a West End theater will cap your day very nicely. Start: Tube to Westminster.
1 Westminster Abbey
This early English Gothic abbey is the shrine of the nation, and most of England’s kings and queens have been crowned here—and many are buried here as well. We always like to get here when it opens at 9:30am, before the crowds descend. Architecturally, its two highlights are the fan-vaulted Henry VII’s Chapel (one of the loveliest in all of Europe) and the shrine to Edward the Confessor, containing the tombs of fi ve kings and three queens.
For a fi nal look, walk over to the Poets’ Corner, where everybody from Chau- cer to Robert Browning, Dr. Samuel Johnson, and Alfred Lord Tennyson rests in peace. See p. 260.
As you emerge from Westminster Abbey, you confront the virtual symbol of London itself:
2 The Houses of Parliament & “Big Ben”
Guarded over by “Big Ben” (the world’s most famous timepiece), the former royal Palace of Westminster shelters both the House of Lords and the House of Commons and has done so since the 11th century. Gaining admis- sion to the debating chambers requires a long wait and a lot of red tape that the “1-Day Visitor” will have to forego, but at least you can admire the mas- sive architectural pile from the outside before passing on your way.
If you feel you’ve missed something, duck into the Jewel Tower across the street (p. 245), one of only two surviving buildings from the medieval Palace of Westminster. Here you can see an exhibition of the history of Par- liament and even use a touch-screen computer that takes you on a virtual tour of both Houses of Parliament. See p. 245.
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SUGGESTED LONDON ITINERARIES Current Head
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Heathrow Airport
RICHMOND PARK
BUSHY PARK
GUNNERSBURY PARK OSTERLEY PARK
BISHOP'S PARK
HYDE PARK
KEW GARDENS
ST. JAMES' PARK REGENT'S
PARK
River Thames
Riv er T
hames WIMBLEDON
CHISWICK ACTON GREENFORD
TWICKENHAM
RICHMOND UPON THAMES
KINGSTON UPON THAMES
HIGHGATE HAMPSTEAD
WEMBLEY WILLISDEN
HARROW-ON- THE-HILL
HORNSEY TOTTENHAM
WALTHAMSTOW
LEYTON
WANSTEAD
ILFORD FINCHLEY
HENDON
BARNES
MORTLAKE PUTNEY FULHAM
ROEHAMPTON
CLAPHAM
BRIXTON
DEPTFORD
DULWICH
MITCHAM
BECKENHAM
CHARLTON
WOOLWICH KEW
HAMPTON COURT
WESTMINSTER
SOUTH BANK COVENT
GARDEN MARYLEBONE ST. JOHN'S
WOOD
ELEPHANT & CASTLE NOTTING SOHO
HILL
DOCKLANDS ISLE OF
DOGS
SUTTON WANDSWORTH
HAMMERSMITH EALING
HOUNSLOW
CAMDEN
WESTMINSTER
ISLINGTON
HACKNEY BRENT
HARROW
NEWHAM
GREENWICH HARINGEY
WALTHAM FOREST BARNET
RICHMOND
KINGSTON MERTON
SOUTHWARK
LAMBETH
LEWISHAM
CROYDON
BROMLEY CITY
KENSINGTON
& CHELSEA
TOWER HAMLETS
REDBRIDGE
White City White City Stadium Stadium Wembley
Wembley Stadium Stadium
All England All England Lawn Tennis Lawn Tennis
& Croquet Club
& Croquet Club
Buckingham Palace
Greenwich Royal Observatory St. Paul's
Cathedral
Heathrow Airport
White City Stadium Wembley
Stadium
All England Lawn Tennis
& Croquet Club RICHMOND
PARK
BUSHY PARK
GUNNERSBURY PARK OSTERLEY PARK
BISHOP'S PARK
HYDE PARK
KEW GARDENS
Riv er T
hames WIMBLEDON
CHISWICK ACTON GREENFORD
TWICKENHAM
RICHMOND UPON THAMES
KINGSTON UPON THAMES
HAMPSTEAD
WEMBLEY WILLISDEN
HARROW-ON- THE-HILL
FINCHLEY HENDON
BARNES
MORTLAKE PUTNEY FULHAM
ROEHAMPTON KEW
HAMPTON COURT
ST. JOHN'S WOOD
NOTTING HILL
WANDSWORTH HAMMERSMITH
EALING
HOUNSLOW
CAMDEN
WESTMINSTER BRENT
HARROW
BARNET
RICHMOND
KINGSTON MERTON
KENSINGTON
& CHELSEA
Greater London Area
SUGGESTED LONDON ITINERARIES Current Head
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A222 A21 A21
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A222 A20 A102
A206
A2 A13 A124
A117 A118
A116 A11
A12
A102 A107
A11
A106 A114
A406
A10
A503 M11
A503 A105
A400 A1
Central London
See "West End" Maps
See "The City" Maps
Heathrow Airport
RICHMOND PARK
BUSHY PARK
GUNNERSBURY PARK OSTERLEY PARK
BISHOP'S PARK
HYDE PARK
KEW GARDENS
ST. JAMES' PARK REGENT'S
PARK
River Thames
Riv er T
hames WIMBLEDON
CHISWICK ACTON GREENFORD
TWICKENHAM
RICHMOND UPON THAMES
KINGSTON UPON THAMES
HIGHGATE HAMPSTEAD
WEMBLEY WILLISDEN
HARROW-ON- THE-HILL
HORNSEY TOTTENHAM
WALTHAMSTOW
LEYTON
WANSTEAD
ILFORD FINCHLEY
HENDON
BARNES
MORTLAKE PUTNEY FULHAM
ROEHAMPTON
CLAPHAM
BRIXTON
DEPTFORD
DULWICH
MITCHAM
BECKENHAM
CHARLTON
WOOLWICH KEW
HAMPTON COURT
WESTMINSTER
SOUTH BANK COVENT
GARDEN MARYLEBONE ST. JOHN'S
WOOD
ELEPHANT &
CASTLE NOTTING SOHO
HILL
DOCKLANDS ISLE OF
DOGS
SUTTON WANDSWORTH
HAMMERSMITH EALING
HOUNSLOW
CAMDEN
WESTMINSTER
ISLINGTON
HACKNEY BRENT
HARROW
NEWHAM
GREENWICH HARINGEY
WALTHAM FOREST BARNET
RICHMOND
KINGSTON MERTON
SOUTHWARK
LAMBETH
LEWISHAM
CROYDON
BROMLEY CITY
KENSINGTON
& CHELSEA
TOWER HAMLETS
REDBRIDGE
White City Stadium Wembley
Stadium
All England Lawn Tennis
& Croquet Club
Buckingham Buckingham Palace Palace
Greenwich Royal Greenwich Royal Observatory Observatory St. Paul's
St. Paul's Cathedral Cathedral Highgate
Cemetery
ST. JAMES' PARK REGENT'S
PARK
Buckingham Palace
Greenwich Royal Observatory St. Paul's
Cathedral
River Thames HIGHGATE
HORNSEY TOTTENHAM
WALTHAMSTOW
LEYTON
WANSTEAD
ILFORD
CLAPHAM
BRIXTON
DEPTFORD
DULWICH
MITCHAM
BECKENHAM
CHARLTON
WOOLWICH WESTMINSTER
SOUTH BANK COVENT
GARDEN MARYLEBONE
ELEPHANT &
CASTLE SOHO
DOCKLANDS ISLE OF
DOGS
SUTTON
ISLINGTON
HACKNEY
NEWHAM
GREENWICH HARINGEY
WALTHAM FOREST
SOUTHWARK
LAMBETH
LEWISHAM
CROYDON
BROMLEY CITY
TOWER HAMLETS
REDBRIDGE
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0 2 km
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SUGGESTED LONDON ITINERARIES The Best of London in 1 Day
Continue walking north along Whitehall until you reach:
3 No. 10 Downing St.
Hang a left and look down Downing Street to No. 10, fl anked by policemen.
Because of security concerns, it is no longer possible to walk down the street—you can only look down it through the gates on Whitehall. The offi - cial residence of the prime minister isn’t much of a sight and is rather mod- est, but it’s been the home of everybody from Sir Winston Churchill to Margaret Thatcher. Today David Cameron and his family call it home.
Although the building is hardly palatial, it’s the most famous address in Brit- ain, other than Buckingham Palace, and all visitors seem to want to take a peek.
After that look, continue north to:
4 Trafalgar Square
The hub of London, this is Britain’s most famous square and the scene of many a demonstration. A 44m (144-ft.) granite statue of Horatio Viscount Nelson (1758–1805) dominates the square. As you walk around this square, noting the ferocious pigeons “dive-bombing,” you’ll know that you’re in the very heart of London where thousands amass on New Year’s Eve to ring in another year. See p. 246.
Right on this square, you can enter the:
5 National Gallery
On the north side of Trafalgar Square looms this massive gallery. All the big names, from Leonardo da Vinci to Rembrandt, from van Gogh to Cézanne, strut their stuff here. Displaying some of the most important art ever cre- ated, the panoramic galleries cover 8 centuries. This is one of the greatest art museums on the planet. On even the most rushed of schedules, you’ll want to devote at least 11⁄2 hours to its galleries. Since everybody’s taste in art differs, check out our “Insider’s tip” under the National Gallery review (p. 248). A computer allows you to customize your own tour. Select 10 paintings you’d most like to see, and a computer will design your own map and print it out for you.
Directly north of Trafalgar Square, you enter the precincts of:
6 Covent Garden
The old fruit-and-vegetable market of Eliza Doolittle fame is long gone, and the market has been recycled into one of the most bustling and exciting sec- tions of London today. Begin with a walk around the Piazza , the cen- ter of Covent Garden. When architect Inigo Jones designed it in 1633, it became London’s fi rst square. To its south you’ll see St. Paul’s Church , which Jones called “the handsomest barn in England.” Immediately to the southeast of St. Paul’s you can enter the Jubilee Market and to its immedi- ate east the London Transport Museum. After wandering around the gardens and after a heavy morning of sightseeing, even with a full English breakfast, you may be ready for lunch. For our pounds sterling, there is no better place for lunch in all of London than Covent Garden.
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SUGGESTED LONDON ITINERARIES The Best of London in 1 Day
7 Porters English Restaurant
We suggest a visit to our dear old friend, the Earl of Bradford, who owns and runs this venerable Covent Garden favorite. Try one of Lady Bradford’s old English pies (ever had lamb and apricot?), and fi nish off with her fabled steamed pudding, made with ginger and banana. 17 Henrietta St., WC2.
& 020/7836-6466. Tube: Covent Garden or Leicester Sq. See p. 189.
The day is marching on, and you should too if you want to take in more that London has to off er.
At Covent Garden, take the Tube to Charing Cross Station to the south of Covent Gar- den. After disembarking here, prepare yourself for one of the grandest strolls in all of Britain, walking west along:
8 The Mall & Buckingham Palace
A stroll along the Mall all the way west to Buckingham Palace is the most aristocratic walk in Britain. Passing King George IV’s glorious Carlton House terrace on your right, you can enjoy the same view Elizabeth II sees when she rides in her gilded “fairy-tale” coach to open Parliament every year.
Whether you can actually go inside Buckingham Palace itself depends on the time of year. For possible visits, see the information on p. 242. We’ve deliberately skipped the Changing of the Guard ceremony, which isn’t held every day and is often diffi cult to schedule. It’s an overrated attraction anyway.
After viewing Buckingham Palace, walk along Constitution Hill to the Tube stop at Hyde Park Corner. Once there, head east for one big fi nal attraction for the afternoon:
The (overrated) Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace.
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SUGGESTED LONDON ITINERARIES The Best of London in 2 Days
9 The Tower of London
We prefer to visit this attraction later in the afternoon, when some of the hordes pouring out of tour buses have departed. A fi rst-time visitor to Lon- don wouldn’t dare miss this old symbol of blood and gore standing on the Thames for 900 years. Many famous Englishmen have lost their heads at the Tower. It’s been a palace, a prison, and a royal mint, but mostly it’s a liv- ing museum of British history. Since you don’t have a lot of time, take one of the hour-long guided tours conducted by the much-photographed Beef- eaters. They make the history of the Tower come alive with their often humorous and irreverent commentary (see p. 256).
After viewing the Tower, we suggest you head back to your hotel and take a much-needed break before descending on London by night.
We like to begin our evening with a pint in an evocative London pub.
Try one of the best and also one of the most famous:
10 Salisbury
This Art Nouveau pub is in the heart of the theater district. You can enjoy a drink and a quick pub dinner of home-cooked pies or freshly made salads before heading out to see the show of your choice. 90 St. Martin’s Lane, WC2.
& 020/7836-5863. Tube: Leicester Sq. See p. 385.
11 A Night at a London Theater
Before purchasing your ticket, read our box called “Curtain Going Up!”
(p. 363), and you might save a lot of money. Unless you’ve got your heart set on seeing a big London hit, perhaps a musical, we suggest your one-and- only night in London be spent at Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre (p. 363).
This is a replica of the Elizabethan original where the Bard premiered many of his plays. The productions, often performed in Elizabethan costume as in Shakespeare’s days, are of the highest quality, often showcasing the talents of many of Britain’s greatest thespians, both young and old.
Head back to your hotel for a well-earned night of rest and promise yourself you’ll come back to London soon.