Things to do in London

London's history starts at the UNESCO-listed Tower of London by the Thames, with the Crown Jewels and a Yeoman Warder guided tour, then continues to Westminster Abbey, St Paul's Cathedral with its Dome galleries and the Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace. The British Museum, the National Gallery, the Natural History Museum, Tate Modern and the open museum store of V&A East Storehouse are all free to enter, while the glass-floored walkways of Tower Bridge, the London Eye, the free Sky Garden and the Chimney Lift at Battersea Power Station show the skyline from above. Graze through Borough Market, watch street performers in Covent Garden, take afternoon tea at Fortnum & Mason, walk beneath the hull of the Cutty Sark in Greenwich or explore the glasshouses of Kew Gardens. Further out are Windsor Castle, the Warner Bros. Studio Tour London with its original film sets, and the theme parks LEGOLAND Windsor Resort, Thorpe Park Resort and Chessington World of Adventures; in winter, Hyde Park Winter Wonderland and Christmas at Kew add festive evenings.

Good to knowAt the British Museum a free timed ticket gives priority entry at busy times, a free ticket guarantees your visit to the Natural History Museum, and the Sky Garden needs a free ticket booked in advance; booking ahead is recommended at the Tower of London and required for the Warner Bros. Studio Tour. Large bags are not allowed at the British Museum, the National Gallery or St Paul's Cathedral, which has no cloakroom. Westminster Abbey and St Paul's open for sightseeing Monday to Saturday only, Borough Market closes on Mondays, the Changing of the Guard does not take place every day, and Thorpe Park closes for part of the winter.