London is a city more for those who do not consider themselves a supporter of a healthy lifestyle and who are closer to the lifestyle of Keith Richards or Amy Winehouse. But if you're not coming to the UK capital for crazy parties, read our recommendations. Maria Makarova tells how to have a good time in London without going to pubs.

Go to Hampstead Heath

There are many parks in London. Central - Hyde Park, Kensington Gardens and St. James Park - are filled with tourists. This does not make them worse or dirtier, but if you want to run quietly and not run into crowds, it is better to go to another park. Hampstead Heath is the perfect option. This is North London, a beautiful part of the city. It was in Hampstead Heath that the sinister events from the Gothic novel Dracula took place, and the mystical spirit still hovers here. Hampstead is huge, and it's not exactly a park in the usual sense - it combines forests and wastelands. There are also three outdoor pools on its territory: for women, men and a common one.

If you are imbued with the mysticism of the park, we advise you to go towards Highgate Cemetery. If romantic - in the direction of Parliament Hill, from where you can see the whole of London. And if you want to be closer to people - in the Kenwood estate, you can sit there and drink tea. Maybe these places will inspire you to something great - as poet John Keats, writer Clive Lewis and many others were inspired by Hampstead.

If you don't want to run alone, there are communities in London dedicated to running, cycling and other activities. One of them - On this site you can find out what sporting events are planned in London, sign up for them and pay a small amount.

Go to Richmond and run among the deer

Richmond is the other end of London, southwest of the capital. It's also worth visiting if you love wildlife. Deer are found in the park and walk there completely freely. Although they are peaceful animals, signs placed around the park urge visitors to be careful. Mostly not tourists, but locals walk here. And, of course, here you can also run a few kilometers. The main thing is not to run into a deer.

There are golf courses in Richmond, and if you don't play, you will be taught in special courses. By the way, the golf club in Richmond was opened by Prince Edward of Wales in 1923 and allowed not only the nobility, but also ordinary people to play on these fields.

Ride a bike on the site of a former metro station

Former London mayor Boris Johnson has filled the capital with bike racks where you can rent a bike. These bikes were nicknamed "Boris-bikes". They are not very comfortable, but people still ride them. It is best to drive not on the main streets - especially for those who are not used to left-hand traffic and double-decker buses at every meter. There are special paths for cyclists in Hyde Park and other central parks, but if this is boring for you, you can go to north London and ride in non-standard conditions. Not far from the Archway metro there is a descent to the former railway platform. It's very dark and gothic, as it should be in such places. But Londoners love to ride their bikes there - along a wild path where the rails once ran. This is a dismantled Skytrain line, now called Parkland Walk.

And if you don’t like such places - they are still not for everyone - it’s best to ride a bike again in parks far from the city center.

Visit Greenwich and do yoga

There are many things to do in Greenwich. Of course, you need to visit the observatory, stand simultaneously on the western and eastern hemispheres of the Earth on the zero meridian. Look at London from the terraces of the park, go to the National Maritime Museum.

Sometimes yoga classes are held in the park on Saturdays, depending on the weather. There is no fixed cost for these classes. Payment at your discretion - pay as much as you see fit.

Walk along the Thames

If it's hard for you to come up with a route for walking around the city, nature has already come up with it for you - this is the Thames embankment. You can take a boat ride, but walking is much more interesting - along the way you can go to the Tate Modern, listen to street musicians on Southbank, walk along the Tower Bridge. And the London Transport Service has several walking routes. These routes are very long, but they are all divided into sections. For example, the Thames Path route - along the Thames - takes 128 kilometers. When (or if) you manage to complete it completely, you can download a comic certificate from the site stating that you have completed all 128 kilometers and you are done.

If you would like to O More than just walking, but at the same time learning something new, join the walks. This site brings together large groups of people three times a year - on the last weekend of January, May and September. You need to sign up for this tour in advance.

Try healthy food

Finding places in London that specialize in healthy food is easy. For example Tanya's Café in Chelsea. This place will appeal to raw foodists - they serve "raw" dishes and various healthy cocktails. You can dine with healthy food in the Covent Garden area - at the Wild Food Cafe.

Even in London, the Crushsh chain is popular. There is a huge selection of juices. Initially, this place was conceived as a juicy bar, but then the idea has grown into a cafe where you can order organic coffee, smoothies, salads and much more healthy.

You can always watch the fire burn, the water flow and the list of things to do in London grow. Forget everything that you planned before, and rather outline a new route. No London Eye and Tower Bridge - the ZagraNitsa portal has collected 15 things for you that you simply must do in London!

Rent a bike

The most popular transport in the capital can be rented since 2010. The bike-sharing program was launched by Mayor Boris Johnson, earning Londoners the nickname Boris Bike.

Photo: konbini.com 2

Try to understand art at Tate Modern

Contemporary art is an interesting thing, which is not easy to understand. But if you still decide to delve into the works of world art, take a look at the London Gallery, which is one of the ten most visited art museums in the world. In any case, even if art turns out to be beyond your control, you can always inspect the exhibits with a smart look and pass for an expert in this field.

Photo: flickr.com by Philippe Gillotte

Listen to live music in Camden

The Camden metropolitan area is famous for its numerous bars, concert venues and clubs where you can listen to quality live music. Punk at the Roundhouse, hardcore at the Underworld, rock at the Electric Ballroom, jazz and soul at the Jazz Cafe - your only task is to choose venues according to your musical preferences.

Photo: sightseer.tv 4

Look into M&M's World

It is difficult to call this paradise for all sweet lovers a shop. It’s more like a whole M&M’s museum. Everyone who has ever been to London is obliged to look into it, because in addition to traditional sweets there are clothes, toys and much more with images of your favorite characters.

Photo: singaporeaninlondon.com 5

Have breakfast at the Ritz

"" - one of the most luxurious hotels British capital. Therefore, if you want to feel like a real English aristocrat, you should treat yourself to a chic breakfast at a famous hotel at least once. A traditional English breakfast will set you back £40.

Photo: besthotelsinlondon.co.uk 6

Take a free newspaper from the subway and leave it on the seat of the car

Act like a real Londoner.

Photo: en.wikipedia.org 7

Dine at a Michelin-starred restaurant

It is difficult to come up with a more refined and delicious dinner than in one of the best restaurants in the British capital. Choose for a special event and enjoy the synthesis of delicious dinner, pleasant atmosphere and quality service.

Photo: whalelifestyle.com

Desperately cheer at a football match

For Britain, football is sacred. If the Englishman does not have his favorite team, there is nothing to talk about with him. Do you want to feel the crazy spirit of unity at a football match and feel like a real fan? Then go to the game without hesitation!

Photo: standard.co.uk 9

Ride on Emirates Airline

Thrill-seekers should by no means ignore the London Passenger Cable Car that connects Royal Victoria Dock and Greenwich. Moreover, it works not only as an attraction, but also as a convenient way of transportation for Londoners: about 2,500 passengers cross it every hour.

Photo: theo2.co.uk 10

Visit a music festival

Londoners love so much music festivals that does not pass even a week, so that another action does not die down in the British capital. In addition to music, their program usually includes delicious English snacks and traditional drinks: lager, ale and beer.

Photo: insider.corinthia.com 11

Get scared of the London dungeons

London Dungeon is one of the most popular and scary rides in the British capital. In a frightening museum located in a dungeon, terrible historical characters and events are revealed to visitors. Here you can meet Jack the Ripper, Sweeney Todd and feel like a hero of the Gunpowder Plot. Get ready to shake your knees in fear!

Photo: timeout.com 12

Listen to the idle talkers in the speaker's corner

Everyone who has been to London at least once knows about its speakers corner, where various thinkers like to speak under the Marble Arch. They say that at one time Karl Marx, Vladimir Lenin and George Orwell often visited here.

Photo: flickr.com by Wally Gobetz 13

London, the capital of the United Kingdom of Great Britain, is one of the most visited cities in the world. Here you will find anything you want, in any assortment. From passers-by of various ethnic backgrounds, to tall buildings dating back to Roman times, to magnificent palaces and museums with exquisite artefacts, from green parks to exclusive shops. London has everything. It is famous for having some of the best restaurants, pubs, bars and clubs in the world. It is also known for its theatres, museums and art galleries. It is also home to some of the world's most prestigious colleges and universities.

With an extensive network of buses, taxis, trains and tubes, London is simple and accessible for travellers. Situated on the banks of the River Thames, this city has its history dating back to 43 AD. During its existence, the city has greatly changed its appearance and modernized, but it still retains its culture and royal dignity.

London can't be fully explored in a day or two, but we've rounded up the top 10 places to visit in London for you.

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The Royal Observatory in Greenwich, London is famous for its location on the prime meridian. Meridian divides the Earth into eastern and western hemispheres. Here you will find a planetarium and an astronomical center. You can visit astronomical exhibitions, go on a space safari, learn about the life of the International Space Station and the details of space flights, watch interactive shows about life outside our planet, learn the history of time and astronomy, and take a tour of the observatory. The observatory is open daily from 10 am to 5 pm. Adult tickets are £22.50, children £11.50 and admission is free for children under 5 years of age.

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Buckingham Palace rises in London as a symbol of the royal family and the home of the British monarch. The palace is surrounded by beautiful gardens and sculptures and is a must visit.

The traditional changing of the guards ceremony, which began in the 1800s, takes place in the courtyard of the palace and is visible from the outside. This colorful performance attracts many tourists and is the most famous ceremony in London. It lasts about 45 minutes and usually takes place daily at 11:30 am from April to the end of July and every other day for the rest of the year. You can also visit the rooms inside the palace. Buckingham Palace is open to tourists in August and September, during the absence of the monarch. Typically, such an excursion lasts about 2.5 hours and costs £37 for adults and £33 for children.

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The Natural History Museum in London is a must-see because of the huge display of artifacts and exhibits related to the field of botany, entomology, mineralogy, paleontology, zoology, geology and taxonomy. The most striking exhibit of the museum is the skeleton of a dinosaur, which is located in the central hall.

The museum is divided into four zones: red, green, blue and orange. The red zone is the earth's laboratory, the treasure house of the earth and exhibitions of volcanoes and earthquakes. The green zone is dedicated to ecology, including birds and reptiles, fossil minerals and precious stones. The blue zone will tell you about mammals, dinosaurs, human biology and marine life. The orange zone is the garden wildlife and the Darwin Center, which also displays valuable collections. The museum is open from 10:00 to 17:30, admission is free.

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The Tower of London, also called Her Majesty the Queen's Palace and Fortress, is an important landmark in London's history and is also home to the British Armory and Treasury, the Royal Mint and the home of the Crown Jewels of England. The famous Kohinoor, a diamond, is also located in this tower, which attracts tourists here and makes the Tower a must-see. Throughout its history, this castle

used as a prison and royal residence. The main attractions are the coronation regalia, tours of the Yeomen-guards, the White Tower, Raven's Fortress. The tower is open from Tuesday to Saturday from 9.00-17.30, Sunday and Monday from 10.00-17.30. Admission is £25 for adults and £12 for children under 15.

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All art lovers should definitely look into the National Art Gallery in Trafalgar Square. More than 2,300 paintings dating back to the middle of the 13th century are exhibited here. This is one of the most visited art museums in the world. There are paintings by Leonardo da Vinci, Vincent van Gogh, Michelangelo, Merisi da Caravaggio and Johannes Vermeer.

Also in the gallery there is a cafe and a shopping center. It is a popular filming location. For example, you will see this building in the latest James Bond movie Skyfall starring Daniel Craig and Whishaw. Entrance to the museum is free daily from 10 am to 6 pm and on Fridays from 10 am to 9 pm.

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Everyone should visit the Madame Tussauds museum, where famous wax works are exhibited. Here are the wax figures famous politicians, singers, athletes, actors and other celebrities. Also in the museum you can find the Hulk, Spider-Man, Iron Man, Wolverine and Captain America. Notable heroes, villains, and locations from star wars, built of wax, will not leave you indifferent Tickets, costing from 25 to 70 pounds, are divided into groups - Standard, Priority and VIP.

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Hyde Park covers an area of ​​almost 1.5 square meters. km and is one of the eight royal parks in London. It is home to several well-known attractions such as Serpentine Lake, Speakers' Corner and Princess Diana Memorial Fountain. The park also hosts many interesting events, such as the Winter Wonderland and summer concerts.

It is a place for relaxation and recreational activities such as horse riding and boating. The park boasts a variety of flora and fauna. The landscape of the park mainly consists of memorials, fountains and statues. If you're looking for a place to relax and have fun, Hyde Park is the one for you. Admission is free and the park is open from 5 am to midnight.

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For cricket lovers, London offers a visit to the "House of Cricket", Lord's Cricket Ground - a cricket stadium that dates back to the 18th century and seats more than 28,000 spectators.

Lord's Stadium also has an extensive library, which is considered the largest cricket library in the world. Another great place is the Lord's Museum, which is the oldest sports museum in the world, with a huge and rare collection of cricket-related exhibits. There are also exhibitions and theatrical performances about the game of cricket. The stadium is open for tours for adults for 20 pounds, for children under 15 years old - for 12 pounds.

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notting hill

If you're looking for a thrill, London has plenty to offer, but Notting Hill is the best place to go. There are theaters, restaurants, bookstores, shopping centers and galleries. If you visit London in August, don't miss the street carnival, which is the largest of its kind in Europe.

The Portobello market, which mainly operates on Fridays and Saturdays, offers a wide range of goods. This famous and huge street market offers its visitors everything from bread and fruit to clothing, antiques, posters and jewelry. The area also has some very famous restaurants, bars, cinemas and theatres.

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london eye

Want to see an unforgettable panorama of London? Visit the London Eye. This 135-meter giant Ferris wheel stands on the banks of the Thames. Its slow-moving capsules promise you a unique panoramic view of London that you won't see anywhere else. It is a 2 minute walk from Big Ben, located in the heart of the city.

The attraction is open from 10 am to 9 pm. A standard ticket costs 27 pounds. You can make your visit to the wheel more memorable by adding wine or champagne to your tour. You can also order a separate capsule.

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Conclusion

It was an article TOP 10 places to visit in London. Thank you for your attention!

Why did you suddenly want to go to London so much right now? No, not like that… After a trip there, this question sounds different: why did I, who travel constantly and have visited many parts of the world, come up with the idea of ​​​​a trip to London only now?

And how have I lived until now without seeing all this beauty and not feeling the unique atmosphere of this city? ... Here, in the most incomprehensible way, multiculturalism and true English traditions, cutting-edge trends with a thousand-year history, absolute freedom and emancipation with impeccable British manners and etc. And this whole “mix” in London is so organic that it seems that almost everyone, regardless of their country of origin, race, religion, upbringing and habits, will easily feel at home here.

Magnificent museums and nightclubs, exquisite shops and restaurants, stunning theaters and musical events, pubs with their indescribable atmosphere, luxurious parks where you can lie on the grass with a book (sorry!) even in snow-white clothes ... And all this - in the "decoration" perhaps the most elegant city in the world… Ah…

London, I'll be back!

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What to see in London in 5-7 days

If you, like me this time, came to London for the first time, for a week or less, you will practically have no time to orient yourself “on the ground”. Once in this city, you want to see EVERYTHING! As a result, as is often the case, you risk missing out on the fun. So my advice to you is to prepare ahead of time.

When starting to plan your stay in London, be sure to look at the London Pass option - a multi-day ticket (for 1, 2, 3 or 6 days) that entitles you to a tangible discount, or even free of charge, and without a queue (present at the entrance to any included institution) to visit about 60 major attractions in London - here is a list.

For ourselves, we chose it, took the London Pass for 6 days. Since we went to museums quite a lot, the cost of this ticket paid off for us.

They also saved a lot of time: for London Pass holders in all museums in London and suburbs - a separate passage (or a separate ticket office), and we, at the entrance to the territory, for example, the Tower, or Westminster Castle, went inside in just a minute, walking past obviously envying us queue (in which we would have lost, according to our estimates, from half an hour to an hour).

There is also the London Pass + Oyster Card option, for those who live not in the very center and plan at least 3-4 trips by public transport per day - an undeniably profitable option that allows you to save a decent amount of money (transport in London is very expensive!). Read more about the Oyster Card in the London Public Transport section below. We were staying in the center of London, and most of the sights were easily and quickly reached on foot, so we took the Oyster Card separately, in case of single trips by tube, light rail overground in the Docklands area or bus (famous English Double Deckers, how would we be without them ?)

For lovers of “Hop-on – hop-off” bus tours with an audio guide in London, there is Big Bus – Bus Tour of London for 1 or 2 days (adult ticket price: £26-£35, respectively) or at night (£18) .

Everything is standard: you can enter / exit at any stop, then, after visiting one or another attraction, continue the tour. It gives you the opportunity to take a cruise on the Thames on a boat with the same ticket and go through 3 walking tours (quite interesting, judging by the program). Perhaps it makes sense to buy a ticket for 2 days, then you will have more time. Here is the info (in Russian, alas, no).

We were in London in June, the weather was amazing in the city - warm, sunny, and we decided that we needed to walk more, so we did not use this bus.

The traffic on the streets is VERY busy, plus impudent cyclists, look under your feet for the signs "LOOK LEFT" and "LOOK RIGHT" - traffic in England is left-handed, which is very unusual in the first couple of days.

This is how we decided to spend our first ever week in London

Of course, on the first day we decided to walk around the center of London. First, we went to the tourist office and received our London Pass cards, bought on the Internet and paid earlier by card. The tourist office is located in a large kiosk (there is another underground floor inside) near the heart of the city - Trafalgar Square - on Charing Cross Road, 11a.

Open daily from 10:00 to 16:30, except 25 and 26 December and 1 January. In addition to the London Pass, tickets are also sold here for all entertainment events and tourist attractions in the city. Also in a wide variety - free tourist maps of the city and booklets.

The first day. Walking in the center of London

On the Trafalgar Square(Metro Charing Cross) are museums National Gallery (The National Gallery), and National Portrait Gallery (The National Portrait Gallery).

In the center of the square is its most famous landmark - a 50-meter column in memory of the hero, Vice Admiral Horatio Nelson. At the base of the column, you can see descriptions of his most famous battles, including the Battle of Calvey (1794), the Battle of Santa Cruz (1797) and the Battle of Trafalgar (1805), in which he died. The four lions at the base of the column were added in 1868, and the fountains that adorn the square today were added only in 1939.

From Trafalgar Square, past the church St. Martin in the fields (St.Martin-in-Fields), towering to the right of the National Gallery (by the way, here is its interior: neat, but nothing particularly remarkable):

we walked up to Covent Garden- a wonderful place, amazingly atmospheric: since time immemorial, street performers have been giving their performances here, on the market square, and in the market itself you can buy paintings and other art objects - at very attractive prices. Often, artists themselves sell their work here:

From the column Nelson (Nelson Column), located on Trafalgar Square, Whitehall Street leads down to the Thames, a 5-minute walk from the square is Museum of the Royal Horse Guards (The Household Calvary Museum). Here every day (except weekends) at 11 am there is a solemn changing of the guard of the royal soldiers - an impressive sight.

Next street to the right - downing street with house number 10, where the Prime Minister of Great Britain lives. It is impossible to pass by without noticing it, due to the high fence and the huge number of guards.

If you turn right on the next King Charles Street, you will come to a magnificent St James Park with almost tame squirrels and birds. (There are a lot of them! Want beautiful photos? Grab a bag of nuts or cookies). The park is located directly under the windows of the main residence of the British monarchs: Buckingham Palace ( Buckingham Palace.

The Buckingham Palace Museum has been open to the public since 1993 (not always, but only when the royal hosts move to other residences, namely: June 30 - July 8 and July 31 - October 7). To date, out of the six hundred rooms of Buckingham Palace, 19 rooms of the State Apartments are open to the public and intended for official banquets, receptions and ceremonies.

We were in London in the first half of June and, alas, did not get into the palace. Next time we will try to plan our trip in such a way as to still see Buckingham Palace from the inside, because there is definitely something to see there.

The palace opens at 9:30, and the last admission of visitors occurs at 16:30. Admission to the palace is carried out during this period every 15 minutes during the day.

A visit to Buckingham Palace lasts approximately three hours.

Ticket prices for Buckingham Palace:

Tickets that give admission to the State Rooms of Buckingham Palace, the Queen's Art Gallery and the Royal Mews:

• Adults - £34.50
• Seniors (over 60) / Students (with valid ID) - £31.50
• Under 17 - £19.50
• Tickets that only grant admission to the State Rooms of Buckingham Palace:
• Adults - £19.75
• Seniors (over 60) / Students (with valid ID) - £18.00
• Under 17 - £11.25
• The £1.25 registration fee is included in the ticket price.
• Tickets that give access to the state rooms and the royal garden:
• Adults - £28.50
• Seniors (over 60) / Students (with valid ID) - £25.70
• Under 17 - £19.50
• The £1.25 registration fee is included in the ticket price.

The rooms of Buckingham Palace, the central of which is the Green Drawing Room, are located in an enfilade. Without a doubt, the best things of Buckingham Palace are collected in the Green Drawing Room: magnificent paintings, the world's best collection of Sevres porcelain, the most valuable artistic furniture made by famous masters.

From the Green Living Room through the Throne Room, visitors enter the Art Gallery, the interior of which is amazing. The exposition of the gallery, which is constantly updated, presents paintings by Flemish and Dutch masters - Rembrandt, Rubens, Van Dyck and Hals. (And this is only a part of the paintings that belong to the United Kingdom. The rest of the art treasures are in Windsor Castle, Kensington Palace, Hampton Court and Osborne-xayc palaces).

The Main Dining Room of Buckingham Palace, decorated with portraits of members of the English royal family in coronation robes, is also open to visitors, where 600 people can simultaneously sit at a mahogany table. In addition, you can see the White Drawing Room, the Music Room, as well as the Queen's Gallery, located on the site of the former chapel of Buckingham Palace.

The palace is surrounded by an excellent garden with a lake and waterfalls, along the banks of which pelicans and pink flamingos walk. The old royal stables of the 19th century now house a carriage museum. His collection is truly unique.

But still, the main attraction of the royal residence is the guardsmen of Buckingham Palace, whose changing of the guard ceremony tourists watch with unflagging interest while visiting the museum. On the Queen's birthday, a solemn ceremony of carrying out state standards takes place.

When is the Queen's birthday celebrated?

In general, the British monarch officially has two birthdays.

• The first - April 21 - is the day when Elizabeth was born,
• the second - the day of official celebrations - is always the 3rd Saturday of June.

This is due to the long tradition of celebrating the birthday of British monarchs with mass celebrations of the people. It is for this reason that the celebration is held in the summer - so that the weather does not overshadow the general fun.

On the appointed day, fireworks thunder in the kingdom, and traditional receptions are held in all British embassies. The subjects of Her Majesty rejoice, enjoying the colorful parade. The tradition dates back to 1748.

Then along Birdcage Walk (or back through the park) you can return to the Westminster metro station, near which the Westminster building itself is located - the English Parliament (the queue to enter inside can stretch for a couple of hours, the tour is not to the House of Lords, but to the “spare”, House of Commons - not so interesting, given the loss of time) and of course Big Ben!

Having taken plenty of pictures here, be sure to go to Westminster Abbey- another “holy of holies” of London and England, history since 960 (but the modern abbey building is “only” about 700 years old), almost all English kings and queens were crowned here, buried famous people England. The coronation chair of Eduard the Long-legged is also kept here, under the seat of which there is the legendary three-thousand-year-old Skunsky stone. Monarchs have been crowned on the chair since the 14th century! And it's just beautiful here.

Metro: Westminster.

Open for visiting:

• Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday 9.30 – 16.30 (last entrance 15.30)
• Wednesday 9.30 – 19.00 (last admission 18.00, for groups 15.30)
• Saturday 9.30 – 14.30 (last admission 13.30)
• From June to September opening hours on Saturdays may be longer - check the website
• Sundays - closed.
• Cost: Adult: £20.00
• Children (from 6 to 16 years old): £9.00. Children under 6 years old - free of charge

St. Margaret's Church

Located to the left of the entrance to Westminster Abbey. Worth it to go there. IS FREE

Behind the Abbey on the left (opposite Westminster) there is a small tower Jewel Tower- one of two surviving sections of the medieval Royal Palace of Westminster (Palace of Westminster). The second is Westminster Hall.

The tower was built around 1365 as a repository for the treasures of Edward III. Another name for it was The King's Secret Wardrobe. This is a small three-story building made of stone, standing across the street from the current Palace of Westminster, the seat of the English Parliament. The tower was located at the far southern end of the palace complex and was built into the fortress walls, but was located at a distance from the main buildings. This explains why it was preserved during the great fire of 1834, which destroyed most of the palace. Today the tower is managed by the English Heritage Commission. It houses an exhibition entitled "Parliament: Past and Future". Near the tower you can see the remains of the moat. Until 1834, it housed the historical archives of the House of Lords. (Now they are located in the Victoria Tower under the control of the Archives of Parliament).

Be sure to visit and take pictures at Piccadilly Circus(Metro Piccadilly Circus) - one of the most party places in London. From here you can also walk to Chinatown and Theater District in Leicester Square.

If you go from Trafalgar Square the other way through the magnificent Boulevard Mall towards Buckingham Palace, you will also see St. James Palace and Clarence House. These residences are still used by the royal family.

Further, if you cross the Thames along the Westminster Bridge, the famous Ferris wheel London Eye and London Aquarium- order tickets online with discounts up to 40%.

We decided not to go to the Oceanarium this time - the weather outside was too good, but we decided to take a ride on the London Eye (but a little later, on another day). The cheapest one - a standard ticket - when ordered online will cost all visitors over 4 years old £19.35. We chose the “Fast Track” option, which allows you to enter at the booked time without a queue - £26.96 when buying online.

We had lunch that day at one of the countless Chinese restaurants in China-town (in the Soho area).

Continuation of the walk

If you walk along the picturesque Victoria Embankment to the Temple metro station, you will see Somerset House- the former residence of the Count Somerset, and now - a museum with several rooms, called the "Halls of the Hermitage" - copies of the original St. Petersburg halls. Every winter, the city skating rink is filled in the courtyard, one of the favorite places for Londoners. Next, find and be sure to visit one of the oldest surviving buildings in London, the construction of which dates back to 1185 - Temple Church, with an amazing history from the campaigns of the Crusaders to Jerusalem (and their tombs) to the present day. Both in the church itself and in the area around it, a unique atmosphere of a medieval city reigns - you definitely won’t regret a walk.

Second day. Bus Tour: Windsor Castle – Stonehenge – Oxford

Planning our trip in advance, we determined what interesting things could be seen outside of London. It turned out that a lot of things.

We realized that it was unreasonable to spend more than one day on a "sally" out of the city, in our situation, then we decided on "priority" places for us and calculated how much transport to Windsor, Stonehenge and Oxford would cost us. If we decided to visit all this on our own, using public transport - trains and buses - the amount turned out to be simply fabulous! As a result, we chose the option of traveling by tourist bus.

Windsor castle

The castle was founded by William the Conqueror at the end of the 11th century, has since served as the home of 39 monarchs and is the oldest royal residence in the British Isles, actively used to this day.

The Queen officially stays in Windsor Castle twice a year: on Easter and in June, when the annual service in honor of the Order of the Garter is held in the Gothic chapel of St. George located here, and in the Waterloo Hall, the Queen, as head of the Order, arranges a lunch for 50-60 persons in honor of ladies and knights of the Order of the Garter.

The castle is simply huge, it covers an area of ​​10.5 hectares. In the buildings of the Upper Court, there are 951 rooms, including 225 bedrooms. The front apartments are very beautiful, they really deserve a visit, and have been open to the public since the 1840s, but, in the case of a stay in the castle of the royal family, the time to visit the castle may differ slightly from that indicated in the guidebooks - follow the information on the website.

Admission prices are here on the website.

Allocate time for visiting: 2-3 hours.

Be sure to take the audio guide, it is in Russian.

How to get here:

1. We came to Windsor on a tourist bus, having bought a combined tour Windsor - Stonehenge - Oxford (see info above), however, if you are going purposefully only to Windsor (and the town is worth it just to wander around it, having already left the castle), - getting here is quite simple by train from London Waterloo or Paddington stations, to Windsor & Eton Central or Windsor & Eton Riverside stations, respectively.
2. You can also get here by the Green Line bus - daily, from the bus station Victoria Coach Station.
3. Even easier - order from Russian speaking guide

stonehenge

This attraction consistently appears in the charts of the biggest tourist disappointments. But at the same time, Stonehenge is shrouded in so many mysteries and versions that, being very close, it was difficult to resist the temptation to see it with your own eyes.

The place is really mysterious: despite numerous excavations carried out over the past century, scientists still disagree on the topic of why Stonehenge was built, and whether its construction was completed.

The official point of view on this matter is that Stonehenge is an ancient temple built by wise ancient people about 4500 years ago, taking into account the movement of the sun, that is, a kind of prehistoric analogue of a large cathedral, with all the accompanying functions: worship, sacrifices, burials, etc. .

Is the attraction a "place of power", does it have any special energy? If you ask yourself this question, my advice to you: book an individual tour to Stonehenge directly in London outside the normal opening hours of the facility, with access to the circle of stones, or, if you want to come on your own, simply, more than a day before the intended visit, fill out and Submit the form for access to the inner circle of stones: http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/content/properties/stonehenge/2189605/stone-circle-April-Sep-2015 . This access is possible only early in the morning, before opening, or late in the evening, after the object is closed for mass visits. Because during normal opening hours, since 1978, access to the stones is prohibited, due to soil erosion caused by a huge influx of visitors. And all you can do is walk the gravel paths around the circle of rocks (at a pretty good distance!) and photograph it from every possible angle. Plus, a crowd of tourists clicking cameras around - all this is not very conducive to being imbued and feeling any "energy vibrations".

Depending on the season, the closing time varies, but tourists are allowed in 2 hours before closing.

It is recommended to book tickets in advance here. The site says that this is the only guaranteed way to get to Stonehenge on the day you plan to visit it. Apparently, this is how they limit the number of visitors. When we were there last summer, we bought tickets at the box office without any problems upon arrival, without any prior reservation.

After buying tickets, we took an audio guide (included in the ticket, available in Russian) and went to the train, which took us to the field in 10 minutes, where, in fact, Stonehenge stands.

If the weather is good, and the time is not too “pressing”, you can walk on foot: the road will take no more than half an hour, and the area is quite picturesque.

After an audio guide tour of Stonehenge, we drove to Oxford.

Oxford

The city, known throughout the world for its university, is located 90 km from London, between London and Birmingham. The city is quite large, by comparison, Cambridge, another famous university town, has a much more “compact” center. Oxford is extraordinarily good, its Gothic streets, courtyards and cathedrals, as well as, of course, numerous university buildings, fully justify its nickname - "the city of dormant spiers." Oxford is also sometimes called "Alfred's Treasure" after the legendary Anglo-Saxon king, who is considered the founder of Oxford University.

Of course, the city existed even before the university appeared in it, but today the university, with its 38 colleges, 6 dormitories (closed educational institutions belonging to religious orders), libraries, etc. – seems to have subjugated the whole way of life of the city. However, it is very interesting to visit Oxford as a tourist! A real, perfectly preserved and completely "living" medieval Gothic city. It is interesting to look into the beautiful, as in the picture, courtyards, listen to the ringing of monastery bells, look into the oldest pubs in England ...

Filming Harry Potter in Oxford

Information for fans of the Potteriana: the shooting of the first film about Harry Potter (and, it seems, all subsequent films too) took place in the famous and most prestigious college of Oxford University - Christ Church.

Studied here:

• Albert Einstein;
• Lewis Carroll;
• William Gladstone;
• and at least 12 other English prime ministers.

Filming also took place at the Bodleian Library in the city center, founded in 1598, which has a collection of more than 6 million books, and today challenges the Vatican Library for the right to be considered the oldest library in Europe.

In this regard, on the Market Square in the center of Oxford, and in many other souvenir shops, the assortment includes magic wands, cages with owls of all stripes (souvenir, of course) and other attributes absolutely necessary for any magician and wizard.

Alas, for a detailed acquaintance with the city on this day, full of impressions, we, of course, did not have enough time. But general idea managed to get. I can safely recommend it for a visit for at least a couple of days, to all romantics, for leisurely walks and contemplation of all this splendor, including from numerous observation platforms located on the domes and spiers of buildings in the city center.

How to get to Oxford from London?

By bus

The most popular and cheapest way is by bus. Buses called The Oxford Tube and X90 leave London's Victoria Station every 12-20 minutes and also stop at Marble Arch, Baker Street, Notting Hill Gate, Shepherd's Bush before heading to Oxford. Tickets when bought in advance via the Internet cost about 7-10 pounds. On the spot - up to 20 pounds in both directions. The trip takes 1.5 - 2 hours. Tickets can be purchased on the websites: http://www.oxfordtube.com/ ,

By train

It is also convenient to get to Oxford from London by train from Paddington Station. Trains leave every half an hour, the trip lasts about an hour, tickets cost about 15-20 pounds one way, but when buying online, you can buy cheap tickets up to 10 pounds round trip. Therefore, I advise you to buy in advance online through the railway website: http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/ or http://www.thetrainline.com/train-times/oxford-to-london.

Guided bus tour

Quite simply - visit Oxford as part of an exciting bus tour with a Russian-speaking guide, for example here. Save time, you can truly relax and, most importantly, learn a lot of interesting things.

Day three. Tower of London (The Tower of London).

900 years of history English Kings and, in general, the holy of holies of Great Britain - definitely a must see. Underground stations: London Bridge, Tower Hill, 5 minutes walk from them. Tickets include a "voluntary donation" that can be waived.

When buying on-line (prices and purchase - just do not click on the "tick" to donate, and then the ticket will cost about £ 2 cheaper. If you buy in advance, 7 working days in advance, they can send it to the hotel address for free, in others cases - can be picked up on the day of the visit at the entrance.

Be sure to take the audio guide at the entrance! It costs £4 for adults, it cost £2 for us with a discount on the London Pass. There is information in Russian. Five amazingly interesting audio tours, if you listen to them all, you can easily spend a whole day in the Tower! In any case, at least 3-4 hours should be allocated to visit the Tower. This is indeed an interesting place.

According to legend, the Tower was founded in the 11th century by William the Conqueror, as a symbol of power and intimidation of the conquered Anglo-Saxon people. The first building here was White Tower.

Within the walls of the Tower were killed and buried under the stairs leading from the chapel of St. John to the White Tower, the young brothers-princes Edward V and Richard (nephews of that very Shakespearean Richard III, although, according to the latest research, Shakespeare was wrong when accusing Richard III of these murders).
Lady Jane Gray was imprisoned and subsequently executed in the Tower, whose name, according to legend, carved with her own hand, is still on the wall of the Tower.

Anne Boleyn, the second wife of Henry VIII (the prototype of the fabulous Bluebeard) and Catherine Howard, his fifth wife, sat here and laid their heads on this chopping block.

Guy Fawkes hung on a tower rack. And even Queen Elizabeth I managed to be a prisoner of the Tower for a short time.

The Crows of the Tower is one of its most famous attractions. Legend has it that the British monarchy will fall with the Tower as soon as the six ravens living in the castle leave it! The British, it seems, have found a way out and release this seven (yes, there are actually seven of them: one raven is a “spare”) from the cells in turn. Each of the ravens has its own name. Each of them has its own, unique, character, and a very important look! It seemed to us that we should only address them with the prefix "sir".

Despite the painless clipping of one of the wings of each crow, some of them still "go AWOL", and some have to be fired for their bad habits. So, George the Raven was fired from his job for the bad habit of eating television antennas, and Grog was repeatedly seen at one of the pubs in the East End.

Yeomen guards (nicknamed "beefeaters", that is, "meat-eaters") have guarded the Tower since the 14th century. If you are fluent in English, joining one of the fascinating excursions run by the yeomen, within an hour you will get acquainted with the numerous mysteries and hear stories about the many bloody dramas of the Tower. For details about these excursions and other free activities, look for information boards inside the Tower (marked on the map of the fortress, which you will receive with your ticket).

Despite the fact that the Tower is undeniably the “holy of holies” of England, there is a place here for both modern art and subtle English humor. How I love the English for that!

Working hours:

• Tuesday - Saturday: 09:00 - 17:30
• Sunday - Monday: 10:00 - 17:30
• Last entry: 17:00

By the way, entrance to the Tower for London Pass holders is free and without a queue. Just walk up to the separate Fast Track Pass & London Pass box office and you'll be given free entry tickets. Considering that, according to reviews, during periods of a special influx of tourists, one can kill an hour of time in line at the ticket office at the entrance to the Tower, this information can be very relevant for someone. By the way, we also received a 10% discount in all souvenir shops of the Tower with our London Pass.

Next to The Tower of London is another "visiting card" of the city - Tower Bridge.

Tower Bridge

Rise on the elevator. They show a film about the history of the bridge, then watch the exposition (it is dedicated in general to the history of bridge building in the world and the most famous bridges in the world). Then you go down to see how the bridge opening mechanism was arranged. I liked the views from the observation deck at the top:

How to get there: Tower Hill Metro.
Price: £8
Children (5-15 years old): £3.50

Free for London Pass holders.

Unfortunately, we have not had a chance to see how the bridge is being built. It doesn't happen every day. The time when this can be seen is on the website.

It is possible to take combined tickets Tower Bridge + Monument.
Cost: £9
Children (5-15 years old): £4

Metro St. Paul's

They let you in until 16.00, and the opening time may vary, check the website.

It is interesting to climb the Whisper Gallery (height 30 m, 257 steps) and to the observation deck - Stone Gallery (height 57 m, plus 119 steps). For the most persistent and physically prepared, there is also the Golden Gallery (another 152 steps up from the Stone Gallery). Walking up the high stone steps is not very easy, but there is no elevator to get there, keep this in mind and calculate your strength correctly.

You can also go down to the crypt where Admiral Nelson and the Duke of Wellington are buried. Nearby in the crypt is The Restaurant at St Paul’s, where, according to the site, you can safely drink afternoon tea. Great English humor!

Allocate time for visiting: 1-2 hours
Cost: £15.00
I recommend asking for an audio guide (with a ticket it is free, it is in Russian), it is much more interesting with it.

Day four. Camden-town, Greenwich and The Phantom of the Opera

Camden Market

Camden Market is, in fact, 4 markets combined together. An ultra-trendy place, a must-see for a full-fledged acquaintance with London. Here is the site.

Here you can disappear for the whole day, endlessly looking at goods - various things and works of art from around the world - in countless shops and snacking on the go with food from all over the world.

Judging by the assortment and abundance of advertising for tattoo and piercing studios, this place should also be the focus of all kinds of freaks, but, to our regret, the audience we met here (on a weekday) had a completely traditional appearance. There is information that life here is in full swing at night, thanks to the developed culture of pubs and numerous and quite popular local nightclubs.

And the "interiors" of the market - really struck.

Built in 19th-century stables, on the banks of the picturesque Regent’s Canal (called “Little Venice” for some reason, although it reminded us most of all of the St. Martin Parisian Canal), this place definitely deserves a visit and a leisurely stroll. Highly recommended for everyone creative people and people who are not indifferent to any of the currently known subcultures.

The area presents a rather contrasting and very interesting picture: on the one hand, it is an area densely populated by guest workers from all over the European Union and beyond, as well as refugees and other poor people, and on the other hand, along the canal there are, for example, private houses:

How to get there:

Camden Town (500 meters), Chalk Farm (700 meters) or Mornington Crescent (800 meters) tube stations.

Greenwich

Having dined here, in the market, with delicious Asian food, at a table under open sky, we decided to continue our acquaintance with London in a completely different part of it and went to Greenwich.

In the past, it was just a fishing village, and today it is a huge park on the outskirts of the British capital.

Greenwich has always served as the sea gates of London, so today almost everything here is related to navigation. An observatory through which the zero meridian passes, the National Maritime Museum, the Royal Naval College, the Cutty Sark clipper, which once brought tea from India to England, a pedestrian tunnel under the Thames and, finally, a picturesque park with many squirrels, are the main attractions of the area.

How to get to Greenwich

In order to get here, we took the subway and took the gray Jubilee line to Canary Wharf subway station (impressive skyscrapers built on the site of ship repair docks, street modern art, etc. interesting things), where we transferred to the DLR train (Docklands Lung underground) in the direction of Lewisham.

On it we reached the Cutty Sark for Maritime Greenwich stop. The Oyster card, which we used to pay for transport in London, is also valid for DLR, but when transferring from the underground to the DLR, the card must be applied to the validator at the entrance to the station / platform, because. a trip to the DLR is paid separately.

I admit, we were just interested in walking around Canary Wharf and taking a ride on the DLR, although the easiest and most economical way to get to Greenwich would not be to get off the subway at Canary Wharf station, but continue on the same Jubilee line to North Greenwich station (but you would have to walk to the park for 45 minutes).

There are also other ways:

1. If you want to enjoy the views of the city at the same time, then you can ride the Thames Clippers water bus or others - from the Thames piers in the city center to the Greenwich or North Greenwich pier,
2. and you can also get there by train - from Charing Cross or Cannon Street or London Bridge stations to Greenwich or Blackheath. If you take a train from the Charing Cross railway station, pay attention to the turret in front of the station in memory of Queen Eleanor, wife of King Edward I, who died in the middle of the 17th century. The turret "survived" the London fire of 1666, which destroyed 2/3 of the city! The train travels for about 15 minutes. Already in Greenwich, to the left of the station, there is High Road Street, at the end of which stands the famous Catty Sark on the river.

An exotic option: you can drive to Island Gardens and go through a pedestrian underground tunnel laid under the Thames.

Attractions Greenwich

Information about all the main attractions of Greenwich is collected in a beautifully structured form on the site.

Royal Observatory

Of course, when we arrived in Greenwich, the first thing we did was run to the Royal Observatory to take pictures on the famous Greenwich prime meridian, because entry is allowed only until 16:30. A unique opportunity to be with the left foot in the eastern hemisphere, and with the right foot in the western.

Address: Blackheath Avenue
Opening hours from 10:00 to 17:00
Cost: Admission to the Astronomy Center is free, but to be able to visit the Meridian Courtyard and the oldest part of the observatory, Flamsteed House, you will need to purchase a ticket:
Adult: £9.50
Children: 6-15 years old £5 (up to and including 5 years free)

There are combined tickets with the Cutty Sark Museum - it turns out to be much more profitable.

National Maritime Museum "National Maritime Museum"

After that we visited the National Naval Museum. Impressive. Here, even a person very far from history will remember that Great Britain has always been a great maritime power.

Address: Romney Road

Opening hours and days:
Daily from 10:00 to 17:00 (admission of visitors ends 30 minutes before closing)
IS FREE
http://www.rmg.co.uk/national-maritime-museum

Old Royal Naval College (Old Royal Naval College)

A magnificent, open to the public, baroque building (the easiest way to get to it is by walking from Cutty Sark further along the waterfront). It is located on the site where Greenwich Palace used to be, in which Henry VIII and Elizabeth I were born. Queen’s House is also located on the territory of the College - the summer residence of King James I built in 1616.

Opening hours: daily from 8:00 to 18:00
IS FREE
http://www.ornc.org/visit

We didn't make it to the Cutty Sark Museum this time. The famous Cutty Sark, the last surviving tea clipper in the world, was the fastest in its class in the 19th century, setting a record by reaching China in 107 days. Another reason to return. http://www.rmg.co.uk/cuttysark.

We returned to the city center on the waterbus, a free ride which was included in our London Pass.

Time was running out, as we had bought tickets for the famous British musical The Phantom of the Opera for this evening on its “native” stage - Her Majesty's Theatre.

Phantom of the Opera

The stunningly beautiful music of Andrew Lloyd Weber has awakened in us the desire to see and listen to the original production on stage, on which the musical has been successfully performed almost every evening for 29 years, since October 9, 1986. Moreover, the price of tickets turned out to be quite humane: tickets to the stalls (not the best, but quite normal, everything was seen and heard well) cost a little less than £30 when ordering online. Ordered.

Tickets were picked up at the theater box office, immediately before the start of the performance, presenting a printout from the site and a credit card with which the tickets were paid.

Her Majesty's Theater - Her Majesty's Theater- located at 57, Haymarket, - literally a stone's throw from Trafalgar Square (Charing Cross metro station).

The theater inside is very photogenic, but keep in mind that photography is allowed only before the start of the performance, and during the performance and even during the intermission - alas, it is no longer possible, and this is strictly monitored by employees - strong physique young people. With us, two girls were forced to delete the footage that had just been taken.

I liked the performance very much! Costumes, scenery and performance - at the highest level. The theater impresses with its acoustics. Recommend.

Set aside time to visit:

• The musical runs for 2 hours and 30 minutes.
• Start of evening performances: 19:30
• Daytime: (Thursday and Saturday only), 14:30
• Children under 4 years old are not allowed (according to the website)
• Cost: £23 to £86, depending on location.

Day five. London Eye, Churchill Museum, art galleries - National Gallery and Tate Britain

Ferris wheel London Eye

The next morning, we finally had the London Eye booked. Booked.

Skip-the-line tickets cost £26.96, saving us about half an hour of waiting in line if we bought the tickets cheaper.

See on the website - there are a lot of different options: for some special occasion, you can even order a private “capsule” cabin and arrange, for example, an evening with champagne, or hot chocolate, or just a romantic evening, or any another event, as far as your imagination will last. Main conditions: no more than 25 people are allowed in one capsule, and the rate indicated on the website is only for 30 minutes.

London from above is impressive. The greenery of the parks, almost from all sides, the majestic Thames, the City skyscrapers in all their glory, in the distance, near the fence of Buckingham Palace, the crowd has already begun to gather to watch the daily show - the changing of the guard of honor ...

Definitely worth it, on the occasion of the first acquaintance with the city. Whether we will go to the London Eye again when we come to London again, I don’t know, I’m not sure. Rather no than yes: there are still too many interesting things in London to spend your time and money on with pleasure.

Metro Waterloo (closest, 3 minutes), Embankment, Charing Cross and Westminster (exit towards the bridge, cross the bridge over the Thames, only 10 minutes on foot).
Allocate time to visit: 30 minutes + queue for tickets and entrance
Opening hours: 10:00-20:30
Minimum cost:
adults - £21.50 (£19.35 when ordering from the website)
children (from 4 to 15 years old) - £15.50 (£13.95 when ordering from the site)

Please note that this is the price for a certain day and a certain time. With an open date - more expensive.
When buying on the spot, there will most likely be a queue (often a long one).
It is possible to take combined tickets, including, in addition to the London Eye, Madame Tussauds, the London Dungeon (London Dungeon) and the Sea Life Aquarium. It will be much cheaper. Such combined tickets are valid for 30 days from the date of purchase.

There is also the possibility of combining with a river cruise, etc. All this can be found on their website.

Churchill War Rooms

After that, we moved towards the Churchill War Rooms, the bunker museum where the Prime Minister, along with his ministers and staff members, worked (and at times lived) and led the battles during World War II. An interesting detail: the bunker, built in 1939, occupying 850 m2 and located at a depth of 5 meters, under the building of the British Treasury, throughout the war was considered a safe haven, invulnerable to air bombs, but after the war, during the reconstruction, it turned out that a direct hit of even one a projectile could easily destroy the structure, destroying the entire British Government at once.

Liked the museum. Many consider it one of the most extraordinary museums not only in Great Britain, but throughout the world. By the way, the building was classified as a military facility until 1980! If you are interested in the history of the 20th century and World War II in particular, this is definitely worth a look, at least for an hour.

Visiting the museum, you can see the ascetic interiors of the rooms - ventilation pipes, steel beams under the ceiling that protect against bombs, shabby walls and tables, all this will allow you to immerse yourself in the atmosphere that reigns in wartime. For greater realism and immersion in the atmosphere of those times, in the room where the meetings took place - the “map room”, an audio recording sounds, and very realistic mannequins sit at the tables.

But the most important and interesting is the small room No. 65A, which served as personal account, and the Prime Minister's bedroom. Having visited this room, you will see a desk with microphones, from where Churchill spoke four times on the radio, the premier's chair, his pipe, cane, top hat, weapons, clothes, a box of favorite cigars and much more, but perhaps the most popular and favorite among tourists From all over the world, the object in this room is a faience chamber pot, located under the bed.

Next to the prime minister's room is a room that belonged to his wife. Also in the museum you can see caricatures, cartoons and figures of Churchill in a satirical form, the most important documents, audio and video materials and many other materials related to the times of childhood, study and military career politics.

Address: Clive Steps, King Charles Street, London SW1A 2AQ

Metro: Westminster, St.James Park

Open daily, except December 24-26, from 9:30 to 18:00, visitors are admitted until 17:00. There is an audio guide, but, alas, it is not in Russian.

National Gallery (The National Gallery)

Then we decided it was time to finally go to the London art galleries. First we visited the National Gallery. Entrance, as in many London museums, is absolutely free. To save time, we decided this time to see only the most famous masterpieces, so to speak, must-see in the National Gallery, here they are, on the official website of the gallery.

For the convenience of visitors, at the entrance, along with an audio guide, they give out a map with a route that involves viewing these works of art. And for those who want to get acquainted with the exposition of the gallery in more detail, there are other routes - "for advanced connoisseurs."

The local collections of paintings from both the Italian Renaissance and French Impressionists, as well as Dutch and Spanish masters, are impressive.

Location: Trafalgar Square London
Directions: Charing Cross metro
Opening hours: Tue 10:00-18:00, Thu-Fri 10:00-21:00
IS FREE
Official website: http://www.nationalgallery.org.uk

But shortly before that, we returned from Milan, where in the luxurious Pinacotheks we "ate" the works of Titian, Botticelli, Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci and other geniuses of the Italian Renaissance. Therefore, now we were more attuned to English art, and, having almost run our “minimum program” in the National Gallery (it took about 1 hour), we, passing by Big Ben and the Parliament, walked along the Millbank embankment, immersed in the greenery of parks, towards another art museum - Tate Britain.

Tate Britain Art Gallery

Address: Millbank; London SW1P 4RG; United Kingdom

Nearest metro: Pimlico.

Open daily 10-18, admission of visitors ends at 17:15.

Admission is free (except for specialized exhibitions).

Here we could not rush anywhere, and we just walked leisurely through the absolutely empty halls of the museum, enjoying the masterpieces of English painting. An impressive collection of English art from the beginning of the 16th century to the present day ("our days" - nevertheless, to a greater extent, are represented in the Tate Modern gallery, where we decided not to go this time).

One of the parts of the Tate - Clore Gallery, - was specially built for the works of William Turner (1775-1851), the unsurpassed master of the romantic landscape, who bequeathed his canvases to England on the condition that they all be preserved as a single exhibition. Sir Charles Clore (1904–1979) provided funds for the construction of the gallery.

In addition to the truly magnificent, as if shrouded in English fog, Turner's romantic seascapes (for which, in fact, we mainly went here), the canvases of John Constable and Thomas Gainsborough made a strong impression.

Despite the fact that our feet, after a busy day, were already buzzing, we were very pleased with the visit! I can safely recommend Tate Britain to everyone who is not indifferent to beauty.

In the evening - it's time for pubs!

For the evening we had planned an acquaintance with London pubs, in the company of friends who have been living in London for about 10 years. It's an amazing tradition that Londoners go to the pubs with friends or colleagues, straight from work.

Therefore, almost all visitors to pubs, at least in the City, are a very respectable audience, in formal suits and snow-white shirts. Moreover, since the pubs are quite small, most simply do not fit inside and drink right on the street, at the counter tables. A lively communication from the side gives the impression of an ongoing hubbub. So lively...

One of the most unusual streets in London - Shad Thames- a real time machine: once you are here, it is easy to believe that you have been transported somewhere in the 19th century.

After walking around another very colorful area of ​​London - the City, we decided to land in one of the local pubs - I think it was “All Bar One Butlers Wharf”, but I can’t say for sure: good company and interesting conversation that evening were much more important than paying attention to the name of the institution.

After tasting local varieties of ale and cider, we went for a walk around the city in the evening.

Millennium Bridge- a designer pedestrian bridge built to celebrate the coming of the "millennium" - 2000, along which from the Globe Theater you can go across the Thames directly to St. Paul's Cathedral.

double decker

We decided to return to the hotel on a traditional English double-decker red bus. Naturally, they immediately climbed to the second floor. We traveled alone in the whole bus and admired the views. To pay for the fare, they simply held their Oyster Cards to the validator at the entrance.

Day six. Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace, Hyde Park, Kensington Gardens, Royal Albert Hall, British Museum.

On the last day of our stay in London, we decided at all costs to see the changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace. Knowledgeable people recommend arriving at least an hour in advance, since there is always a crowd of onlookers at the palace fence, but we arrived about 15 minutes before the start (beginning at 11:30), and it was fine to see.

The changing of the guard ceremony lasts approximately 45 minutes (from the moment the guards leave) - during this time, new sentries take up their posts, and the guard that has defended its change is solemnly escorted to the Wellington barracks.

The Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace is always held at 11:30. From April to July, the ceremony is held daily, from August to March - every other day.

A colorful and very solemn military musical show. We liked!

After the ceremony was over, we moved to Hyde Park.

Picturesque flower beds, ponds with waterfowl (which, however, have polluted the entire coast and feel so at ease here that they even try to extort food from tourists):

But there is also a swimming pool and a beach club with a restaurant, changing rooms and other amenities.

Fountain commemorating Princess Diana ( Princess Diana Memorial Fontaine):

Hyde Park blends into Kensington Gardens. Kensington Palace- another royal residence and the former home of Princess Diana and is located nearby.

Here, in Hyde Park, there is a famous monument to the early deceased Prince Albert - the husband of Queen Victoria, who ruled England for 60 years ...

And also one of the most famous concert venues in the world - Royal Albert Hall- is located on the outskirts of this, perhaps, the most famous of London's parks - Hyde Park, near the Hyde Park Corner metro station.

It is considered very prestigious to perform here: world stars give concerts and performances here, and among the guests of the hall you can often see members of the royal family, and even the Dalai Lama has been here!

We just went on a tour (conducted only in English) and got a lot of impressions. During the tour, the group was not just led along the corridors and let into the hall - we sat in the box of the queen herself, where we entered through her front vestibule. We spent five minutes in the box. But this was enough to feel how great the acoustics and the unusual atmosphere were in the hall (the ballet Romeo and Juliet was rehearsing on the stage at that moment). But, unfortunately, there are no photos: photography during the tour is strictly prohibited. Two Americans from our group, who secretly took a couple of pictures, the guide politely but insistently asked to remove the frames.

The tour itself, if you speak English well enough, is very interesting: the history of the creation of the hall, as well as the story of its present, are truly fascinating. Now, on occasion, one would have to get there already during the performance.

This is how the monument to Prince Albert looks from the window of the Royal Albert Hall:

British Museum (British Museum)

The British Museum is, so to speak, the English Hermitage (with the only difference that the Hermitage in St. Petersburg began to be created in palace interiors, while here it is a purposefully organized museum space.

Very impressive collections of cultural treasures from all over the world:

• ancient Egypt;
• Greece;
• Assyria;
• China;
• Japan;
• and etc.

Decorations, amphoras, sarcophagi, plates, sculptures and even rather large parts of buildings in the halls dedicated to different countries. It is immediately felt that the difficult years of colonialism for the British were not in vain. Interesting, definitely worth a visit.

Entrance, like many other museums in London, is completely free, and renting an audio guide ("multimedia guide") will cost £5. With an audio guide, of course, it is more interesting, but not all exhibits contain information in Russian.

Allocate time for visiting: at least 3 hours. Might be worth watching over multiple visits.
Location: The British Museum, Great Russell Street
Directions: Underground Holborn, Tottenham Court Road, Russell Square
Opening hours: Mon-Wed, Sun 09:00-18:00, Thu-Sat 09:00-23:00
IS FREE
Official website: http://www.thebritishmuseum.ac.uk

Now in more detail about the sights that we have not yet had time to visit (there will be something to return for)

In addition to the British Museum, the Tate Gallery and the National Gallery in Trafalgar Square, many other museums in London are free.

So, for example, among the free museums in London, which we simply did not have time to reach this time:

Natural History Museum (Natural History Museum):

Amazing exhibits from around the world, the history of the origin of life and more. A very interesting collection of skeletons, including dinosaurs, there is even a movable model, as well as a marine hall and a collection of insects. The building itself is already worth a visit. It was in its interiors that the film "Night at the Museum" and many other films were filmed: the museum is extremely cinematic.

Allocate time for visiting: 1-2 hours
Address: Cromwell Road.
Metro: South Kensington.

The museum is open every day from 10:00 to 17:50.
Last Friday of the month until 22.30
IS FREE
Official site: http://www.nhm.ac.uk

Not far from it is another interesting museum - Science Museum.

(Science Museum), founded in 1857: http://www.sciencemuseum.org.uk/.

Allocate time for visiting: 1-2 hours
Nearest tube station: South Kensington
Address: Exhibition Road, South Kensington
Opening hours and days:
Daily from 10:00 to 18:00, except December 24-26.
IS FREE

Victoria & Albert Museum (Victoria and Albert Museum):

A huge and definitely noteworthy museum of art and design, the collection of which began to be collected by Queen Victoria and her husband Albert as a result of numerous travels and expeditions organized by the Kingdom. It contains many paintings, sculptures, stained-glass windows, a collection of porcelain, jewelry, etc. The exhibition is not as large as in the British Museum, but still huge, and very cool. Inside there is a beautiful patio where you can relax and have a cup of coffee.
Allocate time for visiting: 2-3 hours.
Address: Cromwell Road
Metro: South Kensington
Opening hours: the museum is open daily 10:00-17:45, Friday - 09:00-23:00.
IS FREE
Official website: http://www.vam.ac.uk

Museum of Sherlock Holmes (The Sherlock Holmes Museum).

Several floors on which there is an interesting exposition from the life of the great detective. Near the famous fireplace, you can take a picture wearing an equally famous cap. Several well-made wax figures depict scenes from Conan Doyle's book. Before visiting the museum, it does not hurt to refresh some works in memory, otherwise much will remain incomprehensible.
Next to the museum is a souvenir shop, which itself can be mistaken for a museum. Tickets to the museum are sold in this shop.

Allocate time to visit: 1 hour will be enough, but there may be a small queue.
Location: 221b Baker Street (turn right from Baker Street subway station exit)
Opening hours: daily from 9.30 to 18.00
Cost: adult - £10, child (under 16) - £8
Official website: http://www.sherlock-holmes.co.uk/

The Beatles Store

There is a wonderful shop next to the Sherlock Holmes Museum, which is worth stopping by even just for the Beatles atmosphere. Souvenirs, records, autographs.
Address: 231 Baker Street London NW1 6XE
How to get there: Baker Street Subway; next to the Sherlock Holmes Museum
Website: http://www.beatlesstorelondon.co.uk

car museum

This is the only museum in Europe with a unique collection of classic, original and modified cars from the 50s, 60s, 70s and 80s. In addition to a huge collection of both American and European vehicles, there are also many famous cars, such as the Batmlobil, the DeLorean from the movie Back to the Future or the Ford Torino from the movie Starsky and Hutch.

Opening hours: Monday - Sunday from 10:00 to 18:00

New skyscraper The Shard

- the highest observation deck in London: http://the-shard.com/shard/explore-the-shard/vertical-city/ .

Photo on The Shard from the Tower:

On the site you can see the views from here, as well as the exact time of sunset in London, which is considered the best moment to climb to The Shard observation deck. Admission for an adult is £24.95. Hope it's worth it!

By the way, if the weather does not allow you to enjoy the view of at least three attractions from the list: the London Eye, St Paul's Cathedral, The Gherkin (the famous Gherkin Skyscraper), Tower Bridge and One Canada Square, you will be provided with tickets for a free revisit to any day for the next three months. To do this, you need to contact the staff at the box office on level 1 of The Shard skyscraper.

In addition to the observation deck, the skyscraper, whose advertising slogan states that it is a “vertical city”, is also located: the Shangri-La hotel, numerous restaurants and bars, a boutique gallery, an office center (). How to get there: London Bridge metro, then on foot. The Shard is the tallest skyscraper in London, it's impossible to get lost! Map:

Madame Tussaud's Wax Museum

In case your collection does not yet have photos next to the current monarch of Great Britain, the President of the United States, David Beckham, Albert Einstein, as well as British and American movie stars (for example, a couple of Jolie-Pitt) and other celebrities, you can look into, perhaps , the most famous wax museum in the world - Madam Tussaud's.

After this museum, what in many other places are called wax figures seem, at best, to be poorly made puppets. For example, the wax figure of the now living queen changed with her age, and things were sewn by Her Majesty's personal tailor.

Please note that the museum runs a mini-train called "London Spirit". It won't take long, but it's fun.

Allocate time to visit: time flies there, but 2-3 hours + standing in line, which can be long and start on the street.
Address: Marylebone Road
Subway: Baker Street (turn left at the exit)
Opening hours: Monday to Friday 10.00-17.30, Saturday and Sunday 9.30-17.30

Pleasure is not cheap (when paying at the checkout, entrance for an adult is £33 (children - £28.80), when buying on the Internet - from £22.5 and £19.29, respectively (depending on the chosen time of visit: the later - the cheaper), but you can combined with the London Eye, Sea Life Aquarium and the London Dungeon (London Dungeon Horror Museum) (any combination of these attractions is possible), then you will be able to save seriously (up to 40%) on all tickets.

Museum of London

Everything about the history of the city from its foundation to the present day.

Address: 150 London Wall
Nearest metro stations: Barbican, St. Paul's
The entrance to the museum is located on the side of the pedestrian passage, which can be accessed from Aldersgate Street, London Wall, or St Martins-le-Grand.

IS FREE
Opening hours:
Daily from 10:00 to 18:00, except December 24-26 and January 1.
Website: http://www.museumoflondon.org.uk/

London Monument

Metro: Monument or London Bridge

Located at the intersection of Monument Street and Fish Street Hill
Dedicated to the Great Fire of London on September 2-5, 1666, in which 13,500 buildings (about 80% of London) burned down, including St. Paul's Cathedral. In addition to the historical, it is also of interest as an observation deck.

Allocate time for visiting: up to 1 hour, even less
Opening hours: 09:30 – 17:30 (last visitor 17:00)
Price:
Adult - £4
Children - £2
It is also possible to take combined tickets Tower Bridge + Monument (adults £10.50, Children 5-15 years old - £4.70)
http://www.themonument.info/visit/

The National Portrait Gallery

Location: Trafalgar Square London, entrance around the corner on the right, in the same building as the National Gallery.
Metro: Charing Cross

Here are collected portraits of many famous characters from the past and present of Britain. The main focus is on royal dynasties and politicians of the past.

Allocate time for visiting: 1-2 hours
Opening hours: 10:00-18:00, closed: December 24-26
FREE, audio guide - £3, wi-fi, as in many museums in London - free.
Website: http://www.npg.org.uk

Imperial War Museum

Collected tanks, planes and cars from different eras the existence of an empire. Kids (especially boys) will love it.

Address: Lambeth Road
Metro: Lambeth North
Allocate time to visit: 1 hour
IS FREE
Opening hours: 10:00-18:00
Website: http://www.iwm.org.uk

London Zoo

I was not in it, Tripadvisor rating 4.0 (on a 5-point scale).
Subway Camden Town (15 minutes walk) or Baker Street (30 minutes walk or bus number 274).
Closing time depends on the season, it is better to check on the website. Visitor admission closes 1 hour before closing.

Price:
adults - £22.50-24.30 (as usual, when buying online - cheaper, at the entrance - more expensive)
children 3-15 years old - £16.65-17.10 (under 3 years old - free of charge)
Website: http://www.zsl.org/zsl-london-zoo/

Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew

The 250-year-old Kew includes gardens, alleys, three huge greenhouses and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Here, on 120 hectares, one of the largest collections of plants in the world is collected (according to some sources, it is one of the three largest collections).

How to get there:

Subway DLR, Kew Gardens Station. Please note that this is zone 3.
By train from Waterloo to Kew Bridge station (and 10 minutes walk)
From April to September, you can also get there by river bus.
There are several gates. Since the gardens take up a huge area, read on the site which ones are best for you to go to (taking into account your personal priorities, what you want to visit).

Tours: 11:00 and 13:30
Cost (includes Kew Palace and the Royal Kitchens, as well as all other attractions within Kew Gardens):
Adults: £14-15 (cheaper online as usual, more expensive at the box office)

From May to August, starting from 16:00 - £10.
Children (4-16 years old): £2.50-3.50

Kew Palace and the Royal Kitchens (Kew Palace, the smallest of the royal palaces and the Royal Kitchen)

Open: Every day April 2-September 30, Thursday to Sunday until October 28, and every day from October 29 to November 4, after which the palace closes for the winter.
Website: http://www.kew.org/index.htm

Chelsea Football Club Museum

Address: Fulham Road,
subway FULHAM BROADWAY

The cost of the tour + museum (I give the option in brackets - only the museum):
adults £19 (£11)
children 5-15 years old £13 (£9) (under 5 years free)
When booking online, there is a discount from the listed price of £2 (it seems that there is no possibility of online booking for the “museum only” option, perhaps it simply does not make any sense, since the museum is open all the time).
Tours start from 10 am to 3 pm, every half an hour. The duration of the tour is 1 hour.
Photo with Champions League Cup and FA Cup (not allowed separately) £10

Museum opening hours: daily 9:30-17:00 (last admission 16:30)
Closed the day before and on the day of the Champions League matches.
There is also PLATINUM TOURS worth £55 (£45 for children) hosted by former players (such tours start at 11am and 2pm),
and even the opportunity to celebrate a child's birthday, as well as tours with lunch, etc.
More details on their website: http://www.chelseafc.com/the-club/Museum-stadium-tours.html

Walk on the Thames

From the water, the city looks completely different. If you are lucky with the weather (how lucky we are), then you simply must take a walk along the Thames. It will allow you to look at London from a completely different angle: the old wharf boat and ship repair shops converted into chic and expensive apartments, the fashionable district of world banks Canary Wharf, maybe even get to the MI-6 building (“SIS MI6” - Secret Intelligence Service ), office of British Intelligence (the "official" place of work of James Bond, the building "blown up" in the film "007: Skyfall") https://www.sis.gov.uk/

How would I plan my stay in London

London is quite large, so you need to try to minimize travel time. To do this, I recommend visiting places that are as close as possible to each other on the same day.
Importantly, a lot of the main museums can be visited absolutely free of charge: a few years ago, the entrance fee was canceled there, since almost no one went to paid museums. And it worked! In fairness, it is worth noting that paid attractions in London are quite expensive. But in the end, the program can be compiled for any wallet.

If you choose the time of the trip, I would choose June, March or mid-December.

In June it's already summer and you can see London's parks in all their splendor - with blooming roses and perfect lawns, but since holidays in Europe are traditionally in July and August - there are not yet huge crowds.
In March, tulips and daffodils are already in full bloom, the main flow of city guests is not yet, and it is already quite warm. A real spring, warm and sunny (if you're lucky).
And in December, the elusive magical spirit of Christmas is felt in everything, with which you yourself are saturated from head to toe.

Program options can be completely different. Here is one example in which I have included places that you may not be going to visit or, on the contrary, some sights of interest to you are not included.
But if this list can at least serve as a basis for your route, then I am not writing this in vain.

Day 1

We go to st. m. Westminster

Walking tour:

• Big Ben, Parliament
• St. Margaret's Church, Westminster Abbey (if it's already closed to the public, try entering it on another day, such as Day 5 after the changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace)
• St. James Park
• Buckingham Palace
• If it's Thursday or Friday, you can go to Trafalgar Square after that.
• visit the National Gallery, which is open until late these days (check in advance on their website).

Day 2

We go to m. St. Paul.

• Cathedral Paul's
• Museum of London
• Monument
• We go to m. Tower Hill
• Tower
• Tower Bridge
• You can walk across the bridge and visit the London Dungeon (London Dungeon) if you do not plan to buy a combined ticket Madame Tussauds + London Dungeon + London Eye
• You can take a bus and drive through the evening London to Trafalgar Square or Oxford Street

Day 3

We go to the subway Baker Street

• Madame Tussauds museum
• Sherlock Holmes Museum
• The Beatles Store
• We go to the London Bridge metro station (in case of buying a combined ticket Madame Tussauds + London Dungeon + London Eye)
• London Dungeon
• Going to Waterloo subway
• London Eye
• london aquarium

Day 4

We go to the metro Holborn

• British museum
• We go to the subway Charing Cross
• Trafalgar Square
• National Gallery
• National Portrait Gallery
• Musical "The Phantom of the Opera"

Day 5

We go to St James's Park metro

• By 11.30 changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace
• We go to the subway: South Kensington
• natural history museum
• Museum of Science (The Science Museum)
• Victoria and Albert Museum
• Visit to Harrods department store (within walking distance).

Here are some more London walking ideas: http://www.londonwalkabout.com/index.htm

A few more interesting links:

London Pass travel card: http://www.londonpass.com/

Attractions, activities:

Excursions around London and surroundings in Russian:

Attractions outside London:

Links to airport websites:

London public transport

Website of all public transport in London: http://www.tfl.gov.uk/
http://www.transportforlondon.gov.uk
Best Journey Planner: http://journeyplanner.tfl.gov.uk/

London Underground

Near Victoria Station (where, in particular, the Gatwick Express arrives from Gatwick Airport) there is a metro station of the same name, from where you can go to the area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe city you need.

London Underground stations are marked with signs: a red circle, in the middle of which is the inscription Underground in white letters against a blue rectangular strip (it is interesting that on the diagrams and maps this is not Underground, but Tube). The metro consists of 11 lines and is divided into 9 zones. The cheapest trips are within zones number 1-2, and so on (the zones are indicated on the metro maps).

Exists:

• one-time;
• daily allowance;
• 7 day passes.

In turn, long-term travel cards (daily or more) are Travelcards and Oyster Card. All of them operate both in the underground and surface metro, and DLR (light rail trains integrated into a single network with the metro), as well as in buses and trams.

Friends living in London suggested that in our case (accommodation in a hotel in the center and the ability to reach most of the sights on foot, which means not very active use of public transport), the most profitable option for us is to issue a plastic Oyster Card. So we did. When issuing a card (issued at the machine, but you can also at the box office), you need to pay a deposit (£5), which will be returned when the card is returned to the cashier. A deposit is placed on the card, which is then used (the underused deposit is returned to you along with a deposit for the card).

The meaning of all these operations “for the user” is that money is debited from the card at a significant discount, more than 50%, compared to paying for one-time trips. And transport in London is very expensive!

Using the 2015 prices as an example, the deposit on your Oyster Card will be deducted from:

Metro, one-time trip within zones 1-2: £2.90 - during peak hours (Mon-Fri 6:30 - 9:30 and 16:00-19:00), £2.30 - off-peak hours. By comparison, if paid in cash at the box office, the same trip will cost £4.80.

Within zones 1-6: £5.10 off-peak, £3.10 off-peak (paying in cash £6.00).

Single trip by bus or tram (card must be presented to the validator 1 time, only at the entrance): £1.50.

And the best part: if you took the metro several times during the day within zones 1-2, only £6.40 for the whole day will be debited from the card for these trips.

Traveling with kids in London

• Children under 5 travel free (accompanied by an adult).
• Children 5-10 years old are free with an adult (up to 4 children per adult) in the metro or on their own in the bus. For solo rides on the subway, or if the child looks older than 10, an Oyster photocard is required (photo required).
• Children aged 11-15 need an Oyster photocard or Travelcard to ride for free on the bus and at child fares on the subway.

travel card

This is a "single" unlimited travel card, valid on all types of public transport within your chosen zone. It happens for 1 or 7 days. Travelcards for several days and a one-time trip ticket can be bought either from a machine in the metro or at the box office. This is a paper travel card with magnetic tape. If we talk about Travelcards for 7 days, you can order it online or at the box office. It is better to read about it in detail: http://visitorshop.tfl.gov.uk/SiteData/Root/File/Travelcard-FAQs.pdf
The device is easy to deal with. Choose the type of ticket you need and pay. There are machines for paying only by credit cards, there are machines for paying in cash.

This option - Travelcard - will be more profitable if you live far from the center and / or plan to travel a lot around the city by transport. Examples of Travelcard prices (see full list of prices):

• For 1 day (zones 1-2) - £12.00 (adults (over 16 years old)), £6.00 - children 11-15 years old.
• For 7 days (zones 1-2) - £32.10 (adults), £16.10 - children 11-15 years old.
• For 7 days (zones 1-6) - £58.60 (adults), £29.30 - children 11-15 years old.

Valid until 4:30 AM on the day following the expiration date.
Please note that there are 2 types of time passes: Day Anytime and Day Off-Pick.
For example, an adult one-day Day Off-Pick will also cost £12.00 but for zones 1-6. According to the rules of Travelcards, peak hours are considered to be until 9:30 on weekdays, the rest of the time is Off-Peak. You may not need to travel during rush hour.

If you plan to travel outside zones 1-2, you need to buy a different type of travel card, for example, for zones 1-2 or 1-3. You can buy, for example, for zones 5-6, (Heathrow airport, for example, is located in zone 6). Please note that in order to open the turnstile, you will need to use these passes both at the entrance and at the exit, i.e., having bought a ticket that is invalid in this zone, or accidentally throwing it away, you simply will not be able to leave the metro. The turnstile, both at the entrance and at the exit, is obliged to absorb and return your ticket back to you.

Using the metro is very simple and convenient. It's hard to get past your station. Even if you thought and listened, the inscription with the name of the station is repeated along the entire wall of the station and on the scoreboard in the cars. Each line has its own color, and if you need to move to another line, you just need to know its color and follow the color bar. If you get confused, there is always an employee at the station who will tell you where to go next.

We happened to use the bus only for the purpose of an evening walk. Keep in mind that there are traffic jams in central London during the daytime, and there is a risk of wasting your precious time in the city standing in them. If you just want to ride the legendary double-decker red bus, choose the route you want at the stop (there are route maps there), go in (usually through the front door), show the driver your ticket or put your Oyster Card to the validator at the entrance. After that, you go up to the 2nd floor and try to take the front seat, because. That's where the best view is.

Currency exchange in London

I changed pounds at home or paid with a credit card. It turned out to be much more profitable than changing money at the exchange offices of the city - by about 10-15%.

In fairness, I’ll say that there are shops (mostly souvenir, for example, Arabic or Indian, I saw one near the British Museum, for example), where a very good euro / pound exchange rate is written at the entrance. Friends said that they change money there without cheating, at the rate declared at the entrance. It is desirable to see the inscription "No commission". Or, the easiest way is to ask exactly how much you will receive in your hands after the exchange, and only after that give the money.
But we decided not to waste energy and precious time on exchange transactions, and did exactly as I wrote.

Shopping in London

I'm not a shopaholic, but in London, honestly, it's simply impossible to resist. Discounts and sales are almost always here. It's just that sometimes it's on a large scale, for example, before Christmas (starting around December 10th). Here's what I can say, systematizing a good variety of information about shopping in London.

You can allocate evening time for shopping, when the city's attractions are already closed (unless, of course, shopping is the main purpose of your trip to London).

The main shops are concentrated in the area: metro Oxford Street, Bond Street and Regent Street.

Camden Market

A very colorful place, I wrote about it in detail.

Oxford Street and Regent Street

These streets in terms of shopping successfully complement each other. At 18-19 some of the shops are closed, but this does not make the number of people much less.

Selfridges department store open until 21:00 (except Sunday when it closes at 18:00)

Real luxury shopping.
How to find: the nearest metro is Bond Street, address: 400 Oxford Street

Harrods department store open until 21:00

The main competitor of Selfridges for the title of the most "posh" among the stores in London.

Perhaps the most famous department store in London. It is considered one of the largest and most fashionable department stores in the world.

How to find: The nearest tube station is Knightsbridge, address: 87-135 Brompton Road
Knightsbridge

Souvenirs

The most famous souvenir from England is tea.

And the most English tea brand is Twinings.

As early as 1837, in the first year of Queen Victoria's reign, Twinings received a Royal Warrant of 'Permanent Supplier of Her Majesty's Tea' and still is. You can buy in supermarkets, duty-free or, which is much nicer, in the Twinings company store:
Address: 16 Strand (Twinings has been at this address for over 300 years and is already quite a popular attraction in the city!)
Metro Temple.
http://www.twinings.co.uk/about-twinings/216-strand

Dining in London

Option 1. Economical.

The most economical approach would be to find a hotel with a good breakfast. And, having had a hearty breakfast, do not look for a bite to eat until the evening. Saving time and money.
And for dinner in London, you can buy something in supermarkets (for example, Tesco, Sainsbury or Marks & Spencer), which are all over London. There you can find good discounts, especially in the evening. You can find the nearest grocery store to your hotel in their search engine:
http://www.tesco.com/storeLocator/
http://www.sainsburys.co.uk/sol/storelocator/storelocator_landing.jsp

In such a store you can always buy sandwiches and ready-made salads.

Option 2. Gastronomic.

When you travel, you want to get acquainted not only with the sights, but also with the cuisine of other countries. After all, gastronomy is also part of the culture, which allows you to better understand and feel the people and the country in which you are. True, English cuisine is a very peculiar phenomenon, their main national dish today is Fish & Chips (white fish in batter with french fries for garnish). However, do not forget that the British are great colonizers and travelers, and therefore the abundance of national cafes and restaurants (Chinese, Indian, Italian, etc.) is very pleasing here.

If you love Asian cuisine, the choice of decent restaurants in China-town alone in London's Soho will solve the problem of how to satisfy your hunger with pleasure and inexpensively.

Almost every self-respecting London restaurant serves the famous afternoon tea, in some places it turns into a real ceremony.

Coffee can be found almost everywhere, however, there are a lot of rather faceless (as usual) Starbucks coffee shops.

Beer is also on every corner and completely different. The cost is £3-5 per pint (0.56826125 liters). The beer is good enough and many pubs are packed to capacity in the evenings. Also in the UK - excellent apple cider (very important for those who do not drink beer). In many pubs, you can also order a little cheaper than in cafes and restaurants, a dish + beer, or an English breakfast.
Pubs are usually open until 23:00.

Summing up the trip, I can say that London did not at all justify the stereotypes about it associated with rain, fog, oatmeal and English stiffness. And this is definitely for the better. Of course, in a week we were not able to see everything that should be seen in London, and, perhaps, managed to get only the first impression of the city. But it turned out to be strong and so positive that it pulls back there!

Lazareva Larisa

02.01.2017 06:47

Hello Anna! Thanks a lot for the article. I am preparing for a trip to London, I have been collecting information for two months, I have already looked through a lot of sources, and in your article, perhaps, best collection all the points of interest in one place. If I had read it at the beginning of the search, it would have significantly reduced my preparation time) I would like to add only information about the site - the competitor of The Shard Skyscraper - Sky Gardens (sky gardens) on the upper level of the Walkie-Toki skyscraper. Skyscrapers "look" at each other across the Thames. The main difference is “Sky Gardens is a state object, and is positioned as a garden, public accessible space and an observation deck. The entrance is free! This was one of the important conditions for issuing a permit for the construction of this structure in the very center of the city.” You need to pre-book your visit three weeks in advance here: https://skygarden.london/plan-your-visit Good luck and success in your business!

Ekaterina_Yakovleva

23.08.2018 08:55

Anna, thank you very much for the article! She pulls on a whole guide book. Precious material with life hacks, links to useful services and lots of interesting facts and details! You don’t always know this about your city (for example, special tickets to museums). And your photos - as if you yourself looked into such a clear Albion)) I have a question: visiting Buckingham Palace is limited in time or are these your recommendations for the estimated time of inspection? After reading, there was a double feeling: on the one hand, it was as if I had visited all the sights with the author, and on the other hand, there were dreams that I could (or could not, as in your visit) breathe London in full breastfeeding!))

This Anna Krivova - the author of the material - as far as I know, visited almost everything on our planet that made sense to look at. And here in London, she was almost taken aback by the mixture of times, charms, cultures of everything that attracts a tourist. If Anna Krivova was struck by all this, we must go as soon as possible, while an open soul still lives in us.

Sergey Lyubushin

19.03.2019 20:50

I've never been to London... and I'm unlikely to get there in real life. But there is this wonderful site that allows you to travel around the world without lifting your ass off the couch)). A very detailed description, wonderful photos... And most importantly, this is not just some kind of travel guide, but live impressions of a person with whom you can easily communicate. Travel people! This time will not be credited to you in the years you have lived, but on the contrary, it will be added to the years you have not yet lived.

27.03.2019 09:01

Thank you for such a valuable and detailed guide! We are now in London, mastering the city "in your footsteps"! Insanely interesting, you are such a good fellow! Thanks! I will recommend your site to all my friends as a valuable source of information presented in a beautiful and lively language!