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You’d struggle to find another city in the world with as many famous landmarks as London! There’s no other place in the UK that draws as many tourists year-in, year-out. For many, a trip to London is a once in a lifetime opportunity!
Planning a trip to London can feel overwhelming, to say the least. There’s just SO much to do here. I’ve lived here for three years now, and I still haven’t managed to see everything I want to yet!
A great starting point for planning your London itinerary is looking over this list of the most famous landmarks in London and visiting as many as you can during your trip! These landmarks are some of the very best things to see and do in the city. If you follow the list you can’t go far wrong!
This list is pretty long, so I’ve split the landmarks into various different categories so that this post is easier to read.
Pssst – don’t go anywhere, because at the end of this post I’m going to share my top tip that will save you a FORTUNE on your trip to London!
Table of Contents
Royal Landmarks in London
Buckingham Palace
Easily one of the most famous buildings in London, Buckingham Palace is an unmissable stop on any London itinerary. Yup – even if you only have one day in London!
Buckingham Palace has been the British Monarchy’s official residence since 1837. If the King is in residence you’ll see a yellow, red and blue flag flying high above the palace. If he’s not at home, chances are he’ll be at Windsor Castle, and you’ll see the Union Jack flying instead.
Read More: How to Visit Windsor on a Day Trip From London
A typical visit to Buckingham Palace involves strolling through the enchanting St James’ Park (one of my favourite London Parks!) to get to the Palace. At the palace, you’ll snap some photos, peek through the palace gates and watch the King’s Guards standing to attention outside the palace.
If you visit Buckingham Palace at around 10.45am on the right day, you’ll be able to check out the Changing of the Guard Ceremony. It’s one of the best free things to do in London! The Changing of the Guard doesn’t take place every day, so I recommend checking the calendar before you visit.
Between July and September, you’re even able to enter Buckingham Palace to tour its lavish State Rooms. Tickets cost a pretty penny (around £60!), so it may only be worth it if you’re a Royal Family superfan.
Tower of London
Built in the 1070s by William the Conqueror, The Tower of London is the oldest building in London. It plays an invaluable role in London’s long history. It’s been a royal residence, a zoo, an armoury and a prison, but nowadays it’s one of London’s busiest tourist attractions.
Many visit the Tower of London to learn all about its horrifying history of torture and imprisonment. The Tower “welcomed” its first prisoners in 1110, and, during the Tudor reign, it was the location of Lady Jane Grey and Anne Boleyn’s executions. It was also the place where Guy Fawkes was tortured until he confessed to the Gunpowder Plot to destroy Parliament.
Read More: 15 Spooky Things to Do in London at Halloween
Grisly history aside, there are plenty of fun things to see and do at the Tower of London. It’s here that the Crown Jewels are stored and displayed, as well as a mind-boggling amount of weaponry and armoury.
The Tower of London is huge, and there’s so much to take in on a visit there! You’ll also have to add some time to account for the crowds because it gets really busy there. For this reason, I recommend allocating half a day to exploring the Tower of London. If you’re on a budget, you can look at the Tower from the south side of the river for free.
Tickets cost £29.90, but they are often much cheaper during super off-peak months such as January and February. Click here to get your tickets!
Entry to the Tower of London is free with the London Pass.
Kew Gardens
Kew Gardens is easily King when it comes to Botanical Gardens. The 299-acre gardens are a must-visit for everybody – yup, even if you know nothing about plants! As well as being a lovely botanical garden Kew is also a world-leading education centre, so you’ll learn a tonne about the natural world on your visit.
The most famous attraction at Kew Gardens is probably the 10-storey, 18th-century, Chinese pagoda. The many Victorian glass houses are also incredibly popular.
Whilst in Kew Gardens you shouldn’t miss a visit to Kew Palace, London’s smallest palace! This gorgeous red-brick building was originally the home of King George II and Queen Caroline in the 1720s. It later became the home of King George III when he became ill. Inside, you’ll find exhibitions about royal life at Kew, and entry is included in your Kew Gardens ticket.
If you’re a London Pass holder, entry to Kew Gardens is free with your ticket. If not, adult tickets to Kew Gardens cost £13.50 and often sell out since it’s such a popular place to visit. For this reason, I recommend buying your tickets in advance here.
Kensington Palace
If you’re into the Royal Family, or just love beautiful buildings, you definitely need to add Kensington Palace to your London trip plan! Not only was this palace the birthplace of Queen Victoria and the home of Diana, Princess of Wales, but it’s still a royal residence, and is currently the home to Prince William and Kate Middleton.
Read More: 11 Best Royal Palaces in London
Despite being a royal residence, the palace is open to the public to visit. Although you absolutely have to visit the Kensington Palace grounds, the palace interiors are just as special. Inside, it’s jam-packed with outfits worn by the royal family, artefacts, and heirlooms. When I visited there was even an exhibition about Princess Diana’s fashion.
Kensington Palace is located just two miles from Buckingham palace. To visit both of these fabulous landmarks in one day, I recommend starting at Buckingham Palace and then strolling through Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens to arrive at Kensington Palace.
Entry tickets cost £23 if you purchase them at the palace, but you can get them much cheaper when you book online here, or, get them for free with your London Pass.
Famous Skyscrapers in London
The Shard
The dramatic structure of The Shard, London’s tallest skyscraper, is one of the most recognisable features of London’s skyline. Standing at 1016 metres, it’s also one of the tallest buildings in Europe.
The Shard was built in 2012, so it’s still a very new addition to the list of most famous landmarks in London. Nowadays, though, it’s hard to imagine London without The Shard!
Thousands of visitors to London every year visit The Shard to go up to the viewing platforms on floors 69 and 72. It costs a staggering £32 though. Holders of the London Pass, are winning because entry to the viewing platforms will be free!
If you don’t have the London Pass but still want to save money, I’ll let you in on a little secret… go to the Aqua Shard bar, on the 31st floor, and you’ll get pretty much the exact same views for far less money. All you’ll have to do is buy a drink, which you’ll get to enjoy whilst taking in the scenery!
Drinks aren’t cheap (it costs around £6 for a small beer) but it’s a much cheaper option than the viewing platform! Plus, prices in London are high for drinks no matter where you go.
The Gherkin
The Gherkin, more formally known as 30 St Mary Axe, is one of the most recognisable buildings in London. You’ll find it in the “City”, a neighbourhood of London that’s home to most of the city’s financial, banking and legal industries.
It’s referred to as the Gherkin because its unusual shape basically makes it look like a giant gherkin! This skyscraper has 41 floors and opened in April 2004. It mostly houses offices, so it’s not terribly exciting to go and visit, but it certainly stands out in London’s skyline and it definitely counts as one of London’s many landmarks.
The Walkie Talkie Building
Not far away from the Gherkin is the Walkie Talkie Building, more formally known as 20 Fenchurch Street. Like the Gherkin, the Walkie Talkie Building is referred to like this because its unusual shape makes it look like a giant walkie-talkie. The architecture is pretty odd in this area of the city.
It also mostly houses offices, however there is actually a reason to visit the Walkie Talkie Building. That’s because, at the very top, you’ll find the Sky Garden. The Sky Garden is the highest public garden in London, and it offers incredible views over the River Thames!
Entry to the Sky Garden is free, which is rather surprising, but you do need to book as far in advance as possible as spaces book up fast. Especially on the weekends! You can book tickets for free on the Sky Garden website.
Historical Landmarks in London
Tower Bridge
Tower Bridge is easily one of the most iconic landmarks in London, and it has stretched across the River Thames since 1894. Tourists often confuse this bridge with London Bridge, but London Bridge is actually just a very boring bridge further along the river.
No matter where you are when you first glimpse Tower Bridge, chances are you’ll probably gasp. It looks absolutely gorgeous in real life. Although the bridge is normally closed, it does still open up to let boats through.
If you want to see Tower Bridge open up then summer is the best time to visit London. During summer, the bridge opens up to ten times per day.
Tower Bridge is one of the London landmarks you can enjoy for free just by looking at or walking past. However, if you’re wanting more you can visit the Tower Bridge Exhibition, which includes a glass walkway above the Thames and the Tower Bridge road crossing. If you’re fine with heights and want to learn about the history of the bridge, it’s definitely worth a visit.
You have to book your tickets to the Tower Bridge Exhibition in advance on the Tower Bridge website. Adult tickets cost £10.60, or they’re free with the London Pass.
Houses of Parliament & Big Ben
You can’t visit London without laying your eyes on its star attraction, the Houses of Parliament! The restoration of Big Ben is finally over. This means for the first time in years you’ll be able to see it in all its glory, rather than covered in scaffolding.
Some well-informed Londoners will tell you that Big Ben is actually called the Elizabeth Tower. Yup, Big Ben is actually the name of the 13.7-tonne bell inside the tower. It doesn’t really matter, though. Listening to Big Ben chime the hour is a London bucket list experience!
The Houses of Parliament is officially called the Palace of Westminster and dates back to the mid-19th century. The Westminster Hall section actually dates back to the 11th century! The UK’s politicians all come here to debate and pass laws.
Although it’s not easy to go inside (there aren’t many tours and you have to book them far in advance) you definitely need to check it out from the outside. The best views of the Houses of Parliament are actually from the opposite side of the river. On the south side you’ll you’ll get wonderful views of the whole building.
St Paul’s Cathedral
In the centre of “the City”, the financial district of London, you’ll find the gorgeous St Paul’s Cathedral, one of the most historic buildings in London. The 300-year old cathedral was designed by famous architect Christopher Wren to replace the previous St Paul’s Cathedral, which burnt down during the 1666 Great Fire of London.
There were two other St Paul’s Cathedrals on this site before that, too!
During the Blitz, there were numerous near-misses, where Luftwaffe bombs came very close to destroying the Cathedral’s famous dome. Since it continued to dodge the bombs, Londoners began to see St Paul’s as a symbol of the city’s resilience.
Having a burial, funeral or memorial in St Paul’s is one of the highest honours you can get. Inside, you’ll find monuments to William Blake, Florence Nightingale, Sir Alexander Fleming and John Donne all memorialised in the cathedral. It was also the venue for Princess Diana and Charles’ wedding in 1981!
Visiting St Paul’s Cathedral costs £20 per adult if you buy your tickets at the door, or £17 if you buy them in advance here. Your visit will include admission to the cathedral floor, the crypt and the main galleries, as well as an audio guide. Entry is free if you have the London Pass!
Below the dome you’ll find the Whispering Gallery, which you can’t skip! If you whisper against the wall at one end of the gallery anybody on the opposite end will hear you!
10 Downing Street
If you’ve ever watched the news in the UK, chances are you’ve already seen the black front door of 10 Downing Street. It’s been the official office of British leaders since 1735, and nowadays is home to the Prime Minister.
Although it looks tiny and unassuming from the outside, Number 10 Downing Street is actually three houses combined into one. It contains around 100 rooms and a garden of 2,000 square metres!
You can’t actually go inside 10 Downing Street, for obvious reasons, but you can go up to the gates to visit. When I first visited back in 2015 I saw Boris Johnson arriving at work on his bike, which was quite bizarre! Also keep your eyes peeled for Larry, the Downing Street cat, who may be strolling around the gates.
Many British people want nothing to do with 10 Downing Street. Every time we receive bad news on the TV that darn black door is in the background! However, whether it’s popular or not, there’s no doubt that Number 10 Downing Street is one of the most important landmarks in London.
Westminster Abbey
To visit the place where 16 royal weddings, countless famous funerals and every coronation since 1066 have taken place, it’s time to head to Westminster Abbey!
This stunning Abbey is beautiful inside and out, with its elaborate Gothic architecture, but to be honest that’s not the reason it’s one of the most iconic landmarks in London. Instead, it’s because there are so, so many famous people buried here. We can all admit it’s morbidly fascinating.
Inside Westminster Abbey you’ll find the graves of 17 Kings and Queens, as well as Charles Darwin, Isaac Newton, Charles Dickens, Geoffrey Chaucer and many, many more.
One of the most famous graves in Westminster Abbey is actually of a person we don’t know at all – The Unknown Soldier. This is the grave of an unidentified British soldier who died during battle in WW1. He represents the countless soldiers who died during the war and were never identified. It’s a pretty sobering attraction!
As well as all the famous graves you should spend some time wandering in the Abbey Gardens, which are just delightful, and visit the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Galleries, which sit 70 feet above the ground and offer epic views of the Houses of Parliament and into the Abbey.
Westminster Abbey is included in the London Pass. If you don’t have it, adult tickets for Westminster Abbey cost £24. Get them here!
Famous Museum Buildings in London
British Museum
The British Museum is the oldest museum in the world. It’s even older than the USA! Over 80,000 items are on display at any one time, and that’s just a tiny fraction of the museum’s collection of over 8 million objects!
You could spend weeks at a time here and not see it all, so if you’re visiting the British Museum you need to pick out just a couple of sections that interest you and visit them first. Otherwise, you could easily spend the full day here.
This is one of the most-visited landmarks in London, and many people travel from all over the world to visit the British Museum! Many travel to visit the museum, but many others travel here to film things! From movies to music videos, the British Museum stars in around 50 productions a year, the most recognisable probably being Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb.
Entry to the museum is free, so as you can imagine it gets really busy here. It’s best to time your visit for opening time on weekdays to avoid the crowds.
Great Fire of London Monument
The Great Fire of London was a catastrophic event in 1666 during which almost the entirety of the City of London burned to the ground over four days. The fire started on Pudding Lane when a baker didn’t turn his oven off properly overnight and the kitchen went up in flames.
Due to the buildings in London being built so close together, and thanks to the buildings being made mostly of wood, the fire spread across the city rapidly.
The Great Fire of London Monument was designed by Christopher Wren and is 61 metres tall – the exact distance between where the monument stands and where the fire broke out.
On a visit to the Great Fire of London Monument you can climb the countless stairs to the top of the monument for £5.80. The climb will reward you with panoramic views over the City of London and the River Thames.
Cutty Sark
You’ll find the venerable Cutty Sark docked in the Greenwich neighbourhood of London, where it attracts thousands of visitors every year!
In case you have no idea what the Cutty Sark is, it’s the world’s last surviving tea clipper. That’s a type of merchant ship used in the mid-18th century to transfer goods along the Europe and East Indies trade route.
The Cutty Sark itself was built in 1869 to carry tea to England from China. It visited nearly every port in the world along the way and breaking multiple speed records!
Entry costs £15 (but they’re free to London Pass holders), and you can skip the queues by booking your tickets in advance here.
You’ll start your visit by boarding the ship and learning all about its history. This is no dull museum, though, as there are a tonne of multimedia resources such as snippets of audio, interactive information sections and films to keep your attention.
Once you’ve learnt everything there is to know about the Cutty Sark it’s time to head up on deck and imagine what working on board in the middle of the stormy seas must have felt like.
The Cutty Sark is one of the London landmarks I recommend very highly for families visiting London, as sometimes costumed characters walk the deck, which adds a touch of fun to your visit.
Shakespeare’s Globe
Seeing a play at Shakespeare’s Globe is the ultimate London bucket list experience. This Shakespearean theatre looks very different to any other playhouses you’ve visited before. The wooden, “O” shaped building, which has a thatched roof and a hole in the middle, is a recreation of the original Globe Theatre where Shakespeare’s plays were performed.
The Globe Theatre ran from 1599 until 1613, when a cannonball explosion during a performance of Henry VIII went awry and burnt the place to the ground! Very quickly, it was rebuilt and continued to put on performances until 1642, when the Puritans closed all theatres.
It was only in 1987 that construction began on the replica Globe Theatre. It first opened to guests in 1999, and it looks so good that I’m sure even Mr Shakespeare would approve!
In summer you can catch a performance for as little as £5 if you’re willing to stand and risk getting rained on. If that doesn’t sound like fun, you can pay more for a seat. In winter, performances move to the candlelit Sam Wanamaker Playhouse next door. If you want to watch a performance, it’s important to check out their performance schedule a few months in advance.
If you don’t want to watch a play you can join a guided tour of the Shakespeare’s Globe. Tours last around 50 minutes and cost £17, or they’re free for London Pass holders. On the tour, you’ll learn all about Shakespeare, the Globe itself, and the role of the Theatre in 17th century London.
Related: Visiting London in Summer – The Ultimate Guide!
Charles Dickens House
Charles Dickens is one of London’s most famous authors, and you’re able to visit his house over on Doughty Street.
The house, which is rather unassuming on the outside, is one of the most important literary landmarks in London. It was here that Dickens wrote the classic novel Oliver Twist, as well as other works such as the Pickwick Papers and Nicholas Nickleby.
The house is set over four floors, and you can explore the rooms independently, taking in many different artefacts and belongings of the Dickens family. There’s also a small “museum” area that shares information about Dickens’ life, his time in the house, and his rise to fame.
If you’re visiting London at Christmas this is one of the best places to visit. The house is decorated with Victorian Christmas decorations and numerous information cards around the house share details of how the Dickens family celebrated Christmas, and how Dickens wrote A Christmas Carol.
Entry to the Charles Dickens House costs £12.50. For more information, check out my full guide to visiting the Charles Dickens House!
HMS Belfast
Right in front of Tower Bridge you’ll find another of the most iconic tourist attractions in London, the HMS Belfast. You’ll find this navy ship docked in the River Thames, and it’s one of the best places to visit in London with kids!
This huge ship, which was built in 1938, served in WW2 and the Korean War. The ship has been open to visitors on the River Thames since 1971.
One thing that will surprise you when you see the HMS Belfast in real life is how HUGE it is! There’s a tonne of information inside, which covers what life was like on board during peacetime and war, and the audio guide includes fascinating stories from the ship’s former crew members.
Entry tickets cost £22.70 for adults, and you can purchase them on the door or from their website.
Greenwich Observatory
Greenwich Observatory is the home of Greenwich Mean Time, the Prime Meridian Line, where latitude and longitude are both 0. This set the standard for the world’s time zones. And yes, it’s an actual, physical line on the ground that you can go and visit!
Time isn’t the only thing you’ll learn about at the Greenwich Observatory, though. On display, you’ll also find giant telescopes and information about astronomy. There’s also a planetarium!
Outside Greenwich Observatory you’ll find the lovely Greenwich Park, which could have featured on this list of London landmarks in its own right! This is one of the best free viewpoints from London, as you’ll get great views over Canary Wharf (London’s business capital).
Entry to the observatory costs £16, and you can purchase your tickets here!
Tate Modern
Housed in the imposing building that was once Bankside Power Station, the industrial-looking Tate Modern sits on the South side of the River Thames, just opposite St Paul’s Cathedral. Entry is totally free, so it’s one of the best things to do in London when it rains.
I have to be honest with you guys – modern art just doesn’t do it for me. I’ve been to the Tate Modern three times now, and each time I thought all the art just looked like a bunch of old rubbish. Call me unsophisticated, but that’s just how I feel!
For this reason, I can’t really hype up the Tate Modern to you – even though it’s one of the most popular landmarks in London. It’s definitely worth visiting to head to its viewing platform, though, where you’ll find one of the best free views in London.
This museum is incredibly popular with art lovers and students, so if you’re into modern art I’m sure you’ll love it. The place is MASSIVE, and you could easily spend hours exploring it. There are a whopping 60,000 pieces in its collection, which are displayed on rotation. Even if you visit more than once you’ll usually see different pieces.
Wellington Arch
Standing tall at Hyde Park Corner you’ll find the majestic Wellington Arch. This majestic monument proclaims Wellington’s victory over Napoleon during the Napoleonic Wars.
The monument was originally supposed to be the entrance to Buckingham Palace, but everybody agrees that its prime position outside Hyde Park today is the perfect place for it! On top of the Wellington Arch you’ll see the largest bronze statue in Europe – making this iconic London landmark look absolutely breathtaking.
Many Londoners don’t actually realise that you can go inside (and even on the balconies!) of the Wellington Arch. I passed it about a hundred times on my running route before I realised! That means that a visit to the Wellington Arch is actually a chance to explore somewhat of a hidden gem.
Tickets cost £5.90 for adults. Inside, you’ll find four floors of galleries and a permanent exhibition on the history of the Arch, as well as open-air balconies. If you’ve purchased the London Pass, your entry is free!
From the balconies you’ll get epic views of Hyde Park and Buckingham Palace. If you time it right (check times here) you’ll even be able to watch the Household Cavalry on their way to and from the Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace!
Cultural Landmarks in London
The London Eye
It’s hard to believe that one of the most famous places in London was originally only temporary, but it’s true! When it opened in 2000 the London Eye was called the Millenium Wheel, and the plan was to dismantle it in 2005. The Wheel proved so popular with visitors that it’s still standing today, with no plans to dismantle it!
It’s the world’s largest Ferris Wheel, and there’s no better view you’ll be able to get of London than on the London Eye. After all, at 135m above the ground in a city without many tall buildings, you’ll get a birds-eye view of the city.
A ride on the London Eye takes around 30 minutes. On a clear day you can see as far as 25 miles! Even when it’s raining, you can still see plenty of the most famous London landmarks, such as Tower Bridge and the Houses of Parliament, very clearly.
Since the London Eye is one of London’s most popular landmarks, the queues here can get crazy. To beat the queues, arrive just as it opens or just before it closes, or purchase a skip the line ticket.
If you book more than five days in advance you’ll get a £6.50 discount. That brings the price of an adult ticket down to £27 (£37 for skip the line). If you’re booking less than five days in advance, adult tickets cost £33.50 (£43.50 for skip the line).
Click here to book your tickets!
Harrods
London’s fanciest department store is the place to see and be seen. If you have a spare thousand pounds to spend, it’s the perfect place to shop.
Even if you’re not incredibly rich, us commoners can visit Harrods just to have a look around to see how the other half live, so there’s no need to feel intimidated. Harrods sells everything you can imagine, and some of the price tags will make your eyes jump out of their sockets!
Harrods was founded in 1834, originally as a greengrocer’s, before it expanded into the luxurious all-rounder it is today. Its flagship store on Brompton Road boasted of the very first escalator in England in 1898. People were so overwhelmed by the “moving stairs” that they were offered brandy at the top to help them recover!
Entry to Harrods is free, and you could easily lose track of time and spend hours exploring its labyrinth of floors.
Trafalgar Square
Trafalgar Square is the city’s meeting point for festivals, celebrations, festivals, and everything in between! At any time of day you’ll find Trafalgar Square heaving with people, and it’s one of the most famous landmarks in London.
Lining Trafalgar Square you’ll find two of London’s best galleries – the National Gallery and the National Portrait Gallery, which are both totally free to enter and could keep you occupied for days! In the Square itself, you’ll find the 52-metre tall Nelson’s Column, flanked by four bronze lion statues. It was built in 1843 to commemorate Admiral Horatio Nelson, who died in 1805 at the Battle of Trafalgar.
In the Southeast corner of Trafalgar Square you’ll find a novelty Londoners call “London’s smallest police station”. It’s actually just a police phone box for the police to use if any protests get out of hand, but that doesn’t sound as exciting!
Borough Market
You’ll find Borough Market nested underneath a railway line in Southwark, London’s oldest Borough. If your tummy is rumbling in London this is one of the best places to visit in the city, and it’s one of the most famous landmarks in the United Kingdom for foodies.
This world-famous food market sees over 4.5 million visitors every year, and you’ll be able to find anything your stomach desires here. From Mexican tacos to French cheese, Italian wine to exotic spices from Nepal, if you look hard enough you’ll be able to find it at Borough Market.
As well as good food you’ll also find many wonderful coffee shops near Borough Market, including Monmouth Coffee, where queues stretch down the street!
If you’re visiting London at Christmas there’s no better place to visit to feel the festive cheer and stock up on artisanal foods. I get cheese every Christmas from Neal’s Yard Dairies, which stocks some of the best cheese in London! Another recommendation of mine is the olive stand, where you can get huge green olives stuffed with garlic which are out of this world.
Millennium Bridge
Also nicknamed the Wobbly Bridge, Millennium Bridge opened to pedestrians in 2000, connecting St Paul’s Cathedral, on the north side of the River Thames, with the Tate Modern on the South.
Despite the nickname, there’s nothing to be alarmed about. When the bridge opened many people reported feeling it sway beneath their feet, so the bridge was closed for another two years to fix the problem. I’ve walked across this bridge at least 500 times and have never felt it wobble, so I’m pretty sure they fixed the problem.
Millennium Bridge is my favourite bridge in London (and yes, when you live in London you’ll probably have a favourite bridge). The bridge gets this honorary title because its metal design is far prettier than London’s other bridges and it offers amazing views of the Thames in both directions.
If you get here early on a weekend (around 8am) the bridge is practically empty, so you can get a photo of yourself standing on it with St Paul’s in the background. This is one of London’s top Instagram spots!
Battersea Power Station
After years and years of sitting empty, Battersea Power Station is FINALLY open to the public. This iconic power station, in all its grimy industrial glory, has been a famous eyesore in London for decades.
Despite how some people may feel about its appearance, though, there’s no doubt that it’s one of the most famous buildings in London to Londoners.
This is one of the few landmarks on this list that foreign tourists probably won’t recognise, and that’s because the neighbourhood of Battersea is quite far off the tourist trail. However, for those staying in London for a while, it’s worth venturing out here to explore the newly-opened power station.
The power station now houses Apple’s London campus, hundreds of shops, an event space and a glass lift up the power station’s iconic chimney.
Entry is free, and getting here is a breeze thanks to the newly opened Battersea Power Station tube station, which is on the Northern Line.
Abbey Road Studios
The zebra crossing at Abbey Road Studios is the most famous one in the world, immortalised on the cover of The Beatles’ 1969 album, Abbey Road. The album is named after the recording studio that the Beatles used, which sits just behind the zebra crossing.
Nowadays, this zebra crossing and the Abbey Road Studios, are must-visit landmarks for many tourists in London. On a visit here you can take a photo walking across the crossing (but be prepared for angry drivers to honk their horns at you if you take too long!).
You can also check out all of the Beatles-inspired graffiti on the walls of Abbey Road Studios and wave at the Abbey Road Crossing webcam.
Unfortunately, you can’t go inside Abbey Road Studios unless you have tickets to a special event.
Camden Market
Camden Market was the place to be in London in the 70s, 80s and 90s, and was the London home of many cultural movements such as punk rock, house and Britpop. Aside from its music scene, though, it’s actually Camden Market that made Camden famous.
Camden Market actually consists of numerous adjoining markets collectively known as “Camden Market” or “Camden Lock”. You can buy pretty much anything here, from cool vintage clothing to London souvenirs to delicious street food.
You’ll also find the Amy Winehouse statue in Camden Market as a tribute to the iconic singer who lived in Camden and used to perform at the pubs here as an up-and-coming singer.
On any given Saturday and Sunday you’ll find the streets of Camden absolutely rammed with tourists, teenagers, and punks all hanging out or shopping.
Unfortunately, though, Camden Market just isn’t what it used to be. I’ve been visiting Camden for ten years, and it has changed a lot in this time (and apparently it changed a lot before I even started visiting).
Gentrification has hit Camden Market hard. Where there were once warrens of vintage stores there are now repetitive and tacky souvenir shops. Don’t get me wrong – it’s still fun to visit, but it used to be so, so much better!
SIS Building
The SIS Building, also known as the MI6 Building, is the home to Britain’s foreign intelligence service. You may recognise it from the James Bond movies, particularly in Skyfall (2012), when it exploded.
Despite what the movie may have led you to believe, the SIS Building is very much still standing and looking fine. Obviously you can’t go inside this building, and it’s not even super exciting to look at from the outside because we just have no idea what goes on inside there!
Because of the James Bond movies, though, the SIS building is a pretty recognisable landmark in London and it always gets pointed out on River Thames sightseeing cruises.
King’s Cross Station
Immortalised in the Harry Potter series as the location of the mystical Platform 9¾, King’s Cross Station pulls in tourists from all over the world! It also pulls in a bunch of regular folk on their commute and catching trains across the country – it’s not all magic!
There is actually a Harry Potter shop at King’s Cross Station where you can purchase special editions of the books, wizarding memorabilia and more. You can also get your photo taken in front of the Platform 9¾ sign whilst wearing a Hogwarts robe and scarf.
The queues here can get pretty intense, so I recommend visiting as early as you can to minimise your queuing time.
Oxo Tower
The Oxo Tower is a building on the River Thames’ South Bank with a huge tower. The tower has caused quite a bit of controversy over the years, and its continued existence is nothing short of ingenious.
The building started off as a power station in the late 19th or early 20th century. In the late 1920s the building was acquired by the company that makes Oxo stock cubes.
There was a ban against advertising along the South Bank, so the building’s designer decided to go for a more discreet approach, creating a design out of the “OXO” brand name.
When the company was called out for advertising without a permit, they could simply shrug their shoulders and say it was simply a design of noughts and crosses! And that is how this iconic South Bank building came to be.
Nowadays, the Oxo Tower houses numerous pop-up shops, a restaurant, a cocktail bar and a brasserie! All of them have wonderful views of the River Thames.
Iconic Sporting Landmarks in London
Wembley Stadium
If you’re a football fan, chances are Wembley Stadium is THE most important landmark in London. For the rest of us, there’s no real reason to visit. It’s so interesting how a building that means so much to some people can mean absolutely nothing to me but I guess we’re all different!
Wembley Stadium is famous because it hosts the most important and biggest sporting events. It’s also transformed into a concert venue when artists are so big that the normal concert venues are just not big enough for them. It has a capacity of 90,000 people!
Obviously the best way to see Wembley Stadium is on match day, so if you can get your hands on some tickets go for it! If not, though, you’re also able to take a Wembley Stadium Tour. The tour costs £24 and you can book your tickets here. Or, if you have the London Pass, the Wembley Stadium tour is included!
Wimbledon Stadium
Another sporting mecca that will mean the world to sports fans and not much to anybody else is Wimbledon Stadium! This is home to the Wimbledon Tennis Tournament, which takes place in July each year and is watched across the world.
If you can’t get your hands on Wimbledon tickets, never fear. The Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Museum is at the Wimbledon Grounds and documents the history of tennis and the Wimbledon tennis tournament.
Entry to the museum includes a tour of the Wimbledon Stadium and needs to be booked in advance here. Tickets cost £25.
How to Save Money Visiting Famous Landmarks in London
Sightseeing in London can be eye-wateringly expensive. Especially if you want to see all the big attractions (and why wouldn’t you?). That’s the reason you’re visiting London!). There’s one way you can see a tonne of London’s most popular landmarks without spending a fortune, though, and that’s the London Pass!
The London Pass includes your entry to over 80 attractions, but, importantly, it includes all of the most popular (and most expensive!) attractions in the city.
You can buy the pass for any duration between 1 and 10 days, but the 2-day pass is the perfect option. This way, you can see all of the most expensive landmarks in London during these two days, and then spend any additional days visiting London’s many cheap and free attractions.
The 2-Day London Pass costs £86. So, let’s add it up:
If you visited the Tower of London, Tower Bridge, St Paul’s, the Shard, and Shakespeare’s Globe on Day 1 and Kensington Palace, the Wellington Arch, Westminster Abbey and Kew Gardens on Day 2 you’d have spent a whopping £176.60 total on entry tickets! Compared to that, the £86 for the 2-Day London Pass is an insane saving!
Click here to buy your London Pass!
London is an incredible city, and everybody should visit it at least once in their lives (or five, or ten times!). Luckily, you now have this super-helpful list of London’s most iconic landmarks to add to your itinerary!
It’d be a mean feat to visit every single one of these landmarks in just one trip to London. But that just means you have more of an excuse to visit again. Hooray!
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