Top London Tours & Vacations 2024/2025 [reviews & photos]

London Tours & Travel Packages 2024/2025

414 London trips. Compare tour itineraries from 75 tour companies. 1,420 reviews. 4.4/5 avg rating.

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Top London Attractions & Experiences

Top London Experiences

    • Strolling along the Thames with its classic views of Big Ben
    • Visiting the Eagle and Child Pub, favorite watering hole of C.S. Lewis and J.R.R Tolkien
    • Watching a theater performance at the reconstructed Globe Theater
    • Taking a tour of Oxford University, recognizing Harry Potter filming locations
    • Enjoying the diverse cuisine, from Pakistani, to Indian, to traditional English pub fare
    • Touring the Tower of London
    • Enjoying a classic British high tea

London Tours & Travel Guide

London Attractions & Landmarks Guide

Vibrant and bustling London is a hotbed of history, from Harry Potter to legendary kings and queens. Nothing beats a stroll along the Thames with Big Ben in the distance, enjoying the rare sunshine in Kensington Gardens, or watching the changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace. Hop aboard a classic double decker bus to explore the city and don't forget the phone booth photo op!

Top Activities in London

While you are planning to travel in London, you should know that the vast city is full of worth visiting spots and interesting activities. If you want to explore the city completely, then you are going to need weeks to do justice to it. However, for a short trip like for 3 to 4 days or even for a week, you should plan your trip by making a list of top places that are the most important, beautiful, and popular among tourists. To help you with that, here is a list of the most popular and interesting places that you should visit when you travel to London.

1. The London Eye

Situated on the River Thames, this giant Ferris wheel is not intended to be a thrilling ride, instead provides excellent views of the South Bank of London. Lit up in seasonal colors, the wheel circles around slowly, Going to a height of more than 400 feet and offering a bird's eye perspective across the huge city.

2. British Museum

This stunning museum not only has unique architecture but is also home to a huge collection of antiques. Millions of artifacts take you to a fascinating historical tour and are like a dream come true for history lovers. It is better to take a guided tour around the museum to explore most of these 8 million objects.

3. The Tower of London

Having a grim history of death and torture, this royal building is one of the most significant in British history. The exterior is not very impressive compared to other historical buildings, but the interior is going to leave you stunned. The building comprises various towers, but only 12 are open for the public, with something to offer for everyone. Explore the history of royal monarchy and tower's bloody past while roaming about in London's iconic heritage.

4. Buckingham Palace

The beautiful palace is the royal residence of Queen Elizabeth II and is open for the general public in summer and for selected dates in winter and spring. You will get to witness the 19 Tate Rooms that are used by the royal family to host guests for the state, official, and ceremonial affairs. These rooms display magnificent pieces of Royal Collection like exquisite French and English furniture, paintings by Rubens and Rembrandt, candelabra, and chandeliers.

5. Westminster Abbey

The medieval church has the honor to be the location for many coronations and royal weddings. The always busy abbey gives you a peek at the far-reaching history of London. It is better to do a little research before visiting the church so that you don't miss anything during your visit as the staff keeps you moving at a high pace due to huge crowds waiting.

6. National Gallery

This huge museum has the distinctive feature of having a labyrinth interior, which so large that they have a color-coded map to navigate around it. Among the 2300 fascinating pieces, there are paintings from the 13th to 19th centuries of Western European Tradition, including French Impressionist and Renaissance Masterpieces. Important works included masterpieces of da Vinci, Renoir, Stubbs, Van Gogh, Botticelli, Constable, and Titian.

7. Madame Tussauds

The internationally famous wax museum gives you the chance to come face to face and strike a pose with many of your favorite celebrities. You will have the chance to meet historical figures like Shakespeare, and various important personalities from royalty, politics, sports, and showbiz.

8. Tower Bridge

This architectural marvel is the most famous bridge crossing the Thames and is mainly famous for its moveable roadways and stunning details. The elevated sidewalks allow the visitors to have a prime view of the surroundings, including the iconic dome of St. Paul's Cathedral, Tower of London, and The Shard. Take a tour of the Tower Bridge Exhibition that will take you to the bridge top as well the bridge's engine room at the bottom.

9. Big Ben

Situated in Westminster in the House of Parliament, Big Ben is a giant bell weighing more than 13 tons, hanging in the clock tower, officially called the Elizabeth Tower. But commonly the House of Parliament and Elizabeth tower together are known as Big Ben. The clock tower has a magnificent view at night with illuminated clock faces.

London as a Literary Destination

For fans of classic literature, there is no better place to visit than the UK, and London in particular. From Oxford University, which not only served as a filming location for one of the most famous British books in the world, Harry Potter, but also saw the likes of J.R.R. Tolkien as a professor, among many other famous names. And for fans of JK Rowlings series, don’t miss a stop at Kings Cross station for the Platform 9 and 3/4 photo op!

A walking tour of London is one of the best ways to visit such classic sights as Charles Dicken’s house, the Eagle and Child Pub where C.S. Lewis and Tolkien often met, and The George Inn where Shakespeare is rumored to have stayed.

You’ll also visit the Globe Theater, which although it is a replica, still lives up to it’s legacy, offering performances, education, and history tours. While a stroll along the Thames is a way to feel like you’re a part of your own British novel.

Kings & Queens

A visit to London would not be complete without touring castles and visiting Buckingham Palace. The Changing of the Guard is a time honored tradition, and an especially entertaining activity when traveling with children. The Tower of London is another can’t miss sight, for all its gruesome history.

Taking in a classic British high tea is a way to treat yourself like royalty, and there’s no shortage of opportunities. However, it is very much a tourist activity. While most Londoners and locals of the wider UK enjoy an afternoon tea, the concept of “high tea” with scones and jam and mini sandwiches is very much associated with a posh lifestyle. Definitely not an everyday thing.

Popular Day Trips from London

There is never enough time to explore the complete London sites, but there is more to the UK than this vast city that you can explore on a day trip from London. Take a trip outside the city and explore surrounding spa cities, adventurous spots, and seaside towns in the British countryside.

1. Stonehenge

The famous UNESCO World Heritage Site is one of the most ancient monuments, not only in England but all over the world. The mysterious history of the historical monument and the unique placement of the huge stones attracts thousands of visitors here every year.

Be amazed by the magnificent structures situated in the fascinating surrounding. The nearby Salisbury museum features various artifacts related to the place that will tell you about the known history of the place.

2. Whitstable

The seaside town located on the northern coast of Kent is the best place to kick off a day, taking a break from the bustling capital in the UK. The place is famous for its Native Oysters that have been collected since Roman times and are still celebrated at the annual Whitstable Oyster Festival. If you want to have the true essence of the beauty of the coast, rent a bike and set off to pedal along the Oyster Bay Trail.

3. Bath

This beautiful Georgian city is famous for the preserved ancient Roman baths with marvelous Roman architecture, paving stones, and steaming pools. Wander around the city to explore the World heritage sites, abbeys, and churches and enjoy the cosmopolitan environment and visit one of the various pubs to enjoy the best ale in the UK.

4. Windsor Castle

The largest and oldest inhabited castle of the world is Queen's favorite weekend home. This historical Hallmark is also used for ceremonial and state occasions. An elaborated visitor's route gives access to the St. George's Chapel, State Apartments, and many more. The stately rooms and halls are filled with treasures from the royal collection and fascinate everyone with their impressive outlook.

5. Stratford and Oxford

The beautiful cities are known to be romantic centers in England. Located only a few hours away from the bustling capital, they are an entirely different world. Stratford, the birthplace of William Shakespeare, will inspire you while taking you through the cobbled streets, among the stunning cottages. Move forward with your exploration to the city with the most famous University City of the world, roaming between the different colleges and their majestic fairytales like towers and spires.

6. Bray, Berkshire

The stunning village is a perfect place to take a break from the metropolitan center city and take a day off to explore the greens and hamlets of the English countryside. The village has a magical attraction during spring and summertime. Explore the area on foot and make sure to visit one of the two Michelin Star restaurants in the UK; The Fat Duck and The Waterside Inn. Go for advance reservations for the restaurants as the waiting lists are so long to keep you hungry.

Getting Around London

To comfortably travel in London, you should be aware of your transportation options, rates, timing, convenience, etc. There are various ways to travel in London like through the excellent underground or overground tubes, railways, buses, trams, taxis, bicycles, car rental, etc.

The best way to travel around cheap is to get an oyster card that works in all parts of the city for the underground, overground, trams, and the red London buses. The well-maintained network of public transport will take you to every corner of the town. The fares for peak and off-peak hours are different so, if you want to travel even cheaper, plan your trip in advance.

Avoid traveling on peak hours; between 06:30 to 09:30 and 16:00 to 17:00. Tubes are the fastest way to travel while buses are the cheapest. While you are in London, you must travel to the tube for once at least. But in these cases, you miss most of the sightseeing while traveling around. Hiring a bike can be a more adventurous, exploring, and easy way to move around the city.

There are designated cycle lanes throughout the city that means you will save lots of time that would otherwise be spent in traffic jams or while you are crammed among people on the tube stations. Plan your journey beforehand, and don't forget to wear your helmet. Another way to travel in London while enjoying all the sightseeing is to book a guided bus tour that will take you around the city through every important point.

During your London visit, you will surely have to hire a black cab at least once. There are 3 different tariffs depending on the time when you are traveling. Agree on a price with the driver before starting the ride, or you will have to pay the full amount from the meter after reaching your destination. Taxi is not a cheap way to travel but can come handy at times.

London Reviews & Ratings

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Paula

Sep 2023

Written on

London to Bordeaux, the Basque Country and the Beach

Excellent tour. Train travel was a new experience. Very good

M

Mary

Sep 2023

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London to Bordeaux, the Basque Country and the Beach

The lovely city of Bordeaux, the two days in San Sebastian, especially the ...

J

James

Jun 2023

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London to Bordeaux, the Basque Country and the Beach

it was a compatible group of travelers; now that I've done the trip, I'd d...

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