Sightseeing London

London has a lot to give.
Once you're in town you may feel a little bit confuse with so much offer that is given to you that you don't know where to start.
If you like to be in touch with nature you may start by the many green spots around the city.
London is known by it's fog, by it's high level of pollution and by it's caotic traffic but it's very easy to abstain from that because of the existence of dozens of parks and gardens right in the heart of London.
The londoner's usually spends his weekend, or even that lunch hour break in the parks with the children, walking the dog, having lunch and even play some football with the friends.
The biggest and the best known is Hyde Park, with more than 350 hectars, 4000 trees and a horse track.

Every sunday it's possible to watch some political debates or just some opinions of people passing by in the Hyde Park Speaker's Corner. In 2003 about 1 million people gathered there to protest against war on Iraq. Get off at Marble Arch and follow the signs drafted on the floor of Hyde Park to find Speaker's Corner.
Don't miss the Serpentine, a huge artificial lagoon that was ordered by George II to show off his love to his wife Caroline of Ansbach, where you can roll around with your bike or skates and to pedal in boats down on the lake.
Hyde park is also the stage of many benefit concerts or the stop point to some of the biggest bands in the world.



If you continue your walk down at Hyde Park you will get to Kensington Gardens, and it's good to be prepared with some cookies as you're arriving to Royal Albert Statue you will find dozens of friendly squirls that will get to you if there's something in exchange.



Princess Di loved to walk around in this park as her palace is situated in Kensington Gardens. Visit the memorial dedicated in her memory and take a picture with the Peter Pan statue.




Another best known park is Regent. It's in a sofisticated neighbourhood as it's situated in a high class residential area. It has about 30.000 roses. If you like to play sports, this park has a lot to offer you, since tenis and golf courts, a place to play some hoquei, jogging tracks, 2 rugby fields, 4 to play some cricket and 14 football fields.
Through the top of the garden it's possible to get to London Zoo.

If you go to Greenwich to see the meridien then you have to cross the Greenwich Park where you can run, take a walk, do a picnic or roll down the hill. In the top of the park you'll find the astronomic observatory and there you'll enjoy the breathtaking view of London that certainly you will never forget!


Back to the city centre, straight to Buckingham Palace, the oficial residence of Queen Elizabeh II, stop at St James Park and feed the many ducks, pelican, goose and pigeons that live there.
Sit down and relax at the many chairs displayed in the middle of the garden.


Museums

If culture is your big passion then you came to the right place.
If you want to got to one of the best museums of the world then catch de underground to Russel Square and head to the British Museum.
Here it's possible to make a trip to past cultures, with special focus on the egipcian. The entry is free of charge and you'll only pay if you want to visit special exhibitions.
It's open daily between 9am and 6pm althought some days it will only close at 11pm.



If you always liked the time when dinossaurs ruled the world then you can't miss the Natural History Museum. Here you can see real size replicas of this "monsters", know a little bit more about there lives and get carried around with de pre-historical vibe that circles around the museum. It's a must go place both to children and adults. It's open daily and the entry is also free of charge and the last permitted entry is at 5.30pm.


If you didn't cross with any famous star,
then let yourserlf be photografed with some of the celebreties down at the very famous Madame Tussaud's.It's in Baker Street near the Planetarium. You can buy both tickets togetether if you like so. The ticket price is not very appealing, 25£ (37,5€) but you can't miss this place. Take a picture with the eternal Lady Di, walk trought the many USA presidents, ask for the pope blessing, help building Mourinho's ideal team, remember the famous white dress of Marilyn Monroe and sing with Michael Jackson.
If your ticket includes the Live Chaimber, a special wing of the museum, then prepare yourself to feel the rush watching Joana d'Arc being burned alive or Louis XVI being decapitated. Jack the ripper and Adolf Hitler are also there between many others.
The way out is in a trolley car and where you can wath the antique London.






If you like arts and is addicted in The Davinci Code then you certainly want to go to the National Gallery. It's in Trafalgar Square, near the Nelson's column. here you can see the real Madonna of the Rocks and the Caravaggio colection, aong other works of art.
The entry is free of charge and it's recomended and amall visit.
If you want you can leave a pound to manintain this museum free of charge.





On South River Thames it's possible to visit Tate Gallery. The entry is free and the nearest underground is Pimlico. It's the modern art museum of London. It's collection is so vast that the board decided that it was for the best that the pieces of art would be renovated 6 to 6 months.
It's open daily and it closes at 5.50pm.


Landmarks

Anyone that goes to London goes to see the Big Ben.
Big Ben is not the name of the famous clock in Westminster as everybody thinks but it's the name of it's bell.
When you get to London make sure that this is going to be the first thing that your're going to see. You'll be impressed with it's dimension and for sure that you will set your clock by him.


London Eye is right in front of Big Ben. For those who don't know what that is, it's a giant wheel, with numerous capsules that can gather about 15 persons each.

It was opened in the year 2000 and in the present about 10.000 people travels every day in the eye.
Inside each capsule you can take fantastic pictures and in clear sky days you can see for about 40km distance (you can even see the Windsor Castle). If you'd like to impress or even pop the question you can rent a private capsule.


Go to Trafalgar Square, one of the most beautifull squares in the world, where it's the National Gallery, Nelson's Column and it's where usually the londoners celebrate a big football victory and where the chinese celebrate they're New Years.

Visit Tower Bridge and try to find out the schedule that the bridge is open. In the top of the bridge there's a special glass where you can take fantastic pictures of the London sights.

You can see right next to the bridge the Tower of London, a fortress that in the present is the repository of the Crown Jewels and in the past was a castle and a prison.
It's almost one hundred years old and it's still imaculated. On the inside you can see numerous crows whose wings were cut so that they won't fly away. The brittish believe that if they fly away from the Tower the monarchy will fall.
Don't miss a visit to this place that is well worth the 15£ (22,5€). Students, familiar and retired people tickets are cheaper.

Go to St Paul's Cathedral, where Prince Charles married Diana and was built after it's predesessor was burnt during the big London fire of 1666.
If you want to reach the top you have to pay and will have to climb about 500 stairs.

If you're a Beatles fan or just a curious one go to Abbey Road and see the studio where they recorded, take a picture in the famous zebra walking wich was the cover of a Beatles album and sign the wall. It's very near of the centre and you can catch a bus in Oxford Street to go there.

Also go to Westinster Abbey, the stage of the english crowns and the same place where Pincess Diana saied goodbye to the world.

If you have a free afternoon then visit the Greenwich Royal Observatory where it's the first world meridien. It's situated in a pretty and colourful village that marks the spot known as GMT (Greenwich Mean Time) that sets the time in every clock in the world.
The ticket is free but you have to get in line to get one and the last entrance is at 4.30pm.
And if you're there visit Cutty Sark, a historic english boat that was used as a way of transportion of tea.

If you'd like to know one of the places where was filmed The DaVinci Code then go to Temple Church. Get off at Temple Station. It's close by between Fleet Street and River Thames. It's a bit tricky to find it as it's in a very quiet area.
It was built in the XII century and in the floor you can see the Templars tombs (they built this church). Free entry.

As you're near the river get to know HMS Belfast, a ship that was used in the II world war and in the Normandie landing and it's now open for exhibition near the Tower Bridge.
Children 'till 16 have free entry and adult tickets go around 8.5£ (13€)


Relax

In London you have dozens of places where you can have fun.
One of the best clubs in the world is in London. It's the Ministry of Sound, it's near the city centre and you can go there by getting off at the Elephant & Castle underground station.

If you like more calmed spots then go to Leicester Square area. Go to Hippodrome that has that student vibe.
Go to Tantra Club, in Soho. A very cool bar with style and glamour. The vive looks like an MTV videoclip. One of the best bars is the West End area.
If you like theatre then go watch one of the many musicals that play in London.
One hint, go to the Half Price Ticket Booth in Leicester Square (there are lot's of false booths but the only one that is real is the one in front of the Capital Radio of London) but it only sells tickets for that day.
Watch the famous Phantom of the Opera, or Cats or even enjoy the Queen musical. You can even buy your ticket online.

If you like to see famous people there are many world premieres in London where you can see the famous Hollywood stars or even the royal family that so many times marks they're presence in these events.

If you'd like something more romantic then have a dinner boat Cruise in the Thames River. It costs about 80£ (120€) per person but you'll have a night that you wont' forget.

If your trip is finnishing and would like to get rid of that damn pennies that the britts usually throw away, go to the Trocadero Shopping in Piccadilly and use them in the pennies machine. If you're lucky maybe you'll win some money for a future trip.