How to have fun in London? Where to go on trips or shopping? What activities are worth travelling to London for?
London is a city for everyone. You'll find a wealth of monuments, parks, museums and modern buildings and attractions.
Sights and history
London's monuments are among the most famous in the world. Either history has been written on them or the world's most popular noble family lives there. How about following in the footsteps of Jack the Ripper?
There's no need to go into the individual sights and attractions here, we have detailed mini-guides for all of them.
Top 5 London landmarks
Shopping
Do you want to enjoy the real shopping experience and stock up on luxury brands, or do you want to rummage through endless baskets of £1 t-shirts?
Visit London during the summer or post-Christmas sales and come to Oxford Street, which is really famous for its many shops.
You'll find classic clothing (Zara, H&M, Mango) as well as outlets like Urban Outfitters. Who doesn't know Primark these days... Just remember to be patient when you're queuing for fitting booths or the checkout line.
If you're interested in something more upmarket, how about Victoria's secret? No need to stick to lingerie, but if you prefer better boutiques and fewer people, head to Carnaby Street for a quieter atmosphere and brands ranging from the cheaper Miss Sixty to the luxury of T by Alexander Wang.
If you're on a budget, head to the Burberry outlet at Hackney TkMaxx near Bank tube station or Dress for less (Angel tube). And what can you buy in these stores? For example, a £10 Burberry belt, outlet leftovers from Versace, McQueen or Lauren and, in the latter, second-hand and unworn pieces from fashion designers.
Nightlife
Nightlife is one of the main features of London. A myriad of bars, discos and nightlife venues can be found all around central London. Clubs cater to even the most discerning clientele.
If you choose by music, around Farringdon, Hoxton or Schoreditch you will come across clubs that play mostly dance music such as drum and bass, house or trance.
The West End, particularly Leicester Square, Mayfair and Piccadilly, is where you can find clubs playing funky house, hip hop or R&B. Or if you prefer metal and rock, then visit the clubs around Camden.
What may come as a nasty surprise are the prices, with many Londoners trying to smuggle bought alcohol into the clubs. Anyway, you can go to a bar here at absolutely any time, it's simply alive every day in London.
Views and sights
Although London is more or less all on the flat, you'll have plenty of views of the historic centre, the city skyline and the River Thames thanks to modern high-rise buildings and other tourist attractions. What are the best sights in London? Here are our tips:
- London Eye - The 135-metre observation wheel over the Thames
- The Shard - London's tallest skyscraper, at 244 metres
- Sky Garden - the indoor garden in the "Walkie-Talkie" skyscraper at 140 metres
- St. Paul's Cathedral - a stylish vantage point in the dome of London Cathedral at 105 metres
- Greenwich - the view from the Observatory in Greenwich Park is one of the most popular
- Primrose Hill - The hill is a de facto extension of Regent's Park and offers beautiful views of the whole of London from the tranquillity of the green
Take a ride on the red doubledecker
The red double-decker buses are one of London's most iconic symbols and a ride should definitely not be missed.
The history of double-decker buses dates back to the 19th century, when the need for a higher-capacity service arose. Due to the cramped conditions of central London, the relatively narrow streets and the sharp angles at junctions where more traditional articulated buses would struggle to dial, double-deckers have remained in common use to this day.
There are over 700 bus routes in London and you'll see doubledeckers on most of them, especially in the city centre. Of course, you can wait for a service to arrive with an unoccupied first row of seats on the top deck, give it a quick whack and enjoy a great panoramic ride through London
Avoid the overpriced open-top sightseeing tours buses. They're really not worth the money. A single ride, even a guided one, on such a bus will set you back more than 35 gbp, while normal public transport fares apply on regular line buses, which you can also use on the Tube, see London ticket prices for more.
The most traditional type of doubledecker with an open rear platform for boarding and alighting is called the Routemaster and was in regular service between 1956 and 2005. Because it did not meet safety standards it was phased out, but an exception is allowed and these traditional Routemasters appear on two routes criss-crossing central London:
It is to be expected that the old buses only appear on certain services, most of the line's tax sequence is operated by modern doubledeckers, but which offer equally nice views.
Thames cruises
The rivers that flow through the centre have always been one of the city's strong city-building features, and the Thames in London is certainly no exception. Enjoy London's skyline from a different perspective and take a boat trip on the Thames.
The views will be spectacular, however, with the world-famous landmarks of Big Ben and the Tower right on the waterfront, the Thames offering great views of the modern City Centre or Canary Wharf, London's tallest skyscraper The Shard and, of course, the experience of passing under the famous Tower Bridge.
We recommend avoiding overpriced sightseeing tours, where a half-hour cruise will set you back as little as 30 gbp, but take advantage of the regular boat lines crisscrossing the whole of central London, with the longest cruises taking over 40 minutes.
These lines are called River Bus and are operated by Thames Clippers. The most expensive ticket when sailing across London works out at about 14 gbp, the cheapest are sold around 5 gbp.
Football
Which football league is the best in the world? That's a completely unnecessary question in England. The bigger nut to crack is getting a ticket for an attractive match.
Conditions can vary depending on the season, of course, but as a rule you can't buy tickets for big clubs like Arsenal, Chelsea and the like without buying an official membership. Alternatively, the system works by first releasing tickets for the members with the hierarchically highest (and of course most expensive) memberships, gradually releasing lower and lower, and often there is nothing left to sell or you will be invited to buy a membership at the end anyway.
Furthermore, it is usually not possible to buy more than one ticket per membership. A good match will set you back roughly 60 gbp + 30 gbp for an ordinary membership.
Tickets and memberships can be purchased on the official website of the football club in question. There are a number of world famous clubs in London alone. Check out their websites by clicking on the club name below and try your luck at finding tickets:
TIP: London clubs are often renovating their stadiums, try to wait and see if a club happens to be playing at Wembley National Stadium. There are probably almost always seats left, even without buying a membership. The atmosphere may not be like a club stadium, but it's still a definite treat. For a schedule of matches and to buy tickets, visit the stadium's official website: wembleystadium.com.
Have you got nothing and don't want to leave London without football? You can try a second league game, the atmosphere is often better, the prices are more reasonable and the standard is still high.
