20 Fenchurch Street

The main residence of His Majesty King Charles III, Her Royal Highness Queen Camilla, and latterly of HM Queen Elizabeth II. In the summer, 19 State Rooms are open to the public. Places are strictly limited, and it might not be possible to just turn up and get a ticket for a specific entry time, visitors should book in advance to ensure admission.

A small museum is set in a Victorian house near the infamous Battle of Cable Street. There are 5 floors including the basement, each dedicated to several aspects of famous murders starting with a recreation of Mitre Square on the first floor, Jack the Ripper's sitting room on the second floor, the police station on the third, a victim's bedroom on the fourth and the mortuary in the basement. There is also a walking tour. Book tickets online to save money, there is also a Halloween special deal.

Charts the history of the bank from 1694 to the present day. A highlight is the opportunity to handle a genuine bar of gold. Photography allowed, but no flash.

Former offices of the Greater London Authority. A radically-designed glass fronted and rounded building, previously headquarters for London's Mayor and Assembly. City Hall has now be relocated to The Crystal, a building in Greenwich, near to the cable car. The old building is disused and not open to the public, but can be viewed from the outside.

Founded by veteran designer Zandra Rhodes.

Designed by one of Britain's leading architects, Sir Norman Foster, this curved glass skyscraper was the 2004 recipient of the Stirling Architectural Prize for Best Building. It was built on the site of the Baltic Exchange building, destroyed in 1992 by an IRA bomb which killed three. On the Bury Street side of the Gherkin by some black stone benches is the Tomb of the Unknown Girl for a teenaged Londoner who died 1,600 years ago (see infobox above), marked with a marble laurel wreath and inscription. Searcy's Restaurant (from £50) at the top takes bookings up to five weeks in advance and you have to go through security before going up.

This is probably the most famous criminal court in the world, and has been London's principal criminal court for centuries. It hears cases remitted to it from all over England and Wales as well as the Greater London area. The present building dates largely from 1907 (a new block was added from 1970 for more modern facilities) and stands on the site of the infamous medieval Newgate Gaol. The Central Criminal Court is of course best known today for its association with John Mortimer's Rumpole of the Bailey character, novels and television series. Daily case listings are available at The law pages. No bags, cameras, drinks, food or mobile phones—no facilities for safekeeping. Children under 14 are not admitted.

St. Margaret's is the church of the British Parliament, more specifically, the parish church of the House of Commons.

A splendid Regency house with enormous gardens and woodlands. The gardens alone are worth the visit and are a superb example of 18th-century landscaping. On show at the house is art by masters such as Rembrandt, Turner, Reynolds and Vermeer, and the gardens have a very notable sculpture by Henry Moore. A regular program of outdoor opera takes place here every summer. Movie buffs will recognise Kenwood from Mansfield Park among other famous films. Administered by English Heritage, separately from the rest of Hampstead Heath.

A vast repository of the world's cultures, controversially including hundreds of items that were looted from their places of origin. Entire sections are devoted to Egyptian, Greek, and Middle Eastern artifacts, as well as the piece which united them all, the Rosetta Stone. Other items on everyone's list are the largest collection of mummies outside Egypt and the Elgin Marbles. The collection also includes some of the world's finest collections of Chinese and Sub-Saharan African art; perhaps the most famous of the latter are the Benin bronzes. A definite highlight of a trip to London. Temporary exhibitions are invariably excellent and meticulously researched, but can be expensive. It has a fine store, mainly selling replicas of items in the collection.

Old train station with an enormous office and shopping complex in glass and pale stone. A lavish hotel is also on the site. The name comes from the Queen Eleanor (13th century) gothic pillar outside the station, which is actually a Victorian-era replica. Charing Cross Road was once famous for its vintage book shops, but these have now largely disappeared due to high rents and online competition; however, the road is still home to one of London's largest bookshops, Foyle's.

The world's main marketplace for ship broking.

Houses the British national collection of western European art dating from the 13th to 19th centuries. A truly awe-inspiring collection, notable works include Hans Holbein's The Ambassadors, Van Gogh's Sunflowers and Constable's The Haywain. The vast majority of art is free of charge to visit. Temporary exhibitions are generally fairly costly, but invariably well researched and presented. The audioguides are very comprehensive, have comments on most of the paintings in the museum, and are free though this fact is not advertised. A donation is suggested. In addition to courses, workshops, lectures and other events, the National Gallery has free talks and tours every day.