Clapham Common

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 royal residence which is still used by Prince William, Kate and their young family. Much of it is however open to the public and it is a very popular tourist attraction perhaps due as much to its association with Princess Diana as anything else. The King's Gallery here is a magnificent Regency period court drawing room and contains some impressive paintings including a Van Dyke. Also a nice restaurant on site called The Orangery.

Admission by guided tour only, which must be booked in advance. The museum is housed in part of a Victorian fire station and its collections include fire engines and historical equipment.

Now permanently closed, will be replaced by new museum at the former Smithfield market site in 2026. The Museum of London Docklands remains open.

Discover mementoes of the famous fictional detective. In reality, this was a lodging house used in the late 1800s and has three floors. The first floor contains Sherlock Holmes' study with Watson's desk, and has bullet holes spelling the initials VR (for Victoria Regina, Latin for Queen Victoria) much to the chagrin of the landlady Mrs. Hudson. Next to that is Holmes' bedroom with a rogues' gallery containing photographs of several notable Victorian-era murderers including Lizzy Bourdain. The remaining rooms upstairs have waxwork figures and artefacts referencing the novels, as well as their adaptations to stage and screen. Photography allowed, though filming requires permission. Prebooking is recommended to circumvent long queues.

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.

Medieval Grade I listed church. This church played a key role in the English Revolution and was the parish church of some of the most decisive Puritans: Oliver Cromwell was married and this is where John Milton was buried. It was the home of the Morning Exercises. The tower remains from the original building; the rest was destroyed in the Blitz but rebuilt based on the original plans.

A neoclassical church that stands opposite the National Gallery. Since World War I, the homeless have sought shelter at this church, a tradition that continues to this day.

The TfL-backed Hidden London offers tours around the disused Aldwych tube station which had its own branch on the Piccadilly line. The tour explains the station's unusual history including its use for protection (for both people and historical artefacts held by the British Museum) from the Blitz during WWII. More recently, it was used as a filming location and for testing station equipment and decor. Of note, it was used for filming James Bond: Die Another Day, V for Vendetta and the Prodigy music video for Firestarter. Tours are roughly an 1 hour and 15 minutes long, wear sturdy shoes (not sandals).

This enormous arch was built in front of Buckingham Palace. In 1851 the expansion of the palace meant the arch could no longer remain where it was, so it was moved to this point on Hyde Park. It now stands rather sadly on a large traffic island, but the subway beneath the roads means you can stop off at the Marble Arch on your way from Oxford St to Hyde Park.

The eastern half of the twin parks. Of the two, Hyde Park is open for longer and has more open, unwooded land; it is often host to concerts, fun fairs and events. More of an artificial stream than a fountain, flowing in an oval through an open grassy area which, in normal summers, is a popular paddling spot for children and grown-ups alike.

Three large auditoriums, the Olivier, the Lyttelton and the Cottesloe. The Olivier theatre is the largest with an open stage and a fan shaped auditorium around it. This ensures that all seats provide a good view. Most of the more 'popular' productions are put on here as the space provided is much larger than most theatres. The Lyttelton theatre is more traditional with a proscenium arc with good views from most seats. The Cottesloe is a small studio theatre, seating around 400. Some tickets will be available on the day, either day seats (arrive before 9:30AM and queue) or standby (arrive before 6PM and queue), or you can buy online. Popular shows, especially those around Christmas in the Olivier sell out months in advance. Tickets to The National Theatre are generally better value than most other theatres. There is also the '£15 Travelex' season in the summer (as of 2019) that provides a large number (over 100,000 seats a year) at £10. Booking in advance is required for these. There is also an exhibition space in the Lyttelton theatre foyer that frequently holds popular photographic exhibitions. Free jazz is often played in the evening in the ground floor foyer. During summer there is a free daily outdoor festival of performance, music, comedy and cabaret known as Watch This Space. Deckchairs (and artificial grass) are provided to watch on. Free exhibitions. Backstage tours £5.

Created by Tonkin Zulaikha Greer and Janet Laurence to remember the Australians who died in both world wars. Made from Australian granite.

See also: Bank of England Museum.

Originally the private garden of Holland House, much of which was destroyed in the London Blitz, Holland Park is a mixture of woodland, European and Japanese-style formal gardens and leisure facilities. It includes a large field dedicated to football and cricket, as well as tennis courts. As you walk around the park, you can see bits of the house dotted around the place which give you some idea of how grand it used to be. In the summer this is a great place to catch outdoor opera. An ecology centre near the police station provides information about the ecology of the park and arranges various activities for children. There is a café in the park that sells ice creams and hot food. The park is a popular way to walk from Notting Hill to Kensington High Street.

Designed by Sir Christopher Wren, this tall column (which can be ascended to get a great view) marks the alleged site where the Great Fire of London broke out in September 1666.

This venerable old institution was absorbed by the neighbouring Natural History Museum in 1985 but still has something of a separate identity. Unsurprisingly, devoted to all things geological with especially popular exhibits on vulcanology and earthquakes and fossils of all types. Very popular with kids and often underrated.