State Opening of Parliament

Eccentric Gothic home of 18th-century poet and author, Horace Walpole, son of England's first prime minister.

Garden founded by apothecaries in the 17th century to the medicinal properties of plants. It was only opened to the public in the 1980s, when it became a charity. The heat-sink caused by its thick walls, combined with the general waste heat of London itself, keeps the garden much warmer than it would otherwise be at this latitude. Due to this, the garden contains the world's most northerly example of a grapefruit outside of a greenhouse, and the largest fruiting olive tree in the country. The collection contains thousands of different plant species.

A vast shopping, eating, entertainment and (primarily) business complex, home to Britain's second tallest skyscraper, One Canada Square. Now increasingly lively at weekends as well, but still at its most impressive during the week. Spectacular main exit from the Jubilee line Tube station. There is a substantial amount of information about the history and the architecture of the development on the website of Canary Wharf Group, the company that owns the development.

The London Mithraeum is a 3rd century Roman mithraeum that was discovered in Walbrook during construction work in 1954. The entire site was relocated several times before being returned to its original site as part of the new Bloomberg building. This temple of the mystery god Mithras became perhaps the most famous 20th-century Roman discovery in London. In addition to the temple structure, there is a display of Roman artefacts found on the site and a contemporary art exhibit responding to the site. Visitor numbers are limited and timed slots are often fully booked up several weeks into the future so plan well ahead.

In many cities a local transport museum would be of very narrow interest - not London, however! London's public transport is iconic, and the story of how it developed from horse and cart through early buses, Tube trains and trolleybuses to the present day is well worth coming to find out about. There is plenty of opportunity to clamber aboard the historic buses and Tube trains on display. Also, because London's transport is so well known, the museum shop contains plenty of items that make interesting and original gifts and souvenirs.

Islamic Cultural Centre and the main mosque in London. Visitors are welcome but must be suitably attired. The Mosque runs classes, prayers, talks and events.

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.

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

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.

A branch of the Imperial War Museum, the Cabinet War Rooms preserves the underground corridors and rooms from which Churchill and the cabinet directed the war against Hitler and the Nazis, maintained almost exactly as they were left in 1945. In 1984, IWM opened the rooms to the public for the first time. In 2005, the attached Churchill Museum was opened as the world's first permanent museum dedicated to the life and wartime achievements of Sir Winston Churchill. Audio guides are included in your admission. No cloakroom, no rucksacks, no suitcases. Café is open daily from 10am to 5pm. Hot food is served until 3pm.

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.

Statue in honour of the World War I nursing heroine.

Includes a small but beautiful quad and an interesting Neo-Classical facade. The core buildings of UCL were built after the university's foundation in 1826.

Dedicated to scientific exhibitions and collections bar those related to the life sciences. A number of famous historical machines and inventions are housed here, from steam locomotives to the Apollo 10 command module. The space exhibits are especially popular. Exhibitions tend to concentrate on explaining scientific principles with working models and there is a strong emphasis on education and attracting children. The Science Museum opened a "Children's Gallery" in the 1930s and it continues to lead the way in this area; now, there are three separate galleries aimed at all ages of younger visitor, from 5 to 16. The museum also runs "Science Nights" whereby children spend an evening learning principles and participating in experiments before spending the night sleeping in the museum with the exhibits. Also houses a vast library of scientific and medical books and journals.

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.