Go now. Oh god, go now. This place is incredible, but is far too small once the commuting crowds know about it.
Opening shortly after the Great Fire, this ancient pub was regularly visited by Dr Johnson when he was taking a break from writing the first English dictionary, at his home in nearby Gough Square.
This must-see museum houses over 160,000 portraits of famous Brits (think Mick Jagger, Queen Victoria) dating back to the 16th century. It also is home to a trove of Cecil Beaton images.
Look out for the mosaic floors in the main entrance and stairwell. Fascinating. Work by the same artist can be seen at Tate Britain.
To mark the 50th birthday of the Royal Air Force in 1968, Flight Lt. Allan Pollock flew his Hawker jet under the walkway of Tower Bridge. This unauthorised stunt won him a court martial.
Tate Britain is built on the site of the 19th century Millbank Prison. Between 1816 and 1868, this is where thousands of convicts began their journey to the penal colonies of Australia.
Nothing beats the view of the city from this giant Ferris wheel. On a clear day, get a glimpse of Windsor Castle
The lion sculpture was once painted red and stood over the Red Lion Brewery on the South Bank in the 18th century. When the area was redeveloped in the 1950s the lion was saved and moved here.
Big Ben refers to the 13 ton bell in the clock tower of Westminster Palace. Opinion is divided as to whether it was named after the then Commissioner of Works, or a famous prize-fighter of the time.
The square here was laid out by Inigo Jones in 1630, on land once used by the monks of Westminster Abbey as a garden, but confiscated by Henry VIII during the Reformation.
Do visit this bustling food market where top London chefs come to buy their ingredients. If you don’t find it here, where will you? Open from Thursday to Saturday, but come early to avoid the crowds! Read more.
The market began life in 1974 as a weekly crafts market, and now has about 100,000 visitors each weekend. The Stables Market is where the horses used to be kept for towing canal barges.
Our favourite exhibit is the scale model of Cook's first voyage, including tiny, named figurines of all the crew on board.
The first national lottery was held in 1569, and the result was announced at the west door of (the old) St.Paul’s cathedral. It is unknown if the winner let it change him.
The Bankside Power Station was built as a ‘cathedral of power’ in 1963, but closed in 1981. It reopened as one of Europe’s finest modern art galleries in 2000. The Turbine Hall is 35m high.
This WW2 cruiser, now a tourist attraction, took part in the sinking of the German battleship Scharnhorst and in the D-Day landings. Her guns are aimed at an M1 service station 12.5 miles away.
The British Museum has more than 7 million objects from every continent, some of which have been controversial. Read more.
Opened in 1881, the museum facade uses terracotta tiles which were resistant to the soot of Victorian London. The largest of the famous dinosaur skeletons in the central hall is a diplodocus.
Two traffic milestones occurred in this square. In 1868 the world’s first traffic lights were installed here (which later blew up) and in 1926, it became Britain’s first official roundabout.
This 7th-century London landmark has been the venue of choice for bejeweled coronations—and, of course, weddings for the Queen Mum, Queen Elizabeth, Prince Andrew—and now, William and Kate!
The acoustics here were once so bad, it was said this was the only venue where a composer could be sure of hearing his work twice. It was corrected in 1969 by putting diffusing discs on the ceiling.
Notice the clock that crowns the main building? You'll see a black mark next to the number '2'. That's the hour at which Charles I was beheaded at the neighbouring Banqueting House.
Bought cider by accident, as the pump label looked all ale-ish. But that's our bumbling thickishness rather than any fault of this excellent pub.
The phrase 'hidden gem' is over-used. But this is the dictionary definition. Victorian tiles in a subterranean drinking den. Like very much.
Above 99 Kensington High St can be found the largest roof garden in Europe, an exclusive hospitality venue laid out in 1938. There are 500 species of plant, fountains and even flamingos.
