London is a right place to discover the truly British spirit and glorious pages of English history. Whether you are a fan of historical sights and museums, or you simply enjoy city floating, the capital of Great Britain will satisfy all your aesthetic needs. In this article here you will find some great day tours from London. So, where will you go first?
#1. Royal spirit of Buckingham Palace
To step into the hallways of working royal palace built back in Victorian times, and feel the spirit of once majestic British Empire might be a real adventure. In summer, when the Queen is away in her Scottish residence, you can take a walk along 19 magnificently decorated State Rooms featuring treasure masterpieces of Royal Collection, such as Rubens, Rembrandt, and Canaletto. Remember to check if the Queen is home first – notice the flagpole on the top of the building, and if the royal family standard is flying, Her Majesty must be at home.
Every day at 11:30 a.m. the crowd gathers to watch the changing of the Royal Guard, colorful display with music and marching. And in the afternoon you can enjoy a traditional five-o’clock tea.
#2. ExCeL London
#3. The Tower of London’s secrets
This legendary place once was a scary prison and a fortress, a palace and a treasure vault, a place for executions and a private zoo. The Tower is closely connected to British history, although it still keeps undiscovered mysteries to reveal.
Here, in the 11th century White tower, you can see the display of royal armor, take a look at priceless Crown Jewels exhibition, meet Royal Beasts and the modern inhabitants of the first ever zoo in London.
Prepare to spend a couple of hours in one of the most visited destinations of the world and don’t miss the chance to join the Beefeater tour to hear some bloody stories.
#4. The treasures of British Museum
The Great Britain became one of the first countries, which started a campaign of preservation of ancient treasures. Although the artifacts from British colonies were removed from their native lands, they were kept safely and researched in the British Museum.
Nowadays the visitors might observe the finest collections of the antiquities from all around the world. It contains treasures from Assyria, Babylonia, China, India and different places around Europe.
Even if you are not a professional in ancient history, you will be fascinated by the Parthenon’s Elgin Marbles, the Rosetta Stone, Roman Mildenhall Treasure, the Egyptian mummies, and the enormously huge bust of Rameses II.
#5. Listening to the Big Ben bells
When somebody says “London” you most likely imagine the tall tower with a very big clock, widely know as Big Ben. Actually “Big Ben” is the nickname for the Palace of Westminster Great Bell, but now it is used for both clock and the tower. This 97-meter high building was completed in 1859 and shortly became a British cultural icon.
By the way, most of us know the sound of the Big Ben bell as it was made the time signal of famous BBC radio.
#6. The gateways to Soho: Piccadilly Circus and Trafalgar Square
Soho is a well-known busy entertainment area in West End. If you want to take a rest from historical sights-seeing, you should discover this place.
You can come to Soho through Trafalgar Square with high Nelson’s Column, fountains and French style reliefs, made in commemorating to Lord Nelson’s victory over French and Spanish troops at Trafalgar in early nineteenth century.
Piccadilly Circus stands at the intersection of a few busy streets: Piccadilly, Regent, Haymarket, and Shaftesbury Avenue. In this constantly rushing environmental you can find the best-known sculpture of London – the winged Eros, who balances on one foot among the crowd. When you visit that place, you will know the meaning of famous English expansion: “It’s like Piccadilly Circus”, which shows the confusion and vanity of the ambiance.
