Buckingham Palace in St James's London
St Paul's Cathedral, City London
Trafalgar Square & St Martin-in-the-Fields in Westminster London
The London Eye & South Bank
Houses of Parliament & Big Ben in Westminster London
The Tower of London, City London
Historic London icon Tower Bridge, spanning the River Thames since 1894. visitlondonimages/ britainonview
Looking down on visitors in the Great Court surrounding the British Museum Reading Room. visitlondonimages/ britainonview
Camden Markets & Vintage Clothing Shops in Camden North London
West End Theatre - the Historic London Palladium in Soho
Old Bailey Rooftop Justice statue, City London
The Interior courtyard & gardens at the Victoria and Albert Museum in South Kensington London. visitlondonimages/ britainonview
Shakespeare's Globe Theatre on Bankside, South Bank
View across the park towards the historic Royal Greenwich Observatory buildings. visitlondonimages/ britainonview 
Harrods in Knightsbridge, London, one of the world's most famous department stores. visitlondonimages/ britainonview It's an exciting time to visit London as the city gears up to host the London 2012 Olympics. Olympic Park and the Olympic Stadium at Stratford East London will be the focus for London 2012, with Olympic events and entertainment also taking place across London venues including Hyde Park, Earls Court and East London's great green corridor the Lee Valley Park. » Find Accommodation in London
For London sightseeing it is central London which contains the most popular London attractions like the London Eye, Buckingham Palace, the Tower of London, the British Museum, Tate Modern, West End theatres, shops and restaurants and the big three South Kensington London free museums - The Natural History Museum, the V&A and the Science Museum London. A huge choice of luxury and budget London hotels in central London offer easy access to these and other top central London attractions. Popular London suburbs include Maritime Greenwich, Hampstead, Islington and Camden. Fast London Underground and mainline rail links, plus for some London attractions scenic boat trips on the Thames, allow easy access to top London attractions like Kew Gardens, Hampton Court Palace, the Wimbledon Tennis Championships, the O2 Arena and Wembley Stadium.
West London includes in the far west stunning rural historic Surrey boroughs like Runnymede and Elmbridge. West London offers a superb mix of town and country attractions. Heathrow Airport, the world's busiest airport, is located in West London and many West London locations like Staines, Chertsey, Feltham, Weybridge and West Drayton are top spots for a wide choice of Heathrow Airport Hotels. West London has excellent connections to central London and Heathrow Airport via fast train and bus links.
Attractions in West London include Thorpe Park theme park near Chertsey and Staines and the Brooklands Museum in Weybridge, the birthplace of British Motorsport. The River Thames in West London boasts beautiful riverside holiday bases like Sudbury, Walton, Shepperton, Staines, Weybridge, Chiswick and Isleworth village. Visit spectacular country estates in West London like Syon Park and Osterley Park. The National Trust's Runnymede Estate near Egham was the site for the signing of the Magna Carta and famous London film studios in West London include Ealing Studios and Shepperton Studios.
North London is home to best London live music venues like the Wembley Arena and legendary London Camden Clubs like the Roundhouse Camden. In North London is Wembley Stadium, the home of English football and major London museums like the RAF Museum London at Hendon. Spectacular London parks are in North London including Hampstead Heath and Finsbury Park. Top London conference and events centres in North London include the Business Design Centre in Islington and Alexandra Palace near Tottenham and Finsbury Park.
Camden and Islington in North London are hotspots for best London markets including Camden Markets for vintage clothing and alternative fashion and Islington Markets for best antiques and collectables.
North London locations like Watford offer affordable London hotels just a 20 minute rail journey from London Euston Station. Leafy North London suburbs like Hampstead, Harrow and Finsbury Park feature a great choice of character London guest house accommodation and luxury London hotels within easy reach of central London via fast Tube, train and bus links.
South West London is where you'll find idyllic Thames waterfront locations Richmond-upon-Thames and Kingston-upon-Thames. Popular London attractions in the Richmond and Kingston area feature Hampton Court Palace, Kew Gardens and Richmond Park. Twickenham Stadium, the home of English rugby also sits in the southwest.
On the South East London Thames waterfront are the magnificent Greenwich Maritime attractions including World Heritage Site buildings designed by Sir Christopher Wren. Charles Darwin's historic home is in Bromley and other popular South London attractions include best London theme park Chessington World of Adventures, lively Clapham bars and clubs and on the Battersea waterfront the iconic Battersea Power Station and Battersea Park.
Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Club in South London hosts the internationally popular Wimbledom Tennis Championships annually in late June. Discover beautifully rural Surrey locations like Cobham village and Epsom, home to Epsom Downs Racecourse, both within easy reach of central London by train. Superb South London locations for budget London hotels include Croydon and Dartford, both of which afford easy access to Gatwick Airport and boast fast train links into central London.
East London Olympic Park Stratford, Docklands Canary Wharf, ExCel London conference and events venue and London City Airport all have superb fast transport links into central London via the Docklands Light Railway (DLR) to Bank and Tower Gateway. Rail links from East London to central London Liverpool Street Station are also extensive and the London Overground, Victoria Line, Central Line and District Line all push into East London connecting the area to the City. Canary Wharf is home to the Museum of London Docklands whilst Walthamstow, the birthplace of William Morris, contains the William Morris Gallery. Lesser known London arts gems are in Hackney including the Hackney Empire and Art Deco Rio Cinema in Dalston. Sports leisure activities, both indoor and outdoor, are extensive in both Epping Forest and the Lee Valley Park.
East London is to be the central focus of the London 2012 Olympics with Olympic Park and the Olympic Stadium situated near London Olympics gateway Stratford Station. Lee Valley Park, London's green corridor which pushes down from Hertfordshire to East India Docks on the Thames waterfront is also a focus for the 2012 London Olympics. East London hotels and accommodation including Hackney hotels and London camping in Epping Forest and Lee Valley Park are ideally situated for Olympics accommodation.
The West End London is a mecca for best London theatres, shopping, restaurants, clubs and bars. Most famous West End shopping streets include Oxford Street, Regent Street, Bond Street and Piccadilly, but also discover funky shopping areas packed with unique boutiques and specialist shops including Soho's Carnaby Street and the outstanding Neal Street and Seven Dials area near Covent Garden.
The West End area also contains best London museums and galleries including the superb London Transport Museum, the art galleries at Somerset House and just a short walk from Oxford Street best London free museum, The British Museum in Bloomsbury.
Soho clubs are legendary and include best London jazz clubs like Ronnie Scott's. Soho is also home to London Chinatown around Gerrard Street. The West End in London is also a best London area for London Theatre and Cinema particularly around Leicester Square, Covent Garden and Shaftesbury Avenue where you'll find a host of historic West End theatres, many of which have historic links with music hall.
Westminster contains the World Heritage Site historic London attractions Westminster Abbey and the Houses of Parliament. Architectural gems in Westminster alongside these two world heritage attractions include the stunning Banqueting House on Whitehall by Inigo Jones and Westminster Cathedral designed by John Francis Bentley. Buckingham Palace, the official home of the British Monarch, sits majestically in St James's whilst Trafalgar Square is London's favourite square flanked by the National Gallery, the National Portrait Gallery and the iconic St Martin-in-the-Fields Church.
Within walking distance of Westminster and St James's are peaceful and elegant London districts like Belgravia and Pimlico where you'll find a superb choice of historic luxury London hotels and charming guest house accommodation. London Victoria Station, arrival point for the fast Gatwick Express and with adjacent Victoria Coach station, serves the Westminster & St James's area. Pimlico guest houses are perfectly situated for easy access to nearby Tate Britain on Millbank, Britain's definitive gallery for British art.
The South Bank, the Southwark and Lambeth Thames waterfront, is one of London's top cultural hubs featuring some of the best of London art galleries, London design museums, theatres, cinemas and design led shops. Great family attractions and museums in London also sit in this area including the London Dungeon, London Aquarium, the London Eye and the Golden Hinde Ship. Fascinating London Museums not to be missed on the South Bank include the Florence Nightingale Museum, the Design Museum and Zandra Rhodes' Fashion and Textile Museum in Bermondsey. Tate Modern contemporary art gallery and Shakespeare's Globe Theatre on the Bankside (Southwark) waterfront are two of the most popular London attractions.
Fans of design led shopping, quirky gifts, off the wall boutiques, unique housewares and London souvenirs will love shopping in Bankside and the South Bank. In the wider Lambeth and Southwark boroughs visit top London attractions including the Imperial War Museum London, Dulwich Picture Gallery and checkout premier pub theatres and clubs in Vauxhall.
Kensington and Chelsea are popular London areas with tourist visitors. Kensington is home to some of the best of London free museums including in South Kensington the Natural History Museum, the Science Museum London and the Victoria & Albert Museum. The Royal Albert Hall, home to the annual Proms concert event, is also in South Kensington. Top London conference and events centres in Kensington include Earls Court and Kensington Olympia and the Kensington High Street is a hub for London restaurants and lively themed bars. Historic attractions in Kensington include Kensington Palace & Gardens. This stunning Royal Palace was the former home of Princess Diana.
Attractions in Chelsea include Christopher Wren's breathtaking Royal Hospital, the home of the Chelsea Pensioners. The annual Chelsea Flower Show is one of London's most popular events. Other highlights in Kensington & Chelsea are the historic department stores in Knightsbridge like Harrods London. Find best designer and high street shops in Westfield London shopping centre in the Shepherd's Bush area or visit Notting Hill over the August bank holiday and take in the spectacular Notting Hill Carnival, Europe's largest street festival.
City hotels and East End accommodation are located in the heart of central London within easy walking distance of top London historic attractions and museums including St Paul's Cathedral, the Museum of London, Mansion House, The Guildhall, the Tower of London and The Monument. Hub London Stations serving the City and East End area include Liverpool Street Station, arrival point for the Stansted Express from Stansted Airport and Farringdon Station with train links to both Luton Airport and Gatwick Airport. Bank and Tower Gateway stations afford City links to the Docklands Light Railway and you can pick up boat trips on the Thames from Tower Pier.
Highlight attractions in The City include Christopher Wren's historic churches, The Barbican Arts Centre and beautiful Smithfield Market. In the East End both the Whitechapel Art Gallery and exhibitions at The Women's Library are not to be missed whilst Spitalfields Markets are a London hotspot for vintage clothing and accessories. Other fantastic museums in the East End include the Geffrye Museum in Shoreditch and the V&A Museum of Childhood in Bethnal Green.
London is home to the world's busiest airport, London Heathrow Airport, also Britain's largest airport located just 15 miles west of London city centre. The Heathrow Express runs every 15 minutes from Heathrow Airport to London Paddington Station with a journey time of just 15 minutes.
Britain's second largest airport is London Gatwick Airport situated just 28 miles south of London city centre. The Gatwick Express departs every 15 minutes from Gatwick Airport Station to London Victoria Station with a journey time of just 30 minutes.
London Airports also include London Stansted Airport to the north east served by the Stansted Express running every 15 minutes to London Liverpool Street Station with a journey time of 45 minutes. London Luton Airport 32 miles to the north west of central London has fast train links to St Pancras International station. The only London Airport actually within the city, London City Airport is just 2 miles from Stratford Station and Olympic Park via the Docklands Light Railway (DLR).
London Southend Airport situated just 35 miles east of Canary Wharf now has the green light to expand and promises to be a major Thames gateway airport from the east into the city. London Southend Airport is a top London airport for aircraft and helicopter charter including helicopter charter into the city's London Heliport at Battersea with a journey time of just 18 minutes.
