Don't Miss

Buckingham Palace

London SW1A
+44 (0)20 7766 7300
bookinginfo@royalcollection.org.uk
Jul 31-Oct 7 (exact dates can vary) 9:45am-6:30pm daily (last admission 3:45pm)
Admission is by timed ticket with entry every 15 minutes throughout the day.
A visit lasts between 2 and 2 1-2 hours.

Nothing can prepare you for the sheer grandeur, history and elegance of England's main royal residence. 19 State Rooms are open to the public in August and September when the royals are on vacation. Paintings from the Queen's collection can be seen year round at the Queen's gallery. Advanced booking is recommended.
Private tours are available to groups of 14 or more.

The Royal Mews

Buckingham Palace, London SW1W
+44 (0)20 7766 7302
bookinginfo@royalcollection.org.uk
2012 Opening Times: April 1-Oct 31, open daiiy 10am-5pm; Nov 1-Dec 21 Mon-Sat 10am-4pm
Closed Dec 22-31 and State Visits

These impressive stables are home to the Queen's ceremonial horses and ornate horse-drawn carriages. A rare chance to see the Windsor Greys. Advanced booking is recommended.

Houses of Parliament & Big Ben

Westminster, London SW1A
+44 (0)20 7219 3000
Book tours: +44 (0)87 0906 3773
Online booking
Tour Parliament most Saturdays during the year: 9:15am-4:30pm
Tours are also available during the Summer Opening. Exact dates and hours may vary.
2012 Summer Opening: July 27 - Sept 1, tours Mon-Sat 9:15am-4:30pm; Aug 15, 22 and 29, tours 1:15-4:30pm; Sept 19-Oct 6, tours Wed-Sat 9:15am-4:30pm

Overseas visitors may only tour Parliament on Saturdays or during the Summer Opening. The tour lasts about 75 min. However, overseas visitors may still attend debates, judicial hearings and committee meetings throughout the year. UK citizens can tour Parliament free of charge by contacting their local MP. Currently only UK citizens can tour Big Ben. Pre-booking is advised.

Westminster Abbey

London SW1P
+44 (0)20 7222 5152
Book tours: +44 (0)20 7654 4758
tours@westminster-abbey.org
Mon, Tue. Thu, Fri 9:30am-4:30pm (last admission 3:30pm); Wed 9:30am-7pm (last admission 6pm); Sat 9:30am-2:30 pm (Jun-Sep 3:30pm)

A magnificent Gothic building where England's kings and queens are crowned and interred. Don't miss the Poet's corner where many English literary figures are buried or commemorated.

St. Paul's Cathedral

St. Paul's Churchyard, London EC4M
+44 (0)20 7246 8357
visitsdepartment@stpaulscathedral.org.uk
Mon-Sat 8:30am-4pm

Sir Christopher Wren's greatest masterpiece, this grand Baroque cathedral is crowned by a magnificent inner and outer dome. It has been the setting of many great events, including the wedding of Prince Charles to Lady Diana Spencer in 1981.

Tower of London

London EC3N
24-hour info: +44 (0)84 4482 7777
Booking info: +44 (0)84 4482 7799
Summer Opening Times: Mar 1-Oct 31, Sat 9am-5:30pm, Sun-Mon 10am-5:30pm
Winter Opening Times: Nov 1-Feb 28, Tue-Sat 9am-4:30pm, Sun-Mon 10am-4:30pm

The Tower has been a royal palace, fortress, armory, mint and menagerie, but is best known as a merciless prison. Go to see the Crown Jewels and suits of armour. Visit with the Beefeaters and ravens. And watch out for ghosts! The Tower is supposed to be the most haunted building in all of England.

London Eye

Riverside Building, Westminster Bridge Road, London SE1
Info and booking: +44 (0)87 0500 0600
Jan 21-Mar 10am-8:30pm; Apr-Junt 10am-9pm; Jul-Aug 10am-9:30pm; Sep-Jan 6, 10am-8:30pm
Closed Dec 25, Jan 6-21 (Exact dates may vary)

Towering 450 ft above the River Thames, the world's largest observation wheel offers the most spectacular views of London. Book in advance to avoid long lines. Or book a private champagne capsule ride in the evening and enjoy the sunset and city lights.

British Museum

Great Russell Street, London WC1B
+44 (0)20 7323 8000, +44 (0)20 7323 8299
Daily 10am-5:30pm; Fridays until 8:30pm

The British Museum has one of world's greatest collection of antiquities. Start with the Egyptians; (the kids will love the mummies). Move onto the Greek and Roman antiquities. Break for lunch at the Great Court. Then go to the Library, where the kids can get a backpack full of games and take a peak at the Magna Carta and Shakespeare's first folio. There are often activities for the kids too. And tours. With so much to see and do, this is a museum you will come back to time and again.

Natural History Museum

Cromwell Road, London, SW7
+44 (0)20 7942 5011
Daily 10am-5:50pm
Closed Dec 24-26

Meet a near-life-size animatronic T-Rex (complete with lifelike movement and swamp breath!) Step into a rainforest. Experience an earthquake. Be surrounded by butterflies. With over 70 million specimens, great exhibits (many interactive), and kids' workshops, plan to spend a full day, breaking for lunch at one of the cafes or restaurants. My kids didn't want to leave. And the youngest begged to go back the next day!

National Science Museum

Exhibition Road, South Kensington, London SW7
+44 (0)87 0870 4868
Daily 10am-6pm
Closed Dec 24-26

Another favorite. Your kids will love the interactive exhibits, up-to-the-minute accounts of science, virtual voyages and IMAX cinema. Easy to spend an entire day.

National Portrait Gallery

Trafalgar Square, London WC2H 0HE
+44 (0)20 7312 2490
Open daily 10am-6pm; Thu-Fri until 9pm
Closed Dec 24-26

This museum is not your typical art gallery. Here the subjects overshadow the artists. The faces in the portraits tell the history of Britain. You will see royals, great politicians, military leaders, thinkers, artists, writers, musicians, even pop icons. This was my daughter's favorite museum.

Imperial War Museum

Lambeth Road
London SE1 6HZ
Daily 10am-6pm
Closed Dec 24, 25, 26

IWM London is currently closed for a major redevelopment project. It will partially reopen in July 2013.

The main gallery has a large array of weapons including a WWII V2 Rocket, a rare Battle of Britain Spitfire, and a modern Polaris missile. The Blitz and Trench Experiences recreate the noise, smoke, and sounds of air attacks. The Children's War exhibit takes a look at the impact of the war of the children who lived through it. Don't miss the two new exhibits the kids are sure to love – an Ian Fleming and James Bond exhibit, and an exhibit based on the popular kid's books, The Horrible Histories.

London Theatre

London is one of the world's great stages. It offers an extraordinary range of Theatrical entertainment. You can choose by play, by actor (you'll find some of the greatest names performing on stage), or by venue (the Open Air Theatre in Regents Park, the historic Globe, the legendary Royal National or a West End theatre).