Luxury hotels in London

London guide

Royal London: the Tower, the Abbey and Buckingham Palace

The names on every London list, in the right order and at the right time of year.

Royal London dominates every list of what to see in the city. At the Tower of London, a fortress for almost a thousand years, the Crown Jewels are kept in the Jewel House; go at opening and see them first, before the queue builds, then join a Yeoman Warder for the tour.

Westminster Abbey has hosted every coronation since 1066 and is best seen early on a weekday, or at Evensong, when the choir sings and entry is free. Buckingham Palace opens its State Rooms to visitors only in summer, usually from July to September, and those tickets are worth booking early.

Between them, take a boat on the Thames from Westminster to the Tower, and end the day with afternoon tea in Mayfair or a night at the theatre. Late spring and early autumn bring long days and fewer crowds, and most visitors now need an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) before flying to the UK.

The British Museum and the National Gallery

The British Museum, with the Rosetta Stone, the Parthenon sculptures and the Egyptian mummies, and the National Gallery, with masterpieces from Van Eyck to Van Gogh, are among London's most cited sights, and both are free. Booking a timed slot or a private guide helps in the busiest seasons.

Tate Modern, in a former power station on the South Bank, the Victoria and Albert Museum and the Natural History Museum in South Kensington complete one of the world's great museum cities.

The West End and afternoon tea

An evening in the West End, London's theatre district, is one of the city's most cited experiences, with long-running musicals, new plays and great actors on stage; the National Theatre and the Royal Opera House add drama, opera and ballet. Booking ahead secures the best seats.

Afternoon tea, with finger sandwiches, scones and clotted cream, is a London ritual, served in the grand hotels of Mayfair and Piccadilly; many require reservations weeks in advance and a smart dress code.