London Bucket List: My 25 Must-Do Things, All Done Myself

★1 Ride the London Eye on Your First Morning

Opening times?: 10 AM to 8.30 PM (Mon-Sun, Jul-Aug, 2nd half Oct & mid Dec); 11 AM to 6 PM (Mon-Sun, Sep-1st half Oct, Nov & early Dec); 9.30 AM to 9 PM (Mon-Sun, late Dec)
Price?: Online in advance: Adult £32.38; Child (2-15) £29.31; Infant (under-2) free – On the day: Adult £37; Child (2-15) £33.50; Infant (under-2) free
Time required?: A typical visit takes 30-50 mins for the queue, plus 30 mins for the actual ride

Number one on my list is a ride on the London Eye. I always recommend doing this on the very first day of your holiday because a) it’s quite an exciting thing to do on your first morning, and b) you’ll get a good look at the layout of the city, and the distances involved, which will help you plan the rest of your stay.

You want your first day to be memorable, and what could be more exciting than riding round a gigantic ferris wheel in a flimsy little glass pod?

As you ride around the wheel you’ll be able to pick out lots of famous landmarks like Buckingham Palace, Big Ben, the Houses of Parliament and St. Paul’s Cathedral.

★2 See Changing the Guard at Buckingham Palace

High on everybody’s bucket list is Changing the Guard at Buckingham Palace. It’s a very busy event and you’ll find yourself wedged inside a crowd of thousands for an hour or more (literally thousands!) but it’s one of these attractions that you simply must do.

Not only will you get a close up of Buckingham Palace, but you’ll also experience the atmosphere of an excited crowd as they hear the drums and trumpets coming down the Mall behind them. When the marching band finally reaches the railings and wheels into the forecourt you’ll be smiling from ear to ear.

Bear in mind that you need to get there in plenty of time because the best spots will be gone 60-90 minutes before it starts. Have a read of my review before you go because I reveal the best place to stand, exactly where the parade route goes, and what time you need to arrive to secure a decent view.

★3 Visit the State Rooms at Buckingham Palace

Opening times?: 9.30 AM to 7.30 PM (Mon-Sun, early Jul-Aug); 9.30 AM to 6.30 PM (Mon & Thu-Sun, Sep); Last entry 2 hours before closing
Price?: Online in advance: Adult £33; Young adult (18-24) £21.50; Child (5-17) £16.50; Infant (under-5) free · On the day: Adult £37; Young adult (18-24) £24.50; Child (5-17) £18.50; Infant (under-5) free
Time required?: A typical visit takes 2-2½ hours

Buckingham Palace is another one of those must-see sights. But if you just stand outside and take a photo from the gate then you’re missing the best bit because if you time your dates right then you can actually go inside.

The palace opens up to the public between July and early September when you’ll be allowed to walk through the Throne Room, the Ballroom (where the King hands out all the knighthoods), and see the King’s collection of Old Masters hanging on the walls of the Picture Gallery. You can even have a cup of Earl Grey tea on the veranda overlooking the garden!

★4 Climb to the Whispering Gallery at St. Paul’s Cathedral

Opening times?: 8.30 AM to 4.30 PM (Mon-Sat); Last entry 30 mins before closing
Price?: Adult £24; Senior (65+) £21.50; Young adult (16-17) £9.50; Child (6-15) £9.50; Infant (under-6) free; Family (1ad+up to 3ch) £33.50; Family (2ad+up to 3ch) £57.50
Time required?: A typical visit takes 2 hours

Clambering up the stairs to the Whispering Gallery at St. Paul’s Cathedral is another must-do for your itinerary.

The interior dome of Christopher Wren’s masterpiece rises 257 steps above the cathedral floor, and due to a bizarre acoustic effect anything whispered on one side of the dome can be easily understood on the other.

The next set of stairs will take you outside the dome where you’ll have a fantastic view of the skyline. And if you’re super-brave then you can climb up another flight to the very top of the dome – actually on the summit of it!

★5 Go on a Houses of Parliament guided tour

Opening times?: Guided tour during recess: 9 AM to 4 PM (Mon-Wed & Fri-Sat) – Guided tour outside recess: 9 AM to 4 PM (Sat only) – Self-guided tour during recess: 9 AM to 4.15 PM (Mon-Sat) – Self-guided tour outside recess: 9 AM to 4.15 PM (Sat only) – Recess is during the 1st week of Jan, middle two weeks of Feb, two weeks around Easter, last week of May, 1st week of June, last week of July, all of Aug, 2nd half of Sep, 1st half of Oct, 2nd week of Nov and last two weeks of Dec
Price?: Guided tour: Adult £40; Young adult (16-24) £30; Child (5-15) £20; Infant (under-5) free – Self-guided tour: Adult £31; Young adult (16-24) £24; Child (5-15) £12; Infant (under-5) free
Time required?: A typical visit takes 1½-2 hours

Did you know that you can have a guided tour of Parliament? I think some of the rooms actual rival Buckingham Palace – just wait until you step inside the House of Lords with its plush red leather and golden throne. This is where the King sits for the State Opening of Parliament.

There are a few different ways of getting inside the Houses of Parliament and I have attended every one. Check out my reviews of the guided tour, Prime Minister’s Questions and watching a debate inside the House of Commons.

★6 Try and spot the Prime Minister outside Downing Street

Opening times?: Closed to the public
Time required?: A typical visit takes 5 mins

Every tourist who comes to London stands outside Downing Street for five minutes to try to grab a shot of the Prime Minister coming out of the front door.

The chance of you actually seeing the PM is pretty slim, but you can certainly see the door… assuming that you’re tall enough to see over the shoulder of the gun toting policemen guarding the gate!

★7 Get a photograph of Tower Bridge opening

Opening times?: 9.30 AM to 6 PM (Mon-Sun); Last entry 1 hour before closing
Price?: Adult £18; Senior (60+) £13.50; Child (5-15) £9; Infant (under-5) free
Time required?: A typical visit takes 45-60 mins

Standing on the riverbank by the Tower of London and watching Tower Bridge open up for a boat is one of the best photos in London. But I think you actually get a better view from the other side of the river – try standing by Butler’s Wharf instead, because then you’ll get a great shot of the bridge with the City skyscrapers behind.

On average the drawbridge opens three times a day but they don’t publicise all of them in advance, so you have to get a bit lucky to see it happen. Most of the openings are just for boats that sail up the Thames at short notice.

★8 See the Crown Jewels at the Tower of London

Opening times?: 10 AM to 4.30 PM (Mon & Sun, Jan-Feb, 1st half Nov & 2nd half Dec); 9 AM to 4.30 PM (Tue-Sat, Jan-Feb & Nov-Dec); 10 AM to 5.30 PM (Mon & Sun, Mar, May-1st half Jul, Sep-Oct & 2nd half Nov-1st half Dec); 9 AM to 5.30 PM (Tue-Sat, Mar, May-1st half Jul, Sep-Oct); 9 AM to 5.30 PM (Mon-Sun, 2nd half Jul-Aug); Last entry 1 hour before closing
Price?: Adult £37; Senior (65+) £29.50; Young adult (16-17) £18.50; Child (5-15) £18.50; Infant (under-5) free
Time required?: A typical visit takes 3-4 hours

No London bucket list would be complete without a visit to the Tower of London to see the Crown Jewels. This World Heritage Site is also famous for its ravens, the Bloody Tower, Traitor’s Gate and Tower Green.

There’s so much to see at the Tower of London that you can easily spend three or four hours walking around it, but I always recommend joining one of guided tours with a Beefeater before you start. Look for the big board by the entrance which lists the times each tour starts, and then they’ll who lead you around the grounds telling you lots of grisly and gruesome stories about the Tower’s history.

★9 See London from the Top of The Shard

Opening times?: 2 PM to 10 PM (Wed-Fri, May-1st half Jul); 10 AM to 10 PM (Sat-Sun, May-1st half Jul); 10 AM to 10 PM (Mon-Sun, 2nd half Jul-Aug); 1 PM to 9 PM (Wed-Fri & Sun, Sep & Oct); 10 AM to 10 PM (Sat, Sep-1st half Oct, Nov & Dec); 10 AM to 8 PM (Sat, 2nd half Oct); 11 AM to 7 PM (Wed-Fri & Sun, Nov-early Dec); 10 AM to 10 PM (Mon-Sun, late Dec)
Price?: Online in advance (weekday): Adult & Child £24; Infant (under-4) free – Online in advance (weekend): Adult & Child £28; Infant (under-4) free – On the day: Adult & Child £32; Infant (under-4) free
Time required?: A typical visit takes 1-1½ hours

If you want to climb to the highest observation platform in London then here it is – The Shard. This skyscraper rises 1,016 feet above the street and the public are allowed all the way up to level 68-72.

It’s so high that it makes the tall things seem small. I used to think that St. Paul’s Cathedral was tall, but trust me – isn’t. From up here it’s tiny!

If you want some extra thrills then try ascending the stairs to level 72, because a few of the walls have been left open to the sky so you can feel the cold wind rushing in.

★10 Watch a Shakespeare play at the Globe Theatre

Opening times?: Guided tour: Every 30 mins from 9.30 AM to 12 noon (Mon-Sun)
Price?: Guided tour: Adult £31; Child (under-16) £14
Time required?: A typical visit takes 45 mins for the tour, plus 45-60 mins for the museum afterwards

No.10 in my list is watching a play at the Globe Theatre. This place is an authentic reconstruction of the Elizabethan playhouse which stood here during Tudor times, and every summer they have a season of Shakespeare plays when they perform all the biggies from Hamlet, Othello and Macbeth to King Lear and Romeo and Juliet.

What’s really great about this place is that it’s totally open-air and the actors play to the crowd like they’re part of the cast. They bound out of the back doors and storm through the pit, or lean over the balcony seats and shout to the stage, and the audience really feels part of the play. Granted, they may not understand a single word of what’s being said (this is Shakespeare, after all!) but what could be more exciting than feeling like you’re part of the English army during Henry V’s rousing speech? This is how theatre used to be!

★11 See the Free View from the Sky Garden

Opening times?: Garden: 10 AM to 6 PM (Mon-Fri); 11 AM to 9 PM (Sat-Sun); Last entry to garden 1 hour before closing – Bars: 8 AM to midnight (Mon-Thu & Sun); 8 AM to 1 AM (Fri-Sat); Last entry to bars 11 PM (Mon-Thu & Sun); Midnight (Fri-Sat)
Price?: Free, but you still need to book a ticket online in advance
Time required?: A typical visit takes 1 hour

The Sky Garden looks like a normal skyscraper from the outside, but when you ride the lift up to level 35 you step out into a tropical greenhouse. Imagine if they lifted the Palm House at Kew five hundred feet into the sky – that’s exactly what it’s like.

The view from the top isn’t as tall as The Shard, but they do have an open-air balcony if you don’t mind being buffeted about by the wind. And here’s the best news: it’s totally free!

★12 See the bright lights at Piccadilly Circus by night

Time required?: A typical visit takes 10 mins

Piccadilly Circus is London’s equivalent of Times Square in New York with the bright lights, the rush and buzz of the pubs and West End theatres, and thousands of tourists milling around the Eros fountain trying to decide what to do with their night.

This is where everything radiates out from… you’ve got the big cinemas in Leicester Square, all the shows and musicals down Shaftesbury Avenue, and the posh shops down Piccadilly and Regent Street.

★13 Get a selfie by a sentry box at Horse Guards

Time required?: A typical visit takes 15-20 mins

Queuing up to get a selfie standing next to one of the giant horses at Horse Guards is another must-do for a tourist. The pavement is pretty much packed all through the day. There are two horse boxes on the Whitehall side plus a couple of Foot Guards standing in the courtyard.

There are usually around a hundred-or-so people patiently waiting for their turn to step up and get a photo. Sometimes you will see the tourists trying to make the soldiers smile as well but they never succeed, because the soldiers are famously stoney-faced and do their best not to smile or interact with the crowd (unless they are forced to issue a warning, which can sometimes happen).

You might like to time your visit with one of the daily ceremonies at Horse Guards. Changing the Guard takes place at 11 AM and the Dismounting Ceremony starts at 4 PM.

★14 Explore Westminster Abbey and Poets’ Corner

Opening times?: 9.30 AM to 4.30 PM (Mon-Fri); 9.30 AM to 4 PM (Sat); Last entry 1 hour before closing
Price?: Adult £31; Senior (65+) £28; Child (6-17) £14; Infant (under-6) free; Family (1ad+1ch) £31
Time required?: A typical visit takes 2 hours

Westminster Abbey is one of the most historic buildings in England, dating all the way back to the reign of Edward the Confessor in 1045. You can still see his tomb in the centre of the Abbey, alongside the resting places of many of England’s most famous kings and queens.

One of the most popular attractions for tourists is Poets’ Corner, which contains the graves or memorials to literary giants like Geoffrey Chaucer, William Shakespeare and Charles Dickens. You might like to attend one of their choral Evensong services as well.

★15 Watch a theatre show in the West End

No bucket list would be complete without a night in the West End watching one of London’s big musicals. The longest running shows are the The Mousetrap, Les Miserables and Phantom of the Opera.

★16 Ride Across the River on the Cable Car

Opening times?: 8 AM to 9 PM (Mon-Thu); 9 AM to 10 PM (Fri); 9 AM to 11 PM (Sat); 9 AM to 9 PM (Sun)
Price?: One way: Adult £7; Child (5-15): £3.50; Infant (under-5) free · Return: Adult £13.50; Child (5-15): £6.75; Infant (under-5) free; Family (max 2ad+3ch) £32.50
Time required?: Travel time is 5-10 mins each way

Normally you’d have to go skiing in the Alps to enjoy a ride on a cable car, but London has one that stretches over the Thames between the O2 Arena and Excel Centre.

The IFS Cloud Cable Car is only a quick five-minute ride from end to end, but it rises up three hundred feet and gives you a great view of the Thames Barrier and Canary Wharf.

Be advised that it does shake about a bit so you’ll need some nerves to ride it, but once you start rising up you’ll soon calm down and enjoy the view.

★17 Ride a sightseeing boat from Big Ben to Greenwich

Opening times?: Westminster Pier: Every 40 mins from 10 AM to 7.30 PM (last boat to Greenwich is at 4.40 PM) · London Eye Pier: Every 40 mins from 10.10 AM to 7.40 PM (last boat to Greenwich is at 4.50 PM) · Tower Pier: Every 40 mins from 10 AM to 7.40 PM (last boat to Greenwich is at 5.30 PM) · Greenwich Pier: Every 40 mins from 10.30 AM to 6.30 PM
Price?: All routes between Westminster Pier, London Eye Pier, Tower Pier & Greenwich Pier: Adult £15 one way, £21 return; Child (5-15) £10.25 one way, £15 return; Infant (under-5) free
Time required?: A typical visit takes Between Westminster/London Eye and Tower Millennium Pier: approx 40 mins – Between Westminster/London Eye and Greenwich: approx 70 mins

The big two sightseeing boat companies are City Cruises and Thames River Sightseeing (TRS).

I recommend boarding one at Westminster pier in the shadow of Big Ben and then float slowly past Cleopatra’s Needle, the Globe Theatre, Tate Modern and St. Paul’s Cathedral. After passing under Tower Bridge you’ll head towards the skyscrapers at Canary Wharf before arriving into Greenwich by the Cutty Sark.

★18 See the Dinosaurs at the Natural History Museum

Opening times?: 10 AM to 5.50 PM (Mon-Sun); Last entry 20 mins before closing
Price?: Free
Time required?: A typical visit takes 3 hours

There are plenty of museums that I could have put on this list, but I’ve decided to limit myself to just one. Lots of people would have plumped for the British Museum but I think the Natural History Museum is better because it appeals to both adults and kids.

It’s most famous for its dinosaur bones but it also has a ‘dead zoo’ with half the animals on the planet… everything from a lion, tiger and polar bear, to a giant giraffe and elephant. They also have plenty of birds, reptiles and insects, and lots of plants, rocks and gemstones.

★19 See the Old Masters at the National Gallery

Opening times?: 10 AM to 7 PM (Mon-Thu, Sat-Sun); 10 AM to 9 PM (Fri)
Price?: Free
Time required?: A typical visit takes 2-2½ hours

The most popular gallery in London is supposed to be Tate Modern, but modern art has a very polarising effect on people – you either love it or hate it. So I’m going to recommend something much more traditional – the National Gallery.

The collection includes many of the greatest names in the history of art from Botticelli, Constable, Monet, Rembrandt and Renoir, to Titian, Turner and Van Gogh. Or how about Raphael and Leonardo da Vinci? Or Michelangelo, Van Dyck and Vermeer? That’s the quality of art that you’ll find inside here.

★20 Take Selfies at Madame Tussauds (Best with Kids)

Opening times?: 10 AM to 6 PM (Mon-Sun, early Jul); 9 AM to 6 PM (Mon-Sun, late Jul-late Aug); 9 AM to 5 PM (Mon-Sun, late Aug); 10 AM to 4 PM (Mon-Sun, Sep-mid Oct, Nov-Dec); 10 AM to 4 PM (Mon-Fri, mid Oct); 9 AM to 6 PM (Sat-Sun, mid Oct); Last entry 1 hour before closing
Price?: Online in advance: Adult £34.13; Child (2-15) £30.63; Infant (under-2) free – On the day: Adult £39; Child (2-15) £35; Infant (under-2) free
Time required?: A typical visit takes 2 hours

You might want to skip this one if you haven’t got kids, but I couldn’t write a London bucket list and fail to mention one of the most popular tourists attractions in town: Madame Tussauds.

People queue outside this place all day so you should definitely buy your tickets in advance if you don’t want to be stuck outside for ages. But once you—re inside you can take some selfies with famous film stars, pop stars, sports stars, politicians and historical figures.

★21 Straddle the Meridian Line at the Royal Observatory

Opening times?: Observatory: 10 AM to 5 PM (Mon-Sun, Jan-Jun & Oct-Dec); 10 AM to 7 PM (Mon-Sun, Jul-Aug); 10 AM to 6 PM (Mon-Sun, Sep); Last entry 45 mins before closing (Jan-Jun & Oct-Dec); 1 hour before closing (Jul-Sep) – Planetarium show: Usually from 12.30 PM to 4.30 PM
Price?: Observatory: Adult £24; Child (4-15) £12; Infant (under-4) free · Planetarium show: Adult £12; Child (under-18) £6; Infant (under-5) not admitted except for the Ted’s Space Adventure show
Time required?: A typical visit takes 2 hours for the observatory, plus 1 hour for a planetarium show

Every city likes to think it’s the centre of the world but London really is, because Greenwich is where you’ll find the meridian line. That’s the imaginary line that stretches from pole to pole to mark the line of zero longitude.

If you clamber up Greenwich Hill then you’ll find the Royal Observatory on top, and the line can be seen in the forecourt (you have to pay to get inside, but you can see where the line runs from outside the railing). While you’re there you might want to watch one of their star shows in the planetarium.

★22 Ride an Open-Top Sightseeing Bus on Your First Day

Opening times?: Discovery red route (covers Marble Arch to Tower Bridge) every 10-20 mins from 8.30 AM to 8.30 PM – Discovery blue route (covers Kensington Palace to Westminster) every 15-20 mins from 8.30 AM to 6.15 PM
Price?: Discovery (1 day ticket for red/blue routes) online in advance: Adult £35.20; Child (5-15) £19.20; Infant (under-5) free; Family (2ad+2ch) £112 – Discovery (1 day ticket for red/blue routes) on the day: Adult £44; Child (5-15) £24; Infant (under-5) free
Time required?: A typical visit takes There are bus stops all over London

Everyone loves a ride on an open-top sightseeing bus. It’s usually one of the first things that a tourist wants to do. But take my advice: if you’re going to try one then do it on your very first morning because the whole point of catching a sightseeing bus is that it gives you a good overview of the city. There’s nothing worse than seeing a great place at the end of your stay, and realising you haven’t got enough time left to visit.

The most popular ones in London are the Tootbus Tour, Big Bus Tour and Golden Tours.

★23 Do some shopping at Harrods

Opening times?: 10 AM to 9 PM (Mon-Sat); 11.30 AM to 6 PM (Sun)
Time required?: A typical visit takes 45-60 mins

Every tourist wants to hit the shops at some point (you want to buy some souvenirs, right?), and the most famous shop in London is Harrods – the world’s most luxurious department store. Unfortunately it’s also one of the most expensive. If you just want to get something cheap so you can go home with one of their famous green carrier bags then try the teas, sweets and biscuits in the Food Hall.

★24 Experience a ride on the London Underground

In order to get the full Londoner experience you need to have a ride on the tube. Some of the old stations (like Baker Street) are still lined with art-deco tiles. After you’ve entered the bowels of the underground down one of its long escalators you’ll feel for the cold rush of wind as the train lights come roaring round the bend. Then the tube train will clatter along the platform and you’ll get on, holding onto one of the poles as it goes rumbling through the next tunnel.

This is what London is all about – this is how we’ve been travelling for a hundred years. If you spend a week riding around on these things then you can call yourself a Londoner.

★25 Eat Lunch and Enjoy the Performers at Covent Garden

Time required?: A typical visit takes 45-60 mins (but more if you plan to stop and eat)

There’s a reason why people like coming to Covent Garden for lunch – the buskers. One place to find them is in the big courtyard opposite St. Paul’s Church. That’s where they have all the acrobats, magicians, fire-eaters, stilt walkers and contortionists. They’ve got a few restaurants with open-air tables out the front as well.

But the best area is downstairs in the Piazza where you can listen to some opera singers belting out some Verdi, or string quartets playing Vivaldi’s Four Seasons.

Updated by Craig Cross

on 30 October 2026. Times and prices updated on 22 July 2026

What do you think? (3)

What do you think? Share your thoughts

SueP Visiting Buckingham Palace every summer has become a lovely tradition for us. There is always something new to look at every time we go with a new display. And having tea and cake overlooking the garden is such a treat! We are looking forward to going again this year. (reply)

Stephen Jones The Wallace collection. Coffee upstairs at The Royal Opera House in Covent Garden. Roast Beef at Simpsons. London Zoo, and Regent’s Park inner circle in June when the roses are in bloom. (reply)

andrewilliam Kew Gardens is always a favourite when I have visitors in town! (reply)

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My Ultimate London Bucket List: 25 Things You Must Do