About
To get to know London and its history, you need to walk around it. You will be able to see the main sights of the city up close, and then turn off the tourist route and continue exploring the city. You will spend most of the sightseeing tour on Whitehall Street, which you will get to from Trafalgar Square. The walk will last 2 hours.
Main locations:
The Admiralty building and the Whitehall government complex. It houses the headquarters of the Royal Horse Guards and the British Navy. Here you will also see the Admiralty Arch, which was commissioned by Edward VII in memory of his mother, Queen Victoria.
St. James’s Park, which is located between three palaces – St. James’s, Buckingham and Westminster. The park got its name in honor of St. James’s Hospital, where lepers were treated in the 13th century. In the 16th century, the park was bought by Henry VIII and used for royal hunting. Nowadays, Londoners flock here to take a break from the noise of the city and enjoy nature. The park is especially quiet, despite its location in the very center of the city.
Westminster Palace, where the British Parliament holds its sessions.
Big Ben, the clock tower of the Palace of Westminster. It is the sound of the Big Ben bell that is heard on the BBC radio every hour. After the tour, you can go up to the Big Ben observation deck. To look at the city from a height of one hundred meters, you will have to climb a staircase with 334 steps.
Westminster Abbey, where British monarchs were crowned, married and buried. 3,300 kings, writers, scientists and politicians are buried in the abbey: Elizabeth I, Charles Dickens, Charles Darwin, Isaac Newton.
Buckingham Palace, the residence of Queen Elizabeth II. Many tourists flock to the palace to see the ritual of changing the guard. To see the ceremony, go here at 11:30 am any day from April to August; in other months, the ritual is repeated every other day.
Photos
