DISCOVER LONDON MONUMENTS WITH US
Everywhere you look at in London, it seems to have an amazing monument waiting for you. As there are so many fascinating landmarks to visit in this capital, we offer you some tips to squeeze your trip the most
LONDON MONUMENTS AND WHERE TO FIND THEM
Fortunately, most of London’s monuments are really near from each other so you can visit lots of them in a row, in several hours.
First, we have to mention royal monuments, like Buckingham Palace, Westminster Abbey and The Mall, at walking distance from one to the other. You will also find in the same area fabulous landmarks like St. James’s Palace, Churchill War Rooms, the Horse Guards Parade or 10 Downing Street.
Three of the most iconic monuments of London are easily connected: being in Westminster you can cross Westminster Bridge from Big Beg and get to The London Eye.
If you are touring Soho, you can connect interesting areas like Covent Garden, Piccadilly Circus, Trafalgar and Leicester Squares in a single afternoon, and even walk to the Royal Courts of Justice, Somerset House, Chinatown and St.-Martin-in-the-Fields, probably all in the same day, according to your pace.
In The City of London you will find both modern and historical monuments, like Temple Church, St. Paul’s Cathedral, The Monument of the Great Fire of London, the Royal Exchange, Tower Bridge, Tower of London or The Gherkin. If you cross Millennium Bridge, you can walk directly to Shakespeare’s Globe and if you cross Tower Bridge you will find The Shard.
If you have more time, you should take a time to visit some other monuments outside central London, like Canary Wharf, Kew Palace and The 02.
PRICES
Prices are very different, depending on which monument you visit. Westminster Abbey and The Tower of London are generally the most expensive (£20 to £25 per adults, or £9 and £17 for seniors and students).
Most of London’s monuments offer some discounts as the one above but also for teenagers under 16, free entry for kids under 5 and also for groups or family tickets. In Kew Palace and Somerset House, you can enjoy a free guided tour.
On the other hand, you should know you can also visit some monuments for free! Such is the case of St.-Martin-In-The-Fields and The Royal Exchange.
To visit different monuments with a discount you can purchase a combine ticket and the Royal Collection Trust gives you the option to sign for a 1-Year-Pass to get 12 months of unlimited access to monuments like The Tower of London, Kew Palace or Kensington Palace.
LONDON MONUMENTS’ SCHEDULES
Schedules are different for each monument, so you better check it on the Internet first. Anyway, you should know that in summer working ours are more than in winter. It’s common that all places close on December 24th and 25th and while some close on holidays other have extended hours those days, like The London Eye, that extends its schedule on special holidays like Christmas Eve, New Year’s Eve, New Year’s Day, Valentine’s Day, etc.
Monuments like Buckingham Palace, the Globe Theatre and Clarence House are only open on summer season and there are others that never open at all, like St. James’s Palace and -obviously- 10 Downing Street.
VALUABLE TIPS
It’s always recommended that you book tickets beforehand on the Internet, it will save you some pounds and sometimes even a lot of pounds, like to The Shard, where tickets can be around £100 at the door, while the normal price online is around £25.
You should consider visiting some monuments with people with mobility issues or young kids. Actually, there are a few places where young kids are not even allowed, such as The Globe Theatre.
There are important, formal religious or political places, like Temple Church, St. Paul’s Cathedral, the Houses of Parliament and the Royal Courts of Justice, where is convenient to dress appropriately, especially if you’re planning to attend a court hearing or a church service.
At the same time, and this fit for every monument, we always recommend you to bring an umbrella or raincoat as well as comfortable shoes.