London Travelers Recommend - page 2

Why visit just one great capital city when you could visit two? Back in the 18th century, Dr Johnson reckoned that if you were tired of London, you were tired of life, but that was before the advent of the Eurostar high-speed train access to Paris. Yes, Paris is just 2.5 hours away, making it perfectly possible to visit for a day from London. Just hop on the train at St Pancras and you’re away. A range of guided trips to Paris from London are available; choose a hop-on-hop-off bus tour of all the major sights, such as the Louvre, Eiffel Tower and the Champs-Elysées; take a scenic river trip up the Seine past the Gothic masterpiece of Notre Dame Cathedral on its island in the river; or explore the glorious Royal Apartments of the Palace of Versailles and its ornate formal gardens.

As well as being a key destination on many multi-day tours of England, there are a number of Cambridge tours from London that offer the chance to explore the city’s unique history and heritage. Couple a visit to Cambridge with the equally picturesque Oxford, on a Cambridge and Oxford Historic Colleges of Britain Day Trip, and explore the prestigious universities collectively dubbed “Oxbridge.” You’ll be in good company as you wander through the stately halls of Cambridge University - luminaries from Sir Isaac Newton to C.S. Lewis have studied within these historic rooms, and American visitors will be impressed to learn that John Harvard himself received his degree from Cambridge. The star attraction is the magnificent King's College, an exquisite example of medieval Gothic architecture, but you’ll also have time to take in city landmarks like the Bridge of Sighs or join the locals for a spot of punting along the river.

The grandeur of Liverpool’s maritime past is clearly visible along its waterfront in the historic piers, and the Three Graces, three lovely historic buildings which once housed the major maritime companies: The Liver Building, The Port of Liverpool Building and the Cunard Building. These date from the late 19th and early 20th century when Liverpool was one of the most important ports in the world. Times changed and Liverpool is now more reliant on people arriving by plane and train than ship. The Mersey Beat or Liverpool Sound brought world attention back to the city, primarily through The Beatles. Liverpool has other attractions, too: the Maritime Museum, the Tate Liverpool Art Gallery, Walker Art Gallery and Antony Gormley’s wonderful sculpture of figures standing in the ocean, ‘Another Place’. There are regular trains from London Euston Station to Liverpool Lime Street Station, taking between 2 and 2.5 hours for the direct service.

Those wanting to learn more about the Cathedral’s illustrious history can head to the nearby Canterbury Tales museum, where Chaucer’s famous characters are brought to life in an entertaining medieval recreation, but there’s more to the city than its most famous building. Spend your free time wandering around the Old Town, visiting sights like the ancient St Martin's Church, the oldest church still in use in the English-speaking world, the tilting 16th Century Sir John Boys' House and the ruins of the Norman-era Canterbury Castle. If you’ve still got time, take a boat trip along the River Stour or stroll through the pretty Dane John Gardens. The quickest way to reach Canterbury is by train (just over 1 hour), but taking a guided Canterbury tour from London means you can combine your visit with nearby sights like the majestic Leeds Castle in Kent or the famous White Cliffs of Dover, both of which lie close by.

Celebrate Christmas this year with Viator, and see the top London attractions sparkle away from the crowds! The Christmas lights, which famously light up Bond Street and Oxford Circus each year, set the scene for a festive shopping frenzy right up until the tail end of Christmas Eve. You can even do a Christmas Eve Lights Tour in London Led by Santa! In peaceful contrast to the pre-Christmas chaos, Christmas Day sees Londoners retire from the high street excess in favor of unwrapping presents at home, leaving the city streets empty for you to explore. A great way to do that is with the Christmas Day in London on a Vintage Bus or Christmas Day Lunch Cruise on the River Thames. Grab this rare opportunity to see London at its best – free from public transport as well as the crowds. It’s a perfect opportunity for festive photos of top London attractions such as Big Ben, the Tower of London, Westminster Abbey and Trafalgar Square.

Afternoon tea is considered to be a tradition in England and one that both locals and visitors take great pleasure in taking – although it is now seen as more of a treat to be taken in a hotel or tea shop than part of everyday life. Afternoon tea was first introduced in the 1840s when Anna Russell, the Duchess of Bedford, complained of feeling hungry between meals and asked for tea and cakes to be sent to her room to see her through to her evening meal at 8pm. This idea caught on amongst the middle and upper classes, and before long it became a daily activity, becoming more sophisticated and elaborate as well as developing into an important social occasion.

Nothing epitomizes the bleak underbelly of Victorian society better than London’s East End; today it’s an area of smart boutiques, concept restaurants and a thriving Bengali community around Brick Lane but back in 1888 the very words Whitechapel struck horror into peoples’ hearts. It was here in the dank cobbled alleyways behind Spitalfields that some of the world’s most infamous – and hitherto unsolved – murders took place as five lowlife prostitutes were brutally knifed to death. Recent attempts at naming the Ripper murderer have cited a Polish immigrant called Aaron Kosminski, the Prime Minister William Gladstone, the artist Walter Sickert and even Queen Victoria’s own grandson. However, to this day the killer’s true identity remains unknown and so the gripping mystery still continues to fascinate and horrify in equal degrees. Tours of the East End to see the Ripper’s stomping ground can be taken by London’s iconic black cabs, by bike, hop-on, or hop-off bus.

The Beatles, Rolling Stones, Jimi Hendrix, David Bowie, Pink Floyd, Kinks, Sex Pistols, The Who, Queen, Oasis, Led Zeppelin – they all called the British capital home at one point or other and often recorded their best albums there. Of course top of many fans’ wish lists will be the famous studios on Abbey Road where the Beatles recorded their album of the same name. You can recreate the cover on the pedestrian crossing and visit numerous other sites associated with Liverpool’s finest as you follow a magical history tour of London. But it’s not all Beatlemania. Visiting the venues, hotels and studios which have themselves become household names with many well known rock artists. Head to the North London district of Camden Town, where The Clash, Bob Marley and Madness once lived. Now its gritty venues continue to produce major indie bands of the future. After a day on the streets, head to the popular long-running musical We Will Rock You or to the original Hard Rock Café.

The city’s latest venture in elevated entertainment is the O2 Skywalk, or ‘Up at The O2’, a 90-minute climb over the famous domed roof of the O2 Arena in Greenwich. The capital’s most sophisticated feat of modern design, The Shard is not only an impressive sight on London’s skyline, but it holds the title of the E.U’s tallest building at a whopping 1,016 feet high. Built in celebration of the new millennium back in 2000, the London Eye is not only the biggest Ferris wheel in, but has fast become one of the capital’s biggest tourist attractions with 3.5 million annual visitors taking to the skies for one of the best views in London. One of London’s principal landmarks, St. Paul’s Cathedral is sure to grace your London itinerary, but make sure you take the 250-step climb up into the viewing galleries of the iconic dome. If money’s no issue, one of the most exhilarating ways to explore London from above is to take a helicopter tour.

London boasts a diverse culture which encompasses and embraces film, music, sports and even the monarchy. Hit the bohemian neighborhoods of London including Soho and Camden Town as you delve into the city's rock 'n' roll past on a this small group London Rock Music Tour. With names like The Beatles, Madness, The Clash and Jimmy Page London offers something for all music fans. Maybe you’re still waiting to hear if you’ve been accepted to Hogwarts, in which case hear insider gossip about the films from an expert guide, and discover the London landmarks that inspired the Harry Potter books and films to be made. For the sports fan visit Wimbledon for a behind-the-scenes tour of the iconic All England Club, home to the world’s oldest tennis event: the Wimbledon Championships! And check out Buckingham Palace where you can trace the footsteps of generations of the British Royal Family, as you explore where they live and learn about their lives in the London spotlight.

Enjoy the 24 hour bustle of tourist hotspots like Trafalgar Square, Piccadilly Circus, Leicester Square and Soho without having to do more than roll down your windows and admire the views, or let your driver direct you to some of the lesser-known districts for a taste of the real London. You’ll doubtless be treated to an abundance of local anecdotes and trivia, interspersed with plenty of quirky British humor, adding a new dimension to the most visited sights like Buckingham Palace, Westminster Abbey, St. Paul's Cathedral or the Houses of Parliament, and you’ll even be delivered back to the door of your hotel.