London is not short of an attraction or two, in fact you could spend weeks sightseeing in the city and still not get to see everything on your “must see” list. For this reason a little forward planning and prioritising is essential to get the most out of your time. If you book a stay in a Hyde Park hotel, London city gems are easily accessed and you will be well placed to dive into the action. Here are the top five London attractions that should shoot straight to the top of your sightseeing list.
London Eye
Get a bird’s eye view of the city with a spin around the London Eye. This is the world’s largest Ferris wheel and soars 135 metres above London, providing spectacular views of the Houses of Parliament, Westminster Abbey, Big Ben and all the way out to Windsor Castle. From a Hyde Park hotel, the London Eye can be reached by taking the tube from Green Park station to Waterloo station along the Jubilee Line.
St Paul’s Cathedral
One of London’s chief attractions is the stunning St Paul’s Cathedral, a masterpiece by Sir Christopher Wren. The cathedral was built in the reconstruction effort following the Great Fire in 1666 and is today still one of the London cityscape’s most recognisable features. One of the highlights of a visit to the cathedral is scaling the internal stairs to the top of the dome and looking out over the City of London. The whispering gallery is another key feature of the extraordinary architecture. The closest tube station is St Paul’s on the Central Line.
The Tower of London
The Tower of London represents more than a thousand years of the city’s (sometimes grisly) history. Used throughout its long existence as a fortress and prison for high profile prisoners such as Elizabeth I and Anne Boleyn, it does not boast a happy history. Construction was first commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1078 (the White Castle) and was built up gradually over the following centuries. The biggest draw card to this UNESCO World Heritage Site is the Crown Jewels. From your Hyde Park hotel, London’s most famous tower can be reached by taking the tube from Hyde Park Corner Station along the Piccadilly Line to South Kensington, and then change to the District Line to Tower Hill station.
Tate Modern
The Tate Modern is an artistic wonderland with some of the world’s most exciting modern art collections and exhibitions. It is particularly child-friendly and popular with people who appreciate art while not being mavens of artistic knowledge. Works displayed at the museum include Matisse, Bacon and Warhol. To get to the Tate Modern from your Hyde Park hotel London, get on the Tube at Green Park and take the Jubilee Line to Southwark or London Bridge station.
Buckingham Palace
One of the most instantly recognisable landmarks of London, Buckingham Palace is the permanent residence of Queen Elizabeth II. Each morning, one of the major attractions is the ceremony of the changing of the guard, which takes place at 11:15. During the summer the palace’s state rooms are open to the public and you can see where the queen entertains foreign dignitaries and other guests.
Looking for a Hyde Park hotel London? Roberta Stuart is the Travel Manager for World Hotels, a company offering the best rooms at a Hyde Park hotel London and a selection of unique four and five star hotels around the world.
