65 Best Sights in London, England

This architecturally significant 1730 Georgian town house is the only surviving residence of American statesman, scientist, writer, and inventor Benjamin Franklin, who lived and worked here for 16 years preceding the American Revolution. The restored Georgian home has been left unfurnished, the better to show off the original features, like the 18th-century paneling, stoves, beams, bricks, and windows. Visitors are led around the house by the costumed character of Polly Hewson, the daughter of Franklin's landlady, who interacts with engaging video projections and recorded voices (weekends only). On Friday you can take a guided tour focusing on the architectural details of the building, and a walking tour of the surrounding area lasting up to 90 minutes sets off from the house at noon.

The sheer scale and importance of the British Museum's many treasures are impossible to overstate or exaggerate; it truly is one of the world's great repositories of human civilization. Established in 1753 and initially based on the library and "cabinet of curiosities" of the royal physician Sir Hans Sloane, the collection grew exponentially over the following decades, partly due to bequests and acquisitions, but also as a result of plundering by the burgeoning British Empire.

The neoclassical grandeur of the museum's Great Russell Street entrance befits what lies in wait inside. Here you'll find the Rosetta Stone, whose inscriptions were key to deciphering hieroglyphics (Room 4); the controversial but exquisite Elgin Marbles (aka the Parthenon Sculptures) that once stood on the Acropolis in Athens (Room 18); the remarkable 7th century BC masterpieces of Assyrian sculpted reliefs, the lion hunts (Room 10a); and stunning fragments and friezes from the Mausoleum of Halicarnassus (aka one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World; Room 21).

Other perennial favorites include the Egyptian mummies (Rooms 62--63); the colossal Statue of Ramesses II, dating to circa 1270 BC and weighing in at just over 7 tons (Room 4); and the splendid 8th-century Anglo-Saxon Sutton Hoo treasures, with magnificent helmets and jewelry aplenty (Room 41).

Leave time for exploring the glass-covered Great Court, the largest covered public square in Europe, designed by celebrated architect Norman Foster at the turn of the present millennium. Likewise, don't miss the revered circular Reading Room where Karl Marx wrote Das Kapital under the beautiful blue-and-gold papier-mâché dome. And keep an eye out for the museum's excellent temporary exhibitions, which have featured exhibits on Stonehenge and influential Japanese artist Hokusai.

If it all seems a little overwhelming or if you're pushed for time, try one of the excellent museum tours. Eye-opener Tours (free; 40 minutes) offer a choice of 14 individual galleries daily, while the 90-minute Highlights Tour covers all the major exhibits plus a few lesser-known ones, beginning at 11:30 am and 2 pm on Friday and weekends (£14; book online or at the ticket desk in the Great Court). Alternatively, if you have your own headphones, download the museum's app which offers gallery introductions and expert commentaries (from £5).

Want to see the hip street style of today's London? Find it a block east of famed Carnaby Street—where the look of the '60s "Swinging London" was born—an adorable warren of Georgian cobblestone streets now lined with specialty boutiques, eateries, wine caves, and fashion-forward shops. A check of the ingredients reveals one part '60s London, one part futuristic fetishism, one part steampunk, and one part London streetwear swagger. The new London look best flourishes in shops like Raeburn, an ethical boutique crowded with young aficionados who dig their 1950s decommissioned Yugoslav military camouflage puffer coats, joggers, and hoodies. Or scoot around the corner to peruse Percival, Aubin, or END. clothing stores with more than 400 of the edgiest U.K. and global streetwear designers on show. 

It was from this small warren of underground rooms—beneath the vast government buildings of the Treasury—that Winston Churchill and his team directed troops in World War II. Designed to be bombproof, the whole complex has been preserved almost exactly as it was when the last light was turned off at the end of the war. Every clock shows almost 5 pm, and the furniture, fittings, and paraphernalia of a busy, round-the-clock war office are still in situ, down to the colored map pins.

During air raids, the leading government ministers met here, and the Cabinet Room is arranged as if a meeting were about to convene. In the Map Room, the Allied campaign is charted on wall-to-wall maps with a rash of pinholes showing the movements of convoys. In the hub of the room, a bank of differently colored phones known as the "Beauty Chorus" linked the War Rooms to control rooms around the nation. Spot the desk from which the PM made his morale-boosting broadcasts; the Transatlantic Telephone Room (a converted broom cupboard) has his hotline to FDR. You can also see the restored rooms that the PM used for dining and sleeping. Telephonists (switchboard operators) and clerks who worked 16-hour shifts slept in lesser quarters in unenviable conditions.

An excellent addition to the War Rooms is the Churchill Museum, a tribute to the great wartime leader himself.

Once home to London's main flower market, where My Fair Lady's flower girl Eliza Doolittle peddled her blooms, the square around which Covent Garden pivots is known as the Piazza. In the center, the fine old market building now houses stalls and shops selling expensive clothing, plus several restaurants, cafés, and knickknack stores that are good for gifts. One particular gem is Benjamin Pollock's Toyshop at No. 44 in the market. Established in the 1880s, it sells enchanting toy theaters. The Apple Market has good crafts stalls on most days, too. On the south side of the Piazza, the indoor Jubilee Market, with its stalls of clothing, army surplus gear, and more crafts, feels more like a flea market.

In summer, it may seem that everyone in the huge crowds around you in the Piazza is a fellow tourist, but there's still plenty of office life in the area. Londoners who shop here tend to head for Neal Street and the area to the north of Covent Garden Tube station, rather than the market itself. In the Piazza, street performers—from foreign musicians to jugglers and mimes—play to the crowds, as they have done since the first English Punch and Judy show, staged here in the 17th century.

This sleek, romantic clipper was built in 1869, one among a vast fleet of tall-masted wooden ships that plied the oceanic highways of the 19th century, trading in exotic commodities—in this case, tea. Cutty Sark (named after a racy witch in a Robert Burns poem) was the fastest in the fleet, sailing the London–China route in 1871 in only 107 days. The clipper has been preserved in dry dock as a museum ship since the 1950s, but was severely damaged in a devastating fire in 2007.

Yet up from the ashes, as the song goes, grow the roses of success: after a major restoration project, the visitor facilities are now better than ever. Not only can you tour the ship in its entirety, but the glittering visitor center (which the ship now rests directly above) allows you to view the hull from below. There's plenty to see here, and the cramped quarters form a fantastic time capsule to walk around in—this boat was never too comfortable for the 28-strong crew (as you'll see). Don't miss the amusing collection of figureheads. The ship also hosts comedy, cabaret, and theater shows. More adventurous visitors can get an entirely different perspective on the ship via the rig-climbing experience.

Once a favorite getaway for Henry VIII (who liked to spend Christmas here), Eltham Palace has been drastically remodeled twice in its lifetime: once during the 15th and 16th centuries, and again during the 1930s, when a grand mansion was annexed onto the Tudor great hall by the superwealthy Courtauld family. Today it's an extraordinary combination of late medieval grandeur and art deco masterpiece, laced with an eccentric whimsy—the Courtaulds even built an entire room to be the personal quarters of their beloved pet lemur. Be sure to get a glimpse of the Map Room, where the Courtaulds planned their round-the-world adventures, and the reconstruction of a lavish 1930s walk-in wardrobe, complete with genuine dresses from the time period. Outside you'll find a mix of medieval and modern in the 19 acres of surrounding gardens.

For generations, Londoners have headed to Hampstead Heath to escape the dirt and noise of the city, and this unique 791-acre expanse of rus in urbe ("country in the city") is home to a variety of wildlife and habitat: grassy meadows, woodland, scrub, wetlands, and some of Europe's most venerable oaks. Be aware that, aside from the Parliament Hill area to the south and Golders Hill Park in the northwest, it is more like countryside than a park, with signs and amenities in short supply. Pick up a map at Kenwood House or at the "Enquiries" window of the Staff Yard near the tennis courts off Highgate Road, where you can also find details about the history of the Heath and its flora and fauna. An excellent café near the Edwardian bandstand serves Italian food.

Coming onto the Heath from the Savernake Road entrance on the southern side, walk past the children's playground and paddling pool and head uphill to the top of Parliament Hill. At 321 feet above sea level, it's one of the highest points in London, providing a stunning panorama over the city. On clear days you can see all the way to the Surrey Hills beyond the city's southern limits. Keep heading north from Parliament Hill to find the more rural parts of the Heath.

If you keep heading east from the playground instead, turn right past the Athletics Track and you'll come to the Lido, an Olympic-size, outdoor, unheated swimming pool that gets packed on rare hot summer days. More swimming options are available at the Hampstead ponds, which have been refreshing Londoners for generations. You'll find the "Mens" and "Ladies" ponds to the northeast of Parliament Hill, with a “Mixed” pond closer to South End Green. A £2 donation is requested. Golders Hill Park, on the Heath Extension to the northwest, offers a good café, tennis courts, a duck pond, a croquet lawn, and a walled flower garden, plus a Butterfly House (May–September) and a small zoo with native species including muntjac deer, rare red squirrels, and a Scottish wildcat.

The beloved seat of Henry VIII's court, sprawled elegantly beside the languid waters of the Thames, Hampton Court is steeped in more history than virtually any other royal building in England. The Tudor mansion, begun in 1515 by Cardinal Wolsey to curry favor with the young Henry, actually conceals a larger 17th-century baroque building, which was partly designed by Sir Christopher Wren. The earliest dwellings on this site belonged to a religious order founded in the 11th century and were expanded over the years by its many subsequent residents until George II moved the royal household closer to London in the early 18th century.

After entering through the magnificent Tudor courtyard, start with a look through the State Apartments, decorated in the Tudor style, and on to the wood-beamed magnificence of Henry's Great Hall, before taking in the strikingly azure ceiling of the Chapel Royal. Watch out for the ghost of Henry VIII's doomed fifth wife, Catherine Howard, who lost her head yet is said to scream her way along the Haunted Gallery. (Believe it or not, what is certainly true is that the corridor is prone to sudden drops in temperature—and no one quite knows why.) Latter-day masters of the palace, the joint rulers William and Mary (reigned 1689–1702), were responsible for the beautiful King's and Queen's Apartments and the elaborate baroque of the Georgian Rooms.

Well-handled reconstructions of Tudor life take place all year, from live appearances by "Henry VIII" to cook-historians preparing authentic feasts in the Tudor Kitchens. (Dishes on offer in the adjacent café include a few of these traditional recipes.) The highlight of the formal grounds is undoubtedly the famous maze (the oldest hedge maze in the world); its half mile of pathways among clipped hedgerows is still fiendish to negotiate. There's a trick, but we won't give it away here; it's much more fun just to go and lose yourself. Meanwhile, the Lower Orangery Garden shows off thousands of exotic species that William and Mary, avid plant collectors, gathered from around the globe.

Along with the smaller St. James's and Green Parks to the east, the 350-acre Hyde Park once formed part of Henry VIII's hunting grounds. Along its south side runs Rotten Row—the name is a corruption of Route du Roi (Route of the King), as it became known after William III installed 300 oil lamps to make the busy road less attractive to highwaymen. Today it's a bridle path often used by the Household Cavalry, who are housed in the Hyde Park Barracks occupying two unattractive buildings, a high-rise and a low red block to the left. You can see the Guardsmen in full regalia leaving on horseback for guard duty at Buckingham Palace at about 10:30 (or come at noon when they return). The metal breastplates worn by one of the divisions of the Cavalry were a distinctive feature of Queen Elizabeth II's funeral procession.

Hyde Park is wonderful for strolling, cycling, or just relaxing by the Serpentine, the long body of water near its southern border. On the south side, the Lido Café and Bar by the 1930s Serpentine Lido is a good spot to refuel, and close by is the Diana Memorial Fountain. On Sunday, you'll find the uniquely British tribute to free speech, Speakers' Corner, close to Marble Arch. Though not what it was in the days before people could use the Internet to vent their spleen, it still offers a unique assortment of passionate, if occasionally irrational, advocates literally getting up on soapboxes. Summer sees giant pop concerts with top artists, while during the Christmas season the park hosts a "Winter Wonderland" amusement park, Christmas market, and ice rink.

Despite its name, the cultural venue formerly known as the Imperial War Museum (one of five IWM branches now around the country) does not glorify either Empire or bloodshed but emphasizes understanding through conveying the impact of 20th- and 21st-century warfare on citizens and soldiers alike. A dramatic six-story atrium at the main entrance encloses an impressive amount of hardware—including a Battle of Britain Spitfire, a German V2 rocket, the remains of a car blown up in post-invasion Iraq, tanks, guns, and submarines—along with accompanying interactive material and a café. The First World War galleries explore the wartime experience on both the home and fighting fronts, with the most comprehensive collection on the subject in the world—some 1,300 objects ranging from uniforms, equipment, and weapons to letters and diaries. The Second World War galleries shed light on that conflict through objects, film documentation, and eyewitness testimonies, as do the extensive and haunting Holocaust galleries (private tours are available for all three areas). Peace and Security 1945–2015 looks at more contemporary hostilities, including the Cold War, Iraq, and Afghanistan, right up to the current conflict in Ukraine. Other galleries are devoted to works relating to conflicts from World War I to the present day by painters, poets, documentary filmmakers, and photographers.

Laid out in 1689 by William III, who commissioned Sir Christopher Wren to build Kensington Palace, the gardens are a formal counterpart to neighboring Hyde Park. Just to the north of the palace itself is the Dutch-style Sunken Garden. Nearby, the 1912 bronze statue of Peter Pan commemorates the boy in J. M. Barrie's story who lived on an island in the Serpentine and who never grew up. Kids will enjoy the magical Diana Memorial Playground, whose design was also inspired by Barrie's book. The Elfin Oak is a 900-year-old tree trunk that was carved with scores of tiny elves, fairies, and other fanciful creations in the 1920s. The Italian Gardens, an ornamental water garden commissioned by Prince Albert in 1860, is comprised of several ornamental ponds and fountains (there's also a nice café on-site), while the Round Pond attracts model-boat enthusiasts.

This is a rare chance to get a glimpse into the more domestic and personal side of royal life. Neither as imposing as Buckingham Palace nor as charming as Hampton Court, Kensington Palace is something of a royal family commune, with various close relatives of the late Queen occupying large apartments in the private part of the palace. After purchasing the existing modest mansion in 1689 as a country retreat, Queen Mary and King William III commissioned Sir Christopher Wren to transform it into a palace, and over the years young royal families have made it their home. Princess Diana lived here with her sons after her divorce, and this is where Prince William now lives with his wife, Catherine, Princess of Wales, and their three children. Prince Harry shared his cottage on the grounds with Meghan Markle before their marriage.

The State Apartments are open to the public. The Queen's State Apartments are the private quarters of Queen Mary II, who ruled jointly with her husband, William II. By contrast, the lavish King's State Apartments, originally built for George I, are a stage set, a circuit of sumptuous rooms where Georgian monarchs received and entertained courtiers, politicians, and foreign dignitaries. Look for the King's Staircase, with its panoramic trompe-l'oeil painting, and the King's Gallery, with royal artworks surrounded by rich red damask walls, intricate gilding, and a beautiful painted ceiling. One permanent exhibition,Victoria Revealed, is devoted to the private life of Queen Victoria, who was born and grew up here. A temporary exhibition entitled Crown to Couture displays occasion wear ranging from court dresses like a silk and silver-thread gown worn to the court of King Charles II in the 17th century to a Thom Browne creation for Lizzo's 2022 Met Gala red carpet appearance.

Outside, the grounds are almost as lovely as the palace itself. You can picnic on one of the benches or head for the Pavilion overlooking the Sunken Garden, serving breakfast, lunch, and an elegant afternoon tea. There are more casual cafés in the Italian Gardens and on the Broad Walk.

Enter the Royal Botanic Gardens, as Kew Gardens are officially known, and you are enveloped by blazes of color, extraordinary blooms, hidden trails, and lovely old buildings. Beautiful though it all is, Kew's charms are secondary to its true purpose as a major center for serious research: more than 200 academics are consistently hard at work here on projects spanning 110 countries. First opened to the public in 1840, this 326-acre site has been supported by royalty and nurtured by landscapers, botanists, and architects since the 1720s. Today the gardens, now a UNESCO World Heritage site, hold more than 30,000 species of plants from every corner of the globe.

Architect Sir William Chambers built a series of temples and follies, of which the crazy 10-story Pagoda, visible for miles around, is the star. The Princess of Wales Conservatory houses 10 climate zones, and the Treetop Walkway takes you 59 feet up into the air. Two great 19th-century greenhouses—the Palm House and the Temperate House—are filled with exotic blooms, and many of the plants have been there since the final glass panel was fixed into place, including the largest greenhouse plant in the world, a Chilean wine palm planted in 1846 (it's so big you have to climb the spiral staircase to the roof to get a proper view of it).

To get around the gardens, the Kew Explorer land train runs on a 40-minute, hop-on, hop-off route, starting at the Victoria Gate, every 30 minutes, 11–4:30 (£6.50). Free guided tours, run by volunteers, are given daily at 11 and 1:30, plus special seasonally themed tours at other times. Discovery Tours, fully accessible for visitors in wheelchairs, are also available daily with advance booking.

Looking at the neon of the major movie houses, the fast-food outlets, and the gaudy casino and disco entrances, you'd never guess that Leicester Square (pronounced "Lester") was a model of aristocratic formality and refinement when it was first laid out around the 1670s (it was named after its first inhabitant, the 2nd Earl of Leicester). By the 19th century, the square was already bustling and disreputable, and although it's not a threatening place, you should still be on your guard, especially at night—any space so full of people is bound to attract pickpockets, and Leicester Square certainly does. Although there's an underlying glamour (major red-carpet blockbuster film premieres often happen here), Londoners generally tend to avoid the place, though it's worth a visit for its hustle and bustle, its mime artists, and the pleasant modern fountain at its center. Also in the middle is a famous statue of a sulking William Shakespeare, perhaps remembering the days when the movie houses were live theaters—burlesque houses, but live all the same. On the northeast corner, in Leicester Place, stands the Catholic church of Notre Dame de France, with a wonderful mural by Jean Cocteau in one of its side chapels. For more in the way of atmosphere, head north and west from here, through Chinatown and the narrow Georgian streets of Soho.

Housed in the old flower market at the southeast corner of Covent Garden, this intriguing transport museum is filled with highly impressive trains, posters, and photograph collections. As you watch the crowds drive a Tube train simulation and gawk at the Victorian steam locomotives and horse-drawn trams (and the piles of detritus that remained behind), it's unclear who's enjoying it more: children or adults. Best of all, the kid-friendly museum (under 18s admitted free, and there's a play area) has a multilevel approach to education, including clear information for the youngest visitors and transit aficionados alike. Food and drink are available at the Upper Deck Canteen café, and the shop has good options for gifts. Tickets are valid for unlimited entry for 12 months.

Lord's Cricket Ground—home of the venerable Marylebone Cricket Club, founded in 1787 and whose rules codified the game—has been hallowed cricketing turf since 1814. Tickets for major test matches are hard to come by: obtain an application form online and enter the ballot (lottery) to purchase them.

In contrast to the West End's grand aristocratic town houses, this charming museum is devoted to the life of the city's middle class over the years. Originally a row of almshouses built in 1714, it now contains a series of 11 rooms that re-create everyday domestic interiors from the Elizabethan period through the 1950s to the present day. The Home Galleries, located in the basement of the museum, puts it all in context with a wider history of the concept of home that includes plenty of interactive exhibits.

Outside, a series of gardens charts the evolution of the town garden over the past 400 years; next to them is a walled herb garden. In the museum's front garden, you'll find a statue of Sir Robert Geffreye, the English merchant who founded the almshouses; the museum used to bear his name, but in the wake of the Black Lives Matter movement and the acknowledgment of Geffreye's connections with the transatlantic slave trade, the museum has been renamed. After consultation, the museum decided against removing the statue and instead commissioned displays and artwork to recontextualize it. Molly's Café, the excellent on-site eatery, provides appropriately homely lunches and snacks.

From the time of Henry VIII until the 1940s, Britain was the world's preeminent naval power, and the collections here trace half a millennia of that seafaring history. The story is as much about trade as it is warfare: in the Atlantic gallery, Slavery, Trade, Empire explores how trade in goods (and people) irrevocably changed the world, while in the Traders gallery, The East India Company and Asia focuses on how the epoch-defining company shaped trade with Asia for 250 years. One gallery, Polar Worlds, includes a sledge from one of Shackleton’s expeditions, while another is devoted to Admiral Lord Nelson, Britain's most famous naval commander; among the exhibits there is the uniform he was wearing, complete with bloodstains, when he died at the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805.

Temporary exhibitions here are usually fascinating—those in recent years have included personal accounts of the First World War at sea. Borrow a tablet computer from the front desk and take it to the giant map of the world in the courtyard at the center of the museum; here, a high-tech, interactive app opens up hidden stories and games as you walk between continents. The Ahoy! and All Hands galleries are filled with interactive fun for kids, where they can learn about polar exploration, pirates, and more.

The National Portrait Gallery was founded in 1856 with a single aim: to gather together portraits of famous (and infamous) Britons throughout history. More than 150 years and 200,000 portraits later, it is an essential stop for all history and literature buffs, especially following a major overhaul that includes a rehang and plenty of new, better designed, gallery spaces. If you visit with kids, swing by the new Learning Centre to take part in family activities. 

Galleries are arranged clearly and chronologically, from Tudor times to contemporary Britain. Look out for treasures such as the enormous portrait of Elizabeth I—bejeweled and literally astride the world in a powerful display of imperial intent—plus portraits of Shakespeare, the Brontë sisters, and Jane Austen. More of the photography collection is on display since the rehang, including Annie Leibovitz's striking photograph of Queen Elizabeth II. On the top floor, the Portrait Restaurant has one of the best views in London—a panoramic vista of Nelson's Column and the backdrop along Whitehall to the Houses of Parliament.

Originally built to house the British Museum’s natural history collection and bolstered by samples provided by Britain’s great 19th-century explorers and scientists—notably Charles Darwin—this enormous Victorian cathedral of science is one of the world’s preeminent museums of natural history and earth sciences. As might be expected given its Darwin connection, the emphasis is on evolution and conservation. The terra-cotta facade is embellished with relief panels depicting living creatures to the left of the entrance and extinct ones to the right (although some species have subsequently changed categories). Most are represented inside the museum, which contains more than 70 million different specimens. Only a small percentage is on public display, but you could still spend a day here and not come close to seeing everything.

The skeleton of a giant blue whale dominates the vaulted, cathedral-like entrance hall. Even bigger than the blue whale is the skeleton of titanosaur Patagotitan mayorum, one of the largest creatures to have ever walked the Earth, now housed in the Waterhouse Gallery (£16). Meanwhile, similarly huge dino bones (technically rocks due to fossilization) can be found in the Dinosaur Gallery (Blue Zone) along with the only known fossil of Spicomellus, a type of armored dinosaur with spikes protruding from its ribs. You'll also come face-to-face with a virtual Jurassic sea dragon and a giant animatronic T. rex (¾ of its actual size) that's programmed to sense when human prey is near and "respond" in character. When he does, you can hear the shrieks of fear and delight all the way across the room.

An escalator takes you into a giant globe in the Earth Galleries, where there's a choice of levels to explore. Don't leave without checking out the earthquake simulation in the Volcanoes and Earthquakes Gallery. The Darwin Centre houses some 80 million items the museum itself doesn't have room to display, including "Archie," a 28-foot giant squid. If you want to see Archie and some of the other millions of animal specimens preserved (including some acquired on Darwin's Beagle voyage), you'll need to book one of the behind-the-scenes Spirit Collection tours (£25). These 45-minute tours take place at various dates and times and can be booked on the same day (space is limited, so come early). Night owls might prefer one of the evening talks or spending an entire night in the museum at one of the "Dino Snores" events (extra charge applies).

The museum also has an outdoor ice-skating rink from October through January and a popular Christmas fair.

More conventionally parklike than Hampstead Heath, the rolling lawns of Primrose Hill, the northerly extension of Regent's Park, rise to 213 feet and provide outstanding views over the city to the southeast, encompassing Canary Wharf and the London Eye. Formerly the site of boxing matches and duels but now filled with families and picnickers in nice weather, it has been featured in several books—it was here that Pongo engaged in “twilight barking” in The Hundred and One Dalmatians and the Martians set up an encampment in H. G. Wells’s The War of The Worlds. It's also been mentioned in songs by Blur, Madness, and Paul McCartney, among others, and served as a location for films, including Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason and Paddington.

The formal cultivated Regent's Park, more country-house grounds than municipal amenity, began life in 1812, when John Nash was commissioned by the Prince Regent (later George IV) to create a master plan for the former royal hunting ground. Nash's original plan included a summer palace for the prince and 56 villas for friends, none of which were realized except for eight villas (only two survive). But the grand neoclassical terraced houses on the south, east, and west edges of the park were built by Nash and reflect the scope of his ambitions.

Today the 395-acre park, with the largest outdoor sports area in central London, draws the athletically inclined from around the city. At the center of the park is Queen Mary's Gardens, created in the 1930s, a fragrant 17-acre circle containing more than 400 varieties of roses that is a favorite spot for weddings. Just to the east of the gardens is the Regent's Park Open Air Theatre and the Boating Lake, which you can explore by renting a pedalo or a rowboat. Heading east from the rose gardens along Chester Road past the Broad Walk will bring you to Nash's renowned white-stucco Cumberland Terrace, with its central Ionic columns surmounted by a triangular Wedgwood-blue pediment. At the north end of the Broad Walk, you'll find London Zoo, while to the northwest of the central circle is The Hub, a state-of-the-art community sports center that has changing rooms, exercise classes, and a café with 360-degree views of the surrounding sports fields, used for soccer, rugby, cricket, field hockey, and softball. There are also tennis courts toward the park's southeast (Baker Street) entrance, and the park is a favorite north–south route for cyclists.

Regent's Park also hosts two annual events: the prestigious Frieze London art fair and Taste of London, a foodie-oriented extravaganza.

This enormous park was enclosed in 1637 for use as a royal hunting ground—like practically all other London parks. Unlike the others, however, Richmond Park still has wild red and fallow deer roaming its 2,500 acres (three times the size of New York's Central Park) of grassland and heath. Its ancient oaks are among the last remnants of the vast, wild forests that once encroached on London in medieval times. The Isabella Plantation (near the Ham Gate entrance) is an enchanting and colorful woodland garden, first laid out in 1831. There's a splendid protected view of St. Paul's Cathedral from King Henry VIII's Mound, the highest point in the park; find it, and you have a piece of magic in your sights. The park is also home to White Lodge, a 1727 hunting lodge that now houses the Royal Ballet School.

With attractions ranging from entertaining to educational exhibits—like the Wonderlab interactive gallery, where kids can perform their own scientific experiments, and an exhibition on the fight against superbugs—the Science Museum brings the subject alive for visitors of all ages. Highlights include Puffing Billy, the oldest steam locomotive in the world; Watson and Crick's original DNA model; and the Apollo 10 capsule. The Information Age gallery, devoted to communication networks from the telegraph to the Internet, was opened in 2014 by Queen Elizabeth II, who marked the occasion by sending her first tweet. The Winton Gallery, all about mathematics and its applications, has more than 100 math-related objects, such as a 17th-century Islamic astrolabe and an early version of Alan Turing's Enigma machine.

Overshadowed by a three-story blue-glass wall, the Wellcome Wing is an annex to the rear of the museum, devoted to contemporary science and technology. It contains a 450-seat theater (where you can visit the ocean floor or the Hubble space telescope via IMAX) and Legend of Apollo—an advanced 3-D motion simulator that combines seat vibration with other technology to re-create the experience of a moon landing. The entire first floor has been transformed into five galleries devoted to the history of medicine, and the family-friendly Wonderlab (£9) is full of interactive exhibits, live science shows, and demonstrations. There are also adults-only after-hours-themed events on the last Wednesday of every month. Admission is currently by prebooked ticket only.

This spectacular theater is a replica of Shakespeare's open-roof, wood-and-thatch Globe Playhouse (built in 1599 and burned down in 1613), where most of the Bard's greatest works premiered. American actor and director Sam Wanamaker worked ceaselessly for several decades to raise funds for the theater's reconstruction 200 yards from its original site using authentic materials and techniques, a dream that was finally realized in 1997. "Groundlings" (patrons with £5 standing-only tickets) are not allowed to sit during the performance, but you get the best view of the stage and the most authentic viewing experience. Fortunately, you can reserve an actual seat on any one of the theater's three levels, but you will want to rent a cushion for £2 (or bring your own) to soften the backless wooden benches (cushions must be booked when you book your tickets). The show must go on, rain or shine, warm or chilly, so come prepared for anything. Umbrellas are banned, but you can bring a raincoat or buy a cheap Globe rain poncho, which doubles as a great souvenir. From October to April, and occasionally in the summer, the Sam Wanamaker Playhouse, a 350-seat re-creation of an indoor Jacobean theater lighted by candles, offers plays and concerts in a less-exposed though still atmospheric setting. Some Wanamaker benches are backless, and there are fixed standing positions in the theater's upper gallery.

The 50-minute "Shakespeare's Globe Experience" is offered hourly and combines a guided tour of the Globe with an interactive exploration of how theater crafts bring the plays to life as well as a history of the theater (from £25). There are also special family-friendly tours on weekends and daily during school holidays for £46. Tours of the Wanamaker Playhouse are offered on an occasional basis and must be arranged directly with the theater; availability varies and is subject to change depending on performances and other events. From mid-February until October, you can also book a tour of the surrounding Bankside area, which emphasizes places Shakespeare would have frequented, including the archaeological remains of the nearby Rose Theatre, the oldest theater in Bankside. There are also themed tours such as famous crimes in the neighborhood (Shakespeare was called as a trial witness to three) and tours relating to current theater productions.

This majestic former Renaissance-era royal palace—rebuilt by Sir William Chambers (1723-96) during the reign of George III to house offices of the Navy Board—has been transformed from fusty government offices into one of the capital's most buzzing centers of arts and culture, often hosting several fabulous exhibitions at once. The cobblestone Italianate Fountain Court, where Admiral Nelson used to walk, makes a fitting setting for 50-odd playful fountains and is transformed into an ice rink in winter; the grand space is also the venue for outdoor concerts and film screenings in the summer. The Courtauld Gallery and its world-class impressionist and postimpressionist art collection occupy most of the north building, facing the Strand.

Across the courtyard are the barrel-vaulted Embankment Galleries, with a lively program of fashion, design, architecture, and photography exhibitions. The East Wing has another small exhibition space, and events are also held in the atmospheric cellars below the Fountain Court. The Eat Ten café is a great spot for a low-emission plant-forward meal or snack, while the high-profile Spring restaurant is all wildflowers, zero waste, and biodynamic vegetables. In summer, eating and drinking spill out onto the large terrace overlooking the Thames.

There is a story that, many years ago, a royal once inquired of a courtier how much it would cost to close St. James's Park to the public. "Only your crown, ma'am," came the reply. Bordered by three palaces—Buckingham, St. James's, and the governmental complex of the Palace of Westminster—this is one of London's loveliest green spaces. It's also the oldest; the former marshland was acquired by Henry VIII in 1532 as a nursery for his deer. Later, James I drained the land and installed an aviary, which gave Birdcage Walk its name, and a zoo (complete with crocodiles, camels, and an elephant). When Charles II returned from exile in France, where he had been hugely impressed by the splendor of the gardens at the Palace of Versailles, he transformed the park into formal gardens, with avenues, fruit orchards, and a canal. Lawns were grazed by goats, sheep, and deer, and, in the 18th century, the park became a different kind of hunting ground, for wealthy lotharios looking to pick up nighttime escorts. A century later, John Nash redesigned the landscape in a more naturalistic, romantic style, and if you gaze down the lake toward Buckingham Palace, you could easily believe yourself to be on a country estate.

A large population of waterfowl—including pelicans, geese, ducks, and swans (which belong to the King)—breed on and around Duck Island at the east end of the lake. From March to October, the deck chairs (charge levied) come out, crammed with office workers at midday, eating lunch while being serenaded by music from the bandstands. One of the best times to stroll the leafy walkways is after dark, with Westminster Abbey and the Houses of Parliament rising above the floodlit lake.

If you want to commune with the spirits of legendary actors like Vivien Leigh, Noël Coward, Gracie Fields, and Charlie Chaplin, this is the place. Memorials to them and myriad other theater and movie greats are found in this 1633 work of the renowned Inigo Jones, who, as Surveyor of the King's Works, designed the whole of Covent Garden Piazza. St. Paul's Church has been known as "the Actors' Church" since the Restoration, thanks to the bawdy neighboring theater district and St. Paul's prominent parishioners (well-known actors often read the lessons at services, and the church still hosts concerts and small-scale productions.) Fittingly, the opening scene of Shaw's Pygmalion takes place under its Tuscan portico. Today, the western end of the Piazza is a prime pitch for street entertainers, but if they're not to your liking, you can repair to the serenity of the walled garden, entered from King or Bedford streets. Enchanting open-air performances of Shakespeare plays and other works are staged here in summertime.

The residence of the duke and duchess of Northumberland, this is one of England's most lavish stately homes. Set in a 200-acre park landscaped by the great gardener "Capability" Brown (1716–83), the core of the house is Tudor—it was one of the last stopping places for Henry VIII's fifth wife, Catherine Howard, and the extremely short-lived monarch Lady Jane Grey before they were sent to the Tower. It was remodeled in the Georgian style in 1762 by famed decorator Robert Adam. He had just returned from studying the sights of classical antiquity in Italy and created two rooms sumptuous enough to wow any Grand Tourist: the entryway is an amazing study in black and white, pairing neoclassical marbles with antique bronzes, and the Ante Room contains 12 enormous verd-antique columns surmounted by statues of gold—and this was just a waiting room for the duke's servants and retainers. The Red Drawing Room is covered with crimson Spitalfields silk, and the Long Gallery is one of Adam's noblest creations.