London attractions

The home ground of one of England’s most renowned football (soccer) teams, Emirates Stadium is a must-visit for sports fans and followers of Arsenal FC. With a capacity of more than 60,000, the football stadium is the country’s third-largest. Its size and fandom create an electric atmosphere for watching soccer games. It’s also home to a museum that traces the history of the team affectionately known to fans as the "Gunners."

Reenacting London’s darkest history with the help of resident zombies and ghouls, this walk-through attraction is a staple on London’s tourist track for tweens, teens, and adults who love a good scare. Hear the stories of Viking invasions, Guy Fawkes, and Jack the Ripper delivered with drama, and then descend into the tunnels of the London Tombs where paranormal activity is said to be at play.

A West End performance hub for more than a century, Theatre Royal Drury Lane still draws crowds for curtain calls spanning big, glitzy musicals and solo acts. Even if you don’t catch a show, there’s plenty to do here—guided theater tours offer a glimpse into the backstage world, while the venue’s opulent afternoon tea event combines gourmet treats with history, theater, and storytelling.

One of London’s most popular museums, the Science Museum is a go-to attraction for curious adults and kids alike. Spread over several floors, this huge collection piques your interest in the world of science through a mix of free and paid-for exhibits. Look out for the flight simulator, IMAX screen, Exploring Space gallery, and Wonderlab interactive area, which are among the museum’s many highlights.

London had the world’s first underground railway, so it’s only right that it has a museum focused on all things transport, too. Covering the capital’s public transportation from the early 19th century to the current day, the London Transport Museum showcases red double-decker buses, steam trains, a 19th-century omnibus, and an early tube train that traveled more than a million miles. While most exhibits are at Covent Garden, there’s also the Museum Depot in Acton that opens for guided visits.

Spanning 10 acres (4 hectares), Old Truman was the city’s largest brewery at the end of the 19th century, and its red-brick chimneys still serve as an important piece of London’s industrial heritage. But today, rather than brewing operations, you’ll find a whole fleet of independent, local businesses gathered in one space, everything from cafés and vintage boutiques to pop-up events, a record label, and art galleries.

London’s Imperial War Museum (IWM) offers an all-encompassing introduction to Britain’s war history. It’s home to an overhead military aircraft, army tanks flanking the central exhibition hall, and a recreated World War I bunker to crawl through. Exhibits spotlight not only military equipment and strategy but also the wartime experiences of soldiers and civilians. This museum is an essential stop for military buffs interested in British war history.

Once exclusively for England’s royal family, Regent’s Park is loved for its landscaped gardens, vast green spaces, and as the home of ZSL London Zoo. Visitors come here for peaceful walks, to participate in sports, or to explore the lush grounds, which include a rose garden and a boating lake. In the warmer months, Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre is a big draw.

Stamford Bridge is an iconic football (soccer) stadium in West London’s Fulham that’s been the official home of Chelsea Football Club since 1905. A visit here offers football fans the chance to experience the electric atmosphere of Premier League matches. The stadium is also home to the Chelsea FC Museum, where you can learn more about the club’s history, and behind-the-scenes tours are available.

Right amid London’s riverside South Bank is the National Theatre, Britain’s flagship venue for international theater, which is known for its stark brutalist architecture. While most visitors come to catch a play, revue, or concert, the site is also a popular hangout thanks to its The Understudy bar, summer festival, and restaurants where artists, audiences, and curious souls meet to socialize.

In Brixton, there’s never a quiet moment. This is the place of reggae buskers banging steel drums, sidewalk preachers, and wafts of exotic food wherever you walk. And, while it was once the bad boy of London’s central neighborhoods with a reputation for street crime, Brixton today feels safer, with a strong community spirit and a medley of independent shops, eateries, and live music venues that reflect the neighborhood’s diversity.

The independent shops lining Marylebone High Street are one reason travelers and locals alike visit this upmarket neighborhood. But there’s more to Marylebone than boutiques: It’s also home to the original location of Madame Tussauds and is the historic haunt of famous Londoners, from the Beatles to the fictional Sherlock Holmes. Art lovers will find a lot to explore here, too, starting with the impressive fine and decorative artworks in the Wallace Collection.

The Sherlock Holmes Museum pays homage to arguably one of London’s most loved and well-known fictional detectives. Located at 221B Baker Street—the detective’s address in Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s novels—visitors can step into the world of Holmes and Dr. Watson while browsing the museum’s Victorian-style rooms with period furnishings, objects, interactive exhibits, and gift shop.

Big and bold, Tottenham Hotspur Stadium is the modern 2019 replacement for the team’s original White Hart Lane Stadium. It’s one of London’s largest soccer stadiums, hosting not only soccer games and concerts, but also American football thanks to its slick retractable pitch. Now, the site is known as the NFL’s home in the UK, as well as the home of Tottenham Hotspur (aka Spurs).

Dating from between 2900 and 2600 BC, Avebury is the world’s largest Neolithic stone circle. Originally composed of three stone circles—the largest of which comprised 98 standing stones (though only 27 now remain)—Avebury is truly immense. Though the function of Avebury is not fully understood, it was likely used for pagan ceremonies.

The Tate Britain is an art gallery in Pimlico, London. It contains the largest collection of British art in the world and is one of four Tate museums across the United Kingdom. Visitors come to see priceless works by painters from the last 500 years, including J.M.W. Turner, Lucian Freud, and David Hockney.

One of London’s few living museums, the Household Cavalry Museum offers insight into one of the oldest regiments within the British Army. This immersive, behind-the-scenes museum is located within Horse Guards, a historical building on Whitehall. Experience the Household Cavalry up close as you're invited to dress like a cavalryman, watch guard changes, and peek into the original 18th-century horse stables.

The home of London’s working class during Victorian times, the birthplace of Cockney Rhyming Slang, and the stomping ground of Jack the Ripper—the East End, bounded by the River Lea and the River Thames, has long represented the grittier side of England’s capital city. Today, it’s shed its rough image to become one of the city’s coolest, most diverse, street-art-rich areas, which is well worth checking out.

Lambeth Palace has been the official residence of the Archbishop of Canterbury since the 13th century, and is today considered a symbol of medieval London and Anglican heritage. Only open for select open days each year, behind its imposing Tudor-style gatehouse, visitors can explore the Gothic chapel and crypt, stroll around the gardens, and visit the library, where you’ll find Britain’s largest collection of religious books and manuscripts.

Devoted to the brands and designs that have shaped British culture for over 200 years, the Museum of Brands has a prime position on Notting Hill’s Lancaster Road. Its collection takes visitors on a nostalgic journey through everyday items—including vintage toys, sweets, cereal boxes, and famous advertisements. It’s a treasure trove for those seeking a trip down memory lane, while also being a place to understand how branding has evolved over time.

Sir John Soane was a successful British neoclassical architect, responsible for designing several important Regency-era buildings, including the Bank of England. Housed within the walls of his own home, this museum was designed to inspire students of architecture and drawing by providing examples of different styles of structures and decoration. Objects date back as far as ancient Egyptian and Roman times, making this museum a must-visit for history and design buffs.

Elegant and filled with light, the Queen’s House stands out as one of Greenwich’s most beautiful—and peaceful—attractions. This former royal residence showcases centuries of maritime art, including portraits, seascapes, and sculptures, in a perfectly proportioned classical space. Highlights include the striking Tulip Staircase and views across the river. It’s a quiet escape from the city, yet just steps from Greenwich’s most famous landmarks and riverside walks.

One of Central London’s major thoroughfares, bustling Baker Street is best known for its association with the one and only Sherlock Holmes. According to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s beloved books, the fictional detective resided at number 221B—a fictional address to match. Today, the Sherlock Holmes Museum commemorates the area’s literary legacy and draws crowds throughout the year.

On the corner of Trafalgar Square, amid a constant hubbub of pigeons and people, is the Anglican church St. Martin-in-the-Fields. This church features baroque and neoclassical architecture and a polished interior, thanks to a massive restoration completed in 2008. It’s a royal parish church, but most know it for its classical music concerts and its work with homeless people and those needing refuge, leading it to be dubbed “Church of the Ever Open Door.”

Covering 326 acres (121 hectares) of greenery, Kew Gardens is a must-visit UNESCO World Heritage site on the outskirts of London. Home to 30,000 plant species, it features rare plants from tropical, arid, alpine, and temperate climates. You can explore glasshouses, formal gardens, lily ponds, water features, and art galleries, making it a fun and educational escape for nature lovers, families, and anyone seeking a peaceful escape from the city.

Among the loveliest and most historical enclaves in the Cotswolds—an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty located west of London—Lacock is also one of England’s oldest villages. Renowned for the 13th-century Lacock Abbey and 14th-century St. Cyriac’s Church, Lacock is celebrated for its classically English beauty.

The Prince of Wales Theatre has been part of London’s West End since 1884. Though it has been renovated and modernized over time, the building still features original art deco details that you can spot inside and out. Over the years, it has hosted renowned productions, but it’s most famous for being the West End home of the award-winning musical The Book of Mormon.

Rising above Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park—which was built to host the 2012 London Olympics—the ArcelorMittal Orbit stands out as a red steel structure that’s actually one of the tallest sculptures in the UK. Visitors can take in sweeping city views from the observation decks or, for a more adventurous experience, ride the twisting tunnel slide—thought to be one of the largest tunnel slides in the world.

Immerse yourself in British heritage at Clerkenwell’s The Postal Museum, where interactive exhibits, engaging displays, and an underground train ride bring 500 years of mail history to visitors in the present day. Kid-friendly spaces and an award-winning stamp collection make the must-see museum a top choice for families and history lovers alike.

Blooming at the edge of the River Thames since 1673, the Chelsea Physic Garden’s plants thrive in both greenhouses and outdoor spaces. For visitors, it’s a chance to connect with nature in the heart of the city, while browsing a rare collection of medicinal and edible species. Themed tours and activities at the garden range from yoga classes to botanical drawing and a summer supper club, with regular lectures exploring all things green.