Visiting Westminster Abbey
Inside Westminster Abbey is even more incredible than outside. In St George’s Chapel, you can see the Coronation Chair made by order of King Edward I to enclose the Stone of Scone, the traditional Scottish coronation stone he seized in the spoils of war.
Poets’ Corner commemorates over 100 poets and writers who are either buried or have memorials here. The abbey is also the resting place of 30 monarchs who have vaults and tombs placed all over the church.
Westminster Abbey is open to visitors, but since it is an active church, some parts of the abbey may be closed during certain times or entry may end earlier than usual.
Because of this it is probably best to book tickets online beforehand if you can. Tickets cost £29 for adults. All tickets come with an audio guide so you can listen and learn about the abbey’s history.
Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament
The Houses of Parliament, or the Palace of Westminster, are the seat of the UK’s Parliament.
The current Gothic Revival style buildings were completed in 1860 and contains the House of Lords, the House of Commons, the southwester Victoria Tower, and the newly-named Elizabeth Tower that houses Big Ben.
My favorite place to view the Palace of Westminster is from the east side of the River Thames where you can get a beautiful sunset view across the river.
St James’s Park
St James’s Park is 57 acres of green lawn, serene lake, and manicured gardens that is surrounded by many London landmarks.
The park is just a short walk from Trafalgar Square, 10 Downing Street, Big Ben, St James’s Palace, and Buckingham Palace. And it connects to the chain of Royal Parks that includes Green Park, Hyde Park, and Kensington Gardens.
You can cut through St James’s Park to get to the rest of the London sights on this list.
St James’s Palace
St James’s Palace used to be the principal royal residency until the reign of Queen Victoria. Now it’s a ceremonial meeting place for things like state visits and other ceremonial events.
St James’s Palace isn’t open to the public, but you can take a look at it from the outside.
It’s an interesting Tutor-style building that’s worth the detour on your way to Buckingham Palace.
Buckingham Palace
Today, the principal royal residency of the Queen, when in London, is Buckingham Palace. You’ll know when the Queen is home if the Royal Standard flag is flown. If the Union Flag is up, then the Queen is not in residence.
You can approach the palace from St James’s Park using The Mall, the ceremonial route to the palace.
In front of the palace is the Victoria Memorial, a huge monument to Queen Victoria, depicting Winged Victory gilded in bronze at the top. It is 82 feet tall and is the tallest monument to a King or Queen in England.
Touring Buckingham Palace
The State Rooms are open to visitors for an exclusive guided tour during the winter and spring and for 10 weeks each summer.
Changing the Guard at Buckingham Palace
Multiple times a week, crowds gather at the ornate gates of Buckingham Palace for Changing the Guard. You can see the Changing the Guard schedule here, but during the summer it usually takes place at 11 a.m. on Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday.
Changing the Guard is an elaborate ceremony where the Queens Old Guard is replaced with the New Guard. It involves the band, marching, cavalry, a presentation of arms, and more. The ceremony lasts about 30 minutes.
Westminster Cathedral
Not to be confused with Westminster Abbey, Westminster Cathedral was built in a unique neo-Byzantine style of striped brick and stone, domes, and a 210 foot bell tower.
Since it’s out of the way of the usual London sights, most tourists miss this spectacular cathedral. Westminster Cathedral is the largest Catholic church building in England and Wales. Inside, the walls and ceilings are covered in mosaics, and more are still being added.
The Cathedral is free to visit.
London Day Two: Tower of London
The Tower of London was my first British castle and will always be a thrill to see no matter how many times I visit (it’s been three times, I’m definitely counting).
The castle dates back to the Norman Conquest, with the White Tower built in 1078. The Tower of London has been used as a royal residency, a prison, a place of execution, a royal mint, an armory, the home of the Crown Jewels, and more, so there is a lot of history to learn about when you visit.
At the Tower, you can see the ravens that effectively hold the whole of the United Kingdom together, based on a superstition that at least six ravens have to be on the grounds at all times or the kingdom will fall.
You can also meet the Beefeaters, the Yeoman Warders who have been in charge of guarding the Tower of London since the Tutors. I, of course, bought a Beefeater teddy bear to commemorate the occasion.
Visiting the Tower of London
Tickets cost £33.60 for adults. The castle’s hours vary by season.
London Day Two: Tower Bridge
The castle-like Tower Bridge was built between 1886 and 1894. It is both a drawbridge and a suspension bridge. It’s a busy crossing point for cars and pedestrians across the Thames, and the drawbridge is raised for passing ships about 1,000 times a year. Tower Bridge makes a great backdrop for the Tower of London, and vice versa.
We actually have a LEGO version of Tower Bridge in our house. My family bought it for my brother years ago, and Kevin and I rebuilt the LEGO set in our house last year. So we get to see this marvel all the time sitting atop Kevin’s bookshelves.
Visiting Tower Bridge
Didn’t know you could go inside Tower Bridge? Well you can!
A few years ago, my family and I toured the inside of Tower Bridge, along with being lucky enough to watch the drawbridge rise right before we walked across.
The Tower Bridge Exhibition lets you learn about the building of the tower, the engine rooms, and lets you walk across the top of the bridge on a glass floor. The exhibition is open from 10 a.m. — 6 p.m. in the summer, 9:30 a.m. — 5 p.m. in the winter. Tickets cost £12.30 for adults.
London Day Two: British Museum
The British Museum is an art and history museum that is completely free to visit. This is definitely one of the best free things to do in London!
It’s permanent collection is one of the largest in the world, with artifacts like the Rosetta Stone, Egyptian mummies, and a bust of Caesar Augustus that I’ve taken a picture with all three times I’ve visited.
The center of the museum was redesigned in 2001 as a Great Court, and the design has made the interior as much of a work of art as those on display around the museum.
Visiting the British Museum
Entrance to the British Museum is free, and it is open daily from 10 a.m. — 5 p.m., and some galleries are open late on Fridays until 8:30 p.m.
London Day Two: National Gallery, London
The National Gallery, London, located in Trafalgar Square, is a free art museum housing over 2,300 paintings.
The museum exhibits paintings from the greatest names in art history, including Monet, Seurat, Rembrandt, Van Gogh, Michelangelo, Turner, Raphael, and more.
Even though it is smaller than many other popular museums in Europe, it is still one of the most visited art museums in the world.
Visiting the National Gallery, London
The National Gallery is free to visit. It is open daily from 10 a.m. — 6 p.m., and Fridays it is open until 9 p.m.
There is certainly a lot to see in London, and two days of sightseeing doesn’t even begin to scratch the surface. It definitely takes multiple trips to get the most out of London! But hopeful this 2 days in London itinerary gets you off to a great start!
