One Week in London

Because London is so vast a metropolitan area, it might be difficult to know where it would be best to pick a hotel to stay in. My suggestion would be to stick to the West End for convenience and location for several reasons. For one, this section of town is active most all of the day and evening whereas other areas shut down almost entirely after daytime business hours are over. Therefore you'll have no trouble finding places to eat or drink whether for breakfast, lunch or dinner, or all throughout the day. You'll be right in the heart of the theater district, should you chose to enjoy some of London's fine stage productions. You'll be in walking distance or a very short taxi ride to many other destinations you'll want to see, plus there are several Underground stations right in the area to get to wherever else you might wish to go.

On one's first day in London, I would suggest spending it focused on the true heart and core of the city - indeed, the square mile still known as The City of London. In medieval times, this was the full extent of the city - and also where the Romans had first established Londinium and where you can still find Roman walls and ruins today.

A good place to begin your tour is St. Paul's Cathedral, the mother church of London and a showcase of fine English Baroque architecture. A church has existed upon this site since AD 604, and many important services have been held at St. Paul's, including the funerals of Lord Nelson, the Duke of Wellington (whose tombs can be found in the crypt) and Sir Winston Churchill, as well as the marriage of Prince Charles and Lady Diana. If you're energetic and in good physical shape, you can climb to the top of the dome for stunning views of London and the surrounding area - a great way to take in all of the city around you.



Of course, you can also take in the views by climbing the Monument to the Great Fire of London, which commemorates the tragic fire of 1666 that gutted the city within the Roman City Wall. You might also wish to visit other historic buildings within the City such as Dr. Johnson's House, The Royal Exchange, Mansion House, and the Guildhall.

Just to the southeast of the City is the Tower of London, where one can easily spend an entire afternoon walking through, exploring, and learning about England's royal history. This historic castle dates back to 1066 and the Norman Conquests, with the White Tower built in 1078 by William the Conqueror. The Tower has seen many uses in its near thousand-year history, as a royal residence along with a prison and execution grounds for many famous figures throughout the centuries. It was also used as an armory, a treasury, a zoo, the public records office, and also as the home of the Crown Jewels of the United Kingdom.



Today visitors can explore the grounds and buildings of the Tower, including a museum dedicated to the Royal Fusiliers, the Jewel House, and a memorial marking the execution site of Anne Boleyn, Lady Jane Grey, William Hastings and others.

If you still have some time (and energy) left after exploring the Tower grounds, other nearby sites of interest include the famous Tower Bridge (which has its own museum on site) and All Hallows by the Tower, the oldest church in London - and where William Penn was baptized!

Of course all who come to London are likely to want to see Buckingham Palace, the official London home of the British sovereigns since 1837. Check the schedule and show up early if you wish to experience the ceremony of the Changing of the Guard. Then, if open, you might want to visit the Royal Mews or the State Rooms. Afterward, enjoy a leisurely walk through St. James's Park, where curious and tame squirrels and ducks are likely to come seeking cookies, sandwich crumbs, and whatever else you might have to offer them.



Be a tourist and get your photo taken standing next to the Horse Guards, then stroll down Whitehall to take in the sight of Big Ben before entering Westminster Abbey. This primarily Gothic-style church is rich with history and incredible architecture, however the immense crowds of tourists can make it difficult to take it all in. I would recommend skipping the audio guide and paying the small extra fee for a Verger-led tour, to make sure you don't miss anything important.



Since 1066, Westminster Abbey has been were all coronations have taken place and at least 16 Royal Weddings (including the wedding of Prince William and Catherine Middleton). Until 1760 and the death of George II, most Kings and Queens were buried in the Abbey, and one can see their elaborate and impressive tombs here today. Many other notable figures from history, science and the arts are buried at Westminster, including Charles Dickens, Isaac Newton, Rudyard Kipling and Geoffrey Chaucer.

London is an art lover's paradise, with numerous museums boasting collections of some of the world's greatest masterpieces. An artist or aficionado of the arts will surely need to plan more than one day to see the best of what London has to offer, but for the casual enthusiast you may want to pick and choose between some of the top collections to see only those works most to your tastes and interests.

The other nice thing is that all of these museums are free to visit - although suggested donation amounts are posted should you wish to contribute to the maintenance and upkeep of these artistic treasures. Special exhibitions at these museums generally require tickets and an admission charge as well.

Of course, the National Gallery must be at the top of your list of art museums to visit. Founded in 1824, the National Gallery is home to over 2,300 paintings, showcasing Western Art from the mid-13th Century through to the 19th Century. It is one of the world's most important collections of Western Art, featuring masterpieces by such artists as Leonardo da Vinci, Caravaggio, Bellini, Titian, Turner, Vermeer, Gaugin, Monet, Van Gogh, and so many more. If you only wish to spend a few hours here, be sure to at least hit the museum's 30 highlight paintings - or search the complete list of artists to plan your own highlight trip.

After a morning in the National Gallery, why not enjoy lunch at their lovely Café? The food is quite good and often features special fixed price menus related to current special exhibits.

The National Portrait Gallery is right next door to the National Gallery, and worth at least a brief visit - or a much longer one if you are a portrait artist yourself and interested in studying in detail the techniques of master British portrait artists through the centuries. Over 160,000 portraits of famous British men and women can be found here, in this museum founded in 1856. It is an interesting exploration of British history, from Kings and Queens through to modern rock stars.



Next up on your art tour would be the Tate Britain, which features British art from 1500 through today. The Tate Britain is home to the world's largest collection of works by J M W Turner, and also features works by Francis Bacon, John Constable, Joshua Reynolds, and John William Waterhouse's famous painting of The Lady of Shalott, shown above. From the Tate Britain you can actually take their shuttle ferry right to the Tate Modern, which houses international modern and contemporary art. Major artists from Salvador Dali to Pablo Picasso can be found in the museum's collection of surrealist, pop art, abstract expressionism, and fauvism.

London conjures many images to fans of music, theater and literature: the 60s British Invasion, Harry Potter, Sherlock Holmes, spy thrillers and so much more. London Walks offers many fun, themed walks throughout the city that will take you on guided tours related to each of these subjects - and more! So why not plan a day to go walking through the history of your favorite musicians, writers, and/or fictional characters? Each of their walks lasts approximately 2 hours and costs only £8 - with student and senior discounts available as well. The guides are knowledgeable, entertaining and will help you learn not just more about the city's history but help you explore different neighborhoods of London with ease. There are generally morning, afternoon and evening walks available, so you can plan several for one day - or spread them out throughout your week depending on how you choose to schedule your time. Some of the popular walks you might want to consider include:

* Harry Potter Film Locations Tours
* Beatles and Rock and Roll History Walks
* Literary Bloomsbury
* Shakespeare's & Dickens' London
* Occult London and The Da Vinci Code
* In the Footsteps of Sherlock Holmes
* Spies' and Spycatchers' London

Of course, if you take one of their two Beatles walks, you'll get the chance to visit the famous Abbey Road Studios crosswalk - and try to recreate that famous Beatles' cover image for yourself! (Just watch for cars and buses, please...)

To visit The British Museum in London is to take a tour of world civilization and human history. It is considered one of the world's greatest museums and features an astounding collection of over 8 million artifacts, from Ancient Egypt, Greece, Rome, Asia, Africa and the Middle East.

If spending a full day contemplating ancient artifacts seems too much to bear, hit the museum in the morning for its most important highlights including the Rosetta Stone, Elgin Marbles, and the Lindow Man. Then take your choice of afternoon activities, such as shopping at Harrods or Carnaby, exploring the Royal Botanic Gardens, hitting another art museum, or perhaps take another London Walk.

As your trip to London begins to grow close to an end, why not get a bit outside of the metropolitan hustle and bustle and take a ride down the Thames River to Greenwich? A half-hour ferry ride (typically with commentary provided along the way by an entertaining guide) will land you in this historic, small district of South London with plenty of history and sites to see. Greenwich has long played an important part in Maritime history, and here you can visit and see the Prime Meridian - where many tourists pose for photos with one foot in the Western Hemisphere and one foot in the Eastern Hemisphere.

In Greenwich, you can also see the historic Cutty Sark clipper ship (currently being restored in time for the Olympics), visit the National Maritime Museum and Royal Observatory, take in the art and Palladian architecture of the Queen's House, and marvel at the stunning Painted Hall. From there, stroll through the charming and quaint streets of the town, filled with unique shops, good restaurants and pubs, and sample the food, arts and crafts in the covered Greenwich Market.

After you're done exploring, head back to the City of London by foot and then by rail. Walk beneath the Thames through the Greenwich foot tunnel, an experience not to be missed. You'll arrive on the other side of the river just outside the Island Gardens Docklands Light Railway station. From there it's easy to connect up to other Underground lines.

What's left to do in London? Plenty! In fact it can be hard to decide what to squeeze in for the final day of your trip, but now's the time to get in anything you missed but simply must see before you go. Here are just a few ideas and possibilities:

* The Churchill War Rooms. Those interested in World War II history should not miss this fascinating museum and memorial, where you can see the actual Cabinet War Rooms utilized by the government to shelter the country's most important government figures - and where critical decisions were made during those challenging years. The attached museum celebrating Winston Churchill's life and accomplishments is fascinating as well with many hands-on exhibits and displays.

* Visit the Clink Prison Museum. If you have a taste for the macabre, check out this unique museum. Clink Prison was one of the oldest in England, and here you can see torture devices and learn about the famous (and infamous) prisoners who spend time here in the past.

* The London Eye. Now that you've explored the city on foot, take a ride on the London Eye to get a bird's eye view!

* Catch a football game! Love soccer - or what the rest of the world outside of America knows as "football"? Then you might want to catch a game while you're in London and enjoy the sport with the city's enthusiastic fans.

* Visit Mayfair and Hyde Park. One of London's most exclusive, attractive districts is Mayfair, where you can stroll through quiet residential streets of stately Georgian homes and shop at fine art and antique shops. From there you can visit Hyde Park and take in such sites as Speakers' Corner, the Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial, or simply relax before heading home by enjoying the natural beauty and gardens of the park.

* See more art. If you're an artist or art lover such as myself, you will likely need more than just one day to see more of the incredible works in London's museums and collections. In fact it took me three visits just to survey as much of the National Gallery alone as I could!

* Visit the Museum of London, to learn more about the city's history - and reflect back on all of the places you've visited and seen in the past week.

* Take another day trip. While Greenwich is one of the closest - and easiest - day trip locations from London, there are many other sites to consider visiting if you have more time, either by train or arranged bus tour. You could visit Bath, Cambridge, Windsor Castle, Stonehenge... so many possibilities!

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