Eight places that are worth the queue, with the time each one takes and the hour to go. If you have two days, do the first four and finish at the river.
1Tower of London
Photo: Jim Vajda / Flickr, CC BY 2.0
A fortress on the river that has been a palace, a mint and a prison, and still guards the Crown Jewels.
Time
3 to 4 h
Setting
Both
Best time
Opening time, Jewel House first
Getting there
Tower Hill (District, Circle)
Tip: The Crown Jewels draw the longest line of the day, so walk past everything else and join it first. The Yeoman Warders lead tours that are worth the wait for the stories alone, and the ravens near the White Tower are real residents.
Adult ticket £37, children under 5 free. Hours shift in winter, so look at the Tower's own site before you set out.
The Abbey has crowned English monarchs for nearly a thousand years, and across the road Parliament and Big Ben fill the skyline.
Time
1 h 30 min to 2 h
Setting
Both
Best time
Early on a weekday
Getting there
Westminster (Jubilee, District, Circle)
Tip: The Parliament photo everyone wants is from Westminster Bridge, and it works best before the crowd arrives or in the blue hour. Inside the Abbey, leave time for the cloisters, which are included in the ticket.
Abbey adults £32, ages 65 and over and students £29, ages 6 to 17 £14, under 6 free. Opening hours change from day to day, and the Abbey can shut at short notice because it is a working church, so read its calendar on the day.
Wren's answer to the Great Fire of 1666: a domed cathedral with a crypt full of national heroes and galleries you climb for the view.
Time
1 h to 1 h 30 min, longer if you climb the dome
Setting
Indoor
Best time
Weekday morning
Getting there
St Paul's (Central)
Tip: The climb to the Stone and Golden Galleries is steep and narrow, so go early when it is not crowded. Sunday is for worship only and there is no sightseeing, which is easy to miss when you plan a weekend.
Sightseeing Monday to Saturday from 8.30 am, last entry usually 4 pm. Adults £27, children £10.50.
The blue-and-white bascule bridge that the whole world uses as shorthand for London, with glass-floored walkways high between the towers.
Time
1 h to 1 h 30 min with the exhibition
Setting
Both
Best time
Late afternoon, when the light turns gold
Getting there
Tower Hill (District, Circle) or London Bridge (Jubilee, Northern)
Tip: Walking across costs nothing, and from the South Bank side you get the best view of the towers. The bridge opens for ships about 500 times a year, and the dates are posted on its website, so it is worth a look before you plan the day.
Exhibition daily 9.30 am to 6 pm, last entry 5 pm.
Two million years of human history in one building, from Egyptian mummies to the Rosetta Stone, under a glass roof designed by Norman Foster.
Time
2 to 3 h
Setting
Indoor
Best time
Friday evening, when it stays open late
Getting there
Tottenham Court Road (Central, Northern, Elizabeth)
Tip: Do not try to see it all. Pick three galleries, say Egypt, Greece and the Sutton Hoo treasure, and leave the rest for another day. Friday evenings feel calmer than any weekend afternoon.
Free. Open daily 10 am to 5 pm, Fridays until 8.30 pm. Booking a free ticket in advance gets you priority entry when it is busy.
Photo: Barry Marsh / Flickr, Public Domain Mark 1.0
The Cutty Sark, the fastest tea clipper of her day, sits in dry dock beside the Thames, with the Queen's House and a royal park on the hill behind.
Time
3 to 4 h
Setting
Both
Best time
Morning, before the park fills up
Getting there
DLR Cutty Sark for Maritime Greenwich
Tip: The Royal Observatory is closed for refurbishment from 2 November 2026, so spend that time on the Cutty Sark and then climb Greenwich Park for the view over the Queen's House to Canary Wharf. The National Maritime Museum is free and quite big, and it makes a good wet-weather fallback.
Cutty Sark adults £22, daily 10 am to 5 pm, last entry 4.15 pm. National Maritime Museum and Queen's House are free. Greenwich Park is free, with pedestrian gates open 6 am to 6 pm.
A Romanesque terracotta palace full of dinosaurs, minerals and a whale skeleton hanging in the great hall.
Time
2 to 3 h
Setting
Indoor
Best time
Afternoon on a wet day
Getting there
South Kensington (Piccadilly, District, Circle)
Tip: Walk in under the whale and then work upwards. Families tend to go for the dinosaurs first, so the mineral and Earth galleries stay quieter. Entry is free, but special exhibitions are ticketed separately.
Free. Open daily 10 am to 5.50 pm, last entry 5.30 pm. Closed 24 to 26 December.
A slow rotation on a giant wheel beside the Thames, with Parliament, St Paul's and the whole bend of the river laid out below.
Time
30 min a turn
Setting
Outdoor
Best time
Sunset, booked ahead
Getting there
Waterloo (Jubilee, Northern, Bakerloo)
Tip: Booking online saves real money and time, so do not queue at the ticket hall. Pick a slot about half an hour before sunset and you get the day and the lit-up city in one ride.
Adults from £29 online and £39 on the day, children 2 to 15 from £26 online and £35 on the day, under 2s free.
