Top London Attractions - The best things to do in London (3rd part)

1. Before Arriving in London
2. How to get to London - Getting to London by plane, train, bus or car
3. Public Transport in London - Getting around London
4. Cost of Living in London
5. Save Money in London - Tips for Living in London on a Student Budget
6. London neighborhoods - The most important districts of London
7. London Nightlife - A guide to nightclubs and going out in London
8. Where to eat in London - British Cuisine and British Gastronomy Restaurants
9. Top London Attractions - The best things to do in London (1st part)
10. Top London Attractions - The best things to do in London (2nd part)
11. Top London Attractions - The best things to do in London (3rd part)
12. Top London Attractions - The best things to do in London (4th part)
13. Day Trips from London - Places to visit and excursions around London
14. Festivals in London - Festivities and celebrations calendar
15. London in 3 days - What to see in London in 3 days

Places of Interest

Oxford Street

Oxford Street is now one of the major roads in Westminster which runs from Marble Arch to Tottenham Court Road, however, it wasn’t always like this. In the 1700’s, it actually became well known as the route that prisoners would take on their last journey from Newgate Prison to the gallows near Marble Arch. Later on, during the Second World War, Oxford Street was a main target for the German forces so consequently, it suffered a considerable amount of bombings.

Today, with around 300 stores and half a million daily visitors, Oxford Street is Europe’s busiest shopping street! It’s definitely something you should see whether you enjoy shopping or not, especially at Christmas time as the decorations are really charming! The shops on Oxford Street are usually open until around 21:00 through the week and until 18:00 on Sundays.

Piccadilly Circus

Although essentially it is just a road junction which is used to aid the flow of traffic and allow pedestrians to move around, there is a lot of history linked to Piccadilly Circus. Originally built in the 1800’s, it has lived (and survived) both World Wars and the ever changing scenery of London throughout the decades. Today, Piccadilly Circus is known to rival New York’s Times Square, the similarities are so clear when you compare the amount of advertisements and lights in the two famous landmarks. There are a variety of shops in Piccadilly Circus such as Lillywhites which is always popular with tourists as they often offer discounts all year-round!

Platform 9¾

Anyone who is a fan is instantly going to recognise this number and know why it’s significant, but for those who may not know, this is the number of the “fictional” but magic train station platform from which Harry Potter catches the train to Hogwarts. However, this is no longer a fictional platform as in King’s Cross station (which is also the station which Harry catches his train from) platforms 9 and 10 have been separated by platform 9¾ where you can take a picture which looks like you’re disappearing through the wall to the magic platform!

Markets

London truly does have a variety of markets, most of which have been up and running for decades and therefore have a colourful and interesting history. People go to markets in London for a variety of reasons from trying international cuisines to buying vintage clothes, knick-knacks and antiques! So have a read of these markets and see which ones appeal to you!

Camden Market

Camden Market is the fourth most popular attraction in London so it’s definitely something that you’re going to end up visiting and it’s totally worth it. It’s definitely a one of a kind market with a totally unique atmosphere; you’ll be enticed by the exotic smells coming from the variety of world-cuisine food markets and tempted by the original craftsmanship and products in the eclectic mix of stalls and stores. You’ll find everything from all kinds of vintage things, whether that be clothing, collectibles, music etc., fashion and clothing, Indian homeware such as, bed covers, wall-hangings, ornaments etc., to futuristic clubwear in Cyber Dog, Mexican folk art and African-made clothing. On top of that, the canal which runs past the market is a great place to rejuvenate yourself after looking around the bustling market place. Camden Market is open from 10:00 until 19:30 everyday (even on Sunday!). To get to the market, you need to take the Northern line on the underground and get off atCamden Townstation.

Borough Market

Over 1,000 years old, Borough Market is a wholesale and retail food market located in the London borough of Southwark. Borough Market is a genuine source of fantastic produce, whether it be British produce or regional specialities from around the world; the produce is all produced by the stall owner - there are bakers selling their bread, farmers selling their meat and fishermen selling their fish. The colours and smells of borough market mingle together all around which truly provides a special experience in the ancient market. You’ll have to take either the Jubilee or Northern line and get off at London Bridge station (you can also get the overground to this station) which is the closest station to the market. If you fancy a bit of a stroll to the market, you can take the Circle or District line to Monumentstation or the Northern line to Boroughstation. The market is open on Mondays and Tuesdays from 10:00-17:00 but the full market isn’t open on these days. From Wednesday to Friday, the full market is open from 10:00-17:00 (until 18:00 on Fridays) and Saturday, the full market is open from 08:00 until 17:00. The market is closed on Sundays.

Portobello Road Market

A little fact about Portobello Road - it essentially got its name from a town in Panama, then called Puerto Bello, which was captured from the Spanish during the 18th century. That town is known as Portobelo in modern-day Panama.

Portobello Road market is the biggest antique market in the UK, however, people come from all over for the energetic and dynamic atmosphere which characterises the market. There are also fresh produce markets and fashion stalls and shops, so really, it’s several markets merged into one with all of them being in full-swing on Saturdays.

The opening times for the market are as follows:

• Monday-Wednesday: from 9am-6pm, the fashion & clothing, fruit & veg, Bric-a-Brac and food markets are all open.
• Thursday: from 9am-1pm, the same markets as Mon-Wed are open.
• Friday: the antique market, fashion & clothing, fruit & veg, Bric-a-Brac and food markets are open.
• Saturday: All above markets with the addition of the arcades are open from 9am until 7pm.
• Sunday: closed.

To get to the market, you’ll need to get either the Circle or Hammersmith & City lines toLadbroke Groveor the Circle, District and Central lines toNotting Hill Gate.

Brick Lane Market

Today, Brick Lane is actually at the epicentre of London’s Bangladeshi community, so it’s no surprise that you’ll see street names written in Bengali and hear people referring to it as “Banglatown”. It’s also a great place to go if you’re a fan of curry thanks to its many curry houses. The British Empire was founded and based in Bangladesh which is probably one of the things which aided Bangladeshi immigration to the UK.

Ever popular with artistic and creative types, Brick Lane has also become a realm of London’s deviating ethnic patterns. Galleries, festivals, markets and restaurants are featured throughout the year in the east London based, edgy and alternative paradise. The joy of this market is that you just never know what you’ll find - people scattered throughout the street selling their second-hand goods (you can find some real good deals if you look hard enough!), there are shops selling old magazines and you can even find a range of materials (if you’re into arts and crafts) as well as Art-Deco furniture. Why not finish your day in one of the authentic and inexpensive ethnic restaurants which line the street? There’s a range of cuisines from the aforementioned curry houses to Jewish bagel shops!

The market is open every Sunday from 10am until 5pm (which is great, as most other attractions, museums and markets are closed on Sundays!). To get to the market, catch either the District or Hammersmith & City lines to Aldgate East station or the Central, Metropolitan and Hammersmith & City lines to Liverpool Street station. You can also catch the overground toS horeditch High Street station.

Stadiums

London is pretty famous amongst sports lovers thanks to the amount of football stadiums there are dotted around the capital city as well as Wimbledon tennis court. Luckily for any tourists, you can tour some of the stadiums to see what it would be like to be on the field and watching from the stands. Teams such as Chelsea, QPR and Arsenal all have their famous stadiums located in London.

Emirates Stadium (Arsenal)

Visiting the Emirates Stadium is definitely a unique experience - especially if you’re an Arsenal supporter! Take the self guided tour which is narrated by Arsenal legend, Bob Wilson (audio guides are available in English, Dutch, French, German, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Chinese and Japanese). You’ll get to explore areas such as the directors box, home & away changing rooms, players tunnel, pitchside and much more! On top of that, the visit includes free entry into the museum, branded Arsenal headphones and a certificate! An adult ticket costs £22 whilst a student ticket costs £17. If you have a London Pass, you’ll get a free tour of the stadium. To book tickets, please visit the Arsenal stadium tours webpage.

To get to the stadium, take the Piccadilly line to either Arsenal underground station or the Piccadilly line to Holloway Road underground station.

Stamford Bridge Stadium (Chelsea FC)

A guided hour long tour will give you access to all the areas which are usually only reserved for the players and officials - this tour is not to be missed! It’s a great experience to see the pitch, the changing rooms, the stands and more! The tour will also gain you access into the museum. Tours depart approximately every half an hour from 10am until 3p, and last around an hour. The tour cost £19 for an adult and only £14 for students! If you have London Pass then it’s completely free! To get to the stadium, take the District line to Fulham Broadway or alternatively, get the overground which goes t oWest Brompton and Imperial Wharf which are around a 15 minute walk from the stadium.

To buy your tickets, visit the the official Chelsea FC webpage.

Wembley Stadium

Wembley Stadium is definitely the most prestigious one in London as it is not only home to England’s football team, but also the FA Cup in 2011 and the UEFA Championships in 2013. It has also been used for the only NFL match to be played out of the United States. Each 75 minute tour of the stadium takes visitors around all the areas which would usually be off limits to them, including the passageway which leads to the pitch so you too can experience what they players are feeling as they run out to start the match. The 75 minute tour for adults comes to £20 whilst for students it only costs £12. Additionally, if you have a London Pass then entry will be free. To get to the stadium, you should take the Jubilee or Metropolitan lines toWembley Park station, Chiltern Railways toWembley Stadium Stationor the Bakerloo line or London Overground toWembley Central station.

To have a look at buying tickets or more information, please visit Wembley Stadium's official site.

Twickenham Rugby Stadium

There’s no place more important in the United Kingdom for the sport of rugby - Twickenham stadium is sacred amongst lovers of the sport and the players alike. The Twickenham Stadium museum opened its doors in 1996 to show people around the stadium and educate people about the sport from its very beginnings in British public schools to current times.

The tour offers visitors to see areas of the stadium which are usually completely out of bounds to anyone who is not an official - from the changing rooms to the players tunnel which they run out of at the beginning of a match, lovers of the sport can’t afford to miss this tour. Take a look at more of the tour details as well as prices etc. on Twickenham Stadium's official page.

Tours cost £20 for an adult ticket and £15 for a student entry ticket. To get to the stadium, you will need to get the overground toTwickenham stadiumand then walk. Alternatively, you could get the train toTeddington/Kingston/Hampton Wickstation and then catch the 281 bus towards Hounslow and get off at the stop calledTwickenham Stadium; that will of course take a little longer however, than just getting the train straight to Twickenham.

Wimbledon Tennis Stadium

The Wimbledon Stadium tour is one of the most innovative tours around thanks to modern technology. You are taken through a 1980’s Gentleman’s changing quarters by John McEnroe. There are interactive touch-screen consoles and guides which throughout the tennis club in 10 different languages which take you through the history of the game and the world famous club.

An adult ticket to the stadium costs £25 whilst a student ticket costs £21 and with the London Pass, entry is free. To get to the stadium, you can take the District line to Wimbledon station or the overground to the same station and then take the 493 bus going towards Richmond, Manor Circus and get off at the stop called Wimbledon Tennis Club & Museum.

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