London, England in a Day
Choose a Hop On, Hop Off Bus Tour to See the Highlights of London
Sep 7, 2009
London, England is a world-class city brimming with centuries of history, art and culture. It can not properly be seen in just one day but in that amount of time a good overview of the landscape, architecture and all that this historic city has to offer can be seen.
City Bus Tours are Informative and Entertaining
Start by purchasing a ticket for a hop-on, hop-off style, double- decker bus tour. There are various companies to choose from and your hotel concierge can help with a recommendation. The Original Tour Company and The Big Red Bus are two options. Some tours may even include a cruise on the river Thames. With your ticket will come a map indicating each of the stops on the various routes offered. The buses travel continuously around the route so expect a bus to be at each stop about every 10-20 minutes. At each stop there is the option to hop-on or hop off and tickets may be purchased from the driver at any of these stops. Begin the tour by looking over the map and destinations. Make a plan as to which stops are of interest and plan to exit the bus and have a closer look. On the other hand, there is always the option of staying on the bus until returning to your original starting point. Listen to the tour commentary given either by a live guide or a prerecorded commentary with provided headphones. Whether getting on and off or taking the continual ride, the hop-on, hop-off is a great overview to a new city.
London Highlights
- Buckingham Palace- home of the Queen and site of the changing of the Palace Guards
- Westminster Abbey- site of royal coronations and burial place of royals, statesmen and writers
- Big Ben and the House of Parliament- located in Parliament Square across from Westminster Abbey
- Tower of London- fortress built on the shore of the river Thames famous as a prison and now home to the Crown Jewels
- London Eye- located along the Thames this enormous observation wheel offers a ride of 30 minutes
- National Gallery and Trafalgar Square-the museum has an impressive collection of paintings from the Renaissance to the Impressionists.
When deciding to return to any of the sites requiring a ticket, consider purchasing tickets ahead of time from your concierge or online in order to bypass the long ticket queues. Also, be sure to check ahead for days and hours of operation and local holiday closures. By planning ahead and taking a city tour, make the most of your visit to historic London, England.
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