London Top Five River Attractions

Big Ben, London Eye, the Tower, St Paul's Cathedral, River Thames

Mar 27, 2008

A list of London's best visitor attractions includes Big Ben, the River Thames, St Paul's Cathedral, the Tower of London and the British Airways London Eye.

To try to reduce London's best visitor attractions to a mere Top Five is to attempt the impossible. But many of the city's best sights are right on the River Thames – including, of course, the river itself! Anyone visiting England's capital city for a long holiday or a short city break ought to at least consider seeing some if not all of these top London river attractions:

Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament

The clock tower that contains the Big Ben bell is one of the mos recognised and photographed symbols of London. The best view can be found by crossing the bridge to the south side, and if you only want to see these buildings then visit at night. If you want to tour inside or sit in on a Parliamentary debate and perhaps see the Prime Minister, you'll need to go during the day and get details in advance from the Parliamentary website.

The British Airways London Eye is a simple idea, introduced on the banks of the Thames to mark the Millennium. It instantly became one of the most popular attractions in the city, and a 25-minute journey in one of the pods to get a bird's-eye view of London is an absolute must.

River Thames

You can't miss the River Thames, whether you walk by it to see the London Eye, Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament or the Tower of London, whether you go across it to linger on one of its famous bridges and enjoy the views, or if you take a river cruise up or down stream for the best views of all.

London's great cathedral where important occasions like the wedding of Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer and the funeral of Sir Winston Churchill took place. Designed by Sir Christopher Wren, it took 35 years to build and was finished in 1710. Highlights include the tombs of Lord Nelson, the Duke of Wellington and Sir Christopher Wren; the famous Whispering Gallery set below the dome; the Stone Gallery, which is even higher and so gives great views of London and the River Thames; and the American Memorial Chapel, which commemorates over 28,000 US servicemen who died while stationed on British soil during the Second World War.

Allow a full day if you want to see everything the Tower has to offer, including the British Crown Jewels, the famous Beefeaters, the ravens, the Bloody Tower, Traitors' Gate, King Henry VIII's suit of armour in the Armories housed in the White Tower, and plenty more.

The copyright of the article London Top Five River Attractions in England Travel is owned by Mike Gerrard. Permission to republish London Top Five River Attractions in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.