Where to go - Westminster and Trafalgar Route

Within the Westminster and Trafalgar area you can find numerous famous sights, which you cannot miss whilst visiting London. With iconic landmarks such as the Big Ben, Houses of Parliament and the London eye.

The Point’s of interest covered in this route are:

- Trafalgar Square,
- Downing Street 10
- Westminster Abbey
- the Big Ben
- London Eye
- the Horse Guards

Route

1. We start at the Caring Cross Tube Station, when you exit the station you should see Nelson’s Column towering up into the sky on the middle of Trafalgar Square, one of the most popular squares in London. 

It’s always busy on the square and there is a good possibility that you will walk straight into one of the many events which take place on the square, ranging from dance event, to the Sikh New Year’s celebrations until a giant Christmas tree and caroling. (Check here for the event agenda)

It’s a lovely place to sit down and watch the traffic go by, however we will return to this point on the end of the tour, so time to start.

2. Start on the square and walk south towards “Whitehall” if you look right you can see “the Mall” the street which runs from Admiralty Arch in front of your, all the way down towards Buckingham Palace which you are able to see if you look over the straight road. Just have a look, don’t walk down the Mall, walk South onto Whitehall.

3. After a few meters you will find a traditional pub called “Silver Cross” on your left hand side. I can recommend this fairly large pub as a good place to get a proper meal, or just to have a drink and a nice chat. However be aware, the story goes that the pub is haunted by the ghost of a young female prostitute, as a part of the pubs was said to be a brothel back in the 1800s.

Once you exit the pub you will see two red iconic/classical telephone booths just across the street, a nice place for some funny pictures.

4. Continue south on Whitehall, until you reach the Horse Guards Army Headquarters which is located in you right hand side. If you have missed the changing of the guards this is where you can find the Horse Guards.

5.  Walking down south on Whitehall you will also find Downing Street as the first road on your right.
The famous street houses the Prime ministers office on Number 10, with one of the world’s most famous front doors. You can only catch a glimpse of number 10 though some gates, as Downing Street was closed off for public after the terrorist attacks in 1991.

Continue walking south until will see the Big Ben reaching out on your left hand side. In front of you is a parliament square, cross this square past the numerous statues of famous statesmen. The square may also house some protesters, as the square is used for all types of protesting all the time.

6. Once on the south side of the square you will find the famous Westminster Abbey, in which the Prince William married Kate Middleton on 29^th April 2011. It’s a shame you have to pay quite a high entrance fee, as many people do not want to pay 16 pounds.
However take into account that the abbey never charges people who want to worship.

7. From the Abby cross the road towards the houses of Parliament, where the British Parliament is housed. This is also where the famous 96 meter high clock tower stands which houses the giant bell called Big Ben. However most of the people mistakenly call the entire tower the Big Ben, as only the clock is called Big Ben.

Walk towards the tower onto Bridge street, and follow the road onto the Westminster Bridge, which gives you a nice view of the area around the Thames, and the Houses of Parliament’s east side. The bridge has also featured in many films and TV shows, and houses numerous street artists.
Once you have passed the Thames leave the bridge and walk north onto the south bank boulevard toward County Hall.

8. Now in front of you, you will see Europe’s largest Ferris wheel called the London Eye.
A must see attraction if you ask me! When it was first opened in 2000 it was the tallest Ferris wheel in the world with a staggering height of 135 meters.
With a cost of just over 17 pounds, which entitles you to a breathtaking 30 minute journey, which gives you a brilliant overview of the city, I would say it’s defiantly worth it.
On a clear day you can easily see Heathrow Airport.

TIP: Depending on your time schedule and weather conditions I would recommend to visit the eye on a clear day. And preferably around the time just before twilight kicks in so you can see both the day and evening situation.
However take into account that you might have to queue for a while.

9. Continue to walk north along the riverside walkway with the Jubilee Gardens in you right. This lovely boulevard is a nice place to stroll around, with lots of street artists, ranging from living statues till musicians. 

TIP: If you are visiting London in the month September check for the Thames Festival, as this is a really nice event located around the Thames River(check here for more info) And do not miss the river fireworks display on the Sunday evening!

10.  Cross the river Thames over the Hungerford Bridge, and go straight ahead on Northumberland Avenue, which will take you straight back to Trafalgar square where this route comes to an end.

I hope you have or will enjoy the tour as much as I did and if there are any questions or remarks I would like to hear them.

Cheers,

London III – What to see

Once you found your accommodation it is time to explore the city, However where do you need to start? I will start off with a city tour which will cover the major sights, and would be most suitable for the people who are visiting London for the first time.

The best and quickest way to see all the major attractions is to take one of the many touristic bus tours, you will be packed on a bus filled with tourists followed by a city tour which covers over 60 attractions.
Even though you might feel like an über tourist, this is the best way to see the city within a very short time. You can hop on and off at every stop and you can get on every Citysightseeing tour bus within two days for just over € 25,-.

If you have more time and you do not want to get on the touristic busses, I would recommend you to walk from attraction to attraction, as this is the best way to find hidden treasures such as small pubs and stores.

The 10 Main Attractions in London are:

• The Tower Bridge         ( Tower and Soutwark Route)
• The Tower of London  (Tower and Soutwark Route)
• The Big Ben & Houses of Parliament (Westminster and Trafalgar Route)
• The London Eye (Westminster and Trafalgar Route)
• Buckingham Palace
• Piccadilly Circus
• Westminster Abbey  (Westminster and Trafalgar Route)
• St Pauls Cathedral
• British Museum 
• Harrods

I would say that majority of the attractions on this list are worthwhile visiting, you might skip the British museum regarding your interest, as you will need a full day to explore the full museum.

Then the other attractions can be grouped according to location, so I will describe what you can visit and what not to miss in specific areas. I have made a maps of the routes which I have walked a multiple times with friends and family whilst living in London.
I will start of the first route which covers the Tower, Tower Bridge, Docks and the Southwark.


1. Tower & Southwark Route
The Tower Bridge and the Tower of London are located next to each other, and are definitely worthwhile a visit. Once you are in the tower area you might also like to visit the St. Katherine docks and the Southwark.

1. This tour starts at the Tower Hill Tube station, once you exit the tube station you can find the Trinity Square Gardens on you left which will give you the first glimpse of the Tower of London. However you need to turn right to cross underneath Byward Street, once crossed you will see the old fundaments of the Tower complex.

2. Then go right and walk towards the Thames River with the Tower on you right hand side. Here you will find the ticketboxes and entrance to the Tower of London. (Entrance is quite expensive (over € 25,- for an adult ticket, however I found it worth it) It shows the history of the city and the tower, and it houses the crown jewels which you can see with your own eyes.

For more info visit their website

3. Regardless if you have visited the tower or not, you will turn left on the Thames side of the Tower, this is where you will have a very nice view of the Tower Bridge and this point is a very nice spot to shoot a nice picture of the bridge.

Then follow the path towards the Bridge and cross underneath the bridge towards the Tower Bridge Hotel, turn left and on your right hand you will turn into St. Katherine’s Way, on your left hand you will see a Sign which says “St. KATHERINE Docks”

4. Once you have passed the sign you will enter the St. Katherine Docks, which is a very nice place to relax and have a coffee whilst the boats slowly pass by.

Make a walk around the harbor and return towards the point where you passed the tower bridge earlier, however instead of passing through the tunnel, take the stairs up the bridge.

5.  Your now on the Tower Bridge, you are able to enter the bridge to have a look inside however I did not find this worthwhile, but there is the possibility.
Pass the bridge towards the south bank.

6.“Shad Thames” this area used to be part of the docklands and was a no go area, however nowadays the warehouses are transformed into apartments.
It’s a safe and lively area with lots of nice cafés and restaurants. Whilst strolling through these streets you can see the typical Dockland warehouses.
Walk back towards the Tower Bridge and pass underneath the bridge towards the west side. 

7. On you left hand side you will see Potters Fields Park and in front of you is the City Hall. Keep following the path which walk next to the Thames and follow that path

8. In front of you will see the HMS Belfast, which is a museum ship which has served during WWII, you are able to visit the ship.

Follow the path towards the west along the Thames and you will find some nice coffee places and stores on your left-hand side located “Hays Gallaria”.
The walk towards the London Bridge gives you a nice view of the city’s skyline.

9. Turn right onto the London Bridge, which makes a very nice spot for a Tower bridge photo on the middle of the bridge.
This is the end of the tour, you can either chose to walk back south towards London Bridge tube station. Or you can walk north towards Monument tube station. Which is close to “Monument” which is a monument for all the victims of the Great fire of London in 1666.

I hope you will enjoy this route, as I certainly did.

Cheers!