Pretty much every first-time visitor to London faces the same conundrum – just what should they include on their itinerary of attractions and venues? Just what *must* they squeeze into seeing and doing during their time in the UK capital?
Well, to get you off and thinking, here are a handful of such attractions – each of which would be ideal for a day-out any day of your trip, before heading for dinner at restaurants near Hyde Park…
The London Eye
This gigantic Ferris wheel is the tallest cantilevered observation wheel on Planet Earth, an attraction that provides visitors with stunning 360-degree views of the city as much as 135 metres beneath them.
One of the undoubted modern icons of the London skyline itself, ‘The Eye’ enables those who book a stay at one of the chic hotels Hyde Park London and then book a revolution in one of its 32 separate pods a panoramic view of a distance up to 40km away, which means you’ll be able to catch sight of all of the major sights in the capital (the likes of Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament, Buckingham Palace, the Tower of London, Tower Bridge, the skyscrapers of The City and Canary Wharf and so on), as well as many other lesser-known landmarks, attractions and notable sights.
Westminster Abbey
Founded all the way back in the year 960 AD, Westminster Abbey is arguably the leading place of worship of the Church of England, being the site where the vast majority of English/ British monarchs have been coronated – and where many have been honoured with funeral services, including HM Queen Elizabeth just this year, of course.
Indeed, the Abbey’s also served as the resting place of as many 30 English/ British kings and queens, while memorials to monarchs not buried on its grounds can be found on-site, too. Moreover, another popular attribute of this enormously prestigious attraction is Poets’ Corner, where you’ll come across the tombs of and/ or commemorations to at least 100 poets and writers of extraordinary historic repute, such as Geoffrey Chaucer, William Shakespeare, Jane Austen and Charles Dickens.
The View from The Shard
For another (even better?) 360-degree, panoramic experience of London, you might want to head south of the river and take the lift (translation: elevator) up the amazing glass-fronted, sky-piercing building that’s The Shard.
Standing at least 300 metres tall, this (mainly) office building located in the London Bridge district (thus, very easy to reach from boutique hotels near Hyde Park London) is actually twice as tall as any other building in the city, ensuring it’s easily the tallest building in the entire UK, too.
As an attraction, then, ‘The View from The Shard’ enables visitors to take in the sensational views from the building’s viewing platform (very near its summit) on levels 68 and 69. Moreover, many visitors take the opportunity to head a few storeys higher to the Skydeck (level 72), which is an open-air platform that may even provide even better views of the city way below – and in every direction.
Madame Tussauds London
Finally, can you really visit London for the first time and not take in a visit of Madame Tussauds? With its 190+ lifelike waxwork figures, this interactive attraction has always been and probably always will be one of the capital’s foremost mainstream venues.
Why exactly, though? Well, what other place, just minutes after leaving your hotel’s club double room behind you, enables you to meet royalty, get up-close-and-personal with A-list movie and music stars, and scrutinise the features and expressions of some of the most powerful people on the planet – from heads of state to politicians to religious leaders?
And what about its interactive elements? Here, too, you can try yourself against sporting heroes – even the heavyweight boxers that are Anthony Joshua and Muhammad Ali. Alternatively, you can exercise your vocal muscles ‘perform’ alongside Beyoncé and Taylor Swift? Who could turn their noses up at that opportunity, honestly!
