Only in London ★★☆
Classic sights and experiences that just scream "You're in London now!"
OK, so not all of the "Only in London..." sights and experiences linked below are actually exclusive to London.
Double-decker buses ply the streets of many cities. Plenty of countries have their own crown jewels. You can have an afternoon tea in just about any place once colonized by the British (once I enjoyed tea on a small Falkland Island near an penguin and albatross nesting ground while whales breached in the water below; surreal).
But these are the Crown Jewels. London is where classic 1950s Routemaster buses actually still trundle along select public bus routes.
London is the place for afternoon tea.
In short, this is the London, and this is what you came for.
More on Only in... in London
Sights in London
The ancient Thameside castle at the heart of London, where London began, ravens roam, and Yoeman Warders guard the Crown Jewels
London's great Gothic abbey is packed with the tombs and monuments of British monarchs and some the world's most famous playwrights, poets, scientists, and other notables
London's Royal Residence, from the State Rooms and royal gardens to the Queen's Gallery and the (yawnfest) changing of the guard
Set your watch by the actual Greenwich Mean Time clock, straddle the Prime Meridian line that divides the eastern and western hemispheres, and tour the fascinating little museum about it all
Even if you can't attend a performance, this painstaking replica of an Elizabethan theater in the round is worth a visit just to see it and learn more about the history of British theatre
London's iconic exclamation point, the clock tower housing Big Ben, sprouts from the honey-hued complex of be-spired 1840 buildings where British Parliament meets (and you can attend sessions)
The London equivalent of Times Square, a broad traffic circle bedecked in neon acting as the de facto center of the West End
This actual Victorian boarding house at 221b Baker Street is a (contrived, but fun) recreation of how Holmes' and Watson's home might have looked
Experiences in London
Raising your pinkies at a proper British afternoon tea in London (preferably with scones)
The play's the thing... to do at Shakespeare's Globe, a faithful recreation of a genuine Elizabethan theater in the round.
The boring of the tourists—I mean the changing of the guard—at London's Royal Residence
Famous Harry Potter sights, filming locations, and moments from the Harry Potter books and movies
Dining in London
Raising your pinkies at a proper British afternoon tea in London (preferably with scones)
Breakfast at London's Fox & Anchor pub comes with a pint of Guinness and the company of the slaughterhouse workers
The classics of British cuisine in the finest in British private club carvery (est. 1828)
The original Hard Rock Cafe serves overprices, undwerhelming American fare surrounding by Rock 'n' Roll memorabilia
Topics in London
Experiences in England
Weird, random, oddball, and just plain fun tours and activities you can sign up for in the U.K.
Lodgings in England
Stay in a real castle and live happily ever after (temporarily) as King and Queen of the castle
