Top 5 London Attractions

City: London
State: Greater London
Country: England

The city of London is the capital of England, and its boundaries have remained almost unchanged since the middles ages. London is a major business and financial centre, and is considered 1 of the financial capitals of the world. Despite its long history, London has few historic buildings, as the majority were destroyed by fire or war.

Still, there remain many interesting attractions, all located relatively close to each other in the packed city of London. Here are the Top 5 Tourist Attractions to visit in London, all of which hold important cultural or historical significance. All these are permanent locations which can be visited and viewed at any time throughout the year.

1. Buckingham Palace

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Buckingham Palace is the official London residence of the monarch of England, and while much of the premises is by invitation only, there are several areas of Buckingham Palace open to the public. These include the Queen’s Gallery, an art gallery featuring a rotating exhibit of pieces, and the Forecourt, where the Changing Of The Guard ceremony is held.

Seasonal guided tours of the 19 State Rooms are held when the rooms aren’t being used for state functions.

2. Tower Bridge & River Thames

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The Tower Bridge spanning the River Thames is an iconic suspension bridge in England, known for its ability to raise the bridge to allow river traffic to pass. Besides the great view of the River Thames from the Tower Walkways, the Tower Bridge Exhibition is also interesting with its interactive displays.

It is often mistaken as London Bridge, as referenced in the children’s nursury rhyme. The actual London Bridge is the next bridge upstream of the Tower Bridge.

3. Big Ben / Elizabeth Tower

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Officially known as Elizabeth Tower, the more commonly nicknamed Big Ben is an iconic clock tower in London, and a symbol of England. Situated at one end of the Palace of Westminster, along the Westminster Bridge and just opposite the famous London Eye giant ferris wheel, Big Ben / Elizabeth Tower is among the most reliable and accurate clocks in the world.

It is also the largest 4-face chiming clock worldwide.

4. Tate Modern

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Tate Modern is an England gallery of international modern and contemporary art in London, and is part of the Tate Group of Art Galleries, which include Tate Britain, Tate Liverpool, Tate Saint Ives and Tate Online.

With its 8 exhibition wings, spanning 4 levels, containing over 70,000 pieces, Tate Modern is the most visited modern art gallery in the world.

5. Madame Tussauds Wax Museum

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The original Madame Tussauds Wax Museum in London, founded by wax sculptor Marie Tussaud Grosholtz, is a major England tourist attraction, known for its collection of life-like wax sculptures of famous A-list celebrities, sporting legends, political heavyweights, historical icons, fictional characters and even British royalty.

A highlight of Madame Tussauds Wax Museum is the original Chamber Of Horrors, with its dark, gruesome displays and figures of well-known criminals.