London Travel—Visiting Big Ben

Big Ben reflected in the water pool on the ground

London attractions covered in this article include:

• Big Ben ⭐
• Is the nickname for the Great Bell of the Great Clock of Westminster, at the north end of the Palace of Westminster
• When completed in 1859, its clock was the largest and most accurate four-faced striking and chiming clock in the world.
• House of Parliament
• Is the Palace of Westminster, the meeting place of the House of Commons and the House of Lords of the United Kingdom.
• Westminster Abbey
• Since 1066, it has been the location of the coronations of 39 English and British monarchs, and a burial site for 18 English, Scottish and British monarchs. At least 16 royal weddings have occurred at the abbey since 1100.

Photo Gallery

The below photos were taken on 12/31/2022, a cloudy to rainy day.

Tourists lined up in front of the red telephone box

Westminster Abbey's western façade

North door of Westminster Abbey, with rose window and flying buttresses above

Mahatma Ghandi stands overlooking the square towards the Houses of Parliament

Millicent Fawcett statue unveiled in Parliament Square On 24 April 201 amongst the 11 statues of men

Jan Christian Smuts – Prime Minister of South Africa (1870 – 1950)

London Travel—Visiting Sky Garden, London's Highest Public Garden

View from Sky Garden—Tower Bridge (left) and The Shard (right)

Sky Garden ⭐is London's highest public garden – a vibrant social space with 360-degree views of the city's iconic skyline. Here, you can experience London from a spectacular viewpoint. Enjoy lush greenery, exquisitely landscaped gardens, observation decks, and an open-air terrace.

Access to the Sky Garden is free of charge on weekdays 10am-6pm and weekends 11am-9pm, see its opening hours here. However, you  need to book tickets to enter.  Tickets are currently available to book up to three weeks in advance.

Sky Garden in London (YouTube link)

Photo Gallery

The below photos were taken on 12/24/2022, a cloudy day.  The wait time to enter the building is not too long on that day.

 

Monument to the Great Fire of London (near Sky Garden)

Entrance of Sky Garden on the Ground Floor

The Shard (the tallest building in London)

View from the restaurant (Darwin Brasserie)

Blackfriars Bridge in the background

London Travel—Visiting British Museum

Founded in 1753, the British Museum ⭐⭐was the first national public museum in the world, and today it is Britain’s most visited with more than 7 million people arriving per year. 

Figure 1.  Exhibitions and Events of British Museum

British Museum

Entry has always been free and includes access to the institution’s most important and sought-after acquisitions, such as the Rosetta Stone, Parthenon sculptures and Ancient Egyptian structures. The museum is an architectural gem itself, with the newly refurbished Queen Elizabeth II Great Court a highlight. See the open hours below:

Every day, except Fridays, the Main entrance closes at 16.00 as the Museum closes at 17.00. On Fridays, due to the late opening of exhibitions, the Main entrance closes at 19.30 as the Museum closes at 20.30. 

However, the museums and public galleries stay open with only Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year's Day closures.

Please note that Montaghue Place entrance shown on Figure 3 is not for general public.  On the day of my visit, I've seen it was only used for tour groups, but not for individual visitors.  If you're a member of the museum, you also need to enter via the main entrance.  But, you can join a shorter line which is solely used by members (do ask the gatekeepers first before joining any line).

Figure 2.  British Museum Map (Courtesy: Google map)

How to Access

Closest underground stations:

• Tottenham Court Road (Elizabeth Line / Central Line / Northern Line)
• Russel Square (Piccadilly Line)

You can download Citymapper app to your mobiles, which will get you to your destination easier.  You can also download Tfl Go app to complement what Citymapper app misses.  For example, Tfl Go covers Heathrow Express train ride, but not Citymapper.

Figure 3.  Room 30 Sainsbury Exhibitions Gallery Ground floor, Level 0

Exhibitions

There are multiple exhibitions and events held now and then.  For example, a special exhibition "Hieroglyphs unlocking ancient Egypt" will be displayed in Room 30 (see Figure 3) from 13 October 2022 to 19 February 2023.

Hieroglyphs were not just beautiful symbols, they represented a living, spoken language.

We could only glimpse into this hidden world, until the discovery of the Rosetta Stone provided the key to decoding hieroglyphs, allowing us to read this ancient script. The breakthrough expanded our understanding of human history by some 3,000 years.

Marking 200 years since the decipherment of Egyptian hieroglyphs, this major exhibition takes you through the trials and hard work that preceded, and the revelations that followed, this ground-breaking moment.

You can start your visit early by downloading Audio App from either Apple App Store or Google Play Store and purchase the "Full bundle" for a price of £4.99.  But, remember to bring your headphones with you or purchase earbuds from the Guide Desk and British Museum Shop.

Figure 4.  Ground Floor (or Level 0)

Detailed Level 0 Map

Both Guide Desk and Membership Desk are in the Great Court.

References

1. British Museum 
2. Travelling between London airports
• National Express (LGW ⇔ LHR every hour)
3. London Stansted Airport (STN)
4. How To Visit The British Museum In 2023: Tickets, Hours, Tours, And More
5. One hour at the Museum trail
6. Maps of the National Rail Network of Great Britain
7. Whole Foods Market (UK)
8. How Safe is England? What Travelers Need to Know
9. A Guide to Westminster, London
10. Must-Visit Attractions in London
• St Paul’s Cathedral
• Kew Gardens
• London Zoo
• London Eye
• ArcelorMittal Orbit
• Madame Tussauds
• Tate Modern
• Tower of London
• Tower Bridge
• Sea Life London Aquarium
• The Old Vic
• Hyde Park
• Imperial War Museum
• South Bank
• Oxford Street
• Buckingham Palace (changing-the-guard schedule)
• The Shard
• The Victoria and Albert Museum
• British Museum (ticket information)
• Royal Albert Hall
• The National Gallery
• Borough Market
• Shakespeare's Globe
• Portobello Road
• Westminster Abbey
11. Best Times to Visit London
12. LHR Terminal 5 map
13. St Pancras railway station (Eurostar Station)
14. Heathrow Express (Heathrow Terminals 2 & 3 and Heathrow Terminal 5 → London Paddington)
15. Transport for London
16. Museum map (link)
17. Museum Restaurants (link)
• Great Court Restaurant—Open: daily, 11.30–17.00 (last sitting 16.00)
• Lunch* – daily, 11.30–15.00 (last sitting 15.00)
• Afternoon tea* – daily, 11.30–17.00 (last sitting 16.00)
  
• Court Cafés—Open: daily, 10.00–17.00
• Pizzeria—Open: daily, 12.00–15.00
• is in the south-west corner of the Ground floor – just turn left immediately after you enter the Main Entrance and keep going.

England Travel—How Safe is London for Tourists

Source: [3]

Source: [4]

 

East End

East End—Heavily populated with immigrants from the Middle East, Asia and Africa, this London neighborhood contains the areas of Whitechapel and Spitalfields—lies mainly in the Inner London borough of Tower Hamlets:

Whitechapel is a vibrant, multicultural district in the East End, with many traditional pubs and curry houses, and the lively Whitechapel Market, a focal point for Asian food, discount fashion, and homewares.

Spitalfields is a lively East End area, home to artists, creatives, and a large Bangladeshi community. Brick Lane is lined with curry houses but the area is also known for street art, quirky shops, and trendy bars.

 

Crime Watch

As Chris said in the below video:

When I look at places like Italy or Paris, I know everybody's trying to rob me.

But you know what, in London everybody's trying to rob you here too.

Video 1.  10 Worst Tourist Scams in London (YouTube)

Video 2.  Thai tourist's selfie captures London pickpockets stealing her purse (YouTube)

References

1. 26 Worst Cities for Pickpocketing
2. Crime in London
3. The Top 10 Most Dangerous London Boroughs – Updated for 2022
4. London Boroughs map

London Travel: Getting Around the City Like a Local

Video 1.  How to Use Public Transport in London Like a Local (YouTube link)

Terminology

In Video 1, the below terms were mentioned:

• Oyster card
• Pay as you go fares
• Tube, DLR (Docklands Light Railway), London Overground, Elizabeth line and National Rail services wholly within the London Fare Zones area, and PAYG (special fares applied) can also be used on:
• Southeastern’s HS1 service between St Pancras International and Stratford International
• Gatwick Express and Southern services between London Victoria and Gatwick Airport
• Heathrow Express (train) between London Paddington and Heathrow Airport
• Journeys to Potters Bar and Radlett
• Elizabeth line (Tube) services between Hayes & Harlington and Heathrow Airport
• Values
• Pay as you go fares are cheaper than buying a paper single ticket or Day Travelcard.
• Your Visitor Oyster card offers daily capping. This means you can travel as much as you like in a single day and the amount you pay for your travel is limited (or capped). Find prices for daily capping and Day Travelcards.
• Use your card and save money at restaurants, shops, galleries and entertainment venues.
• Need to activate a new Travel Card on your Oyster
• by touching it at a ticket machine (not a barrier) should activate a card. You won't commit to a journey by touching at a machine - that should just give you your balance. That balance should show you whether any travelcard is loaded.
• You can use your Oyster card to reach Heathrow Airport (LHR) or Gatwick Airport (LGW), but not Stansted Airport (STN)
• You can put a Travelcard on an Oyster card (read more details here)
• TFL (Transport for London)
• a local government body responsible for most of the transport network in London
• Underground (or Tube)
• Underground in UK is usually called THE TUBE, because it mostly goes inside a tunnel, a tube
• The Underground serves 270 stations and over 408 km of track
• Rush hour in the morning is from 8 to 10 am and then in the evening from 5 to 7 pm.
• Overground
• The overground are more traditional trains as opposed to the metro style for the Underground. 
• Overground is more of a ring around central London - it's useful for avoiding going via central London if you don't want to. 
• The Overground doesn't go anywhere near Heathrow.
• Thames Clippers (Route map)
• Uber Boat by Thames Clippers stops at 24 piers along the Thames between Barking Riverside Pier in the East and Putney Pier in the West
• Services run from early in the morning until late at night 7 days a week
• Trams
• a fast, frequent and reliable tram service to routes through central Croydon from Wimbledon, Beckenham, Elmers End and New Addington.
• National Rail
• Long-distance railway travel to Scotland, Wales, etc.
• Emirates Air Line cable car (see Figure 3)
• Glide above the Thames in the Emirates Air Line cable car and take in aerial views of London's skyline, as you travel from the Greenwich Peninsula to the Royal Docks.

Oyster— a blue credit-card-sized stored-value contactless smart card

Figure 1.  London Tube Map (for the large print click here; for Thameslink click here)

Video 2.  How to Ride the London Tube (YouTube)

How to Get Around

Navigating the London Transport system isn’t always easy for beginners, but the official Transport for London app (Tfl Go—Android & Apple downloads) will give you a good head start. It will also help you find the nearest toilets.

After you have downloaded Tfl Go app, you need to get familiar with the Large print Tube map as illustrated in Fig 1.  From Fig 1, you can also find the "key to lines" and from Fig 2, you can find "key to symbols" and explanation of fare zones.

The easiest and most convenient way to get around London is with contactless payment. Simply add a bank card to Google Wallet and hold your phone to the card reader at bus and Tube stations. When you see a blue checkmark, you're all set!

Figure 2.  Key to symbols and explanation of zones (credit: Transport for London)

Video 3.  London Travel Tips (YouTube)

Figure 3.  Emirates Air Line (from Royal Docks to Greenwich Peninsula)

References

1. Transport for London
2. Oyster card
3. Elizabeth line
4. Oyster & Travelcards (National Rail Enquiries)
• If you want to use Pay as you go to travel beyond the Zones covered by your Travelcard, to a station within the Pay as you go area you will need to ensure you have sufficient Pay as you go credit on your Oyster card before starting your journey.
• Special conditions apply when using Oyster cards on National Rail - please view the Oyster Conditions of Use on National Rail services.
5. Terminal 2 Arrival Guide (Heathrow Airport)
• We advise to arrive three hours in advance for all flights (European and intercontinental).
• On average, it takes between 30 minutes and 1 hour to clear customs and immigration at Heathrow Airport.  However, it could be longer (i.e., up to 4 hours) if there are any problems, no way of knowing.
6. Find out the terminal your airline uses at Heathrow (link)
• TAP Portugal (T2)
• American Airlines (T3)

England Travel—Visiting London

Video 1.  London Complete Travel Guide - England Travel Ideas - Bucket List (YouTube link)

Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, London

Kew Gardens, probably the world’s most famous garden, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The garden, created in 1759, boasts the earliest and greatest botanic garden, including breathtaking landscapes, historic buildings, along with one of the rarest and most interesting range of plants. Hop aboard the Kew Explorer land train to enjoy the 40-minute tour of the gardens and learn about Kew’s plants, trees and history.

Don’t miss the newly refurbished Temperate House – the world’s largest Victorian glasshouse.

Figure 1.  Holland Park (London; 05/05/2021)

Figure 2.  Three main areas you would like to visit (from Video 1)

Palace of Westminster

Just across from Westminster station, the Gothic Revival turrets of the Houses of Parliament and Elizabeth Tower – which houses Big Ben – draw curious eyes towards the sky.^[11] A stone’s throw away, visitors can immerse themselves in history at the 13th-century UNESCO World Heritage site, Westminster Abbey, which has held services for 16 royal weddings.

Hyde Park

One of London’s most expansive green spaces, Hyde Park is also linked to Kensington Gardens and Green Park.^[12] While you’re there, admire the Victorian splendor of the Albert Memorial, and get your royal fix at the splendid Kensington Palace. Alternatively, head to the Serpentine Galleries for some world-class contemporary art.

Nowadays, the Green Park is a peaceful and safe refuge where visitors can go for a stroll before going to see the ceremony of Changing the Guard, held in the nearby Buckingham Palace.

The capital city has so much to offer those spending Christmas in the UK, from the Winter Wonderland in Hyde Park to the incredible Christmas shopping on Oxford Street.

South Bank

The stretch of the River Thames from Waterloo to Tower Bridge is known as the South Bank and is always busy with strollers, runners, art lovers and music fans. Along the walkway you’ll find an array of architectural masterpieces, including the brutalist National Theatre and Southbank Centre, the low-slung British Film Institute, the industrial-looking OXO Tower and Tate Modern, plus Shakespeare’s Globe.^[12]  For many, a stroll along the South Bank is as London as it gets.

Video 2.  Ultimate Guide to LONDON'S Best MUSEUMS (YouTube link)

British Museum

Founded in 1753, the British Museum was the first national public museum in the world, and today it is Britain’s most visited with more than 7 million people arriving per year. Entry has always been free and includes access to the institution’s most important and sought-after acquisitions, such as the Rosetta Stone, Parthenon sculptures and Ancient Egyptian structures. The museum is an architectural gem itself, with the newly refurbished Queen Elizabeth II Great Court a highlight. See the open hours below:

Every day, except Fridays, the Main entrance closes at 16.00 as the Museum closes at 17.00. On Fridays, due to the late opening of exhibitions, the Main entrance closes at 19.30 as the Museum closes at 20.30. 

However, the museums and public galleries stay open with only Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year's Day closures.

Figure 3.  London Tower Bridge crosses the River Thames close to the Tower of London

Borough Market

Borough Market—the mother of all London’s food markets—is one of the most unmissable destinations for both locals and tourists in London. It is just over the road from the bustling London Bridge Station.  

Although, it is situated close to one of the most innovative skyscrapers in Europe – The Shard – getting through the market is traditional and harks back to the past.^[15] Crossing the road from London Bridge station, you will be attracted by the smells and sights of the place which bring you into a remarkable community.

Figure 4.  Big Ben at the north end of the Palace of Westminster in London

Westminster Abbey

One of the defining landmarks of the city, Westminster Abbey has played a central role in the nation for nearly a whole millennium. Filled with the tombs of some of the country’s greatest kings, poets and politicians, history literally surrounds you here. It’s open most days – unless there happens to be a royal wedding taking place – and the abbey is an excellent way to feel part of the nation’s past.

Literally a stone’s throw away from the Houses of Parliament, College Garden sits within the precincts of Westminster Abbey. It is one of those London gems that hide in plain sight, and no visit to the Abbey is complete without venturing in.

Video 2.  Chelsea Physic Garden (YouTube link)

Chelsea Physic Garden, London

Located in a microclimate by the River Thames, Chelsea Physic Garden was founded in 1673 by the Worshipful Society of Apothecaries to train apprentices in the medicinal qualities of plants. It became one of the most important centers of botany and plant exchange in the world and has a unique collection of over 5,000 edible, useful, medicinal, and historical plants. This garden offers visitors a real sensory experience.

Video 3.  10 Best Places to Visit in England (YouTube link)

Video 4.  London: Historic and Dynamic (YouTube link)

Video 5.  INSIDE ST. PAUL'S CATHEDRAL AND CRYPT (YouTube link)

References

1. Where to Stay in Bloomsbury, London
2. Where to Stay in London
3. Maps of the National Rail Network of Great Britain
4. The Best Hostel in London: wombat’s City Hostel London
5. A Selection of England's best gardens
6. Whole Foods Market (UK)
7. How Safe is England? What Travelers Need to Know
8. THE BEST PARKS IN LONDON IN WINTER
9. The Best Time to Go to Europe
10. The 39 Greatest Constructions of Gothic Architecture in the World
• The Cathedral of Canterbury
• Lincoln Cathedral
• Wells Cathedral
• Westminster Abbey
• Bath Abbey 
• Palace of Westminster
11. A Guide to Westminster, London
12. Must-Visit Attractions in London
• St Paul’s Cathedral
• Kew Gardens
• London Zoo
• London Eye
• ArcelorMittal Orbit
• Madame Tussauds
• Tate Modern
• Tower of London
• Tower Bridge
• Sea Life London Aquarium
• The Old Vic
• Hyde Park
• Imperial War Museum
• South Bank
• Oxford Street
• Buckingham Palace (changing-the-guard schedule)
• The Shard
• The Victoria and Albert Museum
• British Museum (ticket information)
• Royal Albert Hall
• The National Gallery
• Borough Market
• Shakespeare's Globe
• Portobello Road
• Westminster Abbey
13. Through the Keyhole: Best Secret Gardens in London
14. Royal High Tea At Kensington Palace
15. The Complete Guide to Borough Market, London
16. A Brief History of The Houses of Parliament
17. The 12 days of Christmas: 12 places to spend Christmas in the UK
• London hosts an array of Christmas markets, ice rinks, and events leading up to Christmas. Our favorites have to be the wintertime market at Southbank Centre, Somerset House ice rink, and Christmas by the River at London Bridge.
18. Best Times to Visit London
19. Christmas at Kew
20. London's New Year's Day Parade
21. LHR Terminal 5 map
22. St Pancras railway station (Eurostar Station)
23. Heathrow Express (Heathrow Terminals 2 & 3 and Heathrow Terminal 5 → London Paddington)
24. Kensington Gardens Hostel
25. The most Christmassy things to do in London
26. East End—Heavily populated with immigrants from the Middle East, Asia and Africa, this London neighborhood contains the areas of Whitechapel and Spitalfields
27. Transport for London
28. The best Christmas lights in London
29. Buckingham Palace
30. Westminster Abbey
31. British Museum 
32. Travelling between London airports
• National Express (LGW ⇔ LHR every hour)
33. Trafalgar Square
34. London Stansted Airport (STN)
35. Tickets for Top Attractions
36. Sky Garden (Book Tickets)
• The terrace is open daily from 10am-6pm weekdays
37. Seasonal Guide: The 10 pieces you need to pack for a trip to London in the winter
38. How To Visit The British Museum In 2023: Tickets, Hours, Tours, And More