Take a stroll along the canals through Little Venice, with peaceful surroundings leading to lively…read moredining and entertainment as you wind toward Paddington. Enjoy the eclectic boats parked along the way; maybe the On Air sign will be lit on the radio boat. Be sure to visit Rembrandt Gardens at the canal fork, then decide if you"ll head left toward Regent's. Of course we'll return.

A wonderful part of the city near Paddington Station where you can walk along and around the canal…read morearea and just take in the scenery. It was nice and quiet in the morning, there were a few cafes close by in the area as well. While on the path keep an eye out for bike riders going by as they use the canal path too.

An iconic, famous, and crazy busy section of London. From…read morehere you can get just about anywhere. It's a great starting and landing point for tourists. It is a central area to get to places like Leicester Square, Chinatown, etc. Tons of giant, lighted, neon adverts adorn the area. It's like the London version of NYC's Times Square. It's exciting, frantic, busy, and a perfect spot for first-time visitors to London.

Tip: I recommend riding the tube to get here. Piccadilly Circus tube station is conveniently…read moreunderground and it's affordable. Piccadilly Circus was an area that I frequented a lot during my visit to London in December 2013. It is a touristy place. I liked it for a number of reasons. Piccadilly Circus tub station is under Piccadilly Circus. I took the underground to get to this touristy site. It was a cheap, efficient means to get to and from the area. The area feels like Times Square (New York), or Yonge and Dundas (Toronto) with brightly lit screens and signs. You then realize that Piccadilly Circus established illuminated, giant advertisements since the early 20th century. What's special about Piccadilly Circus is that it's a junction where Piccadilly, Regent Street, Shaftesbury Avenue, the Haymarket, Coventry Street, and Glasshouse Street meet. Circus in the name doesn't mean seeing clowns and acrobats. Rather, it means a circle or roundabout. It makes sense when you see the statue of Anteros, which is also known as Shaftesbury Memorial Fountain. It gives you a good look at how the streets comprise this junction. Piccadilly Circus is close to these touristy spots: - M&M's World - Chinatown - Soho - Theatre district - Oxford Street (shopping) - Hop-on, hop-off stops Gone are these places that I enjoyed visiting: - Ripley's Believe It or Not - Angus Steak House I'm an M&M's fan, so I visited this place three times. I loved it so much! Shopping was great. You can find everything from phone accessories (I still travel with a USB cable with three different charging tips that I bought in London) to weed edibles. I liked the eclectic variety that was eye-opening at the time. I remember that there was a small winter fair at a park that I had visited nearby. I don't remember the name of the park or the fair. What I do remember is enjoying banoffee fudge for the first time. So good! It was fun being in this area. I'd love to go back and see how things have changed. If you've never been to Piccadilly Circus before, I recommend going at least once. (44)

Sky Garden ended up being such a fun experience while we were in London…read more We started at the restaurant on the 27th floor and ordered a bottle of champagne for my friend's birthday. They gave us a really nice birthday discount which was unexpected and appreciated. The service the whole time was fantastic and the views were honestly incredible. After that we went down to the 26th floor and stayed there for a while because the vibe was just really good. Live music, more amazing views, people hanging out and enjoying themselves... it felt very "London night out" in the best way. Touristy? Sure. Worth it? Absolutely. Definitely something I'd recommend making time for if you're visiting London.

The Sky Garden is an absolute masterclass in how to waste people's time while pretending to run a…read more"reservation system." We had tickets for 12:45. In any remotely competent operation, that means you show up at 12:45 and go inside at 12:45. Not here. Here, your reservation is basically a polite suggestion that no one intends to honor. There is zero clear signage, so instead of simply following directions like a normal human being, you are forced to stand in a line just to ask someone what you are supposed to do. And who is handling this? One single, overwhelmed employee who is somehow responsible for scanning tickets and answering every random walk up question. One person. For a major tourist attraction. It is not just inefficient, it is absurd. After wasting time in that line, you are then sent to another, much longer line. For your "timed entry." So at 12:45, your actual reservation time, you are not entering. You are standing in a slow moving queue wondering why this place even bothers issuing tickets with times on them. Let's call it what it is. If you cannot honor reservation times, do not offer reservations. This system does not manage crowds, it creates them. And here is the part that really pushes it over the edge. We missed another reservation because of this disaster. Not because we were late. Not because we did not plan. But because this place is so poorly organized and so wildly inefficient that it derailed the rest of our day. That is not just annoying, it is completely unacceptable. This is not some small oversight. This is a fundamental failure in basic operations, communication, and respect for visitors' time. It is almost impressive how badly it is handled. By the time you finally get inside, it honestly does not matter how good the view is. The experience has already been ruined by the chaos, the delays, and the sheer incompetence of the system. If you value your time, skip it. Or go in fully expecting your "reservation" to mean nothing and your schedule to take the hit.

Visiting the iconic Buckingham Palace was a must do on my trip to London. We planned our visit as…read morepart of a walking tour through St. James Park. We weren't alone. Hundreds of visitors were taking selfies in front of the massive gold and black gates. Everyone was hoping to get a glimpse of royalty that might pass through the massive black and gold gates. The palace from the Mall vantage point is a neoclassical addition that was completed in 1913. The famous balcony where I watched the Queen appear for decades is the central focal point. There is no charge for a walk by visit, but for a fee, you can tour parts of the inside.

Another thing to do on a first visit to London. Watching the changing of the guard is really cool…read more The audio guided tour is really helpful and educational as you're going through the state rooms, gallery, throne, and the incredible staircase. The cafe is outside (garden) and provides incredible views.

Fitzroy Square is the pearl in the crown of Adam,architect& this was his house. Now the film…read moremaker,Guy Ritchie,livesalmost next door. All houses on the south side of the squareare the only ones built

Great looking square. Makes me proud to be a Londoner. There are better squares though, hence just…read morethe 4 stars which was marginal. Couple of decent bars nearby and super easy to get to via overground or underground.

Bit of maybe useless information but it is still thereif you are an ardent fan..maybe?…read more The ground floor and basement maisonette was leased to Ringo Starr from early 1965, though he was to live here for only a short time before marrying Maureen Cox and finding a proper house ('Sunny Heights' in Weybridge). Ringo chose to keep the lease and sublet the flat to friends. This was the flat where John Lennon and Yoko Ono first lived together, and at the time it was owned by Ringo Starr after he had moved out. McCartney wrote several Beatles songs here including Eleanor Rigby. It was the location of their nude Two Virgins album cover and also the scene of their October 1968 drugs bust.During their time living at the flat, John and Yoko shot the controversial nude cover photographs. Apple employee Tony Bramwell having set up the camera for them and rushing away before any clothes were shed. Jimi Hendrix also rented it for a short while afterwards but was evicted after painting all the walls black. After the police raid, the landlord sought an injunction against Starr, forbidding anyone but Starr or his family to live there, and for no music or instruments to be played. Starr appealed, and a compromise was reached; only Starr or a family member would live in the flat. Nonetheless, Starr never used the place again, and sold his lease during 1969.

This is a building on the main campus of the University College London. Take a look at this…read morepicture: http://www.flickr.com/photos/castrovalva/748293060/ During World War II it housed the British Ministry of Information, and the story is that it inspired his "Ministry of Truth" in 1984. The buildling is quite accesible from the tube- located just off Oxford Ave shopping area, and def. worth a picture or two.

We bought tickets a few days in advance and was able to get an 11am entry time. There was no line…read morewhen we got there, but had to snake through before entering. There was a guided tour starting right when we entered, but we did the audio tour on our own. I had also prepaid for a kids's book that we picked up at the gift shop. I wouldn't get it again if I had a redo. We also picked up our audio guides, which were included in the price of admission. This was great as it had a kids program and the guided map let us pick and choose what path we wanted to take. We chose to hit the highlights, which takes 90 minutes and we ended up being there for 2 hours. The line for the crown jewels wan't too bad and was the highlight of the visit. They also had live shows in the common area that the kids loved.

Beefeaters Tour. That's all…read more The crown jewels are beautiful to see, but my favorite part of the Tower of London was the free Beefeaters Tour. I recommend heading to the Tower of London right when they open because it gets busy, even on weekdays. I was not prepared for the amount of crowds I would encounter. At 9AM, we went straight to the Crown Jewels. No photos are allowed inside. After 10:30AM, there is already a line to enter. We went straight to the first Beefeaters Tour at 10AM. The tour is normally for a group of 50 people, but there was no one taking a headcount when we arrived and our group went over 50 people. The tour was informative and hilarious. I would recommend the Tower of London for the Beefeaters Tour alone.

I mean you really can't miss Big Ben when you're in the area of the Houses of Parliament…read more The Gothic-Revival structure was built in 1859. Not only should it be part of sightseeing for visitors to London but it's a great landmark for meeting up with folks. "I'll meet you at Big Ben at noon for lunch" kinda thing. I mean you just can't miss it since it's nearly 315 feet tall.

What an exciting legendary British landmark to see! The tower is actually called Elizabeth Tower…read moreafter Queen Elizabeth II, but many people still call it by the nick name of the bell, Big Ben. The gothic tower sits close to the Thames and attached to the Parliament building. The building was designed by Augustus Pugin and Charles Barry. We did not go inside for the tour which cost £35. Ordering tickets is complicated as tickets are only released on the second Wednesday of each month and can only be ordered on line. (I don't even understand what "released on second Wednesday" means. It makes planing complicated.) Anyway, tickets weren't available for 3 months out. Great views of the Tower can be seen from Westminster Bridge. In the mornings, it is a great experience to hear Big Ben ring, counting off the hours. The clocks are said to be the most accurate clocks and have far outlasted my watches. Elizabeth Tower is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Definitely worth a visit and if you can order tickets three months in advance, a tour!