Ten Places to Visit When in London

London, England. A beautiful city full of fine architechture, grand art, history and culture, and is home to everything from shopping to the Queen. When in London, it is so easy to miss all the good things to do, spend too much money and then see London as somewhere which is too expensive. Yet for those who know what they're doing (and yes, often those with the money), London is a place they visit annually and never cease to have a good time. Here are my top ten places I'd recommend for people thinking of visiting London to make it enjoyable.

1. Harrods

Though some of you may know Harrods for its reputation of being expensive, it is still one of the best places I can recommend you go. The food hall is a beautiful and grand room with fine design and careful planning. Although some of what Harrods stands for involves the words ‘extreme snobbery,’ for the most point your Average Joe can sneak in and out again without a word being said to him.

2. Regent Street

Regent Street is a great place to go with interesting shops around and it leading onto many other famous areas of London, such as Soho, Oxford Street and Piccadilly Circus. It really is one of the best places to visit if you want to be central to everything. Besides, with a shop that is five storeys high, dedicated completely to your keen toy buyer, how could you resist?

3. Buckingham Palace

The stunning building with great scenery is home of the Queen. You can look around and wander the Mall, all the while seeing a beautifully quiet and luxurious area of London. Take a walk through Green Park whilst there and you’ll be stunned by the beauty a city can hold. Walk up onto Park Lane and you’re back into the central scene of London.

4. Covent Garden

This is for those who fancy a venture on the. A small and fancy Victorian part of London with great shops and stalls that sell fun and artistic things. Convent Garden is also one of the places to go at Christmas time, with it featuring great displays and a Christmas market.

5. Notting Hill

London’s Beverly hills. Although most cannot afford to live there, and one would see no reason to go unless you’re the type who enjoys looking at grand houses and walking clean streets, for those Americans who view the British drinking tea from China cups and living in white Georgian terraces, this is the place to view for their stereotypical Britain.

6. The Tower of London

We all love a bit of gore and a bit of history. The oldest surviving building in London is the notably famous Tower of London. A great piece of 11th century architecture, built by William the Conqueror and used for centuries to hold the Royal family and more famously as a prison and torture house, the more famous residents of the tower include the likes of Anne Boleyn, Jane Grey, Charles I and Elizabeth I.

7. The Globe Theatre

Originally built in the reign of Elizabeth I, the globe theatre is a clever invention of William Shakespeare and is well worth the visit of any keen actor or enthusiast of English literature.

8. Houses of Parliament (Westminster)

Well worth a visit even if you're not English. Tours are sometimes offered around the House of Commons and you can have the opportunity to see a great piece of Victorian work. A stunning building with a stunning purpose.

9. St Paul's Cathedral

Whether you're religious or not, the cathedral is a stunning building. However, the entry price is expensive which can cause most to run off, but to enjoy the cathedral you need not pay for much of its beauty is outside, though the inside is beautiful too.

10. The London Dungeon

Offering a brief history of London and England by means of role play, gore and scaring its visitors half to death, the Dungeons are a great investment of time. It's a wonderful place to go and is grand for those looking for fun, history entertainment and a reason to change their trousers half way through the day.

Of course there are many other places in London to visit, but these are just my favourite places. When visiting London always do your research and plan your visit carefully; it’s easy to get lost and waste an entire day finding something when a bit of planning could have prevented the waste. Remember that London is busy so travel with a friend and make sure you use public transport. It is among one of the best cities in the world and certainly one of my favourite places.