London Sightseeing
London is one of the most vibrant and fascinating cities to visit in the world, spanning thousands of years of history. If you’re planning to visit London, we recommend you stay in a London vacation apartment. You’ll enjoy all the comforts of home in a central London location. When a cup of coffee can cost $10, you’ll especially enjoy the savings that apartment living can provide.
History of London: The original City of London was about a mile wide and a mile across. It’s now the Financial Center of London, home to St. Paul’s Cathedral, the Bank of England and numerous banks – and called The Square Mile.
Over the centuries, London expanded and took over the small villages that adjoined it, such as Chelsea or Kensington or Mayfair. Today, London is a large City filled with charming and unique neighborhoods and sights. To enjoy your London vacation to the utmost, we recommend taking some tours to get acquainted, or to learn more about specific areas and museums.
Best London Tours:
For excellent tour ideas we recommend Context Travel. They offer more than a typical tour company, selecting guides from a network of inspired historians, architects, curators, writers, and even chefs. They will help you to explore, enjoy and discover this amazing City.
Context has a weekly calendar of small group walks (limited to 6 people) you can register for. Primarily, they organize tours for a private group or family. Some of our favorites include:
Tower of London Tour: Her Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress the Tower of London is most famous for three things: The Crown Jewels, The Beefeaters and the Ravens. In addition, it was infamous as a prison, hosting illustrious figures such as Sir Thomas More and Sir Walter Raleigh, and as a site of execution, witnessing the beheading of two of Henry VIIIs wives, Anne Boleyn and Catherine Howard. However, with a history that spans nearly 1,000 years there is much than this more to explore and discover. During the visit we'll trace the history of this site from its origins to today, in a fun and informative way.
English Fashion from the Tudors to Twiggy: Discover the fascinating history of fashion through the ages at the V+A museum and discovery why London is the center for fashion trends. Enjoy an incredible journey through the vast fashion collection at the Victoria & Albert Museum. The Victoria and Albert museum is walking distance from our Cornwall vacation rental apartment.
British Museum for Families: Few museums in the world are as fascinating as the British Museum. The walk will start with an introduction to the museum, and the passion for collecting developed in the 18th century by Sir Hans Sloane. You’ll pick a theme or a particular civilization and follow its development throughout time while navigating the museum. It could be on the development of scripture from cuneiform to hieroglyphic to our modern alphabet, using tools like the Rosetta stone and other ancient inscriptions. Or the Egyptian wing with mummies and more. (Note: Also a British Museum Tour for adults)
Customized Tour of London: Tell Context about your interests and a profile of your group and they are happy to customize a special tour for the day. From getting acquainted with the neighborhood to visiting hidden parts of London, the plan is yours.
Westminster Abbey: From its founding in the 11th century to the funeral of Princess Diana, Westminster Abbey has occupied a central position in British history for over a thousand years. During this tour, we will immerse ourselves in the medieval atmosphere of Westminster and journey through the centuries.
London and the Blitz: London has been nearly destroyed twice: in 1666 the medieval city all but disappeared in the Great Fire of London. The City was rebuilt and then seriously damaged during the Blitz of 1940-1941. One of the worst nights was the Sunday between Christmas and the New Year, the 29th December 1940, when the warehouses and offices were empty with people at home enjoying Christmas break. The tour makes World War II come alive and brings tears to your eyes as you hear about the bravery of the English, fighting impossible odds until America joined the war.
A World of Stories at the National Gallery: The National Gallery is one of the greatest collections of western art in the world and is a wonderful repository of stories, from the magical to the everyday, from the imaginary to the factual. Hear the stories of the Greek and Roman Gods, such as Mars, the god of war and Venus, the goddess of love as well as the fate of Ariadne, deserted on an island by her lover, Theseus, and discovered by the god of wine, Bacchus. A fascinating tour of stories in history and art.