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Friday, November 21, 2008

Top 10 Tourist Sites In London

You have booked a hard-earned week's holiday in London and are now wondering how to plan the itinerary. But the problem is what to see? And how to cram in as much as possible? The answer is not really quantity, but quality because in London you can never have enough time or money to see absolutely everything. To be frank, some of the attractions are not worth the journey anyway, so you need to prioritize your time and resources. So with this in mind we have drawn up a list of the best of tourist sites in London.

1. Buckingham Palace
Buckingham Palace
Home to Queen Elizabeth II when she is resident in the city. Hundreds of years of Royal heritage all under one roof.

2. London Eye
London Eye
Surprisingly new to London, but the London Eye has rapidly become a major London icon. It is a great way to see and rejoice at the beautiful city.

3. Tower of London
Tower of London

4. Covent Garden
Convent Garden
A really vibrant square with a great collection of shops offering tea, clothes, jewelery. There has been a market here for the last 500+ years, and sometimes it is as though the past echoes of traders past are still around! If you are lucky, you can catch a live performance of opera, music or jugglers.

5. Trafalgar Square
Trafalgar Square
Since the pigeons have been banned from the square, it has lost some of its grubby character. But the gleaming, pigeon-free square has Nelson's column, and of course the water fountains. The National Gallery, Chinatown and St James' Park are all a short walk away.

6. Hyde Park
Hyde Park
One of the biggest in London with a lake for a leisurely boating experience. Go for a jog, relaxing stroll or bird watching (of the winged kind!)

7. Oxford Street
Oxford Street
Even though some parts of this famous street need a lick of paint, it is still a huge attraction for the sheer variety of shops. A favourite is Selfridges, on the marble arch side.

8. St Paul's cathedral
St Paul Cathedral
Designed by Sir Christopher Wren but had to be partly rebuilt after World War II, it is a stunning piece of architectural genius

9. Houses of Parliament
Houses of Parliament
If you wan to see the epicenter of British politics, the Houses of Parliament is the ideal place to see the policy-making centre. Not to forget the machinations, back biting and power games played within these walls.

10. Modern Tate
Modern Tate
Cutting edge art exhibitions ensure the Modern Tate's place in London's icon of cool!

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