subject: London's Most Popular Tourist Attractions [print this page] "When a man is tired of London, he is tired of life." So said Samuel Johnson, and the figures seem to prove him right as London's top attractions have continued to register increases in number of visitors in 2010 despite the recession.
What's so great about London, you may ask?
Find out yourself. From the time-tested tourist attractions to the new scene stealers, here are some of London's top tourist attractions, which you definitely should not miss when you visit the capital of the United Kingdom.
The British Museum is at the top of the list. It was visited almost six million times in 2010 alone. The Guardian reports that the boost in number of visitors was a result of the BBC feature "A History of the World in 100 Objects".
Art galleries such as the Tate Modern and National Gallery are near the top of the list. Tate Modern is famous for its collection of international contemporary and modern art, while the National Gallery houses one of the greatest Western European painting collections in the world. Entry to both galleries is free.
The Natural History Museum and the Science Museum provide hours of awesome activities that only these two museums can offer. You can even sleep over at the Natural History Museum, with its Dino Snores programme!
Among the paid attractions, the Tower of London continues to be a favourite. You might want to get an informative Yeoman Warder to show you around. Take our word for it; the tour is really more fun that way.
A recent addition to locations most visited in London is the 10-year-old London Eye, where you can see as far as 40 km in all directions. This is another paid attraction, but it is well worth the visit. Taller than the Big Ben, it is fast becoming one of the most beloved landmarks of the London skyline.
Being featured in Hollywood films pays off. The greatest boosts in tourism for the United Kingdom came from places that had been used as location settings in movies. The Old Royal Naval College at Greenwich gained a lot of curious visitors after it was shown in the latest "Pirates of the Caribbean" sequel. Upon the Thames, the Ham House at Richmond was featured in the movie "Never Let Me Go".
A lot more attractions are scattered all over London, and getting to these places should not be a problem. The quickest way to travel is still via the London Underground, or the Tube. Note, however, that the Tube stops operating at midnight from Monday to Saturday and at 11:30 p.m. on Sundays.
Now for those who plan to do a lot of shopping as well, you might prefer to hire a London minicab so that you can have an easier time bringing your bags back to your hotel. But if you're looking for the ultimate comfort, consider getting instead a chauffeur driven hire car, which will make your tour of London's many attractions completely hassle-free.
