A ticket to London's grand palace will cost you 16.50 GDP, but it's well worth it. The palace is closed when the Queen is living there, but when she leaves for her summer holiday, Buckingham Palace is open to the public. If the Union Jack is flying above the palace, she's not there. (The Royal Standard flag will fly if she is still there.) Explore the 19 state rooms, including the Throne Room and the Ballroom. Don't miss the changing of the guard when you go, which takes place at 11:30 A.M.
Buckingham Palace
St. James, London, SW1A 1AA
020/7766-7300
royalcollection.org.uk
London's beautiful medieval church runs 15 pounds per ticket for adults, though children under 11 are free. Travelers can visit the tomb, where Elizabeth I and Mary Tudor reside; the Abbey hosts 3,300 tombs in all. Also see the Poets' Corner, where Geoffrey Chaucer keeps his eternal vigilance. Fodor's Guide to London says, "[Westminster Abbey] has been the scene of 14 royal weddings and no fewer than 38 coronations---the first in 1066, when William the Conqueror was made king here."
Westminster Abbey
Broad Sanctuary, Westminster, London, SW1 P3PA
020/7222-5152
westminster-abbey.org
The Tower of London, London's famous grounds, was used as everything from a palace to an armory to library. Tickets cost 17 pounds. The Tower is a large place and you should allow about three hours to explore it all. Check out the Crown Jewels and the Bloody Tower, where Richard III infamously locked and perhaps murdered the little princes Edward V and Richard.
The Tower of London
H. M. Tower of London, Tower Hill, The City, London, EC3N
0844/482-7777
hrp.org.uk
The London Zoo will cost you around 17 pounds a ticket. The Snowdon Aviary and Penguin Pool are popular attractions. Gorilla Kingdom, introduced in 2007, also draws a steady stream of visitors. The Clare Rainforest Lookout houses smaller primates, such as tamarins, and the BUGS pavilion is a hermetic system with over 140 species of insects.
The London Zoo
Regent's Park, London, NW1 4RY
020/7722-3333
zsl.org
This popular, immense Ferris Wheel will cost you 17.50 for the 25 minute round trip. Buy online to get a 10 pound discount, or pay 10 pounds more in order to check in to the Fast Track line. The Eye's glass carriages offer a beautiful view of the cityscape of London, as well as inducing some mild vertigo. (You can buy a combination ticket to Madame Tussaud's, The London Dungeons, The London Eye, and the London Aquarium for around 54 pounds.)
The London Eye
Jubilee Gardens, South Bank, London, SE1 7PB
0870/990-8883
londoneye.com
