# Travel >> Travel Advice >> Sightseeing

London Tourist Attractions Near Piccadilly Circus

Piccadilly Circus is one of the most famous intersections in London. Connecting five major streets in a traffic circle with a bronze statue of Eros in the middle, Piccadilly Circus, with large crowds for people watching, restaurants and shops, is a tourist destination in its own right. After exploring Piccadilly Circus, wander a few blocks to some of London's most famous tourist attractions.

National Gallery
- A few blocks from Piccadilly Circus, down Haymarket Street to Trafalgar Square is the National Gallery. The National Gallery is one Europe's most famous art museums, housing the British collection of European art from 1250 to 1900. Browse the impressive collection that includes works by Leonardo da Vinci, Botticelli, Velaquez, Turner, Van Gogh and the French Impressionists.
  
  National Gallery
  Trafalgar Square
  London, WC2, United Kingdom
  011 (+44) 020 7747 2885
  nationalgallery.org.uk
National Portrait Gallery
- Next to the National Gallery, the separate National Portrait Gallery is a walk through a who's who in British history. View paintings of King Henry VIII and his wives, Queen Elizabeth I, Shakespeare (his only real life portrait), Queen Victoria, and the present royal family. Also included are portraits of famous explorers, such as Drake and Raleigh, and writers, such as Wordsworth, Blake and Byron.
  
  National Portrait Gallery
  2 Saint Martin's Place
  London, WC2H 0HE, United Kingdom
  011 (+44) 020 7312 2463
  http://www.npg.org.uk
Buckingham Palace
- A half mile walk past parks and elegant mansions from Piccadilly Circus is Buckingham Palace, home to the British royal family since 1837. Watch the changing of the guards at 11:30 a.m. daily in the summer. If you are visiting in the months of August and September when the queen is out of town, you can tour the royal residences and throne room. After examining Buckingham Palace, stroll across the street through St. James Park, with its tree-lined paths, lakes filled with swans and luxurious gardens.
  
  Buckingham Palace
  Buckingham Palace Road / The Mall
  London, SW1A 1AA, United Kingdom
  011 (+44) 020 7766 7300
  royal.gov.uk
St Martin-in-the-Fields Church
- Also located in Trafalgar Square is St Martin-in-the-Fields church. This church, with its steepled entrance, was built in 1726, and is the architectural model for many town churches in the New England area of the United States. Today, St Martin-in-the-Fields is a practicing Christian church and is known for its free lunch concerts on Monday, Tuesdays and Fridays.
  
  St Martin-in-the-Fields  Church
  Trafalgar Square  
  London WC2N 4JJ  United Kingdom
  011 (+44) 020 7766 1100
  www2.stmartin-in-the-fields.org/page/home/home.html