Are you visiting London this summer, but finding it difficult to narrow down your itinerary to merely essential must-visit sites, attractions and must-do activities? Well, a good idea is to think along the lines of what may be the best in the UK capital this time of year.
London comes alive when the sun shines – everything here truly feels more vibrant, colourful, electric and cheerier even than normal – so, here’s our list of simmering summer can’t-misses (not least if you’re planning on staying somewhere very central like, say, The Piccadilly London West End hotel)…
Buckingham Palace
Only open to the public in the summer months, this most iconic of London attractions, is steeped in history and glamour. It’s free to walk up to the gates and peer through them all day long (and watch the Changing of the Guard each morning), but for the Real McCoy you really need to book a ticket and go inside to discover the State Rooms and the Queen’s Gallery.
Tower Bridge
The views of – and from the elevated walkways of – this most legendary of London structures simply bristle in the golden sunlight, while its exhibition enables visitors to discover its genuine magnificence on the inside. For those who may be on a budget, though (and perhaps staying at one of the discount hotels in West End), the view of the bridge at night remains the most spectacular – take our word for it!
Hyde Park
Over-spilling with fabulous fauna and flora, Hyde Park is London’s awesome, sprawling public space right in the very heart of the city (and so ideal for all those hotels near London West End theatres); it’s so big covers an eye-popping 350 acres of land. And, as you may have expected, this ‘green lung’ of the city truly comes alive in the summer. It’s simply perfect for a leisurely picnic-packed afternoon spent doing nothing at all – or playing ball sports, rollerblading, horse-riding or pedalo-ing on The Serpentine.
Borough Market
A pop across the river just inside of South London (although really it’s still Central London; don’t worry) affords you the chance to do a spot of shopping for the most awesome artisan lunch possible thanks to the foodie haven that’s Borough Market. Teeming with stalls, outlets, cafés and restaurants offering the very best from the across the gamut of world cuisine, you simply can’t go wrong here – as far as your taste buds and stomach are concerned!
The Shard
And just down the road from Borough Market is this, London’s most dynamic and most exciting, modern skyscraper. Climbing so high into the sky that its point of a summit seems almost to pierce potential clouds around it, it’s a building that you’ll find is best to scale on a summer’s day, as the 360-degree view from its thousands-of-feet-up viewing platform is like nothing else in the city on a, yes, cloudless, sunny afternoon or early evening.
