London

Beyond the top sights8

• Columbia Road Flower MarketA Sunday flower market on a street of Victorian shops.
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  Photo: Ethan Doyle White, CC BY-SA 4.0 / Wikimedia Commons

  Hampstead HeathA hilly heath with ponds and a protected view over London from Parliament Hill.
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  Photo: Diliff, CC BY-SA 3.0 / Wikimedia Commons

  Victoria and Albert MuseumThe world's largest museum of applied arts and design; entry is free.
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  Photo: Shadowssettle, CC BY-SA 4.0 / Wikimedia Commons

  Science MuseumScience and technology in South Kensington; free, with a pre-booked ticket.
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  Photo: Daniel Case, CC BY-SA 3.0 / Wikimedia Commons

  Royal Botanic Gardens, KewBotanic gardens with large glasshouses, among the oldest in the world.
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  Photo: Krzysztof Belczyński from Warsaw, POLAND, CC BY-SA 2.0 / Wikimedia Commons

  Cutty SarkOne of the last and fastest tea clippers, from 1869, now a museum ship.
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  Photo: Julian Herzog (Website), CC BY 4.0 / Wikimedia Commons

  Richmond ParkA royal park with 600 red and fallow deer.
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  Photo: heena_mistry, CC BY 2.0 / Wikimedia Commons

  London ZooThe world's oldest scientific zoo, at the north end of Regent's Park.

Neighbourhoods6

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  Photo: Jwslubbock, CC BY-SA 4.0 / Wikimedia Commons

  Shoreditch

  Best for: pubs, bars and nightclubs

  Pubs, bars and nightclubs just north-east of the City; an entertainment centre since its Elizabethan theatres.

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  Photo: Chris Whippet, CC BY-SA 2.0 / Wikimedia Commons

  Notting Hill

  Best for: Portobello Road Market, the Notting Hill Carnival

  A multicultural district known for the Portobello Road Market and the annual Notting Hill Carnival.

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  Photo: Jarle Hammen Knudsen (dubidubno), CC BY 4.0 / Wikimedia Commons

  Camden Town

  Best for: street markets, music venues, the canal

  Street markets and music venues on the London canal network, where retail, tourism and entertainment replaced the old industry.

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  Photo: Yaanch at English Wikipedia, Public domain / Wikimedia Commons

  Kensington

  Best for: museums, Kensington Gardens, Kensington High Street

  The Natural History Museum, the V&A and the Science Museum in South Kensington, Kensington Gardens to the north-east and shops along Kensington High Street.

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  Photo: Dietmar Rabich, CC BY-SA 4.0 / Wikimedia Commons

  Greenwich

  Best for: Maritime Greenwich, the Cutty Sark, Greenwich Park

  The UNESCO World Heritage Site of Maritime Greenwich and the Greenwich Meridian, on the Thames in south-east London.

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  Photo: Tom Morris, CC BY-SA 3.0 / Wikimedia Commons

  Soho

  Best for: West End shows, restaurants, Chinatown

  One of London's main entertainment districts since the 19th century, with Chinatown on its southern edge.

Where to eat5

• Borough MarketOne of London's oldest food markets, next to London Bridge station.
• Brick LaneA street of Bangladeshi curry restaurants in the East End.
• ChinatownChinese restaurants and bakeries around Gerrard Street.
• Maltby Street MarketWeekend street food under the railway arches near Tower Bridge.
• Old Spitalfields MarketA covered market with stalls, shops and restaurants, open every day.

Local specialties5

• Fish and chipsBattered fried fish with chips, often called the national dish.
• Full English breakfastA cooked breakfast of bacon, sausages, eggs, black pudding and toast.
• Sunday roastRoast meat, potatoes, Yorkshire pudding and gravy, on Sundays.
• Pie and mashMinced beef pie, mashed potato and parsley sauce from London's docks.
• Afternoon teaSavoury and sweet treats with tea; scones with clotted cream and jam.

Day trips3

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  Photo: Diliff, CC BY 2.5 / Wikimedia Commons

  Windsor CastleTrain from Paddington via Slough, about 35 minutes.
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  Photo: Andrew Gray, CC BY-SA 3.0 / Wikimedia Commons

  OxfordDirect trains from London Paddington or London Marylebone.
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  Photo: Dmitry Tonkonog, CC BY-SA 3.0 / Wikimedia Commons

  CambridgeDirect trains from London King's Cross or London Liverpool Street.

Sources108