5 Famous Buildings in London, England - Updated 2024

famous buildings in london
Shivani
Shivani 
Updated
| 3 min read

London, the capital of England, is truly cosmopolitan with people from different cultures and ethnic backgrounds roaming its streets. It is also the largest city of England, the United Kingdom, and the European Union. Housing one of the busiest airports in the world, the number of tourists visiting London has only increased year after year. VisitBitain, the national tourism agency of Britain, estimated the number of visitors to the UK in 2018 was above 40 million, with most of them stopping over in London. London is rich in culture, with many terming it as the cultural capital of the world. From the London Eye to the Tower of London, there are a lot of must-see monuments and famous buildings in London. Some of them are the Buckingham Palace, Madame Tussauds London, HM Tower of London and British Museum. Scroll below to check out the famous buildings in London, UK.

1. Buckingham Palace (from USD 92.0)

Buckingham Palace, in England, is the official residence of the queen. Every summer, the palace opens its door and welcomes visitors to tour its premises. It is on every visitor’s list and is one of the few working royal palaces in the world. The staterooms, the grand staircase, fine art by some of the most celebrated artists in the world and the throne room are some of the things you will see in the Buckingham Palace Tour. As a part of the tour, you will also get a free audio guide introduced by none other than Prince Charles, the Prince of Wales, that takes you through all 19 staterooms and the annual special exhibition. These guides are available in multiple languages, including English. The tour ends at the Garden Café that offers a range of refreshments for people. The complete tour needs a minimum of two hours and promises a glimpse into the royal life.

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Buckingham Palace Tour with Changing of the Guard Ceremony

Duration: 2 hours 30 minutes

827 reviews

2. Madame Tussauds London (from USD 43.0)

Located on Baker Street and established in 1836, Madame Tussauds is one of the most popular and most visited London destination for tourists. It houses wax figures of famous celebrities which are amazingly lifelike. It also gives the visitors an opportunity to get clicked with their favorite stars from around the world. It has 14 interactive areas to give the visitors an experience of a lifetime. These interactive areas have been categorized into various zones like Party Zone, Film Zone, YouTube Zone, Sports Zone, Royal Zone, Culture Zone, Music Zone, World Leader Zone, Ride, Fashion Zone, Marvel Zone, Behind the Scene Zone and Events.

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Madame Tussauds London Skip The Line with Star Wars Exhibition

Duration: 2 to 3 hours

2044 reviews

3. Coca Cola London Eye (from USD 52.0)

Coca Cola London Eye is a very popular attraction located on by the river Thames. Launched in the year 2000, it is situated by the Westminster Bridge. It is 135 meters (442 feet) high and is Europe’s tallest observation wheel. The Coca Cola London Eye has 32 capsules and can hold up to 25 people. It provides a bird’s eye view of the capital and from the topmost point, you will be able to see up to 40 km (24.85 miles) on a clear day. It is managed by the London Eye Management Services Limited and has various ticketing options. The standard ticket includes the London Eye 4D cinema experience and entry to the Eye Lounge Champagne Bar.

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Thames River Cruise and London Eye Standard Ticket

Duration: 40 minutes

1162 reviews

4. HM Tower of London (from USD 89.0)

Right on the banks on the River Thames, stands the infamous Tower of London. It is officially known as Her Majesty’s Royal Palace and Fortress of the Tower of London. It is protected as a World Heritage Site that houses 1000 years of history in its walls and structures. It also houses the Crown Jewels for which the Jewel House was specifically built. This Jewel House is open to public display and includes 23,578 gemstones. A visit to these Crown Jewels and the legendary Yeoman Warder tour are some of the things people can do when they visit this castle. Then there are the famous ravens, seven of those now, that adds to another attraction for tower visitors.

Tip from Content Creator

Tower of London
This is the most popular tourist attraction in the city, and it is home to the oldest intact building in London. The White Tower was built for William the Conqueror in 1066.
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Palace Pass: Kensington Palace, Hampton Court, Tower of London

Duration: 8 hours

10 reviews

London Tour Guide

Robert Woolf

Robert Woolf

I am a London tour guide and my tours include talking about people who have shaped the city plus the many connected places such as Hampton Court Palace, The Tower of London, Westminster Abbey, the commercial centre of the city: the City of London, and London’s world class museums and galleries. I have been guiding for 12 years. I am a licenced London Blue Badge Tour Guide, a City of London Guide, and a Westminster Guide. The reviews I receive from clients speak of their enjoyment from the local knowledge and the humour I bring to my tours. Born within sight of Hampton Court Palace, I am a Londoner and apart from 2 years in the Middle East, I have worked in this capital city all my business and tour guiding careers. I have travelled widely and I appreciate what appeals to visitors coming to London. I can tailor my tours to interest children. I guide couples, families and larger tour groups. I particularly enjoy visits to Westminster Abbey, where I also volunteer guiding students and children through its wonderful interior – on my tours you will hear about monarchs, why scientists and poets are remembered, the architecture and religious history. The Abbey is the story of England. Come on an engaging and fun tour with me. There is so much to show you !

Tours by Robert

5. The British Museum (from USD 29.0)

The British Museum in London is a free tourist attraction that is open daily for its visitors. It is dedicated to human history, art and culture. It houses some eight million exhibits and provides an endlessly fascinating experience for its visitors. These exhibits from around the world give insights into the various cultures in an utterly stimulating way. It is a must-visit for any history buff and otherwise also. If you happen to be in London and fancy a peep into the different cultures of the world under one roof, this is the place to be.

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The British Museum Tour - The Ideas That Made Our World

Duration: 2 hours

10 reviews

London, an evergreen destination

British Museum Dome
Source: Photo by Wikimedia Commons user Eric Pouhier used under CC BY-SA 3.0

London has something to offer everyone. It is one of the most important cities in the world and has the busiest airports seeing several thousand visitors every day. London contains four world heritage sites, namely the Tower of London, Kew Gardens, Palace of Westminster, Westminster Abbey and Greenwich. It also has a number of landmark buildings like the Tower Bridge, Piccadilly Circus, Trafalgar Square, The Shard, and many more. From having ticketed entry to free museums of national and international repute, London can be explored on every budget. Explore London the way you like and bring back innumerable memories.

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Any must-sees we missed? Tell us about them in the comments section or write a post here to help out fellow travelers!
Disclosure: Trip101 selects the listings in our articles independently. Some of the listings in this article contain affiliate links.

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Shivani is a marketer by profession and a writer by passion. She is a founding member at MeeHappy Wellness, an employee wellness initiative in India. Shivani has had the good fortune of working in...Read more

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