Exciting Destination
London is one of the world’s top travel destinations be it for work or leisure. It is a hub of amazing excitement and adventure with so much to see and do. With a population of over 8 million (2013), the city has a diverse and vibrant culture with many ethnicities living together making it a cosmopolitan city. What should not be forgotten is the history associated with the city. There are vast historic elements to be discovered and it also is home to some of the world’s most extensive and valuable art and ancient artefact collections.
Popular Attractions
The most popular attractions in the city for 2013 were recently announced. It makes for interesting reading and perhaps indicates a bucket list of places that should be visited for those intending on travelling to the British capital. While it probably won’t be possible to visit all the places mentioned on the list, some of these should form part of your next trip to London. If you are limited for time as most people are when on city breaks, you should go through the list and select what you would most like to see in the time that you have. Also take into account the locations of the various sights to assist your decisions.
Top 10 London Attractions for 2013 and Number of Visitors
1. British Museum – 6.7m
2. National Gallery – 6m
3. Natural History Museum – 5.4m
4. Tate Modern – 4.9m
5. London Eye – NA
6. Science Museum – 3.3m
7. Victoria & Albert Museum – 3.3
8. Tower of London – 2.9m
9. Royal Museums Greenwich 2.9m
10. Madame Tussauds – NA
History
While Museums make up the bulk of the city’s most visited attractions, there is good reason for this. The quality of the artefacts on show in London’s museums is second to none and the buildings themselves are a sight to behold. The top London attraction is the British Museum which is home to over 8million artefacts alone. The Great Russell Street location has in fact been the top visited London attraction for the last seven years with over 6.7million visitors in 2013. The other big advantage of visiting these museums is that they predominantly offer free admission. London can be a very expensive city to visit due to travel and accommodation costs so a high quality attraction such as this offering free admission is certainly a bonus.
Art
In second place of the most visited London attractions is the National Gallery. This houses over 2000 paintings in the collection including the famous Vincent Van Gogh Sunflowers painting. Admission is also free to this wonderfully centrally located attraction in Trafalgar Square.
On a High
The London Eye takes fifth place in the most visited London attraction of 2013. This giant ferris-like wheel located on the beautiful South Bank area of the city will give you amazing views over the British capital. While the queues can be long and it can be costly to gain admittance, the sight of the vast expansion of London below you will make it all worth it. The wheel, which opened to the public in 2000 cost £70million and is obviously hugely popular with the public. It costs approximately £100 to take a family of four up there but if you purchase online, there are some good discounts.
Meet the Celebs
Madame Tussauds makes up the top ten most visited attractions in London. This attraction displays waxworks of historical and famous public people. It was set up by wax sculptor Marie Tussaud on Marylebone Road in 1884 and the London location was the first Madame Tussauds dedicated museum. Entry for a family of four costs approximately £84.00 but there are some online savings available on the official site. The waxwork collection is regularly updated and features many waxworks of today’s most famous people.
Learning Experience
While some people might not relish a trip filled with museum visits, those locations that do feature in the top ten London attractions certainly could not be seen as boring. There is something for everyone at these places whether it is history, science, art or general culture. The added bonus that many of them are free should be another reason to add them to the list of places to visit. As with any city, it is best to do some research before you travel to plan your stay. This means you will get the most out of the time you spend in London. Make a manual list of those places that you especially want to see. This will help to prioritise time. City breaks are generally short and a lot of time (and money) can be wasted on getting from one location to the next. There are many websites to guide you and also helpful apps to ensure you make the most of your stay in the British capital.
