The best things to do in London

1.Westminster Abbey and the Houses of Parliament

A thousand years of coronations, royal weddings and burials in one building, opposite Big Ben and the Palace of Westminster.

Tip: Book Abbey tickets online. UK Parliament runs guided tours on Saturdays and many weekdays when the Houses aren't sitting.

2.Buckingham Palace and Changing the GuardFree

The King's London home. The ceremony outside is free; the State Rooms open in summer only.

Tip: Check the guard schedule; it doesn't run every day. Arrive 45 minutes early for a railing spot.

3.Churchill War Rooms

The underground bunker where the war cabinet worked, left almost exactly as it was in 1945.

Tip: One of the most popular paid sights in London; book a timed ticket.

4.Trafalgar Square and the National GalleryFree

Van Gogh's Sunflowers, Turner, Titian and Velázquez, free, on London's most famous square.

5.Walk the South BankFree

The riverside path from the London Eye to Tower Bridge passes the Southbank Centre, Tate Modern, Shakespeare's Globe and Borough Market.

Tip: Start at Westminster Bridge and walk east; it's about an hour without stops.

6.The London Eye

A 30-minute rotation with views over Parliament and the river.

Tip: Book online for a cheaper fare and go near sunset.

7.Tate ModernFree

Modern art in a former power station, with a free viewing level at the top of the Blavatnik Building.

8.Borough Market

London's best-known food market, under the railway arches by London Bridge.

Tip: Come hungry on a weekday morning; Saturdays are packed.

9.Shakespeare's Globe

A reconstruction of Shakespeare's open-air theatre. Standing 'groundling' tickets are some of the cheapest theatre seats in London.

10.The Tower of London and Tower Bridge

The Crown Jewels, the Yeoman Warders' tours and 900 years of history, next to London's most photographed bridge.

Tip: Go straight to the Crown Jewels at opening time, then join a Yeoman Warder tour.

11.St Paul's Cathedral

Wren's dome, the Whispering Gallery and one of the best views of the City, across the Millennium Bridge from Tate Modern.

12.The British MuseumFree

The Rosetta Stone, the Parthenon sculptures and Egyptian mummies. Free, and too big for one visit.

Tip: Open late on Fridays.

13.See a West End show

London's theatre district runs through Soho and Covent Garden, with long-running musicals and new plays every night.

Tip: The TKTS booth in Leicester Square sells discounted same-day tickets.

14.Covent GardenFree

Street performers in the piazza, the covered market, the Royal Opera House and the lanes of Seven Dials and Neal's Yard.

15.Soho and Chinatown

London's liveliest few blocks for eating and drinking, from dim sum on Gerrard Street to the bars of Old Compton Street.

16.Natural History MuseumFree

Dinosaurs, the blue whale in Hintze Hall and a building that's a sight in itself. Free.

Tip: Use the Exhibition Road entrance to avoid the main queue.

17.The V&AFree

The world's biggest museum of art and design, from fashion to Raphael's cartoons. Free, with a lovely courtyard café.

18.Hyde Park and Kensington GardensFree

Row on the Serpentine, see Kensington Palace and walk from Marble Arch to the Albert Memorial.

19.Portobello Road Market

Antiques, vintage and street food along the pastel streets of Notting Hill.

Tip: Saturday is the big market day; arrive before 10am.

20.Camden Market and Regent's Canal

Street food and alternative fashion by the canal locks; walk the towpath west to Little Venice.

21.Primrose HillFree

A short climb for one of the best free views of the London skyline.

22.Shoreditch street art and Brick LaneFree

Murals, vintage shops, curry houses and bagels, and the Sunday markets of Brick Lane and Columbia Road.

23.King's Cross and Coal Drops Yard

Restored Victorian railway buildings with shops, restaurants, canal steps and Platform 9¾.

24.Greenwich

The Cutty Sark, the Royal Observatory and the Prime Meridian, and the view from Greenwich Park.

Tip: Get there by Uber Boat from central London for a river tour on the way.

25.Sky GardenFree

A free indoor garden at the top of the 'Walkie-Talkie' tower in the City.

Tip: Free tickets are released online a few weeks ahead and go fast.