London Eye
The London Eye is a 130-meter-high Ferris Wheel on the south bank of the Thames. When your pod reaches its maximum altitude, you’ll get a great view of London and can see our whole route in this plan. The view depends on the weather; ideally, you’ll visit the London Eye on a sunny day.
You can buy London Eye tickets for specific 15-minute time slots, which is why this is the first place on the route. Once you have the ticket, there’s some queueing to get in, but it will only take a few minutes. Several ticket types are available, and you can get these from the London Eye website.
Big Ben
Big Ben is the iconic clock in the iconic clock tower now called the Elizabeth Tower. It is next to the road, and you can get quite close to taking pictures. Many visitors stop at the Westminster Bridge for additional photo locations. Additionally, you can get some of the best pictures from the south side of the river after crossing the bridge. Big Ben tours are also available, but tickets are quite difficult to get when they become available three months in advance.
Palace of Westminster
Houses of Parliament is another well-known landmark and the working place of the UK Parliament. The building looks gorgeous from the outside, and the best place to take pictures is from the other side of the Thames.
There are also tours available, and you can visit famous rooms such as the House of Commons and House of Lords.
Westminster Abbey
On the same square, almost next to the parliament, you’ll find Westminster Abbey, the church where coronations have occurred for almost a thousand years. If you want to take a tour, there’s plenty to see, including the magnificent architecture and final resting places of many famous scientists and authors, including Isaac Newton, Charles Darwin and Stephen Hawking or Charles Dickens, Rudyard Kipling and Alfred Tennyson.
Horse Guards Parade
Horse Guards Parade is a parade ground in Whitehall where many government administrative buildings are located. It is famous as the place where the changing of the King’s Life Guard occurs daily at 11 AM on weekdays and 10 AM on Sundays. In the ceremony, you’ll see two groups of guards in different colour tunics facing each other as part of the proceedings. There are usually also two horses with guards in front of the building on the Whitehall side. Please don’t go too close to the horses as people around them might stress them.
St James's Park
The next place on the route is St. James’s Park, between Horse Guards Parade and the Buckingham Palace. It’s a beautifully maintained park, with a lake in the centre. The bridge over the lake is a popular place for taking pictures; you can even see the London Eye from there. One of the attractions is the pelicans that roam around the park. There are also many other birds, such as swans, parakeets, and squirrels looking for treats. The park also has a nice cafe, St. James’s Cafe and a kiosk for snacks and drinks. There’s also a playground for kids.
Buckingham Palace
The last place on this route is the Buckingham Palace. You’ll find the Victoria Memorial in front of the palace. There are gates around the palace, so you won’t get very near unless booking one of the available tours. The main one is the State Rooms tour, open to visitors each summer from July to the end of September. Smaller, more expensive guided tours are also available at other times of the year.