Places to visit in London

Imagine stepping across the threshold of a neoclassical building that holds the secrets of ancient civilizations. The British Museum, nestled in the heart of Bloomsbury, is not just a museum: it’s a time machine. Founded in 1753 thanks to the collection of Sir Hans Sloane, this cultural giant draws millions of travelers seeking answers to questions like what to see in London beyond the iconic Big Ben or London Eye. Here, within its walls designed by Sir Robert Smirke, history whispers... along with a hint of coffee from the Bloomsbury Coffee House, just a few steps from the entrance.

The Great Court, a masterpiece by Norman Foster, welcomes you with its floating glass roof. It's the perfect spot to plan your route:

• On the left, the Rosetta Stone – the very stone that unlocked the secrets of hieroglyphs, thanks to a soldier of Napoleon who found it while digging a trench in Egypt.
• On the right, the controversial Parthenon Marbles, brought by Lord Elgin in the 19th century. Should they return to Greece? The debate is still very much alive.
• Upstairs, Egyptian mummies that will make kids ask more questions than at the London Zoo.

The museum is free (yes, like other free museums in London such as the National Gallery), and it stays open until 8:30 PM on Fridays – perfect if you're looking for things to do in London and wish to avoid crowds. And if you get lost, just follow the scent of spices leading to Honey & Co., a nearby restaurant where you can recharge with hummus and falafel.

Did you know that Karl Marx wrote part of Das Kapital in its Reading Room? Today, under that same roof, travelers from around the globe marvel at relics spanning from Assyria to Rome. A tip: after wandering through its galleries, take a stroll through Bloomsbury. Perhaps, like Virginia Woolf, you'll find inspiration among its garden squares. Just remember to bring an umbrella - the London weather spares no one, not even the Egyptian gods.

The White Tower, which gives the entire castle its name, was built in 1078. It is a complex of several buildings set within two concentric rings of defensive walls and a moat.

The castle was used as a prison 1100 - 1952 and the Tower has served the home of the Crown Jewels of England, variously as an armoury...

In 1988, it was added to the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites. It has played a prominent role in English history. It was besieged several times, and controlling it has been important to controlling the country. The Tower has served variously as an armoury, a treasury, a menagerie, the home of the Royal Mint, a public record office, and the home of the Crown Jewels of England

The London Eye is a giant Ferris wheel on the South Bank of the River Thames. When erected in 1999 it was the world's tallest Ferris wheel and offered the highest public viewing point in London.

Each of the capsules represents one of the London Boroughs, and holds up to 25 people, who are free to walk around inside the capsule, though seating is provided. One revolution takes about 30 minutes. It does not usually stop to take on passengers; the rotation rate is slow enough to allow passengers to walk on and off the moving capsules at ground level.

It is, however, stopped to allow disabled or elderly passengers time to embark and disembark safely.

The Shard is a 95-storey skyscraper in Southwark. It is the tallest building in the United Kingdom and the fourth-tallest building in Europe. The View from The Shard, was opened to the public on 1 February 2013.

The glass-clad pyramidal tower has 72 habitable floors, with a viewing gallery and open-air observation deck on the 72nd floor, at a height of 802 ft.