The capital of England, London boasts a long, rich and vibrant history, making it one of the top tourist destinations in the world. If you're planning a tour of London or living here and are stuck for something to do, here - in no particular order - are some of the top tourist attractions you'll find in the great city of London.

The London Eye

The London Eye has now become one of the iconic sights of London. Opened in March 2000 the wheel is a metaphor for the turning of the century.Based on the bank of the River Thames near Waterloo Station this is a spectacle well worth a visit. This London attraction will blow your mind away. Basically it is the biggest observation wheel in the world, hence its name.There are 32 capsules attached to the wheel which travels gently at a speed of 26cm per second. Each rotation takes 30 minutes in which time you can marvel at the views that span up to 40km in all directions (depending on the weather). It will, over 30 minutes, make a full circle and thus give you a splendid view of London. It towers 135 meters over the Thames River and weighs 2,100 tonnes. If there are clear skies you will have a 25-mile panoramic view. Nearby attractions like Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament on the other bank and the bridges over the Thames River will keep your camera busy. For flight (each trip on the eye is called a flight) prices please see the links section below.

Madame Tussauds

Madame Tussauds is a museum that contains wax models of famous people. There are numerous galleries such as Pirates of the Caribbean, World leaders, Warhol's women The Royal Family, the Culture zone and the History of London.There are interactive tasks such as entering the Big Brother diary room, umpiring an Andy Murray tennis match or taking a penalty alongside David Beckham.You can have your picture taken alongside A – list celebrities like Drew Barrymore, Orlando Bloom, Nicole Kidman and Leonardo DiCaprio.For something a little scarier try visiting the Chamber gallery where serial killers lurk. The music zone represents legends of pop from Bob Maley through to current chart toppers Kylie and Justin Timberlake. Visitors are encouraged to try out their own dance moves to see if they can win an award. Alternatively, in the Stardome you can watch a film made by Aardman animations (Wallace and Gromit) which tries to explain to aliens the nature and status of celebrity culture. For prices and opening times, please see the links section below.

London Dungeon

In the dark and dingy underbelly of the capital the London Dungeon dwells, waiting to scare the life out of you and any willing visitors brave enough to cross the threshold. Confront your fears, face your worst nightmares and uncover the gory truth behind some of history's most horrific events.Be warned....at the London Dungeon you are more than a mere spectator! Transport yourself back to the darkest moments in the capital's history within the deep depths of the London Dungeon. Live actors, shows, two rides and interactive special effects ensure that you face your fears head on in this unique ninety minute experience.

Everything that you see is based on real historical events from Jack the Ripper, the Great Fire of London,the Plague and many more gruesome events from the capitals' dark past.Now with two scary rides the London Dungeon provides a thrilling and fun experience that will leave you screaming for more! Are you brave enough? In my own experience i would say it is not for any under 5 year olds, as it is pretty scary.

Kew Gardens

The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, which most people know by the more informal name of Kew Gardens, is among the most respected public gardens in the world. With its large acreage and extensive glasshouses, the site functions as a unique opportunity for the public to examine exotic plant life as well as a serious research institution of enormous international importance. This is reflected in the sheer size of the organisation, with over 700 staff and an annual income of more than £40 million. Since 2003 Kew has been a UNESCO World Heritage site, a fact recognised by the many thousands of visitors who come every year to experience it.
Sights to take in at Kew are many and diverse. For instance, the library and archival collections form one of the most extensive botanical collections anywhere, with over 500,000 books, botanical illustrations, photographs, letters and manuscripts, periodicals and maps. Much of this is housed in the Jodrell Laboratory, a unit formed when the Economic Botany and Mycology Libraries were merged with the Jodrell Library.The Gardens contain too many high points to list here, but visitors should make a point of spending time in the Marianne North Gallery, housing over 800 works by the eponymous artist, whose plant portraits came from travels to Asia and the Americas. The minka – a Japanese wooden house, acquired after the 2001 Japan festival – was partially transported to London from Okazaki a century ago and is very much worth a visit, as is Kew’s enormous compost heap – the largest on Earth – composed of green waste for the gardens.
Kew Gardens remains one of the finest celebrations of the plant world on Earth, and represents a truly unique chance to explore it in detail. Together with its mission to preserve the environment and the enormous range of exhibits, Kew brings the visitor an experience and a philosophy like few others.

Buckingham Palace

Buckingham Palace is the offical London residence of the British Monarchy. During the summer months the Palace is open for tours which take around 2 hours. Buckingham Palace’s 19 state rooms are open to visitors during August and September while the Queen makes her annual visit to Balmoral, so you won't be accidentally bumping into her! The State rooms house some of the Royal family’s greatest treasures including paintings by Rembrandt, Rubens, Poussin and Canaletto. They are also exquisitely furnished with some of the finest French and English furniture.

Visit the spectacular Palace Ballroom and see the traditional horseshoe-shaped table lavishly decorated for a State Banquet. On display you can see the silver gilt from the Grand service, first used to celebrate the birthday of George III in 1811 as well as jewelled cups, ivory tankards, chased dishes, sconces, shields and basins. The end of the tour takes you along the south side of the Palace’s gardens with views of the west front of the Palace and the lake. The Changing of the Guard takes place in the forecourt of Buckingham Palace at 11.30 every day in summer, every other day in winter, and lasts about 45 minutes. The New Guard marches to the Palace from Wellington Barracks with a Guards band, the Old Guard hands over in a ceremony during which the sentries are changed and then returns to barracks. The New Guard then marches to St James's Palace leaving the detachment at Buckingham Palace.

London Open Top Bus Tour

No one can really come to London and not experience a tour of all the main sites without going on an open top bus. I think it is the best way to see the city. Our City Sightseeing route takes in all of London's landmark attractions and offers entertaining, multi-lingual commentaries. Children can also enjoy our superb Kids' Channel on the Red Route.
The route takes in the capital's most famous sights including Buckingham Palace, Big Ben & the Houses of Parliament, Downing Street, Madame Tussauds, The London Dungeon, Tower Bridge and The Tower of London.
Commentary - Digitally Recorded Multi-Lingual in English, French, Spanish, Italian, Russian, German, Japanese & Kids' Channel.
Bus Times - The City Sightseeing Tour (Red Route) departs every 20 minutes from 8:30 am to 4:50 pm.Tour Duration: 2 hours 15 mins.

The great thing is, if you buy a daily ticket you can keep hopping on and off at the different sights all day for no extra charge - brilliant!

Natural History Museum

The Natural History Museum is one of three large Museums in South Kensington. The other 2 are the Science Museum and the Victoria and Albert. The Museum is home to Life and Earth specimens comprising of some 70 million items within 5 main collections. It attracts all walks of life from young and old alike.
The museum is a world-renowned centre of research, specialising in taxonomy, identification and conservation. Given the age of the institution, many of the collections have great historical as well as scientific value, such as specimens collected by Darwin.The Natural History Museum Library contains extensive book, journal, manuscript, and artwork collections linked to the work and research of the scientific departments. Access to the library is by appointment only.The museum is particularly famous for its exhibition of Dinosaur Skeletons which is very popular with school parties and educational trips.

Harrods Department Store

If you want a little luxury whilst staying in London, then look no further than Harrods Department Store.Harrods is a department store located on Brompton Road in Knightsbridge, London, The Harrods brand also applies to other enterprises undertaken by the Harrods group of companies including Harrods Bank, Harrods Estates, Harrods Aviation and Air Harrods.The store occupies a 4.5-acre (18,000 m²) site and has over one million square feet (90,000 m²) of selling space in over 330 departments. This makes Harrods one of the largest department stores in the world together with Macy's in New York. The UK's second-biggest shop, Oxford Street's Selfridges, is a little over half the size with 540,000-square-foot (50,000 m²⁾of selling space.

The Harrods motto is Omnia Omnibus Ubique — All Things for All People, Everywhere. Several of its departments, including the seasonal Christmas department and the Food Hall, are world famous.

Afternoon Tea at the Ritz

Tea at the Ritz is an institution in itself. Served in the spectacular Palm Court, a choice of several varieties of tea, finely cut sandwiches, freshly baked scones, jam and clotted cream and a range of delicate pastries. Served on one of those fantasitic 3 tiered cake stands(just like one of those 3d chess boards in Star trek).It all combines to make for an unforgetable afternoon certainly your bank manger wouldnt forget it but you have to do it at least once.

The National Gallery

The National Gallery houses the national collection of Western European paintings from the 13th to the 19th centuries. It is open 361 days a year, free of charge. There are more than 2,300 paintings to look at, some will take your breath away. It is like a who,s who of famous artists from Gainsborough to Constable to Da Vinci and Michealangelo and many others in between, It is situated in Trafalgar Square overlooking Nelson's Column which is worth a look in itself, but watch out for the pidgeons!!.