The tower was completed in 1858 and had its 150th anniversary on 31 May 2009, during which celebratory events took place. The tower has become one of the most prominent symbols of the United Kingdom and is often in the establishing shot of films set in London.

Big Ben

The Palace of Westminster is the meeting place of the House of Commons and the House of Lords, the two houses of the Parliament of the United Kingdom..

Some history of Parliament

The Victoria Tower was purpose-built as a "fireproof repository for books and documents", as required by the competition to rebuild the Palace of Westminster after the fire of 16 October 1834, which had destroyed the building and almost all of the records of the House of Commons.

More Parliament History

The Jewel Tower was built between 1365 and 1366, under the direction of William of Sleaford and Henry de Yevele, to house the personal treasure of Edward III

Jewel Tower

Westminster Abbey, formally titled the Collegiate Church of St Peter at Westminster is one of the most notable religious buildings in the United Kingdom and has been the traditional place of coronation and burial site for English and, later, British monarchs.

Westminster Abbey 1

The Abbey's two western towers were built between 1722 and 1745 by Nicholas Hawksmoor..

Westminster Abbey 2

Queen Anne's Gate

St James Park is the oldest royal park in London

St. James Park

Buckingham Palace is the London residence and principal workplace of the monarchy of the United Kingdom

Buckingham Palace

For nearly 50 years, from 1953 to 2002, it was home to Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother...

Clarence House

St James's Palace is the official residence of the sovereign and the most senior royal palace in the United Kingdom.

St. James’s Palace

Inside the hollow column a spiral staircase of 168 steps, lit by narrow apertures in the wall, leads to the viewing platform around the base of the statue. Given the small, fragile platform and previous high demand for climbing, this staircase has been closed to the public for many decades.

Duke of Yorks Column

Trafalgar Square built around the area formerly known as Charing Cross..

Trafalgar Square

King Charles Statue is a work by the French sculptor Hubert Le Sueur, probably cast in 1633.

The Statue of King Charles

Horse Guards Parade is a large parade ground off Whitehall in central London. It is the site of the annual ceremonies of Trooping the Colour, which commemorates the monarch's official birthday, and Beating Retreat.

Horse Guards Parade

It is the grandest and best known survivor of the architectural genre of banqueting house, and the only remaining component of the Palace of Whitehall. The building is important in the history of English architecture as the first building to be completed in the neo-classical style which was to transform English architecture.

Banqueting House

The street was built in the 1680s by Sir George Downing, on the site of a mansion called Hampden House..

History of Downing Street

The Cenotaph is a war memorial situated on Whitehall in London. It began as a temporary structure erected for a peace parade following the end of the First World War but following an outpouring of national sentiment it was replaced in 1920 by a permanent structure and designated the United Kingdom's primary national war memorial.

The Cenotaph

London is a&nbsp;vibrant capital city steeped in history. The&nbsp;unique mix of royal pageantry and parliamentary democracy has been developed over a period of 1000 years. As a result, many of the&nbsp;major landmarks and traditional ceremonies are world-famous. From the Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace to the iconic Big Ben at the Houses of Parliament, who has not imagined witnessing these attractions for themselves? 
 
This is the ‘must do’ tour for any new visitor to London as we take in many key royal and parliamentary attractions while giving you insight into how the monarchy and government have evolved into the eclectic mix they are today.

London

London: Westminster and Parliament

Overview:

Listen to sample

To get the full experience, please download GlobeTrott Travel app

LIST OF SITES