London, the capital of England and the United Kingdom, is a city of about 9 million people on the River Thames in south-east England. Founded by the Romans as Londinium, it grew from the square mile of the City of London and the royal and political centre of Westminster into a vast metropolis governed by 33 local authorities.
Visitors come for its history and culture: the Tower of London, Westminster Abbey and the Houses of Parliament, the British Museum and many other museums with free admission to their permanent collections, theatres in the West End and green spaces such as Hyde Park and Regent's Park. London has four UNESCO World Heritage Sites, including Maritime Greenwich and Kew Gardens. It is also a city of distinct neighbourhoods, and renting a flat or a house lets families, couples and longer-stay travellers settle into one of them, shop at a local market and travel like Londoners. Windsor, Oxford and Bath make classic day trips.
Westminster and the West End, including Covent Garden and Soho, put the Houses of Parliament, Trafalgar Square, the theatres and the main shopping streets on foot, ideal for a first visit, though they are busy and expensive. Bloomsbury, home of the British Museum and the University of London, is central yet calmer, with garden squares. The South Bank, opposite Westminster, has the riverside walk, theatres and galleries.
Kensington and Chelsea, to the west, are elegant residential areas near the museums of South Kensington and Hyde Park, popular with families. Notting Hill, known for its colourful terraces and its annual carnival, sits between Holland Park and Kensington Gardens. In the east, Shoreditch and its surroundings attract younger travellers with markets, street art and nightlife. Greenwich, in the south-east, offers a village atmosphere by the river, a royal park and good transport links, a relaxed base for families and longer stays.
The Tower of London, on the north bank of the Thames, is a medieval fortress and royal palace that guards the Crown Jewels and has been a World Heritage Site since 1988. Upstream, the Palace of Westminster, the meeting place of Parliament, stands with Westminster Abbey and the Church of St Margaret on another World Heritage Site. St Paul's Cathedral, Christopher Wren's masterpiece completed in 1710, rose after the Great Fire of 1666.
Many of London's major museums do not charge for entry to their permanent collections, among them the British Museum in Bloomsbury, the National Gallery on Trafalgar Square and the museums of South Kensington. Shakespeare's Globe, a reconstruction opened in 1997 of the playhouse built in Southwark in 1599 for Shakespeare's company, stands on the South Bank near Tate Modern. For green space, the Royal Parks, including Hyde Park, Kensington Gardens and Regent's Park, cover large areas of the centre.
London began as Londinium, a Roman settlement on the Thames in the 1st century AD, and the City of London still keeps roughly its medieval boundaries. Westminster, to the west, became the seat of the monarchy and of Parliament, and the two grew together over the centuries.
In 1666 the Great Fire destroyed much of the wooden city, which was rebuilt in brick and stone, with St Paul's as its crowning work. London grew rapidly in the 19th century, becoming the largest city in the world at the time, and the first underground railway opened here in 1863. During the Second World War, the Blitz killed more than 30,000 Londoners and destroyed many buildings. Since 1965 most of the metropolis has formed Greater London. The city hosted the Summer Olympics in 1908, 1948 and 2012, and today it is a world centre for finance, the arts, education and tourism.
Heathrow Airport (LHR), about 23 kilometres west of central London, is linked by the non-stop Heathrow Express to Paddington, by the Elizabeth line across the centre and by the Piccadilly line of the Underground. Gatwick Airport (LGW), about 48 kilometres south in West Sussex, has frequent trains on the Brighton Main Line. London Stansted (STN), about 50 kilometres north-east, London Luton (LTN) in Bedfordshire and London City Airport (LCY), about 10 kilometres east of the City in the Royal Docks, complete the picture. Eurostar trains from St Pancras connect London with Paris and Brussels through the Channel Tunnel.
The Underground, or Tube, has 11 lines and 272 stations, and together with the Elizabeth line, the Overground, the Docklands Light Railway, buses and river boats it covers the whole city. Contactless bank cards work across the network. Driving is rarely worth it: traffic is slow, parking is costly and a congestion charge applies in central London.
Windsor Castle, a royal residence in Berkshire about 40 kilometres west of central London, overlooks the Thames and the town of Windsor, with the tree-lined Long Walk stretching south through the Great Park. Oxford, about 90 kilometres north-west, is a cathedral city whose university is the oldest in the English-speaking world, with honey-coloured colleges, libraries and riverside meadows.
Bath, in the Avon valley about 156 kilometres west, is named after its Roman-built baths and has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1987 for its Roman remains and Georgian architecture. Stonehenge, the prehistoric stone circle on Salisbury Plain in Wiltshire, is often combined with Bath in one long day. Closer to home, Greenwich, with the Royal Observatory and the prime meridian, and the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew, a World Heritage Site since 2003, make easy half-day trips by river boat, rail or Tube.
London has a temperate oceanic climate with mild summers, cool winters and rain spread through the year. Total rainfall is fairly low, about 600 millimetres a year, but there are more than 100 days with at least light rain, so an umbrella and a waterproof layer are always useful. The average July high is about 23.5°C, with a handful of days above 30°C most summers; many older homes have no air conditioning, so a fan helps in heatwaves. Winters are grey and chilly, and heavy snow is rare.
May to September brings long days, open-air theatre, festivals in the parks and the busiest season. Spring blossom and autumn colour make April, May, September and October pleasant and a little calmer. Winter is good for museums, theatre and Christmas lights, and school holidays and major events fill central accommodation quickly, so plan early around them.
Greater London has its own limit on short lets. Under the Deregulation Act 2015, which amended earlier London legislation, a home in Greater London can be used for short-term sleeping accommodation for up to 90 nights in a calendar year without planning permission, provided the person letting it is liable for council tax on the property. Beyond 90 nights, the change of use needs planning permission from the local borough, and a borough may, with government consent, remove the exemption in specific areas.
For visitors, the effect is that many whole-home listings are available only for part of the year, and longer bookings may fall under ordinary tenancy rules instead. Leasehold flats can also have their own restrictions. The national government has been reviewing how short-term lets are regulated in England, so owners and guests should check the current guidance from their borough and from GOV.UK.
Westminster, Covent Garden and Bloomsbury are central for first-time sightseeing. Kensington and Chelsea suit families near the museums and Hyde Park, Notting Hill offers charm, Shoreditch suits nightlife and markets, and Greenwich is relaxed and riverside, with good links to the centre.
Heathrow Airport (LHR) is about 23 kilometres west of central London. The non-stop Heathrow Express runs to Paddington, the Elizabeth line crosses central London, and the Piccadilly line of the Underground is the slowest but simplest option for many areas. Taxis and coaches also run.
May to September has the longest days and warmest weather, with outdoor events, but it is the busiest period. April and October are often pleasant and calmer. Winter is cool and grey but good for museums, theatre and Christmas lights. Rain can fall in any month.
Four or five days cover Westminster, the Tower of London, the British Museum, the South Bank and a few neighbourhoods. A week or more allows time for Greenwich, Kew, more museums and day trips to Windsor, Oxford or Bath.
No. The Underground, Elizabeth line, Overground, buses and river boats cover the city, and contactless cards work across the network. Traffic is slow, parking is costly and a congestion charge applies in the centre. Trains reach Windsor, Oxford and Bath easily.
Yes. Many major museums have free entry to their permanent collections, and the Royal Parks, river boats, Greenwich and Kew Gardens appeal to children. Families often stay in Kensington, Chelsea or Greenwich, where a rented flat or house gives more space than a hotel room.
In Greater London, a home can be let short-term for up to 90 nights in a calendar year without planning permission, if the person letting it is liable for council tax on the property. Beyond that, permission from the borough is needed. Check current borough and GOV.UK guidance.
The United Kingdom uses the pound sterling. Contactless cards and phones are accepted almost everywhere, including on buses and the Tube. Carrying a little cash is still useful for some market stalls and small purchases.
Researched and written with AI assistance, then fact-checked against the sources below. Last checked .