The 3 Best Landmarks in London
Ranked by our editorial Friend Score and filterable to exactly what you want — every pick verified and sourced, the way a local friend would tell it.
- 1Tower Bridge#1of 3$$
London's most beautiful bridge — the Victorian Gothic one everyone mistakes for London Bridge. Walking across is free and glorious; the exhibition (about £12) adds glass-floored walkways 42 metres up and the original steam engine rooms. Good value by London standards, and watching a bridge lift from the banks costs nothing.
tower bridgeglass floorengine roomsvictoriangothic architecturethames views - 2free
The clock tower and Gothic parliament building are London's postcard, freshly restored and best admired free from Westminster Bridge or across the river. You can't casually pop inside: Big Ben tours cost £55 and sell out in minutes; Parliament tours run mostly Saturdays and recesses. For most visitors, this is a magnificent walk-past.
big benhouses of parliamentwestminsterclock towerelizabeth towerhistory - 3Buckingham Palace#3of 3$$$
The King's official London residence opens its State Rooms only in summer — 9 July to 27 September in 2026, £33 adult — and the interiors genuinely deliver. The rest of the year you're looking at a famous facade through railings. Changing the Guard is free but a serious crowd commitment; arrive very early or watch from the Mall.
buckingham palaceroyal residencestate roomschanging of the guardmonarchyking charles
