London

A sprawl of markets around the canal lock in Camden Town, with vintage clothes, crafts, records and street food from every corner of the world, in old stables and warehouses. Camden has been a centre of London's alternative music scene since the 1970s, and its pubs and venues still host live music most nights.

TipWalk along the Regent's Canal towpath to Little Venice or through Primrose Hill for one of the best free views of the London skyline.

A museum of world history and culture, with eight million objects, including the Rosetta Stone, the Parthenon sculptures, Egyptian mummies and the Sutton Hoo treasure. Entry is free, and it's impossible to see everything, so choose a few galleries.

TipArrive at opening time or late on a Friday, when the museum stays open later and is calmer.

A free collection of more than two thousand Western European paintings, from Leonardo, Van Eyck and Titian to Turner, Constable, Monet and Van Gogh. It overlooks Trafalgar Square and Nelson's Column, and the National Portrait Gallery is around the corner.

The abbey has seen nearly every coronation since 1066 and holds the tombs of monarchs, poets and scientists. Across the road, the Palace of Westminster, with its clock tower housing Big Ben, is the seat of the British Parliament. Visitors can watch debates from the public galleries, and guided tours run on most Saturdays and during parliamentary recesses.

The underground bunker beneath Whitehall from which Winston Churchill and his government directed Britain's war effort, left almost exactly as it was when the lights were switched off in 1945, with the Cabinet Room and the Map Room. A museum alongside tells the story of Churchill's life.

TipBook ahead; queues form early, especially in summer.

The monarch's official London residence faces the Mall, the ceremonial avenue running from Trafalgar Square through St James's Park. The Changing the Guard ceremony takes place in front of the palace on several mornings a week, and the State Rooms open to visitors for a few weeks each summer.

TipCheck the ceremony schedule before you go, and arrive early for a spot by the railings, or watch the guards march along the Mall instead.

Royal parks covering more than 250 hectares, with the Serpentine lake, Kensington Palace, the Diana Memorial Fountain and the Italian Gardens. They are a fine place for a walk or a picnic, and for rowing on the lake in summer.

Three great free museums stand side by side here: the Natural History Museum, in a cathedral-like building filled with dinosaurs and a blue whale skeleton; the Science Museum; and the Victoria and Albert Museum, the world's leading museum of art and design.

The Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew, a World Heritage Site, hold the world's largest collection of living plants across more than a hundred hectares beside the Thames. Highlights include the Victorian glasshouses of the Palm House and Temperate House, a treetop walkway and the Great Pagoda.

TipIt's a short ride on the District line or Overground; in summer, boats run up the river from Westminster.

A riverside walk from the London Eye to Tower Bridge, past theatres, the Southbank Centre, street food and second-hand book stalls. Tate Modern, in a former power station, has a free collection of modern and contemporary art and a viewing level with views across to St Paul's Cathedral. Shakespeare's Globe, a reconstruction of his theatre, is next door.

London's best-known food market has traded near London Bridge for centuries. Its stalls sell British cheeses, bread, meat and produce alongside street food from around the world. Southwark Cathedral is on its doorstep.

TipCome hungry, and arrive before noon on Saturdays, when it is busiest.

Sir Christopher Wren's masterpiece was built after the Great Fire of 1666 destroyed its medieval predecessor, and its great dome has dominated the City of London since 1710. Climb to the Whispering Gallery, where a whisper carries around the dome, and up to the Golden Gallery for one of the best views in London.

A Norman fortress begun by William the Conqueror after 1066, which has been a royal palace, a prison and a place of execution. Today it holds the Crown Jewels, and the Yeoman Warders, the "Beefeaters", lead lively tours of its history.

TipHead straight to the Crown Jewels when you arrive, before the queues build up.

A riverside town with a royal park, the Royal Observatory and the Prime Meridian, where you can stand with one foot in each hemisphere, the clipper ship Cutty Sark, and the National Maritime Museum. Arriving by boat along the Thames is part of the fun.