Lonely Planet - London

book cover If you're exploring London, be sure to visit these highlights, brought to you courtesy of our friends at Lonely Planet Publications

1. Survey the city from the heights of the London Eye and along the South Bank

Given the notoriously unreliable British weather, it was a brave decision to erect the world's largest observation wheel in London in the year 2000. Yet its creators' faith in the London Eye has been repaid beyond their wildest dreams.

Meant to have been scrap by now, this elegant 'temporary' structure has become one of the city's most recognisable symbols, as well as part of British culture. With an extended lease until 2028, it's made appearances in TV series such as Dr Who. Writer Will Self has dubbed it 'God's bicycle wheel'.

Of course, the success of the 135m-tall Eye is down to its sweeping views of this great city. On a good day, you can see 40km in each direction - west to Windsor and east nearly to the mouth of the Thames River.

Visiting the Eye is the perfect entree to another top London experience - walking along the Thames' south bank. Even locals repeatedly come to marvel at the skyline here. Head for the nearby South Bank Centre and continue to the Oxo Tower, Tate Modern and beyond.

In an even greater hurry? Stand on Waterloo Bridge for the best city view, particularly at night.

2. Revel in contemporary art and stunning architecture ar Tate Modern

During its first six years the Tate Modern gallery was like a gorgeous airhead, becoming wildly successful because of its breathtaking appearance. Swiss architects Herzog & de Meuron won the prestigious Pritzker Architecture Prize for their millennial transformation of Bankside Power Station, with refurbished Turbine Hall as the dramatic entrance space. Millions of visitors were too mesmerised by the Thames views to heed newspaper criticisms about the disjointed way this 'supermarket of art' displayed its collection.

Now the world's most popular contemporary art gallery is getting serious about the works within its famous walls. The permanent manner, masterpieces in storage have been resurrected and a timeline of 20th-century art movements added.

However, while there are more works displayed, must-sees - including the Mark Rothko room, the Alberto Giacometti stick sculptures, Roy Lichtenstein's Whaam! and Jackson Pollock's Summertime - are still fairly limited, and the large surrealism section is pretty heavy going.

Ironically given the rethink, none of this matters. The Tate boasts great temporary exhibitions, plus some local gems, like sculptor Anish Kapoor's Ishi's Light and photographer Martin Parr's Common Sense. And the Tate could almost hang toilet paper on its walls and remain a captivating experience.

3. Grab a snap of Westminster's inspiring silhouette

The historic seat of British power is suitably impressive and awe-inspiring, with the mother of all parliaments and the father of all Anglican cathedrals nestled side by side. The parliament building, the Palace of Westminster, is the newer - a Victorian, neo-Gothic confection, designed by Charles Barry and Augustus Pugin in 1840 after its predecessor burnt down. By contrast, parts of Westminster Abbey date back to the 13th century.

Visitors inevitably want an exterior snap of parliament's Clock Tower, usually just called Big Ben after the giant bell it contains. However, the magnificent Abbey is such a serving of gilt, pomp, royalty and history that you really want to step inside. Highlights include Elizabeth I's tomb and funeral effigy, the Chapel of Henry VII, with its fan-vaulted ceiling and wooden knights' stalls, and the oak Coronation Chair. Every monarch since 1301, including Elizabeth II, has been crowned in the chair - which hilariously is covered in carved initials! The High Altar and Quire are wonderfully ornate, the College Garden is restful and, ahem, dedicated Da Vinci Code fans will find Sir Isaac Newton?s Memorial in the nave.

Coming for an atmospheric evensong is the way to get in free, but you'll need to respectfully sit through the service first.

4. Lose yourself in the royal parks' green splendour

While royalists race to see the garish innards of Buckingham Palace during its brief summer season, even republicans will relish the Royal Parks (www.royalparks.gov.uk). These eight verdant patches, now publicly owned, are often called London's 'lungs'; they help make it (surprisingly) Europe's greenest city. The list includes Bushy, Green, Greenwich, Regent's and Richmond Parks, but the most convenient and compelling are St James's Park and the joined-at-the-hip Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens.

Bordering Whitehall, St James's Park features rose gardens, pelicans, ducks, geese and great views of Buckingham Palace over its lakes. The place has garnered attention for its new restaurant pavilion, Inn the Park.

Hyde Park is better yet. This 140-hectare metropolitan oasis is famous for concerts, political demonstrations, deck-chair rental and Speaker's Corner, but two of its most enjoyable attractions are quite new: the strangely mesmerising Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Fountain and the solar ferry that glides across the Serpentine Lake.

In neighbouring Kensington Gardens you'll encounter the brilliant Serpentine Gallery and the gleaming, kitsch Albert Memorial nearby. Further north, the Italian Gardens is another particularly pleasant spot.

5. Check out old masters and famous faces at the National and National Portrait Galleries

When coming to the National Gallery don't overlook the separate National Portrait Gallery (NPG) around the corner. Of course, no-one would impugn the artistic credentials of the National Gallery. It houses more old masters than you can shake a loaded paintbrush at, including works by Caravaggio, Constable, Da Vinci, Monet, Rembrandt, Titian, Van Gogh, Velazquez and Vermeer. But it's a formal affair with a faintly 'eat-your-greens' tone. Grab a free floor plan and decide on a handful of works you want to see.

The NPG is more of a guilty pleasure. The subjects take precedence over the art, and range from the likes of William Shakespeare to suffragette Emmeline Pankhurst to footballer David Beckham. The 2nd floor has striking portraits of Shakespeare, Henry VII, Elizabeth I and other royals, plus some marvellous miniatures. Near the exit, the ground floor focuses on contemporary stars and latest acquisitions.

There's an IT archive on the mezzanine to ensure you miss nothing in this constantly rotating collection.

6. Delve into antiquity at the British Museum

Marx, mummies and marbles are the headliners at Britain's largest - and possibly most crowded! - museum. Parts of its superb antiquities collection are frequently arranged into spectacular special exhibitions. However, several historical highlights are always in the free permanent collection.

Free floor plans are available, but if you see only one thing, make it the Great Court just inside the porticoed main entrance. Renovated by Sir Norman Foster in 2000, this light-filled inner courtyard is covered with a spectacular glass-and-steel roof spanning out from the old British Library's circular Reading Room. Inside this hallowed, book-lined hall, Karl Marx wrote Das Kapital (Capital) and Mahatma Gandhi came to study.

The museum also contains the greatest Egyptian collection outside Egypt, including mummies (room 62) and the Rosetta Stone (room 4), the written tablet that helped unlock Ancient Egypt's secrets. Neighbouring galleries venture into Ancient Greece and the museum's most controversial possession. Pretty well ever since the Parthenon Sculptures (aka the Parthenon Marbles; room 18) were shipped to England by British ambassador Lord Elgin in 1806, Greek governments have wanted them back.

If stone statues with missing limbs, African carvings, prehistoric pots, carved jade animals and gleaming mosaics do it for you, you'll love this museum.

7. Journey in body and spirit to the top of St Paul's

There's a special exhilaration in being atop St Paul's. The 360-degree view is brilliant and you feel you've really earned it, having clambered up 530 sometimes precarious steps to the summit's Golden Gallery.

The route starts sedately as you ascend to the Whispering Gallery, circling the bottom of architect Christopher Wren's huge dome, but progressively becomes more of an adventure. If you don't have a head for heights, the Stone Gallery (378 steps) offers reasonable views.

Built after the 1666 Great Fire of London and inaugurated in 1697, the cathedral survived the London Blitz of WWII to become a much-loved symbol of British grit. It's also seen Winston Churchill's funeral, the wedding of Charles and Lady Di and major 9/11 memorials.

With interior renovations completed in 2005, the interior - from the black-and-white flagstone fl ooring to the ceiling mosaics - gleams. Inside is an effigy of John Donne, author of the immortal line 'No man is an island' and one-time dean of St Paul's, and the American Chapel, a memorial to 28,000 American expats killed in WWII.

Wren himself is buried in the crypt, alongside Admiral Nelson, but the floor below the dome bears an epitaph conveying the architect's true feelings: Lector, si monumentum requiris, circumspice (Reader, if you seek his monument, look around you).

8. Relive the Tower of London's gory history

'Uneasy lies the head that wears the crown': that Shakespeare quote comes quickly to mind at the Tower of London. A uniquely well preserved medieval castle with a gory past, it's where King Henry VIII's wife Anne Boleyn, among others, was beheaded. It also houses the sparkling British Crown Jewels.

The complex was begun in 1078 under William the Conqueror, with the central White Tower (look for the flag). The surrounding walls, towers, palace and riverside wharf of Traitors' Gate came later. Originally a royal residence, the tower was increasingly used as a prison from the 16th century. Sir Thomas More, Princess (later Queen) Elizabeth and later Nazi Rudolf Hess were held captive here. Yeoman Warders (Beefeaters) lead free tours half-hourly between 9.30am (10am on Sundays) and 3.30pm; the best strategy is to drift in and out of these groups. Listen out for highlights: the myth of the ravens; the scaffold site where people faced execution; and the Bloody Tower, where young Edward V and his brother were allegedly murdered, possibly by their uncle Richard III.

Such random eavesdropping is easier after noon, when crowds are thinner. If you buy your entry ticket from a London Underground station you needn't queue, either.

9. Take your pick from art, history and science at the Kensington Museums

Thank the Victorians for kick-starting this handy cluster. They launched the Natural History Museum and the Victoria & Albert Museum, while the Science Museum followed in the 1920s. Now visitors can choose between three very diff erent neighbouring collections.

The Victoria & Albert Museum focuses on arts, crafts and design exhibits, and a few years ago its four million exhibits were frankly rather jumbled and unfocused. However, it's been having a very efficient tidy-up, especially on the lower floors. The masterpiece is the spectacular Jameel Gallery of Islamic Art, centred on the intricate Ardabil Carpet, but the sculpture collection has also been rearranged, near the re-landscaped garden. There's a tempting, well-lit shop and a new cafe in the historic Morris and Gamble Rooms.

Coming up is a new education centre in late 2007, a made-over jewellery section in 2008, and revamped medieval and Renaissance collections in 2009. In the meantime, the Fashion Gallery and blockbuster temporary exhibitions are always fantastically engaging.

The Natural History Museum across the road is a big hit with children. The ornate neo-Gothic main building, by architect Alfred Waterhouse, does feature some state-of-the-art animatronic dinosaurs. Yet ultimately this part of the collection still evokes the musty moth-eaten era of the 19th-century gentleman scientist, with its Diplodocus dinosaur skeleton, taxidermic birds, fossils, creepy crawlies, life-size blue whale model and zoological specimens. Gems and minerals are found in the more modern and opulent, but less unusual, Earth Galleries.

Finally, the superb Science Museum enthrals kids small and large. Parents are particularly taken with the genuine historical artefacts, such as the Apollo 10 command module, Stephenson's Rocket steam-engine train and planes including Amy Johnson's Gypsy Moth. Meanwhile, there's an IMAX cinema and plenty of simulator rides to thrill their progeny.

The hi-tech Wellcome Wing at the back of the building and the outstanding Energy Gallery & Ring on the 2nd floor of the main hall both have stimulating hands-on displays, covering a vast range of subjects from identity to future energy sources.

Friday lates & science night sleepovers
Even before the Victoria & Albert Museum started sorting out its rambling collection, it was lauded for its educational and community schemes. Now it's gaining a reputation for its social evenings. The last weekend of every month, craft (knitting, pottery, Islamic design etc) meets clubbing at its special Friday Late evenings.

Now the Natural History Museum is following suit, while the Science Museum has a similar social hit, albeit for families. Check the website or ring for details of its occasional Science Night Sleepovers.

10. Watch London glide by from the comfort of a River Thames cruise

Its skyline drastically transformed in the past decade with new buildings, London has never looked so good from a river cruise. Today your journey is not only marked by classic icons like the Houses of Parliament, St Paul's Cathedral and the Tower of London and Tower Bridge, you also sail past 21st-century riverfront symbols like the London Eye, Tate Modern, the Millennium Bridge, City Hall and the 'Gherkin'.

The main sights handily lie between Westminster and the Tower of London piers, but trips downriver to Greenwich or the Thames Flood Barrier are also interesting. Travelling upriver is a relaxing way to reach Kew Gardens or Hampton Court Palace, but there's less to see in this direction.

Dinner cruises aside, booking is rarely necessary, just to pop down to the nearest pier. For something a bit newer and more exciting, try a fast RIB London Voyage.

11. Have a fine time in the quaint 'Village' of Greenwich

Leafy Greenwich is home to the Prime Meridian of longitude. It's at zero hour and zero degrees, and thus the global point dictating how all clocks are set. So it's strange how easy it is to lose track of time exploring this beautifully landscaped district.

The most common reason people come is to stand with one foot in the world's western hemisphere and the other in the east at the Royal Observatory. But there are museums, a hillside park, shops and pubs to enjoy too. Greenwich's charm is that it's still a bit like a village.

The Royal Naval College, by Renaissance architect Sir Christopher Wren, is just as essential as the hilltop observatory. Closer to the riverfront, it features two separate wings, considerately leaving unobscured river views from earlier designer Inigo Jones's Queen's House behind it. The University of Greenwich and Trinity College of Music now inhabit Wren's buildings, with just two public rooms: the ornate Chapel and astounding Painted Room.

The nearby National Maritime Museum boasts a beautifully laidout collection, from a gilded barge to the bullet-torn coat worn by Admiral Nelson at the Battle of Trafalgar. Afterwards, there's still the chance to walk across the River Thames via the underwater Greenwich Foot Tunnel or the opportunity to view the Millennium Dome over a pint in the Trafalgar Tavern.

12. Head for a picnic with a view on Hampstead Heath

A slice of quintessential English countryside in the big city, Hampstead Heath is less manicured and more natural feeling than London's parks, and larger than any of its leafy commons. It comprises 320 hectares of meadows, woods, lakes, sculptures, cafes, tennis courts and walking trails, and is a great retreat from the stresses of the city.

A high point is Parliament Hill, Londoners' favourite kite-flying spot and a top place to watch the sun rise, particularly after an all-nighter.

It offers expansive views, from the well-heeled surrounding districts to St Paul's Cathedral and the London Eye in the distance.

The heath's renowned bathing ponds are dotted around, with the women's and men's ponds on the eastern border and the mixed pond further west. The neoclassical mansion Kenwood House houses a small painting collection and has appeared in several period films.

Its lawn, like the rest of the heath, is perfect for picnics. On summer evenings, pull up a chair for the open-air classical concerts.

The West Heath is such a well-established gay cruising area that the police come to protect the men who spend their nights here.

Actually on the heath, the popular Spaniard's Inn attracts a broad crowd of drinkers, gay and straight.

13. Feel London's retail heart beat at its most popular markets

Although it's become more corporate, with a shiny retail and restaurant complex encroaching on its territory in the past few years, Spitalfields Market still does a roaring trade on Sundays. Local hipsters, creative types, yummy mummies and the odd foreign TV crew all rub shoulders among the stalls. The plethora of nearby shops and pubs also keeps it one of London's essential shopping experiences.

Unique clothes and accessories from independent young designers dominate the market's tightly packed core. You'll also fi nd new and vintage homewares, secondhand books, vinyl records, CDs, old turntables and musical instruments.

Meanwhile across town, Londoners themselves are flocking to Borough Market, particularly on Saturdays. If you're a short-term visitor, the city's best food market might offer fewer sturdy souvenirs than Spitalfields, but it's also an enjoyable way to get a feel for the contemporary city.

If you're a real market junkie looking for something a bit different, skip Camden and Portobello and make a beeline for Broadway Market or Columbia Road Flower Market instead.

14. Dine out with a celebrity chef

In 2005 when US foodie magazine Gourmet declared London 'the best place in the world to eat' the snorts of derision could be heard all the way from San Francisco and Sydney. (Well, at least from such a distance these doubters were safe from the f***ing wrath of London's straight-talking mega-chef Gordon Ramsay.) British food has been historically famed for its awfulness, and the past decade's gastronomic renaissance has met with some scepticism, thanks to steep bills and occasionally overenthusiastic reviews.

Yet London restaurants have unquestionably made huge advances.

Rising to the demands of an increasingly well-travelled and discerning public, kitchens have proved their mettle with real skill and creativity. Home to some of the best-known, most lauded and ambitious chefs right now, London at least boasts an incredibly exciting dining scene.

It's not all Gordon Ramsay or Jamie Oliver, either, where you'll need to book months ahead. Many others have won Michelin stars and praise from hard-nosed critics. Tom Aikens, Fergus Henderson, Giorgio Locatelli, Marcus Wareing and Alan Yau have all also made a notable impression.

Celebrity haunts add glamour, while the emphasis on fresh produce and imaginative preparation has trickled down to cheaper restaurants, if sometimes unevenly.

15. Go for a curry, a time-honoured London experience

Even in the dim, dark days when unappetising English food was still scraping the bottom of the barrel - an action, it must be said, consumers then rarely mimicked - one variant was always a world-beater.

Thanks to historic ties with the Indian subcontinent, London has long boasted excellent curry houses. Although the 'Indian' dishes served are often post-colonial hybrids, they've certainly won a loyal following.

In London, 'going for a curry' became a mainstream pursuit in the 1980s. With the newly liberalised economy running rampant, macho stockbrokers began charging down restaurant-lined Brick Lane in search of the spiciest vindaloo.

Today Brick Lane endures, but restaurant touts now hassle for business and the street is considered past its prime. However, carnivores will still be wowed by the curry houses of Whitechapel (such as New Tayyab), vegetarians will enjoy the South Indian outlets along Drummond St (such as Chutney's) and adventurous connoisseurs of either persuasion might consider visiting Tooting.

This being London, the humble curry house is matched by many upmarket restaurants. Venues such as Amaya, Cafe Spice Namaste, the Cinnamon Club and the Painted Heron give Indian cuisine a sophisticated modern twist.

16. Take your seats for the world's best theatre

Depth, breadth, Hollywood names in lights and bums on seats - all are measures of the rude good health London's theatreland currently still finds itself in. Whether you want unforgettable drama, experimental comedy or mainstream musicals, the chance to see a play here is one of life's great pleasures.

London has always enjoyed a sterling reputation on stage, but in the late 1990s it entered a halcyon period. A lot of attention focuses on movie stars treading the boards. But talented acting, by both fi lm stars and experienced stage performers, is only part of the story.

Great playwrights and directors are also pivotal.

Nicholas Hytner has been a leading light in this regard, injecting new life into the flagship National Theatre. Under his artistic directorship, it's been commissioning innovative works from established and new playwrights, adapting classics and creating sometimes unexpected hits. The theatre has also created a new generation of theatre fans, selling thousands of cheap seats as part of its summertime Travelex season.

Shakespeare's recreated Globe Theatre, the Royal Shakespeare Company and Royal Court are other major draws.

Meanwhile, smaller theatres and companies like the Almeida, BAC Donmar Warehouse and Young Vic play an excellent support role.

17. Dig the Hoxton and Shoreditch clubbing scene

While New York has the Meat-Packing District, and Berlin boasts Prenzlauer Berg, London has Shoreditch. This is the archetypal neglected and forgotten neighbourhood that's now been reborn as a creative magnet and nightlife hub. And having first burst on the scene more than a decade ago, the enclave around Hoxton, Shoreditch and Spitalfields has demonstrated remarkable stamina and longevity.

A formerly uninspiring urban wasteland - following the collapse of its fabric and other industries - Shoreditch first began attracting poverty-stricken artists in the early to mid-1990s, with its cheap warehouse spaces to rent. Today it's one of the planet's hottest 'hoods and continues to hang on to precious street cred by expanding into even edgier districts.

Cutting-edge clubs and both super-slick and artfully dishevelled bars now dot the Shoreditch landscape, interspersed with fashionable restaurants, hip hotels, streetwear boutiques, delis, photo labs and new media start-ups. While new venues spring up regularly, some of the capital's nightlife stalwarts - Cargo, Loungelover, the Vibe Bar, 93 Feet East and 333 to name just a few - are found here.

Really, however, the choices are huge.