The most beautiful places in London you have to visit – from museums to parks and gardens
Born-and-bred Londoner Gina Jackson shares 10 of the most beautiful places in London that you should add to the very top of your list
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London is a city that hums with indefatigable energy: its winding, warren-like streets and sprawling neighbourhoods are steeped in history and pomp, shaped by characters as infamous as Jack the Ripper and as iconic as Winston Churchill. Amid the movement and noise, there are plentiful pockets of beauty: stately homes and grand buildings serving as museums, carefully tended parks that feel far removed from the city’s hustle, and elevated viewpoints offering sweeping panoramas of the ever-shifting skyline. It’s a city where centuries-old history collides with the contemporary: every alley and square whispers a different story, offering an inexhaustible number of things to see, do and explore.
Whether you’re a lifelong Londoner or visiting for the first time, you’ll no doubt have an endless list of sights to tick off.
Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
Location: Richmond
Price: £22 (prices depend on season)
Closest Tube station: Kew Gardens station
Arguably London’s most famous gardens, Kew’s Royal Botanic Gardens were originally designed as a destination for royal enjoyment only. Happily, since 1840, members of the public have been welcomed to wander the plant-filled paradise, which demands at least a day for exploring. Spread across 300 acres in southwest London, this Unesco World Heritage Site is a living tapestry of the world’s most remarkable plants, with over 50,000 species to discover. Wander beneath soaring Victorian glasshouses, spying tropical palms and rare orchids, or stroll through woodland glades and colourful flowerbeds that shift with the seasons. Whether you’re here to observe the flora or picnic on the lawns, Kew is a verdant sanctuary for reconnecting with nature – and just a short hop from the city’s bustle.
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Somerset House
Location: Aldwych
Price: Free, unless visiting specific exhibitions
Closest Tube station: Temple
Straddling The Strand just steps away from the River Thames, this neoclassical masterpiece designed by Sir William Chambers dates back to the 18th century: an architectural landmark of Georgian grandeur that’s all honey-hued facades, stately columns, and trickling fountains set around a central courtyard. While originally fashioned as a palatial government building, Somerset House is no less impressive today, functioning as a creative and cultural hub as much as it is a popular Instagram destination. Visit for ever-evolving art exhibitions, open-air concerts, and a spectacular ice rink in the winter months. If you’re hungry, you can fuel up on elegant Anglo-Italian fare at Spring or slurp expertly poured flat whites at WatchHouse, both of which sit within the Somerset House estate.
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Kyoto Garden
Location: Holland Park
Price: Free
Closest Tube station: Holland Park
Tucked within the walled confines of leafy Holland Park, you’ll stumble upon the tranquil Kyoto Garden, which was gifted to the park by the city of Kyoto in 1991, commemorating the longstanding relations between the UK and Japan. Designed by renowned Japanese gardener Shoji Nakahara, and modelled after the traditional gardens typically found across Kyoto, the compact enclosure features a tiered waterfall and stone lanterns framed around a central, koi-filled pond. Visit in autumn when the leaves on the maple trees turn a distinctive auburn hue, or in spring when the cherry blossoms reach full bloom. There’s an instantly calming atmosphere to this serene pocket of greenery, which feels like it was transplanted directly from Japan; it’s a space to slow down and disconnect from the pace of the city.
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Old Royal Navy College
Location: Greenwich
Price: £17.50
Closest Tube station: Island Gardens or Greenwich (DLR)
Set along a peaceful curve of the Thames, the Old Royal Naval College is one of Greenwich’s most breathtaking architectural ensembles: ostentatiously grand, perfectly symmetrical, and a proud landmark of maritime history. Designed by Sir Christopher Wren, its domed buildings and stately colonnades once formed the training grounds for naval officers, but now serve as a monument to Britain’s seafaring past. You’ll want to wander the manicured lawns and head up to the Royal Observatory for panoramic views across London, but the must-see highlight here is undoubtedly the Painted Hall (often dubbed the ‘Sistine Chapel of the UK’). Baroque murals sweep across the ceiling in dizzying detail, with the expansive space often playing host to fancy dress film tours, yoga classes, and even silent discos – worth booking into if you’d rather experience the hall through a unique lens.
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Primrose Hill
Location: Primrose Hill
Price: Free
Closest Tube station: Chalk Farm
This affluent neighbourhood in northwest London shares its name with the leafy park that crowns it. It’s from the top of this grassy rise that you’ll find one of the most iconic vistas of the city skyline: a wide sweep of London’s rooftops and spires that’s especially striking at sunset. But there’s more to see here than just the view. Pootle along picturesque Chalcot Crescent, where pretty, pastel-painted townhouses curve like a film set – reminiscent of Notting Hill but minus the tourists. Independent boutiques, charming cafés, and quiet streets make the neighbourhood feel like a self-contained village, and from here you can wander through nearby Regent’s Park or stroll along the Regent’s Canal, which winds its way peacefully past houseboats and tree-lined banks.
St Dunstan in the East
Location: The City of London
Price: Free
Closest Tube station: Monument
Hidden among the winding lanes of the City, St Dunstan in the East is a whisper-quiet sanctuary where history and unchecked nature intertwine. After bomb damage during the Blitz destroyed all but the shell and graceful arches of the medieval church that once stood here, its ruins were transformed into a public garden. Today, ivy and wisteria spill over ancient stone walls, and lush greenery fills the nave. Visit in spring, when the garden blooms with colour, or find a bench beneath the Gothic windows for a quiet moment of reflection. This is an unexpected place of refuge in the heart of London’s financial district, and somewhat of a time capsule amid the city’s ever-changing landscape.
Leadenhall Market
Location: The City of London
Price: Free
Closest Tube station: Monument
Sandwiched by office blocks and swanky shops in the city’s financial district, Leadenhall Market feels like a secret slice of old London hidden beneath a canopy of ornate ironwork and glass. Dating back to the 14th century, this covered market was once the bartering place for meat and game; today, it’s home to boutique shops and elegant eateries. The cobbled walkways and richly painted facades give it a timeless charm – so much so that it’s been the backdrop for plenty of film sets. Visit at golden hour when you’ll rub shoulders with city workers clamouring for drinks at the chi-chi wine bars, or head here on weekends when vintage markets and craft fairs spill across the street.
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Hampstead Heath
Location: Hampstead
Price: Free
Closest Tube station: Hampstead
Sprawling Hampstead Heath (or ‘the Heath’ as the locals lovingly refer to it), offers a wilder, rugged slice of London that’s less manicured than the city’s royal parks, and all the more charming for it. Sprawling across 800 acres, this ancient heathland feels a world away from the rest of the city, with wild woodlands and open meadows for rambling across. Climb to the top of Parliament Hill for one of the most panoramic views of the city skyline, or head for the Heath’s famed swimming ponds, where hardy locals take brisk dips year-round. History buffs should make sure to visit Kenwood House, a neoclassical villa framed by tranquil gardens, which sits on the border of the Heath and features an impressive collection of sculptures and artworks. Nearby Hampstead village is worth pottering around too: discover plenty of ivy-covered pubs, cobbled lanes, and independent boutiques.
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Natural History Museum
Location: South Kensington
Price: Free, unless visiting specific exhibitions
Closest Tube station: South Kensington
This is one of London’s most iconic landmarks and museums: a cathedral-like masterpiece designed by Alfred Waterhouse that sits on South Kensington’s Cromwell Road. Originally built to house the British Museum’s overflowing collections, today the Natural History Museum is just as much as a household name. From the exterior, the museum’s Romanesque façade is all terracotta tiles and arches – and once through the doors, you’re greeted by Hintze Hall’s soaring ceilings and the dramatic blue whale skeleton that dangles directly above the entrance. The museum’s collections span hundreds of millennia, encompassing everything from glittering gemstones and dinosaur skeletons to rare fossils. There are also interesting one-off events such as the current Tank Room Tour, where you can see specimens, including some collected by Darwin, preserved in jars of fluid, or a tank, in the case of Archie the 8.92-metre giant squid. Wander through the interactive exhibits (which are equally as inspiring for children and adults), and you’ll find yourself lost among the natural wonders of the planet.
The Barbican
Location: The City of London
Price: Free, unless visiting specific exhibitions
Closest Tube station: Barbican
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and if stark Brutalist architecture is more up your street, the dark, monolithic facade of the Barbican is a sight to behold. Commissioned in the sixties, the Barbican’s arrival breathed new life into an area previously devastated during the Blitz. This maze of concrete terraces and Jenga-like staircases houses over 2,000 flats, several schools, and even a library - alongside the Barbican Centre itself, one of Europe’s largest arts hubs. This destination-worthy cultural centre (dubbed ‘one of the wonders of the modern world’ by Queen Elizabeth II on its opening in 1982) houses continually-evolving art, music, film, and theatre exhibitions – and is home to concert halls, cinemas, and gallery spaces. There are unexpected pockets of greenery hidden among the concrete too; wander through elevated walkways and discover the impressive Barbican Conservatory: a lush, glass-roofed haven home to over 1,500 species of plants and trees.
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