London: A Royal Tour

Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace

The guards at Buckingham Palace change at 11:00 on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays (no ceremony in very wet weather; check current schedule before heading out). This is the spectacle every visitor to London has to see at least once: stone-faced, bearskin-hatted guards changing posts with much fanfare, in an hour-long ceremony accompanied by a brass (or pipe-and-drummer) band. The most accessible action, though, is nearby at St. James's Palace and at the Wellington Barracks prior to the official change — for detailed tips see any Rick Steves guidebook covering London.

Buckingham Palace

The working headquarters of the British monarchy, Buckingham Palace is where the King carries out his official duties as the head of state. This lavish home has been Britain's royal residence since 1837, when the newly ascended Queen Victoria moved in. When today's monarch is at home, the royal standard flies (a red, yellow, and blue flag); otherwise, the Union Jack flaps in the wind. The King opens parts of the palace to the public for a couple months in summer.

Houses of Parliament

The Palace of Westminster, the Neo-Gothic icon of London and the royal residence from 1042 to 1547, is now the meeting place of the legislative branch of government. Like the US Capitol in Washington, DC, the complex is open to visitors. While Parliament is in session, you can watch debates, for free, from the public galleries in the bickering House of Commons and/or the sleepy House of Lords. When Parliament's in recess you can pay to tour more of the historic building, while learning about the history of Britain's political system, either on a guided tour or with an audioguide.

Elizabeth Tower (Big Ben)

The 315-foot-high clock tower at the north end of the Palace of Westminster is home to Big Ben, the famous 13-ton bell and clock. The face of the clock is huge — you can actually see the minute hand moving (the light above the clock is lit when Parliament is in session). For a good view of it from the outside, walk halfway over Westminster Bridge. To see the famous clockworks from the inside, plus sweeping views over London, hike 334 steps up the Elizabeth Tower on a guided tour. The visit coincides with the top of the hour, when the massive bell strikes. Tickets are released several months in advance and sell out almost immediately.

Westminster Abbey

The greatest church in the English-speaking world, Westminster Abbey is the place where England's kings and queens have been crowned and buried since 1066. Like a stony refugee camp huddled outside St. Peter's Pearly Gates, Westminster Abbey has many stories to tell. The steep admission includes a fine audioguide, worthwhile if you have the time and interest. To experience the church more vividly, take a live tour, or attend evensong or an organ concert.

Changing of the Guard at Horse Guards Arch

Because the Horse Guards building on Whitehall is considered an official entry to Buckingham Palace, mounted sentries known as the King's Life Guard are posted there to protect the sovereign. They change daily at the top of the hour from 10:00 until 16:00 rain or shine, and a colorful dismounting ceremony/inspection takes place daily at 16:00 (come 15 minutes early to squeeze into the small viewing area). Three times a week (Mon, Wed, Fri) the guard rides down from their Hyde Park Barracks to the Horse Guards parade ground, where a Changing of the King's Life Guard ceremony takes place at 11:00.

Churchill War Rooms

This excellent sight offers a fascinating walk through the underground headquarters of the British government's WWII fight in the darkest days of the Battle of Britain. It has two parts: the war rooms themselves, and a top-notch museum dedicated to the man who steered the war from here, Winston Churchill. Advance tickets are smart.

National Gallery

Displaying an unsurpassed collection of European paintings from 1250 to 1900 — including works by Leonardo, Botticelli, Velázquez, Rembrandt, Turner, Van Gogh, and the Impressionists — this is one of Europe's great galleries.

St. Martin-in-the-Fields

The church, built in the 1720s with a Gothic spire atop a Greek-type temple, is an oasis of peace on wild and noisy Trafalgar Square. St. Martin cared for the poor. "In the fields" was where the first church stood on this spot (in the 13th century), between Westminster and The City. Stepping inside, you still feel a compassion for the needs of the people in this neighborhood — the church serves the homeless and houses a Chinese community center.

National Portrait Gallery

Britain's National Portrait Gallery is what a portrait gallery should be. This once-stuffy place has become a genuinely engaging experience, letting you gaze into the faces of major figures from the past 500 years of British history. Well-written gallery panels set the historical context and let you know why each portrait subject has earned a place on the wall.

Bank of England Museum

See banknotes from 1699, an old safe, and account books. Also see current pound notes — with a foil hologram and numbers visible under UV light (to stay one step ahead of counterfeiters). The museum's highlight is under the rotunda: a real gold bar that weighs 28 pounds.

The Old Bank of England pub

This former bank, with a lavish late-Victorian interior, serves lunches to the 9-to-5 crowd.

The Monument to the Great Fire of 1666

This 202-foot column is Wren's tribute to the Great Fire that gave him a blank canvas upon which to create modern London. Supposedly, if you tipped The Monument over (to the east), its top would fall on the exact spot where, at 2:00 in the morning of September 2, 1666, a small fire broke out in a baker's oven in nearby Pudding Lane. Fanned by hot, blustery weather, the fire swept westward, leaping from house to house until The City was a square mile of flame. Inside the hollow column is a spiral staircase you can pay to climb (but it's generally not worthwhile).

St. Paul's Cathedral

Wren's most famous church is the great St. Paul's, its elaborate interior capped by a 365-foot dome. Despite 57 nights of bombing, the Nazis failed to destroy the cathedral, thanks to St. Paul's volunteer fire watchmen, who stayed on the dome. It's been the site of important weddings (then-Prince Charles and Lady Diana) and state funerals (Prime Ministers Churchill and Thatcher). Its crypt is a world of historic bones and memorials, including Admiral Nelson's tomb and interesting cathedral models. To avoid crowds, arrive first thing in the morning.

Thames sightseeing boats

Several companies offer essentially the same made-for-tourist cruises, most on slow-moving, open-top boats accompanied by entertaining commentary (particularly between Westminster and the Tower). Generally speaking, you can either do a short city-center cruise by riding a boat 30 minutes from Westminster Pier to Tower Pier (particularly handy if you're interested in visiting the Tower of London anyway) or take a longer cruise that includes a peek at the East End, riding from Westminster all the way to Greenwich. The two dominant companies are City Cruises (handy 45-minute cruise from Westminster Pier to Tower Pier) and Thames River Sightseeing (classic boats, friendlier and more old-fashioned feel). Each company runs cruises daily, about twice hourly, from morning until dark (less off-season), from various docks in the city center.

Tower of London

The Tower has served as a castle in wartime, a king's residence in peacetime, and, most notoriously, as the prison and execution site of rebels. You can see the crown jewels, take a witty Beefeater tour, and ponder the executioner's block that dispensed with troublesome heirs to the throne and a couple of Henry VIII's wives. Lines can be long here; see any Rick Steves guidebook covering London for tips on getting in quickly.

Tate Modern

This striking museum, in the decommissioned Bankside power station across the river from St. Paul's, has a powerhouse collection encompassing more than 100 years of art, ranging from early modernist works to the very latest in painting, sculpture, photography, film, and performance. Of equal interest are the many temporary exhibits featuring up-to-the-minute contemporary art. Each year, the main hall features a different monumental installation by a prominent artist.

Shakespeare's Globe Theatre

This 1997 replica of the original open-air Globe Theatre, half-timbered and thatched, approximates the theater of Shakespeare's time. (Its thatched roof was the first allowed in London since the Great Fire of 1666, after which the flammable material was outlawed.) Today's Globe serves as a working theater by night and offers tours by day.

London Eye

This giant Ferris wheel, towering above London opposite Big Ben, is one of the world's highest observational wheels and London's answer to the Eiffel Tower. Riding it is a memorable experience, even though the price is borderline outrageous. Whether you ride or not, the wheel is a sight to behold. Book ahead to trim your cost and wait time.

See the Travel Details above for recommendations highlighted in bold, excerpted from Rick's guidebooks.

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Hey, I'm Rick Steves, back with more of the best of Europe. This time we're enjoying a king's "greatest hits" tour in one of the world's leading cities — we're in London. Thanks for joining us.

This royal tour of a city I've been coming back to all my life features the capital of one of the greatest empires ever known. It's no wonder it's packed with sights that put the "Great" in Britain. With a thousand-year heritage of kings and queens and nine million citizens today, it has a fascinating story to tell.

On our greatest-hits tour, we'll cheer on royal pageantry and celebrate the people's parliament. We'll cruise the Thames, hop a double-decker bus, and summit an inspiring dome. After remembering Britain's heroes from the first Elizabeth to the last, we'll get greedy at the Bank of England, drink a pint with the locals, then storm a medieval tower to meet a genuine Beefeater.

London, the capital of England and straddling the River Thames, entertains. We'll start at Buckingham Palace and Westminster, with its Abbey, Houses of Parliament, and Big Ben. From Trafalgar Square, with its great museums, we venture through the business district called "The City," with stops at St. Paul's Cathedral and the Tower of London. Then we hike from Tower Bridge along the South Bank back to the London Eye to complete our royal tour.

We'll start with the traditional: the Changing of the Guard, here at Buckingham Palace — it's the ultimate in royal pageantry and a huge crowd is gathering to enjoy it.

While no longer ruling a vast empire, London is still a capital of regal traditions. At the end of a long shift, fresh guards march out to relieve the exhausted ones. Three times a week, this ritual comes with marching bands and a public spectacle. This time-honored ceremony still stirs British hearts. And, while you have to be very tall or very early to actually see the guards change, I get a kick out of watching what seems like every tourist in London gathered together in one place at the same time.

Today, England's royal family calls Buckingham Palace home. But a thousand years ago, they lived on the River Thames in what was called the Palace of Westminster. Over the centuries, that palace of monarchs evolved to become this building and the center of modern Britain's democracy.

It started when representatives of local communities — or "commons" — gathered here to be near their king. Eventually, they began meeting independently as the House of Commons, or Parliament. And to this day, Britain is ruled from right here: the Houses of Parliament.

Visitors are welcome to queue up for a free look at today's democratic process in action.

Your visit starts with a stroll through the majestic building itself. Westminster Hall, surviving for over 600 years, was at one time the grandest hall in all of Europe.

At first it was a glorious throne room, the heart of the palace. Imagine the king ruling as a divine monarch, presiding from the far end — dispensing justice, welcoming ambassadors, and hosting boisterous banquets.

The self-supporting oak hammer-beam construction — an ingenious network of braces and arches creating a longer span with shorter pieces of wood — survives from 1397.

Just down the richly ornamented hall, the public is welcome to witness the Parliament in action. This is where the leading politicians of England, in either the uppity House of Lords or the rowdier House of Commons, have gathered for centuries.

While Westminster Hall is original Gothic, like much of the most medieval-looking architecture in Europe, the exterior of the Houses of Parliament is actually over-the-top faux-medieval. It's Neo-Gothic, from the 1800s — the age of Queen Victoria. With prickly spires, stained glass, and church-like pointed arches, Victorian England reaffirmed both its royal and Christian medieval roots.

The famous bell tower is also Neo-Gothic. People call it Big Ben, but it's actually the Queen Elizabeth Tower. Ben is the famous 13-ton bell behind the clock.

Just across the street from Big Ben is Westminster Abbey. This most historic church in the English-speaking world is where kings and queens have been crowned, married, and buried since 1066. While it was first built in the 11th century, much of what we see today is 14th century. When there's a royal wedding, coronation, or funeral, the world looks on as, amid all this splendor, Britain's glitterati gather under graceful Gothic arches.

The centerpiece is the tomb of Edward the Confessor, who founded the Abbey. And surrounding Edward are the tombs of 29 other kings and queens. This is the tomb of Queen Elizabeth I. Her royal orb symbolizes that she was queen of the entire globe.

The Abbey is filled with the remains of people who put the "Great" in Britain — saints, musicians, scientists, and soldiers. For lovers of English literature, strolling through Poets' Corner can be a pilgrimage in itself.

The Lady Chapel, with its colorful windows and fanciful banners, has the festive air of a medieval pageant. The elaborate ceiling is a fine example of fan vaulting — a style that capped the Gothic age. At the far end, a wall of modern stained glass marks the Royal Air Force Chapel. It honors the fighter pilots of all nations who died defending Britain in 1940. With saints in stained glass, heroes in carved stone, and the remains of England's greatest citizens under the floor stones, Westminster Abbey is the national church and the religious heart of England.

In the 1500s, King Henry VIII moved to an enormous new royal palace that once stood here. The biggest palace in Europe in its day, it stretched all the way from Big Ben to Trafalgar Square, at the end of this street.

While that palace is long gone, its name survives: Whitehall — today, Britain's most important street. The British Empire, which once ruled nearly a quarter of the world's population, was managed from here. A Whitehall Walk, passing Britain's version of the Pentagon, is filled with reminders of Britain's proud and hard-fought history. Stately reliefs, war heroes on pedestals, and stern buildings seem to celebrate the empire upon which the sun "never set."

As it has for centuries, the Royal Horse Guards cavalry still keeps the royal family safe. And if you're here at the right time, you'll enjoy the ritual changing of this guard as well.

Britain's prime ministers have long lived and worked on Whitehall at the famous and carefully guarded address, 10 Downing Street. And one of the greatest was Winston Churchill, remembered here with the iconic trench coat he wore leading his country through the dark days of World War II.

Deep under the halls of government, you can visit the Churchill War Rooms. This was the secret underground nerve center of the British government's fight against the Nazis, even as German bombs rained down on London during the Blitz. Shut down after victory in 1945 and ignored for decades, these war rooms are open today as a fascinating time warp for visitors to explore. Audioguides give it meaning.

Audioguide: On the morning of the 16th of August 1945, the day after V-J Day and the end of the war, the map officers tidied their desks, switched out their lights for the first time in six years, and went home. And that's the way the room stayed.

You'll see the room where Churchill famously took his short naps. In this room, the progress of the entire war was followed as the day-by-day movement of troops and convoys was charted. And this room was the communication hub from where Churchill maneuvered Britain to ultimate victory.

The adjacent museum introduces you to Churchill, the man. It brings the colorful statesman to life — complete with his trademark cigar, bow tie, cognac — he loved his drink — and famous bowler hat. You'll get a taste of Winston's irascibility, wit, work ethic, even the industry of kitschy knickknacks he inspired.

Back out on Whitehall there are more monuments — this one built to remember the fallen from World War I, and this one to honor the seven million women who volunteered in World War II. Whitehall spills into Trafalgar Square, with its memorial to perhaps the greatest English war hero of all time: The one-armed, one-eyed, and one-minded Admiral Horatio Nelson, looking boldly out to sea.

The year was 1805. Napoleon, with his grand French army, was poised just on the other side of the English Channel, preparing to invade. Meanwhile, a thousand miles to the south, off the coast of Spain, Admiral Nelson defeated the French fleet at the Battle of Trafalgar. Napoleon was stopped…and Britannia ruled the waves.

Bronze battle reliefs made of melted-down French cannon decorate the column. And these huggable lions are a hit with kids.

Trafalgar Square is a vibrant people zone. It's where Londoners gather to enjoy concerts, cheer their national team, to kick off a political demonstration…or just enjoy the fountains and a sunny day.

Trafalgar Square marks the very center of London. Big Ben, just past Admiral Nelson. Buckingham Palace, straight shot that way. Soho, where all the nightlife is, it's about six blocks over there. The National Gallery has the greatest collection of European paintings in Britain. And St. Martin-in-the-Fields is famous for its classical concerts and its charity work.

Just around the corner, the National Portrait Gallery is the perfect place to look into the eyes of the dynamic cast of characters in Britain's compelling story as it grew from small island nation to global superpower.

Five hundred years ago, it was the formidable Henry VIII who first planted England onto the world stage, while navigating six wives. Henry's shrewd daughter, Queen Elizabeth I, ruled a prosperous age that fostered great minds — minds like William Shakespeare, whose timeless plays explored the full range of human experience.

As their empire grew, the energetic British reshaped the world in many fields. The curious scientist Isaac Newton noticed a falling apple and thought: "Hmm…gravity." Novelist Charles Dickens opened his fellow citizens' eyes to the inequalities that came with the Industrial Revolution, while mild-mannered Charles Darwin shocked everyone with his bold theory of evolution.

In the turbulent 20th century, our old friend Winston Churchill would rally the nation to victory in World War II. And Queen Elizabeth II served dutifully through 70 years of unprecedented change before passing the crown to her son, Charles, with his queen — ensuring that Britain's long legacy of glorious traditions continues proudly into the 21st century.

Britain's history continues to unfold, and the gallery works hard to keep up. With creative displays and a focus on including once-marginalized people, there's an ever-changing array of the latest cultural luminaries. From monarchs to war heroes, fashion icons to pop stars, the National Portrait Gallery puts a literal face on the fascinating story of Great Britain.

Big as it is, London's easy to get around in, and its iconic double-decker buses can be both efficient and fun. Just joyriding, enjoying the view from the top deck, is one of the great treats of this city.

While the Tube goes underground and does long trips quicker, buses can be handy for short hops. This one — like any bus going in this direction — is heading directly into the historic core of London, that one-square-mile district locals call "The City."

The City was the center of London back in the days of Shakespeare and Dickens. Its historic borders are marked by griffins like this. These days, fewer than 10,000 people actually live here, but its 9-to-5 crowd numbers half a million. Today, this is Britain's Wall Street, busy with bankers and lawyers, thriving with big-time commerce, and packed with heritage.

Fleet Street was famous for publishing. Home of early printing presses and newspapers, this was a state-of-the-art center of the original Information Age. And The City has long been a global center of finance — hosting hundreds of banks, both international and English.

This district helped create the first great capitalist economy. At London's original stock exchange, stock — yeah, actual livestock, like cattle and sheep — was exchanged right here.

The Bank of England serves as this country's Fort Knox, guarding a national fortune of gold bars. Its free museum is fascinating, and offers an unforgettable chance to actually hold on to a 28-pound gold bar — at today's exchange rates [and gold prices] worth well over a million dollars.

Rick: Wow! Yeah, a million bucks.

But these days bank headquarters have moved out and many of the elegant original bank buildings have morphed into fancy pubs [featured: The Old Bank of England] — their vaults now filled with kegs of real English ale.

In a British pub, you order at the bar. For a cold and carbonated American-style beer, you'd go for a lager. A bitter and an ale, that would be the traditional English beer.

The lagers have short tabs, and the ales and bitters have the long handles, as they need to be physically drawn from kegs in the cellar.

The default is a pint, like Josh is having. Or, if you're a lightweight TV host trying to stay sober, you can always order a half a pint. Cheers!

Refreshed and back out on the street, more history awaits. This Tudor-style building [at 17 Fleet Street] is one of the few that survived London's Great Fire of 1666. Before that, back in Shakespeare's day, the entire city was made of wood, half-timbered, and looked a lot like this.

This monument commemorates that devastating fire that started here and burned down nearly all of London. These reliefs show, in heroic terms, how the king and city leaders came together, determined to rebuild. A young, ambitious architect named Christopher Wren was chosen to spearhead the project.

The city that rose from the ashes was re-built of stone — much safer. And that city was decorated by the Wren-designed spires of some 50 churches featuring Wren's signature style: soaring spires and geometrical simplicity outside, and, under barrel-vaulted ceilings, practical, uncluttered interiors — seating galleries overlooking the nave, clear windows enhancing the interplay of light and dark, and artfully carved woodwork throughout. Christopher Wren spent four decades — the rest of his life — working on his grand vision.

The centerpiece? This mighty cathedral, St. Paul's. It's the symbol of London's resilience, its rise from the Great Fire, and how London survived the Blitz of World War II.

The church is one of the world's biggest. Wren accentuated its spaciousness by the lack of decoration. Notice the simple ceiling, and how the clear glass lights everything evenly.

Today, only the west end of the church keeps Wren's original vision. In the 1800s, Queen Victoria called St. Paul's "dim, dingy, and ungodly," so the simple beauty of the east end of the church was then slathered with Victorian bling — beautiful Victorian bling.

While the church's survival in World War II was almost miraculous, the apse of the church did take a direct hit. It was rebuilt as the American Memorial Chapel to honor our nation's contribution to the defense of Britain. We see Jesus, Mary…and George Washington! The American iconography includes stars, stripes, and eagles. And, hiding behind birds and plants native to the USA, it's a US rocket, circa 1958, shooting up to the stars. The British are grateful to their WWII allies. The Roll of Honor lists the 28,000 American servicemen based in Britain who gave their lives.

The heart of the church is Wren's masterpiece: a majestic, light-filled dome that visitors can't help but gaze up into with a sense of awe.

Climbing the dome is like climbing a 30-story building…with no elevator. And the reward? A commanding view of London. Christopher Wren spent nearly half his life working on St. Paul's. At age 75, he got to see his son crown his masterpiece with this triumphant cross.

London was born on the River Thames. Located near the mouth of the Thames, the city grew rich on trade between Britain's interior and the open sea. Once the sewer of the city, congested with cargo ships and routinely flooding, today the river's cleaned up and tamed by a massive flood barrier a few miles downstream.

The River Thames is busy with passenger ferries. Uber boats are for commuting and quick trips, while the various sightseeing boats are there to make memories for tourists.

We're sailing from the halls of Westminster under Big Ben, downstream, enjoying an informative narration with the views.

Narrator: On your right, the HMS Belfast saw action in the Second World War.

And our boat finishes under the Tower Bridge…dropping us at London's very first royal palace. The Tower of London goes back to the Norman Conquest.

The year was 1066. Over in France, William, Duke of Normandy, gathered his troops. He crossed the English Channel, invaded, and occupied England. Ultimately taking the English throne, he became William the Conqueror. To consolidate his rule, he built this — the first stone fortress in Britain. Yes, the Tower of London.

Its purpose? Put 15 feet of stone between him and his new subjects. This original tower — formidable like nothing locals had ever seen — gave the castle complex its name. The style of the age was Romanesque, which the English call "Norman" for the invaders who imported it.

This stark yet serene Chapel of St. John — from 1080 and one of the oldest in England — provides a rare look at pure Norman architecture: round Roman-style arches and thick walls. You'll see an intimidating collection of medieval weaponry and armor. Your entry includes a peek at the most dazzling crown jewels in Europe — sorry, no cameras — and an entertaining tour with one of the historic tower guards: a Yeoman Warder, or, "Beefeater."

Beefeater: The Wakefield Tower just down there is named the Wakefield Tower after the battle of Wakefield, which occurred during the Wars of the Roses. After that battle, hundreds of Yorkist prisoners were captured. They were crammed into the lower dungeon and just left there to die in appalling conditions. Some say it's the most haunted tower anywhere in the complex. In fact, people say to me all the time, "Gary, have you seen any ghosts while you've lived here at the tower?" What a great question. I've lived here now for two hundred and thirty-two years, and I've never seen a ghost.

The Millennium Bridge connects the City of London with the south bank of the Thames. Built to celebrate the new millennium, it's a suspension bridge, but its pylons veer out in order not to obliterate the fine views. Nicknamed the "blade of light" for its sleek design, it connects old and new: St. Paul's Cathedral with the Tate Modern art gallery.

The Tate Modern fills an old, abandoned power station. A fine example of London's creative post-industrial regeneration, it's a high-voltage collection of modern art. Visitors enjoy an entertaining cocktail of Dalí, Picasso, Stella, Pop Art, Dada, and the work of artists who perhaps have yet to become household names. Simply wandering through its vast and entertaining halls, you can enjoy the refreshing juxtaposition of bizarre images, surreal fantasies, and a vivid reminder that London still pulses with cultural energy.

The south bank of the Thames — yet another success story of a revitalized London — now thrives with trendy bars, condos, and cultural centers, like Shakespeare's Globe Theater, all tied together by the Jubilee Walkway. This riverside promenade stretches from the Tower Bridge to just across from Big Ben. It comes with plenty of opportunities to relax along the way. It's a hit with strollers, friends enjoying a picnic dinner, hard-working bands busking, lovers, and daydreamers.

Our riverside walk finishes with a classic view of a familiar sight: Big Ben and the Halls of Parliament. And, for a quick and easy flight over London, we're riding the London Eye. This world's largest observation wheel is designed like a giant bicycle wheel. A pan-European undertaking, it's made with British steel, Dutch engineering, and German, French, and Italian parts. Visitors enjoy a smooth and silent 30-minute once-around rotation. From the top of the 450-foot-high wheel, Big Ben looks small, and this commanding view caps our royal tour of one of the world's greatest cities.

London: It's a city kings and queens call home…and I can see why. Thanks for joining us. I'm Rick Steves. Until next time, keep on travelin'. Cheerio!