London For History Nerds Like Us

What I love the most about London is that it is a city of juxtaposition. Towering skyscrapers next to a 1000 year old castle. Roman walls and traffic jams. Narrow streets with names like Poultry Ave, Pudding Lane, Crutched Friars, and Ironmonger Lane, in a city with some of the most expensive real estate in the world. You can buy a $130M yacht at Harrods, or drink a pint at a tavern that was rebuilt in 1666 after the Great Fire. While I love all the modern aspects of this city, my history loving heart skips a beat just thinking of all there is to see in London.

If you plan on visiting London, here are our Must See and Great to See historical sites in London. Yes, we’ve been to them all at least once!

Must See Historical Sites in London

Note: Yes, many of these tickets are on the pricey side. But most of the preservation is funded through ticket sales alone, and we believe that our ticket prices or donations help maintain these incredibly historic sites for generations to come.

Westminster Abbey - https://www.westminster-abbey.org/. Book tickets in advance and get the audio guide to learn all about the history of the Abbey and those that are buried here. This is a pricey ticket but well worth it to preserve this important historic building!

Tickets: £££. Book online! Duration: 60-90 minutes. Location: Westminster

The Elizabeth Tower, Big Ben, and Parliament Buildings - Did you know that the actual tower is called the Elizabeth Tower and only the bell is Big Ben? This is one to just walk around and snap some photos. While you’re at it, go ahead and quote Chevy Chase from European Vacation: “Hey look kids, there's Big Ben, and there's Parliament... again!”

Tickets: Free if you stay outside! Duration: 30 minutes. Location: Westminster

Buckingham Palace - https://www.rct.uk/visit/buckingham-palace. The King’s official London residence. You can book tickets for tours during the summer only. But it is an iconic London location for photos any time of year. The Changing of the Guards happens every Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday at 11:00am   And take time to stroll through St. James Park! Get there early to line up along the street to watch.

Tickets: £££ for a summer tour. Book early! Duration: 15 minutes or longer if you go for the Changing of the Guards or a tour. Location: Westminster

St. Paul’s Cathedral - https://www.stpauls.co.uk/. The iconic building was built by Christopher Wren but the church dates back to 604! The crypt and a climb to the top of the dome are not to be missed! If you sit in the dome on one side you can “whisper” and people on the other side can hear you.  Super cool!

Tickets: £££. Book Early! Duration: 60 minutes. Location: The City of London

Temple Church - https://www.templechurch.com/. This one might not make every guidebook’s Must See list, but it does for us! If you love medieval history or The DaVinci Code, you need to stop in at Temple Church. Tucked back behind Fleet Street and surrounded by the legal colleges of the Inner and Middle Temple it is a great place to spend some quite time away from the crowds.

Tickets: £. Buy at the door. Duration: 30 minutes. Location: City of London

Tower of London - https://www.hrp.org.uk/tower-of-london/ Built in 1066 by William the Conquerer, this is the iconic castle in London. Go here to see the Crown Jewels, get a guided tour from Yeoman, see incredible armor, and learn about the famous residents (and prisoners)!

Tickets: £££. Book Early! Duration: 1-3 hours depending on how much you love history!. Location: City of London

The British Museum - https://www.britishmuseum.org/ We like to joke that The British Museum is home to all the artifacts stolen by the British through the years. Here you’ll find The Rosetta Stone, The Parthenon, Egyptian Sarcphogi, and other items from over 2 million years of human history.

Tickets: Free! Duration: 1-3 hours. Location: Bloomsbury

Roman London History: https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/london-wall/history/ London was original named Londinium by the Romans who settled here in 200 AD. In Tower Hill and other parts of The City, you can find remnants of the original Roman wall and fort.

Tickets: Free! Duration: 15-30 minutes. Location: The City of London

Great to See Historical Sites in London

If you’ve seen all the Must See Sites on previous visits, here are our favorite other sites that are less crowded, and much less expensive!

Monument - https://www.themonument.org.uk/ Built by Christopher Wren this tower commemorates the Great Fire of 1666. You can purchase tickets to climb the 301 stairs to the top or just enjoy reading the plaques on the sides of the monument.

Tickets: Free or £. Buy tickets onsite. Duration: 15-30 minutes. Location: The City of London

The Wallace Collection - https://www.wallacecollection.org/ The Wallace Collection is an art and history museum. It has an exceptional Armory exhibit!

Tickets: Free! Duration: 45-60 minutes. Location: Marylebone.

Charterhouse Museum - https://thecharterhouse.org/explore-the-charterhouse/museum/. The Charterhouse was a Carthusian monastery built in 1545 on the grounds of a public cemetery for plague victims. After the monasteries were abolished by Henry VIII, it became a Tudor mansion, and later an almshouse. There is a fascinating museum here in this historic old building.

Tickets: Free! Duration: 30 minutes. Location: Clerkenwell

St. Bartholomew’s Church and Gatehouse - https://www.greatstbarts.com/. St. Barts is London’s oldest parish church, founded in 1123. The 13th century Tudor Gatehouse and the church still stand and are a quiet place to see medieval London architecture.

Tickets: Free! Duration: 30 minutes. Location: Clerkenwell

Museum of the Order of St. John - https://museumstjohn.org.uk/. Originally a priory housing warrior monks who served as medics during the Crusades. You can take a guided tour of the 15th Century Gatehouse and the crypt of the original church.

Tickets: ££ for the guided tour but the museum is free. Duration: 1 hour for the tour, 15 minutes for the museum. Location: Clerkenwell.

All Hallows by the Tower - https://www.ahbtt.org.uk/. A medieval church that survived The Great Fire and the Blitz! It was founded in 675. A visit to the crypt is a must see for ancient ruins.

Tickets: Free! Duration: 30 minutes. Location: The City of London

London Mythraneum - https://www.londonmithraeum.com/ An ancient Roman temple under the skyscrapers of the City, it was discovered after the Blitz leveled much of the area. It now sits under the Bloomberg European Headquarters and is a glimpse into London from 2000 years ago.

Tickets: Free, but book in advance online. Duration: 45 minutes. Location: The City of London

Tyburn Tree Marker - https://marble-arch.london/culture-blog/history-of-tyburn-tree/ A plaque in the middle of a busy intersection marks the spot where thousands of Londoners met their death at the gallows that were built on this spot.

Tickets: Free! Duration: 5 minutes. Location: Hyde Park

St. Dunstan in the East - https://www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/things-to-do/city-gardens/find-a-garden/st-dunstan-in-the-east-church-garden Another church built by Christopher Wren, this was bombed during the Blitz and never rebuilt. It is now a beautiful park where you can wander the ruins and escape the busy streets of the City.

Tickets: Free! Duration: 15 minutes. Location: City of London

Churchill Warm Rooms - https://www.iwm.org.uk/visits/churchill-war-rooms A fascinating journey through the underground offices of Churchill’s World War Two war rooms to escape the bombings.

Tickets: £££. Duration: 60 minutes. Location: Westminster

Dr. Johnson’s Museum - https://www.drjohnsonshouse.org/ Dr Samuel Johnson was a prominent literary figure in the 18th Century and wrote one of the first dictionaries in England. This museum is in his townhouse and is a great example of houses from that period.

Tickets: ££. Duration: 30 minutes. Location: Temple

National Maritime Museum - https://www.rmg.co.uk/national-maritime-museum Located in Greenwich, the National Maritime Museum highlights the history of the British Navy through key periods of history. We found the collections to present difficult subjects like colonization and the slave trade in a very thoughtful way.

Tickets: Free! Duration: 1-2 hours. Location: Greenwich

Imperial War Museum - https://www.iwm.org.uk/visits/iwm-london Galleries covering the history of wars, with extensive exhibitions on World Wars One and Two.

Tickets: Free! Duration: 1-3 hours. Location: Lambeth

Historic Pubs

Of course no discussion about history in London would be complete without a listing of some great historic pubs to quench your thirst and rest your feet after taking in all the historic sites! Our favorites:

Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese: https://ye-olde-cheshire-cheese.co.uk/ Location: Fleet Street

Ye Olde Mitre: https://www.yeoldemitreholborn.co.uk/ Location: Holburn

The Dickens Inn: https://www.dickensinn.co.uk/. Location: St. Katherine’s Dock

For history lovers like us, London is a dream. While the Must See sights are incredible, there are many more places to see where you can walk in the footsteps of history. From the temples of ancient Romans, to walking the walls of Norman castles, to drinking a pint in a pub that Charles Dickens drank, London has it all!