Visiting London – 5 Budget Tourist Attractions
66This is in response to the Question raised by Frogdropping in Q & A Section of Hubpages.
There are so many Tourist Attractions in London but as we know London is an expensive city. So, if you are intending not to spend much money, these are 5 Options that you could consider and as a Londoner, I assure you, that you will have a brilliant time.
Houses of Parliament & Big Ben
Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament, Westminster.
This is in the heart of London and is a good place to take photographs. You have the famous Big Ben (the clock) that chimes every hour. You can also see the Houses of Parliament and you have a nice view of the River Thames. You will also see the Statue of Nelson Mandela.
Houses of Parliament/House of Commons
You can visit the public Galleries. Debates in the commons take place on Mon. Tues. and Thurs. from 2-30 pm; Wed. & Fri. from 9-30 am.
The most interesting time to visit the House is during Prime Minister's Question Time, which you must book a ticket for, through your MP (Minister of Parliament) or your Embassy. Prime Minister's Question Time is on Wed. from 12pm - 12-30pm.
You can also attend and watch debates. Visit website below for times.
Entrance: FREE
British Science Museum
British Science Museum, Kensington.
There is much to see and it will take a long time for you to see everything. I know a lot of students who went there in the summer of 2009 and thoroughly enjoyed it.
It’s geared towards schools/colleges but I have recently found out, there are nights of FREE Adult – Entertainment. It could be about Sex and Science or other varied topics and there is also some Speed – dating. Not bad for a FREE night out.
Time: 18.45 – 10pm – Once a month. The next two will be 28 Oct and 25 Nov 09. I will update this article regularly to reflect upcoming dates.
Open 7 days a week – 10am – 6pm (excluding xmas holidays)
Entrance : FREE
Rochester Castle
Rochester Castle, Kent.
This Castle has a breathtaking view and the areas surrounding it are Picturesque. You can see the Castle, but if you want to go inside you have to pay. Fees are below. There are also boats to hire opposite the Castle. You will enjoy the trip regardless of whether you go inside the Castle or not.
Entrance to the Castle: Adults £5 and Kids £4.
Open 7 days a week 10am – 4pm (excluding Christmas holidays)
Trafalgar Square
Trafalgar Square, London
Not to be missed. This is at the heart of London. You can just sit here and have a sandwich, feed the birds or watch the world go by. It also holds a lot of events e.g New years eve celebrations, Christmas activities etc and if there is an important live event that is being broadcast round the world – a large plasma Screen is erected on the Square for everyone to watch.
Forth coming events: 22 October 2009, The London film festival and Ghost forest (deforestation and climate change) will be from 16 – 22 November. I will update this page again regularly.
Entrance: N/A. It’s a square open to all.
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Buckingham Palace - Changing of the Guard
This is the home of the Queen and is definitely one of the places to visit while in London. It costs about £16 to gain entrance to the Palace but you can watch the Changing of the Guard for Free. This is when one of the Queen’s Guards comes off duty and another one replaces him – a bit of a ceremony. (see video below)
It happens every other day. See website below for times/dates.
http://www.changing-the-guard.com/chaging-the-guard-schedules-times.html
As a bonus……
FREE Art Galleries – London
There are more than 15 Free Art Galleries in London which include Ben Uri Gallery, Tate Modern and Serpentine Gallery. Click the link below for where they are and opening times.
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Take my interesting: London Quiz
Changing of Guards Ceremony, Buckingham Palace
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One day, I hope to visit the countries of my heritage, England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland…I shall come home with hundreds of pictures…
London is a great place to visit. I was only able to see a small part on times I passed through on my way to other places in Europe. I hope to see more soon.
Brilliant Lady E - and thanks for answering my request. London is full of great tourist sites but many visiting the city don't have a lot of cash to spare. This should be a handy guide :)
Thanks for your comments Waren, Nancy, Pete and Frogdropping. Just drop me a line when your ready to come to London, so I can make arrangements for you to have Tea with the Queen in Buckingham Palace.
Cheers. :)
I had an opportunity to visit England and Shakespeare's house in Stratford when I was in college and didn't take advantage of it :( Rest assured, one day I will visit. I have relatives in Belgium, so I'll be able to kill two birds with one stone. Thanks, Lady_E for this informative, not to mention alluring hub!
Thanks for the informative HUB. Rochester Castle appeals to me the most. It looks so peaceful.
Great hub!
I love London! I used to go every year. Last time I was there was in 2007. have you been to the Wallace Collection house in Manchester Square? Or to the Kenwood House in Hampstead ?
Cheers Dohn - I hope you come in the Summer, its more enjoyable when its not freezing cold. :)
Hi Laura - its so beautiful, I wish I could post all the pictures I took of it and the tranquil surrounding areas.
Thanks.
Cheers Tantrum - that means another visit is due this year. Haven't been to Hampstead yet. Its on the cards. Regards.
Thanks for sharing. I wanted to relocate to London some years back but the embassy with their rules denied me visa. However, I appealed the ruling and they later invited me though I couldnt honour the invitation because I had lost interest then. May be one I will consider visiting London.
Hi Philipo,
Honestly, your not really missing out on anything by not relocating. When you come to visit, you will see London for what it really is. You'd probably want to relocate to America instead, lol. :)
I will need you as my guide if I visit London .. Lol!! But London does have its wonders and the old world charm is amazing!! How do you rate a river cruise during a visit to London!! :)
No problem dreamreachout.
The river cruise is a 4 star. You can choose to sit inside the boat or ontop where it's open. The nice thing is that someone gives a history of each building and bridge as you approach it. It's right infront of the London Eye, so if you visit, go on the Eye first, come off and jump on the boat. You buy the tickets at the same place. Regards. :)
Waren E 2 years ago
Nice hub on places to visit in London,I'll see if I go there next year for the summer vacation!
God Bless!