| on a bustling road filled with shops and restaurants, this casual budget hotel is a 12-minute walk from bow road tube station and 9 minutes' walk from the sprawling victoria park. upgraded rooms have en suite bathrooms. common areas include a kitchen and a guest lounge. snug, straightforward rooms with shared bathrooms offer complimentary wi-fi, as well as flat-screen tvs and minifridges. check-in time: 2:00 pmcheck-out time: 12:00 pm. there's also a garden. full english breakfast is free
Heathrow Airport 1 hr 10
The National Gallery (32 min)
Trafalgar Square art museum whose masterworks trace the development of Western European painting. Palace of Westminster (30 min)
Neo-Gothic masterpiece and seat of the UK government. Guided tours on Saturdays and in summer. Big Ben (29 min)
16-storey Gothic clocktower and national symbol at the Eastern end of the Houses of Parliament. Tower of London (19 min)
Centuries of bloody history around a medieval castle, home to Crown Jewels and iconic Beefeaters. lastminute.com London Eye (30 min)
Huge observation wheel giving passengers a privileged bird's-eye view of the city's landmarks. Tower Bridge (20 min)
Panoramic views from high level walkways and behind-the-scenes access to original lifting machinery. St. Paul's Cathedral (23 min)
Churchyard and gardens outside Saint Paul's cathedral, with a floor-plan of the original building. Buckingham Palace (32 min)
Visitors can tour the palace's opulent private and state rooms or watch the changing of the guard. Trafalgar Square (30 min)
Nelson's Column rises above this iconic square's LED-lit fountains, artworks and lion statues. London Bridge (28 min)
Concrete pedestrian and traffic bridge that gave a major railway station its name. Borough Market (28 min)
Huge market under the railway lines, for British-reared meat and artisanal baked and dairy goods. Westminster Abbey (31 min)
Protestant abbey hosting daily services and every English and British coronation since 1066. The British Museum (27 min)
Huge showcase for global antiquities, including Egyptian mummies and ancient Greek sculptures. Hyde Park (36 min)
Huge green space, home to Diana Memorial Fountain, with boating and swimming in the Serpentine lake. The Shard (27 min)
87-floor glass skyscraper with a jagged peak, with restaurants, offices, hotel and viewing platform. | 
