| laundry facilities (fee) are on-site. female-only dorms are available. there's free wi-fi throughout, and bed linen is supplied. secure lockers are available. breakfast and a buffet-style dinner are served in the on-site canteen. the hostel has twin rooms with en suite bathrooms, while 4-bedded rooms and 20-bed dorms have shared bathrooms. there's also a contemporary tv lounge, a game room and a coffee bar. check-in time: 3:00 pmcheck-out time: 10:00 am. set in a purpose-built lodging house from 1913, this funky hostel is half a mile from both elephant and castle tube and train stations and from the ministry of sound nightclub
Heathrow Airport 52 min
Westminster Abbey (12 min)
Protestant abbey hosting daily services and every English and British coronation since 1066. Buckingham Palace (15 min)
Visitors can tour the palace's opulent private and state rooms or watch the changing of the guard. Trafalgar Square (14 min)
Nelson's Column rises above this iconic square's LED-lit fountains, artworks and lion statues. Borough Market (13 min)
Huge market under the railway lines, for British-reared meat and artisanal baked and dairy goods. The British Museum (15 min)
Huge showcase for global antiquities, including Egyptian mummies and ancient Greek sculptures. Tower of London (12 min)
Centuries of bloody history around a medieval castle, home to Crown Jewels and iconic Beefeaters. The Shard (12 min)
87-floor glass skyscraper with a jagged peak, with restaurants, offices, hotel and viewing platform. London Bridge (13 min)
Concrete pedestrian and traffic bridge that gave a major railway station its name. Tower Bridge (11 min)
Panoramic views from high level walkways and behind-the-scenes access to original lifting machinery. Big Ben (10 min)
16-storey Gothic clocktower and national symbol at the Eastern end of the Houses of Parliament. St. Paul's Cathedral (16 min)
Churchyard and gardens outside Saint Paul's cathedral, with a floor-plan of the original building. Palace of Westminster (11 min)
Neo-Gothic masterpiece and seat of the UK government. Guided tours on Saturdays and in summer. The National Gallery (16 min)
Trafalgar Square art museum whose masterworks trace the development of Western European painting. lastminute.com London Eye (9 min)
Huge observation wheel giving passengers a privileged bird's-eye view of the city's landmarks. Hyde Park (21 min)
Huge green space, home to Diana Memorial Fountain, with boating and swimming in the Serpentine lake. | 
