Heathrow Airport 1 hr 13
The Shard (26 min)
87-floor glass skyscraper with a jagged peak, with restaurants, offices, hotel and viewing platform. The National Gallery (35 min)
Trafalgar Square art museum whose masterworks trace the development of Western European painting. St. Paul's Cathedral (31 min)
Churchyard and gardens outside Saint Paul's cathedral, with a floor-plan of the original building. Hyde Park (42 min)
Huge green space, home to Diana Memorial Fountain, with boating and swimming in the Serpentine lake. Big Ben (35 min)
16-storey Gothic clocktower and national symbol at the Eastern end of the Houses of Parliament. Tower Bridge (23 min)
Panoramic views from high level walkways and behind-the-scenes access to original lifting machinery. Royal Observatory Greenwich (7 min)
Wren's 18th-century astronomical observatory on the Prime Meridian, now a museum with a planetarium. Westminster Abbey (37 min)
Protestant abbey hosting daily services and every English and British coronation since 1066. The British Museum (35 min)
Huge showcase for global antiquities, including Egyptian mummies and ancient Greek sculptures. Buckingham Palace (36 min)
Visitors can tour the palace's opulent private and state rooms or watch the changing of the guard. Palace of Westminster (36 min)
Neo-Gothic masterpiece and seat of the UK government. Guided tours on Saturdays and in summer. Trafalgar Square (33 min)
Nelson's Column rises above this iconic square's LED-lit fountains, artworks and lion statues. Borough Market (29 min)
Huge market under the railway lines, for British-reared meat and artisanal baked and dairy goods. lastminute.com London Eye (34 min)
Huge observation wheel giving passengers a privileged bird's-eye view of the city's landmarks. Tower of London (22 min)
Centuries of bloody history around a medieval castle, home to Crown Jewels and iconic Beefeaters. | 
