| basic single-sex dorms come with en suite bathrooms, and provide linens, lockers and bunk beds. on the banks of the river thames, this unpretentious hostel is a 7-minute walk from rotherhithe train station, 2 miles from the tower of london, which houses the crown jewels, and 5 miles from the british museum. check-in time: 2:00 pmcheck-out time: 10:00 am. private rooms sleep up to 6 guests. breakfast and parking are available. amenities include a colourful cafe/bar, a communal kitchen, a furnished terrace and a tv lounge, as well as bike storage. there's no air-conditioning
Heathrow Airport 1 hr 3
Palace of Westminster (21 min)
Neo-Gothic masterpiece and seat of the UK government. Guided tours on Saturdays and in summer. Hyde Park (30 min)
Huge green space, home to Diana Memorial Fountain, with boating and swimming in the Serpentine lake. Buckingham Palace (25 min)
Visitors can tour the palace's opulent private and state rooms or watch the changing of the guard. lastminute.com London Eye (20 min)
Huge observation wheel giving passengers a privileged bird's-eye view of the city's landmarks. St. Paul's Cathedral (22 min)
Churchyard and gardens outside Saint Paul's cathedral, with a floor-plan of the original building. The Shard (12 min)
87-floor glass skyscraper with a jagged peak, with restaurants, offices, hotel and viewing platform. Tower Bridge (10 min)
Panoramic views from high level walkways and behind-the-scenes access to original lifting machinery. Big Ben (21 min)
16-storey Gothic clocktower and national symbol at the Eastern end of the Houses of Parliament. London Bridge (14 min)
Concrete pedestrian and traffic bridge that gave a major railway station its name. Borough Market (15 min)
Huge market under the railway lines, for British-reared meat and artisanal baked and dairy goods. Trafalgar Square (24 min)
Nelson's Column rises above this iconic square's LED-lit fountains, artworks and lion statues. Westminster Abbey (23 min)
Protestant abbey hosting daily services and every English and British coronation since 1066. The British Museum (25 min)
Huge showcase for global antiquities, including Egyptian mummies and ancient Greek sculptures. The National Gallery (26 min)
Trafalgar Square art museum whose masterworks trace the development of Western European painting. Tower of London (12 min)
Centuries of bloody history around a medieval castle, home to Crown Jewels and iconic Beefeaters. | 
