Useful Information
OPENING TIMES AND PRICES
Please bear in mind that although these times and prices are regularly updated, they are subject to change.
The Changing of the Guard
For most of the year the Guard Change takes place every 48 hours, increasing to every 24 hours in the summer. Details are online each month here.
MUSEUMS AND ART GALLERIES
When admission to museums and galleries is free, do bear in mind that temporary exhibitions have an admissions charge.
British Library
Tube: St.Pancras/ Kings Cross/ Euston
Admission Free
www.bl.uk Tel: 0207 412 7332
Opening times: Monday-Friday 9.30-6pm (Tuesday late night opening until
8pm
Saturday 9.30am-5pm Sunday and Bank Holidays 11-5pm.
British Museum
Tube: Russell Square/ Holborn/ Tottenham Court Road
Admission Free
www.thebritishmuseum.ac.uk Tel: 0207 323 8000
Saturday-Wednesday 10am-5.30pm Late Night Openings Thursday-Friday 10-8.30pm
Churchill Museum/ Cabinet War Rooms
Tube: Westminster/ St.James Park
Admission Charge
www.iwm.org.uk/cabinet Tel: 0207 930 6961
Open Daily 9.30am-6pm, last entry at 5pm
Adults £12.95 Senior Citizens and Students £10.40 Under 16
free Disabled £7.75
Groups of 10 or more get a discounted price of £10.40 Adults/ £9.10
concessions.
The visit includes free audioguides in 7 languages.
Foundling Museum
Tube: Russell Square
Admission charge
www.foundlingmuseum.org.uk Tel: 0207 841 3600
Open Tuesday-Saturday 10am-5pm, Sunday 11am-5pm
Adults £5 Concessions £4 under 16s free.
Hampton Court
Train: Hampton Court from Waterloo
Admission Charge
www.hrp.org.uk Tel: 0870 7515 175
Open Daily March-October 10am-6pm November-March 10am-4.30pm
Adults 14.00 Concessions £11.50 Children (5-15) £7.00 Under
5s free Family Ticket (2 adults 3 children) £38
Group rates for 15+ people.
The grounds are free with the following price for the Maze only:
Adults: £3.50 Under 16s £2.50 Family ticket £10.
Horniman Museum
Train: Forest Hill from London Bridge
Admission Free
www.horniman.ac.uk Tel: 0208 699 1872
Open Daily 10.30am-5.30pm
Gardens open daily 7.15am-dusk
Household Cavalry Museum
Tube: Charing Cross/ Westminster
Admission Charge
www.householdcavalrymuseum.org.uk
Open Daily in March-September 10am-6pm, October-February 10am-5pm
Adults: £6 Children and Concessions: £4 Family Ticket: £15
Imperial War Museum
Tube: Lambeth North/ Elephant and Castle
Admission Free
www.iwm.org.uk Tel: 0207 416 5000
Open Daily 10am-6pm
Kensington Palace
Tube: High Street Kensington/ Bayswater
Admission Charge
www.hrp.org.uk Tel: 0870 751 5170
Open Daily 10am-5pm (last entrance 4pm)
Adults: £12.50 Children under 16 £6.25 Concessions (ie disabled,
senior citizens, students with ID) £11.00 Family ticket (up to
2 adults and 3 children) £34.
There are often reductions if you book online so it is worth checking
out the website. Also, during school holidays there are activities
for children
and sometimes free entrance for children - check it out!
London Dungeon
Tube: London Bridge
Admission Charge
www.thedungeons.com Tel: 0207 403 7221
Open Daily 10.30am-5pm
Adults from £22.95 - £24.95 Children £16.95 Students
Seniors from £20.95
Prices may vary throughout the day
Discounts for groups of 20+ and for on-line bookings.
NB check prices before going; they tend to change!
London Eye
Tube: Waterloo/ Westminster
Admission Charge
www.ba-londoneye.com Tel: 0870 5000 7221
Open daily 10am-8pm (last flight)
Adults £17.00 Senior citizens £14 (weekdays
only) Children (5-15) £8.50 Under 4 free
Disabled adults £14.00
Groups of 15+ receive a 10% discount
Reductions for pre-booking
Madame Tussauds
Tube: Baker Street
Admission Charge
www.madame-tussauds.co.uk Tel 0870 400 3000
Open Daily Peak Times (ie weekend and school holidays inc half term)
9am-6pm
Open Daily Off Peak Times weekdays excluding school holidays 9.30am-5.30pm
Adults £25 Children (5-15) £21 No discount for Senior Citizens
Family Ticket (2 adults 2 children) £85
Discounts for groups 15+ and pre-booking.
After 17.00 all tickets £12.50 (only via the website).
The Monument reopens February 16th 2009.
Museum in Docklands
Tube: Canary Wharf. DLR: West India Quay
Admission Charge
www.museumindocklands.org.uk Tel: 0870 444 3857
Open Daily 10am-6pm (last entrance 5.30pm) After 4.30pm free of charge
Adults £5 Concessions, Children under 16 and students free
Groups of 10 should book in advance.
Museum of Childhood
Tube: Bethnal Green
Admission Free
www.vam.ac.uk/moc Tel: 0208 983 5200
Open Daily 10am-5.45pm
Museum of London
Tube: Barbican/ St.Paul's
Admission Free
www.museumoflondon.org.uk Tel:0870 444 3851
Open Monday-Saturday 10am-5.50pm Sunday 12noon-5.50pm
Late night opening until 9pm first Thursday of every month.
Groups of 10+ must be pre-booked 0870 3850
Special exhibitions:
London's Burning until 2009
NB The lower galleries are closed for refurbishment.
National Gallery
Tube: Charing Cross/ Leicester Square/ Piccadilly Circus
Admission Free
www.nationalgallery.org.uk Tel: 0207 747 2885
Open daily 10am-6pm Late night opening Wednesday 10am-9pm
National Maritime Museum
DLR: Cutty Sark Train: Greenwich/ Maze Hill from Charing Cross/ Waterloo
East/ Cannon Street (not Sundays)/ London Bridge
Admission Free
www.nmm.ac.uk Tel: 0208 858 4422
Open Daily: 10am - 5pm
National Portrait Gallery
Tube: Charing Cross/ Leicester Square/ Piccadilly Circus
Admission Free
www.npg.org.uk Tel: 0207 306 0055
Open daily 10am-6pm Late night opening Thursday and Friday 10am-9pm
Natural History Museum
Admission Free
www.nhm.ac.uk Tel:0207 942 5000
Open Daily 10am-5.50pm (last entrance 5.30pm)
Queen's Gallery
Tube: Victoria/ St.James' Park
Admission Charge
www.royalcollection.org.uk Tel: 0207 766 7301
Open Daily 10am-5.30pm (last entrance 4.30)
Adults £8.50 Over 60s/ students £7.50 Under 17 £4.25
Under 5 free Family Ticket £21.50
Royal Air Force Museum
Tube: Colindale
Admission Free
www.rafmuseum.org.uk Tel: 0208 205 2266
Open Daily 10am-6pm
Royal Mews
Tube: Victoria/St James Park
Admission Charge
www.royalcollection.org.uk Tel: 0207 766 7302
Open Daily except Friday 11am-4pm (last admission 3.15)
Adults £7.50 Over 60/ Students £6.75 Under 17 £4.80 Under
5 free Family ticket £20
(Discount for combined entry with Queen's Gallery)
Science Museum
Tube: South Kensington
Admission Free
www.sciencemuseum.org.uk Tel: 0207 942 4000
Open Daily 10am-6pm
Admission charge
Imax cinema Adult £8/£6.25 Groups 10 + £6. Children/
concessions £6
Family (1 adult 2 children) £18
Charges for motion rides £2.50/ £2
Family 2 adults 2 children £24
Simulators £6. Groups 10+ £5
Shakespeare's Globe
Tube: Southwark/ London Bridge/ St Paul's then cross the Millennium Bridge.
Admission Charge
www.shakespeares-globe.org Tel: 0207 902 1400
Open Daily 10am-5pm Theatre tours every 30 minutes
Admission Adults £10.50 Children £6.50 Concessions £8.50
Group discount, should pre-book 0207 902 1500.
Public booking 0207 401 9919 or online.
This season Romeo and Juliet and As You Like It.
Sir John Soane Museum
Tube: Holborn
Admission free
www.soane.org Tel: 0207 405 2107
Open Tuesday-Saturday 10am-5pm.
Late night candlelit opening first Tuesday of every month 6-9pm.
Tate Britain
Tube: Pimlico
Admission free
www.tate.org.uk Tel: 0207 887 8008 (recorded information) 0207 887 8000.
Open daily 10am-5.50pm. Late night opening first Friday of every month
6pm-10pm.
Tate Modern
Tube: Southwark/ London Bridge/ St.Paul's then walk over the Millennium
Bridge.
Admission free
www.tate.org.uk Tel: 0207 887 8000
Open 10m-6pm Late night opening Friday and Saturday 10am-10pm
Tower of London
Tube: Tower Hill
Admission Charge
www.hrp.org.uk Tel: 0870 751 5177
Open Tuesday-Saturday 9am-5.30pm (last entrance 5pm) Sunday and Monday
10am-5.30pm
Admission Adults £17.00 Children (5-15) £9.50 Concessions £14.50
Family ticket (2 adults + 3 children) £47
Groups (15+) can be booked in advance on 0870 751 7070. Group prices
Adults £15.30
Children £8.55 Concessions £13.05
Temporary Exhibition Henry VIII Dressed to Kill until January 2010.
Tower Bridge
Tube: Tower Hill
Admission Charge
www.towerbridge.org.uk Tel 0207 403 3761
Open 9.30am-6pm (last entrance 5pm)
Admission Adults £6 Children (5-15) £3 Concessions £4.50
Family ticket (1 adult + 2 children) £10
Groups (10+) Adults £5.50 Children £2.70 Concessions £4
NB The bridge is undergoing a 3 year restoration programme but will remain
open throughout.
Victoria and Albert Museum
Tube: South kensington.
Admission Free
www.vam.ac.uk Tel: 0207 942 2000
Open Saturday-Thursday 10am-5.45 Friday 10am-10pm (selected galleries
only after 6pm)
Wallace Collection
Tube: Bond Street
Admission Free
www.wallacecollection.org Tel: 0207 935 0687
Open daily 10am-5pm
Windsor Castle
Train to Windsor Central from Waterloo or Paddington
Admission Charge
www.royalcollection.org.uk 0207 766 7304 Taped information 01753 831118
CALL AHEAD OR CHECK WEBSITE FOR OPENING TIMES AS THEY VARY.
Entrance fee varies depending on what is open. If everything is open,
entrances as follows:
Adults £14.80 Senior Citizens and students £13.30 Children
5-16 years £8.50 Under 5s free Family ticket (2 adults and 3 children) £38.10
PLACES OF WORSHIP
Always check before visiting; theses are working buildings and subject to changes of opening times. Should you wish to worship please check beforehand for service times.
Church of England
St.Paul's Cathedral
Tube: St.Paul's
www.stpauls.co.uk Tel: 0207 236 4128 Recorded information 0207 246 8348.
Open Monday-Saturday 8.30-4pm. Closed for tourism on Sunday.
Should you wish to just visit the Cathedral there is an entrance fee
Adults: £10 Senior Citizens £9 Students 8.50 Children £3.50
Family ticket (2 adults 2 children)£23.50
Southwark Cathedral
Tube: London Bridge
www.southwark.anglican.org/cathedral Tel: 0207 367 6734
Open Daily except Sunday 8am-6pm Sunday 11am-5pm.
Donations of £4 are appreciated.
Westminster Abbey
Tube: Westminster/ St.James.
www.westminster-abbey.org Tel 0207 222 5152
Open Monday-Friday 9.30am-3.30pm Saturday 9.30am-1.30pm.
Adults: £12, concessions £9 family ticket £28. Visit
includes audio tour. Free for services.
Roman Catholic
Brompton Oratory
Tube: South Kensington
www.bromptonoratory.com Tel: 0207 808 0900
Open Daily.
Free admission but a donation greatly appreciated.
Daily masses.
Westminster Cathedral
Tube: Victoria/ St.James
www.westminstercathedral.org.uk
Open Daily 7am-7pm
Free admission but a donation greatly appreciated.
Daily masses.
GETTING ORGANISED BEFORE YOU ARRIVE
WEATHER
Look up the weather forecast. There is a 5 day forecast on www.bbc.co.uk/weather/5day.
And just remember that we are an island and the weather is part of the
experience!
GETTING AROUND
Understand how the transport system works. Transport for London has a really
useful website, www.tfl.gov.uk.
You will be able to pick up a tube map at any tube station but you can download one in advance, should you wish.
What I would suggest is that you print off the bus map as these are harder
to come by when you're here. An Oyster Card is valid on the bus as well
as the tube and it is a great way of seeing London. Also, the buses give
you a chance of a sit down - not to be sniffed at!
Click on the visitor maps icon for these.
You can also get the site to plan your journey and there is a themed journey
section if you want to look up how to get to historic sites, film locations
or sinister sites! Click on the themed journey icon.
FIND OUT WHAT'S GOING ON
The Visit London website is really useful for finding out about upcoming
events and other information about London, both general and specific. www.visitlondon.com.
London Top Tens
Top
ten London books
Top ten London films
Top ten London walks.