The Tower. 🗡️
Built by William the Conqueror to oppress the locals. It has served as a royal palace, a notorious prison, an armory, and a zoo. It is the most blood-soaked square mile in England.
The Ravens
Legend says if the six resident ravens ever leave the Tower, the Kingdom will fall. Their wings are clipped, just in case.
Beefeaters
Yeoman Warders live inside the walls. They are retired military officers and the best storytellers in London.
Westminster Abbey. ⛪
This is not just a church; it is the national shrine. Every coronation since 1066 has happened here. It is crowded with the tombs of monarchs, scientists (Newton, Darwin), and writers (Dickens).
The Chair
Look for King Edward's Chair. It looks like an old, battered wooden seat covered in graffiti from 18th-century schoolboys, but it is the seat of power.
Poets' Corner
The South Transept. You walk over the graves of Chaucer and Tennyson. Shakespeare has a memorial here, though he is buried in Stratford.
No Photos
Photography is strictly forbidden inside. Put your phone away and actually look at the 1,000-year-old stone.
11:00 AM
Changing the Guard
Buckingham Palace. 🏰
The administrative headquarters of the Monarch. While the building is grand, the real spectacle is the "Changing of the Guard" ceremony.
Pro Tip:
Do not stand at the palace gates; you will be crushed 5 rows back. Stand on the steps of the Victoria Memorial in the center of the roundabout for a higher vantage point.
St Paul's Cathedral. 🏛️
While Westminster is for Kings, St Paul's is for the people. It survived the Great Fire of 1666 and the Blitz of WWII. Its dome dominates the skyline.
Whispering Gallery
A circular walkway inside the dome. The acoustics are a quirk of physics—whisper against the wall, and a friend can hear it clearly on the exact opposite side, 30 meters away.
The View
Climb 528 steps to the Golden Gallery at the very top. It offers one of the best views of the Thames and the modern City of London skyscrapers.