Travel Diaries

Each week in this segment I’ll be writing an A to Z of things to do and see in London. Ranging from some of the capitals most interesting museum to music venues and markets!

Jewel Tower, Westminster, London -

Where is it:

The Jewel tower sits close to the Houses of Parliment, so it’s something you could see whilst visiting some other attractions. Closest tube station is Westminster. Victoria and Charing Cross stations are also very close by.

What can you do there:

The Jewel tower is one of the two remaining pieces of  building that used to be the Palace of Westminster. When it was built it was used to house King Edward III’s treasured jewellery. The tower was also used to hold important documents for the nearby House of Lords. The building now has a small exhibition inside it that tells of the past and present uses for this small but important buliding. As I said above, this attraction is probably best done whilst seeing other things nearby, these could include The Houses of Parliament, Big Ben, the Thames and Westminster Abbey.

How much does it cost and opening times:

The tower opens on different times each day. To check for your day click the link in the website section.

Adult£3.20
Child£1.90
Concession£2.90

Disabled Access:

There is no information on the website that mentions access for disabled people. However there is a phone number that could be called: 0870 333 1181

Website: http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/daysout/properties/jewel-tower/

http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/daysout/properties/jewel-tower/visitor-information

Kew Gardens, Richmond, South west London -

Where is it:

The closest tube station is Kew Gardens (District Line), you can also take a train from Waterloo to Kew Bridge.

What can you do there:

Kew Gardens is just what it says on the package. It a garden, but don’t be fooled. This garden houses huge greenhouses with humid climates, perfect for the tropical plants. There’s also a Treetop Walkway that sits 18 metres up in the air. Kids will love walking through the trees!

The gardens are huge so there are numerous places to walk around including the Japanese Landscape, Climbers and Creepers play area for children and Sackler crossing.

How much does it cost and opening times:

The gardens open at 9:30

Adults: £13.90

Concessions: £11.90

Children: Free

Disabled Access: There is almost full access to the whole park however, one of the two tree walkways has no access as they are having trouble with the lift.

Website: http://www.kew.org/

 

London Dungeons, London Bridge, London -

Where is it:

The London Dungeons are nestled practically within the same building as London Bridge tube and train station making it the closest!

(You can often see the live actors taking smoke breaks or grabbing some lunch in the station so keep your eyes peeled)

What can you do there:

The London Dungeons (owned by Merlin entertainment) is an attraction that aims to teach you about the gruesome history of London whilst scaring the life out of you! They used live actors and there are some rides within the building so for those who are a bit squeamish then this one is probably not for you!

How much does it cost and opening times:

Date	Opening Times
Jan 2 – Feb 10	10.30-17.00
Feb 11 - Feb 19	09.30-18.30
Feb 20 – March 30	10.00-17.00
March 31 – April 15	09.30-19.00
April 16 – June 1	10.00-17.30
June 2 – June 10	09.30-18.30
June 11 – June 29	10.00-17.30
June 30 - July 20	09.30-18.00
July 21 – Sept 2	10.00-18.00
Sept 3 – Oct 26	10.00-17.30
Oct 27 – Nov 4	09.30-19.00
Nov 5 – Dec 29	10.00-17.00

Ticket Prices:

Adult: £24

Child: £18.60

Disabled Access: The dungeons are accessible to disabled visitors however there are some restrictions for certain rides. Also each tour is only able to take two wheelchair users, there are tours every seven minutes.

Website: http://www.the-dungeons.co.uk

Technorati Tags: Attractions, Jewel Tower, Kew Gardens, London, London Dungeons

There are a huge amount of exciting things happening in London everyday and some awesome places to visit. However If you’re a first time Londoner the chances are you won’t dig too deep into London, many people only scratch the surface of what london has to offer. In this post I’m going to review things you can do for every type of person.

Interested in Gardening and Plants?

There is a great list that I could put here, we have tons of Gardens and Parks that you can enjoy..

Kew Gardens – This is a wonderful place, So many beautiful walks, there’s so many different attractions that I can’t even count them all let alone name them, There’s always things to do for everyone at Kew,

• For the kids there’s a play area which is also useful for kids to lean about plants and photosynthesis and family trails to walk. If you have energetic kids then let them run over the grass in the more open areas.
• For you Photographers/Artists, there’s inspiration all around you, from the Flowers to the Tallest trees. Alongside that Kew has hosted the International Garden Photographer of the Year exhibition since 2008, the competition attracts over 20,000 people per year.
• Couples Old or Young can wander through the Gardens, take a trip into the treetop walkway and experience 250 years of history. Take in all the blooming flowers and off course all the insects/birds/small mammals that come with nature.

Hampstead Heath – Is located north of central London but near enough for you to take a day out there, If you enjoy walking through beautiful scenery then Hampsted is  a wonderful place to visit.

Hampstead heath covers 790 acres of land, it has pond, three natural swimming pools. One men’s, one women’s and one mixed (which is only open may through September),  don’t

expect to be able to see the bottom of the pools, remember its all natural and if you’re visiting in the warmer months there’s a high chance people will be walking round naked in the women’s (I have no idea about the other pools but I suspect its the same), so the pools aren’t for the faint hearted however I would still suggest checking them out!

This will be a great one for the kids, great open spaces for them to play and run, and for the older people in the family you can take in the wonderful views.  If you decide to travel into Hampstead heath why not take a picnic with you, grab some food from a supermarket and you’re off!

Attractions

London can’t live up to Disneyland with it’s attractions but we’ll do our best!

London Dungeons – For those seeking thrill, and learn about the history of London. This is for those who like gory horror movie type attractions, The older kids will especially enjoy this one!

London Zoo - A must see, this can be a great day out for the whole family. London Zoo is always evolving and adding new exciting exhibits to its ranks. Lately we’ve had the Komodo Dragon exhibition and the Gorilla Enclosures have been remade. There’s something for everyone in London Zoo. Tip: Take your own packed lunch, London Zoo’s restaurant is crazy expensive.

Want to see the sights

For those of you who just want to take a break from the stresses of home life why not check out some of London’s Iconic sites.

Southbank – Take a wander down southbank, This area is much quieter at night but during the day you can see what really makes southbank special, we have street entertainers, the skateboarders under the Queen Elizabeth Hall and if your lucky you might be there for one of southbank’s many event, including the summer/winter fairs.

Are there any places in London you’d like to know more about? Places that you’d love to visit?

Technorati Tags: Attractions, Kew, London, Things to do