1North London
Regent’s ParkPARK
(map Google map; www.royalparks.org.uk; 
h5am-dusk; 
tRegent’s Park, Baker St)
The most elaborate and formal of London’s many parks, Regent’s Park is one of the capital’s loveliest green spaces. Among its many attractions are London Zoo, Regent’s Canal, an ornamental lake, and sports pitches where locals meet to play football, rugby and volleyball. Queen Mary’s Gardens, towards the south of the park, are particularly pretty, especially in June when the roses are in bloom. Performances take place here in an open-air theatre (
%0844 826 4242; www.openairtheatre.org; hMay-Sep; 
c; tBaker St) during summer.
oZSL London ZooZOO
(map Google map; www.zsl.org/zsl-london-zoo; Outer Circle, Regent’s Park, NW1; adult/child £29.75/22; h10am-6pm Apr-Sep, to 5.30pm Mar & Oct, to 4pm Nov-Feb; c; 
g274)
Established in 1828, these 15-hectare zoological gardens are among the oldest in the world. The emphasis nowadays is firmly placed on conservation, education and breeding, with fewer animals and bigger enclosures. Highlights include Land of the Lions, Gorilla Kingdom, Tiger Territory, the walk-through In with the Lemurs and Butterfly Paradise. Feeding sessions and talks take place throughout the day. The zoo also organises various experiences, such as Keeper for a Day or sleepovers in the Bug House.
oBritish LibraryLIBRARY
(map Google map; www.bl.uk; 96 Euston Rd, NW1; hgalleries 9.30am-6pm Mon & Wed-Fri, to 8pm Tue, to 5pm Sat, 11am-5pm Sun; tKing’s Cross St Pancras) 
F
Consisting of low-slung red-brick terraces and fronted by a large plaza featuring an oversized statue of Sir Isaac Newton, Colin St John Wilson’s British Library building is a love-it-or-hate-it affair (Prince Charles likened it to a secret-police academy). Completed in 1997, it’s home to some of the greatest treasures of the written word, including the Codex Sinaiticus (the first complete text of the New Testament), Leonardo da Vinci’s notebooks and a copy of the Magna Carta (1215).
OFF THE BEATEN TRACK
REGENT’S CANAL
The towpath of the tranquil Regent’s Canal (map Google map) makes an excellent shortcut across North London, either on foot or by bike. In full, the ribbon of water runs 9 miles from Little Venice (where it connects with the Grand Union Canal) to the Thames at Limehouse.
You can make do with walking from Little Venice to Camden Town in less than an hour, passing Regent’s Park and London Zoo, as well as beautiful villas designed by architect John Nash and redevelopments of old industrial buildings. Allow 25 to 30 minutes between Little Venice and Regent’s Park, and 15 to 20 minutes between Regent’s Park and Camden Town. There are plenty of well-signed exits along the way.
If you decide to continue on, it’s worth stopping at the London Canal Museum (%020-7713 0836; www.canalmuseum.org.uk; 12-13 New Wharf Rd, N1; adult/child £5/2.50; h10am-4.30pm Tue-Sun & bank holidays; tKing’s Cross St Pancras) in King’s Cross to learn more about the canal’s history. Shortly afterwards you’ll hit the 878m-long Islington Tunnel and have to take to the roads for a spell. After joining the path again near Colebrooke Row, you can follow the water all the way to the Thames at Limehouse Basin, or divert on to the Hertford Union Canal at Victoria Park and head to Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park.
oHighgate CemeteryCEMETERY
(www.highgatecemetery.org; Swain’s Lane, N6; East Cemetery adult/child £4/free; h10am-4pm Mon-Fri, 11am-4pm Sat & Sun; tArchway)
A Gothic wonderland of shrouded urns, obelisks, broken columns, sleeping angels, Egyptian-style tombs and overgrown graves, Highgate is a Victorian Valhalla spread over 20 wonderfully wild and atmospheric hectares. On the eastern side, you can pay your respects to the graves of Karl Marx and Mary Ann Evans (better known as novelist George Eliot). The real highlight, however, is the overgrown West Cemetery, which can only be visited on a guided tour (adult/child £12/6; h1.45pm Mon-Fri, every 30min 11am-3pm Sat & Sun Nov-Feb, to 4pm Mar-Oct).
oHampstead HeathPARK
(www.cityoflondon.gov.uk; tHampstead Heath, Gospel Oak)
Sprawling Hampstead Heath, with its rolling woodlands and meadows, feels a million miles away – despite being approximately four – from the City of London. Covering 320 hectares, most of it woods, hills and meadows, it’s home to about 180 bird species, 23 species of butterflies, grass snakes, bats and a rich array of flora. It’s a wonderful place for a ramble, especially to the top of Parliament Hill, which offers expansive views across the city.
oWellcome CollectionMUSEUM
(map Google map; www.wellcomecollection.org; 183 Euston Rd, NW1; h10am-6pm Tue, Wed & Fri-Sun, to 10pm Thu; tEuston Sq, Euston) F
Focusing on the interface of art, science and medicine, this clever and resourceful museum is fascinating. The heart of the museum is Sir Henry Wellcome’s collection of medical curiosities (saws for amputation, forceps through the ages, sex aids and amulets etc), which illustrate the universal fascination with health and the body across civilisations. In the Medicine Now gallery, interactive displays and provocative artworks are designed to make you ponder about humanity and the human body.
Abbey Road StudiosHISTORIC BUILDING
(www.abbeyroad.com; 3 Abbey Rd, NW8; tSt John’s Wood)
Beatles aficionados can’t possibly visit London without making a pilgrimage to this famous recording studio in St John’s Wood. The studios themselves are off-limits, so you’ll have to content yourself with examining the decades of fan graffiti on the fence outside. Stop-start local traffic is long accustomed to groups of tourists lining up on the zebra crossing to re-enact the cover of the fab four’s 1969 masterpiece Abbey Road. In 2010 the crossing was rewarded with Grade II heritage status.
For a strangely engrossing real-time view of the crossing, hit the ‘live’ tab for the webcam on the studio’s website; you can even find your own crossing shot by punching in your time. To reach Abbey Road Studios, take the tube to St John’s Wood, cross the road, follow Grove End Rd to its end and turn right. Don’t do what some disappointed fans do and head to Abbey Rd Station in West Ham – it’s no relation of the true site and miles off course. There are at least 10 Abbey Rds in London, adding to confusion.
Primrose HillPARK
(map Google map; tChalk Farm)
On summer weekends, Primrose Hill park is absolutely packed with locals enjoying a picnic and the extraordinary views over the city skyline. Come weekdays, however, and there are mostly just dog walkers and nannies. It’s a lovely place to enjoy a quiet stroll or an alfresco sandwich.
1Greenwich & South London
oCutty SarkMUSEUM
(%020-8312 6608; www.rmg.co.uk/cuttysark; King William Walk, SE10; adult/child £13.50/7; h10am-5pm Sep-Jun, to 6pm Jul & Aug; 
dDLR Cutty Sark)
The last of the great clipper ships to sail between China and England in the 19th century, the fully restored Cutty Sark endured massive fire damage in 2007 that occurred during a £25 million restoration. The exhibition in the ship’s hold tells its story as a tea clipper at the end of the 19th century. Launched in 1869 in Scotland, she made eight voyages to China in the 1870s, sailing out with a mixed cargo and coming back with tea.
Another fire took hold in 2014, but fire crews were quick to respond and extinguish the blaze. As you make your way up, there are films, interactive maps and plenty of illustrations and props to get an idea of what life on board was like. Book online for cheaper rates.
oNational Maritime MuseumMUSEUM
(%020-8312 6565; www.rmg.co.uk/national-maritime-museum; Romney Rd, SE10; h10am-5pm; dDLR Cutty Sark) F
Narrating the long, briny and eventful history of seafaring Britain, this excellent museum’s exhibits are arranged thematically, with highlights including Miss Britain III (the first boat to top 100mph on open water) from 1933, the 19m-long golden state barge built in 1732 for Frederick, Prince of Wales, the huge ship’s propeller and the colourful figureheads installed on the ground floor. Families will love these, as well as the ship simulator and the ‘All Hands’ children’s gallery on the 2nd floor.
Under eights can get to grips with all things nautical in the ‘Ahoy!’ gallery, also on the ground floor. Adults are likely to prefer the other fantastic (and slightly more serene) galleries. Voyagers: Britons and the Sea on the ground floor is an introduction to the collection and showcases some of the museum’s incredible archives. JMW Turner’s largest work – controversial for its chronological inaccuracies – the huge 1824 oil painting The Battle of Trafalgar, is hung in its namesake gallery on the ground floor.
On the 1st floor, Traders: the East India Company and Asia looks back on Britain’s maritime trade with the East in the 19th century, while The Atlantic: Slavery, Trade, Empire explores the triangular trade between Europe, Africa and America from the 1600s to the 1850s.
On the 2nd floor, the award-winning Nelson, Navy, Nation 1688–1815 focuses on the history of the Royal Navy during the conflict-ridden 17th century. It provides an excellent look at the legendary national hero and, through documents and memorabilia, explains his achievements and dazzling celebrity. The coat in which Nelson was fatally wounded during the Battle of Trafalgar takes pride of place.
Opened in 2018, the new Exploration Wing contains four galleries: Pacific Exploration, Polar Worlds, Tudor and Stuart Seafarers and Sea Things, devoted to the theme of exploration and human endeavour.
oRoyal ObservatoryHISTORIC BUILDING
(%020-8312 6565; www.rmg.co.uk/royal-observatory; Greenwich Park, Blackheath Ave, SE10; adult/child £10/6.50, incl Cutty Sark £20/11.50; h10am-5pm Sep-Jun, to 6pm Jul & Aug; dDLR Cutty Sark, DLR Greenwich, Greenwich)
Rising south of Queen’s House, idyllic Greenwich Park (%0300 061 2380; www.royalparks.org.uk; King George St, SE10; h6am-around sunset; dDLR Cutty Sark, dGreenwich, Maze Hill) climbs up the hill, affording stunning views of London from the Royal Observatory, which Charles II had built in 1675 to help solve the riddle of longitude. To the north is lovely Flamsteed House and the Meridian Courtyard, where you can stand with your feet straddling the western and eastern hemispheres; admission is by ticket. The southern half contains the highly informative and free Weller Astronomy Galleries and the Peter Harrison Planetarium (%020-8312 6608; www.rmg.co.uk/whats-on/planetarium-shows; adult/child £8/5.50).
In 1884 Greenwich was designated as the prime meridian of the world, and Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) became the universal measurement of standard time. Becoming a Royal Museums Greenwich Member (from £44 per year) allows you unlimited access to the Royal Observatory, the Peter Harrison Planetarium, the Cutty Sark as well as exhibitions at the National Maritime Museum; see the website for details.
oImperial War MuseumMUSEUM
(map Google map; %020-7416 5000; www.iwm.org.uk; Lambeth Rd, SE1; h10am-6pm; tLambeth North) F
Fronted by a pair of intimidating 15in naval guns, this riveting museum is housed in what was the Bethlehem Royal Hospital, a psychiatric hospital also known as Bedlam. Although the museum’s focus is on military action involving British or Commonwealth troops largely during the 20th century, it rolls out the carpet to war in the wider sense. Highlights include the state-of-the-art First World War Galleries and Witnesses to War in the forecourt and atrium above.
Indeed, Witnesses to War is where you’ll find everything from a Battle of Britain Spitfire and a towering German V-2 rocket to a Reuters Land Rover damaged by rocket attack in Gaza and a section of the World Trade Center in New York.
On the 1st floor A Family in Wartime poignantly follows WWII through the experiences of the real-life Allpress family of Stockwell. In Secret War on the 2nd floor, there’s an intriguing rifle through the work of the Secret Operations Executive (SOE), such as rubber soles resembling feet worn underneath boots to leave ‘footprints’ on enemy beaches. One of the most challenging sections is the extensive and harrowing Holocaust Exhibition (not recommended for under 14s), the entrance of which is on the 4th floor. Curiosities of War is a jumble sale of fascinating items, such as a makeshift bar used by the Dam Busters crew in 1943, taken from the museum’s collection. Other galleries and exhibition spaces are given over to temporary exhibitions (check the website for details).
Augustus Pugin, famous Gothic Revival architect of the interior of the Houses of Parliament, was once a patient in the psychiatric wards of the former Bethlehem Royal Hospital. The hospital moved in 1930 and the building became home to the Imperial War Museum in 1936.
oOld Royal Naval CollegeHISTORIC BUILDING
(www.ornc.org; 2 Cutty Sark Gardens, SE10; h10am-5pm, grounds 8am-11pm; dDLR Cutty Sark) F
Sir Christopher Wren’s baroque masterpiece in Greenwich and indeed Britain’s largest ensemble of baroque architecture, the Old Royal Naval College contains the Neoclassical Chapel and the extraordinary Painted Hall (%020-8269 4799) F. The entire Old Royal Naval College, including the Chapel, the Visitor Centre (www.ornc.org/visitor-centre; Pepys Bldg, King William Walk, SE10; h10am-5pm, to 6pm Jun-Sep), and the grounds, can be visited for free. Volunteers lead free 45-minute tours throughout each day from the Visitor Centre.
Queen’s HouseHISTORIC BUILDING
(www.rmg.co.uk/queens-house; Romney Rd, SE10; h10am-5pm; dDLR Cutty Sark) F
The first Palladian building by architect Inigo Jones after he returned from Italy is as enticing for its form as for its art collection. The house was begun in 1616 for Anne of Denmark, wife of James I, but was not completed until 1638, when it became the home of Charles I and his queen, Henrietta Maria. The beautiful helix-shaped (and reportedly haunted) Tulip Stairs form England’s first set of centrally unsupported stairs: they constitute a peerless photo op for upward shots.
1West London
oPortobello Road MarketMARKET
(map Google map; www.portobellomarket.org; Portobello Rd, W10; h8am-6.30pm Mon-Wed, Fri & Sat, to 1pm Thu; tNotting Hill Gate, Ladbroke Grove)
Lovely on a warm summer’s day, Portobello Road Market is an iconic London attraction with an eclectic mix of street food, fruit and veg, antiques, curios, collectables, vibrant fashion and trinkets. Although the shops along Portobello Rd open daily and the fruit and veg stalls (from Elgin Cres to Talbot Rd) only close on Sunday, the busiest day by far is Saturday, when antique dealers set up shop (from Chepstow Villas to Elgin Cres).
Design MuseumMUSEUM
(%020-7940 8790; www.designmuseum.org; 224-238 Kensington High St, W8; h10am-6pm, to 8pm 1st Fri of month; tHigh St Kensington) F
Relocated in 2016 from its former Thames location to a stunning new £83m home by Holland Park, this slick museum is dedicated to popularising the importance and influence of design in everyday life. With a revolving program of special exhibitions, it’s a crucial pitstop for anyone with an eye for modern and contemporary aesthetics. Splendidly housed in the refitted former Commonwealth Institute (which opened in 1962), the lavish interior – all smooth oak and marble – is itself a design triumph.
1Richmond, Kew & Hampton Court
oKew GardensGARDENS
(Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew; www.kew.org; Kew Rd, TW9; adult/child £17/5; h10am-4.15pm Sep-Mar, closes later Apr-Aug; 
fKew Pier, dKew Bridge, tKew Gardens)
In 1759 botanists began rummaging around the world for specimens to plant in the 3-hectare Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew. They never stopped collecting, and the gardens, which have bloomed to 121 hectares, provide the most comprehensive botanical collection on earth (including the world’s largest collection of orchids). A Unesco World Heritage Site, the gardens can easily devour a day’s exploration; for those pressed for time, the Kew Explorer (%020-8332 5648; www.kew.org/kew-gardens/whats-on/kew-explorer-land-train; adult/child £5/2) hop-on/hop-off road train takes in the main sights.
Don’t worry if you don’t know your golden slipper orchid from your fengoky or your quiver tree from your alang-alang; a visit to Kew is a journey of discovery for everyone. Highlights include the enormous early Victorian Palm House, a hothouse of metal and curved sheets of glass; the impressive Princess of Wales Conservatory; the red-brick, 1631 Kew Palace (www.hrp.org.uk/kewpalace; with admission to Kew Gardens; h10.30am-5.30pm Apr-Sep), formerly King George III’s country retreat; the celebrated Chinese Pagoda designed by William Chambers in 1762; the Temperate House the world’s largest ornamental glasshouse; and the very enjoyable Rhizotron & Xstrata Treetop Walkway, where you can survey the tree canopy from 18m up in the air. A lattice fashioned from thousands of pieces of aluminium illuminated with hundreds of LED lights, the 17m-high Hive mimics activity within a real beehive. Opened in 2016, the 320m-long Great Broad Walk Borders is the longest double herbaceous border in the UK. The idyllic, thatched Queen Charlotte’s Cottage (h11am-4pm Sat & Sun Apr-Sep) in the southwest of the gardens was popular with ‘mad’ George III and his wife; the beautiful carpets of bluebells around here are a draw in spring. Several long vistas (Cedar Vista, Syon Vista and Pagoda Vista) are channelled by trees from vantage points within Kew Gardens.
Check the website for a full list of activities at Kew, including free one-hour walking tours (daily), photography walks, theatre performances, outside cinema as well as a host of seasonal events and things to do.
Kew Gardens is easily reached by tube, but you might prefer to take a cruise on a riverboat from the Westminster Passenger Services Association, which runs several daily boats from April to October, departing from Westminster Pier.
oHampton Court PalacePALACE
(www.hrp.org.uk/hamptoncourtpalace; Hampton Court Palace, KT8; adult/child/family £19/10/34; h10am-4.30pm Nov-Mar, to 6pm Apr-Oct; fHampton Court Palace, dHampton Court)
Built by Cardinal Thomas Wolsey in 1514 but coaxed from him by Henry VIII just before Wolsey (as chancellor) fell from favour, Hampton Court Palace is England’s largest and grandest Tudor structure. It was already one of Europe’s most sophisticated palaces when, in the 17th century, Christopher Wren designed an extension. The result is a beautiful blend of Tudor and ‘restrained baroque’ architecture. You could easily spend a day exploring the palace and its 24 hectares of riverside gardens, including a 300-year-old maze (adult/child/family £4.20/2.60/12.30; h10am-5.15pm Apr-Oct, to 3.45pm Nov-Mar).
Richmond ParkPARK
(%0300 061 2200; www.royalparks.org.uk/parks/richmond-park; h7am-dusk; tRichmond)
At almost 1000 hectares (the largest urban parkland in Europe), this park offers everything from formal gardens and ancient oaks to unsurpassed views of central London 12 miles away. It’s easy to flee the several roads slicing up the rambling wilderness, making the park perfect for a quiet walk or a picnic with the kids, even in summer when Richmond’s riverside heaves. Coming from Richmond, it’s easiest to enter via Richmond Gate or from Petersham Rd.
Strawberry HillHISTORIC BUILDING
(%020-8744 1241; www.strawberryhillhouse.org.uk; 268 Waldegrave Rd, TW1; adult/child £12.50/free; hhouse 11am-4.30pm Sun-Wed Mar-Oct, noon-4pm Sun-Mon Nov-Feb, garden 10am-5.30pm daily; dStrawberry Hill, tRichmond Station)
With its snow-white walls and Gothic turrets, this fantastical and totally restored 18th-century creation in Twickenham is the work of art historian, author and politician Horace Walpole. Studded with elaborate stained glass, the building reaches its astonishing apogee in the gallery, with its magnificent papier-mâché ceiling. For the full magic, join a twilight tour (£20). Last admission to the house is 4pm.
OFF THE BEATEN TRACK
LONDON WETLAND CENTRE
One of Europe’s largest inland wetland projects, this 42-hectare centre (%020-8409 4400; www.wwt.org.uk/wetland-centres/london; Queen Elizabeth’s Walk, SW13; adult/child/family £12.75/7/35.55; h9.30am-5.30pm Mar-Oct, to 4.30pm Nov-Feb; dBarnes, tHammersmith) run by the Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust was transformed from four Victorian reservoirs in 2000 and attracts some 140 species of birds, as well as frogs, butterflies, dragonflies and lizards, plus a thriving colony of watervoles. The glass-fronted observatory affords panoramic views over the lakes, while meandering paths and boardwalks lead visitors through the watery habitats of black swans, Bewick’s swans, geese, red-crested pochards, sand martins, coots, bitterns, herons and kingfishers.
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