London
London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of 9.14 million people in 2025.
Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Western Europe, with a population of 15.4 million. London stands on the River Thames in southeast England, at the head of a 50-mile (80 km) tidal estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a major settlement for nearly 2,000 years. Its ancient core and financial centre, the City of London, was founded by the Romans as Londinium and has retained its medieval boundaries. The City of Westminster, to the west of the City of London, has been the site of the national government and parliament for centuries. London grew rapidly in the 19th century, becoming the world's largest city at the time. Since the 19th century the name "London" has referred to the metropolis around the City of London, historically split among the counties of Middlesex, Essex, Surrey, Kent and Hertfordshire. Since 1965 it has largely comprised the administrative area of Greater London, governed by 33 local authorities and the Greater London Authority.
Getting to London
London receives more flights than any other city in the world. It is served by six airports (LON IATA for all airports). There are direct public transport connections between all London airports and the city centre. The quickest travel option is usually by train, tube or coach. See the linked articles for information on travelling from each airport.
- 01London Heathrow Airport
Heathrow is the main airport for London, and the second busiest in the world in terms of international passenger traffic.
- 02London Gatwick Airport
London's second-busiest airport Gatwick has two terminals - "North Terminal" and "South Terminal".
- 03London Stansted Airport
Stansted is busy with short-haul flights from destinations in Europe, the Middle East and North Africa, as well as UK destinations including Newquay, Edinburgh and Belfast.
- 04London Luton Airport
Luton Airport is around 30 miles from London.
Worth seeing
London is a huge city, so all individual listings are in the appropriate district articles and only an overview is presented here. Buckingham Palace. The London residence of the King, in Westminster. Open for tours during the summer months only (in 2022 - from Jul 22 to Sep 30; tickets - https://tickets.rct.uk/product/date), but a must-see sight even if you don't go in. (Tube: Green Park).
Things to do
London is a huge city, so all individual listings are in the appropriate district articles. To make the most of the city's tremendous cultural offerings (performing arts, museums, exhibitions, clubs, eateries and numerous others), visitors will do well to pick up a copy of a cultural magazine like Time Out London (available at most corner shops and newsagents) which gives detailed information and critiques on what's…
Where to eat
For suggestions of specific restaurants have a look into the district articles. It is a huge task for a visitor to find the "right place" to eat in London – with the "right atmosphere", at the "right price" – largely because, as in any big city, there are literally thousands of venues from which to choose, ranging from fast food joints, pubs, and mainstream chains all the way up to some of the most exclusive…
Getting around London the local way
- Get in}} {{go | name | url | address | long | phone | hours | wikidata=Q800751 | lastedit=2024-08-05 | content=Services: Avanti West Coast from the West Midlands, the North East, North Wales and Scotland, including Watford, Birmingham Airport (), Birmingham New Street, Manchester, Liverpool Llandudno Junction, Holyhead with ferries from and (), Oxenholme Lake District and Glasgow.
- Get inConnections at London Moorgate are: |wikidata=Q801210}} {{go | name | url | address | long | phone | hours | wikidata=Q801124 | lastedit=2024-08-05 | content=Services: Greater Anglia from the East of England including Hertford, Cambridge, Colchester, Southend-on-Sea, Southend Airport (), Harwich with ferries from (), and Norwich.
- Get inSouthern from the South East including Gatwick Airport (), Bognor Regis, Epsom and Portsmouth with ferries from and ().
- Get inAlso from Harwich (via A120, ferries from Hook of Holland, Netherlands).
- Get inFastest route from Fishguard (ferries from Rosslare, Ireland).
- Get aroundBy boat: Both commuter ferries run by TfL and pleasure cruises ply along the River Thames.
- Get aroundOyster is also not accepted on long-distance coaches, tour buses, or charter buses.
- Get aroundThe London cable car (branded for sponsorship reasons as IFS Cloud Cable Car; formerly Emirates Air Line) is a cable car that runs across the River Thames in east London giving panoramic views of the surrounding area and beyond.
From Wikivoyage: London, CC BY-SA. Not yet checked by us. Last edited 2026-09.
Text adapted from Wikipedia and Wikivoyage, CC BY-SA 4.0. Photograph: Unknown artistUnknown artist (Public domain), Wikimedia Commons.
