Attractions in Westminster/ St James (London)

National Gallery

National Gallery is a magnificent Georgian edifice, on the northern side of Trafalgar Square, housing a massive collection of Western European Art. Works of Master Leonardo Da Vinci can be found in the Sainsbury wing of the gallery, alongside Botticelli and Bellini. Titian, Michelangelo and Raphael can be found in the West Wing. Whereas in the North Wing, Rubens, Rembrandt and Caravaggio are located, and Seurat, Canaletto, Degas and Monet are in the East Wing. A portable CD guide is available in six different languages.

Buckingham Palace

Buckingham Palace has been the official abode of British royalty since 1837. The forecourt is the setting for one of London's most popular tourist events: The Changing of the Guard. The Mews are working stables, where you can see the Queen's horses and state carriages. The Buckingham Palace state rooms are only open during certain days in August and September. Just outside the front of the palace, you can enjoy the Queen Victoria Memorial Gardens and the Victoria Memorial, a striking and impressive sculpture facing the Mall. The visiting hours vary seasonally.

St. James's Park

St. James's Park and Green Park lie next to each other to the north and east of Buckingham Palace. The view from the bridge towards Whitehall (pictured) is particularly pleasing and the lake is famous for its waterfowl, especially the black swans. With its well-groomed flowerbeds and summer concerts, the park remains a big favorite with Londoners and tourists alike. Office workers swarm into St James's on fine summer days to eat their lunch and enjoy the sunshine. Henry VIII acquired the land in the early 16th Century at the same time as Hyde Park.

Westminster Cathedral

This Early Byzantine-styled Catholic Cathedral, designed by Victorian architect John Francis Bentley and completed in 1903, is set off the main road across a small piazza. A fine marble interior and many beautiful mosaics in a resplendent fusion of blue hues top the impressive high altar, behind which the choir sits. The dramatically suspended, huge painted crucifix is well worth visiting. Sung High Mass is a majestic experience with incense and a whole legion of altar servers. The Bell Tower, at 273ft high, is an excellent vantage point from which to view London and you can also take a lift to the top of it everyday.

City Cruises

You won't want to forget your camera when you head off on one of these cruises. A fleet of 15 boats provides sightseeing trips that run daily between London's four main destination piers, Westminster, Waterloo, Tower, and Greenwich. Some of the other things you'll catch a glimpse of as you make your way down the Thames are the Houses of Parliament, St. Paul's, Tower Bridge and the Millennium Dome. There is also the London Showboat, which makes for a memorable night on the water with dancing, dinner, and cabaret.

Thames Cruises

From the Thames Flood Barrier and Greenwich to Kew Gardens, the Thames snakes through the heart of the capital. What better way to witness its many curves than by boat? For visitors with limited schedules, or who want to avoid the tourists on land, these cruise packages offer a perfect way to relax and catch a whiff of the famous river. You can choose from the more ordinary Charter, Thames Barrier or Greenwich options or go with the real thriller - the Disco Cruise.

Photographers' Gallery

The Photographers' Gallery was the first independent gallery in Britain to be solely devoted to photography. It hosts multiple temporary exhibitions, which focus on high-quality international contemporary photography. A visit here is always full of surprises, as no two exhibitions are alike. There's also an excellent bookshop, which stocks over 5000 titles and runs a worldwide mail order service. No admission fee. Check website for further details.

St. James's Palace

This small royal palace is a current London residence for Prince Charles, and foreign ambassadors are officially received here. Henry VIII originally ordered its construction for Anne Boleyn in 1532, and it served as the monarch's London residence until Queen Victoria ascended to the throne in 1837. Because the palace is still in use by the Royal family, its not open to the public. However, both the Chapel Royal - scene of five royal weddings - and Queen's Chapel in Marlborough Road are open to visitors on Sundays. It's also worth turning up for the changing of the guard in Friary Court, which takes place daily at 11a.

Cleopatra's Needle

This granite obelisk was first erected in Egypt around 1500BC by Pharaoh Thotmes III. Although Cleopatra had nothing to do with the obelisk, it was named after the famous queen when it was moved to Alexandria in 12BC. In 1819, it was given as a gift to the British people in recognition of Nelson's victory over the French fleet. It was later erected on the Victoria Embankment in 1878. Magnificent bronze lions guard Cleopatra's Needle. The pink-granite monolith sits on a pedestal, within which are two earthenware containers enclosing objects which are bizarre, to say the least. Some of those objects are: bibles in various languages; a box of hairpins; a box of cigars; a hydraulic jack; copies of an engineering magazine and portraits of 12 of the most beautiful Englishwomen.

Tate Britain

Tate Britain is a part of the Tate Gallery in Britain. Opened in 1897, its edifice is beautiful and palatial with huge columns, and stone sculptures adorning the roof. Exhibiting Britain art from 1500 to present, the gallery is also known for its support of new and contemporary multimedia artists. The modern art on display ranges from the Pre-Raphaelite period to Cubism. Giacometti, Picasso, Moore, Hepworth and Warhol are among those on show, and the gallery also annually exhibits the artists that are short-listed for the Turner Prize.

Catamaran Cruises

Enjoy panoramic views of London city from the Thames. The boat departs daily from Embankment Pier and offers relatively inexpensive tourist cruises as well as pricier lunch cruises. Some of the sites that the Catamaran Cruises cover are Cleopatra's Needle, the Tower of London, Oxo Tower Restaurant, and the Battersea Power Station. You'll also be able to spot St. Paul's and the Houses of Parliament from the all-glass 'My Symphony' cruiser.

Big Ben

"Big Ben" is the name of the clock inside the famous tower that also forms part of the Houses of Parliament. Its impressive mechanism weighs in at over 13.5 tons, and the pendulum, which beats once every two seconds, is 13 feet long and weighs 690 pounds. The clock was named "Big Ben" after the First Commissioner of Works, and since 1885 a light above it has been lit while the House of Commons is in session. UK residents can schedule a time to climb the clock tower. Unfortunately, non-citizens of the UK are not permitted to climb the clock tower.