Whether you arrive in London via the underground or inside one of the city's ubiquitous black taxicabs, you will immediately be greeted by a deep sense of history and met with the unique vibrancy of this incredible destination.

In its dark and troubled past, the city of London has survived Roman occupancy, sackings from the Celts, Romans, Vikings and Saxons, a Norman invasion, two great fires, the bubonic plague, Nazi bombings, the Spice Girls and Damien Hirst.

But the London of today promises something for everyone. The London Eye lifts visitors high above the river into vistas that stretch tight across the fading skies. Further down on the South Bank, the Tate Modern contains one of the world's most incredible collections of Modern Art, while the city's 30,000 stores and boutiques will exhaust even the most avid shopper, and its 6,000 restaurants are only too eager to demonstrate why Britons revere their chefs as celebrities.

For those interested in exploring the country's heritage, the Tower of London is an excellent starting point. First constructed in the 11th century, the Tower has been rebuilt several times as later monarchs have left their mark. Still one of London's biggest attractions, and a great celebration of pomp that is free to all visitors is the Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace, which happens daily.

As the great dome of St Paul's reflects the colours of the setting sun, London comes alive with an unrivalled nightlife. For those up for something more thrilling than dinner and the theatre, London has a vast number of bars and nightclubs catering to all tastes.

Madame Tussaud's

Address: Marylebone Road London

Admission: £25 (adults) and £18 (children) Off-peak, open daily 9.30am to 5.30pm. Peak, open daily 9am to 6pm.

Telephone: (0)870 999 0046

Tower of London

Address: Tower Hill London

Admission: £18 (adults), £9.50 (children under 16); concessions and discounts for advance/online booking available. Tuesday to Saturday, 9am-5:30pm; Sunday to Monday, 10am-5:30pm

Telephone: +44 (0)844 482 7777

Abbey Road Studios

Address: 3 Abbey Road, St Johns Wood, City of Westminster, London London

Telephone: +44 (0)20 7266 7000

Speaker's Corner at Hyde Park

Address: London London

Admission: Free Daily 5pm-midnight. Speakers Corner held Sundays mid-morning to late afternoon.

Telephone: +44 (0)20 7262 5484

Tate Modern

Address: Bankside London

Admission: Free for entry to the permanent collection; admission is charged for major temporary exhibitions. Sunday to Thursday 10am-6pm; Friday and Saturday 10am-10pm. Closed 24, 25, 26 December.

Telephone: (0)20 7887 8888

National Gallery

Address: Trafalgar Square London

Admission: Free for entry to the permanent collection; admission is charged for major temporary exhibitions Daily 10am to 6pm; Wednesday until 9pm. Closed on 1 January, 24, 25 and 26 December

Telephone: (0)20 7747 2885

British Museum

Address: Great Russell Street London

Admission: Free, although charges may be levied for some temporary exhibitions Saturday to Wednesday 10am to 5.30pm; Thursday and Friday 10am to 8.30pm; closed 24, 25 and 26 December, 1 January and Good Friday

Telephone: (0)20 7323 8299 or (0)20 7323 8000

London Eye

Address: Thames South Bank London

Admission: Various, see website for details Daily October to May 10am to 8pm, June and September 10am to 9pm, July and August 10am to 9.30pm

Telephone: (0)870 990 8883 or (0)870 5000 600 (bookings)

Shakespeares Globe Theatre

Address: 21 New Globe Walk, Bankside London

Admission: £10.50 (adults), £6.50 (children); concessions available. Performance tickets range from £15 to £30 (£5 standing) Theatre tour and exhibition: daily 10am to 5pm (10 October to 17 April), 9am to 12.30pm and 1pm to 5pm (18 April to 9 October). There is no access to the theatre during performances; visitors will then be taken to the Rose Theatre, Banksides first playhouse

Telephone: (0)20 7902 1400, or (0)20 7401 9919 (box office)

Buckingham Palace and the Queen's Gallery

Address: Buckingham Palace Road London

Admission: State Rooms; £17 (adults) and £9.75 (children). Queens Gallery: £5 (adults), £3 (children) Various, see website for details.

Telephone: (0)20 7766 7300

Harrods

Address: 87-135 Brompton Road, Knightsbridge London

Admission: Free Monday to Saturday 10am to 8pm, Sunday 11.30am to 6pm (Browsing only between 11.30am and 12pm on Sundays)

Telephone: (0)20 7730 1234

Camden Market

Address: Camden Lock, Chalk Farm Road London

Admission: Free The market is open daily from 10am to 6pm

Greenwich

Address: London

Admission: National Maritime Museum, Royal Observatory and Queen's House all free Greenwich Market: daily 9am to 5:30pm; National Maritime Museum and Royal Observatory Greenwich: daily 10am to 5pm. Closed 24-26 December

Telephone: (0)870 608 2000

London Dungeon

Address: 28-34 Tooley Street London

Admission: £22.50 (adults); £16.50 (children). Concessions and group tickets available. Opening times vary throughout the year so visitors should check the official website. Closed on Christmas day.

Telephone: (0)20 7403 7221

St Paul's Cathedral

Address: St Paul's Churchyard London

Admission: £14.50 (adults); £5.50 (children 7-16); family and group concessions available. Monday to Saturday 8:30am-4pm. Note that the Cathedral may be closed to visitors at any time due to special services or events, so it is always advisable to enquire beforehand.

Telephone: (0)20 7246 8357

Piccadilly Circus

Address: London

Canterbury

Address: London

Telephone: (0)1227 378 100

Leeds Castle

Address: Maidstone, Kent London

Admission: £17.50 (adults), £10 (children 4-15). Concessions available Grounds: Daily from 10am (last ticket sold at 3pm, gates close at 5pm). Castle: 10:30am-4pm (last admission at 3:30pm). From 21 March to 30 September opening hours are extended by two hours in the afternoon.

Telephone: (0)1622 765 400

Windsor

Address: London

Admission: Castle: £16.50 (adults), £9.90 (children). Concessions available. Generally open daily 9:45am-5:15pm, last admission at 4pm (March to October); and 9:45am-4:15pm, last admission at 3pm (November to February). See website for closed dates.

Telephone: (0)20 7766 7300 (ticket sales and Information office)

Hampton Court Palace

Address: East Molesey, Surrey London

Admission: £14 (adults), £7 (children). Concessions available 10am to 4.30pm daily. Last admission at 3.30pm, last entry to the maze at 3.45pm

Telephone: (0)870 752 7777

City Farms

Address: 39 Windsor Avenue, SW19 London

Admission: Tuesday to Sunday, 10am to 4.30pm

Telephone: 020 8543 5300

London Parks and Gardens

Address: London

Museums for Kids

Address: London

London Bus Tour

Address: London

West End Kids' Shows

Address: The Strand, Oxford Street, Regent Street and Kingsway London

Hamleys

Address: Regent Street, London London

London Zoo

Address: Outer Circle, Regent's Park London

Admission: £18.50 (adults); £15 (children) Concessions available Open daily from 10am. Closing times depend on season. Closed Christmas Day

Telephone: 020 7722 3333

London Science Museum

Address: Exhibition Road, South Kensington London

Admission: Free Open daily from 10am – 6pm. Closed 24 – 26 December

Chessington World of Adventures

Address: Leatherhead Road London

Admission: £12 (adults); £7.80 (children). Concessions available Open daily from 10am–5pm, depending on the season

Telephone: 0870 999 0045

Alexandra Palace Ice Rink

Address: Alexandra Palace Way, Wood Green London

Admission: Monday to Friday: £6 (adults); £5 (children). Saturday and Sunday: £8.50 (adults); £7.50 (children) Open Monday to Friday from 11am-1:30pm and 2pm-5:30pm; Saturday and Sunday 10:30am–12:30pm and 2pm–4:30pm; and Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 8:30pm-11pm.

Telephone: 020 8365 4386

Westminster Abbey

Address: 20 Deans Yard, London London

Admission: £10 adults, concessions available Monday to Saturday 9:30am-4:45pm. Open for worship only Sundays and religious holidays.

Telephone: +44(0)20 7222 5152

Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament

Address: Palace of Westminster, House of Commons, London London

Admission: £12 (adults), £5 (children) Open during summer recess, see the website for details.

Telephone: 0870 906 3773

Tower Bridge

Address: Tower Bridge Road, London London

Admission: £7 adults; concessions available. April to September 10am-6:30pm; October to March 9am-6pm

Telephone: +44 (0) 20 7403 3761

Victoria and Albert Museum

Address: Cromwell Road, London London

Admission: Free. Some temporary exhibitions carry a separate fee. Daily 10am-5:45pm; open Friday until 10pm.

Telephone: +44 (0)20 7942 2000

Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Museum

Address: Church Road, Wimbledon London

Admission: £11 adults; concessions available. Daily 10am-5pm. Closed during the tournament.

Telephone: (020) 8946 6131

Chinese New Year

Where: Chinatown, Trafalgar Square and Leicester Square,London

When: 29 January 2012

London Marathon

Where: Starts in Greenwich Park and ends in the Mall,London

When: 17 April 2011

Chelsea Flower Show

Where: Show grounds at the Royal Hospital, Chelsea,London

When: 24 - 28 May 2011

Trooping the Colour (Queen's Birthday Parade)

Where: Horse Guards Parade,London

When: 11 June 2011

London Mardi Gras

Where: Hyde Park,London

When: 17 June to 3 July 2011

Wimbledon Tennis Championships

Where: All England Lawn Tennis & Croquet Club,London

When: 20 June to 3 July 2011

Notting Hill Carnival

Where: Notting Hill,London

When: 28 - 29 August 2011

Lord Mayor's Show

Where: Central London, between Mansion House and Aldwych,London

When: 12 November 2011

Changing of the Guard

Where: Buckingham Palace and Horse Guards Parade,London

When: Daily 11:30am (Buckingham Palace); 11am Monday to Saturday and 10am Sunday (Horse Guards Parade)

Carling Weekend Reading

Where: Reading,London

When: 26 - 28 August 2011

Oxford and Cambridge Boat Race

Where: Thames River from Putney Bridge to Chiswick Bridge,London

When: 26 March 2011

BBC Proms

Where: Royal Albert Hall,London

When: 15 July to 10 September 2011

West End Shows

Where: ,London

When: Various dates throughout the year

V Festival Chelmsford

Where: Hylands Park, Chelmsford, Essex,London

When: 20 - 21 August 2011

Carling Cup Final

Where: Wembley Stadium,London

When: February

FA Cup Final

Where: Wembley Stadium,London

When: 14 May 2011

Times BFI London Film Festival

Where: Various,London

When: 12 - 27 October 2011

Country Living Magazine Christmas Fair

Where: Business Design Centre, Islington,London

When: 9 - 13 November 2011

Avenue

Address: 7-9 St James's Street London

Food Type: Modern Eclectic

Star of India

Address: 154 Old Brompton Road (South Kensington) London

Food Type: Indian

1 Lombard Street

Address: 1 Lombard Street (Bank) London

Food Type: French

Montpeliano

Address: 13 Montpelier Street (Knightsbridge) London

Food Type: Italian

The Abingdon

Address: 54 Abingdon Road (Kensington) London

Food Type: Gastropubs

Restaurant Gordon Ramsay

Address: 68 Royal Hospital Road (Chelsea) London

Food Type: French

Fire and Stone

Address: 31/32 Maiden Lane, Covent Garden London

Food Type: Pizzeria

Carnaby Restaurant

Address: Courthouse Hotel, 19-21 Great Marlborough Street London

Food Type: British

54 Farringdon

Address: 54 Farringdon Road London

Food Type: Oriental

Zaika

Address: 1 Kensington High Street, Kensington London

Food Type: Indian

Blue Elephant

Address: 3-6 Fulham Broadway London

Food Type: Oriental