London is situated in the southeast corner of England, on the banks of the River Thames. It draws millions of international visitors every year to see the historic sights, royal palaces, churches and architecture and to enjoy the parks, museums and shopping. London is the seat of Government, the home of the Royal Family, the centre of British business, heritage and culture and one of the largest financial centres in the world. It has five major airports: London Heathrow which is one of the busiest in the world; London Gatwick, Stanstead Airport, Luton Airport and the smallest of all, London City Airport, which is mainly used by private jets.
With a population of 7.5 million packed into 659 square miles (1706 km2) London can be very crowded, especially on the roads, but the ten green parks are a quiet oasis of recreational space, lakes, trees, birds and wildlife. The Underground, or Tube, makes it easy to get around, especially if you buy an off-peak Travelcard for unlimited travel after 9.30am. Taking a river taxi or ferry is also a fun way to get around the city, especially down to the Tower of London and Greenwich.
Visitors to London will find plenty to see and do in this world class city of entertainment, theatre, shopping, media, fashion, the arts and music. Although it can be an expensive city to live in, many of the world class museums and art galleries are free to enter and can occupy visitors for days at a time. London has four UNESCO World Heritage Sites: the Tower of London, Westminster including the Houses of Parliament and Big Ben, the Maritime Museum at Greenwich and the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew, which show the true diversity of this capital city.
Other highly recommended places to visit include Shakespeare's Globe Theatre, Buckingham Palace with the Changing of the Guard at 11.30am daily, St Paul's Cathedral, Harrod's Food Hall, the Victoria and Albert Museum, (if only to see the magnificent architecture!) and a ride on the London Eye to acquaint yourself with the scale of the city. Rest your feet in one of the thousands of historic pubs which can be found throughout the city and dine on a local favourite – fish and chips!