London · Architecture
The old financial district: St Paul's, skyscrapers and roof terraces. Very quiet at the weekend. 20 places in and around City of London.
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Mon–Sat from 8.30 am (Wed from 10 am), last entry usually 4 pm; Sun services only
Wren's dome from inside and on top: the Whispering Gallery and a panorama over the City.
The dome galleries are included in the ticket (£27). No sightseeing on Sundays; services are free.
Tours and performances only, times in the programme
Reconstruction of Shakespeare's open-air round theatre in oak, right on the Thames.
The tour costs £31 and lasts around 90 minutes. Advance booking only. Standing tickets for performances are much cheaper.
Usually daily, check regular hours on the website
The City's municipal art collection. In the basement lie the remains of London's Roman amphitheatre.
Free. Tours Tue–Sun at 12.15 and 1.15 pm. Closed on some days, e.g. 16 November and 7 December.
Mon–Sat 9 am–6 pm, Sun 8.30 am–5 pm
London's oldest Gothic church, right next to Borough Market, with a Shakespeare memorial.
Enter quietly during services. Best combined with Borough Market and a walk along the river.
Open in daytime, approx. 8 am until evening (unverified)
Bombed-out shell of a church, now home to a small garden, in among the office towers.
Five minutes from the Sky Garden, ideal as a quiet stop before or after. Emptiest early in the day.
Open in daytime (roughly 8 am until evening), unverified
Small park with the Watts Memorial: ceramic plaques honour people who died saving others.
Free and a hidden gem, only a few steps from St Paul's. At lunchtime lots of office workers sit here.
Walkable at any time
Slender steel footbridge between St Paul's Cathedral and Tate Modern, with open views along the Thames.
Loveliest walked from south to north: the dome of St Paul's lines up exactly on the axis. Combine with Tate Modern (free).
Walkable at any time
The bridge at the city's oldest Thames crossing, today a plain structure of 1973, with the best view of Tower Bridge downstream.
Not to be confused with Tower Bridge. Combines well with Borough Market and Southwark Cathedral right at the south end.
Free access Mon–Fri 10 am–6 pm, Sat/Sun 11 am–9 pm
Glass dome with a garden at the top of the ‘Walkie-Talkie’, with views over the Thames, St Paul's and Tower Bridge.
Free time slots are released up to three weeks ahead. Without a ticket only if there is space; on weekdays no entry without a ticket after 5 pm.
Mon–Fri 10 am–6 pm, Sat 10 am–5 pm, Sun 10 am–4 pm
Europe's highest free viewpoint, on floor 58 of 22 Bishopsgate, with a 360-degree view over the City.
Book a free timed ticket online and bring the QR code. In winter the sunset falls within opening hours.
Winter (Oct–Mar) Mon–Fri 10 am–6.30 pm, Sat/Sun 10 am–5 pm; summer Mon–Fri until 9 pm
Open-air roof garden on 120 Fenchurch Street, quieter than the Sky Garden, with views of the Tower and the Shard.
Usually no booking needed, security check downstairs. Closed on public holidays; at weekends it shuts as early as 5 pm.
Unverified: roughly 6 am–12 midnight
Roof terrace at eye level with the dome of St Paul's, no admission charge.
Free. May close at short notice in bad weather.
Mon–Fri 6.30 am–5 pm, Sat 8 am–4 pm, closed Sun
Small speciality coffee bar in the City; a quick espresso or flat white to go.
Open from 6.30 am, closed Sundays; a short queue of office workers around 8.30 am, then quickly served.
Mon–Fri 11 am–11 pm, Sat 12 noon–8 pm, closed Sun
Victorian gin palace opposite the Old Bailey with a richly decorated interior.
Closed Sundays, Saturdays only until 8 pm.
Mon–Fri 12 noon–11 pm, Sat 11 am–11 pm, Sun 12 noon–10 pm (according to OSM, unverified)
Tiny beer bar on the edge of Borough Market with a very good selection of craft beer from Britain and abroad.
Space is tight, so people are often out on the terrace.
Open around the clock
24-hour restaurant on the 40th floor above the City; duck with waffle and a fried egg.
Often space without booking after 11 pm; book for the evening. Dress code smart casual: no tracksuit bottoms, no flip-flops.
Around the clock (according to OSM, unverified)
Family-run café near Liverpool Street with a long history; English breakfast at any hour.
One of the few genuine places to eat in the City at night; just turn up, no booking needed.
According to the programme
Concert hall in the Barbican complex, home of the London Symphony Orchestra; also jazz and world music.
Beforehand, wander through the conservatory and past the lakes of the Barbican.
According to the programme
Cinema screens in the Barbican complex with film seasons, festivals and premieres.
Combine with a concert in the Barbican Hall or a walk around the estate.
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