3 Places to Visit in London

London is one of those cities that everyone should visit at least once in their lifetime; it is the perfect blend of modern architecture, which seamless blend with old buildings. It is a mesmerizing sight that has historical monuments, high-end shops, award-winning theatres and even bookshops. London has something for everyone, and this is why I love this city so much. London alone has around 20 million tourists each year, and this is what makes this city so eccentric and marvellous. So, here are some of the places we think everyone should visit when they visit London.

1. British Museum

I was conflicted about this one; even though this is a place of beauty and history, it is also a relic of colonialism. Well, get into this later down the line. Let’s start with what makes it a must-visit place. It contains more than 13 million artefacts from the ancient world, and these priceless objects come from all around the world, from Assyria, Africa, Babylonia, China, India and elsewhere (most of these have been stolen from their countries of origin, especially when England was on its colonial rampage). Most tourists visit the most popular exhibition like the Elgin Marbles, the Rosetta Stone or even the Mildenhall Treasure. My favourite part of the library is the on-site bookshop which boasts a massive array of titles from art history to archaeology and even ancient history. However, I feel a bit conflicted when it comes to the British Museum because, as a queer Indian immigrant, I know what colonization did to my people and how most of the artefacts there have been stolen from their homeland. In my eyes, they should be returned to their homelands. You can learn more about this by watching this video by clicking here and learning more about this colonial relic.

2. Gay’s The World

If you are a queer nerd like me, then this is the place to be if you are visiting England. Not only is it part of the set of my favourite comfort movie, Pride, but it is also the longest-running queer bookstore in the UK. It is not only the oldest queer bookshop in the UK, but it is also the touchstone for the broader queer community. The store was set up by a group of gay socialists and was opened in January 1979. It was a communal safe space for our community, and all the profits from the business were funnelled back into it. The store is now run by Jim, Uli, Erica, Brooke and Jem and is filled with queer books, and they have a wide array of genres. They have everything from biographies, x-rated books and videos, ya novels and even New adults romances. Queer people run the bookstore, and this is why their selection of queer books are so diverse and amazing. If there is one place that you have to visit in England in my books, then it ought to be the Gay’s The World bookstore.

3. Big Ben and The House of parliament

Nothing screams London louder than Big Ben; come on now, it is one of the most iconic structures when you think about London; it is the most iconic clock and bell tower around the world. Big Ben is a 318-foot tower that houses a massive clock and is as iconic as a landmark as the Tower Bridge, and Big Ben is known worldwide as the time signal for the BBC. Below Big Ben, you can see the Thames stretch and see the house of parliament. For centuries now, the house of parliament has been the seat of the British government and was once the glory of the nation and was the site of the royal Westminster Palace when it was occupied by William the Conqueror. To get the best view of the house of parliament then, we advise you to cross the Westminster Bridge, and by looking back, the view there is magnificent. And I know this is tourist behaviour, but while in Rome right. Take the most ridiculous photo with Big Ben. You can even get tours of the parliament building, and this can offer you a unique insight, and a chance t see real-time debates and lively political discussions.

Sound off in the comments section below and tell us which of these places are on your bucket list for places that you want to visit.