Travel Topics
From 17 July to 6 September 2026, London’s Institute of Contemporary Arts (ICA) presents She Flickered In and Out of History, an ambitious new installation by Italian artist Elisa Giardina…
Running from 15 July 2026 to 17 January 2027, the Ana Mendieta exhibition at Tate Modern is powerful and emotionally resonant. Rather than presenting art simply to be viewed, this…
One of the most famous performances of Waiting for Godot was at Saint Quentin’s prison. The inmates identified with the play as if they were in it. I felt a…
Roger Hermiston and Eileen Wise stay at Bertrand’s Townhouse, London, a new hotel with a literary history. Bertrand Russell was one of the most famous intellectuals of the 20th century…
Elsa Schiaparelli (1890-1973) was one of the 20th century’s most innovative and successful fashion designers. In 1934, she became the first female designer to blaze the cover of Time Magazine…
The more I visit pubs across the UK for our Hairy Traveller YouTube channel, the more I realise the importance pubs play in the local community. The Angel of Bow…
Robert Spellman explores Wembley’s Gujarati community on the Immersive India Tour. Part of the privilege and thrill of living in London is the opportunity to experience the completely new, just…
Put your Ashes disappointment to one side. For a cricket fan steeped in the history of the game, there can be no more exciting place to stay than the Dorset…
As the nights draw in and thoughts turn to winter escapes, the annual wave of Black Friday holiday deals brings a welcome chance to plan a memorable adventure for less…
This major exhibition of the trailblazing surrealist photographer Lee Miller is a hot ticket right now. Just looking ahead on the booking calendar there are numerous timeslots sold out. How…
The buzz of live music in the capital shifts up a few gears in mid-November with the advent of the EFG London Jazz Festival. Now in its 33rd year, the…
It’s the wild tales about celebrity guests that have helped give The Portobello Hotel in Notting Hill London its raffish, alluring reputation. Within these walls, the legend goes, Johnny Depp…
Londoners have always been fascinated by the city’s darker side, from Jack the Ripper tours to ghost walks through forgotten alleyways. In Dark London (Frances Lincoln, £16.99), published on 4…
“I can resist everything except temptation,” wrote Oscar Wilde – and theatre-goers will find it hard to resist the temptation of The Importance of Being Earnest when it transfers to…
In September, Strawberry Hill House, 18th century villa and former home of Horace Walpole (1717-1797), welcomes visitors to its fabulously fragrant annual Flower Festival. Strawberry Hill House Flower Festival 2025…
If you’re heading to London this autumn, the Royal Court Theatre should be at the top of your itinerary. From 10 October to 29 November 2025, its Jerwood Theatre Downstairs…
The Almeida Theatre in Islington has announced the full cast for the much-anticipated world premiere of The Line of Beauty, directed by Tony Award winner Michael Grandage. Adapted by Olivier…
Roger Hermiston and Eileen Wise find country-house intimacy, striking art, and royal connections at The Milestone Hotel and Residences Kensington London The white painted, cast-iron stone road sign standing outside…
Maria Boyle spends a weekend in the capital and combines luxury, laughter and legacy at the Corinthia London. Few cities offer the sheer variety of experiences that London does, blending…
Robert Spellman wades into an exhibition at London Museum Docklands to discover the Secrets Of The Thames unearthed by the river’s mudlarks If mudlarking – the act of scouring riverine…
Judith Schrut previews La Linea, London’s annual Latin Music Festival. It won’t surprise you to learn that London, the world’s most diverse city, is home to more than 270 nationalities…
In the Dark is a new and astonishing live music experience. Judith Schrut went to London’s ancient church of St Bartholomew the Great to see what it’s all about. Take…
Mark Bibby Jackson reviews the Ellen Kensington hotel, part of the Montigo Resorts UK Group to discover an authentically Asian hotel in London. It was while staying at the Montigo Resort…
Robert Spellman previews the EFG London Jazz Festival 2024 held from 15 to 24 November featuring Pat Metheny, Jamie Callum and Dave Holland. The reliably fantastic EFG London Jazz Festival is…
Dr Johnson once famously said that if you are tired of London then you are tired of life, and the phrase is as true now as it was in the 18th century. We might be biased but it is still the most exciting and diverse captial in Europe.
The London skyline used to be dominated by classic buildings like the Tower of London, the Palaces of Westminster and St Paul’s Cathedral, but increasingly such sites are dwarfed by skyscrapers such as Canary Wharf and the Shard. However, it still remains however one of the most visited cities in the world for good reason.
Controversial when it was opened on 31 December, 1999 to celebrate the Millennium, it has proved one of UK capital’s most popular attractions. Situated on the South Bank of the River Thames, it offers spectacular views across the city for up to 25 miles and is the focal point for the New Year’s Eve firework display. It is right next to one of the major tourist highlights in the capital, along the South Bank stretching from Tate Modern to Borough Market.
The city’s theatre land caters for every possible taste from lush musicals to avant garde and fringe drama. Many theatres are situated near Piccadilly, but there are fringe theatre dotted all over the city. In recent years, the Globe Theatre has replicated Shakespearean tradition.
The much maligned network of underground trains known as the Tube is also one of the most expensive metro systems in Europe. Buy an oyster card or use you credit card, if it has a chip, to get the cheapest fares.
