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To a tourist who is normally used to seeing visual uniformity it may seem a little strange, that in London the new and the old co-exist peacefully and harmoniously. Nothing seems out of place, though most of the buildings have centuries of tales and secrets behind them. London has lent itself marvelously to change without disrupting or altering what was already existent. Special kudos to the government, it has helped retain much of the old flavour in the city, which is so often absent in bustling modern metropolises.
Make a trip this summer to the city that has the hustle and the bustle with the old charm of the yester years! A city that is avant-garde and traditional at the same time! Vidya K Rangan
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Visiting London is like re-opening a long forgotten vault, an ancient, age-old, mysterious vault that has been preserved for years. The journey is a trip down the memory lane, a nostalgic voyage back into the long-gone era of kings and monarchs, royals and sovereigns. There is no dearth of ancient buildings in and around London. Wherever you let your eyes roam there are regal citadels, imperial palaces, massive forts, palatial buildings, stately mansions and noble structures, plainly put, they dot every street. In fact, most of the hotels in London are old palaces that have been remodeled and renovated to house modern amenities within the age-old walls of former castles. There is a touch of regality in the air here. We had the good fortune to stay at London's Churchill Intercontinental, one such structure, a remodeled old castle, but fulfilling all the modern wishes of the present day frazzled traveler. 
A couple of days stay is what all tourists opt for, since London happens to be the best place to begin an European extravaganza. The most recent of all the famous attractions of London happens to be the London Eye, a giant ferris-wheel that can give you bird's-eye view of the entire city and its surroundings. Madame Tussauds Wax Museum is an astonishment even to adults. It is unbelievable how realistic the wax figures are! The London Zoo and Aquarium are a favourite with families and children. The Big Ben is a hot spot and so are the Parliament houses and Westminster Abbey nearby. The Greenwich Observatory is a must see, since you can tell your friends that you were at the Eastern and the Western Hemisphere at the same time; literally a leg here and a leg there, on either side of the 0 meridian!
The Buckingham Palace happens to be the royal quarters of the Queen, the Prince and his family; it may seem insipid if you are expecting it to be all majestic and grandiose. But the Changing of Guard ceremony that takes place here is a colourful and entertaining ritual carried out to perfection day after day. The guards impeccable in their uniforms and the band with glistening musical instruments carry out their duties unmindful of scores of tourists flocking to get a glimpse of them.
A cruise on the river Thames is another ideal way to get a glimpse of all the famous landmarks of London within a span of an hour or so. You can relax and let your eyes roam around the buildings that flank the banks of the Thames as the guide handles the difficult task of pointing out the important edifices to you. The tower bridge, the Blackfrairs Bridge, and the Savoy hotel, Houses of Parliament, Big Ben, St Paul's Cathedral (where Charles and Lady Diana got married!), all line the bank. Shakespeare's Globe theatre too lies on the banks of the Thames. It is a nice place to spend an afternoon if you are interested in drama and its growth, costume and the changes it has undergone, production and stage strategies that vary between then and now.
If you are looking for a taste of the much touted English country side, a visit to the Windsor castle would be a nice day trip. It is about half an hour's ride on the Thames trains and will give you a peek into royalty and a view of the countryside around; if you want to spend the day at Windsor, then you can shop and dine, take river trips or even a horse carriage ride. A longer trip to the country side is possible depending on your length of stay in London. Ideal short day trips would be to Oxford or Bath. If you are bent on spending time with nature then you have a whole lot of places like York, Wales, why, even Scotland.
London has something for everyone. For the cricket conscious there is the Lords Cricket stadium, for the tennis lovers there is the Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Museum, for the religious there is Shree Swaminarayan Mandir, for English Literature freaks there is the Globe theatre, Westminster Abbey and a whole lot of other sights, for the cost conscious there are a whole lot of free attractions, and there are walks through which one can see the city of London on foot. Children can play and thrill themselves in parks and
pleasure dromes like F 1 City, Namco Station or First Bowl Queensway, not to mention the various Harry Potter trails that can leave the fans begging for more. London is a treasure trove for the art connoisseur, since it abounds in multitude of galleries. Music and theatre lovers can go berserk in London theatres where the world's famous dramas and musicals like Bombay Dreams, Cats, Les Miserable etc., can be seen. For the shopaholic there are malls, markets, roadside vendors, flea markets, antique bazaars, budget stores, or the famous Oxford street premier shopping area - where you want to shop depends on your budget.
London is a must see for the travel conscious. It is a city that has both upscale and budget outings. The choice is so vast and wide that you can plan your trip without putting a strain on your purse depending on what you want to see and how much you want to spend. A purchase of the London Pass entitles you to travel on all modes of transport available in London as well as gains you entry to more than 60 attractions in and around the city. Similar passes are sold by the British Tourist Authority too. It is prudent to buy such a pass before your trip. We did that, saved a lot and saw a lot too! 
