Stag do sightseeing: London's top 20 attractions

The iconic Battersea Power Station, known for its distinctive four-chimney silhouette across London’s skyline, is a historical piece of London’s history, closed back in 1983. It’s currently being transformed into its own versatile neighbourhood, blending residential, commercial and cultural spaces with restaurants, shops, parks and state-of-the-art health and fitness facilities, due to be finished in 2024.

Nearest station: Sloane square then 137 bus south to Queenstown road

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Brick Lane is an area full of vibrant sights and sounds. It’s a place rich with a diverse history of settlers. In the north of Brick Lane, there’s a mix of vintage shops, street food, street art and market stalls in the Old Truman Brewery. The southern half of the street is known for its curry and Balti dishes. It’s also a great place to try traditional Jewish beigels.

Nearest station: Aldgate East

With millions of visitors each year, Camden Market is a popular spot to find all things quirky. Stretching across several markets, it’s home to vintage fashion, fascinating artwork, handmade jewellery, artsy craft stalls and more. It even still has its original alternative atmosphere where you can pick up band T-shirts and futuristic clubwear. Be sure to stop for a bite; the delicious street food is some of the best in London.

Nearest stations: Camden Town and Chalk Farm

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Not-so-hidden between Leicester Square and Shaftesbury Avenue is Chinatown, home to a vibrant Chinese community. Get a taste of the Far East with traditional Chinese gates - paifang, sculptures and colourful lanterns. There’s everything from the popular restaurants and bakeries to souvenir shops selling little trinkets and gifts like the lucky maneki-neko (beckoning cat).

Nearest station: Piccadilly Circus

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The London mayor's office, City Hall is a uniquely designed, eco-friendly, glass-encased building along the South Bank. There’s a helical walkway that goes up through the centre which you can use to explore the lower ground floor and cafe, or head to the first and second floors for the views. Outside you’ll find The Scoop, an amphitheatre that shows free events like theatre, film screenings and music.

Nearest station: London Bridge

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10 Downing Street has been the home of the British Prime Minister since 1735 and is considered the single most important political location in the country. Behind the famous black door, countless decisions have been made determining the fate and future of the country, including strategies during both world wars. Unfortunately, the street isn’t open to the public, but you can catch a peek through the gates from Whitehall.

Nearest station: Westminster

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Home of Arsenal, the Emirates Stadium is a must-see football stadium for fans of the red and white. Open since 2006, Arsenal has played more than 200 Premier League games here, and it attracts crowds of up to 60,000 people with fans from all over gathering to see their heroes. Brazil has also used the Emirates as a home on several occasions for friendly matches.

Nearest stations: Holloway Road and Arsenal

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The Palace of Westminster, otherwise known as the Houses of Parliament, is where parliament regularly meets. It’s split into the green House of Commons and the red House of Lords, which is home to the ornate and elaborate Sovereign’s Throne. Westminster Hall is the oldest part, a magnificent medieval hall with a huge oak roof, which is where Guy Fawkes was tried and found guilty.

Nearest station: Westminster

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Set in the heart of London is its most well-known park, Hyde Park. It’s a relaxing, green open space, perfect for a stroll or a picnic. Throughout the year there are tons of events including sports, summer concerts, film nights and the annual Winter Wonderland. The Serpentine is London’s oldest boating lake, with row and paddle boats available for hire and even an area for swimming, should you feel brave enough.

Nearest station: Hyde Park Corner

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The beating heart of the West End, Leicester Square is the capital’s number one entertainment destination. Known for its big cinemas and theatres, it attracts Hollywood’s finest to walk the red carpet. It’s filled with glamorous, world-class nightclubs, restaurants and casinos. Talented buskers entertain crowds of tourists and locals alike across the atmospheric open plan square.

Nearest station: Leicester Square

Hop aboard the largest Ferris wheel in Europe: the iconic London Eye. At an impressive 443 ft tall, you can enjoy unforgettable views of 25 miles in every direction. Take in London’s skyline and experience the unique landmarks like never before.

Nearest stations: Waterloo and Westminster

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The Millennium Bridge is a super modern steel suspension bridge that’s perfectly aligned for spectacular views of St Paul’s Cathedral and the Tate Modern. It's the home of more than 400 tiny works of art made of chewing gum created by Ben Wilson.

Nearest stations: St Paul's and Mansion House

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The O2, previously named the Millennium Dome, is an arena and entertainment complex on the Greenwich Peninsula in a large distinctive dome-shaped building. The arena is home to concerts from top artists, but there’s also a music club for smaller gigs and exhibition space. There’s a cinema and tons of bars and restaurants. You can even climb it mountaineer-style.

Nearest station: North Greenwich

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Relive the excitement of the opening and closing ceremonies of the 2012 Olympics at the Olympic Stadium, set within the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park. Now called the London Stadium, it’s a multi-use venue hosting all kinds of sports including rugby, athletics and football since it’s the current home of West Ham. Have a stroll around the surrounding park or head to either Here East or the East Village for delicious bars, restaurants and cafes.

Nearest station: Stratford

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Piccadilly Circus is one of London’s busiest destinations, known for its flashing, bright billboards, not unlike New York’s iconic Times Square. It’s the gateway to the West End with plenty of shops and theatres to keep you entertained. See it at night when the area really comes to life, transforming into a buzzing nightlife spot.

Nearest station: Piccadilly Circus

The Shard is the UK’s tallest building, instantly becoming a London icon after its opening in 2009. The stunning glass-clad tower has 95 floors, some of these being chic restaurants and others viewing platforms. Book ahead and you can enjoy a glass of bubbly while talking in the views - from landmarks like the Tower of London, Tower Bridge and the London Eye.

Nearest station: London Bridge

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St Paul’s Cathedral has been one of London’s most majestic buildings since 1675. Climb 257 steps to the incredible Whispering Gallery, where, if you whisper along the wall, someone more than 32m away will be able to hear you. Climb even higher to find the outdoor Stone Gallery and Golden Gallery, both with breathtaking views of the capital.

Nearest stations: St Paul's and Mansion House

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The Gherkin, officially named 30 St. Mary Axe, became a popular addition to London’s skyline back in 2003 with its unique design. Despite its glass spiral structure, there’s actually only one piece of curved glass at the very top making it fascinating to look at. It’s a working office building, so you can’t go up, but there is a ground floor restaurant and every Thursday KERB’s street food vendors set up here.

Nearest stations: Aldgate, Liverpool Street and Bank

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The City’s sixth tallest building, 20 Fenchurch Street, was nicknamed the Walkie Talkie building by unimpressed Londoners after its distinctive shape. When it was first built, it was discovered that its reflective windows were melting the bodywork of cars below, earning it quite a reputation. Now, it’s known for the Sky Garden, the observation deck on its top floor.

Nearest stations: Monument and Bank

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Wembley is best known for Wembley Stadium, the biggest stadium in the UK at an incredible 90,000 capacity. As a football stadium, it’s where England plays at home. It’s also where top musicians perform with massive concerts throughout the year, so much so that it’s become a career milestone for British artists to make it to Wembley.

Nearest station: Wembley Park Station

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