Hyde Park is one of London’s top tourist attractions year-round: rent a pedalo at The Serpentine during summer, or enjoy fairground rides and a Christmas market at the annual Winter Wonderland. Peek through the gates of Buckingham Palace by St James’ Park, spot wild deer roaming in Richmond Park, or visit London Zoo in Regent’s Park.

The dynamic South Bank is packed with highlights, from the spectacular vistas of the London Eye to the cultural hotbed that is the Southbank Centre. You’ll also find art galleries and the Royal National Theatre sitting alongside the graffiti-laden Undercroft skate park and Insta-worthy Leake Street Tunnel.

Immortalised in the eponymous Hugh Grant/Julia Roberts rom-com, Notting Hill is an upmarket pocket of West London that’s home to glamorous boutiques, celeb-packed cafes and the legendary Portobello Road Market. Once a year, the streets come alive with music, dazzling floats and troupes of dancers as the Caribbean-inspired Notting Hill carnival parades through town.

Microbreweries and local ales are a central part of London’s lively pubs and bars, but Bermondsey in the southeast remains the heart of the craft brewing scene. Get ready for the ultimate bar crawl next time you travel to London – the ‘Beer Mile’ is a glorious stretch of artisanal bars and bottle shops.

Located in a Tudor-revival building on Regent Street, Liberty is an elegant home for luxury goods, while the legendary window displays of Selfridges have enticed Oxford Street’s fashion-conscious shoppers for more than a century. Then there’s Harrods, the Knightsbridge institution that’s probably the most famous luxury department store in the world.

The East End is a hipster’s heaven, full of vibrant enclaves to explore. Wander through the hip markets and Indian eateries of Brick Lane, walk in the grisly steps of Jack the Ripper on a local history tour, or take in Victorian architecture and indie boutiques at Old Spitalfields Market.

Industrial zone. Red-light district. Rave hotspot. King’s Cross has worn many hats, but its latest reincarnation as a trendy lifestyle hotspot boasts independent stores and eateries in Coal Drops Yard, plus plenty of modern galleries. Don’t forget to duck into the rail station for a snap at Harry Potter’s own Platform 9¾.

Soak up exhibitions at the Tate Modern, Britain’s most distinguished modern art gallery, or catch an open-air Shakespearean play at the reconstructed Globe Theatre playhouse. In Trafalgar Square, the spectacular National Gallery and National Portrait Gallery tell the story of European art, one masterpiece at a time.

Any Potterhead visiting London will surely want to go behind the scenes of the wizarding world at the Harry Potter Warner Bros. Studio Tour, located about 35 minutes outside of the city. You’ll be immersed in film sets, special effects and all the Potter trivia you can handle. Film yourself flying on a broom, wander through Diagon Alley, and let your wand choose you in the gift shop.

Why restrict your travel to London? A 50-minute train ride will whisk you to the lively seaside town of Brighton. Grab a bag of fish and chips and promenade along Brighton Palace Pier. In town, you’ll find eclectic shopping in The Lanes and a raucous party scene that’s popular with the LGBTQ+ community.