City of London Visitor Briefing
Public Transport, Shops, Restaurants, Visitor Facilities
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| Leadenhall Market City Of London |
The City of London as defined by the old city walls sits on the north side of the River Thames to the east of the area where most visitors go.
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| Hotels Around ... |
| Liverpool Street |
| Tower Of London |
| City Of London Hotel Map |
| Getting To City Of London |
| What To Expect |
| City Of London Pictures |
The heart of the City of London is now and always has been the commercial heart of London. The riverfront between the Tower of London and Blackfriars used to be the port of London. That has long vanished but the dense network of alleys and lanes behind the shore still remains, including the infamous Pudding Lane, starting place of the Fire Of London.
The history of the City of London is very interesting stretching back to the Roman times when the river was three times the width it now is.
The London Museum, north of St Paul's Cathedral at Barbican is recommended, (free admission) as it tells the story of London to the present day.
The central commercial area around Bank is quite atmospheric with much fine architecture and olde worlde pubs and half forgotten churches. During the week this area is throbbing with activity, at weekends its like a ghost town with most of the shops closed. There is little accommodation in this area.
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The Bank of England has a (free) museum that is interesting if you are half interested in money.
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| Liverpool Street Station Concourse |
Liverpool Street Station sits to the north of the district. For visitors it is most noteworthy as the terminus for the Stansted Express train to Stansted Airport. Apart for some accommodation around the Tower of London, most visitors will transfer immediately to points further west.
Otherwise, Liverpool Street and neighbouring Fenchurch Street is mainly for locals with lots of commuter services to North London, Essex and Anglia.
The station has all the facilities and shops you would expect of a major railway station. The left luggage facility is run by the Excess Baggage Company, who run the left luggage facilities at all of London's railway stations.
Because of the station the area around Liverpool Street stays open during the weekend. The neighbouring Petticoat Lane market is a draw on Sundays, but most people agree it is a shadow of what it was. Camden Market and Portobello Road markets are more of interest to the visitor nowadays
The main area of interest to the visitor is around the Tower of London. There are several large hotels in the area, but they are not budget hotels. This area, and the area on the opposite side of the river has been developed in the last couple of decades from an area of old dock warehouses to one of the nicest areas of London for visitors to relax.
Especially on the south side of the river there is a great riverside walk, atmospheric streets and a great choice of restaurants as well as a couple of shopping centres housed in restored buildings.
Shops and Services
In the City of London, everything is geared around the needs of the workforce, not visitors. There is a lot of pubs and sandwich shops. At weekends the place is dead like a ghost town.
The exception is down by the river, a very civilised place to linger and relax.
Public Transport & Visitor Attractions
Liverpool Street is a transport hub for getting around London. There are 4 underground lines and countless buses radiating out to all parts of Central London. Do read our detailed guide to London's buses, Underground and Travelcard (day passes for all of London's public transport).
There is also a bus station at Aldgate and many buses stream from the East End of London past Aldgate or the Tower of London to the West End. Normally you will not have to wait more than 3-4 minutes for a bus.
The Waterloo to Bank underground line is an oddity. It only runs during the week and is there to ferry workers from the commercial area to Waterloo, a major commuter station.
Self Guided City Of London Walk
We have a self guided short walk that although not long crams a lot into a short distance. Most people will find it difficult to complete in a single day.
The walk is a circular walk and visits all the main attractions plus a lot of hidden gems as well. Part of the delight of the City Of London is exploring your own hidden gem. Walking is by far the best way of getting to know the district
City Of London Self Guided Walk - More Details
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