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Royal Albert Hall - Grand Tour Did you know? There are 13,000 “A”s for Albert around Hall The Hall is home to the world's largest single woven carpet design, made of 326,666 sheep fleeces and 49 million tufts getting it into the Guinness World Records The world’s biggest Christmas pudding was made at the Hall and weighed ten tonnes The first ever body-building contest and Sumo wrestling tournament outside Japan took place in the main auditorium The Elgar Room used to be home to the Central School of Speech & Drama, giving a stage to names including Sir Lawrence Olivier and Dame Judy Dench 5,500 bottles of champagne and 1,800 bottles of gin are drunk at the Hall every year Afternoon Tea was introduced to Britain by Queen Victoria. The first tea party was held at the Hall in 1912. The tradition continues today in the Hall's Verdi Restaurant The Royal Albert Hall Grand Tour is fully accessible. Some time slots and/or dates are unavailable due to events taking place in the auditorium. The Royal Albert Hall was built to fulfil the vision of Prince Albert (Queen Victoria's consort) of a 'Central Hall' that would be used to promote understanding and appreciation of the Arts and Sciences and would stand at the heart of the South Kensington estate, surrounded by museums and places of learning. The Hall is a Grade I Listed building; and has been in continuous use since it was opened in March 1871. It was always conceived as a multipurpose building to host not only concerts of music but exhibitions, public meetings, scientific conversations and award ceremonies. It is a registered charity held in trust for the nation and is financially self sufficient, receiving no funding from central or local government. Kensington Palace and the Diana Exhibition Kensington Palace unveils a palace of secret stories and public lives. Visitors arrive through beautiful landscaped gardens evoking a past when Kensington was countryside. From the entrance hall start your journey through the magnificent Kings and Queen’s State Apartments. Filled with stories of two royal courts; the Stuarts and the Hanoverians, learn what you would have worn, how you should behave and how to succeed in the heady atmosphere of the palace state apartments. The Queen's State Apartments Explore these intimate, private rooms created for Queen Mary II, who ruled jointly with her husband, King William III, in the 17th century. The Queen’s rooms The Queen's Staircase, little changed since its construction in 1690, is deliberately plainer than the King's. Mary would have glided down its steps to reach her beloved gardens, created in the Dutch style, through the door at its foot. Diana: Her Fashion Story ‘Diana: Her Fashion Story’ will trace the evolution of the Princess’s style, from the demure, romantic outfits of her first public appearances, to the glamour, elegance and confidence of her later life. From her earliest royal engagements, everything Diana wore was closely scrutinised, and the exhibition will explore how she navigated her unique position in the public eye: learning to use her image to engage and inspire people, and to champion the causes she cared about. Discover exquisite and celebrated outfits from throughout the Princess’s public life. The exhibition will bring together an extraordinary collection of garments, ranging from the glamorous evening gowns worn on engagements in the 1980s, to the chic Catherine Walker suits that made up Diana’s ‘working wardrobe’ in the 1990s. The Princess’s relationship with her favourite designers will be explored through a display of some of their original fashion sketches, created for her during the design process. Exhibition highlights will include the pale pink Emanuel blouse worn for Diana’s engagement portrait by Lord Snowdon in 1981, and Victor Edelstein’s iconic ink blue velvet gown, famously worn at the White House when the Princess danced with John Travolta. A blue tartan Emanuel suit, worn for an official visit to Venice in the 1980s, will go on display in public for the first time. The suit, a rare survival of the Princess’s daywear, was only recently rediscovered and acquired by Historic Royal Palaces – the charity responsible for Kensington Palace - at auction. * Please note, this exhibit is due to be very popular, queues are to be expected.
Shakespeare's Globe Exhibition is the world's largest exhibition devoted to Shakespeare and the London in which he lived and worked. Housed beneath the reconstructed Globe Theatre on London's Bankside, the exhibition explores the remarkable story of the Globe, and brings Shakespeare's world to life using a range of interactive displays and live demonstrations. Visitors to the exhibition can discover how shows were produced in the theatres of Shakespeare's time, from writing and rehearsals to music, dance and performance. There are opportunities to learn about the traditional crafts and techniques used during the process of rebuilding the Globe; to find out how special effects were produced in Shakespeare's time, to listen to recordings from some of the most memorable Shakespearean performances ever, or join the cast and add your own voice to a scene recorded by Globe actors; to create your own Shakespearean phrases in the word jungle; to watch a sword-fighting display and browse the costume collection, where you can learn about the extraordinary methods used in creating clothes 400 years ago. A visit to the Exhibition includes a guided tour of the theatre where expert guide-storytellers provide fascinating half hour tours of the auditorium, taking visitors on a journey through time back to Elizabethan London as well as the reconstruction process of the 1980's-90's and how the wooden 'o' works today as an imaginative and experimental theatrical space. An exhibition visit and theatre tour lasts about one and a half hours. Information sheets are available in English, large print, German, French, Dutch, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, Russian, Polish, Romanian, Chinese and Japanese. NB: There is no access to the theatre during matinee performances. Visitors will be taken to the nearby archaeological site of the Rose Theatre, Bankside's first playhouse. Tower Bridge Exhibition Over 100 years ago, the Victorians built a bridge that has become one of London's most famous landmarks. High level walkways were built to allow people to cross the Thames whilst the Bridge was lifted to let tall ships sail past - Tower Bridge Today these Walkways act as viewing galleries, giving visitors the most spectacular views across an ever changing London skyline. Walkways & Exhibition: Visitors enter Tower Bridge Exhibition via the North Tower. They are then transported by lift to the top of the Tower (47 metres above the Thames) where they have a unique opportunity to see the Bridge’s steel skeleton from within. A short film explains the history and provenance of the Bridge and then there is the chance to admire the spectacular views – from both covered Walkways. Together with far-reaching views of East London, the walkway will be bolstered with a further 20 revered bridges in the extended popular display, ‘Great Bridges of the World’. On the east Walkway there are fantastic views of the Docklands and from the west Walkway you can see the new GLA building, the Tower of London, St Paul’s, the city, the Pool of London and Big Ben and the London Eye in the distance. Interactive computerised kiosks and graphic panels explain the significance of the views to visitors, as well as providing more information on the history and building of the Bridge. The interactive material and graphic panels are written in seven languages and an audio loop for the hard of hearing is also in place for the video show. There is another film to view in the South Tower before descending for the short walk to the historical Engine Rooms, included in your ticket price. Victorian Engine Rooms: These provide a fascinating insight into late 19th century engineering. Installed for the completion of Tower Bridge in 1894, these huge, and beautifully maintained, coal-driven engines were used to power the thousands of bascule Bridge lifts performed until 1976. Although lifts are now operated by electricity, the original steam engines are still in place. The Engine Rooms give visitors a chance to experiment with models demonstrating the technology behind the Bridge. There are also some amazing photographs of Tower BridgeTthroughout its lifetime – including a revealing picture of the heavy steel structure of the Bridge as the stone cladding was installed over it.
City Sightseeing Hop-on Hop Off Do your shopping at Bus Stop 1, Tauentzienstrasse, the major commercial street in Berlin, or hop-off at Bus Stop 2, the KaDeWe department store. Or if you like to have it all in one single place, hop-off at Bus Stop 8 to visit the 5-stories Shopping Mall Alexa. As you go, enjoy the view of the Potsdamer Platz public square from our exclusive double-deckers. Feel the history at Bus Stop 4, The Wall, a special place that changed the history of Germany. Bus Stop 6 takes you to The Gendarmenmarkt, an architectural hot spot including the Konzerthaus and the French and German Churches. In the centre of the square stands a monumental statue of Germany's renowned poet Friedrich Schiller. As you pass by Bus Stop 9, enjoy the view of the TV Tower or the Red City Hall. Just follow the whole route and whenever you spot something you would like to explore further, just hop-off! Whenever you are ready, just wait for the next bus and hop back on. No need to deal with complicated (and expensive) public transport system. With City Sightseeing Traditional Tour Route, you get to visit all Berlin's hot spots! Add entrance tickets to the main attractions and your trip will be complete: Legoland Discovery Centre, the Berlin Dungeon, Madam Tussauds Museum or the Sea Life Centre. Get your ticket today and start planning your stay. Book your ticket online today and start planning your trip to Berlin! Berlin SEA LIFE Aquarium The AquaDom & SEA LIFE Berlin gives you exciting insights into the wonderful world of oceans in a unique way. From the source of the Spree River to the depths of the Atlantic and finally to the colorful world of the Tropics. Discover a fascinating array of seahorses, rays and other sea creatures. Our experts take you on a journey through the underwater world and create an unforgettable experience with background information, entertaining lectures and daily feedings. Jurassic Seas – Explore the primeval times Discover a spectacular skeleton of a plesiosaur and some of the world’s best marine fossils from extinct primeval creatures. You are exploring still living creatures like horse shoe crabs, nautilus and other primeval dwellers. Find out how the sea dinosaurs lived with our interactive video wall. More than 5,000 dazzling creatures in 35 lifelike designed displays on 1.500 sqm Get close views of humble starfish to gracious seahorses, fascinating rays and elegant sharks A breathtaking ride through the AquaDom tank in a glass elevator with 1 million litres of water and 1500 stunning fish! Walk through Neptun’s mirror maze Interactive Rockpool: Hold crabs shells & see starfish Daily feeding demonstrations & talks
Thames River Red Rover Hopper Pass With the River Red Rover ticket you travel in luxury on a fleet of river liners and may hop on or off at any of the piers as often as you like throughout the day. As the River Thames weaves its way through the heart of London there is history around every bend and there is no better way to see and experience the sights and splendour of this great city than from one of City Cruises modern, wheelchair-friendly RiverLiners™. Enjoy unsurpassed views of some of London's most famous landmarks from the vantage point of our open upper decks and spacious lower saloons with panoramic windows. Take advantage of two bars providing light refreshments and snacks. Cruises depart frequently from Westminster Pier, Waterloo (London Eye) Pier, Tower Pier and Greenwich Pier every day of the year except Christmas Day (25th December). Our shortest trips between piers last about 20-30 minutes while the full round trip takes about two-and-a-half leisurely hours.
Enjoy a London lunch venue with a difference with City Cruises on their lunchtime cruises on the Thames. Enjoy a delicious two course lunch including tea or coffee against a backdrop of world famous sights such as the House of Parliament, Tower Bridge and the sparkling new ‘Shard’. A bar is available throughout offering a wide choice of soft and alcoholic drinks, while a live commentary will allow you to learn something new if you desire. Cruises last one hour and forty five minutes which gives you plenty of time to enjoy both the view and the company. Menu Thyme, Rosemary and Lemon Roasted Supreme of Chicken with Creamy Leek, Tarragon and Mushroom Sauce served with Dauphinoise Potato Thyme, Rosemary and Lemon Roasted Supreme of Chicken with Creamy Leek, Tarragon and Mushroom Sauce served with Dauphinoise Potato and Seasonal Vegetables ~ White, Dark and Milk Chocolate Truffle Cake with Raspberry Sauce ~ Tea or Coffee Vegetarian Menu* Homemade Hot Pot of Roast Pumpkin, Wild Mushrooms, Aubergine, Spinach in a rich Tomato Sauce and Basil Pesto, crust served with Dauphinoise Potato and Seasonal Vegetables ~ White, Dark and Milk Chocolate Truffle Cake with Raspberry Sauce ~ Tea or Coffee *Please contact us directly to pre-order the vegetarian menu. Please note the Vegetarian Menu MUST be pre-ordered before the day of sailing. 48 hours advance notice must be given. *Gluten free meals are also available. Please contact us directly as this MUST be pre-ordered before the day of sailing. 48 hours advance notice must be given.
Where to go? Mersey Ferries, Liverpool Pier Head Ferry Terminal, Georges Parade, L3 1DP (Same building as The Beatles Story Fab4D)