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Save 27% Off Tickets with this fantastic combo offer. Use Big Bus London to hop off at both Sea Life London (Stop 7 on the Blue or Red Route) & Tower Bridge (Stop 11 on the Blue or Red Route)! Sea Life London Aquarium Inclusions Priority Entrance to SEA LIFE London Aquarium View Thousands of Marine Creatures in Themed Settings See one of the World’s Biggest Collection of Cownose Rays Walk Through the Glass Tunnel Tropical Walkway and the Nerve Testing Shark Walk Family Friendly Attraction with Interactive Features and Feeding Talks Visit the Monster of Claws - The Japanese Spider Crab Sea Dragon Kingdom Big Bus London Tour - Classic Ticket You can hop on and off the The Big Bus at many places of interest, to explore or visit attractions. Buses run at regular 10-20 minute intervals, so rejoining the tour is easy. Your ticket also includes a boat cruise on the River Thames, the option to join up to four guided walks and Big Bus Tours & exclusive Reward Vouchers, giving you excellent discounts at London attractions, shops and restaurants. Tour Highlights: • Buckingham Palace. • The Tower of London. • Big Ben. • Houses of Parliament. • London Eye. • Tower Bridge. • Westminster Abbey. • St. Paul's Cathedral. • Trafalgar Square. • British Museum. • Harrods. •...and more Languages: The Big Bus tour gives you a choice of either recorded commentary in eight languages on the Blue Route, or live English commentary provided by a professional Big Bus guide on the Red Route. The Blue Route offers recorded commentary in English, French, Spanish, German, Italian, Russian, Chinese and Portuguese. Departure Points and Times: You can start your tour at any tour stop. The most popular start points are Baker Street Station, Green Park Station, Marble Arch, Victoria Station and Trafalgar Square. Tours operate every day of the year except the 25th December. 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: Tower Bridge Unveils New GLASS FLOOR Across High-Level Walkways Launched in the West Walkway today, the glass floor offers visitors a never-seen-before view of London life, from 42 metres above the River Thames. Look down to spy road and pedestrian life whizzing over the Bridge while river vessels sail under it – and plan your visit in advance for the truly magical experience of the bascules being raised beneath your feet. The glass floor measures 11 metres long by 1.8 metres wide and comprises of six panels weighing 530 kilograms each. It is made up of five thick layers and can hold the equivalent weight of an elephant and two taxis! The installation took a 20-strong team to construct it over a six week period. The Walkways also offer stunning panoramic views of London while each of the 20 bridges featured in our popular and refreshed 'New Great Bridges of the World' display showcase a breath-taking feat of engineering. After learning about the history of the Bridge through animations and displays in the Towers, continue to the Victorian Engine Rooms for the beautifully maintained steam engines that were once used to power the bridge lifts. 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. 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 TowerBridgeTthroughout its lifetime – including a revealing picture of the heavy steel structure of the Bridge as the stone cladding was installed over it.
The View from The Shard + Royal Observatory Greenwich - special offer Ticket Includes: Entry ticket to Royal Observatory in Greenwich Entry ticket to The View from The Shard Instant ticket delivery; simply print your vouchers and show at the attractions' ticket desks. The View from The Shard Highlights: Experience London's highest viewing platform standing at 310 metres high - the highest in Western Europe. Informative digital telescopes taking you through the Capital's past, present and future. Unlimited dwell time - enjoy the views in your own time! Remarkable lift speeds of 6 metres per second to reach our views. Free multimedia guides featuring 11 different languages. PLEASE NOTE: Failure to present the voucher at The Shard will result in you being denied entry. Children must be accompanied by an adult. Royal Observatory in Greenwich Home of Greenwich Mean Time (GMT), the Prime Meridian of the world and London’s Planetarium. Highlights & inclusions: Stand one foot in the East, one foot in the West Grab an iconic selfie Discover the remarkable story behind Greenwich Mean Time (GMT). admission to the Meridian Line and Historic Royal Observatory admission to the Time Galleries and Great Equatorial Telescope audio guide
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.
Depart Edinburgh 09.15 and travel northwest through the historic area of Linlithgowshire, close to the historic palace. The tragic Mary Queen of Scots was born at Linlithgow palace, and became Queen when she was only 6 days old. According to legend her father James V died of a broken heart when he discovered his wife had given birth to a daughter and not the son he was hoping for! Your route along the Forth Valley is one which has been used for thousands of years by invading armies, it was the northernmost frontier of the Roman empire and was later used by the English King Edward I as he marched proudly towards Stirling (only to be sent homewards to think again!). Nowadays it’s at the centre of one of Scotland’s most important industries with huge oil refineries dominating the area. As you approach Stirling the magnificent castle dominates your view and you make your way up towards the high volcanic rock where it imposes itself upon the surrounding land. Known as the ‘Key to Scotland’, for centuries this was the most important castle in Scotland and the views from the top make it easy to see why. To the north is the 220ft high tower of the National Wallace Monument commemorating Scotland’s great hero William Wallace, played by Mel Gibson in the Oscar-winning movie Braveheart. From the castle you can look down over the scene of Wallace’s greatest triumph, the battle of Stirling Bridge, where he defeated the English army in 1297. To the south is Bannockburn where, in 1314, the great Scottish warrior-king Robert the Bruce defeated the English army of Edward II. The battle was fought for possession of Stirling Castle but eventually led to a far greater prize for Scotland – the restoration of independence. It’s an area alive with history and you stop at the castle to give you time to soak up the history and heritage of this great site. From Stirling you head into the Highlands and an area known as the Trossachs. Known as ‘The Highlands in Miniature’, it marks the point where the Lowlands meet the Highlands and entering this beautifully picturesque area feels like going into a different country. With its shimmering lochs, rugged mountain tops and forest-filled glens it’s easy to forget that this was once thought of as a dangerous frontier fought over by the fiercely territorial Highland clans. You stop here for lunch in the village of Aberfoyle, made popular in Victorian times due to its great location. After lunch you ‘take the high road’ or back-road to Loch Lomond, Scotland’s largest lochs at over 22 miles long, passing Lochs Ard, Chon and Arklet along the way as you travel through the protected lands of Scotland’s first National Park. The route you take was described by the famous Scots comedian Billy Connolly as his favourite road in Scotland, and you can discover why – it’s stunning!! You stop at Inversnaid on the secluded north-east of the loch, making it the perfect place to enjoy a walk along the ‘bonny banks’, up to a viewpoint for a fantastic view of the loch and the mountain it’s named after, Ben Lomond. This tranquil setting was once the home of Scotland’s famous highland folk hero, Rob Roy MacGregor. Made popular by many books and films Rob Roy lived an incredible life as a soldier, businessman, cattle-rustler and outlaw. By spending time on the trails by the loch you will undoubtedly be walking in the footsteps of one of Scotland’s great legends. There is also an alternative option to take a boat cruise around the north of the loch (Summer only) or merely enjoy a drink at the local hotel and sample the views. Leaving Loch Lomond you return to Edinburgh passing Scotland’s only lake – the Lake of Mentieth (although we have around 3000 freshwater lochs!). The legend states that after William Wallace was betrayed by his great friend the Earl of Mentieth and executed in London the name was changed from the Loch of Mentieth to the Lake of Mentieth so that nobody would ever forget the traitorous part the Earl played in his death.
See all the major sights of London in all their glory by night: • Houses of Parliment • Piccadilly Circus • The London Eye • Trafalger Square • St. Paul's Cathedral • Westminster Abbey • Tower Bridge • Tower of London • Big Ben To see the majestic Tower of London and Tower Bridge highlighted together as our open top tour bus approaches is a picture post card in the making. The huge clock face of Big Ben shines brightly like a beacon from a lighthouse letting everyone know that they really are in London. The fountains in Trafalgar Square dance with joy from the light that shines from within them. The neon lights in Piccadilly reminds you of New Years Day and when you see the lights all around Harrods, well, it’s Christmas all over again. When you see the London Eye and the Houses of Parliament, then you realize why we called ourselves ‘See London By Night’
Looking for things to do in London? The Classic Tour is the finest way to experience the whole city in one journey. Departing four times a day from outside the Grand Hotel, opposite Sherlock Holmes pub on Northumberland Avenue off Trafalgar Square. This London sightseeing tour lasts approximately 1 hour and 15 minutes (depending on traffic), and you will be dropped off again at our stop on Northumberland Avenue. Timetable 7 days a week at 12:05, 13:40
