Brianna Barnes visits Britain's exciting capital city which seamlessly blends its rich and varied history with a modern day culture which is perpetually evolving into the London of today. Beginning her tour at the iconic Buckingham Palace, home to the Queen of England and various Royal Family members, we see the changing of the guards before heading over to Soho for a spot of afternoon tea above a traditional London pub. Next Brianna heads over to the National Gallery, home to over 2,000 paintings and one of Europe's finest collections of art. Day two and our roving host heads to the East End to check out the fashionable Spitalfields Market and try out a British favorite dish 'Bangers & Mash' served at the nearby S&M; café. Brianna next takes a tour of London's street art and checks out some of the modern-day masterpieces by famous British street-artist Banksy and his contemporaries before heading to the Town Hall hotel in Bethnal Green which has stood since Edwardian times and boasts luxury suites costing up to £2,500 ($3,900) a night. Beginning the following day with breakfast at the famous Ritz Hotel, Brianna heads out into Mayfair to check out some of London's finest retail establishments such as Berry bros wine shop, Lobb the bootmakers, and Lock Hatters - the oldest hat-makers in London. They all have royal warrants due to their popularity with the royal family. Moving on to Covent Garden we take a look inside the London Transport Museum - home to over 370,000 objects concerning urban transport and London's wealth of transportation history. Using one of the oldest, and one of the most popular ways to get around London, Brianna takes the number 15 heritage bus through some top locations in central London. She also jumps on a bicycle and heads along the canal from Regent's Park all the way to the Olympic Stadium via Camden Lock. Taking advantage of the wealth of transportation links in and out of London, Brianna heads out on a day trip by rail to one of the many historic towns which sit less than an hour's ride away. The following day Brianna takes a day-trip to Oxford, home to one of the most famous Universities in the world, and takes a tour of the largest of all the Oxford colleges Christchurch, with its awe inspiring architecture and beautiful surroundings. After checking out the markets and ascending to the top of Carfax Tower, we check out the most traditional way to see Oxford, via a punt and find out just how easy punting along the river is. Back in London, and back on the river Thames, we check out Lambeth Palace opposite the Houses of Parliament and the Garden Museum next to it before speeding off down the river on a boat to Greenwich to check out the Royal Naval College, Queen's House, and the Royal Observatory. We then head over to the Tate Modern, a magnificent converted power station housing contemporary exhibitions of art dating from 1900 to today. After a day trip spent in Buckinghamshire visiting Cliveden House -- a stately home which sits on the Thames, we take a trip to the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew, home to the biggest botanical collection in the world before checking out the delights of 1,000 hectare area Richmond Park via horseback before rounding off the day in the Victoria Inn, famous for being the smallest pub in Richmond. In her final day in London, Brianna rounds off the trip with a visit to the annual Thames Festival and hires one of the hundreds of rental bikes available to check out the festivities which include a feast on Southwark bridge, carnival style dancing, and a night time firework display.

• published: 12 Aug 2014
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