Explore the City of London

Looking for a fun day out in London? Look no further than the City of London!

Also known as the Square Mile, it is London's oldest quarter. It has been a centre for settlement, trade, commerce and ceremony since the Roman period, and is the ancient core from which the rest of London developed.

There are a huge number of historic highlights you can still visit and explore in the City of London today. Discover some highlights below, or see a full list on the City of London website.

THE monument

The Monument to the Great Fire of London

A permanent reminder of the Great Fire of 1666, The Monument commemorates one of the most significant events in London’s history.

Standing on the piazza between Fish Street Hill and Monument Street, the 202ft column designed by Sir Christopher Wren and Dr Robert Hooke celebrates the City which rose from the ashes.

St Paul's Cathedral

Iconic spaces

The Square Mile is home to some of the City's most iconic landmarks. 

Explore London's castle, the Tower of London, a world heritage site which houses the Crown Jewels and many more fascinating attractions. 

With it's world-famous dome designed by Christopher Wren that dominates the London Skyline, St Paul's Cathedral is an architectural marvel. 

Nestled at the heart of the Barbican complex, a modern classic of brutalist architecture, the Barbican Centre is Europe's largest multi-arts centre. 

guildhall art gallery

The Guildhall

The Guildhall is the home to the City of London Corporation and is the centre of government in the City of London.

Visit the Guildhall Art Gallery - established in 1886 as 'a Collection of Art Treasures worthy of the capital city'. See works dating from 1670 to the present, including 17th-century portraits, Pre-Raphaelite masterpieces and a range of paintings documenting London's dramatic history.

Guildhall Library is a public reference library specialising in the history of London. This collection covers all aspects of life in London, past and present, its trade, people and buildings.

London Mithraeum - other city of London attractions

Roman London

Beneath the curious old pathways of the Square Mile lies a rich Roman history surviving 2,000 years of building, fires and bombings. 

Fancy a spa day? Discover the Billingsgate Roman House and Baths, the only Roman bathhouse you can visit in the City. 

Take a mystical trip to the London Mithraeum and explore the remains of the Roman Temple of Mithras.

Or try something more theatrical and take a trip to the capital's only Roman amphitheatre, located in Guildhall Yard. 

The Charterhouse

Historic houses and Museums

Delve into 450,000 years of London's history at the Museum of London.

Discover the history of our economy and how it effects us today at the Bank of England Museum.

A hidden gem and almshouse, the Charterhouse is open for tours of its medieval and Tudor history. 

Explore Keats House, the beautiful Regency villa where Romantic poet John Keats found inspiration, friendship and love.

Visit Dr Johnson's House where the writer lived and worked in the middle of the eighteenth century, compiling his great Dictionary of the English Language.