This is iconic London: the Palace of Westminster with its distinctive Tower of Big Ben, set against the River Thames, and the nearby Gothic Westminster Abbey, site of coronations and the final resting place for not just members of the royal family, but some of the world's best and brightest. Every time I visit London, I make sure to walk past these buildings steeped in history. Unfortunately, while I have been able to visit parliaments in other parts of the world, including Canberra, Ottawa, Berlin, and even Edinburgh, I have yet to visit London at a time when I could take a tour of the Houses of Parliament in the Palace of Westminster. I hope to rectify this some day. I have made my pilgrimage to the magnificent Westminster Abbey next door, though, and it has a spectacular array of British history buried within its walls. Here lie notable royals, including James VI, Elizabeth I, Mary I, and Henry V. Here also are the graves of writers Charles Dickens, Rudyard Kipling, and Alfred, Lord Tennyson; the musician Georg Frederick Handel; the explorer David Livingstone; the abolitionist William Wilberforce; and scientists Charles Darwin, Sir Isaac Newton, and Sir John Herschel, amongst others. I have not seen the inside of Saint Margaret's Church, which is also inscribed in this World Heritage Site, but I plan to on my next visit to London. This World Heritage Site is essential London.

Logistics: The Palace of Westminster, Westminster Abbey, and Saint Margaret's Church can be reached by tube via the Westminster Station (Circle, District, or Jubilee lines); by bus (including routes 11, 12, 53, and 159); or by foot for those already in central London. The view from The London Eye is highly recommended.