London walks: from Victoria Station to the Tower of London

One of the great things about London is the large number of world-class landmarks that are within reasonably close proximity to one another.  This article describes a long walk that I took through the city back in 2008.  It's a long enough hike (about 5 miles) that most people wouldn't want to do all of it in a single go, but it can be done in sections, or you can "cheat" and take the tube.

I started at Victoria Station (see map).

We'll head on to Buckingham Palace in a minute, but first it seems advisable to stop in for some refreshment at a local pub.

Ah, that's better.   After a couple of pints, we can head off to see the Queen's house.  A short walk brings us to the famous Buckingham Palace.

It's a very scenic walk through St. James Park

to Horse Guards Parade in Westminster, near 10 Downing Street and the Churchill Museum and Cabinet War Rooms, which I recommend quite highly for anyone who has the slightest interest in World War II.

From here, it's a short walk to Trafalgar Square, which you'll recognize instantly when you see Nelson's Column.

Visble behind Nelson's Column is the National Gallery.

It's a short walk up Oxford Street from Trafalgar Square to Piccadilly Circus (here's a panoramic look at this famous intersection)

and it's also not far from the world-renowned British Museum

We've wandered off our track a bit, and it's made me a bit thirsty, so time to stop in for a pint, and perhaps a steak and mushroom pie at the Sherlock Holmes Pub on Whitehall Street

I'm quite fond of the Sherlock Holmes pub, as my first impressions of London when I was a child were from reading Conan Doyle's marvelous stories.  You can actually see Sherlock's wax statue with a bullet hole through the forehead where it was shot with an air rifle by Prof. Moriarty's henchman, Col. Sebastian Moran.

Now suitably fortified after a visit to the pub, we'll get back on track towards the Tower of London in a minute, but first we've got to pop a block or two down to the end of Whitehall Street and look across the Thames at the London Eye.

Well, we could sit out here all day, but it's time to get back on track... returning a few short blocks up Whitehall Street to Trafalgar Square, we'll take a right turn and head down The Strand past Charing Cross Station and then proceed to my favorite place to stay in London,  the famous Savoy Hotel.

If we hadn't just stopped at the pub, we would have stopped at the American Bar at the Savoy for gin martinis, but we've got places to go, so we'll push on past Covent Garden, Leicester Square, and the theatre district towards the Old City of London, where The Strand changes its name to Fleet Street.

Proceeding past the Royal Courts of Justice,

we'll continue through England's financial capital up Ludgate Hill, to the iconic St. Paul's Cathedral, with its statue of Queen Anne out in front.

Pressing on toward our destination, we'll proceed down Threadneedle Street until we reach "the Gherkin".

and then turn right and head down Tower Hill at long last to the Tower of London.

Since we're here we might as well stop in for a look at the Crown Jewels, which means the Queen's Guard must be nearby.

After gazing upon the riches of the British Empire, we'll exit the tower on the river side and have a look at Tower Bridge.

You can get an idea of where we've been on the map below.

As it's been quite a long walk, we'll hop the tube back to Victoria Station,

or perhaps we'll stop and catch a play in Covent Garden or Leicester Square, or check out the nightlife around Piccadilly.  Please mind the gap when boarding the train.