London wears its thousand years of history in plain sight, and the grandest way to feel it is to walk the spine of the city, from the royal and political heart of Westminster all the way east to the ancient fortress that has guarded the river since the Normans. If you are planning a walking tour in the United Kingdom, this London self guided walking tour links the greatest landmarks of the capital in one continuous line, from the abbey where kings are crowned past the seat of Parliament, through the city's grandest square and liveliest market, to the great cathedral and the medieval Tower. It is a long, rewarding walk through the pageantry of a capital that has shaped the world.

Before you set off, a few practical notes. This walk covers about six kilometers and takes around two and a half hours of steady walking, longer with stops, and it is essentially flat on paved streets and riverside paths. Wear comfortable shoes and, this being London, carry something for the weather, which can turn in minutes. Late morning is a good start, giving you time to reach the Tower before the afternoon fades. If you are following along by audio, keep your eyes up on the grand buildings and the river, take real care at the busy crossings, mind the traffic which drives on the left, and pause whenever a landmark or a view invites you to slow down.

Westminster Abbey

You begin at Westminster Abbey, the great Gothic church that has been the stage for royal coronations, weddings and funerals for nearly a thousand years, its twin towers and soaring pointed windows rising in intricate pale stone. Stand back in the small square before it and take in the sheer height and delicacy of the facade, every surface carved and pinnacled. Within lie the tombs of kings and queens, poets and scientists, a roll call of the nation's history, though even from outside the building radiates deep significance. Beside it stands a smaller, older church and the quiet precincts of the abbey. This is the sacred heart of royal London. Take in the grandeur and the weight of history. Then walk the short distance toward the river, where a familiar clock tower and a long ornate palace rise ahead, one of the most recognizable sights in the world.

Houses of Parliament

The Houses of Parliament, officially the Palace of Westminster, stretch along the river in a magnificent riot of Gothic Revival stone, pinnacles and towers, crowned at one end by the great clock tower that everyone knows as Big Ben. Walk out to the square and the riverside to take in the enormous facade, its hundreds of windows and spires reflected in the water, and listen for the deep, famous chimes of the bell marking the hour. This is the seat of British democracy, where laws have been debated for centuries, rebuilt in grand style after a great fire. A statue of a wartime leader and others stand in the green square beside it. Cross to the bridge for the classic view if you wish. Take in the pageantry of the palace and its clock. Then turn north and walk up the broad ceremonial avenue lined with government buildings, the corridor of British power.

Whitehall

Whitehall is the grand, wide avenue that runs north from Parliament, lined with imposing government buildings and monuments, the very center of the machinery of the British state. As you walk up it, you pass the guarded gates of the prime minister's famous residence, glimpsed down a side street, and the mounted guards of the Household Cavalry sitting motionless on their horses outside their headquarters, a favorite for photographs. In the middle of the avenue stands a stark stone war memorial, the nation's focus for remembrance, often laid with wreaths of red poppies. The buildings here are solid, powerful and official, radiating centuries of authority. Walk up the avenue past the guards and the monuments. At its northern end, the street opens dramatically into one of the most famous public squares in the world, watched over by a towering column.