The Monument

In central London, right next to Monument station is The Monument.  If you are physically able and fancy a bit of exercise, you can climb the 311 spiral steps to the viewing area and get a really good view of the city of London and the river for the very small price of £3 (or £6.50 for a joint ticket with Tower Bridge).  It is nowhere near as high as the Shard, but it is an absolute bargin if you ask me, and when you get back down you even get a certificate to say you've done it.

The Monument is open from 9.30am - 5.30pm daily with the last admission being 5pm.

The Monument

View from the bottom of the steps
- looks a long way up, right?

The text reads:

The Monument

This Monument, designed by Sir Christopher Wren, was built to commemorate the Great Fire of London 1666.  Which burned for three days consuming more than 13,000 houses and devastating 436 acres of the city.  The Monument is 202ft in height.  Being equal to the distance westward from the bakehouse in Pudding Lane where the fire broke out.  It took six years to construct 1677.  The balcony is reached by a spiral stairway of 311 steps and affords panoramic views of the metropolis.  A superstructure rises from the balcony and supports a copper vase of flames.

The allegorical sculpture on the pedestal above was executed by Caius Gabriel Cibber.

View towards Tower Bridge and Canary Wharf

View towards the South and Battersea

Globe Theatre Exhibition and Tour

There are a couple of different ways to visit the Globe Theatre, located in this round, rustic looking building on the south bank.  If you want to know about the history behind Shakespeare's Globe and the theatre itself, the best way is to visit the Exhibition and Tour.  The other way is to really experience it for yourself, by booking to see a show.

Shakespeare's Globe and Exhibition

The exhibition is a self guided walk around part of the building attached to the Globe.  It contains much reading material and information about the historic past of the theatre.  It also contains some of the costumes, and you are able to take your time looking at your own pace.  Subject to there being no performance on, you can also take a guided tour around the theatre itself, and I would highly recommend doing this.  (Best to check whether the tours are running by checking first).  

This is a timed ticket, so you'll book and join a particular tour and then can look round the exhibition before or after.  The guide stops at various points inside the theatre so you can get a feel for how it would have been to be able to sit in the nicer seats or to be standing in front of the stage where the cheap tickets are.

View of the stage from one of the best seats

Since the Globe is an open air theatre, be prepared to get wet if the weather is bad :)

Ceiling in the theatre

Alternatively, when the season is running (check the website for details, the season runs from spring to autumn), it is possible to book tickets to go and see a show.  Watch out also for special deals, there have occasionally been tickets available for as little as £5 in the standing area, and there are a range of productions, from the expected Shakespeare plays to a few selected more modern ones.

View of the theatre from the inside

You'll also find there is a shop and a restaurant attached to the Globe theatre (but plenty of places to eat closeby as well).

Find out more about visiting by going to the official website.