Greenwich

Greenwich is where London measures itself against the world, home to the Prime Meridian and the Royal Observatory that fixed Greenwich Mean Time. The Cutty Sark, the last of the great tea clippers, still stands in dry dock near the river, and the whole area carries that sense of maritime history worn comfortably alongside everyday London life.

Most visitors base themselves close to the town centre, within easy reach of the river and the park. Options range from the Holiday Inn Express London Greenwich and ibis London Greenwich to the Premier Inn London Greenwich and Travelodge London Greenwich High Road, with Harlinger Lodge offering a smaller, more local alternative. None of it is far from the DLR or the river, so you can walk to most things worth seeing.

Greenwich Park itself is the obvious place to start, a proper royal park with sweeping views back over the Thames to Canary Wharf. Within it sits the Royal Observatory and its Planetarium, while the Royal Museum Greenwich covers the area's naval history in more depth. The Cutty Sark remains the standout single sight, and the IFS Cloud Cable Car adds a different way to take in the view, with the Greenwich Cable Car Treasure Trail giving families a reason to explore further. For something more active, Clip 'n Climb at The O2 and the self-guided Vintners Lanes route round out a visit nicely.

It suits a short stay well: a day for the park, the Observatory and the Cutty Sark, an evening spent working through the restaurants, and enough left over to wander the market streets and riverside without needing to rush.