Things to Do in St. James's, London St. James's in London is home to Buckingham Palace, where visitors can tour state rooms or see the changing of the guard. Nearby Trafalgar Square features Nelson's Column, LED-lit fountains, and lion statues, with theaters, pubs, and cocktail bars in the area.
Plan St. James's Plan your St. James's trip Free · and No sign-up By TripSapien · Updated August 25, 2026
Home / Things to do in London / Neighborhoods / St. James's Already have an AI-made London itinerary?
Paste the plan into TripSapien to check its stops against your destination and travel dates. Free — no ads, no sign-up.
Validate my AI itinerary Top things to do in St. James's
Trafalgar Square ★ 4.6 · 139.8k★
Nelson's Column rises above this iconic square's LED-lit fountains, artworks and lion statues.
Westminster Abbey ★ 4.6 · 51.9k★
Protestant abbey hosting daily services and every English and British coronation since 1066.
Mon–Fri 9:30 AM – 4 PM
Sat 9:30 AM – 4 PM
Sun Closed
Buckingham Palace ★ 4.5 · 194.4k★
Visitors can tour the palace's opulent private and state rooms or watch the changing of the guard.
Every day 9:30 AM – 7:30 PM
Big Ben ★ 4.6 · 99.5k★
16-storey Gothic clocktower and national symbol at the Eastern end of the Houses of Parliament.
Fortnum & Mason ★ 4.6 · 25.0k★
18th-century department store known for its gourmet groceries including tea and posh preserves.
Mon–Fri 10 AM – 8 PM
Sat 10 AM – 8 PM
Sun 12 PM – 6 PM
National Portrait Gallery ★ 4.7 · 15.7k★
Paintings and photographs of aristocratic and famous figures throughout British history.
Mon–Thu 10:30 AM – 6 PM
Fri 10:30 AM – 9 PM
Sat 10:30 AM – 9 PM
Sun 10:30 AM – 6 PM
The National Gallery ★ 4.8 · 62.4k★
Trafalgar Square art museum whose masterworks trace the development of Western European painting.
Mon–Thu 10 AM – 7 PM
Fri 10 AM – 9 PM
Sat 10 AM – 7 PM
Sun 10 AM – 7 PM
Piccadilly Circus ★
Buzzing Theatre-district square with giant neon signs & the 19th-c. Shaftesbury Memorial Fountain.
Palace of Westminster ★ 4.7 · 5.8k★
Neo-Gothic masterpiece & seat of the UK government. Guided tours on Saturdays & in the summer.
Somerset House ★ 4.4 · 2.2k★
Neoclassical riverside palace hosting courtyard events, a winter ice rink and the Courtauld Gallery.
Every day 8 AM – 11 PM
House of Commons ★ 4.4 · 262★
Charles Barry and Augustus Pugin rebuilt the Palace of Westminster after the 1834 fire, with Elizabeth Tower and Big Ben facing Westminster Bridge. The exterior works best from Parliament Square or the South Bank.
Every day 12 AM – 12 AM
The State Rooms ★ 4.7 · 1.9k★
Grand, 19th-century, state reception chambers, including the palace throne room.
Every day 9:30 AM – 7:30 PM
Hunterian Museum ★ 4.8 · 2.1k★
Grisly history of surgery and medicine with gruesome instruments and preserved specimens.
Mon Closed
Tue–Fri 10 AM – 5 PM
Sat 10 AM – 5 PM
Sun Closed
Westminster Abbey Museum ★
former museum at Westminster Abbey, London, England
St Martin-in-the-Fields ★ 4.6 · 4.5k
Elegant church with a cafe in the vaulted crypt and regular concerts and lunchtime music recitals.
Mon–Tue 8:30 AM – 5 PM
Wed 8:30 AM – 7:30 PM
Thu 8:30 AM – 5 PM
Fri 9 AM – 5 PM
Sat 9 AM – 5 PM
Sun 9 AM – 8 PM
St James's Palace ★ 4.5 · 3.8k
Striking 16th-century palace, housing royal apartments and offices. Setting for Trooping The Colour.
Planning time in St. James's?
Add your dates and we'll check every place for closures, limited hours, and booking needs before you go.
Pick your dates St. James's in 360°
Drag or use the arrow keys to look around. Use the plus and minus keys or the zoom buttons to zoom.
360 Explore in 360° St. James's map Ranked using weather, setting, ratings, and review volume.
1 Trafalgar Square 2 Westminster Abbey 3 Buckingham Palace 4 Big Ben 5 Fortnum & Mason 6 National Portrait Gallery 7 The National Gallery 8 Piccadilly Circus 9 Palace of Westminster 10 Somerset House Ready to plan St. James's? Turn these St. James's picks into a day-by-day London plan, with every place checked for closures and booking needs on your dates.
Plan my London trip
