Things to do in Gravesend

No. 16 of Best Things to Do in England

Greenwich Park

8.4

London · 25.9 km from Gravesend

137 reviews

Greenwich Park is one of London's historic royal parks. Enclosed by Humphrey, Duke of Gloucester, in the 15th century, it is also a core component of the UNESCO World Heritage site "Maritime Greenwich". The park is situated on a hill on the south bank of the River Thames. From the hilltop, you can take in the modern skyline of Canary Wharf and the winding River Thames. A striking landmark in the park is the Royal Observatory Greenwich standing atop the hill—the birthplace of Greenwich Mean Time. In 1884, the Prime Meridian passing through this location was established as the global zero point for longitude, allowing visitors to stand on this line and straddle the Eastern and Western Hemispheres. The deer park on the hillside preserves the tradition of introducing deer herds dating back to the time of Henry VIII, and fallow deer foraging in the woods is a sight that has continued in the park for hundreds of years. The park also features ancient sweet chestnut trees aged approx. 360 years, as well as the historic Queen's Orchard. The park, along with the National Maritime Museum, theQueen's House, and the Cutty Sark sailing ship at the foot of the hill, forms a complete tour route for the core area.

London Eye

10

London · 34.6 km from Gravesend

3.2k reviews

Take a ride on the incredible 135-metre London Eye and enjoy a panoramic view of London's stunning skyline, packed with iconic landmarks including the Houses of Parliament, Big Ben, and more. Ride during the day, at night, at sunset, or at dusk—which will you choose? The London Eye has a total of 32 air-conditioned, fully enclosed cabins, each of which can accommodate approximately 25 people. It takes about half an hour to complete a full rotation. The cabins are equipped with explanations of various sights in London, which play when they rotate to the corresponding angle. In addition, touch-sensitive information panels are also available.

London · 31.8 km from Gravesend

Tower of London

9.3

4.7/5

1.1k reviews

The White Tower will present visitors with some of the Tower of London's most complex and challenging histories. Opening in 2027, this story-led interpretation - centres on the lives of Tower prisoners, Anne Boleyn, John Gerard, and Josef Jakobs and will be complemented by authentic artefacts associated with historic torture. The Tower of London stands majestically on the north bank of the Thames. It is a Norman fortress ordered by William the Conqueror in the 11th century and served as a royal palace, fortress, armory, mint, and prison for over 900 years. Queen Anne Boleyn was executed within its walls, and the future Elizabeth I was imprisoned here before her coronation. The unsolved mystery of the two young princes' disappearance in the "Bloody Tower" remains to this day. With its gripping royal history, it is an essential stop for understanding British history. · Savor the rich historical and cultural ambiance of the Tower of London, and listen to the legends and mysterious stories behind it. · Admire the exquisite royal jewelry, coronation crowns, and scepters in the Jewel House, and exploreWhite pagoda(the White Tower) houses world-renowned royal armory collections and treasures. · Don't miss the guided tour by the Yeoman Warders to learn about the tower's iconic thousand-year history. △The Tower of London is a castle that initially served as a royal palace, later taking on various roles such as a fortress, armory, execution ground, and prison. It was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1988. This site imprisoned high-profile prisoners like Elizabeth I and witnessed the execution of many nobles. △Tower of London'sThe treasure house displays the jewels, coronation crowns, scepters, swords and other treasures of the British royal family. Travelers slowly pass through on the automated walkway during the visit, while large screens above the glass display cases explain the history of these treasures and their role in coronation ceremonies. Pictured is the imperial crown containing 23,578 gemstones, which is exquisitely beautiful. △Get a close-up view of the exquisitely carved rare armor in the white pagoda and experience the time-honored royal culture. △In addition, you will see many ravens during your visit, some of which are kept by the government but have their wings clipped; it is said that as long as there are ravens in the Tower of London, England will not suffer invasion.

London · 35.5 km from Gravesend

The British Museum

10

4.8/5

3.7k reviews

The British Museum's collection spans artifacts from civilizations across the world, with a total of approx. 8 million items, covering regions including ancient Egypt, ancient Greece and Rome, Asia, the Middle East, Africa, and the Americas. The museum has approx. 60 permanent galleries, and the items on display represent only a very small fraction of the total collection, with its ancient Egyptian, ancient Greek and Roman, and Asian collections being particularly renowned. The south facade of the main building features an Ionic colonnade, and the main entrance is topped by a sculpted pediment. Entering through the main entrance leads into the Great Court, a public space designed by Norman Foster with a white color scheme, where the massive semi-transparent glass roof ensures ample natural light even on London's overcast days. The Great Court was originally part of the British Library; after the library relocated, it was converted into a covered plaza, and the court displays authentic sculptures including a stone statue from Easter Island. The Rosetta Stone bears a decree of an ancient Egyptian pharaoh inscribed in three scripts, serving as the key to deciphering ancient Egyptian civilization and ranking among the museum's most notable exhibits. The Elgin Marbles are sculptural fragments from the Parthenon, dating back over two thousand years, and are now displayed in Room 18. The Portland Vase is renowned for its dark blue glass and white cameo relief decoration, displayed in Room 70. The Tang dynasty copy of Admonitions of the Instructress to the Court Ladies survives with nine scenes and holds significant artistic and historical value, though it is not on permanent display. The Chinese collection is concentrated in Rooms 33, 33b, and 95, arranged chronologically by dynasty with artifacts ranging from Shang and Zhou bronzes to Ming and Qing porcelain, among which the Song dynasty Cizhou ware "circus pillow" and the Yuan dynasty blue-and-white dish with fish and aquatic plant design are particularly worth a closer look. The ancient Egyptian galleries are famous for their mummy exhibits and are among the most visited areas in the museum.

London · 31.7 km from Gravesend

Tower Bridge

8.9

4.7/5

2.4k reviews

·Ascend Tower Bridge and look out over the Tower of London, St. Paul's Cathedral, the Shard, and other buildings along the Thames, taking in London's iconic panorama. ·Step onto the 42 m high glass walkway in the sky and take in London life from a unique perspective. ·Explore the historic engine room, learn how the steam engines raise the bridge, and hear the stories of the workers who built it. Tower Bridge is one of London's landmark structures and a symbol of London. It is a bridge that combines a suspension structure with a bascule bridge; when a vessel passes on the Thames, the bridge deck slowly separates and folds upward, and after the vessel has passed, the deck slowly lowers to restore vehicle traffic. Tower Bridge is about 240 m long and has two levels. △Scenic Tower Bridge Explore the amazing glass walkways of Tower Bridge in London and discover the 13 million rivets that hold this landmark together. This walkway connects the North Tower and the South Tower, offering stunning panoramic views of London from east to west from 42 m above the Thames. △Thrilling glass skywalk △The spectacular moment when Tower Bridge is raised

2026 Europe 50 - Best Things to Do

St. Paul's Cathedral

9.2

4.7/5

984 reviews

St. Paul's Cathedral is one of London's iconic landmarks, designed and rebuilt by Sir Christopher Wren after the Great Fire of London in 1666, and completed in 1710. A church has stood on this site since 604 AD, and the current building is over 300 years old. It is a masterpiece of English Baroque architecture and a venue for major national ceremonies in the United Kingdom—from the state funerals of Lord Nelson, the Duke of Wellington, and Winston Churchill, to the wedding of Prince Charles and Princess Diana, and the thanksgiving service for Queen Elizabeth II's Golden Jubilee, all held here. The centerpiece of the cathedral is its three-layered dome: the inner dome rises 225 feet high and 102 feet in diameter, visible from the cathedral's interior; the middle layer is a brick cone supporting the lantern tower; the outer layer is a lead-covered timber dome, visible from the exterior. Atop the dome are a golden ball and cross, reaching a total height of 365 feet. For more than 250 years it dominated the London skyline, until buildings surpassed its height in the early 1960s. Inside the dome is the Whispering Gallery, renowned for its unique acoustics; continuing upward leads to the Stone Gallery and the Golden Gallery, which offer panoramic views of London. The cathedral features over six million pieces of glass mosaic decoration. The organ has more than seven thousand pipes, over a hundred stops, and five keyboards, and both Mendelssohn and Handel once played here. The cathedral's crypt is vast, spanning beneath the entire building, and is the burial place of British notables such as Lord Nelson, the Duke of Wellington, the painter Turner, and Sir Fleming, and a memorial to Nightingale is also located here. The cathedral's architect, Sir Wren, is himself buried here as well, and the Latin inscription before his tomb means "If you seek his monument, look around you."

London · 33.5 km from Gravesend

London · 35.1 km from Gravesend

Westminster Abbey

9.4

4.8/5

1.5k reviews

• Visit the site on the north bank of the Thames where kings were crowned and royal weddings took place • Stroll through the UK's royal burial sites and visit the resting places of royal family members and legendary figures like Newton and Darwin • Explore magnificent, solemn, and serene Gothic architectural masterpieces Westminster Abbey, located on the north bank of the Thames in London and adjacent to the Palace of Westminster, is a Gothic-style royal church in Britain. Magnificent and grand, it is a sacred site in the UK and holds a prominent status among the country's many churches. The Henry VII Chapel is located at the rear of the church, featuring ornate decorations and surrounded by numerous chapels. Above the west door stand ten statues of 20th-century Christian martyrs, installed in 1998, representing figures from around the world, including Martin Luther King Jr.

Buckingham Palace

9.5

London · 36.1 km from Gravesend

2.1k reviews

Buckingham Palace is the official London residence of the British monarch and the venue for the royal family's state events and major ceremonies. The palace has nineteen state rooms used to receive visiting heads of state and hold official ceremonies, furnished with paintings by Van Dyck and Canaletto, sculptures by Canova, and exquisite Sèvres porcelain and English and French furniture. The tour route connects magnificent halls such as the White Drawing Room, the Music Room, the Blue Drawing Room, and the Green Drawing Room. The gallery linking these rooms is about 50 m long and hangs paintings by masters such as Rembrandt, Rubens, and Vermeer, making it the essence of the Royal Collection. The highlight of the entire tour is the Throne Room. The archway and canopy were designed by architect John Nash, inspired by his experience in theater set design, creating a highly dramatic visual effect. The pair of thrones in the hall were used in the coronations of Elizabeth II and Charles III respectively, and the official portraits specially created by painters of the King and Queen are also on permanent display here. The Throne Room once served as the backdrop for the wedding photographs of the Prince and Princess of Wales, and to this day remains the venue for court ceremonies such as investitures. The changing of the guard ceremony in the palace forecourt is equally captivating. During the ceremony, a detachment of guards marches from Wellington Barracks to the palace accompanied by music, relieving another detachment to become the King's Guard—a classic scene for experiencing British ceremonial tradition.

No. 13 of Best Things to Do in England

Thames River Sightseeing

8.7

London · 34.9 km from Gravesend

402 reviews

• Take a Thames River cruise through the heart of London • Admire British historic buildings on both sides of the river and discover their fascinating histories • Enjoy sightseeing or boat meals There are many docking piers on the Thames, including the famous Westminster Pier, London Eye Pier, Tower of London Pier and Greenwich Pier. You can also admire Big Ben, the Houses of Parliament, Tower Bridge, Somerset House, Shakespeare's Globe Theatre, monuments and HMS Belfast passing by on both sides of the river.