"Daunt Books, London Daunt Books really is special. Even if you are not a big reader, it is well worth a visit because the space is so beautiful and filled with exceptionally well-chosen books. Daunt is the ultimate antidote to the Amazon generation and connects you to the books and their authors in a very traditional way. Although Daunt is only 20 years old, it is located in an original Edwardian bookshop, with long oak galleries, graceful skylights, and William Morris prints. Try to persuade the staff to let you into the walk-in safe, where the expensive volumes were once stored. —Jasper Conran By Afar Magazine"

"Walk Along the Thames South Bank hasboth the best river walk in London and the city's liveliest cultural centers, so a walk along it is a must. The path takes you from the Globe and the Tate Modern along the Thames—passing Gabriel's Wharf with its stellarrestaurants and bars—to the National Theatre, the Royal Festival Hall, the Hayward Gallery, and the London Eye. A two-mile strip has never held so many different entertainment opportunities; you could spend weeks along it without getting bored. That's not to mention the regular outdoor performances and the unparalleled views of the bridges over the river, Big Ben,and the Houses of Parliament."

"Squeeze Yourself In Hatchards is the oldest and most prestigious bookshop in London , and its not just the royal warrant above the sign that gives it particular charm. The shop is dominated by its central spiral staircase and, once inside, you have to squeeze your way around the stacks, which makes finding each new room a surprise and a joy. It's how I imagine the bookshops in Diagon Alley would look..."

"Find a Forgotten Classic Persephone Books is absolutely one of a kind. It's both a bookshop and a publisher, run by Nicola Beauman, a brilliant woman who wanted to reclaim neglected works by women authors. So she set out to uncovergreat books that had fallen out of print — and she republished them. This shop is full of her beautifully bound, elegantly designed volumes (they all have a recognizable grey cover), and not only will they open your eyes to much overlooked writing by women you might not have heard of, they make the most beautiful gifts, too."

"Have a Drink and a Read The Waterstone's on Piccadilly has a cafe, bar, and restaurant on its fifth floor that looks over central London . If you sit by the window, you can get a fantastic view of the West End. Not that you'll be concentrating, of course—the selection at this bookshop is so huge you'll almost certainly be nose-deep in a novel by this point. It's also a buzzing place for end-of-week cocktails."

"Lose Yourself in a Good Bookstore or Two If you're more interested in browsing than buying, the bottom half of Charing Cross Road is crammed with some of the most extraordinary bookshops in London. It's home to the rare, the antiquarian, and the specialist trades, both new and secondhand. From music to politics to history, these shops have various niches and specialities, but in general, they're just a treasure trove of the very old and the very unusual, and you'll never know what you'll find till you start looking. Head to Leicester Square and work your way up toward Tottenham Court Road. Just be respectful, as some of the books will be worth more than your car."

"Welcome to an Anatomy Lesson Completely unique and always fascinating, the Wellcome Trust, not far from the British Library, is a free museum devoted to the marvels of the human body. It has regular exhibitions, taking sideways scientific looks at everything from the the anatomy of the brain to the secrets of sleep (and theirexhibition on death was not remotely as morbid as it sounds). But it's worth a visit any time for its permanent collection, which combines clever hands-on exhibits that teach you about your own body with thoughtful artworks that reflect on the human condition—who knew yourpancreas ishalfway up your back?Plus it has a great cafe and bookshop."