Introduction

There is no shortage of tourist staples: Buckingham Palace, Piccadilly Circus, Marble Arch, Big Ben, the iconic red double-decker bus. (London Mayor Boris Johnson, a shambling, shock-haired media celebrity and tourist attraction in his own right, has pledged to get rid of the city's articulated single-decker buses, which he considers a menace to cyclists — Johnson is often seen weaving toward City Hall on his bicycle.) But London's appeal doesn't lie only in its architectural and cultural treasures. This is also the best people-watching city in the world. Its 7.5 million residents — some born within its boundaries, others irresistibly drawn to it — are deliriously motley, speaking more than 300 languages among them. If you've got just 24 hours, here are 10 unmissable places to observe Londoners in their natural habitat.

• 1. Buckingham Palace
  London, U.K., SW1A 1AA; 44-(0)20-7766-7300 51.500789-0.142264 royalcollection.org.uk
• 2. Piccadilly Circus
  London, U.K. 51.510027-0.134006
• 3. Marble Arch
  London, U.K. 51.513056-0.158889
• 4. Big Ben
  London, U.K., SW1A 0AA 51.5007-0.124261 More Info