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If you’re anything like the average person, you haven’t used a physical map since your Duke of Edinburgh’s award. In the digital era, paper maps are mostly a thing of the past, relegated to the back of old glove boxes and attics. The cause of death? Online maps.
But directions aren’t all that Google Maps has to offer. It also acts as a sounding board for the court of public opinion, where anyone from anywhere can rate anywhere you can physically go.
Although we recommend listening to experts (such as us) when planning your days in London, it doesn’t hurt to know if the general population loved or hated a certain attraction before you spend a small fortune on it.
To celebrate Google Maps’ 20th birthday, its top 20 attractions have been revealed as rated by their users, and the top one is in London. In fact, the top three are all in or around the capital. They also listed the nation’s favourite restaurants, with a London joint topping that list too. We can’t say we’re surprised, this is a pretty excellent city.
But what actually is the best place to visit in the country? Well, the people’s pick is… Buckingham Palace! Buckingham has a rating of 4.5 stars out of five based on more than 177,000 reviews. That’s a pretty good average.
In second was the Harry Potter Warner Bros. Studio tour which, being in Watford, isn’t in London but is on the tube. Although it had a higher average score – 4.8 out of five – the studio tour has only been reviewed around 89,000 times, so it couldn’t quite top the palace.
Big Ben took the bronze, with a score of 4.5 from just shy of 76,000 reviews. Now that the clock is free of its scaffolding, it’s back to being one of the city’s most recognisable photo-ops.
Although these aren’t the places a local would direct you to, they are all pretty iconic. However if you are after some expert suggestions, you’re in the right place. Here’s our 101 favourite things to do in London, and our list of the most unique things to do in the capital.
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