Don't…
Go on the London Eye if you balk at paying for a view

Sure, the view from the Millennium Wheel is fabulous, but it's marred by having to endure a long wait in line and the steep ticket price ($28 if you just turn up, or you can arrange online for priority boarding, but pay around $42 for the privilege). Then there's the brevity of the "flight" (a mere 30 minutes). What's more, there is no audio accompaniment explaining what you are seeing, just a cheesy female voice telling you to get ready for "takeoff."

Instead…
Visit glorious Hampstead Heath

Locals head for 320-foot-high Parliament Hill on the southern end of the Heath (also dubbed Kite Hill) for thrilling views of London icons, including St. Paul's Cathedral, the skyscrapers of Canary Wharf, and Westminster Palace. Once you're done, take a dip in one of the three bracingly cool open-air swimming ponds. Another top vantage point for city views and skylines in London is Primrose Hill (pictured), the 206-foot-high continuation of Regent's Park.

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