There's plenty to do and see at Hyde Park I believe, although it has been a long time since I've been there. You could also visit St Paul's Cathedral or a number of various museums too, depending on your tastes.

I don't know much about restaurants or nightlife and stuff but there's probably a tourist website around somewhere that could help or other people may know of some good places to go.

Edit: found a site that might be useful to you http://www.londontourist.org

However, in case you were curious, I think I found the one that I saw that was featured on the Travel channel.

Ok, not to put too fine a point on it, London is a cosmopolitan city and reflects that in many ways. If you want to see something more definitely British try a day visit to somewhere like Oxford or Bath. There you will see history and everyday life. Actually Lincoln is one of my favourites. As it is small enough to see in a short time and pretty enough to be worth it, although quite cold at this time of year.

I live about 30 miles from Stratford upon Avon, which is possibly the most touristy town I've ever seen. And it spills over into Warwick, where I work. ("Oh, so that's where Shakespeare was born? How nice. What shall we do this afternoon?" "Well it says here there's a castle in Warwick, which is only 20 miles away")

Madame Taussaud's was mildly interesting, but not anywhere near interesting enough to cover the entrance fee.

I enjoyed the West End theatres, but even though Mousetrap is the most famous production there since it's been running over fifty years, I found it rather predictable and, again, not worth the money.

We made the mistake of taking a taxi through downtown London on a Saturday night. The pedestrians walked faster than traffic moved, and we watched the fees mount with horror. Eventually we gave up, paid the exorbitant taxi bill, found a tube, and went back to the hotel that way. We stayed at a really beautiful little hotel with a four-star rating, called The Gore, but I think it was overrated for the money as well.

As far as atmosphere goes, eat at little pubs off the beaten track if you want genuine ambience. That works in Scotland, anyway, which is where we spent most of our vacation since my hubby is Glaswegian.

I wish I could tell you more, but we didn't have time to get really immersed.

Or even better, buy an A-Z (sold virtually everywhere) and just hit the streets with your best walking shoes. I usually do this when I travel, and I find it is the best way to get to know a place quickly. Take this from someone who has visited over 10 countries, and who has worked in 5.

In no particular order:

Okay, there are a few touristy things that you should consider; the most important is riding on the London Eye. This is a huge Ferris-Wheel thing that let's you see pretty much the whole of London from the air. It's an amazing view and well worth the money. However, you should book your tickets in advance. If you don't, you'll have a hard time getting tickets for it (not impossible, but certainly most frustratingly difficult). Go here: http://www.londoneye.com/

Catch a play or a musical, there's plenty of them in the Theatre District and they aren't terribly expensive and they always start on time. Additionally, the National Opera House gives out £5 tours that are one of the best deals in town. It's a behind-the-scenes look at how it's all done, and very interesting even if Opera and Ballet isn't your cup o' tea. And the London Transport museum is nearby as well... London has the world's oldest and largest underground subway... It's certainly an impressive engineering feat.

When in London, look up. The architecture is astounding, and nearly every building is historic and has a story behind it. Looking up will mark you as a tourist, tho'. (Make sure you look down when crossing the streets.)

Dress warm, bring rain gear and umbrellas. You'll need them. It won't snow, it's too warm for that, but it does get windy and chilly. Bring comfy shoes, too... you'll be doing lots of walking! Oh, and be sure to buy Travelcards for traveling on the tubes, trains, and buses -- they are cheaper than buying tickets as you need them, and even less expensive if you buy them during "off-peak" travel times, which is anytime past 9:30am. Chances are that a Zone 1 and 2 Travelcard will cover most anywhere you need to go while staying here.

Don't be afraid to visit a London pub or two. Many have really great food (and if you and/or your husband play darts, all the better -- bring your darts!). If you like Indian food, then you will be in curry heaven! There's curry houses everywhere.

Visiting the parks and museums are definites. The British Musuem is amazing. Check out Speaker's corner in the northeast of Hyde Park , where people get up and talk and rant about whatever they want, crowds gather around them to listen, cheer or jeer them. Quite interesting. And you might even see Angelina Jolie tooling about there -- she lives in London.

Take the path less traveled: London has millions of tiny alleyways, squares and streets. Most of them are perfectly safe, though keep your eyes open for anything dodgy. Still, you'll find great restaurants tucked away here and there. For the better restaurants, visit the Covent Garden area. Most of have their menus posted outside the building so you can see what they offer and how much it will cost.

Oh, and most gratituities are included in your bill, usually at 10 or 15%. If you want to tip more, you can. Or, if you prefer, ask for your bill without the gratuity included and give them whatever you want to do. Perhaps the nicest thing about most restaurants here are that they don't force you out of the door after you eaten. You can hang out and chat for as long as you like.

Something you may not have considered is visiting Stonehenge. This is about an hour or so out of London and is easy-peasy to get to by train. Train tickets will be a fairly cheap (but remember that the British Pound "£" is twice as strong as the dollar, so the exchange rate is not in your favor).

Actually, the best stuff is outside of London (if you like rolling hills and greenery).

Picking up an "A to Z" (pronounced AY TOO ZED) is a good idea. They come in a variety of sizes, from pocket-sized to huge monstrosities that cover a 40-mile radius of London. There are plenty of tourist maps available for free in various places, too. Check your hotel lobby, they should have several for free. Don't buy them from the street vendors.

Safety: Surprisingly, London is quite safe, but you need to be careful nonetheless. First and foremost, if you take a taxi, ensure it is a proper "Black" taxi with the lighted sign on top. [Some drivers are known for being "chatty cabbies" and this can be interesting if you get one.] If someone comes up to you and asks if you need a taxi, ignore them or tell them "No, thanks!" and walk away. Many of them are illegal taxis and, more often than not, will rip you off. Only take the black taxis (which come in several colors, but most are black.) You have to hail them NYC style... if the light is on, the taxi is available.

As Kathleen mentioned, St. Paul's is nice and they are almost done restoring it to its full glory. Tours are inexpensive (free if you just visit the courtyard outside), but the cathedral closes rather early -- about 4pm or so. Plan ahead. There's also hundreds of lovely churches and churchyards scattered all over the place. It's hard to not stumble on them.

The double-decker bus tours are a good idea for your first day or two... just to familiarize yourself with the area. You don't have to do it, but it's sort of quaint.

Go for a stroll along the Embankment (if the weather is nice). Check out Hatton Garden, London's diamond and jewelry district. And Oxford Circus is the main shopping district, but beware, it's more pricey there.

Of course, there's always the infamous Tower of London...

And visiting Greenwich would be a good idea. It's one of the best places in London, in my opinion. Greenwich Park is beautiful and hosts the Royal Observatory, "where time begins." (Greenwich Mean Time.) My wife and I have picnics there, though admittedly usually during warm weather. I'm not sure if it's in Zone 2 or 3, it seems to be right on the edge...

Well, I've go on long enough. If you want to know more, just email me.

HSO

I would advise against stonehenge, unless you're particularly interested in that. It is quite an effort to get there, and you can only observe it from a distance now.

Visiting Cambridge or Oxford for a day is a good idea. About an hour by train to either - just make sure you get the express one.

Country Pubs in england are great. Rule #1 - must have a thatched roof.

Tower of London tours are great. Westminister Abbey is underrated. The musuems are great. There is a lot to do, it really all depends on your taste.

Hyde Park in the summer is the place I always like to go. I could spend hours just chilling listening to the random things people spurt out on people's corner. Not sure what it'll be like in november but have a look anyway.