Monument to the Great Fire of London

Designed by Christopher Wren and Robert Hooke and completed in 1677, the Monument stands exactly 202 feet from the Pudding Lane bakery where the Great Fire of London began in 1666 — a distance chosen deliberately to match the column's height. Climbing its 311-step spiral staircase leads to a caged viewing platform with views over the City of London, a reward reviewers with a 4.5 rating say is well worth the effort despite the narrow stairs. At a budget-friendly price and 30-minute duration, it's an efficient stop for anyone interested in the history of the fire that reshaped London, particularly easy to combine with other City sights nearby.