In January, I opted to go to London for my birthday. I hadn’t been to London in over 20 years. So I spent the week in this fabulous city being a geek, gawky tourist.

Like most vacations, it’s impossible to do everything in one week. But with some planning (thanks to my local friends who gave us great advice) and some flexibility, we saw a lot.

I also recommend going in the off-season. I got a lot of cocked eye-brow looks and questions when I announced I was going to London . . . in January. But let me tell you, January was the best time to go. We dealt with minimal crowds and no lines. Yes, we wore winter coats, scarves, and sometimes hats. But the weather actually wasn’t that bad. And more importantly, no lines (or queues as they say in the UK).

So without further ado, here are my top 5 must-see things in London.