Piccadilly Circus is a busy bustling area of London that is full of activities, shops and delicious restaurants and cafe's. You'll also encounter lots of local street performances. It's very much centrally located in London which gives you access to many of London's famous landmarks, parks and beautiful architecture. You really can't visit the city without stopping here, Piccadilly is a must-see for any visitor. read more

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Lots of hustle and bustle. Reminds me a little of Times Square in New York, especially at night, although considerably smaller. Street artists, restaurants, lights. It's a fun place to be and then you can walk a few minutes and go to Leicester square which is larger and seems to be more fun to visit during Christmas. read more

Piccadilly Circus - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - London, XGL

Fun spot in London for tourists. Located in the West End near theatre district. Very busy around here. Stopped for a pic by the fountain. read more

Piccadilly Circus - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - London, XGL

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I would say that it is London's answer to Times Square, but in a way Times Square is just so much more impressive (not that I have been there though). As such I'd probably say that this is Times Square's kid sister. Honestly, at first it is pretty cool, but when you end up passing through here multiple times then it sort of starts to become a bit of a drag. It is close to a lot of the theatres, which is cool, and probably the main reason that you would end up here, unless of course you happen to be meeting somebody, but then again this is probably one of many meeting spots scattered throughout London. read more

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So me and my friend gone here once, very violent, we got blown up by a C4 and I got a Tactical Nuke. 10/10 place for First Person Shooters. read more

Piccadilly Circus - This is me with my knife - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - London, XGL

How would you like to be in the center or all kitschy and commercialized stuff, where you can find quite a few American food restaurants (ie Mcdonalds, Five Guys, Pizza Hut, Pret a Manger, and Shake Shack), you can go clubbing, or if gambling suits you better, go visit the casinos (the tour guide during our Hop On Hop Off tour today dubbed it "Little Vegas")? That's Picadilly Circus for you. It's smaller, maybe a tad cleaner, than Times Square in New York (this has been said a million times by other reviewers, by the way). On a late Friday night--approaching midnight or past it--Picadilly Circus is its most alive state. It's a magnet for tourists, it seems. I could tell from the several languages I couldn't help but overhear other people were speaking in. A must see, if you're a tourist, on holiday, at least once. read more

Piccadilly Circus - At the Simit Sarayi bakery on 1 Picadilly Circus, having a danish with the daughter - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - London, XGL

So I was wandering back towards my hotel from the British Museum and suddenly realized I was in Picadilly Circus. It was just after 5 on a weekday and there were a gazillion people wandering around. I saw no street performers at dusk in November. The neon/signage didn't seem as garish as in the photos. I was laughing about the number of people gathered around the fountain, or climbed up on it. Mostly they looked like they were waiting for friends so I'm guessing it's a traditional meeting spot, sort of like the flagpole at Jazz Fest in New Orleans...and same problem, so many people that you can't find anyone. read more

Piccadilly. Piccadilly. Now say that five times really, really fast! (Go ahead, don't be shy. No one will know. Here, I'll start). Piccadilly...Piccadilly...Piccadilly...Piccadilly...Piccadilly. It's fun. Piccadilly Circus isn't a "circus" at all! Imagine my surprise? Circus used here is Latin for "circle". It's just a fancy round-about. A Tube (subway, that's not Latin!) stop, Shaftesbury Memorial fountain, Criterion theatre, a tourist and local destination. It's good food (if you are a fan of Mr. Sherlock Holmes, then you might wanna check out the Hotel Cafe Royal. It's damper restaurants not only serve Absinthe, in honor of famed patron Oscar Wilde, but also served as the place where Holmes was attacked in Doyle's "The Adventure of the Illustrious Client"), shopping, art, the lights of Soho, the West End, and Anteros. The statue of Anteros, the Greek (Latin?) God of requited love and avenger of unrequited love. This is the spot to start. From here, you can waltz your way to many famous sights and destinations. Dancing on the street of Piccadilly is a must! So if anyone tells you: "Tomorrow we dance in Piccadilly." Always reply: "I can't wait." So what have we learned here, in all gravitate (that's Latin for "seriousness")? Well, Piccadilly is not a circus, but still it is a circus. A circus of dreams...and no one can take that away from me. Aloha :) read more

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I can't say much that hasn't already been said but this is like the mecca of the city of London. It reminded me of Times Square but no billboards. We arrived on a Friday afternoon to a gazillion people everywhere. People hanging on the fountain, people meeting up, you could not escape! It is an extremely busy square with lots of traffic too, but it is rather exhilarating being in this frenzy. Don't miss taking pictures of the fountain with Antero on top. There are also street performers but at the time we arrived, they must have been on break as I only saw one. Definitely a people watching spot with all kinds of unique and culturally diverse individuals. Crossing the street was a challenge but not a stop to be missed! This is London! read more

Piccadilly Circus - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - London, XGL

London's equivalent of New York's Times Square, with large flashing billboards and advertisements. It's a major hangout for tourists with a large statue surrounded by low stairs. On a sunny day, people tend to sit here and people watch. The Circus (technically Latin for "circle") is indeed a bit of a crazy place. There is a lot of road traffic that comes through all times of the day and night. At ground level, the authorities have helpfully painted "look left" or "look right" to aid the tourists. Still, be extra careful and don't stand right next to the traffic area in case someone bumps you accidentally. Speaking of bumping, be really careful of your possessions. Because of the large number of tourists, Piccadilly Circus is well known as a target rich environment for pickpockets. Try not to look like a total tourist - keep the Tube map in your pocket, eh? Trivia - the archer is pointing at Westminster, perhaps a jab at the politicians of the day? read more

Tourist in London ? Never been to Piccadilly Circus ? It is a must stop, lest you want to say, I paid thousands of Dollars to cross the Atlantic, visited London and didn't see Piccadilly.... please forgive me for assuming that all tourists come from America, this is clearly not the case - just that the majority of Yelp users are from America. Back to the Circus- what's not to like? Great location - you can walk to the Mall, Trafalgar Square, even Buckingham Palace and more - Also the Tube station here will connect you to virtually anywhere you want to go in the system. People watching is priceless and Lily whites is right here - see reviews. Grab a cup of Java, settle in and enjoy your time here, you will no doubt remember it fondly when writing you reviews. :) read more

A great part of central London - a must see tourist destination for people of all ages.

Place was cool for London, but really a poor man's NYC Times Square. There were some rookie dancers in the streets and cool street chalk artists. Saw the next Ed Sheeran performing on the corner as well. Cool, but not necessary to come to if you're strapped with time. read more

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Times Square? Not exactly, but nice try London. London definitely does its best to try to replicate the colors of Times Square and there were plenty of similarities between the two. The area is highlighted by many things that would attract tourists - bright lights and neon signs from a video display, no shortage of souvenir shops, photo opportunities abound, a long list of shopping options and street performers. Also, the area is easily accessible via the Piccadilly Circus Underground station. There's nothing really stunning with the architecture of the area and it's not close to as big as New York's Times Square, but it's sort of one of those areas a tourist should visit at least once, especially if you're into doing some shopping! read more

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I don't see what the big draw is to this London tourist magnet but I had to see it for myself. Like a scaled down version of Times Square but with scaffolding and less filth. There will be shopping for tacky souvenirs and sh--ty tourist restaurants abound but it's just something to do if you're visiting this fun, vibrant city. I'd come back again. read more

Piccadilly Circus - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - London, XGL

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If London has its own Times Square, the neon-lit Piccadilly Circus may be it! But despite being such a large square, it nonetheless feels claustrophobic without any hint of vastness of a global city plaza possibly because it's not fully pedestrianized. Without the relatively small neon display (compared to NYC or Tokyo), you can easily mistaken this square as just another busy London intersection. Piccadilly Circus may be a good stop for a London night walking tour, but it's not a must-see destination that is worth going out of your way. read more

Piccadilly Circus - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - London, XGL

As a tourist whether you end up thinking its just 'meh' or 'wow' it doesn't matter. You still have to stop by. It is what it is, a spot in London that is quite famous for... uh.. hmm... not sure really but hey. Pop on take a few pics, it is cool. There are a few stores surrounding, a mess of traffic and some good people watching if the weather permits. We stayed right around the corner and would walk through every day on our way to the tube or for a nice stroll to wherever we were going. It will be remembered fondly for what it is. Part of an amazing city. read more

Low scale Times Square. Super touristy- lots of shops that sell I love London umbrellas. I walked over here after walking around Leicester Square which is a 5 minute walk away. Lots of theaters around here. No need to see anything around here unless you happen to walk thru like me. read more

Bright lights. Beautiful buildings. Shopping. People watching. It's like Time Square, only smaller than Time Square. If you're in London you have to come here. It's better at night, but during the day is fun too. Take the tube here, it's easy. There are street artists and restaurants and bars and clubs and more! If you like the busy and the crowded and the noise then this is where you want to hang out. It's in London's West End and make sure you take a picture by the fountain. read more

It's a busy place and everybody has something to do, I wish I would've stayed here during my visit to London. Lots of stuff to entertain yourself with like theaters, pubs, Chinatown is just within minutes of walk, unusual shopping, restaurants... Your trip to London won't be completed without visiting Piccadilly! read more

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It's always funny to hear - although not in a bad way - when locals aren't too fond of certain places in their town (like San Antonionians avoiding the Alamo and the Riverwalk) in the name of tourists. I suppose it doesn't matter where you're from, there's always going to be something that locals don't totally understand what or why tourists are attracted to certain spots. Ok, so yes, this is a tourist trap. Yes, everyone from the outside will come and spend forever and a day trying to figure it out. My family and I were victim to this but nonetheless, we can say 'we've been there'. Located in London's west end, the biggest part of this area is the statue of Eros. Yay. read more

piccadilly circus... such a hard word to pronounce. but such a cool place to just be able to see london's version of NYC times square. of course it's nothing compared to how NYC is but it's still worth a visit in my POV. there's a lot of restaurants, souvenir shops, street performers, etc. around this area. personally i would recommend visiting at night because the view is much nicer at night. visiting piccadilly circus wouldn't take too long unless you are actually spending time inside the stores/restaurants. other than that it can be a fast 10 minutes if you're short on time. FYI, this area does get packed and there are a lot of people. read more

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Stimulating. Bright lights with gorgeous architecture all around. Love the fountain. . . Sure, there were drunk, passed out people, trash and vomit, but that's to be expected at such at site. I notice others comparing Piccadilly Circus to Times Square. PC is more understated--not as obnoxious or tacky as Times Square. Piccadilly Circus I can handle. . .Times Square I cannot. read more

Busy area, with lots to do. Its associated tube stations hosts the link between the Bakerloo and Piccadilly lines. Lots of entrances from the street level from various angles around the circle there. For reference, the Piccadilly Tube station is about a 10 minute walk to the Tottenham Court Road station or 5 min (depending on foot traffic) to the Leicester Square station. It's a big shopping/show area. It's close by to Soho and Chinatown. (5-10 minute walk). Shops close by include Boots, outdoor shops, Whittmans, Uniqlo, McDonald's, etc., and has lots of theatres with ongoing shows going on in the area there. Convenient, fun to walk around, not too expensive (depending where you go). Also, lots of window shopping, which is free! :p Just try not to get run over by the non-touristy locals who have places to go; things to do...! Downsides--usually VERY CROWDED; TOURIST TRAPPY AREA! Using Anya R.'s reference, it's like the Times Square of London (I think it's mostly with the screens that bring this reference to mind). read more

Hello Times Square of London! It's busy. It's where something like the M&M store would live. It's very touristy. So, I'm glad that I checked it off my list of things to see in London. Will I go back the next time I'm in London? Probably not. It's a picture stop and you should see it if you haven't..... read more

I think most of the people saw the one of the most famous photos which was taken in the Piccadilly Circus. To be honest, that's almost just like the photo, very busy area, full of people. I do like it somehow, not the crowd, but the style of the street. fully of ads and shops around, it seems like a great place to buy something. It did kind of remind me of Mongkok in Hong Kong, also a bit like time square in NYC. If you don't like place that full of people, this probably is not the place for you. But it does offer some really great places, restaurants and China town is also close by. Of course, the Shaftesbury Memorial Fountain is also there, quite a nice place to just sit down and enjoy the illuminated surrounding. If you are lucky, you probably will catch some cool street performances. read more

Piccadilly Circus - Busy place. - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - London, XGL

DO go to Piccadilly Circus, I've read all reviews before me, but; This is real London with the famous Savile Row, just walk down and photograph the prices and all, don't shop here. Eas a good lunch in Gaucho [c review], then SoHo is right next door only after 1p if ur looking for open shops, which boosts a couple of trendy pubs and stores. As a tourist you want to c the famous even in reality there is nothing special and maybe even for u its a joke let's say you've been in NYC, you still want to see it, and it's not about wandering around to a nice places in London without seeing the real hype, which you can do in your home town. I'm just stressing a point, i can write pages on Piccadilly. [from a cultural point of view, it's more important then the london eye etc.] read more

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Many people think of Piccadilly Circus being just like New York's Times Square but, it's really not. There's a passing resemblance, with the big neon signs and displays, but Times Square is much more crowded and busy. Times Square also seems to have much more things to do. Piccadilly Circus appears to be mostly for shopping and eating out in one of the areas many restaurants. I'm not saying that either area is better, just that they're very different. read more

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Next up was Picadilly Circus, a road junction and public space of London's West End in the City of Westminster. Circus actually refers to 'circle', a round open space at a street junction. Basically, it's akin to New York's Time Square. read more

Piccadilly Circus - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - London, XGL

For some reason or another Piccadilly Circus is on the tourist trail. When ever I pass through this junction I always see at least one disappointed tourist snapping their camera and then looking around to see what else there is to do. Once you've seen the multinational corporate sponsored light show, there isn't much else going on. With the exception of the Criterion and a couple of very specialist restaurants, the businesses around Piccadilly Circus are unwelcoming and unpleasant. Bars in this next of the woods are full of stag parties and more of those lost tourists. Drinks tend to be overpriced and places generally lack atmosphere. The worst thing about Piccadilly Circus is finding yourself there at 6 o'clock in the evening. Shops are still open and welcoming customers through their doors but added to this are the thousands of people trying to shuffle there way down to the underground. I use the word shuffle deliberately because sometimes it feels as though you're in an endless queue to get from A to B. If you want my advice, take your picture and get out of here. read more

Piccadilly Circus - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - London, XGL

Easily accessible by train piccadilly circus is London's version of NYC's times square & once you arrive & look around u can see why. Although it is not as grand & impressive as times square it does have it's own flare I guess. Plenty of shops to buy souvenirs, a lot of shopping & plenty of eating options. They also have theaters for Broadway shows. I found it kind of funny that they also have casinos in this area pretty interesting I must say it's just something else to do. Piccadilly circus is also home to London's China town plenty of restaurants & Asian inspired businesses. The area is pretty busy with lots of foot traffic, not a lot to do here unless u are looking to eat or buy souvenirs worth a visit just to check out if you have the time don't necessarily need to go out of your way to see. read more

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To me, I would consider this the gateway to fun in London. There is streets going in every direction, each leading to fun and Piccadilly Circus is the center point/starting point of fun. Kind of has the feel of a time square mixed with a piazza in Rome. A nice place to sit back and just people watch. You can come here anytime and just marvel at the sights and sounds of Piccadilly Circus. read more

Piccadilly Circus - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - London, XGL

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Some call this the Times Square of London. I believe the 4 are: Piccadilly Circus(London) vs Times Square(NYC) vs Shibuya(Tokyo) vs Causeway Bay(HK) Glad to say I've been to 2 of the 4. New York being the other. Ok this is another tourist spot. If your visiting London, you have to go here. Nice area to walk and people see, window shop, etc. Very close to Chinatown and Leicester Square. Plenty of going on so if you like to be in those locations where a lot is happening, you can't go wrong with Piccadilly Circus. This location was in a famous scene in Waynes World, right by the tube entrance. Some other movies as well I'm sure. This is a must stop, and it is walking distance to the Oxford and Regent street stores. If you can go here both in the day and at night time pleas do so. The big screens obviously are cooler to see in the evening. There is an underground station right here obviously, so it is very easy to make a stop. There is no reason you shouldn't stop here and take a photo especially if it's your first time in London. read more

Piccadilly Circus is one of London's most iconic places for tourists (everyone's seen the huge Sanyo sign lit-up at night right?). This is also one of the busiest parts of London so visit this at your peril! I always use Piccailly Circus as more of a conduit to other streets like Regent Street, Green Park and Leicester Square since Piccadilly Circus is situated right in the centre of all of these. Close by is the Japan Centre and the Trocadero is situated here. There's not much else to report. It's cool to pass by and stare at the big flashing signs and take in the touristic feel of the place but that's about it. Your time is probably better spent around Soho or Leicester Square, which are both around a 5-10 minute walk away. read more

Piccadilly Circus - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - London, XGL

I used to think Piccadilly Circus was such a big place as a kid, before I came to the US and saw Times Square. Like everyone else, I have to compare the two. Now Piccadilly Circus feels more like a heavily trafficked round about with one single bill board. The area has more classic architecture and less poor taste than Times Square. Despite it being called Circus, there are a lot less crazy freak people compared to Times Square. Apart from the New Years Eve binge drinking perhaps. Still, a nice place to visit, especially during Christmas. read more

My husband & I visited Piccadilly since it's such a tourist site. We were a little disappointed as there was a lot of construction going on so it ruined the backdrop of photos a bit. Overall, definitely a place I can see sitting and enjoying the view & sites. It was wicked hot and so we didn't sit down for very long. But lots of things going on in the area and can be a great photo-op during less busy times and at night. read more

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We loved it! It was a big surprise to see this Cantonal Tree displaying the coat of arms of the twenty-six cantons of Switzerland! On 15 April 1991, on the occasion of the 700th anniversary of the Swiss Confederation the right Worshipful the Lord Mayor of Westminster Councillor David Avery named this area "Swiss Court" as a token of the lasting friendship between United Kingdom and Switzerland . Otherwise it's a busy hotspot where you can find many shops, restaurants and interesting sights to do. London is really a cool city! read more

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One of the tourist attractions of London. Coming out of the Picaddily underground station you see the famous iconic statue in front of you . Always found it to be busy, lively and full of energy. Sometimes you see street performers with their own shows. Has stores, restaurants, advertisement hoardings - screens of which light up in the night making it a fun place. The Tube from here is well connected but Trafalgar Square, Chinatown are also easily walkable distance from here. The atmosphere makes this place so special - even after so many trips I always want to come here - check it out if you're visiting London - many stores have branches around here. read more

Piccadilly Circus - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - London, XGL

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This is a fun place to visit. Lots to see and more to do. Lots of good craft beer pubs, but you have to look for them. Use your Yelp app. You must visit this area while in London. It's like a mixture of Times Square, Broadway, the Village all rolled into one. read more

Really enjoyed this area. It's like a mini Times Square. Live street performers. Many shops in the area. But it is a very crowded area and there are homeless people begging like most big cities. And careful not to get pick-pocketed, just be aware before going. read more