Forget the tourist tat; London is crammed with genuine curiosities and a thousand unique reasons to spend a jam-packed weekend in the capital of cool.

If you must do the city tour thing, kick that double decker to the kerb and board ‘The Duck’. These military vehicles show you the sights of Westminster by road, and then drive straight into the river to continue the tour afloat! (Booking recommended - 0207 928 3132)

For a spot of high street wallet-bashing, you can’t get much higher than Oxford Street and it’s environs. Selfridges, Liberty and the stuffed racks of Carnaby Street are all within staggering distance, but hold onto your credit cards, you might not want to leave.

If you want your pay packet to go a little further, there are some fantastic markets. For a classy Saturday exploring the shabby chic of Portobello, start with coffee and pastry at Cafe Lisboa (57 Golborne Road), a London institution – then get browsing. With glam Notting Hill surrounding you, you’ll always be able to find a worthy watering hole in which to sit back for a spot of celeb-spotting.

Museums abound, with some more unusual highlights being Pollock’s Toy Museum and the Sir John Soanes Museum. The National Portrait Gallery is a lighter prospect than many of the larger galleries and is conveniently close to the shops!

And we haven’t even started on nightlife. There are as many scenes as boroughs in London. Worth a mention and a visit are Brick Lane for a curry, a bagel or a bevvie, Camden for live music and tight jeans, St Christopher's Place (off Oxford St) for a post-shopping come-down, Hampstead for a city sunset and posh nosh or Hoxton Square for the true trendsetters. Just be careful if you’re jetting off somewhere in the morning as Londoners sure know how to party!