London is the city that will always have a special place in my heart. I studied abroad in London and would move there tomorrow if I could. As a southern California native who hates cold weather with a passion; London is the only place in the world where I am happy walking around in the freezing cold. Below are my favorite things to do that every first-time visitor should experience.
Here are my top recommendations of things to do in London
1.Visit The Parks and Have a Picnic :
London has a variety or royal parks to choose from. My top three parks to visit are:
– Hyde Park- is the largest of all the royal parks in London. My favorite area of the park is by Kensington Palace by the “round pound.” People love relaxing on the grass and feeding the swans. You could spend hours exploring all the cute areas of this park.
– St. James Park- This park is located right by Buckingham Palace. I love seeing all the birds here, and the flowers are great for photo ops. There are plenty of benches here and green spaces to lay out on.
-Regents Park- another oasis of a park in the city. The flowers and the grounds are beautiful.
**** If you are short on time and had to choose only one park to visit, my pick would be St. James Park.
2. Visit a Museum
Most museums are free in London; which is fantastic if you are a traveler! I could spend hours at the museums in London. My favorite two museums are:
–British Museum: if you are a museum lover this is the one you must visit. The museum first opened in 1759 and is the world’s oldest public museum. You can see The Rosetta Stone, Parthenon Sculptures, and Egyptian mummies. https://www.britishmuseum.org/
– The Victoria and Albert Museum: The V&A is the largest museum of decorative arts and design. My favorite exhibits are the ones about British fashion and jewelry.https://www.vam.ac.uk/
3. Visit Borough Market
Like most of the world, I love food. If you are a foodie, you will go into a food coma when you set foot here. It is my favorite open-air food market open year-round. At Borough, there is a wide variety of high-quality food from to-go food to fresh food for you to make at home. I have a sweet tooth and love the different bakery stalls.http://boroughmarket.org.uk/
4.Go to Covent Garden:
I love to shop and can walk around the Covent Garden area for hours. It has a mix of theatres, boutiques, restaurants, and pubs. I would recommend starting at the Covent Garden Piazza where inside they have many places to eat and shop at while listing to the street performers.
5. Visit Kensington Palace:
Kensington Palace is open all year round. I have always been an Anglophile and love all things related to Queen Victoria( she grew up in Kensington Palace). Usually, there are different exhibits the palace puts on each season. One season they had a Princess Diana exhibits which had her dresses on display. Make sure to visit the beautiful gardens when the weather is nice.https://www.hrp.org.uk/kensington-palace/
6. Get Afternoon Tea in London
Again I love food! I love tea. If there is one experience, you can’t miss while in London is afternoon tea at a very fancy place. The price is worth the whole experience. My favorite afternoon teas are at ; The Sanderson Hotel, Claridges, and The Ritz. For my favorite afternoon tea places check out my post:https://ceciliasluxelife.combest-places-for-afternoon-tea-in-london/
7. Go to a Pub
In a city like London, I imagine there are hundreds to pick. There are bigger pubs to smaller cozy ones. If you are not a fan of beer, try a pint of cider! (I love apple or berry flavored ones)
8. Oxford Street
Any main British store can be found on Oxford street. I would recommend researching the British stores you want to shop at and then mapping out what is the nearest tube/bus stops. Most of the big British department stores are located on Oxford Street; Selfridges, Debenhams, and John Lewis.
9. Boat Cruise on The River Thame
In any city you visit in Europe I always recommend taking a boat tour to see the city in a different view. Many boat companies offer tours that depart from The London Eye area located in South Bank.
10.The London Eye
If you have time, I would recommend TLE during the day and the night. I love the London skyline from up above. At night there is a magicalness seeing this beautiful city all lite up from above.
11.Visit Notting Hill
London has a countless number of areas that are great to visit and explore, but if you are only in town for a week, you can’t see them all. But, if you have time to explore one I would recommend NH. There are many yummy places to eat and unique antique stores to window shop in. I am not a fan of buying antiques, but when I am in NH, I always have fun looking at the exciting things in the antique shops. On Saturdays on Portabella Road, there is the full open-air antique market.
12. Admire Buckingham Palace
Who doesn’t love this famous landmark where the Queen resides. Make sure to visit during the time when they have the changing of the guard ceremony; which is fun to watch. If you are visiting in the summertime you can sign up for a tour inside. Visitors on the tour get to visit the State Rooms inside the palace and view the Royal Collection of paintings and gifts they have received from royals/dignitaries around the world. Buckingham Palace is typically open from the end of June to the end of September. Check out their official website for up to date tour information https://www.rct.uk/visit/the-state-rooms-buckingham-palace
13. Eat Fish and Chips
You have to try fish and chips at least one time while in London. London makes the best fish and chips and has hundreds of places that serve up the nations dish.
14. Visit Harrods
Everyone needs to visit this beautiful department store. It is a huge store. But, my favorite sections are the food courts. If you are not looking to spend thousands on a trip, I would recommend visiting the Harrod souvenir section that has a massive variety of Harrod logo items to buy
15. Visit the Tower of London
Another must-see landmark is the Tower of London. It was built back in the 11th century, and now is the home of the Crown Jewels of England. Back in the day, it was a prison and royal residence to King Henry VII. Plan to come early in the morning to beat the crowds.
16. Walk Across Tower Bridge
What’s a more iconic site than Tower Bridge to visit?
17. Enjoy a performance at The Globe Theatre
The original Globe Theatre was built in 1599 and had to be rebuilt in 1614 after it was destroyed by a fire. The modern Globe Theatre was rebuilt in 1997 and produces Shakespeare’s famous plays in its open-air theatre. I’d recommend taking a tour of the theatre and attending one of its productions typically held in the summertime. For up to date ticket information visit https://www.shakespearesglobe.com
18. Visit Westminister Abbey
A classic attraction for history buffs. Westminster Abbey is the resting place of the most notable people in English history. You can visit the Royal Tombs, Poets Corner( Charles Dickens, John Keats, and T.S Eliot are buried here), and notable tombs from many others. On a happier note, this is the church Kate Middleton and Prince William got married.
19. Pick An Area In London To Get Lost In
One of my favorite things to do in London is to pick an area to get lost in and just explore. It’s nice to not have a planned itinerary for the day and got lost exploring cool new areas of London, and discovering restaurants for yourself that are not in a guidebook or blog.
