London is a city that evokes images of tea, red phone booths, the Queen (as well as her grandchildren and great-grandchildren!), the river Thames, and centuries of great writers, poets, artists, and world-thinkers.
It’s also overwhelming–especially for the first time visitor. Where to start? What to do first? What is “unmissable?” While I am hardly a London expert by any means (I’ve only been there twice!) but I do wish I had access to this list during my first time visit in London. Here’s the makings of a wonderful first (or second, or third…) day in the incredible city that is London!
1. Hop on a red double-decker. While cliché and touristy, this is one of my favorite activities from our time in London. It’s a great way to see the city and get your bearings, and it’s fun! Seeing Big Ben for the first time from the top of an iconic double-decker hits high on my favorite travel moments. (The buses usually have a covered area, too–as we all know, London can get wet!).
2. Hop on and off as you choose! I would recommend Westminster Abbey, especially first thing in the morning, so you can avoid some of the lines, or Buckingham Palace, especially on days when they are changing the guard–which is not every day. Big Ben is also in that area, as well as Trafalgar Square.
3. Hyde Park. While the weather may impact this one, even on a rainy day Hyde Park is lovely. It’s nice to break away from the crowds for a while and explore some green space. This will lead you to…
4. Afternoon tea at Kensington Palace. Specifically, in the Orangery. In lieu of a bigger lunch, order their full Afternoon Tea. It comes with an assortment of lovely food, including the required clotted cream and scone, as well as tea, of course. It’s in a gorgeous setting! You’ll feel like a royal yourself, just for a little while. Feel free to tour Kensington Palace itself. Much of it was closed during our time there for renovations, but the gardens are also so pretty, so explore! Plus, Will and Kate live there, so make sure to wave at Prince George and his new baby sister.
5. Visit the Tower of London. Hop back on a the red bus (it should take care of most of your transportation for the day) and cruise over to the Tower of London. Our hop-on hop-off tour included a boat ride down the Thames–so that’s how we went to the Tower. The Tower of London is so full of history, and I enjoyed just walking around the walls.
6. Cross the Tower Bridge. Not the London Bridge as many think, the Tower Bridge is yet another iconic symbol of London. We were blessed with beautiful weather–and if you’re lucky, you might see the Bridge open for a passing ship!–so we grabbed an ice cream each and moseyed across..after it closed up again, of course. ;).
7. Walk along the South Bank. After the Bridge, spend some time walking along the South Bank. This is the point in time where I simply fell in love with London–I’m not sure the views could get better than this.
8. The London Eye at sunset. This is an optional one, as it can be a tourist trap, but I loved getting a view of London from this giant Ferris Wheel. Buy your tickets ahead to save time!
9. Dinner in a pub. Finish of the day with a relaxing dinner in a pub. English food gets a bad rap–but I enjoyed every meal we had there, despite being prepared for some soggy fish and chips. Our hotel, the Chamberlain (a bit of a splurge for us, as it was my birthday), had a delicious restaurant, but the city is full of pubs for you to enjoy. Go ahead and pair your fish and ships (or steak and ale pie, or whatever you fancy) with a cider or a beer, for the full “British” experience :).
Need More?
Some of my other favorite activities in London included King’s Cross station (especially for my fellow Harry Potter lovers), the Harry Potter studio tour for even more hardcore HP fans, the British Museum (possibly my favorite site–but I would recommend a large chunk of time for this!), Oxford Street, a show at West End, grabbing Indian food, more time in pubs, exploring Notting Hill…to name a few!
Originally written as a guest post for Sara at Big World, Small Me.
Linking up with Travel Tuesday!
Van @ Snow in Tromso says
I love “London for beginners” guides! Still haven’t been there yet but once I have some time and money to spare, I’ll definitely head there!
AmyMacWorld says
It definitely requires some saving up! But you can do it on a budget, too 🙂 I hope you get to go soon!
Tanja / The red phone box trav says
Good suggestions! I did London many times:) #travel tuesday
AmyMacWorld says
London is just a must! 🙂
Ruth Rieckehoff says
I have to tour London in the way you have described in here. Went once but didn’t have a lot of time or money to enjoy.
AmyMacWorld says
Yeah it’s definitely not easy to do it quickly or on a budget–it’s possible but not easy! 🙂
Passport Couture says
Although I love Hyde Park and the Tower of London, I would also recommend the Victoria and Albert Museum. They always have fascinating displays. An exhibit of Vivienne Westwood was there when I last visited several years ago. I’d love to return anytime!
http://passportcouture.com
AmyMacWorld says
We just went to the Victoria & Albert Museum last time (after I wrote this). It’s so lovely! I loved the cafe, too!
Olya says
I love this! Such a great list of things to do for the first time! I’m with Passport Couture though-I love the V&A museum. I’m not huge on the London Eye myself. I thought it was insanely expensive, and I liked the views better from St. Paul’s Cathedral.
AmyMacWorld says
Well it was a surprise for my birthday 🙂 so it was amazing! But I think you can get amazing views elsewhere, probably for less 🙂
Courtney {Alkeks Abroad} says
Great list! My parents lived in London for a 3 years so we were lucky enough to take several trips over the past few years. Our favorite stop was Gordon’s Wine Bar- the oldest wine bar in London. I still have yet to ride on a double decker bus anywhere, I need to!
AmyMacWorld says
Oh so cool. I will have to add that to my list for the next time I make it to London! How nice that your parents lived there for so long. I would love to live there but it’s sooo pricey!
Camila @ AdventitiousViolet says
Great list! And I’ve only done some of those all the times I’ve been down in London! I found it so weird that they allow you to visit while Kate and Wills are in residence haha and apparently seeing that bridge open is very good luck!! 🙂
AmyMacWorld says
Oh cool I didn’t know that! 🙂 we saw it twice so double the luck?! 😉