LONDON : 10 THINGS TO DO
10 THINGS TO DO IN LONDON
1. Visit the iconic monuments of London. If you are in London for the first time, you'll want to see the city's icons, such as Big Ben, Buckingham Palace, and Tower Bridge.
Buckingham Palace to Big Ben - West London
Let's start at Buckingham Palace Garden and Buckingham Palace (the changing of the guard starts around 11 am). Then, cross St. James's Park (where you can see squirrels) to arrive at the Household Cavalry Museum (where you can take pictures with the Horse Guards). Next, take Parliament Street in the direction of Parliament Square, the Houses of Parliament, and Westminster Abbey (where all the royal weddings have happened). Finally, you need to take Westminster Bridge, where you will see Big Ben and the London Eye. This is a nice walk that might take you an hour, and you will see the essential London monuments. You can do this in this order or in the opposite way, as you prefer.
Tower Bridge to Millennium Bridge - East London
Let's start with the iconic Tower Bridge. On the north end of the bridge, you have the Tower of London, a historical castle that was the monarch's royal palace and fortress. Then, you can walk in the direction of St. Paul's Cathedral, which is about a 20-minute walk, and take the pedestrian Millennium Bridge that links the cathedral to the Tate Modern museum.
2. Check out these iconic squares: Piccadilly Circus, Leicester Square, and Trafalgar Square.
Piccadilly Circus - At the beginning of Regent Street
Piccadilly Circus is a busy square in the heart of London. With its large neon advertising displays, it will remind you of Times Square, but in a miniature version. The statue of Eros in Piccadilly is a popular meeting point, but also a space where people sit to enjoy city life and street artists' shows.
Leicester Square - Between Piccadilly Circus and Covent Garden
Leicester Square is a pedestrianized square with restaurants and iconic shops, such as M&M's World and the LEGO Store. In December, a Christmas market takes place in this square. Just behind Leicester Square, you have Chinatown, a pretty area with red lanterns and Asian restaurants.
Trafalgar Square - In front of the National Gallery
3. Go to Covent Garden district. Covent Garden is one of our favorite areas of London. It's a really cute area with paved streets, restaurants, and shops. In the central square of Covent Garden, there used to be a fruit and vegetable market; nowadays, you can find shops and restaurants instead, but it retains its beautiful architecture. Around the market, you will always find talented street artists. Covent Garden is surrounded by theaters, making it the best place to see a musical or a play. And our little hidden gem of Covent Garden that you have to see is Neal's Yard, a hidden colorful courtyard with small restaurants, shops, and street art.
4. Do some shopping. London is a fashion capital, and all fashion styles are welcomed here. So, it's one of the best places to do some shopping. We mentioned that Covent Garden is one place where you can shop, but let us introduce you to five other places.
Oxford Street - From Tottenham Court Road station to Marble Arch station
Oxford Street is THE shopping street. On this large street, you will find popular brands such as Primark, Zara, H&M, Topshop, etc. Oxford Circus is in the middle of this street, and usually, on each side, you have the same shops, with some exceptions, of course.
Regent Street - Between Oxford Circus and Piccadilly Circus
On this beautiful street, you will also find popular brands, but also more expensive ones like Guess, Ralph Lauren, Michael Kors, etc. You will also find one of the biggest toy stores: Hamleys.
Carnaby Street - Parallel to Regent Street
The cute Carnaby Street (always well decorated for Christmas) is a pedestrian street where you can find popular and trendy brands. A bit hidden in Carnaby Street is a nice food court called Kingly Court. At the north end of the street, you have the shop Liberty. In this beautiful building, you can find luxury fabrics, designer clothing, stylish homewares, and sumptuous beauty products. We really advise you to take a look inside.
Mayfair - Between Regent Street and Oxford Street
Mayfair is a posh area where you will find designer and luxury brands such as Victoria's Secret, Chanel, Gucci, etc. The main shopping street is New Bond Street.
Knightsbridge - Under Hyde Park
Knightsbridge is also a posh area. You will find luxury and popular brands such as Zara, Ted Baker, Guess, COS, etc. But the main shop to see in Knightsbridge is Harrods, with 5,000 brands offering designer fashion and accessories, luxury beauty, fine jewelry and watches, food, furniture, and more. Harrods is a London icon.
Camden Market - North London
Camden is a vibrant and colorful area. Camden Market is made up of six different markets next to each other. You can find all your tourist souvenirs, antiques, fashion, multicultural food, etc. There is one shop that you need to see called Cyberdog; you will feel like you're in another world. Next to it, you have the original café Cereal Killer, where you can eat any kind of cereal. To eat, we like to go next to Camden Lock, where you have a large choice of different world cuisines and a nice view of the canals.
Brick Lane Market - East London
Located in the cool and trendy area of Shoreditch, which is also popular for its street art and graffiti. Brick Lane Market is an artistic and stylish market along all of Brick Lane street. The best day to go is Sunday to ensure everything is open. You can find vintage clothes, craft goodies, second-hand items, food stands, etc. We recommend you eat at the iconic place on Brick Lane street: Beigel Bake, and of course, try the famous salted beef beigel. We also advise you to check out Upmarket; outside, you have some street art, and inside, in the basement, you have a large choice of vintage clothes and accessories.
Portobello Market - West London
Located in the trendy and posh area of Notting Hill, with colorful and pretty houses. Portobello Market is a vintage and stylish market. The best days to go are Friday or Saturday. The market is located on the long street of Portobello, where you can find antiques, jewelry, vintage clothes, and food. People love to go there for brunch; you have many nice brunch restaurants in Notting Hill, like Granger & Co., Farm Girl, etc., but you will always find a huge queue in front.
Greenwich Market - South East
Located in the charming and historic borough of Greenwich. Greenwich is popular for its meridian, its maritime museum, its university, and its market. This market is open Saturday and Sunday. In Greenwich Market, you will find crafts, antiques, jewelry, and food. We really liked this market because it doesn't feel like London; every time we go to Greenwich, we feel like we're in a countryside village. You can access Greenwich by bus, Underground, Overground, by ferry boat (really nice to take to discover London from the river), or more atypically, by the Greenwich Foot Tunnel (a foot tunnel under the Thames River).
Borough Market - South
Borough Market is one of the largest and oldest food markets in London. You can find local products but also eat some international dishes. The best days to go are Wednesday to Saturday, and you need to go in the morning. From Borough Market, you can join the river and walk along Bankside.
6. Walk next to the river. The Thames is the longest river entirely in England and one of the icons of London. Situated in central London, the Thames divides London in two: North and South. From its banks, you can admire many London monuments. But the Thames also divides itself into different canals on the north side of London, where people live on boats. By walking next to the canals, you will discover another side of London.
Walk Along The Thames
If you want to walk along the Thames River, we advise you to do it on the south bank side between Tower Bridge and Westminster Bridge. The walk may take around an hour, but you will discover many things. From Tower Bridge to Westminster Bridge, you will see Hay's Galleria, London Bridge, Borough Market, the Golden Hinde, Winchester Palace, Shakespeare's Globe, the Tate Modern Museum, the Southbank Centre's Winter Festival (formerly Wonderground), the London Eye, etc. And you will always have a nice view of the skyline of London's North Bank. You will also find many piers along the way where you can take a ferry boat that travels on the Thames.
Walk Along Regent's Canal
If you want to discover another side of London, less touristy, we advise you to walk along Regent's Canal. Regent's Canal is 14 km long, so obviously you can't do all of it. We recommend you go from King's Cross to Little Venice because you will see other nice places to visit on your way. The walk takes about 1 hour, and it's a really nice, relaxing walk that will show you another side of London. From King's Cross to Little Venice, you will discover Camden Town, Primrose Hill, Regent's Park, etc., and Little Venice, a basin where you can find waterside cafés, cozy pubs, and charming restaurants.
7. Walk in a park. You have many parks in London. Some of them have amazing views of the city, others have amazing plants and flowers, and some are overflowing with squirrels or other animals. We will suggest eight different parks that we liked, but there are many more.
Hampstead Heath - North London
Located in the cute and quiet borough of Hampstead. Hampstead Heath is a huge park with a hill that offers a beautiful view of the city. In summer, people come here to spend the day having a picnic and swimming in the lakes. There are three lakes where you can swim, but be ready – the water is really cold!
Primrose Hill & Regent's Park - Central / North London
In Primrose Hill park, you have a big hill that offers a beautiful view of the city. It's a really nice spot when there are fireworks in London. Regent's Park is just below Primrose Hill. It's a big park with fountains, a lake, a playground, a zoo, an open-air theatre, a rose garden, etc. Perfect for families.
Hyde Park - Central / West London
Hyde Park is a huge park, the perfect place to lie down on the grass, have a walk, rent a boat on the lake, etc. Many events happen in Hyde Park: on April 20th, it's Weed Day, so everyone goes there to lie down and light a joint at 4:20 pm; at the end of November, Winter Wonderland takes place with attractions for Christmas; and sometimes, there are concerts.
Holland Park - West London
Located next to the Design Museum. The park contains a café, a restaurant, an orangery, a giant chess set, a cricket pitch, tennis courts, a youth hostel, a children's playground, squirrels, and peacocks. But the things we prefer in Holland Park are the two Japanese gardens.
Kew Gardens - South West London
It is a botanic garden that houses the largest and most diverse botanical and mycological collections in the world. It's really nice to visit and discover the biodiversity. The entrance is not free; it costs around £15.
Richmond Park - South West London
Richmond Park is the farthest, but it's the wildest one. It is a National Nature Reserve where you can discover deer; around 650 deer live there. The park is also an important refuge for other wildlife, including woodpeckers, squirrels, rabbits, snakes, frogs, toads, stag beetles, and many other insects. If you need to escape from the city, this is the place you need!
Greenwich Park - South East London
The best part of this park is its hill, where you have a breathtaking view of London city. On the top of this hill, you also have the Royal Observatory and the Meridian Line.
8. Visit a museum. There are so many different kinds of museums in London, so we will suggest many, but obviously, you will have to choose. Most museums in London are free, but if you want to see a specific exhibition, you will have to pay.
For History Lovers
- Natural History Museum - Nature and culture from the inside out - South Kensington Station.
- The British Museum - Two million years of human history & culture - Holborn station.
- Museum of London - Discover the history of London - Barbican station.
For Art Lovers
- Tate Britain Museum - Art from 1500 to the present day - Pimlico Station.
- Tate Modern Museum - Modern and contemporary art - Station Blackfriars + Millennium Bridge.
- National Gallery - The story of European art - Charing Cross Station.
- Victoria and Albert Museum - Decorative arts and design - South Kensington station.
- Saatchi Gallery - Contemporary art gallery - Sloane Square station.
Atypical Museums
- Sir John Soane’s Museum - Visit the house of the British architect Sir John Soane, packed with classical sculpture, paintings, and curiosities - Holborn station.
- Body Worlds - Exhibition of real human bodies - Entrance £24.50 - Piccadilly Circus Station.
- Madame Tussauds - Life-size wax replicas of famous celebrities and historic icons - Entrance £32 online price - Baker Street station.
- Design Museum - Inspiring insights into the world of design with exhibitions on fashion, architecture, graphics, product, and digital design - High Street Kensington Station.
- Barbican Centre - A performing arts center. You can visit this unique architecture, the indoor forest, the library, etc., for free; you will have to pay for any exhibition or performance. And next to it, you have a famous Banksy street art - Barbican Station.
Comments
Post a Comment