I have been asked for a few tips and tricks for London sightseeing! It's my favourite topic and I had so much to say that it may take a few posts to share what I know but this lists the greatest hits that we plan for our visitors.
For how to get around from airports and getting a visitor Oyster card see THIS post
For how to get around from airports and getting a visitor Oyster card see THIS post
Best of London tour
Here's the MAP!
Buckingham Palace to Westminster Square, St Paul's, Borough Market, Sky Garden at 20 Fenchurch Street aka Walkie Talkie, Leadenhall Market (I've tagged a couple of places if you want to hit a Harry Potter spot because, hey, you're in England!)
Buckingham Palace is massive, 775 rooms...no biggie.
Changing of the Guard is cool but NOT a thing that you need dedicate time to see. This is because even though in the summer, the guard changes daily (as opposed to winter when it is every other day) you have to show up 1-2 hours before the ceremony to have a decent view of the courtyard.
The Old Guard forms up in Friary Court at 11:00am for inspection and begin walking down the Mall at 11:15am. 11:30 begins the music, drums and march about.
*Interesting to note*When the Queen is in residence, the guard carries her colours: crimson. At other times the guard carries the regimental colors: the Union Flag.
My advice is: if you catch the guard marching down the Mall or away from the Palace, it's just as good as/better then being mushed up against the gate for a few hours.
With Buckingham Palace at your back, walk down the Mall to Admiralty Arch.
Changing of the Guard is cool but NOT a thing that you need dedicate time to see. This is because even though in the summer, the guard changes daily (as opposed to winter when it is every other day) you have to show up 1-2 hours before the ceremony to have a decent view of the courtyard.
The Old Guard forms up in Friary Court at 11:00am for inspection and begin walking down the Mall at 11:15am. 11:30 begins the music, drums and march about.
*Interesting to note*When the Queen is in residence, the guard carries her colours: crimson. At other times the guard carries the regimental colors: the Union Flag.
My advice is: if you catch the guard marching down the Mall or away from the Palace, it's just as good as/better then being mushed up against the gate for a few hours.
With Buckingham Palace at your back, walk down the Mall to Admiralty Arch.
You'll see St James Palace and Park on your left and right as you make your way down the Mall.
Admiralty Arch
Walk straight through Admiralty Arch and you will be in the center of Trafalgar Square!
If your heart is set on museum visits, this would be a great time to pop in to see the art. These galleries are both FREE with a suggested donation so you can feel ok just walking for a few minutes to half an hour rather than spending the whole morning/afternoon getting your money's worth.
As you walk down Whitehall to Westminster Square, you'll pass the Horseguard Parade and 10 Downing Street. This is from the west side of the Horseguard Parade.
Some things to know: Big Ben is the largest bell inside of the Elizabeth Tower, not the name of the tower itself. Common misunderstanding. The Tower was once called St Stephen's Tower.
All around the square are statues of historical influential leaders. Gandhi, President Lincoln, Winston Churchill, Nelson Mandela to name a few.
Westminster Abbey is neat and notable for its royal history but I would recommend you spend the money and time to explore St Paul's Cathedral. It's a personal favorite for absolutely amazing architecture and overall experience!
The London Eye, London Aquarium and London County Hall.
If you buy tickets to the London Eye, it is worth getting the flash tickets. We got them and literally walked right on. Time is money so it was nice to not have to wait 45+ minutes in the queue.
Depending on the size of your travel party or time crunch, taking an über from Westminster Square to St Paul's Cathedral is recommended here. It's £6-9 trip depending on traffic.
OR you can use my favorite transit app to get around London, CityMapper. Get on the bus or tube. Even though the Underground can be faster or direct (sometimes) I highly recommend staying above ground so you can see as much as possible!
Continuing east you will see Shakespeare's Globe, Tate Modern, the Bankside shopping.
Mostly, the walk is taking you straight to LUNCH!
Even though it is crowded this is the most central place for almost any kind of food. French, Caribbean, Italian, Greek, Indian, Vegetarian, and more.
(east toward London and Tower Bridges, can't miss them)
You will see the iconic London skyline when you make your way back to the River Thames. The towering skyscraper is the Shard, tallest building in Western Europe.
If your feet aren't killing you yet, walk across the Tower Bridge (or London Bridge is closer) to the north bank.
The Tower of London is an excellent site to explore if you have a few hours to dedicate to it. Honestly if you want to see it, dedicate a half day to it. Grab some fish and chips before or after.
There is a stop here for the Thames River Cruise if you get a chance to get on that!
You will see the iconic London skyline when you make your way back to the River Thames. The towering skyscraper is the Shard, tallest building in Western Europe.
If your feet aren't killing you yet, walk across the Tower Bridge (or London Bridge is closer) to the north bank.
There is a stop here for the Thames River Cruise if you get a chance to get on that!
London's best kept secret! It's FREE to get a ticket to the viewing platform. It's a view from the north bank unlike anything else. You will have to get tickets in advance. Reserving tickets is easy BUT only released two-three weeks in advance. Check at least TWO weeks before your trip to make sure you can get your pick of available times. Sky Garden recently updated their booking website so it is much easier to use!
Love that view.
This map is for getting a few more places in on this one day around the city.
Head to Bank or Monument station to go see two great train stations: Kings Cross (Harry Potter alert!) and St Pancras. They are both beautiful. St Pancras Renaissance Hotel does a beautiful and tasty afternoon tea. More on afternoon teas later...
Jump back on the tube to Baker Street, the fictional home of Sherlock Holmes and Dr John Watson.
What you really need to see here is Regent's Park!
Take a nice stroll through the Rose Garden in early summer to enjoy the thousands of fragrant roses or paddle boat in the lake.
Regent's Park
Grab a bike and pedal along the canal on the north end of the park to a lively night market called Camden Lock Market for food, crafts, jewelry and more.
Or go a bit further north of the canal and the London Zoo to Primrose Hill. The hill itself gives you the elevation to see the city skyline while walking around the hill will take you through some of the most expensive properties in London.
(A tiny garden area in Primrose Hill, with no permits to build on it, was sold for £250,000 last year...no joke)
You can't miss the market, day or night. It's a vibrant area of London and one of the few markets that are open later than 5pm.
There's a whole post just about getting around and some more suggestions on what to do for afternoon tea :)
(PS please look up anything I mention here and feel free to ask questions in the comments!)
(PS please look up anything I mention here and feel free to ask questions in the comments!)
