London calling! One of my besties since childhood, Georgie, is from England and despite growing up in the US, I think she knew she always wanted to move back to England. When she got a job in the fashion PR industry in London and moved back, I knew I would have to visit her (I miss her terribly!). But there ways always a reason why it wasn’t a good time for me to visit – I’m in graduate school, I’m planning and paying for a wedding this year, we’re in the middle of a global pandemic (okay this one was actually a legitimate reason), the list goes on.
After subscribing to Scott’s Cheap Flights emails and setting various European cities as destinations I was interested in, I got a notification for a roundtrip flight to London at a price I just couldn’t pass up. Thanks to my massively supportive husband, I contemplated the trip for about two seconds before booking my flight. A 10-day girls trip in Europe?! It seemed like I was living someone else’s life.
The incredible experiences I had topped my anticipation for the trip! While I am no expert here, I thought I’d share some of my favorite (or should I say favourite) stops in London and a few tips and tricks I learned along the way. If you’re planning a visit there, I hope they help! If not, I hope you enjoy a little peek into my trip!
TRANSPORTATION
Public transportation is much more commonly used in London than most of America. It may seem intimidating at first, but I promise it’s actually fairly simple to navigate. Download the app “City Mapper” and it will help you navigate which tube or bus lines to use and what stops to swap lines or get off on!
FOOD
- Chestnut Bakery – Adorable little stop for breakfast or just to grab a quick coffee and pastry. I would recommend the croissant with gruyere cheese. Delish!
- Circolo Popolare – An incredible Italian place Georgie took me to, not too far from her work in Oxford Circus. Get the burrata, you won’t regret it!
- Granger & Co – Great brunch spot in Notting Hill.
- Soho House – I got a bit spoiled by Georgie and her work membership to Soho House London, so I was able to have dinner on the rooftop of their Shoreditch House location. I had a great salad, but really the relaxed vibe was the best part of this place!
- Pret a Manger – It’s a London coffee house chain on every corner, so not a revolutionary recommendation, BUT they have incredible coffee, pastries, sweets and really great grab-and-go lunch options.
- Dishoom – BEST Indian food I’ve ever had. If you don’t go to any other place I recommend, go here. You won’t regret it. Note that they always have a crazy wait – Georgie took me here early specifically so we could actually get a table!
ATTRACTIONS
Okay there are endless things to do in London, perks of a big city, but here are some of the attractions I visited that I would recommend!
- Bus & Boat City Tour – I signed up for a four hour bus to boat tour of the city my first day (booked through Tripadvisor). Super touristy (yep, it was a classic vintage, red, double-decker bus), but really informative. I felt it was a great way to efficiently see a ton of sights and the tour guide was great about telling us the history of a lot of places. I would highly recommend! Some of the attractions I saw while on the bus or boat:
- From the bus: Big Ben, St. Paul’s Cathedral, Westminster Abbey, The Shard
- From the boat: Lots of bridges, including Tower Bridge, London Bridge, and Millennium Bridge (seen in Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince), The London Eye, The Tower of London
- Buckingham Palace – I walked to Buckingham Palace immediately following my bus and boat tour. It obviously holds a lot of British history and is a must-see spot, but I have to admit, I thought it would be a bit bigger!
- Westminster Abbey – This was my favorite historical stop I made. Well worth the entry free. Be sure to plan about an hour to get through the audio tour. You’ll learn a lot and the architecture is breathtaking!
- Victoria Park – London is surprisingly full of parks, but I spent the most time in Victoria Park. Georgie lives nearby, so we went for our daily morning runs through the park!
- West End Shows – This is London’s version of Broadway. Georgie and I saw Harry Potter and the Cursed Child and I couldn’t recommend it more! I haven’t seen it on Broadway so I can’t attest to the American version, but there was just something about seeing the British play in London that made it extra special. In London the show is split into two, two-hour parts so you can grab dinner at intermission!
- Warner Brothers Studio Tour – Okay if you’re a huge Harry Potter fan like me, this tour is worth taking! I booked mine through Tripadvisor, as it’s about an hour outside of the city and the ticket I booked also included a coach to and from the studio. It was super cool to see the sets and props from the movies!
- Covent Garden – Think outdoor mall-esque. This is a fun place to grab a bite to eat or go shopping. I had the most amazing vegan ice cream of my life here one evening!
- Notting Hill – If you’re looking for a great place to do some shopping, Notting Hill is super adorable. Georgie took me one afternoon and we enjoyed some window shopping after brunch.
- Morning Yoga at Sky Garden – Georgie and I took a yoga class my final morning in London at Sky Garden. It’s essentially a massive greenhouse on the top floor of a skyscraper downtown. It was really fun to see the views while getting some movement in.
- Afternoon Tea – I couldn’t leave London without the quintessential afternoon tea! Georgie and I went to tea at Dean Street Townhouse my last afternoon in the city. It was incredible and just felt so fun! I will say – this could be a full lunch rather than an afternoon snack. Lots of delish sandwiches and treats are served with your tea.
I hope you enjoyed my London recommendations. It’s a really cool city that I’m so lucky I got to visit. I hope you get to travel there one day!
