London City Guide
Transportation:
For the tube, see how much you’re going to be taking it—they have one-day cards with unlimited travel, but it might not be worth it if you’re not taking a ton of trips. If you’re just buying fare for the trips you’re taking, there are a couple of different ways to buy tickets at the kiosks. Best way is to punch in your destination and it will give you your exact one way fare and the paper card. Tube is not cheap! If you’re in a group it might be better to cab or Uber depending on where you’re going.
The Tube works on zones for prices, so make sure you check what zone your stop is and make sure you get a fare that covers it. Zones 1&2 are typically covered as the default but your hotel might be in 3. See above. Just punch in your destination at the kiosk and you’ll be covered.
A note on Heathrow. Don’t mess around. As of the summer of 2022, the airport was not quite as crazy as the media reported but definitely hectic and disorganized… especially for a country that knows how to queue! Airport staff were not in any hurry to move people along and didn’t seem to give a F if folks missed their flight. Also, there can be construction and traffic on the way to and around the airport. It was a solid hour+ from downtown on a Sunday morning. You won’t regret giving yourself extra time. It’s an unpredictable atmosphere.
Things to do:
Museums/Experiences: overall, book ahead as much as possible, even if that’s a day or two ahead once you get there.
London Eye (not amazing but better than I thought)
West End shows
As of 2022: Use the British TKTS website to buy same day tickets for a show. You can also go to their kiosk in Piccadilly. Online tickets go on sale at midnight but there’s plenty of options available throughout the day right up until showtime. Tickets seem generally cheaper than what we pay in the U.S. and the quality is excellent. Skip a night out at dinner and spend the money at a show. Worth it.
The WWII museum: https://www.iwm.org.uk/
Churchill War Rooms are fascinating if you like history (or even if you don’t!) Book for a rainy day because you’re totally underground the whole time.
First time in London? Try a walking tour with London Walks: https://www.walks.com Lots of different topics, times and meeting points to choose from. Small tours with local guides. Two hours in duration. Even if you’ve seen the sights before, these walking tours are great at giving you more depth on a site or neighborhood (also sometimes it’s nice to have someone else do the “work” for you). Tours are very casual. You reserve online but there’s no penalty if you don’t show up. You pay the guide directly when you gather at the meeting point (cash or credit card accepted).
The Tower of London
cool, but not what I expected. You go into the complex area and then you can go into a few different buildings with different exhibits. The crown jewels are there, which is awesome, and then you can walk around the tops of the buildings, see some of the older rooms, jails, etc. If you care about crowds, I’d try to go right when it opens. If you’d rather sleep, just know it will be crowded. Best bet is to book the early entry slot (like 9:30). You’ll have a 30 minute window to enter so as long as you’re there by 10 you’re good. The grounds get crowded fast so hit the crown jewels first or second so you don’t have to wait in line.
Depending on how much time you spend, I’d say it would take an hour or two. There’s not too much other stuff around there, so I’d plan to get food or anything else somewhere else—the stuff there will be full of tourists.
If you do the Tower in the morning, then you could then get lunch and then hit a museum in the afternoon. Also, if you’ve never been to London and are expecting to see Tower Bridge you’ll see it from here. No need to make a special trip :)
Typical big museum stuff, but it’s free! It’s near Covent Garden, which is a little touristy and has some of the usual chain stores, but it’s fun to walk around so you could do lunch there and then walk to the museum. There’s a restaurant called Dishoom, that has a location in that area. Indian food, decor is London Indian from the 60s. Also the National Gallery is at Trafalgar Sq, which is then a straight shot down the Mall (like the one in DC, not shopping) to Buckingham Palace, if you want to do a little more walking and check that off your list.
One of my faves—it’s focused more on design, textiles, etc. They have an amazing fashion and costumes collection, and usually have cool special exhibitions. Not free, but I think worth it. They also have the David Bowie archive at an offsite location.
Tate Galleries
Tate Britain is the original, mix of older and contemporary art
Tate Modern is the newer, across the river and all modern art. Both are free!
Places to explore:
Kensington and Belgravia neighborhoods are some of the super posh areas, so it’s fun to wander and see fancy houses. There’s also a Dishoom in Kensington—all of their locations have similar menus but slightly different designs. But there are also a ton of café type restaurants in that area. And of course, pubs, which will have more basic foods.
You’d be closer to Kensington Palace and Hyde Park in that area, if you want see big fancy houses and walk in a park. If you’re lucky enough to hit a patch of perfect weather in London, plan to walk the park end to end. It’s the best people watching and so serene. There’s a section in the middle near the Diana Memorial with a few outdoor bars, a playground, pedal boats, swans, and a public swimming area. It makes for a terrific pit stop.
British Museum: Full of all the stuff the Brits pillaged during their explorations. The collection is unbelievable. Start in the Enlightenment Gallery which is the oldest room in the building and organized by topic: natural world, archaeology, trade. etc. The Parthenon friezes are also here. Incredible. The British Museum is free. You can book an entry ticket if you don’t want to wait but the lines move fast.
Notting Hill: Portobello Market has a bunch of shops and stalls with various types of stuff—food, clothes, etc. I think it’s open most days but biggest on the weekend. It’s a good starting point to walk around in the neighborhood. The stalls go on for more than a mile and it’s very crowded. The cream of the crop is at the top of Portobello Road. You’ll find all the silver, art, antiques, and high-end designer labels up there. The lower you go the junkier it gets.
You can easily walk from Notting Hill to Kensington Palace. (So… market in the morning and then walk to the Palace.) The grounds and gardens are beautiful. You don’t have to tour the palace to enjoy the space. Tip: You don’t need a ticket to access the Palace gift shop and bathrooms (!) You just have to go through a quick security check.
Soho/Mayfair: Close-ish to Covent Garden area, a little touristy but it’s where Carnaby Street is if you want to check that box, and one of my favorite stores, Liberty. Perfect for gifts if you need something very British—they create their own textile designs and make tea towels and kitchen stuff with them. Also near Oxford Circus, which I’d avoid. It’s just big chain stores and a TON of teenage tourists.
St. James Park. Not as famous as Hyde Park but equally beautiful. Picturesque views of Buckingham Palace. More swans and ducks than you can count.
Fortnum & Mason: All the very best tea and sweets on the main floor. Great for gifts.
Jermyn Street: If you’re a man, window shop your heart out here. All the best shoes, suits and everything you’d ever need to curate the perfect dopp kit (razors, brushes, combs).
Food:
Pubs are great for easy, no stress food and people will mostly leave you alone if you want that. Some of them you order at the bar, and some the bartender will come to your table so just ask when you go in. If you just need a break from walking and want a drink, also great for that. They’ll let you sit for whatever.
Pret-A-Manger: I know we have them here now, but I still love them for a quick sandwich.
Wagamama: Pan-asian noodles, somewhere between fast-casual and sit down, though I think they do table service. Delicious!
Paul: ditto to being in the US, but if you need some delicious French pastries or macarons, it’s a solid choice.
Nandos: delicious chicken!
The Grenadier: A pub on a dead end street with history. Small and secluded. Near the embassies. Where one might go if they wanted to eat and drink in private.
St John Bread and Wine: a friend with the best taste highly recommended. They may be opening a second location.
Gymkhana (Indian): another friend recommended it, haven’t been.
The Shed: Terrible name. Quirky place. Fabulous food. So good. Farm to table but legit. Located between Notting Hill and Kensington Place. If you go to Notting Hill in the morning, stop here for lunch, then walk the grounds of Kensington Palace and back through Hyde Park. If it’s a nice weather day, this is a perfect Saturday itinerary.
Tescos and Sainsbury are the big grocery chains, and both of them have smaller versions in the city if you need anything like water, snacks, or chocolate. They both usually also have prepackaged sandwiches if you need to grab something—there will probably be one near your hotel if you need to stock up on anything.
Marks & Spencer (M&S)—department store with a big grocery section and prepared foods. Also great if you have an emergency and need an extra t shirt or socks.
Hotels:
London hotels are expensive. There’s no way around it.
The St. Ermin’s Hotel in Westminster. Lots of Americans here BUT the hotel is charming and has WWII history (so not totally souless). Rooms are comfortable, fresh and clean. Great location near St. James Tube Stop, park, and Westminster Abbey. Huge spread for breakfast if you want to add that to your hotel package. Solid bar too which is great after a long day of sightseeing or if you need a break from rain.
Kimpton Fitzroy. Yes, another American chain but looks swanky. All of a sudden it’s on all the “best of” lists.