Travel London | The Best Things to do in London
- Dec 21, 2021
- 4 min read
Bustling streets, amazing fashion, foodie paradise and beautiful architecture - London has it all!
Recently I spent some time in the city of London and absolutely loved it! This was both mine and my husband's first time in London and we were not disappointed. Being in the city during the festive season was also such a bonus as the festive spirit is so evident!
If you are planning on travelling to London, I have the perfect guide for you. This guide shares all the best places, spots and activities in London city, and is jam-packed with a lot of walking, touring, eating and drinking! So, if you are interested in learning how to make the most of your time in London city, then keep on reading...
🚃The Best Way to Get Around
These days getting around the city is fairly easy, there are so many public transport options available it is almost impossible not to be able to get somewhere with ease! Most public transport in London has become contactless, meaning you can pay as you go using your bank card tap. If your bank card does not have the tap option, then I would suggest getting an Oyster card. These are cards that you can top-up with money as you go, and allow you access on to all modes of transport around London.
🏨Where to Stay
There are SO many great hotel options in London, and if you are planning to stay mostly in London city, I would suggest keeping your hotel search within the zones 1 and 2. We stayed in Victory House Hotel in Leceister Square, which was an amazing spot as it was close to a lot of important things we wanted to see and do! Here is a link to the Victory House Hotel.
Here are a few other hotels I saw that are good prices and in decent locations:
📸The Best Touristy Sights
📍Big Ben, Palace of Westminster and the London Eye
The best way to see Big Ben as well as London Eye is to go to Westminster Bridge. From the bridge you can get a great view of all three attractions as well as of the city from the River Thames. This spot is perfect to stand and look around - remember to bring your camera and take lots of pictures!
From here, I would recommend walking to Westminster Abbey, as it is just down the road.
📍Buckingham Palace
The next stop to make is Buckingham Palace. I would recommend walking through St. James Park before heading to the palace, as it is a beautiful park with great scenery (here you can also grab a quick lunch if you'd like).
Buckingham Palace is a beautiful scene, and it is generally quite busy at the gates. If you are lucky you can even catch the changing of the guards at the gates!
📍Tower Bridge
From the palace make your way to Tower Bridge. This bridge is kind of on the opposite side of the palace, but is worth the journey!
📍Portobello Road Market
Portobello road is an awesome street to go explore where you can find antiques, vintage and patriotic British items all in one walk! The market is open most days, however I would recommend going on a Friday or Saturday for the best experience of the antique and vintage shops.
📍Notting Hill
Portobello road Market is within the area of Notting Hill, so whilst you are there I would highly recommend you take a stroll through the picturesque streets. There are also so many amazing cafés and restaurants for you to try in this area!
🍽Where to Eat
London is exploding with great food, pastries, coffee, and bars (I wish I could have tried them all!). It may seem overwhelming when you're there, and myself and my husband definitely felt so underprepared and uneducated once we got there, leaving us walking around for hours trying to decide where to eat! Because there are so many option, covid regulations, as well as so many people, I would highly recommend you do your research before and always make sure to make your dinner reservations for the evenings prior (it will help so much!).
I have compiled a list for you of all the places we ate at and loved. Due to London being so large, I have also categorised the spots according to their area/location:
📍Soho
Soho is a great area full of vibrant pubs, fantastic restaurants and bustling streets. Here are a few restaurants I can recommend in this area:
🍲Korean Dinner Party in Carnaby street
🍝Lina Stores in Greek street
🌮Upstiars at La Bodega Negra
🍽Kingly Court (lots of restaurants and cafes within this courtyard) in Carnaby street
🍸Bar Soho in Old Compton street
🍹The Spice of Life in Moor street
📍Leicester Square
This area is a great place to get the real London-bustle experience. It is incredibly busy in this area and full of theatres, cafes, restaurants, shops and more!
🥘Leicester Square Kitchen in St Martin's street
🍷Cork and bottle Wine club in Leicester road
🥮China Town (this is literally just off Leicester square, and there are too many good places in here to name!).
📍Notting Hill
If you are out in Notting Hill & Portobello road way, there are a few good places I would recommend you go to eat:
🍝Pepperon in Lancaster road
🥐Gail's Bakery in Portobello road
🥗Mediterreneo in Kensington Park road
🛍Where to shop
In London there are thousands of amazing shops (franchise, local or boutique) and it is such fun to walk the streets and scout all the London fashion. Here, I have put together a list of the best shopping streets for you to go to:
👠Regent street
🛍Oxford street
👗Brick Lane
🛍Carnaby street
👞Portobello road
And that's it for my first London blog post! Keep your eyes peeled for my next blogs for my guides and travel advice!
In the meantime: You can check out my Instagram here for all my travel pics, stories and behind the scenes 📸
lots of love, Britt xx
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