London Town
There is so much to see, eat & explore in London. When I was planning to come here for thanksgiving I honestly wasn’t sure what I wanted to do or how long I really wanted to spend here. I also planned this trip pretty last minute which I’d not recommend considering typically flights are SUPER expensive last minute. But I’d assume most people kinda know that haha.
I’ve honestly been to London a few times and I love it more and more everytime I come back. When I was in University I studied abroad in London for 4 months. It was my favorite experience while in University I was even lucky enough to be in London for my 21st birthday, which ironically isn’t that big a deal since the drinking age is 18 in the UK. But even still couldn’t have been a more fun time. Anyway with that being said I also grew up visiting Europe and London a fair amount since my grandparents lived in the south of Spain. It I knew since I’d been here a few times already it wouldn’t be a typical tourist visit. Even though the last time I was in London was probably 9 years ago too so it’s changed a lot. More delicious restaurants and food options but still the same classic places to visit so I kinda went in thinking I’d try and explore new areas of the city or new restaurants since the last time I’ve been back.
A few little tips upon arrival in London. Regardless of which international airport you arrive Gatwick or Heathrow both of them offer a fast train from the airports to a station in the center of London. Honesty that’s what I did and I would say don’t do it. It is a LOT of money and only saves you maybe half an hour. Plus the tube is pretty easy depending where in London you’re staying. Grab yourself a Oyster card or pay with your contactless/Apple Pay cc on your phone. If you register with the London Underground it’ll save you money in the long run because once you’ve hit £7 you can ride the tube as many times as you’d like. I wish i had known that sooner because I spent far too much money on the tube.
I had 3 full days and two half days in total for my London trip. I honestly spent one day wandering around City of London, Tower Bridge, the Shard & doing a little shopping at Oxford Circle then home and dinner.
Another day I spent with my sister traveling to Kew Gardens, which takes at least an hour one way, lunch out there and back in the city for another round of shopping & cocktails. Then of course my final day we spent it wandering around oxford circles grabbing some delicious lunch and seeing all the Christmas lights at Covent Gardens. So it was a very different London visit than most people would probably do.
I have listed the typical tourist attractions for those visiting for the first time as well as some new restaurants to check out. I’d say that if you want to enjoy yourself without rushing your time in London then 4-5 days would be great if you want to rush it you could easily see a lost of the main spots in 3 days it’ll just be very quick.
Anyway hopefully all this information is super helpful and interesting for everyone! Enjoy!
Sightseeing
Tower of London
Tower Bridge
Hyde Park
Buckingham Palace
Kew Garden
Natural History Museum
Tate modern
Stroll around the ‘City of London’
Restaurants
Gloria (I’d personally skip the brunch since when I ate there I felt it was average. But I heard dinner was great but if you want to go here make sure you get there early or book a reservation.)
Getting around
Tube or walking around
Great Areas to stay:
Hoxton
Angel
Hotels:
Premier Inn (Shoreditch/Hoxton)
Bars:
Sketch - Honestly I wasn’t really impressed with the cocktails or the service. The bathrooms are the coolest part since thats where the PODS are but other than that I don’t know if it’s worth wasting your time.
Hopefully this was helpful a little bit and you have a fantastic time! Feel free to share any of this information or let me know any comments you might have!
