Guide

June 15,2018 | 784 1

London.. the capital city of the United Kingdom, home of the Buckingham Palace, Westminster, the London Eye, fish and chips and other very British things. Sitting on the banks of the River Thames, the city was around for 2 millennia and was called Londinia by the Romans.

I wanted to write this post about London next in my sequence of posts, because it was the first place that I travelled to on my own and spent the whole time there by myself. It was a trip where I really learnt a lot about myself, the things I like to do and how I like to plan my time when I don’t also need to cater to the needs of someone else.

It was really the trip which proved to me that I did not need anyone else to travel with and that I really do sometimes need to be by myself. I met so many interesting people and had so many amazing experiences even though I was by myself (more on my story here) so…. here’s a fact. Ladies out there! Even you gents. Don’t be apprehensive to travel alone. It may seem daunting at first but it’s rewarding I promise! 🙂

I was in London for a weekend and a half basically because I was doing an internship at a hospital close to Oxford, so I arrived in London and left from London and I basically had only 3 full days in the city. And I managed to see most of the main things. I wouldn’t discredit the city and say I saw everything, of course I didn’t. But as the theme of this blog goes, I saw what I needed to see and I left happy. Of course there’s plenty of things to do in London to enjoy it for a week or even 10 days but here goes 3 days in London….. Sheni style!

A travel itinerary for 3 days in London (extended to 4 days below)

DAY 1

What better way to start your first day in London than with an English Breakfast? This also ticks off a British staple that you have to try and fills you up all the way until the afternoon, so it’s a two in one! Have breakfast / brunch at Regency Cafe.

Pro tip no 1: This is by far the cheapest and best English breakfast you would find close to the city centre. This place has been around for over half a century and many movies have been filmed here. That explains the long queue that always awaits you, when you enter. However this is worth it because a set breakfast deal is only £5.50! 

After stuffing yourself with sausages, eggs and all the trimmings, walk through the streets of Westminster and head to Westminster Abbey which is an easy walk away from the cafe. See the Big Ben, and the Palace of Westminster where the Houses of Parliament are.

Fun fact : the Big Ben is not actually called that, it is called the Elizabeth tower, the Big Ben refers to the bell that is inside the tower!

Spend some time on Westminster Pier before you cross over Westminster Bridge, treating yourself to a beautiful sight of the Palace of Westminster and the Big Ben on one side of the Thames and the London Eye in the other! And the London Eye is precisely where we are heading next!

Pro tip no 2: Get your tickets in advance online. I couldn’t and found myself standing in a queue to get tickets for almost 2 hours and then another 30 minutes to get on the actual London Eye. If you have your tickets previously booked, it’s just a matter those 30 minutes to get on the Eye.

The views from here are nice, but I found myself being a little disappointed as I love picturesque cities and only the side of London with Westminster was super beautiful from the Eye, the rest just looked industrial. However, do go there, if it’s something you’ve always wanted to do!

Notting Hill

After getting some food or snacks, chill by the River Thames and then head by the Tube to Notting Hill (yup, it’s the same place as the movie – and the locations from the movie do exist, find them if you’re a fan!). This beautiful vibrant residential area is such a gem in busy London. Colourful cafe’s, handycraft stores, and antique stores are many of the lovely storefronts that line the famous Portobello Road. And uniform houses, with colourful doors would line up for streets and streets as you walk on through. Notting Hill would be the best place to have dinner, some drinks and finish up your first night in London!

Challenge : I had some really good and cheap fish and chips on Portobello Road. Find it and tag us in your picture on Instagram! ( it’s very close to Portobello Road and the only fish and chips place that’s right there! )

DAY 2

Start your day at the Tower Bridge, the Victorian Gothic style suspension bridge, one of the most recognizable icons in the city. 

Fun fact : Contrary to popular belief, its not the London Bridge that opens up in 2 sections, it’s the Tower Bridge.

Tower Bridge

After the bridge, check out the Tower of London which is literally right next to the bridge. The Tower, also called the White Castle, is a historic castle which was built by William the Conqueror all the way back in 1078! And you can have a tour inside and see the Crown Jewels as well, if time permits.

tower of london

Walk in the general direction of the London Bridge, passing the Monument to the Great Fire of London. (you could even go over the London Bridge and get to Southwark from here but I am leaving it in the itinerary for evening festivities) Get to St Paul’s Cathedral. This beautiful domed cathedral is truly a sight to see and the beautiful gardens around it are a nice place to sit if you need a moment. If you like to walk, walk or take a famed double-decker bus (also comes under the Oyster Card) to get to Trafalgar Square. This square with Nelson’s column rising up in the middle is framed by Lion statues and a beautiful fountain.

From here head to Leicester Square, before you finally go on to the Southwark area. See things such as the Shard (the tallest building in the EU – well before BREXIT, and the tallest building in London of course) This glass clad pyramidal building which rises up like a futuristic alien piece of broken glass could be seen many places in city. In the Southwark area, you would also find the Southwark cathedral , the Millenium Bridge, Tate Modern, olden style pubs, bars, restuarants and the Borough market. All within close range so you can sightsee and end the night with a pint at the pub!

DAY 3

Start your day with a royal experience by seeing the changing of the guard at the Buckingham Palace. This ceremonious event usually starts at 11am but do check on their website as sometimes it may change. And don’t think it would be boring, on the day that I was there, the Band played songs by Abba and songs from the Lord of the Rings soundtrack!

Changing of the Queen’s guard at Buckingham Palace

It will be very crowded and congested, so go there early. After it ends and the people dissipate, walk around the beautiful palace, the Buckingham Palace Gardens, Green park, St. James’ Palace and St James’ Park. St. James’ Park is not one to be missed if you don’t have time to stroll through all three as the beautiful lake inside and the lush trees offer beautiful views of the palace on one side and the London eye on the other.  And you could easily spend your afternoon laying on the grass.

View of Buckingham Palace from St. James’ Park

Now it’s time to head to the Horse Guards Parade. What is this place, you ask? This is where people famously try to make the queen’s guards laugh. From here walk through the decorated streets of Westminster to get to the river side where you can watch the sun fall over the city and the city light up with colour at night.

It is a beautiful location to get some pictures of the London Eye and all of Westminster as you finish up your 3 perfect days in London.

The London Eye

Things to do if you have more time (day 4)

Pick a few items from the list below that most interest you and make you own itinerary! 

• All museums are free in London. And the Natural History Museum is exceptionally worth it. I managed to go there in my 3 days in London but that’s because I am a crazy traveler who squeezes as much as she can into one day. But definitely go here if you have the interest and the time. And it’s a good way to start Day 4!
• Explore Camden, especially Camden Market, you can find street food from many countries here
• Take the smells and sights of China Town
• Take a river cruise on the river Thames
• Visit Baker Street (a tip for Sherlock Holmes Fans)
• If you are a Harry Potter fan, you could also head to the famed King’s Cross station to see Harry’s cart going in through Platform’s 9 and 10. You can go as well to see the Harry Potter Studio Tour (one hour from London – tickets need to be booked in advance)
• Regent’s Park and Hyde Park are very beautiful and lovely to spend some time in
• Imperial War Museums and Churchill War Rooms
• Covent Garden

London public transport is quite good and easy to navigate, it’s also too big to walk around from place to place everywhere as some locations are situated at a considerable distance from each other. So get yourself an Oyster Card (the London transport pass which you can top up), and familiarize yourself with the Tube (London’s way of calling the metro) – many stations like the Westminster station on the yellow line get you straight to the centre of the city

Pro tip no 4 – SAVER! : You could get the money for your Oyster card (5 pounds) back when you leave, by just putting it back in the machine where you bought it and selecting refund

Where to stay

I stayed in an amazing hostel called Palmers Lodge Swiss Cottage. Its centrally located in Zone 2 of the London Travel Network, close to a Tube station. I especially loved it for its woodwork and bedrooms which were remniscent of Harry Potter dorm rooms, with red satin curtain covered wooden single beds and a wooden chest under you. It was the perfect hostel room, because you had your own little “cabin” covered by curtains to crawl into. I booked in via Booking.com but you can also search for places on airbnb.com. And there are plenty of other places to stay via this website!

Where to go if you have more time in the UK

• Oxford
• Bath
• Bristol
• Cambridge