First Timer: 5 Days in London
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Let's hop across the pond and visit London. London is the largest city in the UK and is brimming with food, history and art. I spent 5 days exploring what the city had to offer.
During our trip we were greeted with the quintessential London Fog for most of our trip, but were treated to some brief rays of light.
We arrived in London via Eurostar train after spending 3 days exploring Amsterdam. Check out how I spent time there!
For this trip we purchased a 2 day All Inclusive London City Pass, which grants access to many attractions. As you read along, I'll note which are included!
Without further ado here is how to spend 5 jam packed days eating through and experiencing London.
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Getting Around
There are three major airports that will put you near London City Center: London Heathrow, Gatwick and London City. Make sure to play around with flight costs to see which makes the most sense for your trip.
Once arriving at the airport the most cost-effective way to get into the city is via the tube (subway) otherwise known as the London Underground. These series of trains can pretty much get you anywhere you need to be within London and are extremely easy to navigate even for a novice traveler.
All stations accept contactless pay methods, so no need to get an Oyster card, unless you like it as a souvenir.
Outside of public transport you also have Uber and Taxis available. Though these are more costly. When I first came to London for a work trip my taxi was $90+ to get to Shoreditch. I swore at that moment if I ever came for leisure I would not be taking a taxi again.
However, if you have a lot of luggage it may make sense.
Accessibility Note
If you've read my other stuff you know I have a chronic illness, specifically Rheumatoid Arthritis. This trip was fairly difficult for me. Exploring London takes a considerable amount of walking. Whether you're trying to get to your destination or admiring the art in the museums, you will be on your feet for a prolonged amount of time.
There are also a fair bit of stairs pretty much everywhere. Everytime you get on/off the tube there will be steps. Most stations will have elevators, but there are some that do not, they will be labeled.
The constant movement definitely caused me to experience significant flare ups unfortunately. Luckily I asked my doctor for a prednisone script before going. I do not like to take it often, but if I didn't have it I don't think I would've managed this trip.
Make sure to speak with your Physician to see what is right for you.
Where to Stay
London is expansive encompassing multiple neighborhoods. Honestly as long as you're within walking distance to an Underground line you'll be able to easily access the major sites and attractions.
We stayed at Park Plaza Victoria London which was right across the street from Victoria Underground which is a main terminal line. This location allowed us to easily access transit and was also within easy walking distance to big sites like Buckingham Palace.
We also considered staying at The Clermont London, Charing Cross; which is close to the National Gallery and Trafalgar Square. It was really a toss up.
Day 1: Arrival + British Museum + Leicester Square
Highlights Include:
British Museum
Leicester Square
Picadilly Circus
As stated prior, we took the train into London from Amsterdam. I've always heard about the Eurostar and was eager to travel around Europe like the Europeans do.
The train ride is about 4 hours long, stopping halfway in Brussels for a transfer. Once you get to Brussels it’s utter mayhem and a mad dash to the train! There are attendants stationed around to usher you in the right direction which is essential because the Brussels station is not simple to navigate.
Since the UK is not a part of the EU you have to go through Customs in Brussels before getting on the train. This process was arduous to say the least. People were concerned about missing their train, but they couldn't leave all of us.
We arrived in the afternoon and went straight to the hotel to check-in. They let us check in early which was awesome because I really wanted to sit for a moment before heading off.
First stop food! We had to get the quintessential English dish, Fish and Chips! I was so excited because this is already one of my go to dishes.
We went to Fishoria Fish and Chips and it did not disappoint. Great service and the food was fantastic. Great batter, crispy fries and peas….that part wasn't expected but its the way the dish is served. Guess it's good to have vegetables.
Next we went to the British Museum, one of the many free museums within London. Though it's free it's still suggested to make a reservation. I did not note this, but we were still able to get in at the back entrance.
The building as you can imagine is huge, you can easily spend several hours exploring all it has to offer. Unfortunately due to our late arrival into the city we didn't have much time. I concentrated on the exhibits I would be most interested in.
Pro-tip: The British Museum, National Gallery, House of Parliament, Natural History Museum, and Science Museum are all free. However, you will need to make reservations for entry. All the museums are quite large. Plan to spend at least 2.5 hours in each, depending on how detailed you are.
Once we had our fill, we walked over to Covent Garden. This open-air shopping center is located in the West End. You'll find restaurants, shopping and general entertainment.
We then wandered around Leicester Square and had fun taking pictures with the different sculptures.
Next Piccadilly Circus, this is often touted as a good place to stay. I disagree, it's essentially Times Square if you've ever been to New York City. It is pure chaos, especially at night. The lights and crowds were too much for me.
We quickly ducked away to find solice on a quieter street. We found this beautiful fairy light lined street and I knew we had to find some dinner there.
Then I hear the faint sounds of anime music. There was a Naruto pop up shop at Heddon Yokocho. I was hype and knew I had to eat there, plus it was chilly so ramen would hit.
We were able to get outside seating under a heated lamp and had some darn good ramen.
With bellies full we were done with our first jam packed day in London.
Day 2: Buckingham Palace + Afternoon Tea
Highlights Include:
Buckingham Palace
Big Ben
House of Parliaments
London Eye
Afternoon Tea - Corinithia London
It's my birthday! So logically I must spend such a historic day amongst royalty…like myself.
Buckingham Palace is only open to visitors during specific times and this happened to be the last day of the year. Talk about fate! We booked a tour through Viator that would give a tour around the palace, in the palace and grant views of the changing of the guard.
Our guide was on it, he had us running all around but we had fantastic views of segments of the changing of the guards, plus he was hilarious.
Definitely wear good walking shoes as these people walk fast and there is a lot of ground to cover.
Within the Palace grounds you'll also find the Royal Mews and King's Gallery. We decided to forgo these as many of the artwork was already seen within the state rooms and decided to leave for Big Ben.
Located at the end of the House of Parliament this architectural marvel is a must see and frankly you can’t miss it if you tried. I got some great pictures outside, but you are able to go inside if you book ahead.
Book quickly as it sells out fast! We then walked across the Westminster Bridge which was packed as it offers great views of Big Ben, and visited the London Dungeon which is an interactive show recounting the horror stories of London's past, the Graffiti Tunnel and of course a ride around the London Eye (included in city pass).
Fun Tidbit: The Graffiti Tunnel has a Philadelphia themed restaurant named after Passyunk Ave. There were a host of Eagles fans dining there.
For dinner I had to have a traditional afternoon tea. This was honestly what I was looking forward to! Can you really come to London and not have an Afternoon Tea?! We chose the tea at the Corinthia London and it was beautiful.
I had to choose a spot that was feeding real food! Not just cucumber sandwiches and this was it. They had 5 sandwich varieties and I enjoyed all of them.
This place had the best scones I've ever eaten, I still think about them. So warm and soft, the perfect accompinate to the jams. I was so full, I forgot to save room for dessert and ended up taking those home.
We ended the night checking out the View from the Strand, included with city pass, with reservation. Seeing the beauty of a city at night is always the perfect end to a day.
Day 3: Westminster Abbey + Tower of London
Highlights Include:
Westminster Abbey
National Gallery
St. Paul's Cathedral
Shakespeare's Globe
Tower of London
Tower Bridge
We started the day going to see Westminster Abbey which is included with your city pass, reservation needed. I originally planned this on day 2 due to its proximity to Buckingham Palace and the other sites but changed plans, so the day wouldn’t be too jam packed.
Westminster Abbey is still an active church and is where most of the Royal family and prominent members of society are buried. Definitely worth visiting and see if you can find some of the notable tombs of Charles Dickens, William Shakespeare, Isaac Newton and more.
Next we went over to the National Gallery in Trafalgar Square. This is a free museum that features Western European art. We booked a reservation, but didn't stay long as I'm not the biggest fan of the art form.
We then hopped to the opposite side of town for the remainder of the day to see St. Paul's Cathedral, Shakespeare's Globe, Tower of London and Tower Bridge.
All of those attractions are included in the city pass. Only the Tower Bridge needed a reservation.
Sadly right as we were getting to the Tower Bridge my phone died! The attendant could see the ticket, but my battery was so low that the screen was too dim to scan the ticket. I'm still shocked she didn't just let us in.
Other than that the rest of the attractions were cool. We had a great tour of the globe and my mom walked to the top of the Cathedral. I couldn't make the journey but it was still a beautiful church to sit in.
For dinner my mom had her first taste of Indian food at the Cinnamon Club. I'm pretty sure I've ruined her from all other Indian food because this place was amazing. Everything was incredibly flavorful and I had the juiciest chicken thighs I've ever tasted.
Day 4: Stonehenge Tour
Today we're off early to embark on a day trip to Stonehenge, Windsor, Bath and Lacock. The great thing about booking the Park Place Victoria is that it's right down the street from the coach station we were getting picked up at.
This tour was great as you got to visit a variety of locations. Some of the tours only visit Stonehenge and though it's remarkable, I wouldn't need a full day of it.
Lacock is home to some notable sites in the Harry Potter film series. See if you'll be able to identify the famous sites. This is also where you will stop for lunch.
Windsor is a cute town where Windsor Castle is located. This is where the late Queen Elizabeth II is laid to rest alongside her parents.
Bath is a roman town where you're given a quick tour, then ample free time to wander around. We were able to get into the final slot to go tour the ruins of Roman Baths. Really is a site to see.
Then of course Stonehenge. It really is an architectural marvel, but if you're expecting to get up close and personal think again. There is a rather large perimeter around the stones with a trail to follow. Definitely have fun and complete the photo challenges they have set up!
Day 5: History + Science Museum + Theater
Highlights Include:
Regency Cafe
National History Museum
Science Museum
Harrods
For our final day we decided to get a traditional English breakfast at the Regency Cafe. When looking up food spots, this frequently came up. The idea of an English breakfast doesn't seem to be the most appetizing, but we figured why not and started the walk over.
Definitely glad we decided to check this spot out for the woman taking orders alone. She was a site to behold. The command she took of the kitchen was just masterful.
The place will be packed and you might be anxious you won't find seating, but trust it somehow just ends up working out. Organized chaos at its finest.
Up next the Natural History Museum and Science Museum, the last two free museums to visit. These are my favorite types of museums to visit, so we spent a fair amount of time here before going to Harrods.
Harrods is the epitome of luxury shopping. Anything you can imagine you probably can buy in this store. Unfortunately that is not my tax bracket, yet, but we did get some food and chocolates.
If you go to Harrods for any reason at all it should be for the food court. It is astounding and an absolute crime that they don't have seating anywhere in the store.
Our trip ended with a play at His Majesty's Theatre to see Phantom of the Opera, which is touted as the number one play in the West End. I'd have to agree! Seeing a play while in London has to be on your list, I beg of you!
Final Thoughts
There is so much to see and do in London, this was only the tip. There were so many little markets and neighborhoods I would love to go back and visit.
The amount of history and art to see can almost be overwhelming, at one point I felt like I couldn't look at one more thing.
If you enjoyed this trip plan, I've made a Google maps list you can use to help plan your trip. Follow along and subscribe to get updates on more travel ideas.
Happy Travels!
