London has a reputation for being expensive, and honestly, it is. Accommodation, food, tickets, it adds up fast. But here’s the thing most people don’t realise until they’re actually there: you can spend three full days in London, see almost everything worth seeing, and spend next to nothing on entry tickets. The city is genuinely generous with its free attractions in a way that almost no other major European capital is.

And we’re not talking about just walking past things. We mean actually going in, spending hours, leaving impressed. Here’s everything we’d point you toward.

Just Walking Around London

Let’s start with the most obvious one that somehow always gets overlooked. Walking around London is its own free attraction. You don’t need a ticket to stand in front of Big Ben and take a photo that looks like a postcard. You don’t need to pay to walk across Tower Bridge and get one of the most iconic views in the city. You don’t need anything to stand in Trafalgar Square, wander through Covent Garden, or stumble upon a street that looks like it hasn’t changed in a hundred years.

Some of the best London moments happen between the ticketed things. A quiet alley, a view of the Thames with London Eye, a market street you turned down without a plan. Put good shoes on, open Google/Apple Maps, and just start walking. London rewards that more than almost any other city we’ve been to.

London Photography Guide: 15 Best Photo Spots in the City

The British Museum

Free to enter, and genuinely one of the greatest museums in the world. Not just in London. In the world. 8 million objects covering human history from prehistoric times to the present, all in one building, all free. Yeah, probably most of it stolen, but if they weren’t here, would they still be in the world? We cannot know. But they are now here for you to enjoy it.

The Rosetta Stone, the Parthenon Sculptures, the Easter Island statue, a mummified frog in the Egyptian gallery, a dog’s paw print on a brick from one of the earliest human settlements ever built. There is something genuinely surprising around every corner if you know where to look. We wrote a full guide to the things inside you really shouldn’t miss, because you could spend a full day here and still not see everything.

You do need to book a free timed entry slot in advance, it fills up fast. Book at britishmuseum.org. Go in the afternoon for smaller crowds.

⏰ Opening hours: Saturday to Thursday 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM, Fridays until 8:30 PM.

The Natural History Museum

Also free. Also extraordinary. The Natural History Museum in South Kensington is the most visited free attraction in the UK, and once you’ve been, you understand why. The building itself is worth the trip, the terracotta Victorian facade has 78 carved stone monkeys decorating the entrance arches. Inside, there’s a blue whale skeleton suspended from the ceiling of the main hall, you feel like a child that want’s to explore everything when you see that. There is also a T-Rex skeleton, a Triceratops skull, and enough dinosaurs to keep you occupied for hours.

🎟️ Book a free timed entry slot in advance.

⏰ Opening hours: Daily 10:00 AM to 5:50 PM, last entry 5:30 PM.

Changing of the Guard

Free, completely free, and one of those things that feels genuinely special even though you know it’s also a tourist attraction. Real soldiers, full dress uniform, red tunics, black bearskin caps, a regimental band playing down The Mall.

The trick is to not stand in front of Buckingham Palace with everyone else. Position yourself at the corner of Marlborough Rd and The Mall instead, watch the guards march past at arm’s length, then follow them toward the Palace if you want.

It happens every Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday. Be there by 10:30 AM. Always check the official schedule the morning of your visit as it’s cancelled in wet weather.

Want to secure the best spot for the ceremony? Read our full guide here.

Leadenhall Market

Free to walk through, and one of those places that makes you stop and look up. Leadenhall Market is a Victorian covered market in the City of London with an ornate painted ceiling that looks more like a palace hall than a market. If you’ve watched the Harry Potter films, you’ve already seen it. It was used as Diagon Alley, and you’ll understand immediately why they picked it. I mean that’s why we visited it, Harry Potter fan here!

Go in the morning or late afternoon when the lunch crowd has cleared.

Liberty London

Technically a shop where you could spend loads of money. Practically a free attraction. Liberty’s building dates from 1924 and was built using timber from two decommissioned Royal Navy warships. The exterior is extraordinary, all dark wood beams and leaded windows, and the interior is even better, galleried floors, stained glass, dark wood panelling throughout. And with seasons changing they change the decorations. It’s a high-end department store and you don’t need to buy anything. Just walk in and spend twenty minutes wandering around looking at the building. It deserves to be a listed monument, and actually, it is, at least for us. We want to visit it during December with all the ornaments and decorations.

The Parks

London’s royal parks are free and completely underrated as attractions in their own right. St James’s Park is one of the prettiest and most central, right between Buckingham Palace and Trafalgar Square. Pelicans have lived here since 1664 when the Russian ambassador gifted a pair to King Charles II.

Hyde Park is the largest, a proper escape from the city with the Serpentine Lake, the Diana Memorial Fountain, and enough space to genuinely get lost in. Both are free, both are beautiful, and both are exactly what you need after a long day of sightseeing.

The Red Phone Boxes

I dare you to go to London and not take at least one photo with the red phone box. The iconic red telephone boxes are free to photograph, obviously, and they make for brilliant pictures. The one near Westminster Bridge with Big Ben in the background is the classic. The ones near the National Justice Museum are a bit more tucked away and usually have no queue. Touristy? Yes. Still worth it? Absolutely.

We have the best photo spots with Red Phone Boxes listed here so check it out.

Additional Photo Spots Worth Knowing About

Since we’re talking free things, here’s a list of the best spots for photos that cost nothing:

• Westminster Bridge: Big Ben on one side, London Eye on the other
• Millennium Bridge: St Paul’s perfectly framed from the middle of the bridge
• More London Place: Tower Bridge and Tower of London together in one shot
• One New Change rooftop: St Paul’s dome from above, free access
• Watling Street: St Paul’s framed between buildings
• The Mall: guards marching on ceremony days
• Stable Yard Road corner: guards up close, unobstructed
• Bywater Street, Chelsea: pastel houses, quiet, no crowds
• Neal’s Yard, Covent Garden: colourful painted courtyard
• Leadenhall Market: Victorian ceiling, best in soft morning light
• Liberty London exterior: Tudor facade from Great Marlborough Street
• Platform 9¾, King’s Cross: the luggage trolley in the wall, free to visit

London is one of those cities where the free things are genuinely some of the best things. The museums alone would justify a trip. Everything else is a bonus.

Until next time, be mesmerized 🧡

London is one of the most photogenic cities in the world. Around almost every corner there’s something worth pointing a camera at, whether it’s a landmark you’ve seen a thousand times or a cobblestone street you stumbled onto by accident.

We spent a solid amount of time hunting down the best spots on our trip, some of them obvious, some of them very much not, and here’s everything we found.

One thing we’ll say upfront: the difference between a great London photo and a mediocre one is almost always timing. Early morning, before the city wakes up, changes everything. We woke up at absurd hours to get some of these shots and every single time it was worth it. London in June means sunrise at around 4:45 AM, just so you know. I’m still in sleep deficit from that trip.

Big Ben & the K6 Telephone Box

This is the postcard shot. The one you’ve seen on a thousand travel accounts and will want on yours. On Great George Street, right next to the government offices, there are two classic red telephone boxes. The K6 is the one slightly further from Big Ben, and it actually photographs better than the K2 closer to the bridge. Big Ben rising next to a a classic red phone box, perfectly framed, unmistakably London.

The line here during the day can get very long. We were there just after sunrise and had the entire area to ourselves, thirty minutes of shooting with nobody in frame and nobody rushing us. The only downside was the 4 AM alarm. Completely worth it.

St Paul’s from Millennium Bridge Railings

We covered all the St Paul’s viewpoints in a full separate guide [LINK], but for this list, the railing shot is the one. Stand at the entrance to the Millennium Bridge on the Tate Modern side and frame St Paul’s through the steel structure of the bridge itself. The cables and walkway create a natural frame around the cathedral that makes for a much more interesting composition than the open view from the middle of the bridge.

Early morning here is also spectacular. Soft light and nobody on the bridge.

Tower Bridge from Queen’s Walk

Walk along Queen’s Walk, the riverside path on the south bank heading toward Tower Bridge, and you’ll find the spot. Directly across the Thames from the Tower of London. The exact location is More London Place on the map. It’s not a secret but it’s the right place to stand, and the difference between standing here versus anywhere else along that stretch is important. We actually have this picture from 2014 and 11 years later, spot is still perfect.

Big Ben Archway

Most people take their Big Ben photo from Westminster Bridge. Which is fine. But walk a few steps further, cross to the other side of the bridge, and go down and across to the pedestrian tunnel underneath.

There’s an archway here that frames Big Ben perfectly, and almost nobody knows it’s there. It’s a completely different shot from anything you’d find on a postcard, more architectural, more dramatic, and usually empty even when the bridge above is packed.

Westminster Abbey Phone Box

A short walk from the Big Ben phone box, on Tothill Street, there’s another red telephone box that perfectly frames Westminster Abbey behind it. Gothic towers rising above a classic British icon. It’s a different shot from the Big Ben one, slightly quieter street, and it photographs beautifully. Most people walk straight past it without stopping, which is exactly what makes it worth finding.

London Eye from the South Bank Fence

Walk along the South Bank toward the Eye and find the fence along the river. Frame through it or lean against it and you get the London Eye perfectly composed. It sounds simple because it is, but it works every time and the riverbank light in the morning or late afternoon is genuinely lovely.

Piccadilly Circus Underground Entrance

This one is less about the circus itself and more about the Tube entrance. Stand near the Underground sign at the top of the stairs, and wait. A double-decker bus will come past on the road behind you within a few minutes. That’s the shot. It takes a bit of patience and timing but when it comes together it’s one of the most London photos you can get.

Mr Fogg’s Tavern

Inspired by Jules Verne’s Around the World in 80 Days, Mr Fogg’s Tavern on Great Queen Street is packed wall to wall with Victorian travel memorabilia, and on the outside it’s different every season. It’s a cute spot worth taking your camera out.

National Justice Museum Phone Boxes

Near the Royal Courts of Justice, four classic red telephone boxes are lined up outside the National Justice Museum. The building behind them is beautiful Victorian gothic stonework, and four phone boxes together make for a very different shot from the single ones near Westminster. No one comes here, during the midday it was just us.

Need help planning your London trip? Check out our other blogs, hope they help:

1. First Time in London? Here’s What You Actually Need to Do
2. 3 Days in London: The Perfect Itinerary for First-Timers
3. 5 Days in London: The Ultimate Itinerary for First-Timers
4. Free Things to Do in London That Are Actually Worth It

Leadenhall Market

Victorian painted iron ceiling, ornate arches, soft light filtering through the glass roof. Leadenhall Market looks like a film set because it basically is one, this is Diagon Alley from the original Harry Potter films. Go early before the City lunch crowd arrives and the whole place is almost empty. The photos in the soft morning light with nobody around look incredible. Even if you’ve never watched Harry Potter, the architecture alone is worth the detour.

Neal’s Yard

A tiny colourful courtyard tucked away near Covent Garden that looks almost too good to be real. Every wall is painted a different colour, flower boxes everywhere, independent shops in every corner. Easy to walk straight past the entrance without realising it’s there. Here is the exact location so you won’t miss it.

Bywater Street, Chelsea

A quiet residential street in Chelsea lined with pastel-painted terraced houses in soft blues, pinks, yellows and greens. Think Notting Hill but smaller, quieter, and without the crowds. No queues, no pushing for a clear shot, just a pretty street that photographs beautifully. It’s a short walk from Sloane Square, and there are cute coffee shops on the way here.

Early morning is everything. Most of these spots have no queue, no crowds, and much better light before 8:00 AM. London in summer means very early sunrises, which is painful on the alarm clock but incredible for photography. In June, golden hour starts around 4:45 AM and the city stays quiet until at least 7:30 AM. That’s nearly three hours of perfect shooting conditions with empty streets.

If sunrise isn’t realistic, late afternoon in the hour before sunset is the next best option. Midday light in London is usually flat and the crowds are at their worst. Skip it if you can.

Now, London has so many more amazing photo spots, I mean every corner on a sunny day in London can be a photo spot, but these are the ones we thought were worth mentioning. Hope you have a lovely, sunny day in London.
Until next time, be mesmerized 💜

The Changing of the Guard is one of those things that’s on every London list, and for good reason. It’s free, it’s genuinely impressive, and there’s nothing quite like watching soldiers in full red tunics and black bearskin caps marching down the Mall while a regimental band plays behind them. These things still exist in 21st century, and seeing it in person feels a bit special in a way that’s hard to explain until you’re actually there.

The problem is most people see almost none of it. They show up at Buckingham Palace at 11am, get stuck behind a wall of phones and shoulders, catch a glimpse of some bearskin hats moving across a courtyard they can’t see into, and leave slightly underwhelmed. That’s not the ceremony’s fault. That’s just standing in the wrong place.

We made the same mistake the first time. The second time, we didn’t.

What Is It Actually All About?

The ceremony is exactly what it sounds like, one set of soldiers takes over guard duty from another.

But the history behind it makes it more interesting than a simple shift change.

The guards are real, active British Army soldiers, not ceremonial performers. Their job is to protect the King and the royal palaces, and they’ve been doing it in some form since the reign of King Henry VII in the late 15th century.

A bit of history lesson: the ceremony originally took place at the Palace of Whitehall, moved to St James’s Palace when Whitehall burned down in 1698, and shifted to Buckingham Palace when Queen Victoria moved in there in 1837.

That arrangement, one guard at St James’s Palace and one at Buckingham Palace, is still exactly how it works today.
During the ceremony the New Guard formally takes over from the Old Guard, a symbolic handover of the key and the responsibility for protecting the King. Both are drawn from one of five regiments: the Grenadier Guards, Coldstream Guards, Scots Guards, Irish Guards, and Welsh Guards. You can tell which regiment is on duty by the plumes on their bearskin caps and the spacing of the buttons on their tunics. The bearskins themselves are made from Canadian black bear fur, stand 45 centimetres tall, and weigh around 700 grams. The gold chin strap across their mouths wasn’t designed to keep the hat on, it was originally meant to protect the face in battle.

A regimental band plays throughout, and they don’t just play military marches. You might hear classical pieces, West End show tunes, or pop songs. It depends entirely on the regiment.
Its official name is Guard Mounting, by the way. Almost nobody calls it that, but now you know.

When Does It Happen?

The Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace takes place every Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday. The ceremony at the Palace forecourt, which is the large walled courtyard directly in front of the Palace building itself, the area you see through the main gates, starts at 11:00 AM. But the whole thing begins much earlier than most people realise.

The Old Guard (the soldiers currently on duty, about to be relieved) forms up in the forecourt from 10:30 AM. The St James’s Palace detachment marches down The Mall and joins them at around 10:45 AM. By the time the crowd at the Palace gates is watching anything, the best parts have already been happening for 20 minutes.

Important: the ceremony is cancelled in very wet weather, no exceptions. Always check the official schedule the morning you plan to go at the Household Division website before heading out.

Also worth knowing: park roads between the Palace and The Mall are closed between 10:30 AM and 12:00 PM on ceremony days, so plan your walk accordingly.

The Horse Guards Parade: the other one nobody talks about

Before we get to Buckingham Palace, there’s another ceremony happening at the same time that most visitors completely miss.

The Changing of the King’s Life Guard takes place daily at Horse Guards Parade on Whitehall, at the eastern end of St James’s Park. On weekdays it happens at 11:00 AM, on Sundays at 10:00 AM, and on Saturdays there’s an inspection at 11:00 AM. This is the Household Cavalry, so instead of foot guards marching on foot you get soldiers on horseback in gold helmets and gleaming breastplates. Far smaller crowds, much closer views, and a completely different atmosphere.

If you want to see both, the timing is tight but doable. Start at Horse Guards at 10:00 AM, watch the cavalry, then walk through St James’s Park and position yourself on The Mall for the foot guards around 10:40 AM.

The Best Spot: and it’s not in front of Buckingham Palace

Here’s what we’d tell anyone going for the first time. Skip the crowds in front of the Palace gates. Get yourself to the corner of Marlborough Rd and The Mall and wait there.

This is where the St James’s Palace detachment steps off and begins their march down The Mall toward Buckingham Palace. The Mall is the long, straight, tree-lined road that runs from St James’s Palace all the way to Buckingham Palace. At the Marlborough Rd corner, there’s space. You can be first in line with a completely clear view, watch the guards and the band go right past you, and you can actually see their faces.

Then, if you want, you can follow them down The Mall toward the Palace. Which is exactly what we did. We may have been running at some points. Just to keep up, obviously, and for the pictures.

Most people are queued along the Palace railings or squeezed around the Victoria Memorial (the large monument with a golden statue on top, directly opposite the Palace gates). Nothing wrong with those spots if you get there very early, around 10:00 to 10:15 AM for a decent place. The Victoria Memorial steps give you an elevated view which is good for photos. But Marlborough Rd gives you the experience of the march itself, not just the ceremony at the end of it, and it’s genuinely the better version.

I remember the first time we were there at Buckingham Palace, we just turned around and left, it was so crowded, you couldn’t see not even the top of their caps (I am not that tall).

The Full Ceremony Timeline

To help you plan where to be and when:

• 10:25 AM: St James’s Palace detachment forms up for inspection at Friary Court, the small courtyard inside St James’s Palace
• 10:30 AM: Old Guard forms up in the Buckingham Palace forecourt
• 10:43 AM: Guards and band step off from St James’s Palace and begin marching down The Mall, this is where you need to be at Marlborough Rd corner
• 10:45 AM: St James’s Palace Guard joins the Buckingham Palace Guard in the forecourt
• 11:00 AM: The ceremony proper begins, New Guard arrives from Wellington Barracks, the formal handover takes place inside the forecourt
• 11:45 AM: Old Guard returns toward Wellington Barracks

After the Ceremony

Once the guards have passed and headed toward the Palace, everyone else goes the same way. The Mall gets crowded, Buckingham Palace gets crowded, and the whole area turns into one big bottleneck.

Do what we did: don’t follow the crowd. Turn around, walk back into St James’s Park, find a patch of grass, and sit down. The park empties out beautifully while everyone else is pressed against the Palace railings. You’ll have squirrels, possibly pelicans, the bridge over the lake, and a very peaceful half hour while London buzzes around you. Everyone pours down The Mall and you get the park almost to yourself.

And that’s it, we hope this will help you get the best spot and just enjoy this historic ceremony.

Until next time, be mesmerized ❤️🖤

These are the places we actually ate at, in no particular order.

The Black Pig, Borough Market

If you visit only one food stall at Borough Market, make it this one. The Black Pig does this wonderful creation, a slow-roasted pork sandwich, and it does it better than anything we’ve had in London. Slow-roasted pork, apple, honey, truffle, and crackling on top. The crackling is so crunchy it practically shatters when you bite into it. The whole thing is rich and sweet and savoury all at once and we stood there eating it just looking at each other, like what is this! The only downside is that we got one, for sharing, rookie mistake. Next time we’re getting two and that’s all we’ll need.

There will be a queue. It’s worth it. Trust us.

Indian Lounge, King’s Cross

We always end up at an Indian restaurant at some point on every trip, because butter chicken is one of those things we can eat anywhere in the world and still want more of. Indian Lounge near King’s Cross is where we ended up this time, and it was so great. We went for the butter chicken and the mango chicken with garlic naan, and that mango chicken in particular was something else. Sweet, spiced, completely different from anything we expected. We had it before in other countries tires but it’s always chicken with mango lassi. This was so tasty! Everything was so tasty and the prices are really reasonable for London, which is not something you say very often.

Arepa & Co Venezuelan Restaurant, Bethnal Green

This one is a bit out of the city centre, and we only ended up here because we were staying nearby. Completely worth it. We had no idea Venezuelan food was this good. Cachapas, tapiocas, everything freshly made and full of flavour. Cachapas are thick sweet corn pancakes usually filled with cheese, and they are the kind of thing you eat and immediately think “why have I never had this before.” Arepa & Co is the kind of place you’d never find if you were just sticking to the tourist trail, and it’s all the better for it. And the cheese, sauces, aahh, makes me wanna go back there.

Drury, Covent Garden

Brunch in London hits differently, and Drury is the reason we think that. The avocado toast here is almost perverse, thick sourdough, an amount of avocado that would make most European cafes faint, and bacon and poached eggs. Everything is fresh, everything is done properly, and the French toast is genuinely to die for. But the amount of that avocado? And the taste.

Texas Joe’s Slow Smoked Meats, Borough Market area

Brisket, cornbread, mac and cheese. Is it exactly Texas-style? Not quite. Is it still really good? Yes. The brisket is properly smoked, the cornbread is soft and buttery, and the mac and cheese was really nice as well. Definitely a spot worth checking out.

Nando’s

Okay, we have to include this one. Nando’s is a chain, yes. It’s technically fast food, kind of. But there is something about that peri-peri chicken that is just different from every other fast food place we’ve been to. The chicken is actually good. Like, real food good. You choose your heat level, anywhere from plain all the way up to extra hot, and the sauces, especially the herby one and the spicy one, are genuinely addictive. Then there are the sides: mac and cheese, corn on the cob, spiced rice, chips.

We don’t fully understand why Nando’s hits the way it does, maybe because it’s real chicken? So here’s our honest recommendation: if you’re tired, if you can’t decide where to eat, if it’s late and your brain has stopped working and there’s a Nando’s nearby, just go. You won’t regret it. When in doubt, Nando’s.

If you’re planning your trip and want to know where these places fit into your days, check out our itinerary guides:

1. First Time in London? Here’s What You Actually Need to Do
2. 3 Days in London: The Perfect Itinerary for First-Timers
3. 5 Days in London: The Ultimate Itinerary for First-Timers
4. London Photography Guide

London could genuinely fill an entire blog series just about food, and honestly, maybe it will. This is just where we started. But there is just so much you can eat in one day.

Until next time, be mesmerized 🧡

We’ll be honest with you. We didn’t make it inside St Paul’s Cathedral. The tickets were sold out by the time we checked, which was entirely our fault. But here’s the thing, the outside views of St Paul’s are so good that we’re not even sure we missed that much. Maybe we did. We’ll find out next time.

What we do know is that we spent a solid morning finding the best angles, and some of the photos we got are genuinely among our favourite from the whole London trip. All free, all within about a ten minute walk of each other.
Here’s where to go.

Millennium Bridge

This is the classic one, and for good reason. The Millennium Bridge is a pedestrian bridge over the Thames, you know the one destroyed in Harry Potter movies, and St Paul’s Cathedral sits perfectly framed at the end of it from the south bank side. But there are actually three different shots here depending on where you position yourself, and they all look completely different.

From the middle of the bridge: the most well-known angle. St Paul’s dome rising above the riverbank, the bridge disappearing toward it on both sides. It’s one of those views that stops you mid-step. Best in the morning when the light hits the dome from the east. It’s funny because we saw a couple of people passing by and all of them stopped, took their phone out and snapped a photo.

From the south bank railing: stand at the entrance to the bridge on the Tate Modern side and frame St Paul’s through the bridge structure itself. The steel cables and walkway create a natural frame around the cathedral that makes for a much more interesting photo than just the open view. I mean look at that photo, one of our favourites from the trip. Definitely going on a wall.

Coming up the steps onto the bridge: this one is less obvious but still very good looking view. Walk up from the South Bank path onto the bridge and shoot upward as St Paul’s comes into view above the bridge deck. The rising perspective makes the cathedral look enormous.

We were here at sunrise and had the entire bridge to ourselves, just a few dog walkers and runners. The light was soft, the Thames was calm, and there was nobody in the frame. If you want the same thing, get there early.

One New Change

One New Change is a shopping centre directly behind the cathedral, and it has two completely different St Paul’s shots to offer.

From the ground: stand on the street between One New Change and the cathedral and look up. The modern glass windows of the building frames St Paul’s on one side, old stone on the other. It’s a nice contrast that you don’t really notice until you’re standing in it.

From the free rooftop terrace: take the lift up and you get an elevated view of the cathedral dome from above and behind, an angle almost nobody gets because most people don’t know the terrace is there. The whole city spreads out around you too. The Shard, the Gherkin, the Thames. It’s honestly one of the best free viewpoints in London in general, not just for St Paul’s. And it’s completely free, just walk in during opening hours and take the lift.

This is the spot where you can hold the cathedral in the palm of your hand, or at least make it look that way in a photo.

Watling Street

This one is easy to walk straight past, which is exactly why we love it. Watling Street is a small, slightly curved cobblestone street just a few minutes walk from the cathedral, lined with independent shops and cafes on both sides. At the end of the street, St Paul’s Cathedral appears framed between the buildings, perfectly centred, the dome sitting above the roofline.

The cobblestones and the curved street give it a completely different feel from any other St Paul’s viewpoint, more old London, less tourist landmark. On a quiet morning with the shops still closed it looks almost cinematic.

Walk slowly and find the exact point where the framing lines up best. Something like in our pictures, you get the point.

Reflection Garden & the Pool

Right in front of the cathedral’s main entrance is a small garden with a shallow rectangular reflection pool called the Reflection Garden. On a calm day with no wind, the cathedral reflects perfectly in the water, dome and all. It’s a much quieter spot than you’d expect given how close it is to the main entrance, and the reflection adds something to the photo that you don’t get anywhere else.

Early morning is best here too. By mid-morning the wind usually picks up and the reflection breaks up. While we were there we only saw people on their lunch breaks, so we grabbed a cinnamon roll in the nearby shop, some chai latte and enjoyed.

For more London guides:

1. First Time in London? Here’s What You Actually Need to Do
2. 3 Days in London: The Perfect Itinerary for First-Timers
3. 5 Days in London: The Ultimate Itinerary for First-Timers
4. Free Things to Do in London That Are Actually Worth It

These four spots are within a short walk of each other and you can do all of them in a single morning. We’d suggest starting at Millennium Bridge at sunrise like we did.

Oh and by the way, these were taken in June. Sunrise in June is around 4:45 AM, let that sink in. But for these photos, it was worth it! Hope you get the shoot that you want!

And if you’re smarter than us, book your tickets for inside the cathedral in advance. We hear it’s magnificent.

Until next time, be mesmerized 🩵

Walking

Let’s start with the obvious one. You will be walking. A lot. More than you planned, probably more than you’ve walked anywhere else, and your feet will remind you of this every evening.

But here’s the thing, walking in London is genuinely lovely. There is always something beautiful around the next corner. A river view, a Victorian building you didn’t expect, a quiet alley that looks like it’s from another century. It’s honestly one of the best cities in the world to just wander around without a plan.

Good shoes are non-negotiable. We cannot stress this enough. Leave the cute but uncomfortable ones at home.

The Tube (London Underground)

The Tube is your best friend in London. It’s fast, it goes everywhere you need, and once you get your head around the colour-coded map it’s incredibly easy to use.

How to pay

Forget paper tickets. You don’t need them, and they cost almost double the price of a contactless fare, they even state that on the official website. A Zone 1 paper ticket costs £7.00. The same journey with contactless costs £3.10 at peak or £3.00 off-peak. Just use your phone, your watch, or your contactless card.

Contactless: tap your card or phone on the yellow reader when you enter and again when you exit. That’s it. No setup, no registration, no app required and always tap it when exiting, don’t forget that.

Oyster card: London’s dedicated travel card, available from any Tube station. You top it up with credit and it deducts each journey automatically. The fares are identical to contactless, so for most visitors contactless is the easier option. The Oyster card is worth getting if you don’t have a fee-free foreign card and want to avoid international transaction charges on every journey, or just want a Oyster card souvenir, I know we have two at home.

The daily cap, this is the good bit

Here’s something that will save you money without you having to do anything. Both contactless and Oyster automatically cap your spending each day. Once you’ve spent the daily cap amount, every additional journey that day is free.

For central London (Zones 1-2), the daily cap is £8.90 (~10,50€). You could take ten Tube rides and still only pay £8.90 for the day. The system tracks it and stops charging you automatically. No need to buy a day pass, no need to think about it. Perfect!

There’s also a weekly cap from Monday to Sunday. For Zones 1-2 it’s £44.70 (~53€). If you’re spending a full week in London riding the Tube every day, this kicks in automatically too.

Peak hours are 6:30 to 9:30 AM and 4:00 to 7:00 PM on weekdays, slightly more expensive than off-peak. Weekends are always off-peak, which is good news.

One important rule: always use the same card or phone for every journey. If you switch between two cards, the system can’t track your total and you lose the cap. Pick one and stick to it all day.

A few things to know

• always touch out when you exit, the Tube charges you the maximum fare if you don’t
• buses are different, touch in only, no need to touch out
• the Tube map is available on the TfL app, Google Maps, and Apple Maps, all work great in London
• signal in the underground is not that great, so download the offline map before you go

Buses

London buses are not just a tourist attraction. They are actual, functioning public transport that Londoners use every day. They are also, genuinely, one of the more fun ways to get around. And a tourist attraction.

If you ride a double-decker, and you should, go upstairs and sit in the front row. The view from up there is brilliant and it costs exactly the same as sitting on the ground floor. Do it at least once, we did it all the time, what a ride.

How to pay: same as the Tube, just tap your contactless card or phone on the reader when you board. There’s no touch out on buses.

Cost: a single bus journey is £1.75 (~2€). And here’s a nice bonus, the Hopper fare means you can take unlimited bus journeys within one hour of your first tap for that same £1.75. So if you need to switch buses, it doesn’t cost extra.

The daily bus cap is £5.25 (~6€). Ride as many buses as you want in a day, that’s the most you’ll pay.

Black Cabs (Taxis)

The iconic black cabs are very much a London thing, and riding in one is its own kind of experience. They’re spacious, they can turn on a sixpence (literally, London cabs have an incredibly tight turning circle, it’s actually a legal requirement), and the drivers know the city inside out. There’s a reason London cabbies have to pass something called The Knowledge, a test of memorising every street in London that takes years to complete.

They are on the pricier side compared to the Tube or bus, but as a one-off London experience it’s worth doing once. You can hail one from the street when the yellow light on top is lit, or find them at taxi ranks outside major stations.

Things to Keep in Mind

Air conditioning, or the lack of it. The Tube is famously hot. Some lines are worse than others, the Central line in particular earns its nickname of the “Baking Line” in summer. London has historically had cooler summers and AC simply wasn’t a priority when the network was built, some of the tunnels are over 150 years old. They’re slowly rolling it out across the network but it’s a slow process.

If you’re visiting in summer, bring a small bottle of water and maybe a folding fan. You’ll see locals with them and you’ll understand why. It can get genuinely uncomfortable on a hot day underground. We were there on a heat wave and it’s no joke.

Buses and newer Tube stock on some lines do have AC, but don’t count on it everywhere.

Navigation: open Google Maps or Apple Maps, type in where you want to go, tap public transport. It will tell you exactly which line, which stop, and how long it takes. It just works. London is one of the best-mapped cities in the world and we’ve never once gotten lost.

Getting around London is one of those things that sounds complicated before you arrive and turns out to be completely fine once you’re there. The system is good, the maps are clear, and if you’re ever unsure, someone will help. Londoners are much friendlier than their reputation suggests.

If you’re planning your trip, these might help:

1. First Time in London? Here’s What You Actually Need to Do
2. 3 Days in London: The Perfect Itinerary for First-Timers
3. 5 Days in London: The Ultimate Itinerary for First-Timers
4. London Photography Guide

Just remember: good shoes, contactless card, front row upstairs on the bus. That’s really all you need.

Until next time, be mesmerized 💛

Day 1: Westminster, a Slow Start

Day 1 is deliberately lighter. You’ve probably just landed, maybe you’re a bit jet-lagged, maybe you just want to ease into things. This day covers the postcard landmarks of Westminster without rushing, and you’ll likely be done by early afternoon with the rest of the day free.

Big Ben & Westminster Bridge

Big Ben is one of those things that’s somehow more impressive in person than every photo you’ve ever seen of it. The detail in the stonework, the size of it, standing right underneath looking up.

Walk onto Westminster Bridge for the view that has Big Ben on one side and the London Eye on the other. It’s London in one frame, basically.

A small thing we always find interesting: Big Ben technically refers only to the bell, not the tower. The tower’s actual name is Elizabeth Tower.

⏰ Opening hours: Monday to Saturday, 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM, tours start at Cromwell Green.
🎟️ Tickets: Tickets: you can purchase it on the official website released three months in advance, if you catch them, awesome, if not, just admire it from the outside. Still pretty!

Westminster Abbey

A short walk away. Even just standing outside, the scale of the building is something. Gothic spires, centuries of detail, that feeling of walking past something genuinely old in a way that’s hard to find elsewhere.

Westminster Abbey has hosted every coronation since 1066, and it’s the final resting place of more than 3.300 people, Isaac Newton, Charles Darwin, Stephen Hawking, Charles Dickens among them.

Daily services are free through the Great West Door. For the full visit, general admission gets you inside properly.

⏰ Opening hours: Monday to Saturday, 9:30 AM to 3:30 PM last entry.
🎟️ Tickets: £31 (~36€) and you can buy them here

St James’s Park

After the Abbey, take it slow through St James’s Park. It’s genuinely one of our favourite parks in London, smaller than Hyde Park but with a charm of its own. Pelicans have lived here since 1664, gifted to King Charles II by the Russian ambassador, and a few descendants are apparently still around, occasionally causing chaos by attempting to eat pigeons. We’ve never personally witnessed this, but we’ve seen some cute squirrels playing around.

Buckingham Palace, The Mall & the Changing of the Guard

From the park, walk toward Buckingham Palace along The Mall, the long tree-lined avenue that connects the two. It’s a proper royal approach, and it sets the scene nicely.

If you want to catch the Changing of the Guard, time this for Monday, Wednesday, Friday, or Sunday and be there by 10:30 AM. It starts at 11:00 AM, runs about 45 minutes, and it’s free, though it does get crowded really fast. If the timing doesn’t work for your Day 1, don’t stress, the Palace itself is worth seeing regardless.

The State Rooms and gardens are open to visitors if you want to go inside, 775 rooms total, 19 of which are open to the public.

🎟️ Tickets: ~£30 (~35€)
🛒 Buy entry tickets and attend Changing of the Guard

Check out our full guide on how to get the best spot for the Changing of the Guard.

Trafalgar Square

A short walk from the Palace. Big open square, Nelson’s Column in the middle, the National Gallery behind it. The four bronze lions guarding the base of the column were cast from melted-down French cannons captured at Trafalgar. A nice little bit of revenge built right into the monument. We hope that it is not under construction as it was everytime we visited it (even in 2014!)

This is a good spot to end Day 1. Grab a chai latte, sit for a bit, enjoy.

Where to eat on Day 1:

• Timmy Green: brunch place in Victoria, a short walk from Buckingham Palace, great for an easy start to the day
• 50 Kalò di Ciro Salvo: Neapolitan-style pizza just off Trafalgar Square, perfect for lunch or an early dinner after the square, on 50 Top Pizza list!
• Marugame, The Strand: Japanese udon noodles and tempura, handy if you’re finishing the day near Trafalgar Square or Westminster

Day 2: South Bank East, Borough Market & Tower Bridge

This is the big one. Genuinely our favourite day of the whole trip, because it includes a dedicated food spot, haha. South Bank, the river, Borough Market, Tower Bridge, and a rooftop to finish. Comfortable shoes, this is a long walking day.

Millennium Bridge & St Paul’s Cathedral

Start on the Millennium Bridge and stop right in the middle. The view of St Paul’s Cathedral from here, framed above the river, is one of those views that are postcard like. We may have spent a solid couple of hours here, but look at the pictures!

St Paul’s has stood here for more than 1.400 years in some form, built after the Great Fire of London in 1666 and taking 35 years to complete. Churchill’s funeral was held here. So was the wedding of Prince Charles and Princess Diana. It’s seen a lot.

We didn’t make it inside, tickets were sold out by the time we got there, our fault for not booking ahead. But the outside more than makes up for it.

⏰ Opening hours: 8:30 AM Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday, 10:00 AM on Wednesdays, closing at 4:30 PM.

🎟️ Tickets: £27 (~32€) and you can purchase it here

Check out our guide to the best views of St Paul’s Cathedral.

Borough Market

Continue along the South Bank to Borough Market, around since 1885 and one of the best food markets in the city. This is lunch, no question.

Arrive with a plan, the popular stalls have queues. Here’s what we tried:

• The Black Pig: the best sandwich we’ve had in London
• The Ginger Pig: hot sausage roll, simple and British
• Bread Ahead Doughnuts: the crème brûlée one gets all the attention, but the chocolate s’more might be better
• Tacos Padre: three tacos for around £10 (~12€), good value, tasty
• Wild Mushroom Risotto: made with barley instead of rice, mushrooms were good, but barley, not a fan, but that is personal preference
• there is so many more stalls with fresh juices, strawberries with chocolate, try whatever you like, I’m sure it will be good

⏰ Opening hours: Monday to Friday 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM, Saturday 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM, Sunday 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM.

River Cruise

From London Bridge Pier, a short walk from the market, board a Thames river cruise heading east toward Tower Bridge. You’ll pass HMS Belfast and get a completely different angle on the City skyline from the water. It also conveniently delivers you right where you need to be next.

You can book the cruise on the spot if seats are available, we recommend booking it online just so you get the timeslot that you want.

HMS Belfast

Permanently moored between London Bridge and Tower Bridge. HMS Belfast served in the Arctic convoys during the Second World War and fired some of the first shots on D-Day, 6 June 1944. Nine decks are open to explore.

The Gun Turret Experience recreates what it would have sounded like inside one of the gun turrets during D-Day. It’s a unique thing to visit, especially in London, so do not skip it.

⏰ Opening hours: 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM daily, last entry 5:00 PM.

🎟️ Tickets: £26,80 (~32€), book it here

Tower Bridge & Tower of London

A short walk further east. Stop at More London Place on the south bank first, the view of Tower Bridge is one of the best photo spots in the city.

Here’s something most people don’t realise: Tower Bridge isn’t actually built from stone. It’s a steel structure dressed in Victorian masonry, designed specifically to match the much older Tower of London next to it. The bridge can still open for tall ships, not often, but you can check the lift schedule at towerbridge.org.uk/bridge-lifts.

⏰ Opening hours: 9:30 AM to 6:00 PM daily.

🎟️ Tickets: £18 (~21€) if you want to enter Tower Bridge, purchase your tickets here

The Tower of London next door is far more than a tower, it’s a medieval fortress that’s been a royal palace, a prison, and a place of execution across nearly 1.000 years. The Crown Jewels are kept here and seeing them in person is something else. Still don’t get why they are here, in a prison? The free Yeoman Warder tours run every 30 to 45 minutes from 10:00 AM, and we heard the stories can be quite interesting.

⏰ Opening hours: Tuesday to Saturday 9:00 AM to 5:30 PM, Sunday and Monday 10:00 AM to 5:30 PM, last entry one hour before closing.

🎟️ Tickets: ~£34 (~40€), book it online

Evening: Sky Garden or Garden at 120

End the day with a rooftop view and a drink. The rooftop and view are free, both are nearby. You can choose what you like.

Sky Garden at 20 Fenchurch Street gives you 360-degree views from three floors of landscaped gardens. Free, but booking is essential. New tickets are released every Monday at around 10:00 AM for dates three weeks out, and sunset slots disappear within hours. If you’ve missed the free booking window, reserving a table at one of the bars inside gets you in regardless.

⏰ Opening hours: Weekdays 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM, weekends 11:00 AM to 9:00 PM.

🎟️ Tickets: Free, book at skygarden.london/booking

Garden at 120 at 120 Fenchurch Street is the quieter alternative, and we honestly think it might be the better one. London’s largest public rooftop garden, 15 storeys up, with views taking in The Shard, Tower Bridge, St Paul’s, and the Gherkin all at once. No booking, no fuss, just walk in through security on Fenchurch Street and take the lift up.

⏰ Opening hours (April to September): Monday to Friday 10:00 AM to 9:00 PM, Saturday and Sunday 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM.

🎟️ Tickets: Free, no booking required.

Where to eat on Day 2:

• Flat Iron Borough: steak house right by Borough Market, great for dinner if you want a proper sit-down after a long day
• Texas Joe’s Slow Smoked Meats: barbecue, also around Borough Market
• Lina Stores Broadgate Circle: Italian, near the City, handy if you’re ending the day around Leadenhall or the rooftops
• Darlish Ice Cream: for something sweet before or after the rooftop views

Day 3: Churchill’s Bunker, the City & a Night at the Theatre

A day with a bit more variety. History first thing, a working courthouse, a covered Victorian market, then into Covent Garden for the afternoon, ending with a proper West End show.

Churchill War Rooms

Tucked underneath Westminster, the Churchill War Rooms are the actual underground bunker where Churchill and his War Cabinet ran the Second World War. Everything has been left as it was the day the lights went off in 1945, maps still pinned to the walls, telephones on desks, even cigarette ends in ashtrays. It’s a strange feeling walking through, like the war just ended yesterday.

Give it at least an hour, and book ahead, slots fill up fast, especially weekends.

⏰ Opening hours: Daily 9:30 AM to 6:00 PM, last entry 5:00 PM. Fridays and Saturdays from 9:00 AM.

🎟️ Tickets: £34 (~40€)

Royal Courts of Justice & National Justice Museum Phone Booths

From Westminster, a short walk east toward Temple. The Royal Courts of Justice looks more like a cathedral than a courthouse, all Victorian gothic spires and stonework. It’s a working court, so you might catch barristers in full wigs and robes walking in and out.

Just around the corner, the National Justice Museum has a row of classic red phone booths outside, a much quieter photo spot than most of the famous ones.

Leadenhall Market

A bit further into the City. Leadenhall is a covered Victorian market with an ornate painted ceiling that looks more like something from a palace than a market. Late morning to early afternoon tends to be calmer than the lunch rush. We came here for one reason only, Harry Potter, and this is Diagon Alley, and it’s not hard to see why they picked it.

Covent Garden, Neal’s Yard & Mr Fogg’s Tavern

Head toward Covent Garden for the afternoon. The piazza is always busy, street performers doing their thing, people everywhere, that constant low hum of activity. Wander into the side streets, that’s where it gets interesting.

Neal’s Yard is one of those places that looks almost fake it’s so colourful, every wall painted, flowers everywhere, tiny independent shops tucked in. Easy to walk straight past if you don’t know to look for it, we kinda wondered until we found it. While you’re there, the doughnuts from St John Bakery are worth the small detour.

Mr Fogg’s Tavern on Great Queen Street is themed around Jules Verne’s Around the World in 80 Days, packed wall to wall with Victorian curiosities and travel memorabilia. Cute little stop.

Liberty London

A short walk toward Oxford Street. Liberty’s mock-Tudor building dates from 1924 and, slightly bizarrely, was built using timber salvaged from two decommissioned Royal Navy warships. The inside is just as beautiful, dark wood, stained glass, multiple galleried floors. We didn’t buy anything, we just walked a bit around. On the inside they often change the theme so it’s always special to visit it, especially in Decemeber.

Evening: West End Show

You’re already right in the middle of Theatreland, so make the most of it. An evening at a West End show is one of those things London does better than almost anywhere else.

Long-running shows worth considering:

• The Phantom of the Opera at His Majesty’s Theatre, marking 40 years in 2026
• Les Misérables at the Sondheim Theatre
• The Lion King at the Lyceum, 26 years running and still going strong

Book through the theatre’s own website or via Get Yout Guide. For same-day discounted tickets, the TKTS booth in Leicester Square is the move, sometimes up to 50% off, and it’s a 5 minute walk from Covent Garden. Most performances start at 7:30 PM.

Where to eat on Day 3:

• The Black Penny: brunch place, great way to start the day before Churchill War Rooms
• GAIL’s Bakery Strand: pastries, sweet and savoury, good for a quick bite between stops
• Buns From Home: more pastries, easy grab-and-go option
• Shoryu Ramen Covent Garden: Japanese ramen on Great Queen Street, same street as Mr Fogg’s, easy lunch or pre-theatre dinner
• Blacklock Covent Garden: steak house, solid option for dinner before the show
• Crème: cookies and soft serve, perfect for a sweet treat while wandering Covent Garden
• Agrodolce London: Italian, another good dinner option in the area

Day 4: West London, Kensington to Notting Hill

A day that feels noticeably different from the rest. More green space, more museums, and a properly photogenic finish.

Natural History Museum

Start here, early if you can. It’s free, and it’s one of the best museums anywhere, not just in London. The building itself is worth a look before you even get inside, the terracotta exterior was designed specifically to cope with London’s once notoriously sooty air, and there are 78 carved stone monkeys decorating the arches above the main entrance. Inside, the dinosaur gallery tends to have its own queue, so head there early.

Give it an hour at least, depends on what you like. Free timed entry slots need booking in advance.

⏰ Opening hours: Daily 10:00 AM to 5:50 PM, last entry 5:30 PM.
🎟️ Entry is free.

Kensington Palace

A ten minute walk through Kensington Gardens. Kensington Palace has been a royal residence since 1689, and Queen Victoria was born here. It’s also where Princess Diana lived for years, and the Sunken Garden has a bronze statue of her.

Note: closed Mondays and Tuesdays, so plan this day around that if needed.

⏰ Opening hours: Wednesday to Sunday, 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM, last entry 5:00 PM.

🎟️ Tickets: £20,60 (~24€)

Royal Albert Hall

Right next door to Kensington Palace. The circular Victorian concert hall opened in 1871 and hosts around 400 events a year. Even without tickets to a show, the exterior is worth a slow walk around, the scale of the building is genuinely impressive up close. If something happens to be on during your trip, it’s worth checking, the acoustics are famous for a reason, I only know this place for Kylie Minogue performance and the interior looked amazing on the show.

Hyde Park

Walk into Hyde Park from Kensington Gardens, technically they’re the same green space but Hyde Park is the larger eastern half. This is the spot to slow right down. Find the Diana Memorial Fountain, wander toward the Serpentine Lake, sit on the grass if the weather’s behaving. There’s no real agenda here, just space. You can rent a bike and just wander around. London with bikes, it’s something so special.

Bywater Street

From Hyde Park, head south into Chelsea to find Bywater Street. It’s a short residential street of pastel-painted houses that looks like it was styled for a photoshoot, because honestly it kind of is one, constantly. Quiet, slightly tucked away, and a nice contrast to the bigger sights of the day. And of course we had a photo session as well, couldn’t help ourselves.

Evening: Piccadilly Circus

On your way back toward central London, stop at Piccadilly Circus for the evening. It’s a completely different place after dark, the screens lit up, everything is brighter and louder. A good, easy spot to end the day and grab dinner nearby.

Where to eat on Day 4:

• The Mayfair Chippy: fish and chips, close to Hyde Park, great for lunch after the museums
• Tortilla Oxford Circus: Mexican, handy if you’re passing through toward Piccadilly
• Shoryu Ramen Regent Street: Japanese ramen, near Piccadilly Circus, perfect for dinner to end the day

Day 5: North London & a London Eye Finale

The last day, and it has a nice arc to it, starting in north London and working back toward the centre, ending on the river where we kinda started.

Baker Street & the Sherlock Holmes Museum

Start at Baker Street, where the station walls are decorated with silhouettes of a certain detective, you know which one. At 221B Baker Street, the Sherlock Holmes Museum recreates the rooms exactly as described in Conan Doyle’s stories, you can visit it if you like.

⏰ Opening hours: Daily 9:30 AM to 6:00 PM.

🎟️ Tickets: £19 (~22€)

King’s Cross & St Pancras

A short trip across to King’s Cross. Platform 9¾ is here, complete with a luggage trolley embedded in the wall and a small shop, worth five minutes. Go early, the photo queue moves quickly in the mornings.

The real highlight though is St Pancras International, right next door. Step outside King’s Cross and look right, the Victorian gothic red brick facade is one of the most striking buildings in London, and most people walk straight past without a second glance.

Camden Market

Two stops north on the Tube. Camden Market sprawls across several indoor and outdoor areas along the canal, street food from every corner of the world, vintage clothing, music memorabilia, art stalls. It has a completely different feel from anywhere else on this trip, louder, scruffier, and we mean that in the best way.

⏰ Opening hours: Most stalls daily 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM.

The British Museum

Head back south into Bloomsbury for the afternoon. The British Museum is free, enormous, and one of the great museums of the world, 8 million objects spanning human history from prehistoric times to now. Free timed entry needs booking ahead, and afternoons are noticeably quieter than mornings.

We’ve put together a full guide to the things inside that you really shouldn’t miss, because honestly you could spend days here and still not see everything.

⏰ Opening hours: 10:00 AM to 5:30 PM daily, Fridays until 8:30 PM.
🎟️ Entry is free but requires booking!

Evening: London Eye

Save this for the very last evening. After five days of walking London inside out, there’s something fitting about ending up 135 meters above it, watching the whole city light up below you. Book online in advance, it’s cheaper, and the queues can be long even in the evening.

⏰ Opening hours: 10:00 AM to 8:30 PM Friday to Sunday, 11:00 AM to 6:00 PM on other days.
🎟️ Tickets: £29 (~34€) and buy them in advance if you want a specific time slot

Where to eat on Day 5:

• HALFCUP Kings Cross: brunch place, great start to the day before Platform 9¾
• Flat Iron Kings Cross: steak house, solid lunch or dinner option in the area
• Fortitude Bakehouse: for something sweet, tucked in Bloomsbury near the British Museum
• Via Emilia by Food Roots: northern Italian, a bit further out in Shoreditch but a great dinner option if you want to end the trip somewhere a little different

If You Have More Time

Greenwich is worth a half day if you can fit it in. A river boat ride down the Thames, then up to Greenwich Park for one of the best skyline views in London, plus the Cutty Sark and the Royal Observatory.

London Zoo in Regent’s Park is a solid choice if you’re travelling with kids, or just fancy something completely different from museums and markets, they even have butterflies there!

Things to Know Before You Go

• book Tower of London, Westminster Abbey, Churchill War Rooms, St Paul’s, and Kensington Palace well in advance, they all sell out
• Kensington Palace is closed Mondays and Tuesdays
• Changing of the Guard runs Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday, be there by 10:30 AM
• Borough Market is closed on Mondays
• Sky Garden tickets are released every Monday at 10:00 AM for three weeks ahead, set a reminder
• Garden at 120 needs no booking at all
• the Tube is your best friend, pay with your phone or contactless card
• a ride on a double-decker bus is basically mandatory at some point
• many major museums are free, always check before assuming otherwise
• Day 2 is the longest walking day, around 7 to 8 km, wear shoes you trust

Things to Know Before You Go

London doesn’t really have a bad season. We’ve visited in summer and winter and found things to love about both.

Summer means long days, rooftop bars, parks full of people, and the city at its most alive. Winter means shorter days but also Christmas markets, quieter museums, and a version of London that feels a bit more local and a bit less touristy. The crowds are heaviest in July and August and again around Christmas, but even then the city absorbs them reasonably well.

The one practical note is air conditioning. It’s not common in the UK, not in shops, not on much of the Tube, not in a lot of hotels. If that matters to you, late spring or early autumn is the sweet spot. May and September in particular tend to get the balance right, decent weather, manageable crowds, and a city that feels like it’s running at a comfortable pace rather than full tilt.

Getting Around London

Five days means a lot of walking. More than you’re probably planning for right now. That’s not a complaint, London is genuinely one of the most rewarding cities to walk around, but by Day 3 your feet will be sending you messages.

The Tube fills in the gaps, and it’s one of the easiest metro systems in the world to use. Contactless card or phone, tap in, tap out, done. No separate ticket, no planning ahead, just go. Buses are excellent too, and if you haven’t ridden a double-decker by the end of Day 1 we’ll be disappointed. Upstairs, front row, non-negotiable.

For navigation, Google Maps and Apple Maps both work brilliantly in London. Public transport directions are accurate, real-time, and easy to follow. Just open the app and go.

Where to Stay in London

A longer trip gives you a bit more flexibility on where to base yourself, which is useful because central London accommodation gets expensive fast.

We’ve stayed in Earl’s Court and Bethnal Green across different visits, both a little outside the tourist centre, and on a five-day trip the slightly longer commute barely registered. You spend so much time out in the city that where you sleep almost doesn’t matter as long as the Tube connection is decent.

If budget isn’t a concern, staying central in Westminster, South Bank, or Covent Garden means you roll out of bed and straight into the itinerary. Either way, London’s transport network makes almost any neighbourhood workable.

• London House Hotel
• Cleveland Residences Kensington
• St Pancras, Autograph Collection – if budget is not a problem
• Hotel Meridiana – affordable close to city center
• Apartments in Bethnal – affordable, bit outside city center

Staying Connected in London

EU visitors are covered on roaming, you’ll pay the same as at home. Worth a quick check with your provider beforehand just to be sure.

From outside the EU, an eSIM is the move. Set it up before you fly and you’ll have data the moment you land, no hunting for a SIM card at the airport. Wi-Fi is also genuinely everywhere in London, so even on minimal data you’ll manage fine.

• Airalo – use code TAJANA3694 for 3€ off your first purchase
• Holafly – use link for 10% discount
• if you need help with choosing the best eSIM and how to set it up, hope this blog will help you How To Stay Connected Abroad

Five days gives you a proper feel for London, not just the highlights but the rhythm of the place, the way the neighbourhoods can be so pretty and full of color, the parks, the markets, the river. It’s still not enough, honestly. It never is. But it’s a very good start.

Until next time, be mesmerized 💚

But we’ll give you everything you need to figure it out for your specific trip.
And just so you know where we’re coming from, when we first visited London back in 2010, it was our first solo planned trip. We were students on a tight budget, saving every penny we could. The London Pass genuinely saved us money on that trip, and it took us to places we would never have bought individual tickets for. We walked into museums and attractions we’d have skipped otherwise and ended up loving them. So if you want to visit the landmarks up close, it’s definitely worth it. But let’s get into more details.

What Is the London Pass?

The London Pass is a digital sightseeing pass that gives you free entry to over 100 attractions across London for a set number of consecutive days. You pay once, download it on your phone, and scan it at each attraction. No queuing at ticket desks, no buying tickets separately, just show up and scan.

It also includes a 2-day hop-on hop-off bus tour and a Thames river cruise, which by themselves are worth around £35 to £45 combined.
The key word is consecutive. The days run from the first time you use it, not from when you buy it. So if you buy a 3-day pass and first use it on Tuesday, it covers Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday.

The Three Options

There are two main Go City passes for London, and it’s worth understanding the difference before you buy.

The London Pass is the original. You pay for a set number of days (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, or 10) and during those days you can visit as many of the 100+ included attractions as you want. The more you visit, the more you save. This is the one for packed itineraries and first-timers who want to see everything.

The London Explorer Pass works differently. Instead of days, you choose a set number of attractions (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, or 7) and you have 30 days to use them. No time pressure, no need to rush. This is better if you’re spending more than a week in London but only plan to visit a handful of paid sights, or if you want flexibility to mix paid attractions with London’s many free museums across a longer trip.

Prices in 2026 (adult):

London Pass (what we are focusing on):

• 1 day: ~£99 (~117€)
• 2 days: ~£139 (~164€)
• 3 days: ~£169 (~200€)
• 5 days: ~£199 (~235€)
• 7 days: ~£209 (~247€)
• 10 days: ~£259 (~306€)

Explorer Pass:

• 2 attractions: ~£59 (~70€)
• 3 attractions: ~£89 (~105€)
• 4 attractions: ~£109 (~129€)
• 5 attractions: ~£124 (~147€)
• 7 attractions: ~£154 (~182€)

Children aged 5 to 15 pay roughly 30 to 40% less. Children under 5 get into most attractions free regardless of whether you hold the pass.

Prices fluctuate and promotions run regularly, always check current pricing before buying.

Does It Actually Save You Money?

Let’s do the math on just the highlights.

If you buy a 2-day London Pass at ~£139 (~164€) and visit:

• Tower of London: £34,80
• Westminster Abbey: £31
• St Paul’s Cathedral: £27
• Tower Bridge: £18
• London Eye: £29
• Thames River Cruise: ~£20
• Hop-on Hop-off Bus (2 days): ~£45

And you’re in luck! Have a Beginner’s Guide for London! So you don’t miss the highlights.

That’s £204,80 (~242€) worth of individual tickets, for a pass that costs £139. You’ve saved £65,80 (~78€) on a two-day visit hitting just these highlights. Add Kensington Palace (£20,60), The View from The Shard (£32), or Madame Tussauds (£39), and the savings keep growing.

The pass pays for itself quickly if you’re visiting multiple paid attractions. The break-even point for the 1-day pass is roughly three to four major attractions in a single day.

What’s Included in the London Pass: The Highlights

Over 100 attractions are included, here are the ones worth knowing about for a first trip:

Must-sees included in the pass:

• Tower of London
• Westminster Abbey
• St Paul’s Cathedral
• Tower Bridge Exhibition
• London Eye
• The View from The Shard
• Kensington Palace
• Windsor Castle
• HMS Belfast
• Churchill War Rooms
• Madame Tussauds
• Hop-on hop-off Big Bus tour (2 days)
• Thames River Cruise (1 day)
• and many more, check the complete list here https://londonpass.com/en/london-attractions

What’s NOT included:

• Public transport (Tube, buses, trains), you still need your contactless card or Oyster for that
• The British Museum, Natural History Museum, National Gallery, Tate Modern, and most of London’s big art and history museums, but these are all free to enter anyway so it doesn’t matter
• Temporary exhibitions at most venues

When It’s Worth It and When It Isn’t

Worth it if:

• you’re a first-timer planning a packed 2 to 5 day itinerary with multiple paid attractions each day
• you want the convenience of one pass instead of booking and managing multiple tickets
• you want to save money
• you want skip-the-line access at busier attractions, the pass gets you into a separate, faster queue at many venues

Probably not worth it if:

• you’re mainly planning to visit London’s free museums, the British Museum, Natural History Museum, National Gallery, Tate Modern. These are all free anyway and the pass gives you zero additional value there
• you’re visiting for one day and only plan to see one or two things
• you prefer a slower pace with long lunches and lots of wandering, you won’t visit enough attractions to cover the cost
• you’re returning to London and have already seen most of the big paid sights
• you don’t want to save money, haha

Where to Buy It

You can buy it on the official Go City website, official London Pass website, but it’s always worth checking GetYourGuide as well. For some reason it can be a bit cheaper there, and you save a few pennies. GetYourGuide also has free cancellation on most passes, which is handy if your plans change.

Get your GetYourGuide London Pass

Get your GetYourGuide Explorer Pass

One tip: the pass runs from consecutive days from first use, not from purchase. So you can buy it well in advance with no risk, and it only starts counting when you actually scan it for the first time.

More Tips

• Plan your days before you go. Look at the list of included attractions, match them to your itinerary, and make sure you’re visiting enough to cover the cost. Takes 10 minutes and saves a lot of second-guessing.
• Start early. The pass rewards full days. If you start at 10 AM and finish by 4 PM, you’re leaving value on the table. Get to the first attraction when it opens.
• Book time slots in advance. The pass gets you in for free, but popular places like the Tower of London, London Eye, and Churchill War Rooms still require a reserved time slot. Book these before you travel, especially in peak season.
• Use the hop-on hop-off bus. It’s included and it’s genuinely useful, especially on your first day to get your bearings and see the city from the top deck.
• English breakfast and Fish&Chips are also included in the pass, free english meal!

For more help planning your London trip:

1. First Time in London? Here’s What You Actually Need to Do
2. 3 Days in London: The Perfect Itinerary for First-Timers
3. 5 Days in London: The Ultimate Itinerary for First-Timers
4. London Photography Guide

We’ve used it as broke students and we’d use it again as slightly-less-broke adults. The key is just doing the maths for your specific trip first. If the attractions you want to visit add up to more than the pass costs, buy the pass. If they don’t, book individually and save the difference for dinner.

Until next time, be mesmerized 🩵

Big Ben

You’ve seen it a thousand times in photos and movies. And yet, when you actually stand in front of it, it still manages to surprise you. There’s something about seeing it in person that photos just don’t capture.

Big Ben (which is technically the name of the bell inside, not the tower, the tower is officially called Elizabeth Tower, just so you can sound smart at dinner) stands at 96 meters tall. The gothic details on the clock face are genuinely beautiful up close, and if you’re around at the full or half hour, wait for the chimes.

We didn’t climb it, we think the best view is just from the ground. You’ll get your postcard shot, you’ll find the best angle, and you’ll want to stand there for a while just framing it.

But if you’re into clocks and history and want the full experience, 334 steps to the top await you.
Tickets for climbing are released three months in advance, only on official website, on the second Wednesday of every month at 10am (What? I know!), and they sell out almost immediately through official channels. It’s a bit of a lottery, honestly. We didn’t even tried to get those. If you want to get up, and are planning this trip on a second week of the month, good luck!
⏰ Opening hours: Monday to Saturday, 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM, tours start at Cromwell Green.

Tower Bridge

London has a lot of bridges over the Thames, but Tower Bridge is on another level. It’s the one that looks like a castle, and honestly, it might be the most beautiful bridge you’ll ever see.

What most people don’t know is that you can go inside the bridge and walk the glass-floor walkway up top for panoramic views of the city. Down below, you can also visit the Victorian Engine Rooms, which have the original steam engines that used to power the bridge lifts. And yes, the bridge still lifts. Not all the time, but you can check the scheduled lift times on their website and time your visit around it.

The bridge took 8 years to build and opened in 1894. The stonework is actually covering a steel frame underneath, it was designed to blend in with the nearby Tower of London, a medieval castle right next door. You’d never guess just by looking at it because they are totally different.

⏰ Opening hours: 9:30 AM to 6:00 PM daily.
🎟️ Tickets: £18 (~21€)
🛒 Buy Tickets Here

Buckingham Palace

Yes, people live here. Well, the King does. Buckingham Palace is the official residence of the British monarch and very much a working building, used for official royal events and ceremonies. It has 775 rooms, and 19 of them are State Rooms you can actually visit! The gardens are open too, and there’s something a bit surreal about walking through the gardens of a royal palace while somewhere inside, actual royal business is happening. Maybe.

🎟️ Tickets: ~£30 (~35€), bookable on the official Royal Collection Trust site, or as part of a bundle with other activities.

The Changing of the Guard is a must-see and it’s completely free, happens in front of the Palace. It happens every Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday at 11:00 AM and lasts about 45 minutes. Just know it gets very crowded, we’re talking elbow-to-elbow. We wrote a full guide on how to get the best spot, check it out before you go.

The British Museum

Honestly, the fact that this is free still confuses us. Most countries would charge a lot for a museum of this scale, and we really appreciate that they don’t.

The British Museum is home to around 8 million objects, one of the largest collections in the world. It covers human history and culture from prehistoric times to the present. And yes, we know, the whole “museum of stolen things” discussion. But at the same time, it’s incredible being able to see all these pieces in one place. You could spend days here and still not see everything.

You do need to book a time slot in advance because it fills up fast. Walk-ins are technically possible depending on daily capacity, but we wouldn’t risk it.

Also, go in the afternoon. When we visited it was barely half full compared to the morning, and we got to actually enjoy it properly instead of shuffling through with the crowds.

Some things you should not miss (if you don’t know where to start):

The Rosetta Stone is probably the most famous object here. It’s the key that allowed scholars to finally decode Egyptian hieroglyphics, and it’s smaller than you’d expect, which somehow makes it even more impressive.

The Parthenon Sculptures, also called the Elgin Marbles, are stunning pieces of ancient Greek art. Greece has been officially asking for them back since the 1980s, and the debate is still very much going.

And the Hoa Hakananai’a is one of the famous Easter Island statues, sitting in a quiet gallery mostly by itself, Bust of Ramesses the Great, Sophilos Vase.

And then there are the weird gems. In the Enlightenment Galleries, there’s a brick taken from the Ziggurat of Ur, one of the earliest human settlements ever built, and right in the middle of it is a dog’s paw print. A dog walked across wet clay thousands of years ago and left a mark that survived all of it. It’s just funny.

There’s also a “merman,” which is actually half a monkey stitched to half a fish, mummified. Upstairs, in the Ur display, there’s a soldier’s skull still wearing its crushed helmet, sitting at the bottom of a low glass case. You almost miss it. And his teeth are still perfect. It’s kinda sad. There’s also reportedly a mummified frog in the Egyptian gallery, and cats.

If all of this sounds overwhelming and you think you will get lost, we know we did more than once, you can book a guided tour with an expert, this tour has amazing reviews and we will probably book it on our next visit.

⏰ Opening hours: 10:00 AM to 5:30 PM daily, Fridays until 8:30 PM
🎟️ Entry is free
🛒 Book a free time slot here
🙋‍♀️ Book a guided tour here

Borough Market

One of the oldest food markets in London, Borough Market has been around since 1885. It’s become a bit of a foodie destination in recent years, and for good reason. The quality is genuinely high and you could spend a lot of money trying out everything.

Best time to visit is weekday mornings, right when it opens. It gets packed later in the day, especially on Saturdays. Hours can shift around bank holidays and in December, so worth checking before you go.

⏰ Opening hours: Monday to Friday 10am to 5pm, Saturday 9am to 5pm, Sunday 10am to 4pm.

What to eat, what we would recommend:

The Black Pig is the best sandwich we’ve had in a very long time. Worth every minute of the queue.
Bread Ahead Doughnuts are dangerously good, full of filling.
La Tua Pasta does fresh pasta with multiple topping options.

The Ginger Pig is your spot for a hot sausage roll. Tacos Padre for tacos, Humble Crumble for dessert, and the Wild Mushroom Risotto which is actually made with barley, not rice, but the mushrooms are so good.

You can always book a food tour with a local guide to try the best British classics, and this tour looks really good.

London Eye

You’ll see it from pretty much anywhere along the Thames. The London Eye is the world’s largest cantilevered observation wheel, 135 meters tall, with views stretching across the South Bank and beyond.

We’ve done the ride. We’ve also just stood on the riverbank and watched it from the ground. Honestly, the view from the ground is better, and it’s free. We’re not sure the ticket price quite justifies the experience compared to everything else London has to offer, but this is also just our opinion, and if it’s your first time and you really want to go, go.

🛒 Just book online in advance as it’s cheaper, and be ready for a queue.
⏰ Opening hours: 10am to 8:30pm Friday to Sunday, 11am to 6pm on other days.
🎟️ Tickets: £29

Westminster Abbey

This place feels important the second you walk up to it. Westminster Abbey has been the site of every single royal coronation since 1066, and it’s also the final resting place of more than 3,300 people, including 30 kings and queens, Isaac Newton, Charles Darwin, Stephen Hawking, and Charles Dickens.

You’ve probably seen it on TV during royal weddings.

There are a couple of ways to visit

A general admission ticket is £31 (~36€), you can purchase it here. Daily services are free to attend, entering through the Great West Door.

And if you want the full historical context, a guided tour is worth it. And this one has amazing reviews if you want to lear more about the history behind it.

St. Pauls Cathedral

St. Paul’s has been overlooking London for more than 1.400 years. Architect Christopher Wren designed it after the Great Fire of London in 1666, and it took 35 years to build. It’s been the backdrop to some of the biggest moments in British history, Churchill’s funeral, the wedding of Prince Charles and Princess Diana, and a lot more in between.

We didn’t make it inside this trip because tickets were sold out by the time we checked, stupid, but the exterior alone is worth seeing. Every photo we’ve seen of the interior looks truly magnificent and it’s top of the list for next time.

⏰ Opening hours: 8:30 AM Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday, 10:00 AM on Wednesdays, closing at 4:30 PM
🎟️ Tickets: £27 (~31€)

But some of the best views of the cathedral are from nearby bridges and rooftops around the city anyway. Check out Best views of St. Paul’s Cathedral: a guide to the photo spots we loved.

Piccadilly Circus

Bright screens, crowds, noise, traffic, music… welcome to Piccadilly Circus.

It’s a road junction technically, but it’s also sort of the beating heart of London’s West End. Big advertising screens, crowds in every direction, streets shooting off toward Soho, Regent Street, and Trafalgar Square. It’s loud and alive and a little chaotic, and we kind of love it for that.

The iconic statue in the middle is almost always called Eros, but it was actually designed in 1893 to represent the Angel of Christian Charity. Almost nobody calls it that, though.
There’s nothing specific you need to do here. It’s more of a feeling. Walk around, grab a coffee somewhere nearby, and just watch the city move for a bit.

Hyde Park

When you’ve had enough of the crowds and noise, and you will eventually, Hyde Park is your answer. It’s the largest park in central London and a completely different world from the streets outside its gates.

You can walk for hours, sit on the grass, feed the squirrels, visit the Rose Garden, the Diana Memorial Fountain, or just sit by the Serpentine Lake and do absolutely nothing.

On a sunny day it’s honestly one of the nicest places in the whole city. There’s something about London in the sunshine that feels special.

Best time to visit London

Genuinely, any time works.

We’ve been in June and in December, and both were special in completely different ways.

Summer and the winter holidays bring the biggest crowds, but we visited during both and loved it.

We were there during a heatwave once and actually enjoyed it, it’s not as brutal as the rest of Europe, their heatwaves are milder. We’ve also been there in pouring rain and still managed to have a great time.

London just works in any weather, somehow. Because their winters are not that cold, and their summers are not that worm. Perfection I would say.
One thing to keep in mind: air conditioning is really not common in the UK, so if heat is a concern for you, maybe skip July and August for that reason alone. April to early June or September to October tends to hit a nice sweet spot, decent weather, smaller crowds, and the city feels a bit more breathable. But don’t let the season stop you, really, London is always a good idea.

How to get around London

Walking, lots and lots of walking!

Walking will be your main mode of transport, which is actually great because London is very walkable. But you’ll definitely need public transport too.

The Tube is the easiest option and you can pay with your phone or a contactless card, no separate ticket needed. Buses are excellent and riding a double-decker at least once is basically mandatory in London, it’s an attraction of its own.

Trains are great if you’re heading to the surrounding areas. Taxis exist but they’re expensive, and with how well-connected everything is, there’s rarely a reason to use them, unless that’s something you prefer.

So, open Google Maps or Apple Maps, type in where you want to go, select public transport, and follow it. It just works. London’s network is one of the easiest we’ve used anywhere.

Where to stay in London

Ugh, London is not cheap, and accommodation in the city centre reflects that pretty quickly.

On our trips we stayed in Earl’s Court and in Bethnal Green, both a bit outside the centre, and it was never an issue. A quick metro or bus ride and we were in the middle of everything in about 20 minutes. It comes down to budget really.

We will list a couple of recommendations that we liked, and also a couple of hotels if the budget allows you in the city center:

• London House Hotel
• Cleveland Residences Kensington
• St Pancras, Autograph Collection – if budget is not a problem
• Hotel Meridiana – affordable close to city center
• Apartments in Bethnal – affordable, bit outside city center

How to stay connected in London

If you’re visiting from within the EU, your data and calls should work on roaming at the same price as home, so you should be covered. But this depends from telco to telco.

Coming from outside the EU, an eSIM is the easiest solution. You can set it up before you even board the plane. Either way, Wi-Fi is everywhere in London, cafes, restaurants, hotels, bars. You won’t struggle even with minimal data.

Here are the best options for eSIM apps that we always use on out travels:

• Airalo – use code TAJANA3694 for 3€ off your first purchase
• Holafly – use link for 10% discount
• if you need help with choosing the best eSIM and how to set it up, hope this blog will help you How To Stay Connected Abroad

All in all, London is a place you have to visit once in your life, right? There’s no city like London. The history, the landmarks you’ve seen your whole life on TV, the museums, the food scene… there’s honestly nowhere else quite like it.

We hope this helps you plan your trip, ntil next time, be mesmerized ❤️

Day 1: Westminster, Buckingham Palace & the West End

This is classic London. The kind of day where you’ll constantly think “wait, I’ve seen this in a movie.” Because you have. Start in Westminster and work your way through the West End, it’s all walkable and every turn looks like a postcard. But keep in mind, earlier start, less crowds.

Big Ben & Westminster Bridge

Start here. There’s really no better way to begin a London trip than standing in front of Big Ben in the morning before the crowds arrive. The gothic details on the clock tower are genuinely stunning up close, and if you’re there at the full or half hour, wait for the chimes, they sound special.

The best view is from Westminster Bridge, you get Big Ben on one side and the London Eye across the river on the other. Classic London. The iconic red phone box nearby is worth a photo too, just saying. If you want more photo spots around London, check them out in our guide.

Quick fact that will make you sound smart: Big Ben is actually the name of the bell inside, not the tower. The tower is officially called Elizabeth Tower.

⏰ Opening hours: Monday to Saturday, 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM, tours start at Cromwell Green.
🎟️ Tickets: you can purchase it on the official website released three months in advance

Westminster Abbey

Right around the corner, and worth slowing down for. The exterior alone is stunning, pure gothic architecture that somehow looks even bigger in person than in photos. Westminster Abbey has been the site of every royal coronation since 1066 and is the final resting place of more than 3.300 people, including Isaac Newton, Charles Darwin, Stephen Hawking, and Charles Dickens.

You can attend a daily service for free through the Great West Door. General admission gets you the full experience inside, and if you’re into history, the guided tour is worth it.

⏰ Opening hours: Monday to Saturday, 9:30 AM to 3:30 PM last entry.
🎟️ Tickets: £31 (~36€) and you can buy them here

Buckingham Palace & the Changing of the Guard

Walk up to Buckingham Palace along The Mall, the long tree-lined avenue that leads straight from Westminster toward the Palace. It’s a lovely walk and very much part of the experience.

The Changing of the Guard happens every Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday at 11:00 AM, it’s free to watch, lasting about 45 minutes. Be there by 10:30 AM to get a decent spot because it fills up fast.

If you want to go inside Buckingham Palace, the State Rooms and gardens are open to visitors.
🎟️ Tickets: ~£30 (~35€)
🛒 Buy entry tickets and attend Changing of the Guard

Check out our full guide on how to get the best spot for the Changing of the Guard.

St. James’s Park & toward Trafalgar Square
After the Palace, walk through St. James’s Park. It’s right there, it’s beautiful, and after the crowds of the Changing of the Guard you’ll appreciate the breathing room. Walk around or just sit on the ground, feed some squirrels.

From the park, keep walking east and you’ll arrive at Trafalgar Square, Nelson’s Column in the middle, the National Gallery behind it. It feels like the centre of everything, because geographically, it kind of is. Charing Cross, just off the square, is the official point from which all distances to London are measured.

I don’t know why but every time we were at Trafalgar Square, it was under construction, even in 2014. when we first visited London.

From Trafalgar Square it’s a short walk to Piccadilly Circus: loud, bright, chaotic, and somehow brilliant. Screens everywhere, streets shooting off toward Soho and Regent Street. The famous statue everyone calls Eros is actually called the Angel of Christian Charity, designed in 1893. Almost nobody calls it that though. Walk around, take it in, grab a coffee, some pastry and just watch the city move for a bit. Or go shopping! Regent Street has all the shops from high street.

Where to eat on Day 1:

• Timmy Green – brunch place
• The Black Penny – brunch place
• GAIL’s Bakery Strand – pastry sweet and savory
• Buns From Home – pastry
• 50 Kalò di Ciro Salvo – Neapolitan-style pizza
• Shoryu Ramen Regent Street – japanese restaurant
• Marugame (The Strand) – Japanese Udon Noodles & Tempura
• Blacklock Covent Garden – steak house
• Tortilla Oxford Circus – mexican restauran
• Crème – cookie shop

Day 2: The City, South Bank, Borough Market & Tower Bridge

Today starts in the heart of the City, works its way down to the South Bank, picks up Borough Market for lunch, and ends at Tower Bridge. And if the evening behaves, there’s a rooftop sunset waiting for you at the end of it all.

London Eye & a River Cruise

Start on the South Bank. The London Eye is right here and it makes much more sense as an evening ride, so for now just take in the view from the riverbank, Big Ben on one side, the Eye on the other. One of the best free views in London.
If you want to start the day on the water, a Thames River Cruise from here is a great idea. You’ll pass under several bridges, get views of the City skyline, Tower Bridge, and the Tower of London from the river, and arrive pretty much where you’re headed anyway. A little sneak peak!

Millennium Bridge & St. Paul’s Cathedral

Walk east along the South Bank and cross the Millennium Bridge. Stop in the middle, because the view of St. Paul’s Cathedral framed above the riverbank is one of those iconic pictures you will want to take.

St. Paul’s has been overlooking London for more than 1.400 years. Churchill’s funeral was held here. So was the wedding of Prince Charles and Princess Diana.

⏰ Opening hours: 8:30 AM Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday, 10:00 AM on Wednesdays, closing at 4:30 PM.
🎟️ Tickets: £27 (~31€)
🛒 St Paul’s Cathedral Entry Ticket

Borough Market

Continue east along the South Bank and you’ll reach Borough Market, one of the oldest food markets in London, dating back to 1885. This is brunch. Don’t skip it, it will be the best decision you make all day.

The quality is genuinely high and it gets busy, so arrive with a rough plan.

Our picks: The Black Pig for the best sandwich we’ve had in London, worth every minute of the queue.

The Ginger Pig for a hot sausage roll.

Bread Ahead Doughnuts are dangerous, everyone goes for the crème brûlée one but the chocolate s’more is my personal preference. And by dangerous I mean dangerously overfilled.

⏰ Opening hours: Monday to Friday 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM, Saturday 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM, Sunday 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM.

Tower Bridge

About 15 minutes walk east from Borough Market along the riverbank. The best combined view of Tower Bridge and the Tower of London is on the south bank, just before the bridge.

Tower Bridge is genuinely one of the most beautiful bridges you’ll ever see. You can go inside and walk the glass-floor walkway up top for panoramic city views, and visit the Victorian Engine Rooms below with the original steam engines that used to power the bridge lifts. The bridge still lifts occasionally, check the schedule at towerbridge.org.uk/bridge-lifts.

⏰ Opening hours: 9:30 AM to 6:00 PM daily.
🎟️ Tickets: £18 (~21€)
🛒 Buy tickets online

Tower of London

Right next door, the Tower of London is a medieval castle that has served as a royal palace, a prison, and a place of execution over the past 1.000 years. The Crown Jewels are kept here, and they are extraordinary to see in person. Now that I think about it, why would they keep the crown jewels next to a prison? Hm… You could easily spend here at least two to three hours. There are free guided tours, they leave from the main entrance every 30 to 45 minutes from 10:00 AM and the stories are wild.
⏰ Opening hours: Tuesday to Saturday 9:00 AM to 5:30 PM, Sunday and Monday 10:00 AM to 5:30 PM, last admission one hour before closing.
🎟️ Tickets: ~£34 (~40€)
🛒 Buy Tower of London and Crown Jewels Exhibition Ticket

Leadenhall Market

A 10 minute walk north into the City. If you’ve seen the Harry Potter films, Leadenhall Market will look very familiar. It was used as Diagon Alley, and you’ll feel exactly why the second you walk in.

And after that loooong day of walking, it’s time to relax!

You’ve earned a drink with a view. These are great options:

Sky Garden has 360-degree views of the city from three floors of landscaped gardens and is probably the most well known of the three. It’s free but you need to book in advance. Tickets are released every Monday morning around 10:00 AM for dates three weeks ahead, and sunset slots go within hours. Book the Monday before you travel. If you missed the free slots, booking a table at one of the bars or restaurants inside gets you straight in without a separate access ticket.

⏰ Opening hours: Weekdays 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM, weekends 11:00 AM to 9:00 PM.
🎟️ Tickets: Free, book at skygarden.london/booking

Garden at 120 is the quieter, less crowded alternative and honestly just as good. London’s largest public rooftop garden, 15 storeys up, 85 Italian wisteria trees, a 60-meter water feature, and views of The Shard, The Gherkin, Tower Bridge, and St. Paul’s all at once. Completely free and no booking needed, just go through security at the entrance on Fenchurch Street, take the lift, and you’re up. If Sky Garden is sold out, come here. You might actually prefer it anyway.

And then, if the evening is being kind to you, loop back to the London Eye for the ride you skipped this morning. The city at dusk from 135 meters up looks completely different from the daytime version, lights coming on across the skyline, the Thames going golden. If you’re going to do it, this is when to do it.

⏰ Opening hours: 10:00 AM to 8:30 PM Friday to Sunday, 11:00 AM to 6:00 PM on other days.
🎟️ Tickets: £29, book online in advance.

Where to eat on Day 2:

• Flat Iron Borough – steak house
• Texas Joe’s Slow Smoked Meats – barbecue restaurant
• Lina Stores Broadgate Circle – italian restaurant
• Marugame – Japanese Udon Noodles & Tempura
• Darlish Ice Cream

Day 3: Covent Garden, King’s Cross, the British Museum & Hyde Park

For today, less rushing between landmarks, a bit more wandering. Some of London’s more unexpected corners, a legendary train station, the best free museum in the world, and Hyde Park at the end to decompress. A good way to finish.

Covent Garden & Neal’s Yard

Start in Covent Garden. The market piazza is always lively, street performers, boutiques, cafes, and a general energy that’s hard to explain until you’re in it. Walk around, explore the side streets, and just enjoy.

Neal’s Yard is a tiny colourful courtyard nearby that looks almost too pretty to be real. Painted walls, flower boxes, independent shops. Easy to miss if you don’t know it’s there, so look for it. And don’t miss the doughnuts at St John Bakery while you’re in the area. This whole area is less touristy and feels local.

King’s Cross & St. Pancras

A short Tube ride north. King’s Cross is famous for Platform 9¾, the Harry Potter spot, and it’s worth five minutes of your time even if you’re not a huge fan. There’s a luggage trolley embedded in the wall of the station, a photo queue, and a small shop packed with wizarding world merchandise. Free to visit, no ticket needed. The professional photo op is optional but the queue does move, just go early.

Another reason to come here is St. Pancras International right next door. Step outside King’s Cross and look left. The Victorian gothic red brick facade is one of the most dramatic buildings in London, and the exterior alone is worth the trip. It just looks so impressive.

The British Museum

Head back south toward Bloomsbury. The British Museum is free to enter but you need to book a time slot in advance because it fills up fast. Secure your ticket here.

8 million objects. Human history from prehistoric times to the present. Go in the afternoon, it’s much quieter than the mornings and you can actually enjoy it instead of shuffling through with the crowds.

⏰ Opening hours: 10:00 AM to 5:30 PM daily, Fridays until 8:30 PM. Entry is free.

Hyde Park

End the trip here. The largest park in central London and a completely different world from everything you’ve seen over the past three days.

Walk, sit on the grass, visit the Rose Garden, the Diana Memorial Fountain, or just sit by the Serpentine Lake and do absolutely nothing for a while.

On a sunny day it’s one of the nicest places in the whole city.

Where to eat on Day 3:

• HALFCUP KINGS CROSS – brunch place
• Flat Iron Kings Cross – steak house
• Agrodolce London – Italian restaurant
• The Mayfair Chippy – fish and chips
• Via Emilia by Food Roots – northern Italian restaurant
• Fortitude Bakehouse – for something sweet

Things to know before you go

• the Tube is your best friend – pay with your phone or contactless card, no separate ticket needed
• book Tower of London, Westminster Abbey, and St. Paul’s in advance, they sell out and the queues are long
• changing of the Guard: be at Buckingham Palace by 10:30 AM on Monday, Wednesday, Friday, or Sunday
• Borough Market is closed on Mondays, plan your days accordingly
• you will walk a lot around London, comfortable shoes are a must
• most major museums are free, always worth checking before assuming you need to pay

Best Time to Visit London

Any time, honestly. We know that sounds like a cop-out but we mean it.
We’ve done London in June and in December and both trips were completely different and both were great. June gave us long days and warm evenings. December gave us fairy lights everywhere and that specific London winter energy that’s hard to describe until you’ve felt it.
The crowds peak in summer and around Christmas, but don’t let that put you off. The city handles them well and there’s always somewhere quieter to escape to. The one thing worth knowing is that air conditioning in the UK is genuinely rare, even on the Tube. If you run hot, July and August might test your patience. May, early June, or September are probably the sweet spot, decent weather without the full summer heat and slightly thinner crowds. But really, London in any season is London. It works.

Getting Around London

Your feet will do most of the work, and that’s actually a good thing. London is one of the most walkable cities we’ve been to, and some of the best moments happen between destinations rather than at them.
For everything else, the Tube is fast, easy, and pays for itself. Tap in with your phone or contactless card, no Oyster needed unless you prefer it. Buses are just as good and a double-decker ride, upstairs, front row, is something you should do at least once. It’s technically transport. It also happens to be one of the best ways to see the city.
Taxis are available but pricey. With how well the public transport connects everything, you rarely need one. Open Google/Apple Maps, select public transport, follow it. Done.

Where to Stay in London

London is expensive, there’s no getting around it. City centre hotels especially. We stayed in Earl’s Court on one trip and Bethnal Green on another, both outside the centre but well connected, and we never felt like we were missing out. Twenty minutes on the Tube or bus and we were wherever we needed to be.
It really comes down to your budget. Stay central if you can swing it. If not, anywhere with a good Tube connection works just as well.

• London House Hotel
• Cleveland Residences Kensington
• St Pancras, Autograph Collection – if budget is not a problem
• Hotel Meridiana – affordable close to city center
• Apartments in Bethnal – affordable, bit outside city center
  

Staying Connected in London

EU visitors should be fine on roaming, same rates as home, though it’s always worth double-checking with your provider before you go.
Coming from outside the EU, an eSIM sorted before you fly is the easiest option. Quick to set up, works the moment you land. And either way, Wi-Fi is everywhere in London. Cafes, restaurants, hotels, the Tube stations. You won’t be scrambling for data.

• Airalo – use code TAJANA3694 for 3€ off your first purchase
• Holafly – use link for 10% discount
• if you need help with choosing the best eSIM and how to set it up, hope this blog will help you How To Stay Connected Abroad

And that is it! Hope you enjoy your short London stay and until next time, be mesmerized 🩵