A Week in London
London is a city that keeps giving. It doesn’t matter how many times you’ve visited, it doesn’t matter how long you’ve lived here, there’s always something new to discover. I’ve known this city for 25 years and this summer was the first time I went to Shadwell Basin and did a long walk all the way to Canary Wharf. But what should you see in London? My honest answer is “I don’t know” because it all depends on your interests and what you’ve already discovered. Too help you plan, I’ve put together this post that introduces you to London and helps plan days that aren’t too tiring, but still allow you to cover most of the sights. If you’re looking for off the beaten track, there’s a fair bit of information in my other posts.
The Famous London
There’s a few options to discover and tick off the main sights, the ones that people recognise as London. Elizabeth Tower that people still call the Big Ben, the Houses of Parliament, Buckingham Palace, Piccadilly Circus and so on. But did you know, you can see all of these just by following a simple walking route?
This 5 kilometres long walking route starts at Embankment Station and leads you through the political heart of London. Whitehall has been the site of government offices since the 1530s when Henry VIII (the one with all the wives) established a court here. The walk leads from Embankment station, under the railway bridge and up the Northumberland Avenue. You’ll spot the Corinthia Hotel that has been on this site since Queen Victoria’s reign. The building has been requisitioned for the war effort in 1916 and served as offices for the Air Ministry and Ministry of Defense during World War II. Can you also spot the Sherlock Holmes pub? It’s the one that’s very often photographed. At the end of the avenue, there’s Trafalgar Square with the world famous lions and Nelson’s column. Enjoy the views from the square, the National Gallery and National Portrait Gallery around the corner, both are free to visit. We then continue the walk down Whitehall, past government buildings and 10 Downing Street.
Want to know a little London Secret? If you want a photo that looks like you’re visiting the Prime Minister, head to Adam Street, just off the Strand and look for door no. 10. It’s very similar to Downing Street and the John Adam Street nearby has often been used in films and TV too.
At the end of Whitehall, take in the Elizabeth Tower and London Eye across the river Thames, circle Parliament Square and visit the Westminster Abbey if you wish. Otherwise, continue to Birdcage Walk. On Great George Street you’ll walk past a couple of famous red phone boxes that are usually surrounded by tourists looking for the perfect photo. Birdcage Walk leads you past St James’s Park and if you wish, head into the part and find the Blue Bridge. It’s a protected line of sight and you can see Buckingham Palace on one side and Whitehall buildings on the other. Quite often you’ll share the bridge with pelicans that call this park their home. St James’s Park also boasts a lovely children’s playground where the little ones can release some energy. Continue through the park and you end up at Buckingham Palace. The changing of the guard is not a daily activity, so check the schedule online if you wish to see it.
You can continue the walk through Green Park turning onto Piccadilly, or you can wander up The Mall and turn into Marlborough Road that leads past St James’s Palace to take in a bit more history. The palace was built by King Henry VIII and its latest historic event took place when Prince Charles became King Charles III. Again turn onto Piccadilly and walk past the cafes and shops all the way to Piccadilly Circus. Follow the crowds on Coventry Street and you’ll soon come to Leicester Square where you can take in the statues and see where many film premiers take place. Wander the nearby streets of Chinatown and grab some food from one of the restaurants or enjoy the viral treats from Chinatown Bakery. Leicester Square has a new street food venue too.
From Leicester Square walk to Covent Garden and enjoy the street performers, grab a coffee or head to The Royal Opera House’s Bar Cicoria, which offers great views over the area (and is free to enter).
Covent Garden is a good area for a pub visit too as there’s many. If you have plenty of energy left, there’s the Transport Museum (entry fee), which my children love as it offers enough hands on activities and has a small play area. To take in the atmosphere head up James and Neal Streets to Seven Dials and get lost wandering around. Pop into picturesque Neal’s Yard just off Short’s Gardens and grab a slice of delicious pizza from Home Slice.
A Day at the Museum
Always a great escape when the weather is not cooperating. London is full of museums, some very well known and others less. But any visit should include a trip to at least one. I wrote about our favourite London Museums before and I can highly recommend them still as we love them and my children keep asking to return.
If you want to dedicate a whole day to museums, South Kensington is a good destination as all three most famous ones stand next to each other. You can easily spend hours at the Natural History Museum just wandering through the various exhibitions and taking it all in. The museum is huge, but often very busy. It’s worth booking free entry tickets online to avoid waiting in the queue outside. There’s a restaurant and a café inside as well as a few shops where my kids love picking up lollies and dinosaur shaped chocolate. Science Museum is also really popular and has the ability to book free entry tickets ahead of time. We love the medicine gallery, but more often come for the paid Power Up where lovers of computers and gaming get their fill of various games through the decades. Science Museum is very family friendly as it also boasts a playroom, The Garden, for under 8s. There’s space for picnics in the basement, where you can enjoy your own food. Wonderlab is another paid gallery and it’s perfect for children who get to explore science hands on. Victoria and Albert Museum across the road has one of the most beautiful cafes in London, which attracts many visitors. It’s also got a beautiful courtyard with fountains in which children often cool down in the hot summers.
If you want to avoid the well trodden museum path, London has a great deal of hidden gems. A gorgeous museum, full of antiques, sculptures and art is The Wallace Collection in Marylebone, which is also one of my favourite areas of London. You can easily spend time at the museum and then relax in a family run pub before sitting down for a delicious meal. And you can even hop to Daunt Books, the famous and well photographed bookshop with a great selection of paper and hardbacks. You can then walk to Baker Street and visit Sherlock Holmes Musuem or the well known Madame Tussauds or spend time relaxing at Regent’s Park.
If you’re after a bit of London’s history, head over to Canary Wharf and visit London Museum Docklands before exploring the area. Once full of offices and dead at the weekend, Canary Wharf is now a bustling place to be. Street food, waterside pubs, Art on the Estate trail, watersports and shopping make it really easy to spend a whole day here. And if you want to see fantastic view over London without the price tag, head to Bokan 37 on top of Novotel and enjoy a drink watching the city below you.
Day Trip to Greenwich
Just getting to Greenwich is half the fun. Hop on the Uber Boat aka the Thames Clipper and sail past London’s sights, under the Tower Bridge all the way to Greenwich. Or hop on the DLR. If you have kids, try and get the front seats, so they can pretend to be drivers. I promise you, it’s lots of fun.
There’s so much to do in Greenwich. Visit the National Maritime Museum (free), which also has a playroom, Ahoy Gallery for under 7s (pre-book), a giant map of the world on the floor that children love and a small, but great playground, The Cove, outside. The park itself is lovely for a picnic and a walk and it has a pretty big playground. It’s also the start of the London Marathon. The historic architecture is the main reason why so many films and TV shows are filmed here. Ranger’s House was the home of the Bridgerton family, the Chapel of St Peter and St Paul was the backdrop for Colin and Penelope’s wedding and you can spot Greenwich throughout the series.
There’s plenty of restaurants and cafes, there’s street food at the market and traditional English pies at Goddards at Greenwich.
Don’t forget about the Greenwich Meridian and the Royal Observatory and beautiful views down the hill. You can also pay to go on the Cutty Sark, another famous landmark.
Wander along the Southbank
For me, walking around London is the best experience. It gives me the freedom to push when I want more and to stop and watch the world go by on those days where energy levels are low. There’s plenty to see on the Southbank and like so many places in London, you get to enjoy the views.
The place to start is Waterloo. Steer away from the river for an interesting start at the Leake Street Tunnel. The graffiti tunnel is a bit of alternative London and I absolutely love the Lower Marsh and its independent cafes. It’s the perfect location. After enjoying a coffee, return back to York road and follow it to Sutton Walk where Paddington mural never fails to make me smile. Walk under the trainline, past the Royal Festival Hall and you reach the Thames.
London Eye is just visible in the distance, but we’re heading away from it towards east. While walking along the Thames, you can pop down to the beach (beware of the tide) and walk on the sandy and pebble shore. The sights on the way are the Oxo Tower, Tate Modern, Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre, the Clink Prison Museum, Golden Hinde, Southwark Cathedral and Borough Market, the Shard and Hay’s Galleria, HMS Belfast, Tower Bridge. Stop and enjoy any of these sights or grab a drink at any number of pubs on the way. If you haven’t stopped for food, there’s Tower Bridge Collective with amazing views of the Tower Bridge and plenty of street food indoors (plus a children’s sandpit). This is also where the well known photo spot is, the Horselydown Stairs. A word of warning here, don’t underestimate the tide.
The City
Well known as the former financial centre (before Canary Wharf took over), this part of London is full of offices, shops and great architecture. I love its hidden alleyways and treasures they hide.
Depending on how rested your legs are, I’d start the walk on Victoria Embankment. Did you know that Victoria Embankment was built in the late 19th century as part of London’s first super sewer? Joseph Bazalgette was the man responsible for building a huge sewer system that stopped human waste from being pumped into the river Thames. His design and the work done was so future proof that much of it is still in use today.
From here walk up the Middle Temple Lane, an area well know in legal circles. The area also appears in Bridget Jones films. You soon reach Fleet Street, area that became the historic heart of journalism and national newspapers after printing press was invented. On the way towards St Paul’s Cathedral, you pass Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese, a historic pub where even Charles Dickens used to enjoy a drink. If you want great photos of St Paul’s stop at the Reflection Garden, which despite its location still remains a hidden gem. Great views can also be found from Watling Street or the One New Change roof, which is free to visit.
Continue the walk on Cheapside and head to the Bank of England and the Royal Exchange. Two great buildings and the museum inside the Bank of England is free. You can test your strength by trying to lift a solid 13kg gold bar or see the replica of the 18th century stock office. The Royal Exchange is a beautiful listed buildings you can walk through as it’s now filled with eateries and shops.
If you continue on Cornhill, you’ll soon reach Leadenhall Market, which featured in Harry Potter films as the ‘Leaky Cauldron’ was around the corner. It’s a good place to stop for a bite to eat or a drink. There’s also three viewing decks within short distance, The Lookout, Garden at 120 and Skygarden. Some need booking ahead of time as they are very popular, but doing this saves you money if you want to see London from above.
Here we go, a working week in London full of activities. I have barely scratched the surface of all that London has to offer with this post, but I hope it has given you a taster.
