Well, it happened again. It’s now the second time that I’m visiting a world renown city and fall in love with it after avoiding it for so long – London! (can you guess what the first city was?)
I was in London recently for a few days on a work trip after being invited to speak at an advertising and privacy. My first impression? I was fascinated by the traditional cabs, the double decker buses, driving on the ‘wrong’ side of the road, and cars with right-side steering wheels. It’s quite a bizarre experience for the first couple of days.
I have lived in and traveled to Europe many times, and for some reason London was at the bottom of my list of places to visit. Why? Perhaps because everyone is always raving about it – I usually like to go to places that are not on everyone’s top 10 places to see. It’s more than that though.
Many say that London is expensive, polluted and that the people obnoxious. Yes, the city is expensive, although not much more polluted than other big cities, … and the people are wonderful!
I only had two days to spend in London this time – but I made the best of it and walked around for hours on end. Below are some of the places I recommend checking out. If you’re not much of a walker, don’t worry – there are of course less demanding options to get around, like taking the famous Underground (subway) or taking a ‘hop on- hop off’ bus that takes you to many of these locations.
Top 10 Things To Do
- London Eye
A must see and visit attraction, the London Eye is a giant Ferris wheel on the South Bank of the River Thames. It is Europe’s tallest Ferris wheel and the most popular paid tourist attraction in the United Kingdom. Entrance is about £25 and it is recommended to book your tickets in advance for a particular date and time, especially during high tourist season when the line ups can be long. To complete a full circle, the Eye needs about an hour.
- Tower of London
The castle was used as a prison from 1100 until 1952, although that was not its primary purpose. A grand palace early in its history, it served as a royal residence. The Tower of London has played a prominent role in English history. It was besieged several times and controlling it has been important to controlling the country. The Tower has served variously as an armoury, a treasury, a menagerie, the home of the Royal Mint, a public record office, and the home of the Crown Jewels of England. Normal Entry Price is £26.80 for adults or free with the London pass.
- French Restaurant “Brasserie Blanc”
Mere minutes walk from Waterloo Station, the London Eye, the Royal Festival Hall and all the cultural attractions of Southbank, beautifully refurbished bar and brasserie are perfect for a set menu pre-theatre lunch or dinner, or try something delicious from our seasonally changing a la carte menu.
- Paul’s Cathedral
The cathedral is one of the most famous and most recognisable sights of London and has dominated the skyline for over 300 years. Services held at St Paul’s have included the funerals of Sir Winston Churchill and Baroness Thatcher, as well as the wedding of Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer. There is a tourist fee to enter, but it’s free to worshipers.
- Piccadilly Circus & Oxford Shopping Street
Piccadilly Circus is a road junction and public space of London’s West End in the City of Westminster is particularly known for its video display and neon signs (a mini version of Times Square in NYC). It was built in 1819 to connect Regent Street with Piccadilly. Why is it called a ‘circus’? Circus, from the Latin word meaning “circle”, is a round open space at a street junction. The Circus it close to major shopping and entertainment areas in the West End, including Oxford Street. Europe’s busiest shopping street, Oxford St. remains in high demand as a retail location, with several chains hosting their flagship stores on the street.
- Westminster Abbey
Westminster Abbey, formally titled the Collegiate Church of St Peter at Westminster, is a large, mainly Gothic abbey church just to the west of the Palace of Westminster. It is one of UK’s most notable religious buildings and the traditional place of coronation and burial site for British monarchs. There is a tourist fee to enter (£22 for adults, £9 for kids), but it’s free to worshipers.
- Buckingham Palace
The building can be toured in the summer months (July – September) and tickets are around £24. Every day starting around 10:45am to noon, the changing of the guard ceremony takes place. Try to get there early, especially during high season if you want to get a spot near the fence to be able to see the procession well.
- Kensington Palace
Kensington Palace is a royal residence set in Kensington Gardens (close to Hyde Park). It has been a residence of the British Royal Family since the 17th century, and is currently the official London residence of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge (William and Kate), the Duke and Duchess of Sussex (Harry and Meghan), Princess Eugenie and her husband Jack Brooksbank, the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester, the Duke and Duchess of Kent, and Prince and Princess Michael of Kent … wow! The Palace can be visited and entry for adults is £19.50.
- Covent Market
Established in 1845, this is a 7 day a week Market located right in Downtown London offering an abundance of food, services, a local farmers’ market twice weekly and an array of cultural festivals and events. There are many restaurants and pubs around, and if you happen to visit around Christmas time, it’s the place to be for mulled wine, carolers and a magnificent Christmas tree.
- See a play
One of my friends from London said that you haven’t had the full London experience if you haven’t seen a play in the theatre district! So she took me to see Agatha Christie’s ‘Witness for the Prosecution’ – it was one of the best plays and acting that I’ve ever seen! There are always great plays going on so make sure to book your tickets in advance and go see a play!
Cris2Travel 
Leave a comment
Comments 0