You’re at London, United Kingdom or plan to go there and you don’t know yet what to do? No problem – check out this list of the best things you can do at London.
The Classics
Walk over Tower Bridge and look at river Thames: The Tower Bridge in London, United Kingdom is named because of its Location close to the Tower of London. It is 244 meters long and was opened in 1894 in gothic revival style. Between its 65 meter high towers in the middle section it is a flap bridge to allow the passage for higher ships. Read more…
Visit the well-protected Crown Jewels: The Tower of London, United Kingdom is a fortification in the center of the city. It contains a castle surrounded by two walls and it has been used over the centuries as a royal safe-harbour, prison, zoo, museum and armoury. It has been built in the 11th century CE for William the Conquerer and is a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1988. Read more…
Take a look at the place where monarchs get crowned and married: Concerning the royal family the most important church in London, United Kingdom is Westminster Abbey, located close to the Houses of Parliament. The kings and monarchs are crowned and buried here. The abbey was built from 1045 on and the current church was begun in the year 1240. The towers have been added by Sir Christopher Wren from the year 1722 on. Read more…
Climb on top of the fantastic St. Paul’s cathedral: As far as I can remember I was visiting St. Paul’s Cathedral every time when I was in London, United Kingdom. It’s the architecture and the atmosphere of Sir Christopher Wrens sacral building that attracts me – but in the past, I never went up to the top of the dome of the 111 meters high building. What a miss! Read more…
Take the roundtrip with the London Eye: The London Eye (or Millenium Wheel) is with a height of 135 meters the highest big wheel in Europe. It is located on the south bank of river Thames close to Westminister bridge in London, United Kingdom. It was opened in 2000 and was planned to be deconstructed after five years – but as it was so successful and became a town’s landmark of London, it is still standing. Read more…
Visit the queen at Buckingham Palace: One of the essential sights of a first time visit to London, United Kingdom is the home of the queen: the Buckingham Palace. It was built in the year 1703 for the Duke of Buckingham and continuously enhanced afterwards. Often foreign state guests are welcomed here. Read more…
Check out the Elizabeth tower and understand that only the bell within is named big ben: A hugh bell in one of the towers of the Houses of Parliament in London, United Kingdom is called Big Ben – but people tend to use the name for the whole tower. The correct name since the crown jubilee in 2012 is Elizabeth tower. It is now named after Queen Elizabeth – and another tower of the parliament is named after her mother Victoria. Read more…
Visit the Royal Observatory and discover a totally different London: After some days between skyscrapers and tightly packed houses in the city of London, United Kingdom you might feel the necessity for a little change. The city quarter Greenwich is no insider tip as everybody goes there for the Royal Observatory – but you should consider it, even if it is only for a walk in the evening. Just take the Docklands Light Railway (DLR) from Bank and exit at Maritime Greenwich. After some meters you’re standing at the shore of river Thames. Read more…
Go shopping in the luxurious atmosphere of Harrods: It has been a while since I‘ve been to Harrods in London, United Kingdom. But why would you like to visit a luxury warehouse as a tourist? It‘s the special atmosphere and the different sections which all have a different interior design. And it is a pleasure to stroll through the food zone and have a look at the offering. Read more…
Shop some toys and get an update on the latest trends: Yes it is only a toy shop in London, United Kingdom – but Hamleys is also the craziest toy shop I’ve ever seen. Located in the precious Regent Street (but with many branches) this shop offers all toys that your heart might desire on many floors. And wherever you get there is always someone showing you a fancy toy – be prepared to take your head down when something is flying around announced. Read more…
Have an endless walk through the wonderful Hyde Park: If you need a long walk through a park and under trees London, United Kingdom offers plenty of options. The green lung of the city is the Hyde Park in combination with the neighbouring Kensington Gardens. Together they are even larger than the Principality of Monaco. Read more…
Follow Harry Potter to platform 9 3/4: When J. K. Rowling published her award-winning Harry Potter books she gave a new meaning to the King’s Cross railway station in London, United Kingdom. Students of the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry take the steam engine Hogwarts Express from platform 9 3/4 of King’s Cross station. To reach this platform they have to push their trolleys into the wall between platforms 9 and 10. Read more…
Enjoy a play by William Shakespeare at the fantastic Globe Theatre: The current building was opened in 1997 and it is a replica of the original Globe Theatre built in 1599 (burned down in 1613 and finally removed after reconstruction in 1644). Even though it had to be modernized for security reasons the Globe still gives you the original feeling of a playhouse of Elizabethan times. Read more…
The museums
Enjoy the vast collection of the British Museum and its architecture: The British Museum is a cultural history museum at London, England that is the treasury of the British people. It was opened in 1759 based on the collections of Hans Sloane and was continuously extended. It exhibits items from Asia, Africa, Oceania, Egypt, the Middle East, America and Europe. The museum is a wonderful mix of neoclassical buildings and modern elements like the glass cupola designed by Norman Foster. You can easily get lost within for days. Read more…
Visit the dinosaurs at the Natural History Museum: It is a nice and very entertaining museum at London, England – but you could also get here solely because of the building it is located it: the fantastic Waterhouse in Roman-Byzantine style from 1860. The Natural History Museum dates back to the year 1881 and was once part of the British Museum. It was separated in 1883 and became independent in 1963. The museum contains items from the 18th century CE and is based on the collections of Hans Sloane, Joseph Banks and Richard Owen. Read more…
Learn about design, arts & craft at the V&A: The Victoria & Albert Museum (or short V&A) is a museum about design, arts and crafts at South Kensington, London. It is named after queen Victoria and her husband prince Albert. It is a wild mix of pictures, sculptures and jewelry. There is a lot to discover and you will be suprised while strolling through the aisles. You can find a copy of the Colonna Traiana here, as well as a copy of Michelangelos David and works of Gian Lorenzo Bernini. Read more…
Have a good time and enjoy art at the Tate Modern: The Tate Modern in London, United Kingdom located near St. Paul’s Cathedral directly at the river Thames. It has been created in the year 2000 in an old power station and is the biggest museum of modern art. Read more…
Explore the wonderful National Gallery building at the masterpieces within: Throning above Trafalgar Square and Nelson’s Column you can find the National Gallery, a palace of art. Entrance is free of charge, on Friday evening the opening hours are especially long and you can loose yourself in the many rooms of this vast art museum. The exhibition contains more than 2,300 works from the 13th to the 19th century and was opened in 1824. Read more…
Enjoy works of French impressionism: A visit to the Courtauld Gallery leads you into a very special building, the Somerset House. It was built in 1776 and was for long time the seat of aristocracy, later it was turned into a government building. Today Somerset House is a center of art which hosts an ice skating rink in winter and it is often used as backdrop in blockbuster movies. Since 1989 it houses the Courtauld Gallery which is focused on French impressionism and post-impressionism – a very good reasons to stop at Somerset House. Read more…
The skybars
Enjoy a drink and some music at a garden in the sky: The latest insider tip if you want to combine good drinks with perfect views on the city of London, United Kingdom is the Sky Garden. It is a garden in the glassy top floor of the building 20 Fenchurch Street that is called walkie-talkie by the locals because of its shape. Within the Sky Garden you will find a bar and a restaurant. In addition to good food and drinks you can enjoy perfect views on important sights like the Tower of London and the Tower Bridge as well as on other skyscrapers like the gherkin, the shard, the cheesegrater and the lipstick. Read more…
Wonder about the brilliant but strange architecture of the Shard and have a beer above the city: The Shard in Southwark, London is the highest building of the United Kingdom. The skyscraper looks like a shard of glass, is 310 meters high and contains 87 floors. It was opened in 2012 and you will find offices, high-class restaurants, a hotel and ten flats within the building. Read more…
For foodies
Enjoy a vast food market and try lots of different cuisines: The Mercato Metropolitano is a wonderful food court at Elephant & Castle, London. You can sit inside or outside and get drinks and food from numerous small shops. From burgers via Spätzle and burritos to gyoza. Everything that your heart might desire – and as a surplus, they claim to be sustainable. Read more…
Try the best dumplings in town: It is pretty much impossible to leave Soho hungry – with so many fantastic small restaurants gathered in this area of London, England. A very good place to taste delicious Chinese dumplings is the Ugly dumpling in Newburgh street. It looks like the smallest restaurant ever with just a small amount of tables crammed into a tiny corner restaurant. But don’t worry if it seems to be full; there is also another tiny area one floor down. Waiting is worth the time, they’ve good some very fine dumpling versions on their menu. Read more…
Have breakfast whenever you like: If you love US-American breakfast or want to have breakfast all around the clock then The Breakfast Club in London, United Kingdom might be the right place for you. It all started with a tiny location at Soho – now it is a chain with many restaurants throughout London. Read more…
Taste the obligatory Fish & Chips: Once in a while, it is time for the traditional British meal – fish & chips. There are obviously many good places in London, United Kingdom for that, but the Golden Union in Poland Street close to Oxford Street has not only a great location but also a nice atmosphere. You can’t be wrong when choosing one of the high-calorie meals in this eatery. Read more…
Try hard to choose between katsu curry and great sushi: The Hare & Tortoise is a restaurant chain in London, United Kingdom. The Bloomsbury branch is located in the Brunswick shopping centre and you have to look a bit around to find it between the different shops and restaurants. But once you found it you can enjoy fantastic Japanese food. Read more…
Queue up at another great Japenese eatery: The Misato is a small Japanese restaurant at the southern gate of Chinatown in London, United Kingdom. The name means female who makes typos and I have no clue why it is named like this. But they serve very good Japanese food in a cosy atmosphere. Read more…
Let Tōkyō Diner serve you authentic Japanese dishes: If you’re searching for traditional Japanese meals in London, United Kingdom you’ll have plenty of options. One of the best is serving good food since 1992: the Tōkyō Diner in the heart of Chinatown. On two levels you can get great sushi and nice katsu curry. Read more…
Get some Chinese dumplings at Chinatown: Chinatown is a part of London crammed with Chinese-run restaurant and shops. It is located north of Leicester Square around the Gerrard street. If you’re looking for good and authentic Chinese cuisine this is your place to be! Don’t skip this experience because you might probably have to wait in front of one of the tiny-looking restaurants – they’re larger than you might think especially as the cellars are used for dining as well and the waiters are experts in packing the restaurant with guests pretty fast. Road more…
The specialties
Visit Little Venice and walk along the channels: Who just visits the city center of London, United Kingdom will often miss a wonderful thing: the many small channels leading through the city. On some of them you can do boat cruises, on some of them ships anchor like mobile houses or hotels. Water always creates a nice atmosphere and makes life different. Read more…
Climb on a hill and enjoy the enlighted skyline: If you want to enjoy the lights of the city or have a look at the skyline of London, United Kingdom you would typically go to a skyscraper like The Shard or the Sky Garden. A good and cheap alternative is a walk through Hampstead Heath to Parliament Hill. Read more…
Get out of the city center and relax at the Royal Botanic Gardens: After some days at the city center of London you might probably want to get a little bit outside of the city and relax in a green environment. The perfect place for that are the Royal Botanic Gardens or Kew Gardens at Richmond; a city quarter in the West. It is a UNESCO world heritage site dating back to the year 1638 CE and exhibiting plants from all parts of the world next to Victorian-era greenhouses and vast gardens that give you a quiet and peaceful place to sit down, relax and maybe read a book. Road more…
Enjoy some magic potions in a speakeasy for wizards: It is a hidden bar which you won’t find unless you explicitly search for it. The Blind Phoenix is a speakeasy for witches and wizards hidden in the underground of Dalston, London. When you arrive there look out for an inconspicuous black door. I already wanted to give up and leave as a house-elf pointed me towards the hidden entrance. There you’ll have to enter the secret code on an old-school telephone and afterwards the door opens and you’ll see the long stairway into the cellar. Read more…
Follow the traces of Anna and Will at Notting Hill: It is an interesting phenomenon how a movie can shape the image of a complete city quarter and bring many tourists there. Well, Notting Hill would be anyhow worth a trip – but because of the 1999 movie with Julia Roberts and Hugh Grant this city quarter of London, United Kingdom gets much attention. People search for blue doors, the ‘Travel Book Co.‘ bookshop (which is in fact The Notting Hill Book Shop) and private gardens with high fences. Read more…
Enjoy amazing views on the city while having an iced coffee: If you want to have a great view on the skyline of London there are different places to consider like Parliament Hill at Hampstead Heath or Muswell hill, but the best place I discovered by incident: the terrace of the Alexandra Palace located inside Alexandra Park. It is an event location known for darts and snooker tournaments, but Ally Pally is also the best option for Londoners to ride their sledges in the rare events of snow in the city. Read more…
Take a cable car in the middle of the city: Did you know that there is a cable car in London, United Kingdom? It is a quite unexpected opportunity to take a flight over the river Thames. The Emirates Air Line has been opened in 2012 for the Olympic summer games and connects the Greenwich peninsula (the station is close to the Millenium dome) with the Royal Victoria Dock where you can switch to the DLR. During the day a ride takes you five minutes but in the evening hours they lower the speed and you can enjoy 13 minutes of good views on the docklands. Read more…
Enjoy a walk along the Princess Diana Memorial fountain: My generation will always remember the night of August 31st, 1997 when Diana, Princess of Wales died in a car crash in Paris, France. You didn’t need to be a Yellow Press reader or a fan of the Royal Family to emotionally get involved into this. The whole story of her and Prince Charles separating but not getting divorced (letting her stay the potential future queen), caring together about their sons and then this special kind of death – with many theories around it – made it a topic discussed in wide general public. Read more…
Visit Karl Marx and discover an ancient graveyard: One of Londons highlights outside the city center is the historic Highgate Cemetery. Located in the north in todays city quarter Camden it was opened in 1839, became the graveyard for many persons living in exile and it had to close around the year 1960. Fifteen years later a friend’s association acquired the land and therefore it can these days be visited again and also burials are again happening in this place. That feels a bit odd in the beginning, but seems to work well. Read more…
Have a pint of beer in a floating pub (and sometimes listen to ukulele karaoke): My currently favourite pub at London, United Kingdom is a special one: it is floating on river Thames between Lambeth and Vauxhall bridge. Tamesis Dock was once a Dutch barge from the 1930s but is now permanently moored and used as a relaxed bar on the water. Read more…
Sit between neon lights and take some pictures at God’s Own Junkyard: It is a place you can only love: a warehouse at the end of the world full of illuminated, crazy neon lights. A strange collection of colorful lights from former bars, night clubs, discos and casinos and in-between all that a lot of cozy seats of a bar serving plain food and drinks. Meanwhile it is surrounded by other pop-up bars and food trucks that turn this industrial zone in a London suburb into a nice party area. Read more…
Take a river cruise and see the major sights from a different angle: Visiting London also means visiting the river Thames. I’ve spent many hours at its riverbank, crossed it endless times via bridges and using the Greenwich foot tunnel. So far I hadn’t taken the opportunity to go by boat on the lifeline of the city which is an easy pleasure: you don’t need to find a commercial tour operator, there are ferry boats that you can use just like any other means of transport. You can just tap in and out with your credit card and it doesn’t cost a fortune. Read more…
Search for souvenirs (and good street food) at Camden Market: If you’re in northern London, United Kingdom and somewhere close to Regent’s Park then a walk along Regent’s channel to the Camden Market is a good choice. In fact, it is a combination of different markets offering art, souvenirs and food near the historical Camden Lock watergate. Read more…
Search for the 650 deer roaming Richmond Park: Sometimes it is such a bless to leave the city of London, especially on a sunny weekend. One of the best options for that is the vast Richmond Park located between Richmond and Kingston. It was once a royal hunting ground created for king Edward I and is today the largest of all royal parks in the city. And it is still connected to its history as there are 650 deer that roam the park freely – a very unexpected pleasure in an urban agglomeration like the capital city of the United Kingdom. Read more…
Get out to the countryside and discover the vast away home of the royals: If something around the royal family happens and it is not at Buckingham Palace or Westminster Abbey, then it is probably at Windsor castle – the historic palace outside of London. It is the largest still inhabited castle in the world and the first building on this site was erected back in the year 1078 CE by William the Conqueror. Read more…
Take some time off at Battersea: Well, Battersea is just a city quarter of London at the river Thames, but it has two important highlights that first time London visitors might not drop by. The first is the Battersea Park, a vast garden opened in 1858. It is great for a walk, for doing some sports like jogging, or playing tennis. But it also has a large lake on which you can ride a paddleboat, the Peace Pagoda and good bars to sit outside and enjoy nice weather (if there is some). Read more…
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