London is the greatest city in the world, and a lovely place to travel to for any length of time. I was lucky to live and study there for a bit more than a year, and often get questions about travel recommendations. After writing a close friend a lengthy message, I thought it’d be best to write a complete document to share to others who ask.
Things that London does well
London has particularly good offerings in the following categories. If you were going to build an itinerary, pick your top few categories and try to do something in each. They’re in order starting at the best.
1. Museums
The most of the big London museums (British, Victoria and Albert, National Gallery, Science, Tate Modern, National History, + many more) are free and spectacular. At very busy times, you may need to book ahead, but normally you can just walk in. My favorite in the V&A, which I’d recommend for a half day, or even just an hour if you have time and are in South Kensington. The free entry makes them a perfect thing to squeeze in last minute.
2. Markets
London has amazing markets all over the city. My favorites:
- Columbia Road Flower Market (Sunday)
- Petticoat Lane Clothes Market (Sunday)
- Old Spitalfields Market (every day)
- Borough Food Market (every day)
- Brick Lane Market (Saturday)
3. Entertainment and Music
The West End is the best theatre district in the world, and the prices are much lower than New York. TodayTix is a great website to find discount tickets on the day of if you are flexible, but full price tickets won’t set you back an unfair amount. Les Mis is my favorite show and is the longest running musical (!). There’s great EMD/Electronic music clubs all over the city (Village Underground, Printworks) which normally are ticketed months in advance, so plan ahead if you want to see something in demand. Jazz in London is good– Ronnie Scotts is famous, but 91 Dining Room and Trishas are fun smaller clubs.
4. Pubs
For the most part, you can’t go wrong with pubs. They are everywhere and you generally can’t go wrong as long as you try a variety. There are a few major chains, including Wetherspoons (the cheapest, and sort of grimy but fun) and Green King (I’d avoid because they lack character). If you really want a recommendation, then Dirty Dicks, Founders Arms, the Ship Tavern, Grapeshots and Ye Old Cheshire Cheese are great, but I won’t pretend like they are the best. Most pubs close pretty early (~9pm or so), so if you want to stay out late, look for a bar or club.
5. Sport
See a football match! It’s fun even if you don’t watch soccer and the atmosphere even at the smaller teams is great! Getting tickets to a premier league match is a difficult task (look elsewhere for instructions on this), but there are plenty of smaller clubs that sell tickets last minute. QPR, Charleton FC, Leyton Orient, Watford and AFC Wimbledon are all London clubs worth looking at, and I’ve had a lot of fun at their games. Except for ~10 weeks in the early/mid summer, teams are playing.
6. Long Walks
Central London (zone 1 on the tube map) is a walkers paradise. It’s beautiful, safe, and there’s so much to see on the street-level. Walking between the City and Covent Garden along Fleet St is my favorite (or take the 11 or 26 bus from Liverpool St Station for the same view at a faster rate!). The city is big, and public transit is useful, but occasionally if you have a ~40 minute walk through the middle of the city, it’s worth taking that option to see what you discover. Another great walk is between Bond St in Mayfair, past Buckingham Palace and over Westminster Bridge.
7. Cathedrals
Most of Europe does ancient churches pretty well, but St. Pauls and Westminster Abbey are some of the best I’ve seen. The Abbey is the better option if you’re going to pay for a tour, but both offer free daily church services, including a brief choral sunset service called Evensong. Lasting around 45 minutes, it’s a great way to see the inside of these buildings and hear their beautiful choirs without paying. Evensongs generally only have bible readings (no preaching), so I’d recommend for people who necessarily Christian or even religious.
8. Views
So at some point you’ll want to see the skyline, or get a birds-eye view of the city. Here’s some options
- The Sky Garden (free, but plan ahead)
- Top Floor of One New Change (right next to St. Paul’s, and along my favorite walk)
- Primrose Hill (a great park with expansive views)
- Waterloo Bridge (right between St. Paul’s and Big Ben)
- Founders Arms (a pub on the river)
Where to Stay
Bloomsbury has a ton of cheap hotels and is centrally located. I stayed here for a week and it was the perfect location to see London on a budget. For nicer hotels, Marylebone, Spitalfields and Shoreditch are worth looking at. For a quieter, more residential feel of a nice AirBnB I’d look at Notting Hill, Kensington or the Angel. Being near a Tube Stop is a high priority.
Logistics
The Tube/Underground/Subway is clean, safe and fast. For all transit, including trains to and from the airport, you can use a tap-enabled card or apple pay exclusively. No need to buy tickets!
The buses are great too. (The 26 and 11 bus between Liverpool St and the Royal Courts of Justice was my commute and is perhaps the most scenic bus ride in London.)
Very few businesses in London accept cash– almost none are cash only. I’d have some pound notes just to be safe, but a good travel credit card that doesn’t have foreign transaction fees will be your key to an easy trip.
Tipping is not normal, so don’t do it unless you are deeply compelled.
Food
I’ve neglected to mention food so far, because it’s a low priority for me. On Sunday afternoon, get a roast from a pub or restaurant for some traditional British food. Also, find some good Indian food (Dishoom is a place that Americans tend to love, and its damn good). London has pretty much every cuisine in the world, so it’s a good opportunity to try some new flavors. But I never spend much time exploring restaurants, so you’d be better served to look at articles about this in particular.
Times of the Year
London can be visited any time of the year. London is very far north, further than Montreal or the northern tip of Maine, so the days in the winter will be very short, while the summer days are very long.
- Christmas/Holidays London has stunning lights throughout the Central neighborhoods. It will be darker than cold (but will be both), but it’s a nice time of year. However, London does not have Christmas markets like Germany and Scotland do.
- Summer/Wimbledon If you like tennis, or just want to see a famous sporting event, Wimbledon issues most of their tickets to those who wait in a queue in the morning before play starts.
- Public Holidays The UK has a lot of holidays. These will make the activities busier and harder to book, but not by a large margin.