Big Ben
Big Ben is arguably London’s most iconic landmark. Westminster is a beautiful part of London and shouldn’t be overlooked. We recommend visiting in the morning, to avoid a lot of crowds and tour busses. Fun Fact: Big Ben is formally called Elizabeth Tower, after late Queen Elizabeth II. Big Ben is the nickname given to the Great Bell inside the clock of Westminster.
There are also a lot of statues in the park across from Big Ben – which we recommend a stroll through. You’ll recognize Mahatma Gandi, Abraham Lincoln & Winston Churchill to name a few.
- Cost: Free
- Estimated time needed: 30 minutes
London Eye
I recently rode the London Eye on my 4th trip back to London. It offers incredible views of Big Ben & the Thames. As someone who is afraid of heights, I didn’t find it to be too difficult, as the pod you ride in is very large and you hardly feel it moving. The ride lasts about 30 minutes to make one complete circle. Personally, this is the type of activity you only need to do once but isn’t something I’d do again. I highly recommend pre-booking your tickets, as the line can be quite long without them.
- Cost: £27.50
- Reserve spots online here: London Eye Tickets
- Estimated time needed: 30 minutes
Westminster Abbey
While in the area of the London Eye & Big Ben, I recommend walking around Westminster Abbey (and if time permits, going inside!) Westminster Abbey was famously the home of Queen Elizabeth II’s coronation and Prince William & Kate’s wedding. It is also the burial grounds for many royals, including Queen Elizabeth I and her cousin Mary Queen of Scots. There are a few non-royals buried there as well, including Charles Darwin, Geoffrey Chaucer and Sir Isaac Newton.
- Cost: £16
- Reserve spots online here: Westminster Abbey Tickets
- Estimated time needed: 1-2 hours
Tower Bridge
This is probably one of the most famous symbols of this city, thanks to the 2012 summer Olympics. Many people confuse this landmark for London Bridge, however that is one bridge down from this and far less impressive. You can visit the upper part of London bridge and walk above the traffic! However, if you’re afraid of heights a walk across the bridge will do!
- Cost: £8.60
- Reserve spots online here: Tower Bridge Tickets
- Estimated time needed: 30 minutes – 1 hour
Tower of London
Next door to Tower Bridge is the Tower of London. We highly recommend catching a tour with a real Beefeater (aka Yeomen Warders, part of His Majesty’s guards). If you’re familiar with the famous gin, it’s named after them!
We learned quite a bit of royal history with our Warder. The tour is about 30 minutes and doesn’t involve too much walking. Afterwards, you have free time to explore the various rooms and parts of the Tower. Our favorite part was the room with the Crown Jewels! There is a 500 carat diamond on one of the staffs held by monarchs during their coronation. (Yes, you read that correct-500 carat).
Another interesting fact about the Tower of London is that it’s where Anne Boleyn was executed (along with many others). She is buried in the Chapel there.
We recommend purchasing your Tower of London tickets ahead of time online, since the line can be quite long in the peak season.
- Cost: £28.90
- Reserve spots online here: Tower of London Tickets
- Estimated time needed: 3 hours
Tate Modern
There are so many free museums in London, it’s a dream! The Tate Modern is great for any modern art lovers. We were able to see some of Andy Warhol’s famous pieces, which I really enjoyed.
- Cost: Free (Donation Encouraged)
- More Information: Tate Modern
- Estimated time needed: 2-3 hours
The British Museum
There are more than 8 million artifacts in the British Museum from around the world. A lot of these goods were acquired (or more properly stolen) during Britain’s Colonial rule. The highlight of the British Museum is seeing the Rosetta Stone. It’s incredible to me that this stone was the key to unlocking the mysterious ancient Egyptian language of Hieroglyphics.
There are also some ruins from Parthenon, Mummy’s from Egypt and an Easter Island statue! You could easily spend hours in this museum – and the best part is that it’s free to visit.
- Cost: Free (Donation encouraged)
- More information: British Museum
- Estimated time needed: 2-3 hours
Natural History Museum
Another free museum to consider in London is the Natural History Museum. This is awesome for any nature lovers or families with children. The most impressive part of the museum is Hintze Hall where a blue whale skeleton is suspended from the ceiling. They also have a fantastic pre-historic section, as well as a whole room dedicated to dinosaurs!
- Cost: Free (Donation encouraged)
- More information: Natural History Museum
- Estimated time needed: 2-3 hours
National Gallery
If you prefer classic art to modern art, the National Gallery is home to a variety of artists. It’s easy to get lost in the beautiful halls and exhibit rooms. The best part? This museum is also free to enter!
- Cost: Free
- More Information: National Gallery
- Estimated time needed: 2-3 hours
Buckingham Palace
Although you can’t actually visit inside Buckingham Palace (except for select dates in the Summer), it is certainly a must-see while in London. We recommend visiting a little before 11:00am (10:00am on Sundays) to catch the changing of the guard. It can get crowded closer to the Palace so if you want a better spot, we recommend lining the Mall further down, as you’ll still be able to see them process by!
- Cost: Free
- Estimated time needed: 1 hour
Kensington Palace
Although you can’t visit Buckingham Palace, you can tour Kensington Palace! It is officially the royal residence of Prince William & Kate, and previously the residence of Prince Harry & Meghan. There are a few rooms to visit but our favorite part was the exhibit they had on Princess Diana’s fashion story. You could view about 20 of her most famous outfits and read about how her style developed throughout her life.
- Cost: £17.50
- Reserve spots online here: Kensington Palace Tickets
- Estimated time needed: 1-2 hours
Windsor Castle
Sticking with the Royal theme, only 30 minutes outside of London by train, you can visit Windsor castle. This is where the Queen & other members of the Royal family will often spend weekends and holidays. If you’re not comfortable taking public transportation, you could consider booking a tour* with transportation. For more information on how to visit, check out our previous post: Windsor Castle.
- Cost: £23.50 (Entrance Ticket) / $100 (Tour)
- Reserve spots online here: Windsor Castle Tickets / Windsor Castle Tour*
- Estimated time needed: 4 hours
Hampton Court
One last Royal Place for you to consider on your visit to London. Hampton Court is located about 45 minutes outside the city center and is accessible by train. For any history lovers, this is where King Henry VIII kept court and it’s rumored that some of his wives still haunt the hallways. We found the gardens to be the most enjoyable part of our visit and such a peaceful place to stroll. You may recognize Hampton Court from the Netflix series, Bridgerton, where some garden scenes were filmed.
- Cost: £26-29 (Entrance Ticket)
- Reserve spots online here: Hampton Court
- Estimated time needed: 3 hours
Day Trip to Stonehenge
Technically Stonehenge is not in London, but it does make the perfect day trip. About 2 hours from the city center by train you can find this mysterious prehistoric site. Check out our previous post: Stonehenge, England for more info on how to visit or book a day tour* here.
- Cost: £19 (Entrance Tickets) / $75 (Tour)
- Reserve spots online here: Stonehenge Tickets / Stonehenge Tour*
- Estimated time needed: 2-3 hours
Warner Brothers Harry Potter Studio Tour
If you’re a fan of Harry Potter, you’ll want to block off at least 1/2 a day to visit the Warner Brother Studio Tour. Mark and I have both read the Harry Potter books and loved the movies, so this was a dream come true. It takes about an hour to get here, via train and bus. If you prefer, you could also book a tour* with transfers included. For more information on what visiting the Studio is like, check out our previous post: Harry Potter Studio Tour.
- Cost: £47 (Entrance Tickets) / $125 (Tour)
- Reserve spots online here: Harry Potter Studio Tour / From London: Harry Potter Studio Tour*
- Estimated time needed: 3-5 hours
Sky Garden
Sky Garden is a free place to visit for excellent 360 views of London. You have to reserve a time slot online before going, even though it’s free, and tickets are released about 2-3 weeks in advance. It’s very competitive to get times during sunset, so keep that in mind and plan months in advance if you wish to go then!
It’s free to make the reservation and to ride the elevator to the top. There are some bars and restaurants there too, but we mostly went to enjoy the views. There are 360 windows around the top of the skyscraper and a small balcony you can go outside on. It only takes about 30 minutes to visit if you aren’t getting food or a drink, but it’s worth the views!
- Cost: Free
- Reserve spots online here: Sky Garden Reservation
- Estimated time needed: 30 minutes – 1 hour
Afternoon Tea
London is where we discovered our love for afternoon tea. In case you haven’t heard of this, afternoon tea is an English tradition where you enjoy some tea and small sandwiches, scones & deserts to hold you over until your evening meal. This traditionally happens mid to late afternoon. In all honesty, we always make tea our lunch & leave feeling completely full!
The average price of afternoon tea can range from 20-70 pounds per person, depending on the location (and if you include alcohol). We’ve had tea at 3 different locations in London. The Ham Yard hotel is central to London and serves an amazing afternoon tea experience! Peggy Porschen offers a very beautiful tea in their pink tea room. We also visited Petersham Nurseries in Richmond, where you can have tea in one of their greenhouses!
- Cost: £20-70
- Reserve spots online here: Ham Yard Hotel / Peggy Porschen / Petersham Nurseries
- Estimated time needed: 2-3 hours
St. Paul’s Cathedral
We didn’t have the time to visit the inside of St. Paul’s Cathedral, however we did walk around the area. This is where Prince Charles & Princess Diana were married. St. Paul’s Cathedral is nicknamed the people’s church and during WWII Winston Churchill went to great lengths to protect it from the Blitzkrieg.
- Cost: £18
- Reserve spots online here: St. Paul’s Cathedral Tickets
- Estimated time needed: 1-2 hours
Millennium Bridge
Across from St. Paul’s, there is Millennium Bridge, a pedestrian walkway across the Thames River. If you’re a Harry Potter fan, you’ll recognize this as the bridge that is destroyed by Death Eaters in the 6th movie.
- Cost: Free
- Estimated time needed: 15 minutes
Borough Market
A trip to London is not complete without visiting Borough Market. This is our favorite food market in the world and love the diversity of cuisines offered. We highly recommend getting a sausage roll from the Ginger Pig – you won’t be disappointed! Please note the Market is typically open 10am-5pm most days, so it makes for a good lunch spot.
- Cost: £5-20 (Varies depending on food)
- More Information: Borough Market
- Estimated time needed: 1-2 hours
Winston Churchill War Rooms
Winston Churchill War Rooms is a unique museum to visit while in London. Unlike other museums in the city, there is an entrance fee and we recommend purchasing a timed-ticket. For any history lover, this is a must-do. You enter into the War Rooms, an underground bunker, where Churchill and other British leaders made decisions during WWII. There is also a museum dedicated the life of Winston Churchill you can explore while there too. Our favorite place was the Map Room – where the maps have been frozen in time from when WWII ended.
- Cost: £27.25
- Reserve Tickets Online: Winston Churchill War Rooms
- Estimated time needed: 2-3 hours
Old Royal Naval College
For any film buffs, the Old Royal Naval College in Greenwich is one of the most popular filming locations in the world. You can actually take the best movie tour in London while there! If movie tours aren’t for you, it’s still worth a visit to take a history tour or see the Painted Hall (known as the Sistine Chapel of the UK).
- Cost: £15 (movie or history tour) £3 (Painted Hall only)
- Reserve Tickets Online: Blockbuster Film Tours (1 hour)
- Estimated time needed: 2-3 hours
London Accommodation
When I first visited London during my time studying abroad, I crashed on the couch of a friend (as one does). The trip I took with my Mom, we stayed at St. Christopher’s Liverpool Street hostel. We booked a private room but they also offer shared rooms. The location was great since it was less than 5 minutes walking to the nearest tube station. My last trip to London was for work and I stayed in Leonardo Royal London City hotel, near the Tower of London. The hotel was beautiful and the location was great. During our latest trip to London we stayed in Shoreditch at Courthouse Hotel. They have spacious rooms with a delicious breakfast spread.
London Travel Tips
Transportation
- The tube is your best friend when you visit London. If you have a credit card with the tap feature, you can use this to tap in and out of tube stations.
- Taxis can be very expensive in London but worth one or two rides for the experience of driving on the other side of the road and sitting in an infamous black cab.
- London also has Uber as well.
Tipping
- Tipping is not as prominent in the UK as it is in the US, because most servers are not dependent on tips. Think of 10% as nice, not necessary.
- Many places include gratuity on their bill, so take a look before adding an additional tip.
Weather
- London is notorious for being gray and rainy, but there is something for you to do anytime of year regardless of the weather
- Temperatures range from 40-55 F in the Winter to 55-75 F in the Summer
General
- Be careful crossing the street since cars are driving on the opposite side of the road than Americans & other European countries.
- Specific regions of London are walkable, but the city itself is not. Get comfortable using public transportation.
I always say London is a place where new and old collide spectacularly to give you the perfect mix of history and modern city life.
Cheers, Amanda
Last edited: May 2023
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