Top 10 in London, England

Matt and I spent most of the month of May in the heart of London, England, so we got to explore. Matt was really excited for me to go to London because he lived there as a child and spent a summer in college there while his parents were living there as well! So, his parents met us in London to really show me the ropes. After three weeks of exploring many sites and beautiful places, I came up with For the Love of Wanderlust’s top 10 in London, along with some honorable mentions.

EXPLORE THE PARKS

 
One of the things I enjoyed most about London was spending time in the gorgeous green spaces, so of course it’s number one on my top 10 in London. There are loads of parks and gardens all through the city, and some even flow together. My absolute favorite is St. James Park, although, I also loved the size of Hyde Park + Kensington Gardens (they flow into each other). The parks are beautifully manicured, and they’re just a fun space. You never know what you’re going to see: a yoga class, skating group, break dancing or people sunbathing on a 65 degree (Fahrenheit) day. 
For the Love of Wanderlust Recommendation: Rent a bike! Santander Cycles are London’s bike share program. They’re located all over London and there are several docking stations near the parks. I would definitely recommend hopping on one of these. Know, the parks get insanely busy on bright sunny days. This is actually a better activity to do on a cloudy, drizzly day. Another recommendation is to give Lawn Bowling a go! It’s so much fun!

SEE A PLAY

The theater scene in London is off-the-charts! I’m by no means a theater buff because I haven’t seen dozens of plays, but I found myself incredibly drawn into the theater scene here. We saw one play per week, all in different theaters. We saw An Ideal Husband at The Vaudeville, The Mousetrap at St. Martin’s Theater (London’s longest-running play!) and Les Miserables at The Queen’s Theater. I enjoyed each one so much, and I loved that each theater was different.

For the Love of Wanderlust Recommendation: Try to see more than one play. I loved getting to see the differences in the plays and theaters – it was one of the joys of the experience. Also, see something you know very little about. It’s so much fun to watch and not know what’s coming next.

CHECK OUT THE FREE MUSEUMS

 

I wish every big city across the world was as generous with their museums as London is. So many of the museums are 100% free to visit. (Of course, you can leave a donation – in fact, that’s encouraged.) Only in London can you see amazing things like The Rosetta Stone, famous works of art by world-renown artists, Cleopatra’s mummy, the Magna Carta and more for free! These museums are scattered all through London and there are more than 20 of them!

For the Love of Wanderlust Favorites: The British Museum (see The Rosetta Stone, African Art and Cleopatra’s mummy), The British Library (see The Magna Carta, Mozart’s manuscripts and Da Vinci’s notebook), The Imperial War Museum and The National Gallery.

WESTMINSTER ABBEY

Westminster Abbey is just absolutely stunning. It’s the church where English + British royalty are coronated and buried. It has over 1000 years of history and was the most striking church I saw in England. Inside isn’t only a burial place for royalty, but also for people historical, cultural and scientific significance. The audio tour is filled with information and truly enriches your visit. This is a place where it’s all about the details – there’s just so much to see in this church. For the Love of Wanderlust Recommendation: Ask the people working inside about the rooms they’re in. I learned some of the coolest information from the two men, and they’re things that aren’t on the audioguide.

EAT A PROPER PUB MEAL

Fish ‘n chips, shepherd’s pie, bangers and mash, pies, toffee pudding pasties and so many more options, how do you choose? The first night we were in London, we had a pub meal, and then we had pub food again about every 5 or 6 days we were there. You have to try all the goodies, right? In addition to having the delicious-ness, the pub atmosphere is a major part of the experience. Like beer, gin, cider or any other libation, really? Grab a drink as well! Remember, pubs don’t have table service, usually. Be sure to order at the bar!

SHOP IN THE AMAZING MARKETS AROUND TOWN

 
Many people have heard of Portobello Road and it’s amazing weekend flea market, but that’s just one of dozens of markets that pop up all around London. Neighborhoods have weekend markets and daily markets, and each one is unique. We made our way to Portobello Road, Camden Market and Borough Market. Portobello Road has a lot of vintage finds and treats. Camden Market has eats, handmade items and cheap souvenirs. Borough Market felt the most local – it’s full of interesting, unique food options and I found some cool plant stuff here! Borough Market was hands-down my favorite!

CHURCHILL WAR ROOMS

I’m a huge fan of history, and I think anyone who is interested in history has to visit Churchill War Rooms. Honestly, I think everyone should visit because it’s a unique look at the behind-the-scenes of WW2. In addition to the information on Churchill’s time during the war, there’s a wonderful museum about Churchill’s entire life. This isn’t one of the free museums, but it’s a museum that’s worth the money, in my opinion.

TOWER OF LONDON

The Tower of London is a fortress that dates back to just under 1,000 years ago. It’s still property of the Queen of England, and as well as being a very interesting museum and the place of many famous imprisonments and executions, it’s also the home of the Crown Jewels. Famous prisoners here included Anne Boleyn (who was beheaded here and still supposedly haunts the tower), Guy Fawkes (remember, remember the 5th of November) and Queen Elizabeth I (yes, her sister Mary had Elizabeth imprisoned). There’s a lot of history here, but I would definitely get here right when they open; it’s crowded.

ST. PAUL’S CATHEDRAL

St. Paul’s Cathedral is a big, beautiful Anglican church that was built in the mid-1600’s. It was designed by Sir Christopher Wren, who built dozens of churches across London. St. Paul’s is an active church and if you visit for a service, you don’t have to pay. I think it would be beautiful to see a service there, but it’s worth a separate visit, as well, so that you can climb to the top of the dome and get the stunning views of London. You can see the walkie talkie, Tower Bridge, the Globe, Millennium Bridge and so much more!

WATCH THE CHANGING THE GUARD

 
I have a hard time thinking of London without thinking of these men in fuzzy black hats and red coats. Getting to see the changing of the guard is genuinely a madhouse! It’s so hard to get a spot where you can see all the action in front of Buckingham Palace, but lining up along the road leading up to Buckingham Palace, you still get a phenomenal view of all the action without having to fight the crowds.

For the Love of Wanderlust Tip: Want to see the changing of the guard in front of Buckingham Palace? Get there about an hour ahead of time to get a good view. Don’t want to wait over an hour? Line up along the road leading up to the palace about 15 minutes before instead. You won’t miss the pomp here.

HONORABLE MENTIONS

PLATFORM 9 3/4 – Let’s be real, if this was my personal top 10 list instead of For the Love of Wanderlust’s, this would probably number one; that’s because I’m a major HP fan. We only had to wait in line for 20 minutes to get our photos taken here. That’s not bad at all! Luckily, they keep the line moving very quickly. We had so much fun here and even won a ticket to Hogwarts for “best jump”.
 
PARLIAMENT + BIG BEN – I think that this would have potentially been on my Top 10 in London list if Big Ben hadn’t been completely covered by scaffolding. That is the most iconic site in all of London. Obviously, I was pretty crushed to only see a giant rectangle of scaffolding. Parliament was still stunning and definitely see it when you’re right next-door at Westminster Abbey.
ABBEY ROAD – This is an iconic destination for any Beatles-lover. I grew up listening to the tunes of John, Paul, George and Ringo, so getting to walk across Abbey Road like the Beatles did was almost like a pilgrimage for me. While it wouldn’t be for everyone, it is for any Beatles fan.
   
GET ON THE RIVER – Getting to see London from the Thames is amazing. You don’t need to do a fancy river cruise either, you can just take the river taxi because they give you info all along the way. I recommend going up to Greenwich to check that area out as well.
CHECK OUT THE STREET ART SCENE – I’ve become a major lover of street art, and the street art in London is off the charts! One of the best areas to scope it out is Camden Town.

London has loads and loads of things to do, but these are the things that I was hands-down most excited to do and be a part of during our three weeks in London. Have you been to London? Tell me what your favorite thing was, so I can check it out next time!

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